Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Body Building Workouts - Stopping Is As Important as Starting

One of the best ways for someone to get into maximum shape and shed those unwanted pounds is by starting body building workouts. Weight training will both increase the resting metabolism, turning the body into a 24/7 fat-burning machine, and tone and define the muscles for that sculpted look. Seems easy enough, doesn’t it?

There is, as there always is, where getting into shape is concerned, a catch. Body building workouts demand a huge effort and an iron will if you are going to stay with them long enough to see results. And the effort and will power to not merely that you will stay with your chosen program of body building workouts; they also mean you will make the effort to educate yourself about when it’s time to stop.

Stop When You Are Tired Many people, in the eagerness to achieve their perfect new bodies, get carried away with the difficulty and duration of their body building workouts. They don’t want to stop until they are literally falling down with fatigue, and in pushing themselves are simply increasing their risk of injury.

Any form of exercise, when done to the point of exhaustion over and over again, can stop being fun and start being an ordeal. And many people facing ordeals find it easy to avoid them. If your body building workout feels like it is becoming an ordeal, you need to take a break. You probably needed to take a break anyway, just to give your body a chance to recuperate and build new muscle, but now you need an emotional break as well.

If you are new to body building workouts, you may not have done enough research to learn that your body experiences the greatest benefits from them during the days when you are idle. Those days are your recovery days, and it is during them that the muscle you so long for is actually created. Muscle mass does not increase while you are exercising; its too busy working. It increases for the two days--or even longer--following your workout.

Lower Body Exercises For Bodybuilding

While many people think that bodybuilding has to do with building the muscles of the upper body, you also have to pay attention to lower body exercises. This is because the largest muscles in your body are actually located in the lower part of your body. You need to develop them in order to support a bigger upper body. When beginning a bodybuilding routine, many people start off with heavy squats. This is something you should avoid and work into gradually.

Get started working out on exercise equipment that will train many muscles in the body at once. You do need to learn how to do these properly and it will take about three months to strengthen the individual muscles that you will need later.

There are five groups of muscles in the lower part of your body:
* Quads - these are the large muscles at the front of the thigh. Exercises that will help strengthen these muscles include squats, leg press, lunges and leg extensions.
* Hamstrings - these are the muscles at the back of the thigh. The exercises that will help you strengthen the hamstrings are leg curls.
* Gluteals - the muscles of the buttocks
* Hip Flexors - small muscles at the front of the pelvis. If you practice raising your legs, it will go a long way to strengthening them.

Best Bodybuilding Supplements for Teens

In every competition, the main objective of each athlete is to win. For them winning is almost everything, that is why they take huge dosages of various nutritional supplements just to take advantages over their rivalries. One of the most popular bodybuilding supplements used by athletes including teens and adults is the creatine supplement. Creatine is taken to optimize the power or strength and improve the performance of every sport minded individuals.

Doctors are still conducting a thorough study about the benefits and health risks of taking creatine supplement, since they are still unspecified until now. They’re not even aware of its side effects duration, especially on the physical aspects that are still under the process of growing. Condition like this, hinders teens and young adults under 18 years old including pregnant women to take creatine supplements. Further, people who are suffering kidney troubles should be prohibited from taking this supplement and it is important to seek first some professional advice before jumping into final decision.

Creatine supplements are easy to get because it is used popularly. It comes in wide arrays of product brands and is accessible over the counter, in any drug stores, department stores and you can even order it online. The use of this supplement is expected to increase every year because of the increasing population of various users. Most of them are male, although there are also some women who are on the edge of using this. In the case of power sports such as wrestling, hockey and football, creatine supplement also top as the best. Aside from teens that are on the “hot” of indulging themselves in any sports activities, creatine is also taken as the best body building supplements.

In other words, starting from amateur up to professional, from high school going up to college, and in all degrees of performance, the use of creatine supplements is found. Almost 44 percent of young athletes aging from 6-12 admitted that they are taking creatine.

Creatine is the origin of energy for the contraction of the muscles that is why it is highly recommended as bodybuilding supplements. Our own body can also produce creatine in our pancreas, liver and kidneys. You can also obtain higher creatine substance if you’re eating more fish and meat than taking vegetarian diets. Creatine is stored on our body most especially on the skeletal muscles to be able to utilize it during the body movements or exercise. The remaining substances are distributed all throughout to your brain, heart and the rest of the tissues.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Hot stacks: the best supplement combinations for muscle gains and bodyfat reduction - Nutrition

Two questions bodybuilders ask most frequently are "What supplements Should I take to get big?" and "Which ones will help me rip up?" First, it's important to keep in mind that adding muscle mass requires a calorie surplus coupled with adequate protein intake. Second, the opposite is true for cutting up--rippling abs a la Ahmad Haidar come from reducing your overall caloric intake. In other words, the best supplements out there won't increase your muscle mass or rip you up unless you are chowing down on the correct amount of high-quality food. Once you have the foundation set, the following supplement stacks can facilitate your progress.

1. WHEY PROTEIN, GLUTAMINE AND OATMEAL

Whey is a quickly digested protein source that is rich in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). Supplementing with BCAAs can help prevent the breakdown of muscle. Research has shown that a small protein/carb snack taken before training can promote a more anabolic hormonal environment. That's where oatmeal fits in. Oatmeal is a source of slowly digested carbs, which can help prevent drops in energy and glycogen levels. When combined with whey protein and stacked with glutamine, the carbs in oatmeal can help the body maintain muscle during training.

New supplement review: get the inside scoop on six star™ body fuel—the scientifically developed line of sport performance nutrition

It SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME YOU WALK into your local nutrition center, there's another new product on the shelf promising increased strength, more muscle, more calorie burning, or more energy. But how do you decide if a supplement is bogus or the real deal? You invest a lot of time and money into training, eating right, and supplementing. The last thing you want to do is sell yourself short with mediocre supplements without proven ingredients shown to deliver results. That's why we decided to take a critical look at the newest line of sport-nutrition supplements out there, six star[TM] body fuel. There has been a lot of buzz lately throughout the industry about six star body fuel, and we wanted to see if all the hype was really justified. We've reviewed six star body fuel in terms of quality, value, taste, and effectiveness to help you make an informed decision. Before we get to the review, let's see what six star body fuel is all about

What Is six star Body Fuel All About?

six star body fuel is a cutting-edge line of advanced sport nutrition engineered for athletes and fitness enthusiasts who want to achieve their goals faster and are focused and committed to being the best they can be. The six star body fuel line consists of Advanced Whey Protein, Nitric Oxide Stimulator, Advanced Creatine, Creatine Ethyl Ester, Calorie Burn, and All-Day Energy. Each one is scientifically designed to support your individual goals. So how does six star body fuel measure up?

Friday, June 8, 2007

The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can help balance your hormones, keep your heart healthy, detoxify your body, lif

SAW PALMETTO, GLUCOSAMINE, CO-ENZYME Q10--these are the Brad and Jen and Angelina of the natural health world, adored by millions, hounded by the press, and nearly ubiquitos. But for every supplement that makes it big, there are others waiting in the wings that are just as talented and worthy of attention. We turned some of the country's top experts into our talent scouts, getting a sneak peek at the products they're recommending to their patients or using themselves. Here's their hot list pf six impressive performers that may help you prevent disease and maintain a healthy, energetic lifestyle. You'll give two thumbs-up to all six of these rising stars.
Selenium

POWER BENEFIT Essential for proper immune function; may reduce the risk of certain cancers; helps rid the body of free radicals.

THE SCIENCE While some people have already crossed paths with selenium, few know how critical it is to overall health, or how agricultural and processing practices degrade food sources of this essential trace mineral. A powerful antioxidant, selenium works especially well with vitamin E to fight damaging free radicals. It's vital for the immune system, boosting the body's defenses against bacteria and viruses, and it may reduce cancer risk, particularly in the prostate, colon, and lungs. The National Cancer Institute is currently sponsoring a study on whether supplementing with selenium and vitamin E can help prevent or delay prostate cancer.
Selenium is found in meat, wheat germ, nuts (particularly Brazil nuts), eggs, oats, whole-wheat bread, and brown rice. "But modern farming practices have depleted the soil, so many people don't get sufficient selenium from their diets anymore," says Tanya Edwards, M.D., medical director for the Center for Integrative Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Refining and processing also reduce selenium levels, which is why eating whole, unprocessed, organic food is the best way to obtain the nutrient.

Since this isn't always possible, Edwards recommends supplementing with selenium, which can be found by itself or in multivitamins. Taking selenium is particularly recommended for people with certain digestive conditions, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

How TO TAKE IT 200 micrograms per day, in combination with vitamin E for best results. Since vitamin C can interfere with the absorption of selenium, take them at separate times.

CAVEATS Over time, high doses (over 900 meg per day) may lead to depression, nervousness, vomiting, and nausea.

hormone balancer

Chasteberry

(Vitex agnus castus)

POWER BENEFIT Relieves symptoms of PMS and pert-menopause and may be helpful for some kinds of infertility.

THE SCIENCE A shrub in the verbena family, chasteberry bears a fruit that has been used medicinally for centuries. As the name suggests, it was once thought to dampen sexual desire; it's also called "monk's pepper," since brothers in orders reportedly chewed the dried berries to decrease libido. Contemporary studies have found that the herb can help regulate hormones, and it has become a standard European treatment for premenstrual syndrome--it's especially effective in helping decrease symptoms of cyclic breast tenderness and fibrocystic breast disease.

"Chasteberry can be particularly helpful during peri-menopause, when the hormones can go completely crazy," explains Edwards. During this time, progesterone levels often start to decline before estrogen levels fall, which can lead to depression, headache, bloating, fatigue, irritability, and breast tenderness. Unlike creams that introduce progesterone from an outside source, "chasteberry helps the body increase its own natural levels of progesterone," notes Edwards. It may also be helpful for infertility caused by high levels of prolactin, since chasteberry can suppress the release of this hormone from the pituitary gland.

HOW TO TAKE IT One 400-milligram capsule daily.

CAVEATS Discontinue if nausea, rash, headache, or agitation occurs. Chasteberry's influence on hormones can interfere with the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, and its effect on prolactin makes it inadvisable for women who are pregnant or nursing.

heart helper

Inositol Hexaniacinate

POWER BENEFIT Improves cholesterol profile.

THE SCIENCE A compound made of two vitamins in the B family (niacin and inositol), this is considered the best-tolerated form of niacin supplement. Also known as vitamin [B.sub.3], niacin is a natural agent for lowering cholesterol levels. But at the high doses necessary for effectiveness, other available forms--nicotinic acid and nicotinamide--often cause unpleasant side effects. "People can experience flushing, like a massive hot flash, or liver problems," advises J. David Forbes, M.D., founder and director of Nashville Integrated Medicine in Tennessee and a board member of the American Holistic Medical Association. "Inositol hexaniacinate is better on both counts, with fewer people experiencing flushing and liver toxicity." Sometimes marketed as "no-flush niacin," the compound can have comparable benefits to statin drugs, lowering LDL cholesterol by 5 percent to 25 percent and triglycerides by 25 percent to 50 percent, and raising HDL by 15 percent to 35 percent.

New supplement review: get the inside scoop on six star™ body fuel—the scientifically developed line of sport performance nutrition

It SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME YOU WALK into your local nutrition center, there's another new product on the shelf promising increased strength, more muscle, more calorie burning, or more energy. But how do you decide if a supplement is bogus or the real deal? You invest a lot of time and money into training, eating right, and supplementing. The last thing you want to do is sell yourself short with mediocre supplements without proven ingredients shown to deliver results. That's why we decided to take a critical look at the newest line of sport-nutrition supplements out there, six star[TM] body fuel. There has been a lot of buzz lately throughout the industry about six star body fuel, and we wanted to see if all the hype was really justified. We've reviewed six star body fuel in terms of quality, value, taste, and effectiveness to help you make an informed decision. Before we get to the review, let's see what six star body fuel is all about.
What Is six star Body Fuel All About?

six star body fuel is a cutting-edge line of advanced sport nutrition engineered for athletes and fitness enthusiasts who want to achieve their goals faster and are focused and committed to being the best they can be. The six star body fuel line consists of Advanced Whey Protein, Nitric Oxide Stimulator, Advanced Creatine, Creatine Ethyl Ester, Calorie Burn, and All-Day Energy. Each one is scientifically designed to support your individual goals. So how does six star body fuel measure up?