Posts filed under 'Muscle Building'
Have your heard the media talk about how 50 is the “new” 30, and 60 is the new “40″? Sometimes I like to believe that true. At 52, (OK, just about done being 52), I feel like I can run around, eat and drink like I did at 32.
Click here for the complete article: Diet and the “New” Middle Age
August 12th, 2008
Although creatine offers an array of benefits, most people think of it simply as a supplement that bodybuilders and other athletes use to gain strength and muscle mass. Nothing could be further from the truth.
A substantial body of research has found that creatine may have a wide variety of uses. In fact, creatine is being studied as a supplement that may help with diseases affecting the neuromuscular system, such as muscular dystrophy (MD). Recent studies suggest creatine may have therapeutic applications in aging populations for wasting syndromes, muscle atrophy, fatigue, gyrate atrophy, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and other brain pathologies. Several studies have shown creatine can reduce cholesterol by up to 15% and it has been used to correct certain inborn errors of metabolism, such as in people born without the enzyme(s) responsible for making creatine. Some studies have found that creatine may increase growth hormone production.
For the complete article please…..CLICK HERE
July 28th, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Getting enough protein and moderate amounts of fat from food may help older men’s muscles respond better to weight training, a study suggests.For the complete article please…
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July 11th, 2008
I walked into a book store the other day, and do you know what I found? I found four different “diet” books, all on the New York Times “Best-Seller” list, and all four contradicted each other!
For the complete article please…..CLICK HERE
July 4th, 2008
One topic that seems to be a never-ending source of confusion is blood, or more precisely, understanding blood work and which tests to get and why. It never fails to amaze me that the vast majority of bodybuilders and other athletes have no issue spending literally thousands of dollars on supplements (some of which have virtually no science behind them to justify their use) and gym memberships each year, but won’t spend a penny on blood tests to see what’s really going on with their hormones and other indicators of health (e.g., cholesterol, liver function, etc.).
For the complete article please…..CLICK HERE
June 24th, 2008
Resistance training is the superior method of exercise for reshaping your body and shedding unwanted fat. Want to raise your metabolism? Start by understanding that the main tissue that burns calories is muscle, even at rest. Muscle is in essence, your fat burning machinery. The surest way to raise your metabolism and burn fat is to build and maintain muscle.
Resistance training is performed by using weights, machines and even your own body weight to effectively work your muscles. The goal of resistance training is to gradually and progressively overload your muscles so they grow stronger. This signals your body that it’s growing and healthy, not deprived and starving.
As you increase your lean body mass, you increase your metabolic rate and this makes it easier to lose fat. With a faster metabolism, you’ll burn more fat all day long - even while you’re sleeping! Fat doesn’t require any energy at all to maintain - it just sits there. That’s why resistance training takes priority over cardio based exercise for people who want to lose body fat. Resistance training addresses the core of the problem – the rate at which the body uses energy, 24-7.
There are numerous reasons for increasing muscle beyond making clothes fit better. One of the major benefits is in the possible prevention and rehabilitation of bone injuries. Since proper resistance training strengthens the muscles as well as the supporting structures around the joint, this form of exercise will protect our joints from the stresses of an active lifestyle.
Another benefit of resistance training is improving the ability to perform daily activities. By increasing strength through resistance training, you move more efficiently with daily activities such as; lifting your children, carrying groceries, playing sports, moving furniture, taking out the trash etc.
The most important aspect of resistance training is correct performance of the exercise. Too many people become concerned with how fast an exercise is performed or how heavy a weight is being used. This means that the exercise is done incorrectly. This can cause injury and most often results in endless resistance training without benefit or results.
It is recommended that you commit to a full body resistance training program designed specifically for your body type, abilities and fitness goals for 20-45 minutes, at a minimum of 3 days per week. Allow at least one day of rest between workouts for muscle recovery and growth.
The Benefits of Resistance Training
~ Increased Bone Density ~ Improved Posture
~ Increased Lean Muscle Mass ~ Improved Work Capacity
~ Increased Metabolism ~ Reduces Depression
~ Increased Self-Esteem ~ Increased Strength
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June 4th, 2008
I have seen ‘whey protein’ advertised in health food stores as the source of food protein with the highest nutritional value. Is this correct, and, if so, should I be eating it to ensure that I get enough protein???
The nutritional value of a food’s protein is determined by the mix of amino acids that it contains. Amino acids are the ‘building blocks’ of protein.
Only some amino acids are essential in the adult human diet - that is, they must be obtained from food because they cannot be manufactured in the body. So the nutritional value of protein in a food is determined by the quantities of the essential amino acids in that food.
Apart from human flesh (and there are ethical considerations that generally preclude obtaining protein from this particular source!), the food with the protein of highest nutritional value is usually taken to be the humble egg (although for infants, breast milk is probably the most appropriate ‘gold standard’).
Therefore, one way of rating a food as a protein source is to give the egg the maximum rating and to compare all other foods against this according to their levels of essential amino acids. Whey is the fluid that remains after the curd has formed (largely from the fat component of milk) in the process of cheesemaking. Whey contains not only protein, but also lactose (milk sugar).
The protein in whey (’lactalbumin’) is good quality protein and does make a useful protein supplement. However, it is not correct to state (as some practitioners of alternative nutrition do) that whey is the ‘best source of protein’; it is simply another good source.
Protein is derived from a huge range of everyday foods. Many of the foods that are good sources of protein (meat, fish, eggs, milk/milk products, cereal foods, vegetables such as beans and other legumes) are also major sources of other essential nutrients.
This means that it is better to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods rather than try to derive most of your protein needs from one source (eg from whey).
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May 27th, 2008
Imagine getting personalized training programs, real video demonstrations with your choice of a male or female model, diet plans, grocery lists, fitness reports, healthy recipes, fitness articles and an online fitness magazine. You can…
As a member of Phil B’s Personal Training and Nutrition you get access to…
- Personalized Exercise Plans
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and more…
CLICK FOR A SAMPLE OF:
Workout Routine
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Visit my web site at: http://brayfitness.com for more information.
May 17th, 2008
ScienceDaily (May 9, 2007) — A research team led by Carole Thivierge, from Université Laval’s Institute of Nutraceutics and Functional Foods, shows that omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil have a positive effect on the metabolism of muscle proteins. This finding, published in a recent edition of the Journal of Physiology, could have significant implications in the fields of animal farming as well as human health.
For the complete article, please…..CLICK HERE
April 20th, 2008
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