Post articles/links on Bodybuilding

[kollision]

Post articles and links that you think others would enjoy reading that is informative on bodybuilding and fitness.

 

John Berardi has some of the best articles that I have ever read.

 

The Science of Nutrient Timing by John Berardi

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi54.htm

 

What Is Nutrient Timing?

 

With respect to manipulating body composition and athletic performance, traditional nutritionists have spent much of their time figuring out how much to eat and to a smaller extent, what to eat. Of course, both of these approaches have immense value. Although a myriad of factors affect energy balance (more than can be understood by a simple appraisal of how much you eat and how much you exercise; see Hungry, Hungry Hormones Part I for a more complete picture), the laws or thermodynamics are the most important determinants of weight gain and weight loss. Therefore, how much we eat is critical in altering our body composition (and, indirectly, our performance).

[Daywalker]

Good idea, Koll.

 

Good site on training:

 

http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html

[kollision]

Thanks for the sticky and the compliment Alex.

 

I have been to that site you posted, but I mainly read their articles at BB.com Good stuff there, as you and Biggz can attest to

[rdandrew]

Berardi is a exercise/nutrition genius

 

Good stuff!

[clsupnorth]

Can I add some?

 

Gurus:

Lyle McDonald - http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/ I *heart* this man's brain

I also love Berardi, but he's already been listed here.

Eric Cressey - http://www.ericcressey.com/home.html

Erik Ledin - Great trainer with some good info here... http://leanbodiesconsulting.com/q-a.html

 

Other Sites (Some have hype and crap, but there are also really worthwhile articles out there):

Wannabebig - http://www.wannabebig.com/index.php

Testosterone Nation - http://www.t-nation.com/index.do

Bodybuilding.com - http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.htm

Female weightlifting - http://stumptuous.com/cms/index.php

Vegan Weightlifting Needs - http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2003issue4/vj2003issue4weight.htm

Muscle Tech - http://www.muscletech.com/TRAINING/MAIN/Training_Bodybuilding.shtml Specifically, some good articles on muscletech written by Erik Ledin:

Top 5 Dieting Mistakes - http://www.muscletech.com/NUTRITION/HIGH_PERFORMANCE_NUTRITION/ISSUE_4/index.shtml

Carb Cycling (can be wonderfully modified for vegans with good results) - http://www.muscletech.com/NUTRITION/HIGH_PERFORMANCE_NUTRITION/ISSUE_3/index.shtmlFlexibility Training:

http://www.trickstutorials.com/index.php?page=content/flx3

 

Exercise Instruction:

http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html

Core Training - http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459822

[JW]

Nice!!

thanks for posting!!!

 

Can I add some?

 

Gurus:

Lyle McDonald - http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/ I *heart* this man's brain

I also love Berardi, but he's already been listed here.

Eric Cressey - http://www.ericcressey.com/home.html

Erik Ledin - Great trainer with some good info here... http://leanbodiesconsulting.com/q-a.html

 

Other Sites (Some have hype and crap, but there are also really worthwhile articles out there):

Wannabebig - http://www.wannabebig.com/index.php

Testosterone Nation - http://www.t-nation.com/index.do

Bodybuilding.com - http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.htm

Female weightlifting - http://stumptuous.com/cms/index.php

Vegan Weightlifting Needs - http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2003issue4/vj2003issue4weight.htm

Muscle Tech - http://www.muscletech.com/TRAINING/MAIN/Training_Bodybuilding.shtml Specifically, some good articles on muscletech written by Erik Ledin:

Top 5 Dieting Mistakes - http://www.muscletech.com/NUTRITION/HIGH_PERFORMANCE_NUTRITION/ISSUE_4/index.shtml

Carb Cycling (can be wonderfully modified for vegans with good results) - http://www.muscletech.com/NUTRITION/HIGH_PERFORMANCE_NUTRITION/ISSUE_3/index.shtmlFlexibility Training:

http://www.trickstutorials.com/index.php?page=content/flx3

 

Exercise Instruction:

http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html

Core Training - http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459822

[Daywalker]

Good article on T-nation:

 

Full body or split workout?

 

Part I

and

Part II

 

I have to admit i mainly like it because they agree with my opinion

[Ravi]

alwyn had a great quote on his blog that summed this total vs split thing quite nicely:

 

http://alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com/2006/10/are-you-bodybuilder_13.html

 

“Even at an elite level of athleticism, there are only 10% of people who need to stress over the details. Most people think they’re there when they’re not. You have to understand whether you’re a part of the 90% or the 10%.” -John Berardi"

 

I've switched over to a total body routine in the past week (done 3 workouts this way) and have been AMAZED at how much better my body feels. I dont have a single ache or pain (I hurt my back/neck pretty badly a monthly ago).

 

I am also sore again after every workout...a great feeling! (muscular soreness = good, bck/neck pain = bad)

[mm]

Max-Stimulation - "cheat fatigue, enhance strain, increase the translational response to weight training and grow"

http://max-stimulation.hypertrophy-research.com/

 

I've been doing Max-Stim for two months now and must say it is absolutely fantastic. I've always perceived CNS fatigue to be the one thing that keeps me from working harder, with Max-Stim's fatigue management and HST-Style load progression I can feel physically exhausted without the accompanying mental burnout. I suggest you give it a try, if you're already doing HST then you might even swith to Max-Stim during your cycle (as I have done).

 

You're basically doing one set with 20 reps and a break after every rep. No Rest/Pause, you're putting the weight down completely and relax for X seconds (depending on where you are in the cycle). Then you lift again. It is amazing what you can lift this way, you have to try it yourself to believe it. The second thing is the HST-style load progression that let's you basically work under your 100 % RM for any given rep-range most of the time. The cycle consists of 10, 8 and 6 rep phases that each take 4 weeks to complete, starting with 75 % RM and ending with 110 % RM. But before I'm getting too confusing, please check out the website and forum, it's got most of the questions already answered and contains a free downloadable PDF-booklet.

 

(From the Website)

 

What Max-Stim isn't:

 

It's not magic-No training sytem yet identified will put on 30 Lbs of muscle in 30 days, it just doesn't work this way.

 

It's not rest pause- The typical rest/pause setup involves invoking a continued fatigue response. Max-Stim completely circumvents or at minimum delays fatigue.

 

It's not clustering- Clustering in the literal and applied sense is grouping reps into mini sets, Max-Stim does not do this.

 

It's not singles- Singles are a weightlifting term used when lifters use several incremental increases in load over very few reps working up to one all out rep, in order to stimulate neural responses and increase strength. Max-Stim does not do this.

 

What Max-Stim is:

 

Max-Stim is a way of effectively working beyond your normal max in any rep zone.

 

Max-Stim is a way of diminishing fatigue that reduces the force exerted during contractions and subsequant strain.

 

Max-Stim is a way of progressively loading the muscle tissue with an adequate work load.

 

Max-Stim is a way of maintaining an identifiable TUT no matter the load used.

[drjoe]

Here's a great article explaining what is called Max-OT cardio. It's a great way to burn fat and get your cardio in (and it takes only 16 minutes!). Please note, that Max-OT is not for the faint of heart. It is 16 minutes of torture...LOL.

 

Here's the link:

 

http://www.ast-ss.com/articles/article.asp?AID=97

[Sid]

This link is about Clarance Bass, he maintains very low body fat all year round. Great Ab shot as well. Currently he's about 70 and still amazingly lean.

http://www.cbass.com/PERSONAL.HTM

 

His website has got tons of articles on Bodybuilding.

[kailla]

www.shapefit.com

[Fallen_Horse]

Let's get this going again!

http://zentofitness.com/

[strawberryriddick]

Been meaning to post these for a while. The first article is on dietary nitrates, the second on the pH and muscle mass. These articles appeared back-to-back in Muscular Development's December 2009 issue (pages 138-141). These articles really helped me understand two things I found out after becoming vegan: I have more energy and my muscles don't waste as much. Because I'm typing out the entire articles, there may be a few typos as I hammer through them quickly. Please forgive me.

 

 

DIETARY NITRATES: A New Way of Increasing Nitric Oxide Production

-by Robbie Durand, M.A., Senior Editor

 

Nothing beats getting a good pump in the gym. Traditionally, bodybuilders have resorted to using nitric oxide (NO) products to enhance NO production. Many bodybuilders know that nitric oxide can be increased via the synthesis of nitric oxide synthase, through the amino acid arginine. What many bodybuilders may not know is that NO can be produced via an alternative pathway without NO synthase.

 

Diet is a major provider of nitrates in the body. Nitrates can enhance the production of nitric oxide, independent of the arginine-dependent NO synthase pathway. In 2004, it was demonstrated that inorganic nitrate from dietary sources could be a major source of circulating nitrite -- which enhances nitric oxide production independent of the arginine-NOS pathway.

 

In one experiment, healthy subjects who ingested a dietary nitrate experienced a four-to-fivefold increase in plasma nitrite, It turns out that much of the dietary nitrite from food entering the stomach from saliva survives intact and reaches the systemic circulation. This suggests that inorganic nitrate from food can be a substrate for NO formation in the body. Nevertheless, based on numerous studies, it seems clear that dietary nitrates are indeed bioactive in the body.

 

Sources of Dietary Nitrates

Incorporating some fruits and vegetables into the diet in place of high protein can help facilitate greater production of nitric oxide production. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower blood pressure and reduced risk of cardiovascular events. Despite extensive research, the active ingredient(s) responsible fo this effect has not been pinpointed, and trials with single nutrients have been largely unsuccessful. (StrawberryRiddick's Note: to me, this just promotes the importance of whole foods)

 

Remarkably, in a recent study of healthy volunteers, the blood pressure-lowering effect of dietary nitrate supplementation was similar to what was seen in the healthy control group in the DASH project, a classic vegetable/fruit diet trial -- indicating that nitrate could be an important and active ingredient of this diet. This means taking a nitrate supplement could be just as effective as eating fruits and vegetables for increasing NO production.

 

It should be noted that the dosage of nitrate used in the study (0.1 mmol/kg/day) is readily achievable through a diet rich in vegetables. So for those guys who are not eating fruits and vegetables, you may be missing out on getting better pumps in the gym.

 

Beetroot Juice - A High Source of Nitrates

In a recent study, Webb and colleagues found that blood pressure decreases if healthy volunteers ingest a natural nitrate source (beetroot juice). Researchers demonstrated that it was the nitrate in the juice that had the effect, and it occurred via the nitrate's chemical reduction to nitrite. In the study, 0.5 L of fresh beetroot juice decreased systolic blood pressure as much as 10 mmHg, and blood pressure was still significantly reduced 24 hours later. The researchers found that blood pressure was reduced within just one hour of ingesting beetroot juice, with a peak drop occurring three to four hours after ingestion. Some degree of reduction continued to be observed up to 24 hours after ingestion.

 

Researchers demonstrated that the decrease in blood pressure was due to the chemical formation of nitrite from the dietary nitrate in the juice. The nitrate in the juice is converted in saliva, by bacteria on the tongue, into nitrite. This nitrite-containing saliva is swallowed, and in the acidic environment of the stomach is either converted into nitric oxide or re-enters the circulation as nitrite. The peak time of reduction in blood pressure correlated with the appearance and peak levels of nitrite in the circulation -- an effect that was absent in a second group of volunteers who refrained from swallowing their saliva during, and for three hours following, beetroot ingestion.

 

A reduction in blood pressure was also demonstrated in 2006, in healthy volunteers, after three days of dietary supplementation with inorganic nitrate. In 2007, it was shown that dietary nitrate decreases whole-body oxygen consumption in humans during submaximal exercise. This could be due to the vasodilation of the blood vessel walls, causing less need for oxygen consumption by muscle. The nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway may be viewed as complementary to the classical arginine-NOS pathway. These pathways work partly parallel to each other, but when oxygen availability is reduced and NOS activity is decreased, nitrite reduction to NO becomes more pronounced.

 

In sum, consuming natural foods high in nitrates may enahnce muscle pumps in the gym. Or you could try beetroot juice, which is naturally high in nitrates.

 

References

1. Lundberg JO, Weitzberg E, Cole JA and Benjamin N. Nitrate, bacteria, and human health. Nat Rev Microbiol, 2004 jul;2(7):593-602

2. Lundberg JO and Govoni M. Inorganic nitrate is a possible source for systemic generation of nitric oxide. Free Radic Biol Med, 37, 395-400 (2004)

3. Larsen FJ, Ekblom B, Sahlin K, Lundberg JO and Weitzberg E. Effects of dietary nitrate on blood pressure in healthy volunteers. N Engl J Med, 355, 2792-2793 (2006).

4. Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek, E, Vollmer WM, Svetkey LP, Sacks FM, Bray GA, Vogt TM, Cutler JA, Windhauser MM, Lin PH and Karanja N, A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. DASH Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med, 336, 1117-1124 (1997)

5. Webb AJ, Patel N, Loukogerogakis S, Okorie M, Aboud Z, Misra S, Rashid R, Miall P, Deanfield J, Benjamin N, Macallister R, Hobbs AJ and Ahluwalia A. Acute blood pressure lowering, vasoprotective, and antiplatelet properties of dietary nitrate via bioconversion to nitrite. Hypertension, 51, 784-90 (2008)

6. Larsen FJ, Ekblom B, Sahlin K, Lundberg JO and Weitzberg E. Effects of dietary nitrate on blood pressure in healthy volunteers. N Engl J Med, 355, 2792-2793 (2006).

7. Larsen FJ, Weitzberg E, Lundberg JO and Ekblom B. Effects of dietary nitrate on oxygen cost during exercise. Acta Physiol (Oxf), 191, 59-66 (2007).

 

 

 

The Role of pH and Muscle Mass

-by Robbie Durand, M.A., Senior Web Editor

This month I spent some time with MD's Evan Centopani, filming his training session in his off-season. Besides noticing that Evan is looking like a beast, I walked into Evan's house and noticed this small apparatus next to the sink that had some blinking lights on the side and was filled with water.

I said, "Evan, what the hell is that?"

Evan explained it was a water ionizer, which adjusted the pH of the water. By using a water ionizer, it helped to create a more basic pH in the body, and reduce blood acidity. Evan explained that he had been doing a lot of reading on the role of pH and health. He is correct that pH has a profound effect on health, but also on muscle mass.

 

Having na acidic pH not only causes lower muscle mass, but can also lower plasma levels of IGF-1. Having an acidic pH is not conducive to building muscle. In fact, researchers make the blood more basic to counteract losses in muscle mass.

 

Interestingly, a mild but progressive metabolic acidosis occurs in elderly individuals who are exposed to a continuous challenge from acid-producing diets (e.g., diets relatively rich in meat and cereal grains compared to the fruit and vegetable content). Oral administration of bicarbonate increases blood pH (makes the blood more basic) in a dose-related manner in healthy adults, both at rest and during exercise. Metabolic acidosis has long been known to promote protein breakdown and nitrogen excretion.

 

In several studies, daily administration of bicarbonate -- which acts as a blood buffer and reduces acidity -- improved muscle power during intense exercise in healthy subjects. However, the role of pH and muscle mass has never been clearly defined, so researchers set out to examine if blood pH has any effect on muscle mass.

 

Researchers from Tufts University examined 162 older adults and had them consume either a treatment with potsasium bicarbonate, sodicum bicarbonate, potassium chloride, or a placebo. Remember that bicarbonates reduce blood acidity and promonte a more alkaline environment. Interestingly, after three months of supplementation, only the bicarbonate altered the amount of acid production. The reduction in acid production resulted in less nitrogen excretion (greatr protein retention) iin men.

 

In the men, the change in net acid excretion (the amount of acid being excreted from the body) was positively correlated with how much nitrogen was being lost. Although nitrogen excretion is not a specific indicator of muscle breakdown, in the setting of stable protein intake, exercise level, and bodyweight, a decrease in nitrogen excretion is consistent with decreased net muscle catabolism.

 

Treatement with bicarbonate significantly lowered nitrogen excretion. Therefore, using a blood buffer such as potassium bicarbonate may be a way of reducing muscle tissue breakdown.

 

Loss of muscle is associated with aging, but this occurs in conjunction with increased blood acidity. A possibility is that muscle wasting is influenced by the mild metabolic acidosis that occurs with aging. With muscle breakdown, amino acids released into the bloodstream provide substrate for the hepatic synthesis of glutamine. Glutamine is used by the kidneys to synthesize ammonia. Glutamine acts as a blood buffer when pH is acidic by being removed from muscle.

 

So Evan may be on to something good. It seems that drinking alkaline water or eating fruits and vegetables or using a bicarbonate supplement may prevent muscle tissue breakdown.

 

References

1. Frassetto LA, Morris RC Jr, Sebastian A (1996) Effect of age on blood acid-base composition in adult humans: role of age-related renal functional decline. Am J Physiol, 271:t-22.

2. Douroudos II, Fatouros IG, Gourgoulis V, Jamurtas AZ, Tsitsios T, Hatzinikolaou A, Margonis K, Mavromatidis K, Taxildaris K (2006) Dose-related effects of prolonged NaHCO3 ingestion during high-intensity exercise. Med Scie Sports Exerc, 38:1746-1753.

3. May RC, Kelly RA, Mitch WE (1986) Metabolic acidosis stimulates protein degredation in rat muscle by glucocorticoid dependent mechanism. J Clin Invest, 77:614-621.

4. Mitch WE, Price SR, May RC, Jurkovitz C, England BK (1994) Metabolic consequences of uremia: extending the concept of adaptive responses to protein metabolism. Am J Kidney Dis, 23:224-228.

5. Edge J, Bishop D, Goodman C (2006) The effects of training intensity on muscle buffer capacity in females. Eur J Appl Physiol, 96:97-105.

6. Cersosimo E, Williams PE, Radosevich PM, Hoxworth BT, Lacy WW, Abumrad NN (1986) Role of glutamine in adaptations in nitrogen metabolism during fasting. Am J Physiol, 250:E622-E628.

7. Dawson-Hughes B, Castaneda-Sceppa C, Harris SS, Palermo NJ, Cloutier G, Ceglia L, Dallal GE. Impact of supplementation with bicarbonate on lower-extremity muscle performance in older men and women. Osteoporos Int, 2009 Sep 1.

[after4ever]

If you are not a beginner and you are in an endless plateau,try this.Also if you are ectomorph.

 

http://www.strengthcats.com/CP-GVT.html

 

This gives results not because is a new discover ,or magic,but because is HARD and old.Many knows it works.

 

Read all article.

[Fallen_Horse]

If you are not a beginner and you are in an endless plateau,try this.Also if you are ectomorph.

 

http://www.strengthcats.com/CP-GVT.html

 

This gives results not because is a new discover ,or magic,but because is HARD and old.Many knows it works.

I would love to get Johans, cubbys, JP's, etc. thoughts on this....

[after4ever]

Me also.

 

For me it worked...I failed the goal of some workout,but I reached the goal at the end,the phase 3,when you add 10% of weight and do same repr in the test.

 

If I fail one workout then I repeat it. Is good the same.

 

 

This other one is terrific...poliquin gvt for -real- advanced bodybuilders....in one workout increase 9% instead 5%.

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/advanced_german_volume_training

 

 

 

EDIT:I add this

 

-PUMP- OVER 1 INCH IN ONE DAY.Nice.

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_oneday_arm_cure

 

 

Mentzer torturing an italian bber.

The video is for italian but Mentzer speak english.

[Robbie Dagger]

Awesome information goldmine guys. Here's an article about soy protein and why its better.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/soy_protein_facts.htm

[Fallen_Horse]

Ah this old thread! Good deal to bring back. If only exercise science developed as quickly as physics, math, etc.!

[Nicholas_Weir]

A good site that i came across last week:

 

http://www.simplyshredded.com/

[veggiesasquatch]

http://www.cutandjacked.com/CutAndJacked-Top-Tips-Nick-Paniagua

[Nicholas_Weir]

http://www.thespartanwarrior.com/

[Nicholas_Weir]

No question about it, the link below is by far the best for determining your caloric needs:

 

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981 I think it may have been copied from thiss link:

 

http://www.thespartanwarrior.com/post/5989831287/calculatingcalories

 

 

Or if you want a lazy alternative:

 

 

http://nutritiondata.self.com/tools/calories-burned (This even incorporates a caloric value for teen growth)

[Baby Hercules]

I've been teaching and applying this simple technique for years with phenomenal success. And, yes, it does apply to mass, too. Form follows focus.

 

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportspsychology/a/thinkstrong.htm

http://www.craigliebenson.com/?p=882

http://www.musclehack.com/the-most-unusual-way-to-build-muscle/

 

Baby Herc

[vegansludge]

http://www.thespartanwarrior.com/

 

+

 

http://www.thenategreenexperience.com/blog

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com

http://www.leangains.com