Not posted on here for a while so thought id start by a small review on the latest pre-workout drink to take the market by storm, Jack3d.

Jack3d is manufactured by USP labs in the USA which contains a proprietary blend of the following ingredients which we will look at in more detail.

1. Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (AAKG),  which is a salt of the amino acid Arginine and alpha-ketoglutaric acid.  These are precursors to Nitric Oxide. These have been also shown to promote a number of anabolic mechanisms such a GH and insulin secretion.
2. Creatine Monohydrate. (benefits have been already discussed in previous blog).
3. Beta Analine, this compound is very useful in allowing the muscles to work with peak performance and minimizing fatigue and allowing more efficient flow of nutrients into the muscle.
4. Caffeine, stimulant and thermogenic.
5. 1,3-Dimethylamylamine (DMAA), initially used as a nasal decongestant and very similar in action to caffeine.
6. Schizandrol A, originates from chinese medicine, USP Labs have been quoted in saying that this compound can outperform amphetamine by increasing cognitive focus and muscle work.

I personally have used Jack3d religiously for 2 months and i have to say im very pleased with the effects during my workouts, especially in aquiring a good pump and lasting through an intense cardio session……Prepare to sweat lol.

Jack3d Rating 9 / 10

£27.95 per tub in store.

Its my pleasure to introduce Jim Blyth, a BNBF competitive athelete. Ive known Jim for several years and was pleased to sponsor him for this years 2010 BNBF British Final at the SECC in Glasgow. Heres a a small Bio of Jim, to give younger athetes an insight into the bodybuilders lifestyle and off course to give inspiration.

Name: Jim Blyth

Born: 06/06/1966

Relationship Status: Married with two daughters

Employment: Diageo

Location: Alva, Clackmannanshire

Jim Blyth Second from the Left

Sports Background: Jim has always been active and participated in athletics throughout high school, from where he was a member of a local club. He started with the 400m and progressed onto distance running and half marathons. He joined the Royal Marines in 1987 and finished in 1991 after a tour of duty in Iraq. Jim was a late starter into the bodybuilding scene starting at the ripe age of 30, from where after 10yrs of serious training entered his first bodybuilding competition at 40.

Jims competitive achievements are as follows;

2006 2nd place Novice class (scottish qualifier)

2007 3rd place Masters class (scottish qualifier)

2008 5th place Masters class (central qualifier – St Albans)

2009 2nd place Masters Class (scottish qualifier)

6th place British finals

2010 2nd place Masters class (northern qualifier – Manchester)

6th place British Finals

Off Season Diet:

Mainly Meditteranean style incorporating most meats including fish, chicken and steak. Jim is a firm believer in getting in his 5 a day daily. Good fats are sourced from olive oil, nuts, avocados and oily fish. Jim supplementation is mainly from protein blend shakes like Extreme Pro-6 and post workout shakes like Build and Recover containing creatine. When not consuming protein shakes hes enjoying his wifes good old home baking. To wash all this down 3-4 litres of water are consumed on a daily basis.

Training Techniques:

Jim carries out a 4-day split regime, usually missing out 1 bodypart per week, then trains that bodypart first the following week. This allows for a full 7 days rest for each muscle group. He carries out 20-30mins of moderated cardio after every workout, this helps keep the fat levels down. Each bodypart gets worked with heavy weight using 2 compound movements then fried to annihilation using triple drop sets or cables. This assures all muscle fibres are atrophied.

At present Jim is looking into carrying out FST-7 training for several months, a workout program currently being employed by many Pro’s.

Jim’s Testimonial:

I would like to thank Rene for his continued and continuing support on nutritional and training expertise. I recommend that any gym user both novice and seasoned make use of Renes knowledge, by visiting Betterbodies Falkirk. Thanks

Approximately half of stored creatine you can get from foodstuffs like meat. Its very important vegetarians supplement as vegetables do not contain creatine.

Individuals with kidney disease should avoid using creatine.

Creatine is beneficial for bodybuilders as it allows you to work harder as a result of additional energy also the accompanying increased protein synthesis. When large quantities of creatine phosphate in present in the muscle, more water is stored causing greater volumisation and hence promotion of protein synthesis.

When considering creatine as a valuable addition to your supplement list, be careful on which creatine you use. Creatines efficiency is dependant on its conversion to the ‘non usable’ creatinine. Creatinine is an unwanted by-product which can cause unwanted side effects. In my opinion you should choose a pH-buffered creatine, which is basically creatine held at a high pH (pH11) which stops this conversion to creatinine, meaning 100% efficiency. Several manufacturers produce this creatine my favourite is Extreme Nutrition Kr-evolution which I stock in store.

Hope this article will make you consider using creatine as a favourable supplement (check you have any underlying health conditions first) and highlights its importance for the strength / endurance athelete,

all the best and good luck

Rene

Physiologically what is happening is that natural nitric oxide (NO) is released during exercise which relaxes the smooth muscles that line blood vessels; this expands the middle space of the blood vessels allowing maximum blood flow. So does Nitric Oxide work? In a word or two most certainly it does.

Anabolic entities such as amino acids, testosterone, GH and IGF-1 along with nutrients are shuttled to the muscle in blood plasma. Hence the more blood that is fed in, the greater the amount of muscle building components that can be transported to muscle cells.

Oxygen is the key to why the pump powers the growth of muscle. The speed at which the muscles are able to clean themselves out of toxins like ammonia depends on the rate at which oxygen-rich red blood cells get to the muscle. The removal of such toxins allows the athelete to recover more quickly.

Nitric oxide supplements allow you to achieve peak vasodilation as quickly as possible, and hence make the workout as anabolically effective as possible.

Its is wise to note that not all NO supplements are of the same quality, some achieve the pump much later during the workout which defeats the purpose. L-arginine based NO supplements tend to be the best such as Gaspari Nutrition’s Superpump 250 and Muscletech’s NaNO vapor.

Rene

Glutamine is utilised as a source of energy by rapidly dividing cells e.g. cells of the intestinal lining (supplementation can be used to treat conditions such as ‘leaky gut’ and crohns) and certain immune cells.

Glutamine is important in the muscle building process as it serves as a carbon / nitrogen donor this will be considered in a bit more detail later.

Ammonia (NH3) in the body can result in the development of neurodegenerative diseases as it interferes with the oxidative metabolism of neurons. Ammonia is found to be detoxified in the synthesis of glutamine from glutamate.

Glutamine has the perception of being a “brain food” as if the brain doesnt receive enough glucose it compensates by increasing glutamine metabolism, hence users experience more energy, less fatigue and better moods. (this is what happens on lower carb diets where the individual experiences irritability and lethargy, hence supplementation of glutamine will help elleviate these symptoms).

Glutamine regulates blood pH – If too acidic (pH<7) glutamine is directed to the kidneys where a certain type of glutamine results in the release of bicarbonate ions to correct acidosis. If alkaline (pH>7), glutamine is sent to the liver where a different type of metabolism releases hydrogen ions to correct alkalosis.

As mentioned above glutamine is of paramount importance to the athelete. Its carbon donor ability acts as a ‘muscle food’ helping replenish glycogen. Strenuous exercise in particular due to resistance training causes microfibular trauma to the muscle, the nitrogen donating ability of glutamine helps build protein and repair the muscle – it may also be related to the release of growth hormone (GH).

For the serious lifter, glutamine should be taken 2-3 g post workout.

You can see the prime importance L-Glutamine has on the bodies physiology used in many biological pathways and mechanisms, thus the need to supplement into ones diet is a must.

Rene

1. Typical Mild Muscle Soreness :-

All bodybuilders / strength atheletes have experienced this type of discomfort, usually the day after a good workout and lasts for up to 24 hours in experienced atheletes and 72 hours in beginners. Basically the pain is caused from micro fibre trauma where the muscles that have been exercised are “torn” but reform with thicker and stronger fibres (this depends on the correct nutrition off course). The muscle is fully functional even when demonstrating this type of pain.

2. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Occurs 48 hours after training and is a deep muscular soreness, which prohibits full muscular contraction e.g arm cannot be flexed fully. Depending on how advanced the athelete is this pain can last anywhere between 48 hours – 7 days. Research has shown you should exercise the same muscle even if still sore but reducing weight to 50% normal and not training to failure. This is just to allow a “pump” to allow the flow of nutrients and the removal of lactic acid and other waste to aid recovery.

3. Injury-Type Muscle Soreness

This results in near complete immobilisation. The R.I.C.E (Recovery, Ice, Compression and Elevation) principle should be applied. One simple method to avoid such a devastating injury is to use correct form while exercicing i.e. no swinging or arching back.

Managing Muscle Soreness

1. You must supplement with the correct nutrition in particular proteins which are the building blocks of muscle tissue.
2. Plenty of water to be consumed (4-5 litres a day) this helps removal of toxins.
3. Change training shedule regularly e.g. dont train heavy all the time especially 1-rep maxes).
4. Cardio (3 x 30min sessions per week) assists in better circulation with the shuttling of nuurishment and the removal of by-products.
5. Supplement L-Glutamine – Has many benefits for stomach lining, immune system and anti-catabolic properties.
6. Eat foods high in EFA’a (there is an article on fats in blog) such as nuts, olive oil, fish oils etc. These fats act as anti-inflammatories.
7. Creatine supplementation.
8. Plenty of rest.

Hope this gives you a wee insight on muscle pain and ways to avoid it,

Rene

I can count the endless times I have heard the saying “I don’t want to get tooooo big”. The truth of the matter is , you WONT, and the reason plain and simple is basic endocrinology, you don’t produce enough male hormone testosterone to gain like a male. So chill out and become shapely, toned and lean NOT Bulky and brutish lol.

Studies have shown than men and women do not have to have to train differently, you must still lift heavy weight, this is the most weight you can use with correct style and form in carrying out the desired exercise, without swaying etc leading to injury. Heres an overview of rep ranges;

(1) 1-5 reps for strength. Uses fast twitch muscle fibres primarily.

(2) 6-12 reps for muscle gain. Uses slow twitch muscle fibres primarily.

(3) 12+ for endurance.

As well as training Diet is extremely important in order to carryout your training and recover effectively. From the literature it is known that on comparing men and women, both use energy stores up differently. Women tend to burn a greater ratio of fat to carbs, hence why women can handle low carb diets better than their male counterparts.

Why is it when we go into a gym we see women doing endless hours of cardio and lifting small weights for countless reps. The reason simply is misinformation usually fed from the media. Your gym instructor will have already devised you a training program, but remember a few key points;

(1)   Diet is King and what you eat will determine the muscle and shape you will adopt, keep carbs low, protein high and fats moderate, (ask me for help if need be).

(2)   Split your training schedule over a week, say a 4-day split, exercising a different muscle group each session.

(3)   Personally I would start doing a moderate cardio session after your weights, say 25mins and build up over time.

(4)   Drink plenty of fluids through the day (3-4litres)………………………..Good Luck!!!!!!!

So your big, but unfortunately carrying a layer of fat over your muscle making u look smooth with no shape or vascularity. Have you ever wanted to see yourself with much less fat, more shape and veins a showing? There is no fast answer to this except diet, weights and cardio together. The diet should be low in carbohydrates, high in protein and moderate in fats, yes u heard correctly you must have fat in there too which will compensate for lower carb intake. The fats I am talking about are the healthy omega 3,6,9 found in nuts, salmon, mackerel, sardines, olive and flaxseed oil to name but a few. The protein powder I will suggest will be a protein blend like Extreme Pro-6 or USN Pure Protein. Blends are better as time released and keep your metabolism working over a longer period of time.

Now the key to losing fat is not starvation but is to keep your metabolism working round the clock never giving your body time to store fat. Ways we can do that are (1) to carry out regular cardio, (2) use thermogenic fat burners (like Lean-R etc) and (3) Eat every 3 hours without fail.

Before you reach for the wonder fat burning pill, use the diet and exercise first for a couple of months then use fat burners when trying to drop the last few pounds.

Breakfast:- Never miss this meal EVER, 75g oats with 2 scoops of protein blend. OR 6 scrambled eggs (6 whites / 3 yolks) with 1 slice wholemeal toast on olive oil spread. Take 1000mg vit C and a vit B complex tablet. A point to note is

Mid-morning:- 1 .5 salmon fillets (the ones i buy are from tesco and they are pre-cooked sweet chilli ones – fantastic) plus large salad, sprinkle some balsamic vinegar on it.

Lunchtime:- 2 scoops protein blend in water, plus a separate spoonful of peanut butter (the best peanut butter is called “crunch time” by the peanut butter company, you get in tesco).

Mid-afternoon:- 2 grilled chicken breasts with pan fried (olive oil) peppers / onions and mushrooms.

Pre-workout:- 1 sccop of protein blend in water along with 3 Kr-evolution creatine capsules.

Post-workout:- Take a Build and recover shake, (you will love the surge of carbs after your training along with the creatine in it).

Main Meal:- Either a large omelette with tons of veg or a stirfry using meat of your choice with again as much veg as u can eat. Alternatively you could have 2 fresh salmon fillets oven cooked with steamed brocolli and green beans, have a drizzling of lemon juice over the salmon tastes great.

Before Bed:- 2 scoops of protein blend in water.

This diet works as I followed it up to a few weeks out of shows. I recommend you carry out shorter weight sessions with higher intensity then straight after do 25 mins of cardio and build up gradually over a period of time. Drink about 3-4litres of fluid a day (no sugar drinks).  Train consistently and you will see the desired results over a few weeks, if you have 20lbs of fat to lose then give yourself 10 weeks.

Heres the best part, once a week have a ‘cheat meal’ yes have that curry or kebab say on a sat night, and have a dessert too, this will kick start ur metabolism further, u will feel completely nuts though with the carb rush.  If you have any questions please come in store and ask me,   René.

In order to build muscle effectively, the body needs ample amounts of good quality calories, in the form of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The ratio of these macronutrients is the important and deciding factor on the amount of muscle / fat deposited. But off course genetics plays the most major part on how much muscle you will be able to carry, this also determines its shape and density.

The average joe walking around needs 2200 calories to meet normal everyday living. If you want to add muscle to your frame you will need to consume a bit more in order to synthesis new tissue and keep it there. A good starting point is a 3000 calorie intake per day. Now back to carbs, protein and fats, they should be consumed in a specific ratio much higher in carbs say 60% carbs, 25% protein and 15% fat.  For a hardgainer (an individual who eats everything and finds it hard to put on weight should up their calorie content to 3500 per day).

Below I have written a bulking diet which should add on some quality weight to your frame as long as you train consistently, and have enough rest. Minimal drinking is advised as affects hormone levels.

Breakfast:- 100g oats in porridge made with skimmed milk and 2 scoops of a good  quality protein mixed in, whey is good first thing I the morning. Add in some nuts like walnuts, brazils or almonds. If porridge ain’t your thing then have 6-8 eggs scrambled (3-4 yolks incl) with 3 wholemeal toast spread with olivio. Plus 1 banana.

Mid-morning:- 2 bagels with a filling of cream cheese, chicken breast and tomato, believe me tastes awesome, you can have a good quality ham instead of chicken but have enough off it.  Or alternatively you could have  warm wholemeal pitta breads.

Lunchtime;- 100g-150g pasta (dry weight) with green or tomato pesto (pesto is cheese in olive oil mixed with basil or dried tomatos), add in 2 cooked chicken breasts.

Mid-afternoon:- Good quality weight gainer shake in semi-skimmed milk (these are roughly 400-5oo calories).

Pre-workout:- Should be consumed about 90mins before training, id recommend 6 oatcakes with peanut butter and a banana or even a small snack like a protein bar. You can add in some Kr-evolution Creatine as well.

Post-workout:- An all-in one shake which contains fast acting carbs, protein and creatine, there are a few on the market, my personal favourite is Build and Recover.

Evening meal:- A good meat source such as fish, pork, steak (say 200g serving) along with either potatoes, or noodles (100g) along with some good healthy veg like broccoli, green beans, carrots etc. You can also have other meals like spaghetti bolognaise with steak mince, or 8 egg omelette with rice. Other meals could be 2 x Aberdeen Angus steak burgers on wholemeal baps with a side salad.

Before Bed:- Have a milky protein shake (350ml), using a time released protein blend (extreme  PRO-6 and USN pure Protein are the best in my opinion).

Bon Appetit

Rene

It’s a common misconception, especially when you go shopping and see countless numbers of LOW fat meals and other edibles on the market that fat is bad in your diet, this plain and simple is NOT the case. In fact every cell in your body has a coating of fat for protection, without fat you would die. The same goes for protein. But you can live without carbohydrates, uncomfortable as it is, it can be done. And the key to a conditioned, toned, vascular physique, is to keep carbs low (not eliminate completely), protein high and fats moderate (up to 70g of fat is not uncommon). Lets describe fats in more detail;

Importance of Fats:- Firstly it is important to establish that there are many fats out there some are bad and others are your friend. Saturated fats and hydrogenated oils are solid at room temperature because they are straight chained molecules, hence u can see these clog up arteries through time hence bring on heart attacks and strokes. These are unessential fats, and are usually found in calorie rich foods. Monounsaturated fats (e.g. olive oil) have 1 “kink” in its molecular structure and hence stay liquid at room temperature but not upon cooling, these too are unessential as the body can manufacture these. Polyunsaturated fats on the other hand stay liquid, even upon cooling, this is due to 2 “kinks” in its molecular structure and cant be manufactured by the human body therefore must be supplied from dietary sources and are termed essential fats. There are 2 polyunsaturated fatty acids that are considered essential and we have all heard of them, namely omega 3 ( alpha-linolenic acid) and omega 6 (linoleic acid). Now these are important as they help regulate the nervous system, blood pressure and heart rate. The also promote the production of prostaglandins that are natural anti-inflammatories. These prostaglandins also help prevent blood platelets from sticking together, open up blood vessels and slow down cholesterol production. Here are some good examples of foods rich in omega fats; oily fishes such as mackerel, salmon, sardines; Flaxseeds; nuts, pumpkin seeds and wheat germ to name but a few. So I hope you can see the differences and importance of fats in your daily diet

The key to using fats in order to get conditioned, is a manipulation of daily calorie intake, in other words you must be in a calorie deficit to lose fat. Personally what I do is keep my carbohydrate intake solely before (slow acting oats) and after (faster acting maltodextrin or dextrose) my workouts, this gives you the energy to train and the ability to replenish just enough glycogen afterwards. The next 5 meals thro the day then consist of mainly of protein, vegetables (e.g. salad, mushrooms, peppers, green beans, even sweet corn note; no starchy carb rich veg like potatoes. And off course fat in say 10-15g portions with each meal. (pick up a diet sheet in store). So how does it work? Well if you consume too many carbohydrates (body can store up to 250g stored glycogen in muscle tissue and about 60-90g in the liver) the excess energy will SPILL over into bodyfat and store as adipose tissue, hence keeping this low stops the spill over so to speak. As well as diet you need to employ a good regular workout and cardio regime also…………….Good luck!!!