Creatine
Creatine. Most have heard of it and for people in the fitness community, many have used it. But what is it really? Is it safe? Harmful? Worth it? All these questions are worth asking and below I will discuss my findings as well as personal experience with it.
The most important thing to make clear is that no supplement is going to replace hard earned gym time. There are no short cuts in the quest for muscle and there never will be. The goal of creatine is to enhance what you do in the gym, not replace it.
Creatine is produced in your body naturally. In humans and animals, approximately half of stored creatine originate from the food we consume, mostly meat. Creatine is used by all types of athletes as a supplement when their desire is to gain muscle mass. I want to make the following point as forward as possible – contrary to what you sometimes hear, there has never been a study confirming that creatine can negatively impact your kidney function, live function or affect hydration status and heat tolerance. Extensive research has confirmed that oral supplementation of creatine at a rate of 5-20 grams is very safe and unless you have a pre-existing condition, will not create a problem for you. And if you still aren’t a believer, here’s a study to take a look at - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15758854
So much research on the safety of creatine has come out in the last few years that a couple of complete literature reviews have been performed on this exact topic. For those who question the long-term effects on kidney and liver function, we have to think that if five straight years of use has zero negative effect (which numerous studies confirm), then the negative effect we're waiting for just won't ever happen. Taking this one step further, a group of researchers decided to perform a study to check out creatine use in animals with pre-existing kidney problems. Once again, creatine had no negative effect in subjects with kidney dysfunction. Granted that this wasn't done on humans but so far the safety data look pretty convincing.
In my personal experience, I like creatine. I don't bloat and I do feel it helps me recover. Plain and simple. I do cut it out before contests but not because I worry about the water retention, but because I generally cut pretty much every supplement out at some point.
Now, a little common sense needs to be applied in regards to dosage, just like everything. More isn’t always better. Spend some time researching creatine for proper dosage for your body. If you have been taking it for a while and aren’t seeing the gains you had hoped, don’t go adding more, maybe something else in your diet/training is lacking. Remember, creatine will help you progress, but it won’t be your ticket to crazy gains.
Casein has staying power
Here is an article about Casein protein that I put together for the ON site.
CASEIN HAS STAYING POWER
In the world of protein powders, there are numerous types available and each serves a unique purpose. The staple for many years has been whey protein, which is a great choice pre- and post-workout because it’s so rapidly digested and absorbed by the body. There are some times, however, when you don’t always want a quick-acting protein. Your muscles do the bulk of their rebuilding from the stress of training while you’re sleeping. And, because you won’t be consuming amino acids (or anything else) until you wake up, slowly-digesting casein protein is ideal right before bed.
Hard-training bodybuilders and strength athletes benefit greatly from a steady stream of muscle building amino acids – especially the branched chain amino acids and glutamine. Casein gels, or clumps up, in the acidic environment of your stomach to continue digesting for hours after it’s consumed. This makes it ideal for supporting anabolic (growth) as well anti-catabolic (muscle sparing) processes while you dream of bigger, fuller muscles. The gelling factor exerts slight pressure on stomach walls to provide a feeling of fullness or satiety. For athletes on strict diets, this craving-calming effect also makes casein a good choice between meals.
There are two main types of casein: Calcium caseinate and micellar casein. Both are derived from milk and valued for their slow, sustained release of amino acids. Calcium caseinate is low in fat, lactose and sodium while serving as a rich source of bone-strengthening calcium. Micellar casein contains important growth factors as well as microfractions which may help support immune system health. Because both caseins become thicker in water, a casein shake will mix up a bit differently than whey protein. For an ideal consistency, try using a little more liquid and an electric blender. Because ON’s Gold Standard 100% Casein is instantized, if you don’t have a blender you can use a shaker cup to mix up a perfect casein shake every time.
A good night’s sleep is important for all types of people, but athletes want to make the most of our precious muscle gains as we sleep. Casein protein can provide an environment that promotes both muscle growth and preservation. My personal favorite before-bed meal is either a scoop of Gold Standard 100% Casein with a scoop of 100% Whey Gold Standard or two scoops of Gold Standard 100% Casein. This provides nearly 50 grams of protein to complement my intense efforts in the weight room.
Healthy And Balanced Weight Gain With Protein Powder Supplements For Females
Currently, a wide assortment of weight gain supplements are accessible like, the weight gain pills for ladies, protein powder, weight gainers, carbohydrate powder as well as numerous more. While choosing any kind of supplements, it is of enormous value to make certain they are reliable as well as do not induce any serious side consequences. Moreover, it must be kept in mind that supplements aren't the substitutes for a healthy and balanced diet and exercise. They may only assist a healthy diet to increase the body weight; supplements alone can easily not ensure increase in body weight. In case you are following a healthy, weight gain diet, which is rich in protein, imperative fatty acids as well as carbs, then you can take the support of following weight gain supplements for women.
Creatine and Glutamine Supplements
Creatine is an amino acid made by our body to provide energy to the muscles. It can easily be discovered in the muscle tissues and it assists to enhance the availability of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to enhance the degree of power. Glutamine is an additional amino acid, discovered abundantly in the muscle tissues. Supplements of both creatine and glutamine have been located to function well for expanding muscle mass in both males and females.
Multivitamin Supplements
No matter exactly how much you seek, you will not have the ability to gain weight effectively, if you are deficient in imperative vitamins. So, in case you feel that the diet is not providing appropriate amounts of all of the imperative vitamins and minerals demanded for the vital body functions, then you can easily think of having supplementation. However, be certain to take multivitamin supplements in the proper dosage and under the direction of your doctor, as overdose can consequence in countless side consequences.
Imperative Fatty Acids
To get weight, you may have to take foods that are high in healthy and balanced or imperative fatty acids like, unsaturated fatty acids as well as omega-3 imperative fatty acids. It is feasible to obtain weight by consuming excess of junk and fatty foods, which having said that is not a healthy possibility. However, the foods that are high in crucial fatty acids such as, olive oil, nuts, avocados, flaxseed oil, seeds as well as fish should be consisted of in the diet. Along by having such foods that make you gain weight, you can take into account to take imperative fatty acids supplements.
So, these are several of the best weight gain supplements for females. Nonetheless, be sure to incorporate these supplements by having a high gram calories diet as well as the suitable exercise program. A diet that can supply gram calories in excess of what is needed for bringing out the a variety of functions of the body can easily guarantee increase in body weight. A idea to obtain weight, take in more, concerning 5 to 6 foods a day as well as lessen the degree of strain as well as have adequate rest or sleep. Even obtain yourself checked up to lead out the possibility of any chronic disease, which can easily defend against you from getting weight. As far given that the supplements are concerned, consider to speak with a physician or nutritionist to recognize more about the different supplements and discover out the one that's desirable for you. Hope this write-up provided some helpful weight gain ideas for females as well as ladies.
Women – this is for you
It seems to me, that most women have this overwhelming fear that by lifting weight, they will get huge! I've dealt with many clients who before even doing one bicep curl, present this fear to me like it's the plague. First off, let me make this clear, it takes YEARS to put on sizeable mass and strength. Any seasonsed bodybuilder knows that it's a long road to success. Secondly, take a look at your average male or even female newbie who is at the gym. Do they look much different than when they started? Odds are, no they don't. This can be a combination of a thousand things but most of time, it's because they are doing something wrong and/or don't have enough work under their belt.
It's important to be consistent and listen to your body. If you train properly, you can proportionally tone and shape your body rather than getting that "big neck" like the guys. It's safe to say that lifting high weight and lower reps will always yield strength and size over shapliness and toning.
This is a short article but it gets the message across. There's really no reason why anyone shouldn't do strength/weight training. Ladies, don't fear the iron, with proper knowledge and training, one can surely succeed!
Heart Rate training zones
So you're plugging away on the treadmill and while you know that the treadmill will display your current heart rate, why do you need to know it and where should it be? Knowing where you are at is a great way to monitor exertion. The following will show you how to properly decide where your heart should be depending on your goal.
1. Calculate your maximum heart rate The easiest way to do this is a simple paper-and-pencil calculation. Subtract your age from 220. This method does not take into account your fitness level or genetics, which can make your true maximum heart rate 10 to 20 beats per minute higher or lower than the age-predicted number.
A second method (which is not as easy as the first method but more accurate) to calculate your maximum heart rate is to have an exercise tolerance or stress test. This usually is supervised by a physician and performed in a hospital or clinical setting.
2. Determine your resting heart rate Take your pulse before you get out of bed in the morning. Do this for several days in a row to get consistent readings. Any method will work, taking it on your wrist with your opposite hand's pointer and middle finger, using a monitor, etc.
3. Calculate your heart-rate reserve Subtract your heart's resting rate from your maximum rate.
For example, if you are 40 years old, subtract that number from 220; your maximum rate is 180. Next, subtract your resting rate, 80 in this example. Your heart-rate reserve is 100 beats per minute.
4. Calculate your aerobic training heart-rate range for fat burning This fat-burning range will lie between 50 and 75 percent of your heart-rate reserve.
Using the example above, 50 percent of 100 beats per minute is 50. And 75 percent of 100 is 75. Next, add your resting heart rate to both numbers: 50 + 80 = 130 and 75 + 80 = 155. Your heart rate during aerobic training that will most efficiently burn fat is 130 to 155 beats per minute. Pretty simple isn't it!
5. Calculate your aerobic training heart rate for fitness The range required to improve aerobic endurance is higher than that needed for fat burning, between 75 and 85 percent of your heart-rate reserve.
Again using the previous example, 75 percent of the heart-rate reserve of 100 is 75, and 85 percent is 85. Again, add the resting heart rate to both numbers.
Re-add your resting heart rate to both numbers: To improve your aerobic endurance, you need to aim for between 155 and 165 heartbeats per minute.
6. Calculate your aerobic-anaerobic threshold heart-rate range This range represents the upper limits of aerobic exercise -- the point just before you push yourself into exhaustive anaerobic work. Exercising at this intensity is usually done to improve athletic performance. It is not recommended for weight loss.
The range to accomplish this task lies between 85 and 90 percent of your heart-rate reserve. Again, using the example of a person with a heart-rate reserve of 100 and following the same math process as in previous steps: the desired range would be 165 to 170 beats per minute.
7. Calculate your anaerobic training heart-rate range This is all-out effort and represents 90 to 100 percent of the cushion of your heart-rate reserve. The goal here is to go as fast as you can for as long as you can. This is essentially a "sprint" pace.
Using the same example, anything from 170 beats per minute to your maximum of 180 beats per minute becomes pure anaerobic, exhaustive, lactic acid-producing exercise.
So there you have it. Once you know the following ranges, your cardio become a lot more beneficial.
A twist on arm training
I've put together a unique twist on an arm workout that I wanted to share with you all. Any exercise will do, just try to hit both the biceps and triceps from a magnitude of angles. For my biceps, I like to do 1 hammer exercise, a cable exercise and a straight bar exercise. Here's the workout -
Biceps 3 sets of 10-12 reps of any biceps exercise to warmup Working Set *The exercises are just examples*
1 set of standing hammer curls, 1 set of preacher curls, 1 set of 1 arm cable curls, rest
Superset all 3 exercises and repeat 3 times
Triceps 3 sets of 10-12 reps of any tricep exercise to warmup Working Set *The exercises are just examples*
1 set of close grip bench press, 1 set of rope pulldowns, 1 set of dumbbell kickbacks, rest
Superset all 3 exercises and repeat 3 times
And there you have it! It's a totally different approach on training arms and is not overly time consuming. It'll leave you with a raging pump and can be a lot of fun. Enjoy!
free fat loss tips helps you with your diet plan
Ok, so you're looking for some healthy fat loss. Properly even though doing so is an extremely uncomplicated free fat loss tips, it's not going to have you not placing 50 lbs. It could nonetheless improve curb the appetite, get rid of a little weight, and will have you feeling and looking healthier.
So which's this healthy and balanced free fat loss tips? Drink a lot of h2o. Yes it's not much, but read on for the added benefits of what doing so can do for you.
In the first place, thirst and dehydration are frequently mistaken for hunger. If you feel eager, you don't typically want eat. I've examined doing so numerous occasions myself. Frequently when I'm eager I'll consider a big consume and can sense fuller and won't sense the need to eat for a although. Is doing so the claim all the time? Naturally not, but it can be.
I discover doing so more relevant however through eating. I see folks stuffing their suffers with large meals all the time, and it's merely so unnecessary. I've eaten entire meals without everything to consume, and even now sensed targeted once. However, once consuming a full auto glass of h2o I'm completely stuffed up. It's a strange phenomenon, but it papers. Add some liquid-waste to your diet plan and see if it helps you free fat loss tips.
Second, your body type is forced up of separating 55% and 75% h2o (this depends on age and gender), so let's merely say you need a lot of it to work properly. Water helps the body filled out the by-products of fat breakdown. Don't possess comfortable drinking water in your system, and the body type won't be able to shed fat as easily as it could. You should ideally be drinking 2 litres or more of h2o per day. And yes I'm referring to drinking water, not soda or coffee, as the caffeine in doing so beverages absorbs drinking water from your body type.
Additionally, drinking lots of drinking water will possess the pores and skin craving natural and wholesome. It could plump up the pores and skin, even out wrinkles, and keep from craving boring and dry.
So consume ample h2o, and get on track to some healthy and balanced fat loss!
The support team
Pursuing our fitness goals can often seem like an individual venture. The long hours sweating in the gym, the countless healthy meals and facing the reality that results don't come over night all can have an impact on a person. We often get wrapped up in the mindset that these are MY goals and impacts only ME. But, when it's all said and done, what about the support team that helps get you through it all?
Where would you be if it wasn't for the encouragement of others? And when I say others, I mean the people who know you in and out and are with you every step of the way. Husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, best friends, sisters, brothers, etc. These are the people that are more directly impacted by our "obsession" and "passion" for progressing ourselves than we realize. Without them, we'd be traveling along a road that's a lot more lonely.
So, whether you're training for an upcoming bodybuilding show, trying to shed off 20 lbs. or just trying to become a fitter you, always remember that there's people out there who want to support you every step of the way. Maybe it's time to give a quick thank you to some of them. After all, reaching goals are one thing but sharing them with people who truly care about you is another.
The Paleo Diet and is it a fad?
There's a million ways to diet. One of the recent diets that have gathered a lot of publicity is the Paleo diet. It's not a bad way of eating and in fact, if you're going to choose one of the lower carb diets, paleo is arguably one of the better choices. The idea behind Paleo is simple, "since our genetic code has changed less than 0.02 percent in 40,000 years, this means that our bodies are still expecting to get the same foods and nutrition they were getting 40,000 years ago." There was no food in cans, boxes or packages back then. There was no corn syrup. There was no white sugar. There were no hydrogenated oils. No chemicals. No preservatives. No artificial anything.
This only left the following: Meat, fish, nuts, seeds, plants, vegetables, fruits.
By eating what our ancestors ate, says the paleo philosophy, "we will be eating our proper evolutionary diet and we will rid ourselves of the health and obesity problems that have only recently begun to plague us as a result of modern lifestyle and processed manmade foods."
This sounds great and if people didn't know any better, makes perfect sense! Everyone should eat more unprocessed foods! But, do you really need a diet to tell you that things like Coke, Twinkies and Oreos are bad for you?!?! That should be common sense and people don't need a book or a degree to know that.
My major issue with paleo is that it removes all kinds of grains, starches and dairy. Say what? Is cottage cheese not a great form of protein all of a sudden? Why do they remove those things from people's lives? Well, they claim that agriculture arrived on the scene only 10,000 or so years ago, so any foods produced as a result of the modern agricultural system should also be on the "banned" list because our bodies aren't genetically engineered to consume them. But, there are actually many grains that are completely unprocessed and easily consumed.
To condemn natural foods like brown rice, a staple food for centuries in the Asian cultures, well known for being among the healthiest and longest-lived, 100% whole grains, potatoes, oatmeal, etc. for healthy carb-tolerant people, especially those who are highly active, in good shape and already reasonably lean, doesn't make any sense. I want to see the proof behind their logic. And let's be real, were you around in the stone age? Do you really know how people ate back then?
Almost every bodybuilder in the universe eats oatmeal for breakfast plus lots of rice, and other natural carbs. They are some of the leanest athletes on the earth and many are the healthiest. If there's some kind of cause-effect relationship between all starches and grains and obesity, not related to calories and activity/training level, how do you explain that? Certainly, many people need to avoid gluten and lactose, but not everyone is intolerant and more people seem to be tolerant than not. What about endurance athletes? Are you really going to claim they don't require any carbohydrates? With their high energy expenditures, eating the concentrated starchy carbs and grains is not only beneficial, it's often crucial to sustaining energy and performance and in ultra endurance activities like the Ironman, required just to function.
So if you really want to go "paleo," why don't you get ride of your cell phone, car, electricity and all the means of existence you've become accustomed to? In theory this would get you more active too right? Regardless, I need to see more behind the Paleo Diet to make it more than a fad to me. For now, I will stick to my white rice, potatoes and oatmeal 
Functional training
If you workout regularly, I'm sure you have heard of functional training. Functional movements are designed to mimic everyday movements in life. While they do have their place in one's training, don't fall complete victim to the functional movements craze.
Are you picking a dumbbell and holding it up to your ear like you would a cell phone? Or are you doing rows like you are picking up grocery bags? If not, movements like squats, presses, rows, deadlifts, etc. will still get you where you want to be. Even if your goal is to just live a "stronger" everyday life.
Just think about the movement of picking up a bag off the floor. You could easily simulate this in a lifting movement but think about what muscles are being employed- your upper legs to bend down, your forearm to grab the item and your upper arm and back to bring the item in. So what two exercises work these exact muscles? It shouldn't be really hard to narrow it down to two core exercise, squats and rows.
A lot of trainers push the working of the stabilizer muscles because they are employed in everyday life. But what if a trainee doesn't want to work his/her stabilzer muscles and wants isolation? By functional training standards, a smith machine squat wouldn't be a great choice but from an isolation stand point, it's an awesome exercise. Functional training is supposed to target muscles used in everday life including stabilzer muscles. But guess what muscles are working on a conventional squat to help with your stability? The stabilizer muscles!
So in conclusion, don't let someone trick you into thinking that standing on a bosu ball while touching your head and mimicking the motion of holding a child is going to help enhance your everyday life. Sticking to the basics and good ole' weight lifting will help you reach your goals, whatever they may be. Functional training DOES have it place, but it isn't going to create a whole new person.