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Editor's Note

Welcome to Issue #2, August 2006!

Well, this is the 2nd issue of the Muscle Building Magazine and it's bigger than ever! I've added loads of new sections to the Mag including supplement spotlight, forum ramblings, weekly polls and featured eBook. These sections will forum the base of this magazine. I'm planning on adding extra monthly features soon.

I encourage all of you to join the forums for free and participate in discussions, jokes, polls and other stuff that's happening around the site. This site is growing into a strong community of people interested in muscle building and fitness.

I look forward to seeing you all in the forum!

Damien Mase
Muscle&Strength Owner
Forum nickname: Damien

Website News

Muscle Mass Stack winner announced on forum


The winner has been randomly chosen from all magazine subscribers! The winner has been emailed and we're waiting for confirmation. The winner will be announced on this forum thread:

Muscle Mass Stack Winner

Proudly sponsored by At Large Nutrition:


Secondly, welcome aboard Doug Lawrenson, aka Dietguru! For those of you who have been reading the forums you will know who Dietguru is by his in-depth answers to questions about diet, training, supplements and fitness.

I approached Doug last week about joining the Muscle&Strength team and he's now on board. Doug has experience as a bodybuilder at national level, national bodybuilding judge, physique and bodybuilding 1 on 1 training and planning diets for professional competitors. All of Doug's clients have reached national level in bodybuilding and physique competitions.

Doug is the first to join our Forum Advisor team and will be around the forum to help forum members with their training, diet and supplement programs. Doug will also be writing in-depth articles for this site covering all aspects of muscle building.

Come and chat to Doug on the forum, his forum name is Dietguru.

Additions to the site in July:



There's loads more planned for August. Don't forget to bookmark this site and check the forum for site updates.

Forum Ramblings

Lot's of stuff has been going down over on the forum in July. We've had new members join from around the globe including the UK, US, Australia and South Africa. Here are some threads worth checking out:


It's free to join the forum so why not register and drop in and say hi. We've got experienced members on board who can advise you on supplements, diets and training. There's also a General chat section when you can post jokes, videos or talk about whatever's on your mind. Are you a member yet? If not, join here free.

Are you a forum member yet? Join here for free


Featured eBook

Critic Bench Program

CLICK HERE
For more information

Critical Bench Program


"An intense bench press program customized to your 1 rep max that will help you add 50lbs to your bench in 10 weeks."

How much has you bench press increased in that last 6 months? Most guys would say not much. Everyone wants the biggest bench possible yet it seems the bench press is one of the hardest exercises to constantly improve on. Bench press plateaus are very common and hard to beat. The training programs in this eBook will absolutely destroy your chest and really increase your bench!

It's written by big bencher and powerlifting training coach Mike Westerdal. The program is designed around your 1 rep max so it's suitable for any guy, any weight and any build. You haven't heard of a tough chest building workout until you've tried this. The book doesn't focus on unrealistic goals like "40 pounds in 2 weeks", 50 pounds on your bench in 10 weeks can be achieved by anyone using this program.

Member Polls

At the beginning of every week we open up a new poll for Muscle&Strength vistors to vote in. The polls are designed to get peoples opinions about different subjects. All polls are posted in the weekly polls section of the fourm. You must be a registered forum member to vote and post.

July's Weekly Polls:



Muscle Building Tips

Prevent uneven quads!


Make sure your quads are equal strength on both sides by doing single leg 45deg leg presses. Not only does this equal out your strength but using one leg forces strict form and they're extremely challenging!

-Matt (M&S Forum)

Add essential fats to slow down protein release


Thinking about taking casein protein before bed for slow releasing? Think again. Whey protein has a superior amino acid profile to Casein and can easily be slowed down by adding EFAs (essential fatty acids) to the mixture. Dietguru recommends a product called Udo's Ultimate (google it) added to your shake before bed. More info in this forum thread.

-Doug Lawrenson (AKA Dietguru)

Philosophical tip!


Remember: It's not about how much weight you use on an exercise, it's about how much you use the weight.

-Tadolfi

Leave your ego at home


The best tip I could give to anyone who is weight training is to ask someone to check your form whilst you are training.

I see many people who train but their form has gone out of the window just to be able to handle more weight. you can spend months doing an exercise wrongly , only to of wasted them months cheating and not getting the results you would of achieved by not cheating, it doesnt matter what weight you do, as long as the weight is right for the given exercise that you are doing. Your strength will improve as the muscle gets stronger.

Leave the ego at home, not in the gym. and the next one that says to you "how much can you bench press" tell them you weight train, not ego train.

-Doug Lawrenson (AKA Dietguru)


Supplement Specials

Nitrean - By At Large Nutrition


Nitrean is one of the premier protein products on the market today. It is superior to any whey-only powder with its blend of whey (isolates, concentrate, and hydrolyzed), casein, and egg proteins. In addition, it is one of the best mixing and tasting products available.

Why is Nitrean's protein blend superior to a whey-only product?

The idea of the post-workout nutritional window is valid but somewhat misunderstood when it comes to protein supplementation. The common wisdom is that whey is best for post-workout situations due to its quick absorption rate and its concurrent spiking of protein synthesis. In reality, increased protein synthesis occurs as a direct result of the training stimulus for up to 48 hours after an intense session.

Thus, the claimed strength of whey can actually become a hindrance. Its rapid absorption gets amino acids into your bloodstream quickly, but nearly as quickly that spike in amino acids dissipates and the body is left bereft of the amino acids it yearns for.

What your body needs after training and at ALL times is a prolonged and relatively constant flow of amino acids into the bloodstream. This can best be accomplished by ingesting a blend of different protein types and that is exactly what Nitrean provides. Bottom line, Nitrean provides one of the best net retentions of ingested protein (your body retains more of it) of any product on the market today. You can take that fact to the bank and the gym!

Visit At Large Nutrition for full details

Feature Article #1

How to Build Muscle and Gain Weight Quickly - Part I


Written by: Vince Delmonte

Tricep Pushdowns Are you fed up with being called "skinny?" Are you tired of getting blank stares when you tell someone that you work out with weights? Are you frustrated that the scale has not budged upwards since you first started lifting?

I know from first hand experience what it feels like to train for hours in the gym, slug back protein shake after protein shake, spend your hard earned money on over-priced and over-hyped supplements, with little or nothing to show for it! If this is you than you're not alone and are probably missing a few key ingredients that you're executing effectively.

If you're a naturally skinny person than you must play by a different set of rules. If you were not gifted with muscle friendly genes than does it make sense to follow a program by someone who builds muscle even when they sneeze? If you're training drug free than does it make sense to take advice from a guy who’s spending a few thousand dollars a month on steroids?

Or maybe you're taking advice from someone with great genetics? That’s like taking money advice from someone who inherited a fortune! You must accept the fact if you have muscle 'unfriendly' genes you must be prepared to play by a different set of rules if you want to build muscle and turn heads!

Here are a few simple tips to show you - the skinny guy - how to build muscle and gain weight quickly:

Train like a barbarian!

Do people stop and watch you work out? Do you reach the point in a workout where you question your ability to finish? If you treat working out more like a hobby than a job than it’s no surprise that you do not stand out in a crowd and are still spinning your wheels.

The majority of people that work out in a gym barely sweat and spend more time starring in the mirror and trying to impress the new front desk girl than getting into the ‘zone’ and crashing through previous training limits.

Here are some tips on how to 'train like a barbarian':

  1. Treat every single set like it is your last set.
  2. Treat every single rep like your life depends on it.
  3. Wear a stop watch and ensure that you keep the rest period honest.
  4. Wear a sweater so you can’t stare at yourself in the mirror.
  5. Wear a head set on that tells others ‘do not disturb.’
  6. No girl friends allowed or wimpy guy friends who are going to compromise the intensity of your workout.
  7. Train with an intensity that scares the gym shorts off of every person in your path.

Are you starting to get the picture? There is a philosophy that simply states, "You get what you focus on." Focus on training like a barbarian and you will soon start looking like a barbarian!

Give your muscles a reason to grow!

Guess what happens when you train at the same intensity as you did in a previous workout? Your muscles laugh back at you and say, "Nice try, we did this workout before and can handle this stress! Is that your attempt on getting us to grow?"

Don’t get caught up in the latest hype of bodybuilding and fitness magazines. Most of it is rehashed and just packaged sleeker to sell magazines. There are two forms of training that must be cycled in a successful weight training program:

1. HEAVY HEAVY HEAVY!

Squat Put everything into lifting heavier weights and getting as strong as possible. Use only one compound exercise per major muscle group and focus on a 5% increase in strength from week to week. This will ensure neuromuscular development and targeting the fast twitch muscle fibers which have the greatest opportunity for growth.

2. VOLUME VOLUME VOLUME!

Expose your body to as much work possible in the shortest period of time. Placing your muscles under more tension will result in more tapped and untrained muscle fiber being recruited therefore more muscle growth! The key here is to find the correct balance in time and work. Volume training does not mean 2 hour gym workouts lifting light weights. Instead lift heavy weights close to your max threshold but with shorter rest periods, slower tempos and more exercise selection per muscle group.

No more program hopping!

Sure, it's easier to test drive a program for a few weeks and than say it does not work and move on to the next latest ‘breakthrough’ program. This is called the blame game and neglecting responsibility! Do you think you will become rich if you test out a new job for a few weeks and than call it quits when your first paycheck does not meet your expectations? No way! But if you stay with the company and exploit the companies benefits and opportunities to the fullest than you will succeed.

The reality is that virtually every program will work for a certain period of time if it is done at the right intensity and as the author has written.

Find a program and study the details of it's full entirety. Ensure that the program goals of the author are in alignment with yours and study all the fine details. Do not ask a million questions and try and find holes or flaws or attempt to make it "perfect". The perfect program does not exist. Trust the program, follow it honestly and monitor the progress. The experience and results you gain from following one program for a consistent period of time will be priceless.

Muscle Building "No-nonsense muscle building information for skinny guys to help them get big"

Vince Delmonte is the author No-Nonsense Muscle Building, an eBook aimed at helping guys with skinny builds pack on some pounds. The eBook has over 160 pages of training, diet, workout and exercise information. Includes everything you need to get big.

Visit Vince's Homepage

feature Article #2

Nutrition Or Training - Which Is More Important?


Written by: Tom Venuto

Legendary bodybuilding trainer Vince, "The Iron Guru" Gironda was famous for saying, "Bodybuilding is 80% nutrition!" But is this really true or is it just another fitness and bodybuilding myth passed down like gospel without ever being questioned? Which is really more important, nutrition or training? This IS an interesting question and I believe there is a definite answer:

The first thing I would say is that you cannot separate nutrition and training. The two work together synergistically. Regardless of your goals - gaining muscle, losing fat, athletic conditioning, whatever -you will get less than-optimal or even non-existent results without paying attention paid to both.

In fact, I like to look at gaining muscle or losing fat in three parts - weight training, cardio training and nutrition - with each part like a leg of a three legged stool. pull ANY one of the legs off the stool, and guess what happens?

In reality, it's impossible to put a specific percentage on which is more important - how could we possibly know such a number to the digit?

Nutrition and training are both important, but at certain stages of your training progress, I do believe placing more attention on one component over the other can create larger improvements. Let me explain:

If you're a beginner and you don't posses nutritional knowledge, then mastering nutrition is far more important than training and should become your number one priority. I say this because improving a poor diet can create rapid, quantum leaps in fat loss and muscle building progress.

For example, if you've been skipping meals and only eating 2 times per day, jumping your meal frequency up to 5 or 6 smaller meals a day will transform your physique very rapidly.

If you're still eating lots of processed fats and refined sugars, cutting them out and replacing them with good fats like the omega threes found in fish and unrefined foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains will make an enormous and noticeable difference in your physique very quickly.

If your diet is low in protein, simply adding a complete protein food like chicken breast, fish or egg whites at each meal will muscle you up fast.

No matter how hard you train or what type of training routine you're on, it's all in vain if you don't provide yourself with the right nutritional support.

In beginners (or in advanced trainees who are still eating poorly), these changes in diet are more likely to result in great improvements than a change in training.

The muscular and nervous systems of a beginner are unaccustomed to exercise. Therefore, just about any training program can cause muscle growth and strength development to occur because it's all a "shock" to the untrained body.

You can almost always find ways to tweak your nutrition to higher and higher levels, but once you’ve mastered all the nutritional basics, then further improvements in your diet don't have as great of an impact as those initial important changes...

Eating more than six meals will have minimal effect. Eating more protein ad infinitum won't help. Once you're eating low fat, going to zero fat won't help more - it will probably hurt. If you're eating a wide variety of foods and taking a good multi vitamin/mineral, then more supplements probably wont help much either. If you're already eating natural complex carbs and lean proteins every three hours, there's not too much more you can do other than continue to be consistent day after day...

At this point, as an intermediate or advanced trainee who has the nutrition in place, changes in your training become much more important, relatively speaking. Your training must become downright scientific.

Except for the changes that need to be made between an "off season" muscle growth diet and a "precontest" cutting diet, the diet won't and can't change much - it will remain fairly constant.

But you can continue to pump up the intensity of your training and improve the efficiency of your workouts almost without limit. In fact, the more advanced you become, the more crucial training progression and variation becomes because the well-trained body adapts so quickly.

According to powerlifter Dave Tate, an advanced lifter may adapt to a routine within 1-2 weeks. That's why elite lifters rotate exercises constantly and use as many as 300 different variations on exercises.

Strength coach Ian King says that unless you're a beginner, you'll adapt to any training routine within 3-4 weeks. Coach Charles Poliquin says that you'll adapt within 5-6 workouts.

So, to answer the question, while nutrition is ALWAYS critically important, it's more important to emphasize for the beginner (or the person whose diet is still a "mess"), while training is more important for the advanced person... (in my opinion).

It's not that nutrition ever ceases to be important, the point is, further improvements in nutrition won't have as much impact once you already have all the fundamentals in place.

Once you've mastered nutrition, then it's all about keeping that nutrition consistent and progressively increasing the efficiency and intensity of your workouts, and mastering the art of planned workout variation, which is also known as "periodization."

The bottom line: There's a saying among strength coaches and personal trainers...

"You can't out-train a lousy diet!"

If your nutrition program is your weakest area, either because you're just starting out or you simply don't have the nutritional knowledge you know you need to get results, then be sure to take a look at the Burn The Fat program at: www.burnthefat.com

About the author:

Burn the fat Burn The Fat

For more information on calories (including how calculate exactly how many you should eat based on your age, activity and personal goals, and for even more practical, proven fat loss techniques that strip off body fat fast, check out my ebook, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle at www.burnthefat.com.

www.burnthefat.com

Q&A

When I do calf raises and the day after my calf workouts I get a sharp pain in the tendon above my heel. What is causing the pain and how do I fix it?

Sounds like you've got achilles tendonitis aka achilles heel. Many bodybuilders and athletes will develop achilles tendonitis at some point in their career.

The achilles tendon gives us the ability to raise our heel off the ground. Without it, we would be flat-footed. The condition can be caused by not warming up correctly, bad form, pushing the tendon too hard, quick/sharp movements and running on uneven ground.

Unfortunately, you can't just train through this one! You will need to rest the area for 3-6 weeks. If you want to keep the area in shape during this time, gentle walking or swimming is recommended. You must allow the area to heal fully. If you do not allow it to heal fully, there's a pretty good chance it will occur again.

When your rest period is over, you need to ease back into training slowly. Make sure you warm the area up fully, don't push it too hard, and cool down and stretch afterwards.

Tendonitis prevention is simple. Warm up, don't push it too hard, cool down and stretch. Remember, as you get older your tendons lose their elasticity, so the older you get the more important tendonitis prevention becomes. For more information on achilles tendonitis see this site.

Answered by:
Damien Mase (Forum name: Damien)

Can taking fish oil supplements help build muscle?

If your diet is too low in fat, your body will actually make a point to store any fat it gets, because it doesn't know when it will get more. A low-fat diet will also lower testosterone levels, something we do not want when trying to gain weight and add muscle. Studies have shown that dietary fat has a direct relationship with testosterone production. An increase in dietary fat intake seems to bring on an increase in testosterone levels. And a decrease in dietary fat intake is usually accompanied by a decrease in free testosterone levels. (counter productive for muscle building)

However, you don't want to increase your intake of saturated fats. Saturated fats are what cause disease and coronary problems. Though you will always have some saturated fats in your diet, your main focus should be to increase your intake of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs).

EFAs are unsaturated fats that are necessary for thousands of biological functions throughout the body. Because they cannot be manufactured by the body, the must be provided by your diet. These fatty acids not only help increase testosterone production, but they also aid in the prevention of muscle breakdown, help to increase your HDL level (good cholesterol) and assist in hormone production. To get your recommended amount of EFA's, I recommend supplementing your diet with either Udo's Perfect Oil Blend (which combines omega-3 and omega-6), or Cold-Pressed Flaxseed oil (which is mostly omega-3). Both are available from good gyms and health food shops.

The intake of essential fatty acids (EFA) is dependant on what your intake of dietary fat should be in the day, when using the Udo's 1tsp = 5g fat, which when you think about it is an easy way of getting your fat, you put the oil on your food, in your protein drinks, in your oats, so if your intake of fat per day is 60g then that would be 12tsp divide by 6 meals = 2tsp per meal, (not including fat in food) what a simple way of getting all the essential fats in your diet, without having to count the fat content is different foods.

Answered by:
Doug Lawrenson (Forum name: Dietguru)


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