Archive | Building Muscle

Why Whiskey and Weightlifting Don’t Mix

Whiskey and weightlifting don’t mix – and that doesn’t just mean don’t have a few drinks before hitting the gym for your next workout… It means weightlifters and bodybuilders aiming to live a healthy lifestyle should avoid alcohol as a general rule.

First, let’s look at why people lift weights. Weightlifters hit the gym regularly to get stronger, more fit and be healthy. Bodybuilders hit the gym to build muscle, burn off bodyfat and be able to present the best physique their genetics will allow.

Now let’s examine just how alcohol impedes both scenarios. First, and most important to both weightlifters and bodybuilders, alcohol suppresses the body’s production of testosterone. Testosterone is a vital hormone produced by your body and is probably the biggest natural activator when trying to gain lean mass and build muscle in both men and women. Natural testosterone levels are much higher in men than women, which is one of the reasons men develop much larger muscles than women do. Would you want to effectively turn off the tap on such a strong muscle-building hormone? Of course not – or you wouldn’t be lifting heavy in the gym a few times every week.

Secondly, drinking alcohol shuts down the fat-burning mechanisms in your body. The sugars in alcoholic beverages are much more readily available for your body to use for energy, so as long as the alcohol is in your system your body has no need to burn off bodyfat. Getting ripped and shredded is hard enough for most bodybuilders without losing potential fat-burning time for a few hours at a time.

Third, liquors, liqueurs and beer all can contribute significant calories to your daily intake with little or no healthy benefits. Liquors like gin, rum, tequila or vodka contain up to 82 calories PER OUNCE, while a regular 12-punce beer has 146 calories. Mixed drinks have even more calories due to the mixer added – for example, Pina Coladas can contain 450 calories each. When you consider that an hour of steady-state cardio, running on a treadmill for example, burns just 500 calories, having 4 or 5 drinks with friends on Saturday night could easily negate the hours you spent on the treadmill or elliptical for the whole week!

This doesn’t mean you can’t be out having a great time when friends hit the bars – offer to always be the designated driver and watch how often you get invited along – often at their expense. And keep your drinks healthy – for example, order a soda water & cranberry juice for a good non-alcoholic carbonated drink or opt for a ‘virgin screwdriver’, also known as a glass of orange juice. Weightlifters and bodybuilders can still party with friends and have a great time, just leave the alcohol out of your personal equation!

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Can at Home Dumbbell Workouts Replace Gym Machine Workouts?

At home dumbbell workouts are better for reaching your fitness, fat loss and physique building goals than gym machines. It is hard to believe that these hand held weight training tools can replace a room full of expensive equipment. But it is true, which is welcome news to some exercisers.

In tough economic times, the gym membership is one of the first things to go. Many gym members calculate the cost of each gym visit and realize it is just not worth it and that the money can be best used elsewhere. But what are they to do? Should they give up their dreams of a fit, lean, athletically muscular body along with their gym card?

Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, ex gym goers should look at this as an opportunity, not a drawback. Now they are free to take responsibility for their fitness, fat loss and physique and explore highly effective training methods they may have previously overlooked… like at home dumbbell workouts.

Exercise Is About Movement

Walk in to any commercial gym and… listen. Just listen to other exercisers to see what they are saying. Inevitably, you will overhear talk of what MUSCLES a certain exercise works. You’ll hear a trainer explain to a new client that this gym machine “works the glutes” or “hits the lats”. And you’ll hear enthusiastic gym rats talk about “pumping up their pecs” or “blasting their bi’s”. It is clear… they are concerned with specific muscles the exercise works.

But focusing on muscles is the wrong focus. Exercise is about movement, not muscles. You performance improves because of your ability to better MOVE either your own bodyweight around, or a weighted object. And ironically, training to move better strengthens the muscles needed for the movement and makes them grow… resulting in the athletic, lean, muscular body most exercises strive for.

Dumbbells are better for training weighted movement than gym machines. Therefore, they are better for creating the physical changes that lead to higher performance and a more attractive appearance. Let’s look at gym machines first…

Gym Machines Restrict Your Movement

Strapping yourself into a machine and working against resistance in a predetermined movement pattern is a lousy way to train. Even if you can get the machine set right for your body type and size, the movement is completely foreign to any movement you’d find in the real world. This makes if less effective!

Oh, but I forgot. You are training muscles, not movements, right? If that is your only concern, sit down, put on a seat belt and push and pull in these foreign ways. But if you want to improve the way you perform (and look) OUTSIDE the gym, you need to train movements. And that’s where dumbbells come in.

Dumbbells Train Your Body Like It Moves

Dumbbells are an extremely versatile training tool. You can use them together, one limb at a time or in an alternating fashion. This means they closely mimic movements you’ll find in real world activities, sports and work. This means more physical improvements you can see, feel and USE!

Now, just don’t think that by switching to dumbbells you are free from the “muscle vs movement” problem. Most dumbbell workout are designed by bodybuilders who are ONLY concerned with muscles. And they use the versatility of the dumbbells to “isolate” specific muscle groups. This is not the way to get the most from your dumbbell training!

A well constructed dumbbell routine uses a wide range of exercises to train every movement imaginable. And it does it in a way that most closely relates to movements you’ll find in the real world. Using a full body workout that uses dumbbells in unison, one at a time and alternating is one of the best ways to improve fitness, burn fat and build an athletic body. If those are the reasons you use gym machines, it’s time to quit the gym and get yourself some dumbbells. If you are considering quiting the gym to save some money, this could be a blessing in disguise. Take this opportunity to break out of the “training muscles” mindset, and start using dumbbells to train movements. I think you’ll be happy with the performance, health and appearance RESULTS you get. At home dumbbell workouts will become your new best friend.

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Biltong and Its Many Health Benefits

Are you a meat lover? If yes, then you should definitely try biltong. This special kind of all-meat product originated in Southern Africa and after sometime it also invaded the European, American, and Australian markets. It is often likened to beef jerky only that it differs in ingredients and preparations.

Many people buy biltong because it’s a great alternative to unhealthy snacks like chips, burgers, fries, and the like. People who are watching their weight should be happy to know that it also contains fewer calories compared to beef jerky in the market today. But what make it stand out are its numerous health benefits like the following:

• Excellent source of protein

Whether you’re losing weight or want to have some muscles, biltong can provide you the protein you need. Research proves that it is a safe protein snack because compared with others, it has no carcinogenic ingredients. You can enjoy a handful of biltong twice a week and never have to worry about gaining pounds, only muscles. You stay healthy and fit too.

• Low in carbohydrates

Many people often say the culprit behind weight gain is carbohydrates. If this is the case then it’s good to know that you can still enjoy delicious biltong and still provide your body the energy it needs. This is why many outdoor enthusiasts buy biltong for them to bring along when they go hunting, camping, trekking, and the like. Just a few bites and you’re ready to roll. Weight loss fans are also encouraged to eat biltong as a substitute for other low-carb meat products since it’s healthier and definitely more delicious.

• No chemical content

Some meat products are hazardous to your health because of their very high chemical content. The contain ingredients like monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrate, artificial coloring and flavors, and preservatives. Thankfully, biltong doesn’t contain any of these. No wonder, many prefer it over other dried meat products. Its ingredients are only vinegar, black pepper, salt, coriander, sugar, and meat.

Biltong’s health benefits aren’t only ideal for people on the go. Did you know that children can also enjoy this product? As a matter of fact, mothers buy biltong for teething children. The chewy and delicious taste makes biltong an excellent alternative to commercial teething products.

The numerous health benefits of biltong are enough to encourage everybody that it’s indeed the best meat product in the market today. Buy biltong and enjoy the protein and low carbohydrates it provides without worrying about harmful chemicals getting into your system.

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Soccer Fitness – Leg Extensions and Hamstring Curls Are Poor Choices For Building Leg Strength

In any type of strength training for soccer players, building a solid foundation from the ground up is imperative. Exercises that have a player sitting on a seat and extending their leg or lying on their stomach and curling their hamstrings are with out both functional and preventative value.

Unfortunately there are still misinformed coaches giving the wrong information about soccer fitness and building leg strength. In particular the leg extension exercise is given to improve kicking strength.

Here are three reasons why leg extensions and hamstring curls are poor choices for building leg strength.

1) The game of soccer is mostly played on one leg while either foot is in contact with the ground. Neither the leg extension or hamstring exercise provides this opportunity. When in a game does a soccer player lie on the ground and bring his/ her buttocks to the ground or sit on the turf and straighten his /her leg? These exercises isolate either the quadriceps muscle group or the hamstring muscle group and places unwanted tension at the hip.

2) Sitting or lying on either of these machines minimizes avoids the integration of the deep abdominal core muscles as well as the buttock muscles. As you know a strong “core” and strong buttocks leads to strength and power in the lower body.

3) The ligaments that support the knee either get stressed inappropriately (too much stress on the ACL) or not at all. Remember these exercises were designed for body builders to isolate these muscles. These guys and girls do a lot of posing and do not have to stop, start and change direction.

Here are three exercises to build leg strength to run faster and kick harder:

1) Any form of the single leg squat. This exercise may be done several different ways. You may squat with the air borne leg either in front or behind you.

2) Moving kicking action with resistance. Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Place a band above or below the knee of the kicking leg. Make sure the band is anchored behind you. Now take one step forward with the plant leg then follow through with the in a kicking motion with the other leg. This exercise stresses both the kicking leg for resistance and the plant leg for single leg strength and balance.

This type of exercise closely relates to the kicking action in a soccer game.

3) Stability Ball Curl. Lie on your back and place your heels on the stability ball. Raise your hip in the air then curl the ball towards you and away from you. Keep your buttocks tight. This combines the stomach core muscles and the buttocks muscles along with your hamstring muscles.

Keep in mind a couple of things about these exercises;

A) They include the both the abdominal and buttock muscles.

B) The actions closely relate to the movements in a soccer game.

C) They protect the knee joint.

So there you have it. Be well informed before you start building leg strength for your soccer fitness.

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How Glutamine Can Help Tone Your Body and Tighten Your Skin

There are a couple of must haves when you are working out: you must have a good nutrition plan set up, you must get enough rest, and so on. To “supplement” this list of must-haves is the supplement glutamine (excuse the pun). Regardless of whether you are a beginner or a pro, if you are trying to lose weight, get bigger, or tone up, glutamine is something you need to have in your cupboard. It has many diverse benefits to help you develop more efficiently and expediently well as to help keep you in good general health.

Firstly, you are probably wondering what glutamine is. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the human body used to help regulate cell growth and function. In addition to being produced by our bodies, glutamine can be found in beans, meats, fish, poultry, dairy products, many protein powders, and of course, on the shelves at your local supplement store in pure powder or pill form. Some of its benefits are that it serves as a “brain fuel” that increases brain function and mental activity, promotes a healthy digestive tract, significantly shortens the healing time of ulcers, reduces depression, impotence, fatigue; decreases sugar cravings and perhaps most important to us (considering this is a fitness article), it helps build and maintain muscle tissue through minimizing muscle deterioration and increasing protein metabolism AND glutamine also helps tighten skin which is perfect for someone who has recently lost a lot of weight.

There is simply no denying Glutamines benefits to our bodies. However, despite the fact that it is the most abundant amino acid in our system, the complication is that it is always being depleted. During intense training, Glutamine levels are significantly depleted in our bodies which reduces stamina and muscle recovery. Research indicates that following intense workouts, glutamine levels could be reduced by as much as 50% and it could take up to 6 days for Glutamine levels to return to their normal levels.

Having your Glutamine levels depleted will slow the progress you see from exercise and since one of Glutamine’s main jobs is keeping up collagen levels, which is critical for healthy skin, a deficiency will make your skin look older, while supplementing with glutamine can actually be effective in tightening loose skin. The most common dosage of glutamine is 5 to 10 grams on an empty stomach 25 to 30 minutes prior to working out and then 5 to 10 grams immediately afterwards. Many also take 5 to 10 grams upon waking and directly before bed to combat muscle breakdown which occurs during sleep. If you have recently lost a significant amount of weight and part of your goal is skin tightening, I would take 20 grams of glutamine each day, even on days that you do not work out, split it up into 2-4 servings taken on an empty stomach if possible to maximize absorption.

If you aren’t taking Glutamine you need to start; I’m sure you can appreciate why I consider it a must have. Furthermore, as amazing as Glutamine is in terms of its effectiveness, it is also amazing in terms of its affordability and it is one of the most reasonable priced supplements you will find on the market. Quite simply, glutamine as so much to offer you, you can’t afford not to take it!

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Fat Storage, Mobilization, and Use

When we consume a meal containing fat, it is absorbed and circulates within chylomicrons. Since it circulates, fat is slowly transferred from chylomicrons to fat tissue as well as skeletal muscle, center, and other organs (breast cells, for instance).

In order to transfer diet-derived body fat to our cells, an enzyme must be present in that cells. The enzyme is called lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and just like lingual lipase and pancreatic lipase, LPL also removes fatty acids from glycerol.

The fatty acids liberated by LPL move out from the chylomicrons and enter the nearby cells. Scientists have studied LPL for years and it now appears that differing amounts of LPL activity in different areas of adipose tissue might partly explain why individuals seem to accumulate more body fat in some regions of their bodies and not as a lot in other places.

Whilst a small bit of nutritional fat can be used for energy very early throughout a meal since the body shifts from a fasting to a fed state, by and large dietary fat is destined for storage space or put to utilize in other methods. By style, fat tissue will store loads of body fat and insulin promotes this action.

About the contrary, skeletal muscle tissue and the heart have a restricted capability to shop fat. Nevertheless, the quantity of body fat that skeletal muscle can store could be elevated by aerobic instruction (such as running and biking).

The importance of this fat is related to overall performance, as during exercise this body fat is readily available towards the muscle tissue by which it’s saved. Additionally, aerobic physical exercise training also promotes adaptations in muscle cells, producing them better fat burners throughout and right after physical exercise.

Fat is primarily extracted from meals fat and secondarily from fat production in body fat tissue and also the liver.Whilst diet-derived fat is becoming deposited in tissue all through the body, if a great deal of carbohydrate and/or necessary protein were consumed, some could be converted to fat. This takes place within the liver and fat tissue, using the latter only capable to use glucose to create fat.

Insulin promotes this action, which can make sense because diet-derived carbohydrate and some amino acids increase insulin levels. The principle fatty acid products are palmitic acid (16:0) and oleic acid (18:1 ?-9) and palmoleic acid (16:one ?-9).

The fat made in fat tissue is stored inside individuals tissue, while the fat made in the liver is packaged up and relocated mainly to body fat cells for storage. Contrary to popular belief the capability of the entire body to create fat from excessive nutritional carbohydrate and necessary protein isn’t as powerful as as soon as believed.

Nevertheless it does happen and for many people and circumstances, such as long-term excessive calorie intake, the included processes are stronger. However, deriving more body fat from polyunsaturated fat sources such as plant and fish oils can reduce these processes. Whilst fat manufacturing from diet-derived power building blocks such as carbohydrates (glucose and fructose) and protein (some amino acids) does occur, it only explains a portion from the gathered fat during weight gain.

The vast majority from the fat accumulated is in the diet plan. Since fat is mostly consumed with carbohydrate and necessary protein, each of which increase insulin levels, much more dietary fat is directed to storage space. Since as well many total calories are being consumed much more fat will be directed into storage space than damaged down for use as fuel.

Thus there is a net obtain of body body fat which in turn raises entire body weight.The body fat stored in fat tissue is obtainable to us when food power isn’t becoming absorbed (fasting) and when we exercise. Just as the hormone insulin promoted the storage space of fat when power was coming into our entire body, the procedure of mobilizing fat from fat cells is promoted by the hormones released into our blood when we’re fasting and/or exercising.

These hormones are glucagon, epinephrine, and cortisol, and all promote the release of fat from fat stores. In purchase for fat to be introduced from fat tissue, fat is very first damaged down to fatty acids and glycerol, which then enter our blood and circulate. However, due to their general drinking water insolubility, the fatty acids will hitch a ride aboard a protein within the blood called albumin.

About the contrary, glycerol is fairly drinking water soluble and can dissolve into blood. In truth, researchers will measure the degree of glycerol in the blood to estimate how much body fat is being broken down.Circulating fatty acids are eliminated by cells, particularly skeletal muscle and our center, liver, as well as other organs after which utilized by individuals tissues primarily for power.

However, maintain in thoughts that cells of the brain and red blood tissue (RBC) cannot use fatty acids for power and will carry on to use glucose. Conveniently the glycerol introduced from fat cells can be used to make glucose in the liver and released into circulation to assist maintain a desirable level of circulating glucose during prolonged physical exercise and fasting.

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Wrestling Drills For Balance And Muscle Memory

Keeping in Shape with Wrestling Drills

As with any sport, it’s important for wrestlers to perform a series of wrestling drills to keep them in their finest form on and off the mat. Since wrestling is a sport that requires brute force and agility, the repetition of these drills not only builds strength in the necessary areas, but also helps to build muscle memory which can be essential in winning wrestling matches. Try these wrestling drills during practices or as a part of the pregame warm-up.

Aim for the Knees

First, here’s a drill called “Knee Grab” that’s appropriate for wrestlers of all ages. To begin, two wrestlers of comparable strengths stand facing each other in their regular stances. Both wrestlers should have their hands facing downwards and extended out near their knees.

In this drill, the wrestlers will attempt to use their hands to grab their opponent’s knees while trying to keep their opponent blocked on the outside. Make sure the wrestler really grab for their opponent’s knees as opposed to just a mere tap or slap. Run this drill for 2 or 3 sessions of 20-30 seconds in length, allowing the wrestlers a 10-20 second rest between sessions.

When performed correctly, this drill can be quite physically demanding. Since performing countless wrestling drills can become monotonous, some coaches like to inject a little competitive spirit into their drills. This is one of those drills that functions really well as a mini-competition, with the winner of each pair facing off with a winner of another pair until only one wrestler remains victorious.

Grabber-and-Go

Next is the “Grabber” drill, which is great for building upper-body strength. To begin the drill, two wrestlers stand facing each other in their regular stances. At the sound of the coach’s whistle, both try to get their opponent in a body lock or to get behind their opponent while remaining in an upright, standing position.

The best moves for winning this drill are the duck under, arm drag to body lock, or the wrist lock. Some coaches will allow head locks for this drill as well. Perform this drill for 3 sessions of 30 seconds in length, allowing at least a 10-20 second rest between sessions.

A Fine Balance

This next drill called “Hopper” is a simple yet effective way of helping wrestlers develop and maintain their balance. To begin the drill, two wrestler stand facing each other in their regular stances. At the sound of the coach’s whistle, one wrestler grabs and holds their partner’s foot at waist level. They are permitted to move the foot as much as possible without bringing it above chest level.

The goal of this drill is for the wrestler on one foot to constantly readjust their balance to avoid falling to the mat. Run this drill for 2-3 sessions of no more than 20 seconds, as it is quite tiring for the wrestler on one foot.

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5 Foods That Help Boost Nitric Oxide

Are you trying to get that extra “pump” in the gym with Nitric Oxide? You’re not alone. Nitric Oxide (NO) supplements have been flying off the shelves of nutrition stores across the country and for good reason. THEY GIVE RESULTS! But do you want to find more natural ways to boost your “NO” levels or even just find ways to naturally “supplement” the nitric oxide supplement you’re already taking? The “top 5 list” I’ve created below illustrates natural foods that contain nitric oxide boosting elements.

1. Watermelon

Probably my favorite food out of the 5 mentioned here. Watermelon is sweet, juicy, and helps you build muscle?!? Absolutely, watermelon contains the amino acid L-Citruline which ultimate increases your NO levels. I love eating slices of watermelon for lunch a few hours before my evening workout. Try sticking a few pieces in the juicer for an all day supply of watermelon juice. It’s a grate way to hydrate and supplement your body’s nitric oxide production.

2. Eggs

Have you stopped eating egg yolk all together because you see everyone on TV doing it? Well don’t follow the herd on that one. Yes, the yolk is high in cholesterol, but the yolk actually contains more nitric oxide boosting nutrients then the egg white. You should leave in 1-2 pieces of yolk. For example, if you’re making a 6 egg omelet, you should throw in 1-2 whole eggs (with the yolk) and make the rest egg whites. This will give you the necessary fat you need and will give you added nitric oxide boosting nutrients.

3. Pistachios

The grocery store would always have piles of pistachios laying out near the produce section. As a little kid I would always grab a small handful and eat them (innocently without paying, I swear I didn’t know what I was doing!) while my mom went shopping. Shh.. don’t tell anyone. But who knew that these tasty little guys could actually help you in your muscle building nutrition regimen? Pistachios contain the amino acid L-Arginine that keeps your arteries flexible and ultimately increases blood flow to your muscles which aides repair & recovery. Eat these in between meals not only for their NO boosting effects, but also because they are packed with fiber that helps keep you full.

4. Lentils

For any vegans out there trying to get ripped, you are in luck! Lentils are packed with tons of healthy good stuff. They’re high in protein and fiber. They have energy producing carbs and they’re low in fat and sugar. On top of all that they are also known to help boost your body’s NO production. I guess you can call these things “magic beans”.

5. Tuna

What good things haven’t already been said about eating tuna? It’s super high in protein. It’s low in fat. The fat it does contain is the “good kind”. And you can buy it from the market for relatively cheap. Wait…

There’s MORE!

Tuna can also help your body boosts its nitric oxide production. Tuna is a great as addition to any of your “big meals” (i.e breakfast, lunch, or dinner), but it also serves as a great snack in between.

So next time you’re at the supermarket, make a go for these nitric oxide boosting foods. You won’t go wrong with them (unless you’re allergic of course. In which case run away from them!). There are a ton of different recipes online to prepare these foods. Utilize them in your main meals as well as snacks for added benefit to your workouts and ultimately your physique.

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Weight Loss Shakes – The Best and Worst Weight Loss Shakes

Weight loss shakes can be the best tool to help you lose those unwanted pounds. If you have been trying to lose weight for the longest and you have not been able to stick to any diet for more that a couple of days, weight loss shakes can be the key to your success.

The problem with most diet plans is that they require a lot of extra effort and preparation which is very hard to do when you have a busy lifestyle. Preparing 3 or 6 meals a day (depending on the diet plan you are following) is extremely hard. I can barely manage to prepare one and that is on a good day. Most often we end up giving up on the diet not because we couldn’t handle the foods or we were too hungry, but because it is 8:30PM we just put the kids to bed, we haven’t really had any time to cook anything, and we are starving.

So here is where weight loss shakes come into place. It is a lot easier to open a can or whip up a smoothie than it is to go to the store, get the ingredients, cook the meal and hope that we like it. Meal replacement shakes or weight loss shakes are super convenient and they actually help you change your eating habits. They are a lot easier to stick with and that is the key to losing weight.

Now, have you ever been to a health food store or the diet section of your regular grocery store looking for one of these shakes? If you haven’t you are in for a real treat. There are dozens of products out there that have the same claims: “easy to use”, ‘nutritious”, “filling”, “satisfying”, “will help you lose weight”. So which one are you going to choose? Here are a couple of the ones that I recommend and a couple of the ones that I would stay away from:

  1. Slim Fast: Run the other way! There is nothing to Slim Fast that a cup of chocolate milk cannot cover, plus the tin taste is very prominent. Ok, maybe it has a couple more vitamins, but seriously, you drink a cup of chocolate milk plus a multivitamin and you have surpassed Slim Fast nutritional value. If you don’t believe me go to the store and look at the first four ingredients: Fat Free Milk, Water, Sugar, and Cocoa.
  2. Right Size Smoothies: I have heard these smoothies advertised on the radio like crazy. I finally went to the store and looked at their ingredient list hoping to see some decent ingredients… and I was disappointed again. Right Size smoothies have not one but two kinds of artificial sweeteners, Sucralose (generic for Splenda) and Acesulfame K. If a product has anything other than a natural sweetener, I pass. There have been way too many studies to prove that artificial sweeteners have no rightful place in anyone’s diet.
  3. Medifast Shakes: Medifast has become one of the most popular diet plans lately mainly because they make it super easy for you to follow their plan. I will not take credit away from them, they have helped so many people to lose weight and I hope they help many more. However, their shakes don’t really contain enough nutrients to be meal replacement shakes and they have Acesulfame K.
  4. Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer: Now we are talking! These shakes are amazing. I couldn’t believe it when I saw them. They are all natural and all vegan too. Don’t get me wrong I am NOT vegan but the quality of this product is amazing. The only reason I didn’t choose them as my very best shake is because most of us are not looking for a vegan product, due to the quality of the protein. I usually look for something with whey protein which is a lot better in terms of body absorption and usage than any vegetarian protein.
  5. Shakeology: This is the best of the weight loss shakes that I have tried so far. It is all natural, it has whey protein (which is the only ingredient that prevents the whole shake from being vegan) and it has a ton, and I mean a TON of great nutrients. Probiotics, digestive enzymes, antioxidants, supergreens… If you can think of something healthy, it is probably in Shakeology. And, they don’t even advertise it as a weight loss product but as a complete, nutritious, healthy meal.

Weight loss shakes have become so popular that you can find them everywhere. However, make sure you do your own research before actually purchasing any product that you are going to consume.

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Iso7X Review – An Unbiased Review Of This New Isometrics Exerciser

Are you looking for a truthful ISO7X review?

Then, take a moment to read this entire article because you will discover exactly what you get with the ISO 7X isometric exerciser and some of the things that you may want to take into consideration to save you money and get better results. When you are done reading this article you will be able to make a better decision about whether or not to purchase the ISO7X or some other isometric exerciser. You will also know if this product can deliver the results that they claim in their commercial, and finally you will have a better understanding of how isometric exercise can help you build greater strength in muscle size in just a few seconds per day.

The first thing we will talk about in this ISO7X review is a brief history of isometrics.

Isometric exercises are thousands of years old. This type of training has been used predominantly in some of the Chinese martial arts such as kung fu and of course Japanese karate. In addition, isometrics has been used by certain branches of yoga and Pilates was originally based on isometric exercise. Isometrics were first brought to the modern public’s attention in the early days of physical culture, the precursor to bodybuilding. Today many new training protocols exist incorporating isometrics once again. Isometric exercises are often incorporated into an isotonic workout. For example, during a set of barbel rows, bodybuilders hold their position when the handles are closest to their chest in order to “squeeze” the muscle, in an effort to further stress the muscle. This is an isometric contraction.

People like Joe Wieder the founder of the IFBB bodybuilding Association, added isometrics to his Wieder bodybuilding principles and renamed it “Iso-Tension.” Of course, the governor from California Arnold Schwarzenegger also utilized iso-tension into each of his freeway workouts. Arnold would often perform isometric squeezes in between each set of exercise.

Now, let’s go over the benefits of the ISO 7X.

1. Built-in strength meter to help you track your progression

2. 30 day money back guarantee

3. 30 different exercises available

4. Each exercise only needs to be performed for 7 seconds

5. Compact, easy to store anywhere

6. Retails for 29.99 plus shipping and handling and includes a free wall chart (for the basic model, the deluxe model sells for $59.99. Right.)

7. You get a total body workout.

Now let’s go into greater detail about the benefits of this product.

The first benefit we will discuss is the 30 day money back guarantee. What the guarantee covers is, if for any reason you are unsatisfied with the 7X within the first 30 days of purchase, you can return it for a full refund, minus shipping and handling. You can buy the 7X risk free, so why not give it a try. There is not much to lose.

The next benefit we will go over is the 7 second exercises and the 30 different exercises you can do. This equates to a full workout in under four minutes! No other home gym out there allows you to do this, and you get the same results you would if you were using free-weights or any other piece of exercise equipment.

That is one of the great things about the ISO 7X.

The final benefit we will talk about in this ISO7X review is the built-in strength meter.

The “strength meter” you can easily keep track of the progress you’re making. Many times when were working out we don’t see the results in the mirror right away. However, using the built-in power meter you can easily see from workouts workout what your strength gains are. The nice thing about this feature is that it’s very easy to use.

In addition to the 7X there are other isometric exercisers that you may want to check out. Since this product is a copy of the original Tensolator or Bullworker design, you can go ahead and check out the Bullworker classic, Bullworker Steel Bow, or for a more advanced design and greater benefits look into the “Bully Xtreme 4.”

All these pieces of isometric exercise equipment are comparably priced however, some of them will provide you with video training, personalized coaching, and in the case of the Bully Xtreme 4 – allows you to perform more than 82 exercises. Compared to the 7X which only allows you to perform 30 movements. Furthermore, the ISO7X does not offer any kind of defects or replacement warranty. The Bullworker products offer a five-year defects warranty and the Bully Xtreme 4 offers a lifetime defects warranty.

So as you can see before you decide on purchasing the ISO-7X you may want to look into what their competitors offer.

In this ISO7X review we have discussed the history of isometrics and whether they work or not, you have discovered exactly what you get with this product, and we have even suggested a few of their competitors and what they offer above and beyond what you get with the 7X. All that remains now is for you to make a decision to get started!

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