The Original Muscle Weight Gain & Muscle Building Blog!!

When upping your muscle building efforts, it’s very important to not fall into the big at all costs trap, making yourself eventually look like the Pillsbury Dough boy.

Recently, a study conducted in the Netherlands didn’t not find a relationship between consuming dairy products and weight loss, even though this is what has been getting hyped up lately. In their experimentation, that observed more than 2000 males and females. Blood sugar, blood fats, and abdominal fat wasn’t positively affected by higher consumptions of dairy products.

As a matter of fact, dairy products has the effect in many to “blur” their muscular definition, basically covering up any muscle building progress they may have been making from their workout routines and nutritional intake.

After 20 months of investigations, Senate Majority leader George Mitchell has released a 409 page report exposing allegations of rampant steroid use within Major League Baseball.

89 total players, current and retired, were named, including heavy hitters such as Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada, Fernando Vina, Andy Pettitte, Lenny Dyckstra, and others. This is a completely bigger box of problems that has now been opened.

Some of the drugs that have been rumored for the last several years to be used are testosterone, HGH (aka Human Growth Hormone), Dianabol, Deca Durabolin, amphetimines, and others.

Although some of these substances have been shown to be crucial in muscle building and weight gaining, many are alleging that Major League Baseball players are using these substances to enhance strength, speed, muscle / tendon / ligament recovery, and even improved vision.

We’ll have to see what the overall results will be.

Even though your main purpose for working out may be for muscle building or fat burning purposes, your overall health still must be a high priority of yours. Hey, it doesn’t how much muscle you’re carrying or how much weight you can lift if your body is in a diseased state.

Well, Ironman Magazine has some interesting information to say about fish and cancer prevention. According to the mag, fish may help prevent prostate cancer (which is a big problem amongst males). Research published in The Lancet found that men who ate fish two to three times a week were less likely to get the disease than those who didn’t eat fish. The omega-3 fats and their anti-inflammatory effects appear to be the reason.

Sure you want to hit those muscle building workouts hard, but you’ve gotta keep that cancer away!

On this week’s MD Radio show they are interviewing Branch Warren, Kai Greene, in which he reveals that his current off season bodyweight is that of some 312 pounds (!), and Gerard Dente, to which they enter into detail on the next installment of the Transformation Challenge they held last year, with some slight differences and updates.

These muscle building online radio shows also come accompanied by a ton of joking around and some real funny insights.

…….Also, I had forgot to post on it several months ago, but I’d like to bid 8 time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman farewell, as he has made his retirement official. Never in the history of this contest has the champion been so unbelievably dominant as was Ronnie Coleman, not even Arnold!

Take care, Ronnie, and like you always say, “Yeah buddy……light weight!!!”

That’s right. There have been several cases where illegal ingredients have been sprinkled in a legal supplement when it first hits the market.

Why is this done, what type of illegal substances are placed in there, and for how long?

Read this article to find out: Bodybuilding Supplement Truths - part 3

Myostatin is a chemical in the body that eats away at muscle mass and stops the creation of muscle satellite cells, all of which are very important to the muscle building puzzle.

Now, interestingly enough is the fact that now a days everyone seems to have jumped on the whey protein bandwagon, claiming it be “essential in your muscle building efforts”. Well, researchers in Finland have discovered that when whey protein is taken immediately after a workout routine it INCREASES myostatin activity……obviously something you want to avoid at all costs.

But you won’t see this research included in any of the scientific footnotes at the bottom our hidden in those “advertorials” praising the skies out of their “latest and greatest version of whey protein”……….

As you may already know, sleep is very important for recovery, recuperation, and growth when building muscle.

So what can you do to help you get a good night’s sleep?

Eat a banana. It contains natural precursors of melatonin, seratonin, magnesium, etc., all of which help the body relax to enter a state of slumber.

And what’s good about it is the fact that a typical sized banana only contains 100 calories, so it shouldn’t adversely affect your caloric levels.

Last week on MD Radio this year’s Mr. Olympia runner-up, Victor Martinez, announced that he will in fact be entering the upcoming Arnold Swarchenegger Classic.

As far as bodybuilding / figure / fitness competition results go:

2007 Sacramento Pro Figure = winner: Michelle Flake

2007 Kentucky Muscle Pro Figure = winner: Michelle Flake

More results will be posted in the coming days.

This week on Pro Bodybuilding Weekly they will be mainly discussing the past 25 years of the NPC, including a surprise interview with 8-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney and NPC head Jim Manion. This show is more of a nostalgic ride if you’re into the history of amateur bodybuilding

Over at MD Radio, they’ll interview Mr. Olympia runner-up Victor Martinez….in which he’ll be revealing some major announcement. They’ll also be speaking to longtime hardcore gym owner, Steve Zinn, and the part of the series of interview with the MET-RX creator Dr. Scott Connelly.

Enjoy everyone.

Here’s the second installment of the series of articles that will be posted on here on exposing the truth behind what goes on in the bodybuilding / nutritional / dietary supplement industry. This article touches on the reality behind how pure the ingredients that make up supplements truly are:

Bodybuilding & Nutritional Supplements: Why You Can’t Trust Them - part 2

Many feel that you shouldn’t train the same muscle if it is still sore from the last time you hit it. They feel that in doing so you would be short-circuiting the recovery and muscle building process.

Is that the case?

Well, in all reality, there really isn’t any concrete information that says you shouldn’t, whether in studies or in the REAL WORLD. As a matter of fact, research from Edith Cowan University had individuals do 2 “negative” biceps workouts only 3 days apart.

They found that following the second “negative” workout, when the trainers were still sore, their biceps muscles had no more damage and recovered in the same amount of time as those that only did 1 workout.

So, don’t feel that you are stopping your muscle building progress if the muscle is still sore from the previous workout.

The University of Missouri-Columbia figured out that working out with weights, in other words, training your muscles, can increase insulin sensitivity in muscles that may have turned insulin-resistant.

Keep in mind that muscles are the main tissue of the body that handles sugar uptake after a meal and ensuring normal blood sugar levels.

The University thinks that the heightened activity within the muscular cells during a workout program caused the positive effects, especially within the “mitochondria” of the muscle cell.

And who said working out with weights was just for big muscles??

On Pro Bodybuilding Weekly they are having a “best of” edition on the show. Some of the past guests that are included in this week’s edition are Nasser El Sonbaty, Frank Zane, and Danny Padilla.

Also, over at MD Radio this week’s guests are Evan Centopani, who’ll be discussing the 25th Anniversary NPC National Bodybuilding Championships in Dallas, Texas on November 17th, Jimmy “The Iron Bull” Pellechia, who’ll be talking about some of his favorite bodybuilding stories of all time, and last not but not least Met-Rx inventor Dr. Scott Connelly returns for Part III of his discussion.

Enjoy at your own rist……lol!!

With so much hype that surrounds all of these pills, powders, shakes, bars, etc., that supposedly promise you lean muscle mass or burned body fat, it’s no wonder that the bodybuilding / fitness / health supplement industry is now a multi-billion industry.

But, if supplements are so effective and necessary at helping you gain muscle weight or to shed fat, how come we don’t see a lot more fit and buff individuals walking around??? Ever asked yourself that.

Well, read the first part in this series of articles shedding light on this shady industry:

Bodybuilding & Nutritional Supplements: Why You Can’t Trust Them – part 1

Many have become more and more aware of keeping blood sugar levels under control, especially those that suffer from insulin resistance and / or type 2 diabetes. Which can be a huge problem if you suffer from either one of those two conditions and are someone looking to build muscle mass naturally.

Well, James Green and Jon-Kyle Davis from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa found 10 studies that demonstrated that involving yourself in a regular workout routine with weights improved blood sugar control.

Some of the studies reviewed demonstrated that several months of intense weight training improved insulin sensitivity and decreased hemoglobin A1c, which is something scientists use to measure blood sugar regulation.

So, go hit those weights!!

We all know it takes calories, some serious calories, to gain muscle mass, especially if you’re a naturally skinny individual.

Now, I know for a fact that an extremely high amount of protein isn’t necessary to gain this kind of quality weight, like most bodybuilding and fitness magazines try to tell you (which also just so happens to be the same magazines and websites that are also selling protein shakes and bars….hmm, makes you think).

But, you do need some protein to help out the growth, recovery, and recuperation process.

However, what’s the best source of protein without forcing you to go out and get a bank loan to pay for it?

Well, some goods ones are chicken and low fat cottage cheese, at $0.04 per gram of protein. You’ve also got egg whites, at $0.05 per gram of protein.

However, the king of the cheap, but quality protein, is TUNA. Tuna comes out to $0.02 per gram of protein. Cheaper than that you can’t get! And especially in comparison to the latest whey-iso-tri-filtered-yada-yada powder.

When it comes to bodybuilding online radio shows, focused on the latest gossip, rumors, news, updates, muscle gaining techniques, chemicals, supplements, interviews with many in the industry, including bodybuilders, competing and retired, supplement and equipment manufacturers, bodybuilding magazines’ authors, latest competitions, etc., etc.,…..there’s only 2 online radio shows you need to check out:

Muscular Development’s No Bull Radio Show (http://www.musculardevelopment.com/content/blogsection/21/137/)

Pro Bodybuilding Weekly
(http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/radioarchive.htm)

Both are excellent sources to stay up on the latest happenings in bodybuilding. Pro Bodybuilding Weekly is very informative and straight-forward. Muscular Development’s No Bull Radio Show is just as informative, but man, if you want a good laugh, the two hosts are hilarious there.

Check them both out.

I’m sure you’ve seen the famous and popular “vitamin packs”, sold in supplement stores and bodybuilding websites.

Well, if you decide to spend your money on a vitamin, you need to know what you actually need, and not what the supplement manufacturer decides to add to it so they can jack up the price.

Check out this article: What Type Of Vitamin Do I Need To Gain Muscle Mass?

Yes, you read the title of this post right. Glutamine is just another supplement that has been praised for allegedly assisting in the muscular recovery after a workout routine, thus speeding up the muscle gaining process.

However, you can go on ahead and add it to the ever-growing list of garbage supplements that the only thing they’re good for is emptying your wallet.

A new research review in Current Sports Medicine Reports has concluded that glutamine has no effect on athletic performance and it was even found to increase LDL cholesterol levels (which is the bad”
cholesterol).

Imagine that!

However, there’s some serious controversy as to whether he earned this time around……