Category: Training

Coffee for Bodybuilding: The Caffeine Performance Stack, Honest Dosing, and Sleep Caveats
There is so much conflicting information regarding coffee & bodybuilding on the internet. Some would promote it as the answer to accelerated fat loss while some would say that it will make you fatter.

There are also others stating that it can increase your performance while others contradict this by saying it increases your chance for heart disease.

So, what should you believe?

This article will get the facts straight and look at how caffeine can help you in bodybuilding.

How Coffee Can Help Your Bodybuilding Goals

Increased Performance in Your Workout

It is common knowledge that coffee contains the substance caffeine. This substance is a stimulant due to its ability to raise your adrenaline levels. It does this by blocking the neurotransmitter adenosine from triggering its receptors.

With the adenosine receptors blocked, the stimulants produced by your brain, such as dopamine and glutamine, are free to trigger their receptors.

Activation of these receptors cause increased activity for your neurons. This causes your pituitary gland to release hormones that prompt the release of adrenaline, which leads to:
- Increase in blood pressure,
- Elevation of heart rate,
- Prioritized blood flow to muscles, and
- The release of stored sugars in the liver.
These effects cause your body to have more energy available for your workout and get more gains from a single session. Various researches that studied caffeine have observed that this resulted in increased performance in strength training workout, quick-burst exercises, and long-term aerobic exercises.

Also, the increased adrenaline levels increase your pain threshold, and reduce the rate of your perceived exhaustion. This leads to you having the ability to working harder compared to having a workout without the help of caffeine. So, if you’re lifting heavy and feel fatigued even before finishing your workout, coffee might be something that can help you.

Better Mind-Muscle Connection Training

Your movements are a result of contractions of the different muscles in your body. These muscle contractions result from signals sent by your brain to these muscles.

Bodybuilders took advantage of this through active contraction of the muscles used during an exercise. This practice improves the communication between the brain and the muscles, which results to greater muscular strength and increased long-term muscular gains.

You can take the benefits of mind-muscle connection training with the help of caffeine. A study has shown that caffeine can increase the voluntary muscle activation and the maximum activity in a muscle. This resulted in marked improvements in explosive movements and isometric exercises.

Boost Fat Loss and Preserve Lean Muscle During a Workout

Lipolysis is the process of breaking down lipids from your body fat into free fatty acids. Your body uses the free fatty acids to provide the energy requirements of your muscles and metabolism. Adrenaline, or epinephrine, is one of the hormones or neurotransmitters that can trigger this process.

With caffeine from coffee, you can influence your body to start lipolysis. This will provide you the energy needed to get through your workout. Since you already have the needed fuel for your exercises, your body can preserve your lean muscle mass instead of using the fuel stored in it.

Furthermore, you are prioritizing the metabolism of the energy stores in your body fat. This will help you have easier time losing fat and getting more definition for your physique.

Limitations of Using Coffee for Bodybuilding

You Need a Certain Amount of Caffeine to Experience Benefits

You need at least 100 milligrams of caffeine to experience its performance-enhancing benefits. To get this amount of caffeine from coffee, you must drink more than 8 oz. of brewed coffee, or two shots of espresso.

The minimum coffee intake required becomes even more complicated given that caffeine content varies depending on the amount of ground coffee used, the brewing technique, and the roast type of the coffee beans.

Coffee Should Only Be Taken BEFORE Your Workout

Caffeine is the last thing that you need during your post-workout recovery. This is because of your body only being able to be either at an anabolic or catabolic state at any given time.

An anabolic state is when your body is releasing insulin, human growth hormone, and testosterone to induce muscle growth, tissue repair, and bone mineralization. A catabolic state is when your body releases cortisol to release muscle proteins and fatty acids and break these down for energy.

Drinking caffeinated beverage after a workout will prompt the release of cortisol in your body. The release of cortisol would have your body go into a catabolic state. This will prevent the release of the needed hormones for recovery. Therefore, you might be resting from your workout but your body is actually not undergoing the actual process of recovery.

This will delay your body’s recovery as the necessary hormones for it are absent in its system. Given that delayed recovery delays the time of your full recovery, you are likely to exercise at a fatigued state on your next workout. If you make this a habit and normally train hard, you are increasing your chances of getting an injury and developing chronic fatigue syndrome.

Coffee and Other Sources of Caffeine Can Ruin Your Sleep

Caffeine raises cortisol. If cortisol is too high, your body would not produce enough melatonin for a good night of sleep. This will make it difficult for your body to recover from your workout and to have optimal strength for the next day’s workout.

Too Much Caffeine Is a Bad Thing

High levels of caffeine can boost your cortisol levels. You can gain body fat if you make this a daily thing in the long term. You can even increase the chances of adrenal fatigue if you have a demanding schedule at work or at home on top of your workout program.

Too much caffeine also decreases its effects on your body. If you do not keep track of your caffeine intake and just chase after the effects on your energy, you would likely consume more and more caffeine and compound the negative effects of caffeine on your body.

Effect Vary Among Individuals

Your body is unique. So, you can expect that your experience with coffee and caffeine will be unique. This means you will have a unique minimum amount to experience benefits.

So, What Should You Do?

You can work around the drawbacks of caffeine by choosing to giving-up coffee. Bodybuilding requires you to be precise with your nutrition and, if you want to achieve serious goals, you have no choice but to do so. This requires you get your caffeine intake from a source that can provide you with specific amounts of caffeine – namely, caffeine supplements.

You can get accurately measure you caffeine intake in this way. You can adjust the dosage based on your unique response to it. This will help you avoid the guesswork in drinking coffee and all you would have to do is wait for the caffeine to take effect.
February 19, 2019
Is Crossfit a Fad or Is It Here to Stay?

If you’re active within the fitness community, Crossfit probably isn’t a mystery to you. It’s absolutely everywhere! Is Crossfit a Fad?

Crossfit is a strength and conditioning program that has caught the attention of fitness newbies and professionals alike. It focuses on functional movement in a high intensity setting.

However, it is not a newbie exercise as it requires a certain level of existing knowledge and skills as it relates to exercising.

The question that many people have, is Crossfit just another one of these fickle fitness trends? Is it something that will make an impact on the community for the years to come?

Let’s discuss! Did you know the Crossfit brand has about 13,000 gyms around the world in over a hundred countries? That doesn’t seem like a number that a fad would keep through the years!

This trend is one that has caught on worldwide. Doctors, trainers, and fitness experts are all talking about Crossfit and the advantages of this high intensity work out. It is a unique combination of exercises that engage all parts of your body for a well rounded work out that is highly impactful.

If that isn’t enough to pique your interest, all it takes is a simple visit to social media to see just how many people are participating.

The Stigma Behind Fitness Trends

Let’s face it, exercise and lifestyle trends aren’t usually viewed in a positive light. This is especially true for those who have been active in the fitness community for a long time.

After witnessing the rise and fall of many trends as it relates to exercise and strength conditioning, it is perfectly normal to be a bit skeptical when you hear of something that has become popular.

Considering Crossfit is the biggest fitness trend to hit the scene in decades, there are a lot of things to think about when trying to predict how long it will last. One of the biggest obstacles of Crossfit is accessibility.

Somebody who is inexperienced and out of shape might find a lot of inspiration in the program, but it’s not safe for them to do because of the sheer intensity of the work out. Using tools like crossfit weight lifting belts or weighted vests gives you more support during an intense work out.

It’s quite important to assess your current skills and fitness level to make sure it aligns with what is demanded by Crossfit work outs. Trust us when we say that Crossfit is not a fitness fad when all is considered!

By using pregnenolone cream or pregnenolone supplements, the levels of the compound in the body increases, and this brings about various benefits such as fatigue relief, and delay of the aging process.

The fitness scene was totally changed when this style of exercise became more popular than ever, and your social media feed probably reflects that if you make it a point to follow the community.

When Crossfit first hit the scene by storm, it was easy to consider it a quick fad that would not last. Some of the lingo has become a household name as it relates to fitness. So, you’ve probably heard a lot of talk about WODs, right?

The Crossfit terms might make you think that this program is more of a cult style fad that will fade in a year or two than a long lasting staple in the fitness community.

However, the truth is that the Crossfit program has captured interest for years at this point, so it’s already outlasted a lot of other programs and exercises that have come and gone. For these reasons, we are more than confident that it is here to stay.

It’s Here to Stay

In closing, we believe Crossfit is more than one of those trends that comes across your feed for a couple of months and disappears into the graveyard of other fitness trends that you’ve endured through the years.

We say this mainly because the competitive nature of Crossfit makes it certain to stick around for decades. It has honestly become more of a lifestyle than a simple exercise program for most folks who get into it, and can really open up avenues for you as far as endurance goes, so you will be better at trying other styles of exercise.

Lets face it, athletes love competition and pushing themselves to their limits. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be athletes at all! So, this is a major reason why this fitness program will have a long lasting legacy.

Even if the trend does fade overall and the Crossfit gyms close their doors, we are confident that you will be seeing Crossfit inspired exercise routines for years to come.

December 11, 2018
Blood Flow Restriction Training: What You Need to Know

There was a time when getting a good pump meant lifting really heavy weights, which are at least 80% of your one-rep-max. That was until blood flow restriction training or BFR training came into the limelight.

This revolutionary performance enhancing technique can help you reach your muscle building goals. Unfortunately, as popular as it is now, that doesn’t mean it’s well-understood by many.

Some people think that BFR training is too extreme or even dangerous and may cause muscle damage and high blood pressure. The other names given to it like hypoxic training, occlusion training, and KAATSU training as well as the equipment required like cuffs, bands, and ace bandages only save to make people think that it really is harmful.

In order to put an end to all those doubts against BFR, let’s dig deeper into the research studies that have been done to prove that when done right, this technique is potent and safe. The plan is to safely apply BFR into your personal physical goals.

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is a training technique involving the use of wraps or cuffs placed around a limb during exercise, to maintain arterial inflow to the muscle while preventing venous return.

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The Human Circulatory System and BFR

Knowing how the human circulatory system works is the first step in learning about BFR training. The arteries are the blood vessels that deliver oxygenated blood from your heart to the rest of your body while the veins are the blood vessels that deliver mostly deoxygenated blood from your body to your heart.

BFR training’s goal is to restrict the flow of blood via your veins while allowing blood flow via your arteries. This is done by wrapping a device such as a KAATSU device, pressure cuffs, or knee wraps around the top most portion of the limb you are working on.

When blood flow is restricted in the veins, blood pools into the muscle and stays trapped. Think of it like filling a water balloon.

When you bring all that blood into the working muscles, that’s when the ‘magic’ of BFR takes over.

First, you get a really good pump. It causes some swelling. Studies support that cellular swelling is what makes muscles grow.

Second, you’ll get that burn quickly. Remember that burning feeling when your muscles get tired during repeated lifting of weights? That’s called acidosis because the muscle is being deprived of oxygen and it’s unable to get rid of the waste materials (lactic acid) that are accumulating. This metabolic stress is another important factor in muscle growth.

BFR training can stimulate anabolic signaling and muscle protein synthesis which results in significant muscle growth increase even when the load involved is too low for promoting noticeable hypertrophy. This BFR-induced hypertrophy is being driven by metabolic stress.

One other key event which occurs during BFR training is that the slow-twitch muscle fibers that are oxygen-dependent tire much faster than usual. As a result your body immediately taps into the fast-twitch muscle fibers. These kinds of muscles have the most potential for growth.

Without employing BFR, these fast-twitch fibers aren’t normally hit unless you use moderately heavy weights and you lift explosively, or you use really heavy loads. With BFR, you can go fast-twitch with 50 percent of your one-rep max or even less.

A study supporting BFR showed that BFR training can increase the cross-sectional area of the muscle by using only 20 percent of your one-rep max. That means if you can bicep curl a 30-pound dumbbell only once, you only need 6 pounds to get the pump required for muscle growth when normally it will require around 25 pounds and above.

Hence, how does it benefit you? Through BFR training, you’ll be sparing those joints from the stresses of heavy weights. You don’t exhaust your central nervous system excessively because you’re only using light weights.

The arms and the legs are not the only beneficiaries with this type of workout. The nearby muscle groups like the shoulders, chest, and back show size and strength gains as well.

Fortunately, recent studies show that BFR is perfectly safe if all the precautions are taken and that proper wrapping protocols are followed.

By using pregnenolone cream or pregnenolone supplements, the levels of the compound in the body increases, and this brings about various benefits such as fatigue relief, and delay of the aging process.

Is BFR Safe for You?

Like with other workout programs, you need to consult with your physician before including BFR training in your routine. The recommendations in this article are applicable only to healthy individuals who are already undergoing high-intensity resistance training in their regular routines.

Although it’s known that restricted blood flow can damage the veins, those who use BFR exhibit increased vasodilation and increased blood flow, compared to when only traditional resistance exercise is used.

Also, using heavy weights can increase arterial blood pressure more than two-folds and make the heart reach maximum rate levels. The low-intensity nature of BFR only increases the heart rate and blood pressure by 11 to 13 percent.

How Should I Wrap for BFR Training?

Some people would use knee or elbow wraps, ace bandages, and even hospital tourniquet. But if you want to be serious with BFR training, there are wraps specially made for this purpose. One such wrap is the PRO-X Edition BFR Bands.

When you’re working out your upper body, you just need to wrap below your shoulder at the top of your upper arm. The wrap will be nestling in the armpit if done correctly.

For your lower body, you should wrap below your gluteal fold at the back and below the hip flexor at the front.

PRO-X Edition BFR Bands

The tightness should be at the right level. Else, you risk injury if it’s too tight and you lose the benefits of BFR if it’s too loose. In a tightness level of 1 to 10, 10 being the tightest possible, it should be around 7.

There shouldn’t be any feeling of numbness or tingling sensation. Else, that would mean you’re wrapping the limb too tight. A tight wrap restricts arterial flow so blood won’t be pooling into the muscle, defeating the whole purpose of BFR. It’s better to err on the looser side than the tighter side, especially if you’re a beginner.

Once you get it right, you’ll get the best pump you’ve ever felt in those muscles. If you feel uneasy, you can always remove the wraps and wrap it again a bit looser the next time. You’ll need to learn what is comfortable to you.

Other Safety Measures

Blood flow restriction training should not be done on its own. You should incorporate regular strength training as well using moderate to heavy weights.

Also, this technique is not recommended for those who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. Keep a close eye on your blood pressure if you want to undergo BFR training.

Finally, taking supplements and natural foods that are categorized as vasodilators could significantly help if you’re undergoing blood flow restriction training. Vasolidators help your blood vessels expand and allow for more blood to flow through.

August 28, 2018
HIIT & Testosterone: The Intensity Factor for Building Serious Muscle
In this article we will dig deeper into the relationship between HIIT & testosterone, but first let me introduce you to a real life story as example:I had a coworker at the last job, with whom I used to chat during our lunch break. He seemed like a true gym bro; always talking about his training split and meal-prep Saturdays. The peculiar thing was, he never changed much; all year round. He had the same skinny-fat look with some muscularity. I saw his gym bag daily with his branded apparel; wrist wraps, knee wraps, compression shorts and what not. So, he did hit the gym daily and according to him, his sessions are at least two hours long. This always made me question his diet but then again; he’s all broccoli and rice during lunch time and hardly snacks/binges (during work, at least). Then, one fine day, he asked me if I would like to join him for a training session, that evening. Well, that’s where I got answers to all my questions.

His workout was a stretched-out sequence of warm-up exercises with LOTS of resting and social-media whoring (excuse my language). I mean what I would consider a warm-up set (given the intensity, not the weight lifted) was his top working set. He was training with weights 50% of his 1 rep max and calling it a day. The answer to my wonderment was Intensity; his training lacked intensity (and discipline!) and that’s what was the missing piece of the puzzle. The workout wasn’t hard enough to push his body. It didn’t matter if he continued with the same intensity for 3 hours or longer; the exercise intensity wasn’t challenging enough. I think Dorian Yates has said it better.

The Surprising Dorian Yates

Dorian Yates (six times Mr. Olympia and British Bodybuilding champion) on his high intensity training regimen:

“Well, if you write it down on a piece of paper, it doesn’t mean much, it doesn’t look like much. It’s nothing special… But the point is what you put into it. It’s the intensity that you put into those sets… Your body has no reason to change if it’s working within its capacity. Why would it? You have to overload it. You have to give it something that it’s not used to, that’s going to be a shock. Basically, muscle growth is an adaptation to stress. You’ve got to give your muscles more stress than they’re accustomed to, otherwise they won’t change. Quite basically, that’s it. That last set you’ve just got to put everything into it. It’s not about throwing weights around and screaming and shouting. It’s about concentrating. It’s about doing the movement correctly. It’s about moving the weights slowly, under control, even when it gets absolutely, tortuously hard and impossible to do those last reps at the end.”

Dorian Yates was one bodybuilder that brought crazy condition to all his contests. This is what separated him from the rest of the lot. Another thing that was unique to Dorian Yates was his training time. His sessions used to be only 30 – 45 minutes long.

By using pregnenolone cream or pregnenolone supplements, the levels of the compound in the body increases, and this brings about various benefits such as fatigue relief, and delay of the aging process.

Yes, you heard it right, 6 times Mr. Olympia trained less than an hour each day and five times a week! His training style was based on Mike Mentzer’s (Mr. Universe) training style who originally borrowed it from Arthur Jones (businessman, who used to design bodybuilding equipment). Now, the unique thing about all these workout regimens is that they were less than hour, very high intensity, low rest period workouts with many supersets and drop sets. The aim was to push your body beyond what it thought was possible to induce a growth response for lean muscle tissue growth/repair. This is exactly what most high intensity workout templates emulate nowadays.

So, the next question is, what is the optimal training intensity for muscle growth?

HIIT Testosterone Optimization & Training Intensity

We all know testosterone; its our best friend, the one hormone that can enable your body to pack on lean muscle! We also know that the testosterone levels vary throughout the day and it is our intention to stabilize them for optimal growth & recovery. Testosterone levels are also prone to crash during endurance type exercises that have low/intermediate intensity that last for a relatively long period of time. Such crashes must be avoided.

One thing that you should clearly understand is that there is a difference between endurance exercise and weight training. When the time you spend at the gym exceeds 60-90 minutes (this time can vary individual to individual), you’re essentially moving into the endurance exercise zone which can stunt your muscle growth and recovery time. It is scientifically proven that endurance training negatively affects (or doesn’t affect at all) you, anabolically speaking. Keeping this in view, the complicated balance of intensity, volume and frequency must be optimized. Training intensity should be at a level were your body does not have the capacity to perform at that intensity for over 90 minutes.

HIT or High Intensity Training System

I never condone a single workout template to everyone. We’re all different and what works for you may not work for someone else. High Intensity training is one regimen worth mentioning because it’s short, crisp & scientifically proven to give you the best anabolic response. Now, there are many HIT templates out there and a lot of work has been done by top bodybuilders to develop this training scheme. Some fine details may vary across the templates but the basic principles of HIT remain the same. Characteristics of HIT include:
- Each training session should be short. Close to 30-45 minutes max.
- Exercises are to be performed at a very high intensity, nearing maximal effort.
- Cadence of a lift is very important as compared to the actual weight. Each rep must be controlled.
- Special emphasis is given to the eccentric (or negative) phase of the lift (especially Dorian Yates HIT template). Maximum number of muscle fibers are recruited during this phase.
- Jerking or bouncing the weight is not allowed!
- Holds are very important! You must hold your lift at peak position (or at top of the muscle contraction) to optimize muscle fiber recruitment.
- Rest between subsequent sets should be short. Ideally around 30 seconds.
- Include rest-pauses during your sets (These are very brief 5-10 second rests during your set during maximum effort).
- Forced reps are ideally used during the eccentric to maximize muscle recruitment.
- Drop sets are used to exhaust the muscle and take it beyond failure.
Training Intensity: Sweet Spot Training & Training by Feel

If HIT or High Intensity Training is not the answer to your question, you can adopt another training style – sweet spot training:

We hear this all the time: I don’t count reps, I just go by feel. What exactly is this by feel. How do we go about a set’s intensity based on our feeling?

The thing we’re looking for is the sweet spot. You push your body enough to produce a good-enough growth/repair response but not so much that you’re unable to recover from it. This sweet-spot is highly individualized and cannot be quantified in terms of repetitions or weight lifted. Scientists are in-pursuit of developing a scale (for strength training) that can quantify this perceived effort or intensity but for simplicity we would like to describe this sweet spot in words, rather than scientific mumbo jumbo!

The sweet spot intensity can be effectively put into words by saying going all the way but leaving 1-2 reps in the tank. This is the recommended training intensity for a natural. If you’re enhanced, well; you can go balls to the wall and you can still recover from the training stress but as a natural, it’s an entirely different ball-game. Naturals should be working in the hypertrophy rep-scheme and the weight should be challenging. Your set should be such that you don’t go to failure (Isolation movements are an exception) and leave ONLY 1-2 reps in the tank. Consistent training to failure may eventually lead you to overtraining, and can be detrimental to your health.

Conclusion and Take-Aways
- You don’t have to train the Dorian Yates way if it’s not for you!
- You shouldn’t train like my coworker either! Long hours at the gym do not translate into a great body. Make each set count!
- Intensity yields results. Focus on your intensity rather than getting bogged down on training volume.
- Couple your training intensity with adequate training frequency. Make sure you recover from your workouts.
- Create a positive and optimal intensity, frequency & volume trio. Balance these three and see what works best for you.
- Optimize your rest periods during sets. 30-60 seconds for isolation exercises whereas anything around 2 min for multi-joint compound movements for higher %RPM weight ranges.
August 27, 2018
Compound Lifts or Isolation Exercises: What Movements Builds Muscle?
If the gym is a country then compound lifts are its king! They rule the country. They demand respect! If training is like a jungle then compound movements are the Mufasa (or Simba)! If compound movements are Simba then isolation exercises are like Pumba or Timon! They support compound movements but are in no way superior than Simba! Not making any sense, am I? Let me start over:

Compound movements are your typical multi-joint movements such as the deadlift, squat, barbell bench-press and military press. These are the exercises that involve multiple muscle groups to attain a certain movement, hence their name. On the either side we have isolation movements; which are exercises such as preacher curls and leg extensions. They focus/target, primarily, a single muscle group.

Now that we’re done with the definitions, let’s get back to our Lion King references (or maybe not)!

Compound Movements Are King!

Compound movements are the king; there’s a reason powerlifting and weight lifting is based on them: multiple muscle groups working in unison to stabilize, propel and hoist a certain weight; stabilizers firing, core activated; it’s like seeing art.

Compound movements should be the base to any training regimen as they are optimal for lean muscle gain as outlined by the following study:

By using pregnenolone cream or pregnenolone supplements, the levels of the compound in the body increases, and this brings about various benefits such as fatigue relief, and delay of the aging process.

“The present study aimed to compare the effects of RT performed with MJ or SJ exercises on aerobic capacity, body composition and muscle strength in active males. A novel approach of the present study was equating total work volume which, as far as we know, has not been previously performed. According to our results, both protocols were equally efficient in improving body composition; however, training with MJ exercises provided higher gains in physical performance.”

Taken from: Resistance Training with Single vs. Multi-joint Exercises at Equal Total Load Volume: Effects on Body Composition, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Muscle Strength

Second evidence that goes in favor of compound movements is EMG activation data. Studies show (using electromyography data) that compound movements can activate several muscle groups and in greater proportion when compared to isolation movements. This is quite logical since compound movements are multi-joint exercises but another benefit of compound movements from a body building perspective is that they have a greater ability to elicit symmetrical muscle growth. If you want symmetrical body, you would want to go with compound movements with proper form.

This doesn’t mean that isolation movements will cause symmetrical issues. It’s just that in-comparison, isolation movements have a higher tendency to cause muscle symmetry imbalances and for this reason isolation movements are used to bring up lagging body parts.

Isolation Movements Are the Knights!

Here we go again! Well, it’s kind of true. Assistance work or single joint isolation movements are very important. They may not be the king but never the less their importance must not be under-estimated. Lagging body-parts, weaknesses in compound movements can only be addressed by isolation work. Isolation movements are essential if you’re going for a certain look so for bodybuilding, they are mandatory. Assistance work shouldn’t be picked up at whim. Isolation movements can be selected based on two goals:
- 1. Assistance in compound movements (performance-wise)
- 2) Muscular Aesthetics
Everyone Is Not Created Equally! Isolation Work Varies.

One top reason cookie cutter workout plans do not work: everybody is different. Not everyone needs 6 sets of triceps isolation work per week! Some may need more, some may need less. Some genetic-freaks may have a ready-made horse shoe for their triceps so they may not need much isolation work for their triceps. Others may have amazing calves! So, monitor and adjust your isolation work accordingly.

Compound Lifts and Testosterone Production

Saving the best for the last: compound movements and their anabolic value! We all know that training and exercise triggers a hormonal response in the body. The thing to consider is that if comparing compound movements to isolation work; what gives you the best bang for your buck? Which one of the two elicits a greater hormonal response?

There are three hormones at play:
1. 1) Testosterone: Our favorite home-boy! The primary anabolic hormone that does everything from giving you male characteristics to helping you build lean muscle. Testosterone stimulates muscle growth and increases protein synthesis.
2. Growth Hormone: A very good friend of Testosterone! This hormone also stimulates muscle growth and increases protein synthesis by affecting amino acid absorption at a cellular level.
3. Cortisol: Our worst enemy. A catabolic hormone that breaks down the amino acids and converts them into carbohydrates; robbing you of your precious gains! It also conserves glucose, and aids in the breaking down of fat. Consistent high levels of cortisol can result in overtraining.
To trigger 1) and 2) optimally, it is necessary to perform heavy compound movements.

For optimal hormonal response and muscle adaptation you need to go heavier than 75% (Ideally in the 80% – 95% range) of your max and perform the compound movements in 5 – 8 rep range.

By using pregnenolone cream or pregnenolone supplements, the levels of the compound in the body increases, and this brings about various benefits such as fatigue relief, and delay of the aging process.

This has scientifically proven to be the ideal rep range and weight range for provoking a favorable hormonal response. What this does is recruit the highest number of muscular motor-units.

Imagine a factory with 100 workers. Isolation work is like asking for a medium output – Not all the workers will be engaged (they love to slack!) and out of those 100 maybe 60 of them will work and give you your desired thorough-put. On the other hand, compound movements are like tossing the entire factory into over-drive mode – almost all workers are working their ass off to give you the productivity you desire!

Conclusion

Muscle growth is body’s response to overcome the stressor it went through, during each day’s training. This stressor must be sufficient to trigger the body’s hormonal response as well as force it to damage muscle tissue (so it can be repaired). As far as the hormonal response is concerned, compound movements are superior and should be the base of your training plan.
August 22, 2018
8 Benefits of Pull-Ups: Definitely Worth the Challenge

The pull-up is often seen as an intimidating exercise by beginners in resistance training. But, with the numerous benefits of pull-ups, any difficulty or embarrassment you might experience at the beginning shouldn’t really matter.

Here’s why you should add the pull-up to your strength training program.

In that whole movement, you use your forearm muscles, triceps, biceps, latissimus dorsi (or the “lats”), rhomboids, lower trapezius, pectoralis minor, and core muscles. This makes the pull-up an efficient workout as you are able to work different muscle groups in one go.

By using pregnenolone cream or pregnenolone supplements, the levels of the compound in the body increases, and this brings about various benefits such as fatigue relief, and delay of the aging process.

The Benefits of Pull-Ups

Incorporates the Movement of Multiple Muscle Groups

To do this upper body exercise, you need to grip a pull-up bar and hang onto it with your hands. You then draw your shoulders together and lower your back.

Then, you pull yourself up towards the bar by bending both your arms. Once you reach the top of the movement, you will then lower yourself back to your starting position.

In that whole movement, you use your forearm muscles, triceps, biceps, latissimus dorsi (or the “lats”), rhomboids, lower trapezius, pectoralis minor, and core muscles. This makes the pull-up an efficient workout as you are able to work different muscle groups in one go.

Yes, the pull-up is actually often grouped together with other compound exercises (or multi-joint exercises). Working various parts of your body simultaneously means you’ll get to spend less time in the gym without worrying about the results.

Improves Your Functional Movement

The pull-up is a bodyweight exercise. And, like any bodyweight exercise, there is more emphasis in training the movement.

This is what researchers have seen on athletes who incorporated functional strength exercises into their training. The athletes were moving better, jumping higher, and leaping further.

Aside from this, their sport-specific skills improved significantly as the efficiency and strength of their movements has also improved.

Improve Bone Mineral Density in Old Age

Bone mineral density is the measure of your bone’s strength. If you have good bone mineral density, you are less likely to experience fractures and osteoporosis.

Unfortunately, as we age, the density of our bones decreases. This is why older individuals are more prone to fractures and bone-loss related diseases.

Of course, the need to prevent or, at least, manage this had eventually caught the attention of researchers. And, what they have found out was that strengthening the back muscles has improved the bone density of individuals aged 60 years and above.

You actually don’t have to wait until you reach that age to get started with strengthening your back muscles. This is because a stronger skeletal muscle can slow down the mineral loss of its bone.

This means having stronger back muscles now can slow down your vertebrae’s future bone loss.

Prevents and Alleviates Neck Pain

One of the primary causes of neck pain is a poor sitting posture on a chair. This is because of the muscle imbalances that form from the uneven distribution of your bodyweight.

And, if you’re experiencing neck pain on one side, you likely have muscle imbalance on your lower back, with the weaker side on the same side of your neck pain.

Since the lower trapezius is one of its targeted muscles, you can strengthen your weaker side with pull-ups. You would just have to consciously perform the exercise to make sure that you’re distributing the weight equally—and this is done by feeling the contractions during the pulling phase.

Improves Chronic Lower Back Pain

Sitting for long periods has been confirmed in numerous studies to have a positive association with the incidence of lower back pain. Plus, if you work at a desk, you’re probably sitting on your office chair for long periods of time and have experienced what these studies have confirmed.

This is another area in which doing pull-ups can help. Research has shown that chronic lower back pain may be improved significantly with exercises that strengthen it—these include pull-ups and back extensions.

This effect of pull-ups on chronic lower back pain is attributed to how they employ your lower back muscles in their movement. Through this, the lower back muscles are strengthened and are able to support your posture better, solving the imbalances formed from long periods of sitting.

However, you’ll have to be mindful of your movement as you do the exercise. This is to ensure that you are equally using both sides of your lower back muscles so that the imbalance won’t get worse.

Increases Human Growth Hormone Concentrations

The pull-up is an exercise that can be done to maximize hypertrophy (especially in the case of kipping pullups) or to increase muscular endurance.

It turns out this type of exercise is the best for naturally increasing human growth hormone concentration in the body. With higher growth hormone concentrations, you get increased muscle strength, enhanced fat loss, stronger bones, and a lower risk for cardiovascular disease.

Naturally Increases Testosterone Levels

Like any resistance exercise, pull-ups can increase your testosterone levels.

Research has shown that testosterone levels are higher by at least 14% for up to 180 minutes after a session of resistance training. This is in comparison to testosterone levels of individuals who did not undergo resistance training.

The increases in testosterone levels are even more significant for individuals who have been doing resistance training for a longer time.

Gives You That V-Shaped Physique

Pull-ups target all the muscles that you need to build the v-shaped physique. Once you are able to do it regularly as part of your full-body workout, you will eventually see some noticeable changes.

The results will be more pronounced when you perform three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions per workout. Shedding excess fat will, of course, help as well.

With the benefits of pull-ups, there’s no denying that they are a great addition to any workout program.

By using pregnenolone cream or pregnenolone supplements, the levels of the compound in the body increases, and this brings about various benefits such as fatigue relief, and delay of the aging process.

A Must for Any Routine

You can use straps and bands to perform an assisted pull-up to get into it and move up to the normal overhand grip pull-ups when you’re strong enough. But, if all you have is just a pull-up bar, you can do negative pull-ups for an easy start.

Once you’re confident with your grip strength, upper-body strength, and range of motion, you could try other variations. You could do it with a supinated grip (you’ll need a chin-up bar) or apronated grip, and there’s also the Australian pull-up if you’re going for something different.

Do not be intimidated—just treat it like any other strength-training exercise that would be difficult when you’re new to it.

August 4, 2018
How to Increase Vascularity For An Impressive Look

Having big strong muscles without any vein showing looks like you’ve only got implants to look muscular. It lacks that ripped physique we’re all going for – and that’s why many spend so much time trying to learn how to increase vascularity.

You might think that having the veiny and muscular physique of a ripped bodybuilder is hard. Well, you would be wrong.

It is actually only a combination of the right nutrition and enough exercise. To achieve this, it is as simple as…

Losing Body Fat

Perhaps this is the most obvious and crucial requirement to make your veins pop on top of your muscles.

Since body fat is found between your skin and veins and muscles, having too much fat would cover up the veins and sculpted hard muscles that you would want to be visible on your physique.

But, how low should your body fat percentage be to make those veins pop out? For men, one would usually have to get to a body fat percentage of below ten percent.

You might think that this is quite a tall order to achieve. But in truth, you would only need to target two things: the proper diet and the right nutrient timing.

The Proper Diet

For the right fat loss diet, one would not need to look any further than Vince Gironda’s steak and eggs diet for his clients, both body builders and actors alike.

In this diet, meals would consist of only steak and eggs, which can be prepared any way you would like. The only restriction is there should be no carbohydrates in the form of either starch or sugar.

To get the same fat loss benefits, you don’t have to follow the steak and eggs diet in an exact way. As long as you avoid carbohydrates, you can achieve the same effect with vegetables and oils as sources of fat and other meat for protein.

Why?

By staying away from carbs, you are depleting your body’s blood sugar (or glucose) levels. Once your body runs out of glucose, it turns to fat metabolism – a natural process of your body known as ketosis.

When your body has burned all the fat from your diet, it then turns to the stubborn body fat you’re aiming to lose.

Just keep in mind there will be an adjustment period of discomfort. This varies depending on how used you are to carbohydrates.

Taking exogenous ketones could speed up the adjustment and make your body get into fat burning mode faster.

The Right Nutrient Timing

To be clear, nutrient timing is any planned alteration on one’s macronutrient intake for the purposes of health, athletic performance, and/or body composition.

There are many ways to time your meals to achieve fat loss or any goal you might have. For our purposes and to make it is as effective as a no-carbohydrate diet, we will be focusing on intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that alternates between a period of eating and fasting. This method of fasting takes advantage of the natural response to an absence of nourishment, putting the body under mild stress.

Usually, a fasting period would last at least 12 hours every day. But, research suggests that a 16-hour fasting period and an 8-hour window for eating for eight weeks is the best strategy to decrease fat mass while maintaining muscle mass.

However, keep in mind that you must not overeat to compensate for the periods in which you’ve fasted. Research on intermittent fasting has found that such behavior will only counteract any benefits that could have been achieved.

Of course, before you start with a no-carbohydrate diet or intermittent fasting, it is advisable to check with a medical practitioner if you have any medical conditions that might prevent you from doing so.

And, lastly, remember not to overdo it and go lower than the lower limit for a healthy individual (4-6% for men).

Building Muscle Mass

Bigger and stronger muscles require more oxygen and nutrients. And, to get more of what a stronger and bigger muscle requires, the body will adapt to it by increasing the size of veins for enhanced blood flow.

This is why those with greater muscle mass have more vascularity than those with lesser muscle mass despite having the same body fat percentage.

The obvious fact to having bigger and stronger muscles is having the right workout program and the right diet. But, the lesser known fact is that your testosterone levels could affect how big you can get.

You could easily increase the amount of testosterone in your body through natural T-boosting foods. Examples of such are onions, raw eggs, green leafy vegetables (like celery and spinach), fava beans, nuts (like almonds and Brazil nuts), and oils (like olive oil and coconut oil).

However, like everything with our body, testosterone must be in balance with what is actually needed. Too much of it could increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and raise your levels of body fat.

Doing Your Cardio

If you’re building big and strong muscles, it is popular practice to skip the cardio. Thing is, aside from creating a calorie deficit for your fat loss ambitions, cardiovascular training actually increases your body’s capillary density as a response to its physical demands.

Moreover, consistent cardiovascular training promotes better blood flow to your muscles. And, eventually, your veins will become more prominent with adequate blood flow in them.

Aside from making your veins show more, increased Nitric Oxide levels in your blood improve blood pressure regulation, as well as enhance nutrient and oxygen delivery.

Increasing Nitric Oxide Levels

Speaking of blood flow, another scientifically proven method of improving it is by increasing the Nitric Oxide content in your blood. Nitric Oxide keeps your blood vessels smooth and flexible.

The smoothness and flexibility help your blood vessels to easily dilate when increased blood flow is needed to any part of your body. This response of dilation for increased blood flow is called vasodilation.

Nitric Oxide’s effect on vasodilation improvement is the reason why most pre-workout supplements have ingredients meant to increase it.

Furthermore, with how important blood flow is for one’s athletic performance, there are various supplements available in the market that are solely designed to naturally improve the body’s vasodilation. The best natural vasodilator supplements are L-citrulline and L-arginine.

Aside from supplementation, you can also boost your nitric oxide levels by eating foods rich in nitrates.

The nitrates present from these are converted into nitric oxide by the bacteria present in your digestive system. Examples of such are garlic, spinach, pomegranate, arugula lettuce, iceberg lettuce, beets, and celery.

Eating Foods for Increased Vascularity

For an instant and temporary fix for vascularity, thermogenic foods can help those veins pop out.

Thermogenic foods can increase your body’s basal temperature which increases blood flow towards your skin. This increased blood flow towards your skin will temporarily increase your vascularity.

Avoiding Water Retention

Other than fat, water can also prevent your veins from showing. This is due to the excess salt you have in your body.

To counteract water retention, the most common approach is the use of diuretics.

But, misuse of diuretics could easily harm your body. For this reason, a natural and safer approach is to simply remove poor quality salt from your diet, which is mostly present in processed food.

You can easily ensure salt quality for your meal preparation by specifically going for Himalayan salts and unrefined sea salt.

Also, contrary to popular belief, drinking water will not cause water retention. It actually rids your body of excess salt or sodium present in your body.

Aside from water, potassium can help prevent and reduce water retention. It does this by lowering your sodium and increasing urine production. Foods rich in potassium include bananas, tomatoes, and avocadoes.

Lastly, if you’re not avoiding refined carbohydrates because of how bad it is for your health and physique, you better start now.

Refined carbohydrates cause dramatic increases to your body’s blood sugar that cause higher insulin levels. The body responds to the increase of insulin by retaining more sodium by re-absorbing sodium found in the kidneys back into your blood stream.

Supplementing With Epicatechin (From Dark Chocolate)

Epicathechin supplements get a special spot in this list as it hits everything that you need for vascularity.

It increases the body’s Nitric Oxide production, while making it easier to build skeletal muscle. Epicathechin also suppresses the appetite and improves insulin sensitivity.

Plus, you get all these benefits without any water retention.

Aside from supplements, you can find great Epicathechin content in cocoa. Therefore, if you’re going to grab a snack, make it a bar of unsweetened dark chocolate.

With the several points explained above, you can easily achieve the physique you are aiming for. A disciplined and conscious approach to all of these things is the only thing required.

Simply put, now that you know how to increase vascularity, there’s only one thing left for you to do – and that is to stick to these tips to get those veins popping in no time.

September 19, 2017
Tennis as a Legitimate Muscle-Building Workout

A typical game of tennis features a lot of explosive movements as well as the need for endurance, so it is safe to say that it’s similar to a cross-training workout. The simple fact that pros such as Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams can record speeds of up to 140 miles per hour on a regular basis for their serves consistently over two hour matches is an impressive feat.

By looking at these aforementioned players’ frames, again it’s safe to assume that as much as contemporary fitness fads like high intensity interval training (HIIT) and dance cardio classes are good, there’s a certain total body sculpting aspect to tennis. Add that to the fact that the sport also focuses on flexibility, balance, and footwork, and it becomes a viable anabolic workout.

In terms of anabolic movements, some of the first exercises that come to mind are rows, presses, and curls; basically everything included in Justin Grinnell’s article on Muscle and Fitness. However, it’s easy to forget how tennis is a great and fun activity for people who want stay in shape.

So whether the plan is to build muscles, or improve stamina, or even achieve a toned physique, there are specific guidelines when it comes to excellent form. In addition to giving you tips on transforming fat into muscle, here at Anabolic Health, we will also provide a handful of reasons on why tennis is a legitimate full body workout.

Tennis as a Legitimate Muscle-Building WorkoutIt Improves Flexibility and Stability It Makes You Light on Your Feet It Builds Leg and Arm Strength

It Improves Flexibility and Stability

Just like any other sport, tennis requires players to warm up and stretch to prevent injuries and increase their range of motion. While some opt for traditional stretching methods, others integrate yoga and Pilates aspects. For one, the ancient Indian practice helped Andy Murray recover from a potentially career-ending back surgery last year. Also, something like a rocker or wobble balance board helps athletes in terms of core stability.

It Makes You Light on Your Feet

The aforementioned Rafael Nadal is a prime example of a tennis player who has the physique, power, and speed of an elite athlete. However, his muscular build isn’t a hindrance to his speed on the court, his impeccable footwork, and his fast reflexes. Tennis website Play Your Court even published a video of one of his practice sessions at the Monte Carlo Masters. The video shows how nimble he is across the court regardless of his muscular frame because of the many movement-based drills he goes through everyday in training.

It Builds Leg and Arm Strength

For some pros the best way to build leg strength is by taking the simplest route and putting in the roadwork. For instance, Caroline Wozniacki took part in the famous New York City Marathon as a way to challenge herself and get in better shape. When it comes to the arms, the important thing is to cultivate lean strength rather than bulk. With this, athletes should generally focus on low weights with high reps and sets.

Ultimately, although this isn’t your quintessential anabolic workout, the sport has certain qualities, benefits that make it a worthwhile endeavor for almost everyone. Other than the ideas of developing core muscles, improving agility, and building overall strength, tennis is – at its core – a fun racket sport to play with a friend, a family member, or just about anyone you meet on the court.

May 1, 2017
Top 45 Blogs to Naturally Help You Build More Muscle

Need a push to hit the gym or some tips on how to build muscle? Whether you’re an athlete or just getting into exercising, here is a helpful list of the top 45 blogs to naturally help you build more muscle. It can take a lot of resolve to get out of that comfy couch and get into a proper muscle building regime. Thankfully, these natural bodybuilding, calisthenics and fitness experts, are full of advice and motivational tips to help you make that muscle happen. Please Note: The blogs featured here are arranged in no particular order. We’re fans of all of them.

A Shot of Adrenaline

http://ashotofadrenaline.net/

If you don’t have access to a gym and are looking for advice on how to lose weight and build muscle with bodyweight training, look no further than Bodyweight Todd. Through his blog, Todd provides an comprehensive collection of no-equipment-needed bodyweight workouts designed to help you burn fat and put on muscle. Naturally! The best thing about bodyweight training is that you can do it anywhere, no gym needed. Perfect for travelling.This famous blogger sort of really loves Calisthenics and if you do too, he’s your man! Each of his articles, guest posts, workout guides on bodyweight exercises and tutorials sings with his passion for fitness and using only the body to craft an awesome physique. This is our favorite website on bodyweight training and comes highly recommended.

Jason Ferruggia

http://jasonferruggia.com/

The tagline of the website “Build Your Body + Strengthen Your Mind + Optimize Your Life” gives you a clear indication of Jason’s no-nonsense combinational approach to leading a better life. His philosophy is all about helping his readers get healthier, stronger, and happier in life. From performance nutrition tips, how to promote muscle growth and well-researched articles like natural testosterone boosters for men, Jason offers a bit of everything. Fitness and motivation tips aside, we also love his 60 Questions in 60 Minutes on Training, Happiness & Life, where he dissects everything from overly used clichés to leaving behind a legacy in life. This blog goes beyond just fitness and we really like that!

Nerd Fitness

http://www.nerdfitness.com/

Having struggled with getting fit in the past, Steve Kamb writes all about fitness, positivity, and leveling up in life – an inspiring outlook which reflects his own nerdy preference. Steve’s across-the-board blog features anything and everything that has to do with nerds and fitness, a combination most people think would not work out. Nerd Fitness gives the power back to the nerds and gets them just as ripped as anyone!One glance at the blog roll and you’ll find a smorgasbord of interesting articles, including aspects of fitness not commonly discussed such as ‘why genetics might be crucial to getting jacked’, guest posts on diverse topics such as ‘how to get better at self-love’ and special posts geared more toward nerds. Steve’s blog is pure awesomeness and it’s really cool to see that he has crafted such a great site in this less explored sub-niche within fitness.

Spot Me Bro

http://spotmebro.com/

Spot Me Bro is one of our favourite blogs on this list! Why? Because they add plenty of humour to the equation, making for an entertaining read full of no B.S bodybuilding wisdom.They feature some great advice on top supplements to fuel your workouts, as well as a shop featuring a whole array of awesome humour infused shirts perfect for lifting and keeping it real in the gym. Highly recommended!

Are They On Steroids?

http://aretheyonsteroids.com/

Bodybuilding is the greatest sport in the world! Most would say it is only the amount of effort you put into developing and transforming yourself that limits how ripped you can become.If you ever find yourself wondering if those actor’s physiques are real, from steroids, or merely special effects, aretheyonsteroids.com will educate you and provide you with well-researched facts, without any false claims and accusations.Erny Peibst is a natural bodybuilder, who spends his time researching facts about celebrities and their training habits, as well as if it is likely they are on anabolic steroids or playing the game “au naturel” so to speak.The site delivers excellent reading material on all your favorite celebrity elites, providing a great way to investigate their bodybuilding habits, enjoy it!

Straight to the Bar

http://straighttothebar.com/

As one of the oldest blogs on this list, Straight to the Bar has an incredible amount of information on offer on various things you need to know to achieve massive strength gains and step up your game. Unlike blogs that typify modern gym culture, this blog has an extensive coverage of almost all aspects of getting stronger, ranging from old strongman techniques for lifting such as atlas stones, chest-high plinths to more modern strength training programs. Whether you’re looking for general tips on improving grip strength or an inside scoop on preparing for competitions, there’s no doubt that straighttothebar.com is a great place to start.

Built Lean

http://www.builtlean.com/

If you’re looking to shed fat and build lean muscle naturally, builtlean.com is the perfect blog for you. Jointly run by a team of fitness experts, this blog is grounded in fitness programs and nutritional science that works. They covers various detailed aspects of fitness such as boosting testosterone levels to gaining optimum results with sandbag training. Inside you’ll find several no-nonsense guides that help you take on challenging fitness goals and scale them to your current fitness level, as well as exclusive blogs posts packed with tips on improving your flexibility, conditioning and strength.

Tony Gentilcore

http://tonygentilcore.com/

With several years of coaching experience under his belt, we’re tempted to sit up and pay attention when Boston based Strength and Conditioning coach Tony Gentilcore gives his advice. He is a featured writer for Bodybuilding.com, Men’s Health and many more reputable magazines on health and fitness. So it’s unsurprising that his blog is a treasure trove of resources on fitness and strength training. Fitness and nutrition aside, we like that Tony keeps it simple, straightforward lowdown on things anyone can do to improve their athleticism. He also likes to toss in a little coaching/business advice from time to time.

Muscle and Performance

http://www.muscleandperformance.com/

Want to get stronger, fitter and avoid injuries in the process? Muscle and Performance is a blog you definitely want to consider following for just that.Tapping into the expertise of a team of qualified fitness trainers and coaches, this blog provides all the information one needs to achieve an outstanding physique, even for busy working professionals and middle aged men that have been out of shape for years. Here you’ll find full body strength training, workouts for boosting metabolic rate, fat-burning workouts, how to maximize recovery, stretching sequences and much more.

Gym Talk

http://www.gym-talk.com/

Do you love reading about plans that offer to melt 20 pounds of fat from your frame in just 7 days? How about those magic supplements specially formulated to help you pack your frame with every ounce of muscle possible? Instant six pack? If so, Gym-Talk.com isn’t your cup of tea. Gym Talk offer a no BS approach to bodybuilding, no false promises, just real results! They favour natural bodybuilders that really believe in sweating it out and don’t dabble with magic supplements which won’t give you any real results. In fact, Henry Croft, founder and editor of Gym Talk, is an advocate of old school type of bodybuilding. He delivers in-depth posts on different kinds of full body workouts and nutrition, dispelling the myths surrounding the fitness industry, and showing us all how to stay in shape throughout the year.

Breaking Muscle

http://breakingmuscle.com/

You’ve been training for a while and losing your spark. You’re looking everywhere for more current information in developing your physique. Although no matter where you look, you can’t find what you want. Enter Breaking Muscle, an incredible site that’s packed with nutrition news, fitness advice and powerful videos. No wonder, since it is run by professional coaches, trainers and fitness devotees. This is one of the few stellar sites brimming with information you can use every day. They go through everything – even things such as latest cupping therapy to prediction of injury using GPS. Very thorough. This site has everything and is a one-stop shop to get you going for the gold.

The Athletic Build

http://theathleticbuild.com/

With more than 620,000 followers on Facebook, The Athletic Build is one of the best fitness websites on the internet. The Athletic Build offers various interesting content and articles, boasting top-of-the-line contributing authors such as fitness experts, professional bodybuilders, Crossfit athletes and sports nutritionists. This site also feature product reviews of workout supplements that are both comprehensive and honest, clearly outlining the benefits, how it works, the side effects and the pros and cons. Don’t miss the Interview section of top fitness coachs, Crossfit athletes, and much more. Anything you’re looking for when it comes to fitness and bodybuilding, you’ll surely find at The Athletic Build.

JMax Fitness

http://www.jmaxfitness.com/blog/

Jason Maxwell, the author of JMax Fitness shares his thoughts, knowledge and experience through his blog to help you get into the best possible shape of your life. At JMax Fitness, every article published is supported by science and case studies to prove that it’s honest, sincere and effective. Rather than selling supplements and other fitness products, he offer coaching services to make sure you get results. Jason Maxwell also releases podcast regularly, and his blog is updated with the latest content about fitness, health, bodybuilding and much more. Highly recommended!

About Lifting

http://aboutlifting.com/

The author ‘Iron Thumb’, created About Lifting to help educate people about fitness and bodybuilding from a scientific perspective. Iron Thumb wants you to gain pounds of lean muscle and also be able to learn how to achieve a healthy weight through bodybuilding. The website looks simple and clean, with lots of quality information and useful content published regularly. It also has a Lifting Meme Section that features some of the most hilarious bodybuilding memes on the Internet. As well as a bodybuilding program tailored to newbies and information on books, research studies and practical workout tips.

Old School Trainer

http://oldschooltrainer.com/

If you’re looking for a way to enhance your workouts and maximize your endurance, Old School Trainer will be the perfect resource. This blog is written by a fitness enthusiast with over 20 years of experience, who managed to change his lifestyle and drop 75 pounds in only two years. Old School Trainer offers plenty of advice when it comes to basic principles of training and nutrition, but also offers complete workout routines aimed at specifics sets of muscles. One of the blog’s most popular posts is a guide on how to train only two days a week and still make lots of gains of lean muscle mass. Also make sure to check out the very nice free PDF ebook offered on the website!

Simply Shredded

http://www.simplyshredded.com/

If you’re looking to add some muscle mass to your frame, you probably already know about the importance of nutrition and rigorous exercise. However, it’s also important to make your time at the gym as effective as possible. Simply Shredded provides awesome all-around information, for example on how to kickstart your metabolism. The blogs tips are backed by scientific studies and then presented in an informative manner. Aside from numerous guides and motivational stories, this website also offers a highly detailed 12-week shred guide which we recommend. This guide will help you build muscle mass completely naturally by enjoying foods you love and manipulating your nutrition and training regimen. In addition, Simply Shredded features the “Keep the Drive Alive” series of articles and videos that will keep your motivation flying high for your workouts.

Sport Fitness Advisor

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/

Sports Fitness Advisor has been around for quite some time and managed to help numerous fitness enthusiasts reach their goals. However, the best part about this website is Phil Davies, who is behind all of its content. As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he offers his knowledge in many different sports in order to provide valuable information. This blog offers an incredible amount of content, where you can find advice and regimens for all kinds of training. Circuit training, strength, speed, endurance, and flexibility training are some of the most covered topics. Furthermore, sport-specific regimens are also included, covering baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, and tennis. For anybody heavily into sports or competing, we highly recommend this blog!

Critical Bench

http://www.criticalbench.com/

If you’re a natural, drug-free bodybuilder, you might occasionally doubt that you can’t advance as much as those who use all kinds of unnatural therapies. However, as many personal trainers will tell you, one of the most important things are to stay educated on how to avoid negative influences that create a catabolic effect on your muscles. This is exactly what Critical Bench tries to teach. Critical Bench is the ultimate source of information valuable to those looking to always take it one step further while also keeping a drug-free bodybuilding regimen. The website also offers a section of books covering muscle building workouts, designed to maximize your potential. With close to 300,000 Facebook fans, it is no wonder why Critical Bench is so popular. Make sure to check out the free PDF guides offered on the Facebook page, they are awesome!

JTS Strength

http://www.jtsstrength.com/

This website is powered by the Juggernaut Training Systems, an online community started in 2009. During the years, this website became one of the best sources of information for any hardcore fitness fan. Aside from highly detailed training information, you can find lots of advice on how to avoid making mistakes in the kitchen by improving your training diet. Highly detailed and scientifically-backed information is what sets this blog apart. If you’re willing to go one step further, make sure to take a look at the Juggernaut’s online store where you can find their flagship training system. This ebook can teach you how to improve your mindset towards training and competition, as well as how to create a sustainable training plan. The training methods are created by Chad Wesley Smith, who has a very rich experience in competing and coaching.

Kyle Hunt Fitness

http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/

Hunt Fitness is an online community of fitness enthusiasts, run by Kyle Hunt. Kyle has been a personal trainer since he was 16 years old, and is also an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer since age 18. In addition, thanks to his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science, it is no wonder why Hunt Fitness has become such a successful website. The biggest reason why people trust Hunt is his book “Absolute Strength”. This ultimate guide to exercise and nutrition is a balanced plan consisting of multiple training cycles. You don’t need to go to the gym to follow this program, all you need is to have access to a barbell, a bench, and a squat rack.

Bayesian Bodybuilding

http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/

Bayesian bodybuilding is a new way of thinking when it comes to exercise and achieving results. This workout method is developed by Menno Henselmans, who is a former business consultant specialized in statistical data analysis. His background helped him create a completely new approach to bodybuilding and fitness, based on individual needs of every trainee. Those who decide to enroll will receive a complete diet, including supplementation stack, as well as a workout regimen. What is interesting about this technique is that it uses motion tracking software to assess your progress, as well as the fact that Menno Henselmans himself provides personal assessments. We think this concept is very cool and is worth checking out!

Iron Guru

http://ironguru.com/

Vince Gironda was one of the most-popular personal trainers and bodybuilders, and owned the celebrity-frequented “Vince’s Gym”. He became well-known in 1950’s by promoting low-carb dieting and saying that bodybuilding is 85% nutrition. Stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger trained at Vince’s Gym.He also had some unorthodox training ideas on how men and women should train, as well as his stance against bench press training. His workout routines became popular because of their high degree of effectiveness. Vince Gironda is a legend in the natural bodybuilding scene and was a true pioneer in exercise nutrition. He understood how carbohydrates worked long before conventional science caught on.The Iron Guru blog is a tribute blog to Vince Gironda, featuring his original training and nutrition plans. Those who are going all-natural will love numerous supplement guides including meal and drink recipes. Every guy who is interested in building a masculine physique needs to read this website, highly recommended!

Sean Nalewanyj

http://seannal.com/

Sean Nalewanyj is a well-known name in the community of natural bodybuilders. He is currently a coach with numerous published articles, guides, and videos. His website is an information-rich source of everything you need to know to start getting some reals results in the gym. This blog seems perfect for anyone who is new to the world of exercise as well as to those who are looking for natural ways to improve muscle mass. Also seasoned fitness enthusiasts can benefit from Sean’s ebooks and guides like the Body Transformation Blueprint, which is a 250-page manual with workout routines, meal plans, supplement guides, recipe books and much more.

Justin Kavanagh Fitness

http://justinkavanaghfitness.com/

Justin Kavanagh is a London-based personal trainer who has an unusual background story. He is not one of those bodybuilders who spent most of their lives in the gym or a former professional athlete. Instead, he is an average person who hit a very rough patch in life but managed to overcome it thanks to his newly discovered love for fitness and bodybuilding. Today, Justin is putting his knowledge and experience into helping others achieve their fitness goals using all-natural supplements and eating right. After ten years of training and participating in bodybuilding competitions, he certainly has a lot to share. What Justin is doing on his site is awesome!

A Workout Routine

http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/

Those who are taking their exercise routines seriously know how important it is to do research and tailor your workout plans. However, it can be hard to find most of the information you need in one place, especially due to conflicting statistics and data found on the Web. This is why A Workout Routine is THE goto site for in-depth information on customizing and creating your own regimen. This website is best-known for its Ultimate Weight Training Workout Routine, which is completely free of charge. No matter what you goal is, this guide will help you. Make sure to also check out the frequently updated articles on building muscle, nutrition, and losing fat.

BodyBuild Bid

http://www.bodybuildbid.com/

Have you ever judged a book by its cover? Most of us have, but don’t let this simple site fool you. BodyBuild Bid have a vast array of great articles on every bodybuilding topic imaginable. From recipes to exercises, they got you covered. The creators of this site also provide a gallery of pictures that show ‘the form’. Their Mr. and Ms. Olympia gallery showcases the most amazing physiques of the top bodybuilders of all time.

Lift Big Eat Big

http://liftbigeatbig.com/

If you’re into strength training, Lift Big Eat Big (LBEB) should go directly to your browser favorites. The site offers a good mix of articles on proper techniques and healthy eating. A couple of cooking videos pepper the site to help you eat more wholesome food. Site owner, Brandon Morrison is a professional weightlifter and coach. So he knows what he is talking about and it shows in the quality of his content. His articles are all research-based and offer little doubt, they will help any weightlifter take it to the next level. From consultations to apparels and accessories, this site really connects with its target niche. It seems nothing in the weightlifting realm escapes Lift Big Eat Big.

Powerlifting to Win

http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/

Doesn’t the name of this site evoke visions of powerlifting greatness? It is not only visions, there’s a wealth of information here that actually works. The sheer amount of good reads available will make your head spin. Most content are on topics that can help you succeed as a powerlifter.If you’re dead serious about the sport, there’s also online coaching. Don’t miss out on the free 100 page ebook available on the site which is an awesome free resource. It contains programs, tips and workout spreadsheets for calculating. No brainer, everything you need to win is offered at Powerlifting to Win!

Building Muscle 101

http://www.building-muscle101.com/

Tired of the usual bodybuilding sites? There’s no shortage of blogs, that’s true. However, some have more fluff than good quality content, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of information. Owner of Building Muscle 101 Blake Bissaillion keeps his excellent site current and up to par on the latest topics in bodybuilding. There’s a lot to see here and it can be overwhelming for some. But don’t worry, everything is streamlined and organized and the site is very enjoyable and easy to read.Building Muscle 101 has a practical and simple approach to fitness that everyone can understand. It includes the perfect mix of smart workout plans, tips and even things such as a water intake calculator. You’ll also like the clean look of the blog – Nice one, Blake!

Build the Muscle

http://buildthemuscle.org/

Some people like the no-nonsense approach, and who’s to blame them? With little time on our hands to read vital information, a one-stop shop is ideal. We like it better when information is straightforward, practical and gives us results. Build the Muscle has a clear and minimalistic feel that sits well with bodybuilders. No flashing graphics or heavy color pervades the site. Everything looks neat and tidy, so you can easily find what you’re looking for. Anyone with an interest in training and weightlifting will find this great site useful. It’s unique and curated content help enthusiasts learn more. It focuses on what matters most in bodybuilding – having the right form AND of course building muscle.

FitMole

http://www.fitmole.org/

So you want a non-fitness lifestyle that still offer good workout results? Then, this site will fit you well. Forget the boring and restrictive fitness regiments of the past – Fitmole is here. Keith Lai, is a funny guy that takes a light hearted approach to fitness. It’s true; many health buffs have forgotten how to really enjoy the journey to good health and fitness. Everything might seem closed in within the fitness industry, like there is no more room to breathe in new ideas. But Keith bring a fresh view on fitness and health and offers good tips you can easily implement into your own life. Meanwhile while at the site, don’t forget to check on the awesome Superhero Shredding 2.0 guide!

Muscle Prodigy

https://www.muscleprodigy.com/

Muscle prodigies, rejoice! You don’t have to search for dozens of sites to find what you’re looking for. Muscle Prodigy has great workout tips and more that will keep you glued to the screen. The editors of Muscle Prodigy has put together the best content in one spot. The articles are easy to read and engage readers. From celebrity workouts to healthy eating, it reaches out to fill all your fitness concerns. The site truly delivers excellent reading material, a great way to learn while also enjoying it. There’s even a nostalgic article about legendary Jack Lalane which we recommend everyone to read. Makes you appreciate how far the fitness industry has evolved over time.

Bony to Beastly

http://bonytobeastly.com/

What’s in a name? Well, everything – and this site proves it. It’s not your ordinary fitness website, think major makeover. Marco, Jared and Shane own the site and they were once, yes you guess it: bony. Their mission, is to turn all you bony gentlemen into beasts. That’s right, visibly strong, masculine men – their words. So, step into their world and learn the tricks of their trade. Get all the nitty-gritty info to get the transformation gears running. Change is what they’re aiming for and it should be yours too. After all, there are no better mentors for this than these 3 dudes. They’ve seen and lived it themselves. For all hardgainer guys out there we really recommend you checkout Bony to Beastly.

Build Muscle 101

http://build-muscle-101.com/

Build Muscle 101 is a blog dedicated to fitness-oriented advice, written by a fitness enthusiast who decided to share his personal experiences. The blog section of the website offers information for both complete beginners as well as for seasoned gym-goers looking for professional-grade tips. Published content covers topics such as core workouts that can be done without any equipment, but it also offers great guides on choosing and buying the right set of equipment to power your home workouts. In particular, Build Muscle 101 could be of great help to those looking to building a home gym.

Ivan Nikolov

http://www.ivannikolov.com/

Ivan Nikolov is a Bulgarian-born natural bodybuilder with numerous competitions under his belt. His is currently living in the U.S., working as a personal trainer with a certification in Natural Movement. In addition, he is the creator of the Natural Running course, with over 500 students currently enrolled. The Natural Running course teaches a style of running that is not damaging to your knees and hip joints. This will allow you to avoid any running-related injuries, as well as help you run longer and faster. User reviews are praising his methods, with the highest possible average score.

Workout Info Guru

http://workoutinfoguru.com/

If you’ve ever been interested in how celebrities and athletes train, Workout Info Guru should be your ultimate source. Aside from advice on how to activate and train different muscle groups, the unique value here are the numerous routines and diet plans of world-famous bodybuilders and celebrities. The blog currently offers very detailed workout routines of athletes such as Tim Tebow and LeBron James, as well as of some celebrities like Zac Efron and Gerard Butler. Each of these routines are highly detailed, with day-by-day explanations and workout tips.

BroScience

http://broscience.co/

Broscience was founded in 2014, by two fitness enthusiasts called Joe and Ben, who are jokingly saying that Broscience is a place to kill time between hardcore workouts and protein shakes. All jokes aside, over one million monthly visits is a serious achievement. Aside from frequently posted articles with advice on workout programs and natural supplements, Broscience is best known for it’s three workout plans that include building muscle and getting shredded at the same time. There is also a customizable diet plan, necessary to help you reach your goals.We think what Joe and Ben are doing is awesome and highly recommend their site.

Skinny-Fat Transformation

http://skinnyfattransformation.com/

If you’re a skinny-fat type of guy, then you probably know how difficult it is to either bulk up or lose weight. Efforts to bulk up often leads to gaining weight, and efforts to lose weight means losing the very little muscle mass you already have. Being a former skinny-fat sufferer himself, Oskar Faarkrog knows exactly how it can go, and he shares his story on his blog. Visit his website for tips on how to train and eat for your specific body type so that you can shred fat, get lean and build muscle mass in the right places.

Build Upper Chest

http://www.buildupperchest.com/

A lagging upper chest is a common problem for many people. Developing it requires different workouts, the effects of which ultimately depend on your genes, body and muscle structure. Buildupperchest.com provides information on how you can build your upper chest, from work out tips for the chest muscles and surrounding area to more broad tips on how to lose fat and build muscle at the same time. This blog specializes on topics for building your chest. It also offers you to have a plan and progress tracker created specially for you based on your age, height, weight and workout preference. Sites like these are rare so for all guys that needs to give their chest some extra attention in the gym to make gains, this will be your best resource!

Out Alpha

http://outalpha.com/

Unlike the usual workout or body transformation websites, Outalpha.com provides high quality content that will help you become an alpha male in all the various aspects of your life. Its founder, Alexander Leonidas, shares different programs for different needs – making it a good resource for novices as well as for experienced lifters who want to build muscle the natural way. Aside from workout tips, you’ll also find information on diet, clean eating, lifestyle and dating, helping you achieve maximum transformation that also goes beyond the physical.

King of the Gym

http://www.kingofthegym.com/

The name alone hints on what it has to offer: Kingofthegym.com has everything you need to know about getting real results in the gym. This blog is personal in nature, with stories and insights from its owner, Alex. King of the Gym specifically covers information on how to get big, lean and strong. While the website focuses on training, what makes it unique is its comprehensive and functional anatomy guide that talks about individual muscles, exercises, stretches and myofascial techniques that you should know about. Aside from posts, Alex also shares guides on weight training, buying gym equipment and supplements that you need to enhance your weightlifting results.

Unique Bodyweight Exercises

http://www.unique-bodyweight-exercises.com/

For most people, working out means going to the gym and using weights. However, there are many strength training exercises that you can do with your own individual bodyweight, and Unique-bodyweight-exercises.com teaches you just how to do that. While pull-ups and sit-ups are some of the most common bodyweight exercises available, this blog will also walk you through a list of workouts targeting different parts of the body. It provides information on routines that can help improve flexibility and increase metabolism. Aesthetics wise, the website is very simple and easy to navigate so you can get straight to the details right away.

Fitness Viking

http://www.fitnessviking.com/

The fitness ‘blahs’ do happen to everyone at some point. When this lack of motivation turns up, it should prompt you to search for resources that may help.Fitness Viking contain a treasure trove of information on fitness and nutrition. Everything from bike helmet safety to hunger hormones, it covers close to everything. It offers a healthy mix of exercise and diet content so you can continue to improve and get real results. Does the Viking in you need the extra push to spur it to action? Then, surf on to their site. The high seas of strength and vigor are calling your name. Ahoy!

Prime Health Solutions

http://primehealthsolutions.org/

Today, many sites deal with fitness. It’s difficult to choose which one delivers authentic reviews on things such as health products. Besides, there’s hard sell going on; it can be confusing. Adam Raasta takes the high road and gives you Prime Health Solutions. He sets the pace by emphasizing the importance of setting health goals. His useful reviews on hyped fitness products are straight forward and honest. This site ties everything together in a neat package. It takes on natural remedies to tried and tested methods concerning health. Adam equips you with all the information needed to make excellent decisions in every step. For many navigating their way to good health and more muscle, this site is a must!

Aesthetic Bodybuilding

http://www.aestheticbodybuilding.org/

Do you need diet or workout plans to lose weight or bulk up? Aesthetic Bodybuilding offers quite a comprehensive mix of content on how to stay fit. Their approach to nutrition and exercise is simple: have a plan to achieve your goals. Their top 5 lists inform and entertain and are among some of the many great reasons to visit their site. Furthermore, their natural bodybuilding section is pure eye-candy for the bodybuilding enthusiast. Here popular bodybuilders display their magnificent forms and perfect physiques.Regardless of your fitness goals, this site provides the tools needed to fuel your body to the max. It helps you switch into the next gear and power up your workouts so you can stay strong and lean. Using this site, staying in tip-top shape just got easier.

All Things Gym

http://www.allthingsgym.com/

Tried doing a search for good fitness videos in YouTube? It can be troublesome and tough to find quality videos that teach you routines that work. Most often, you end up wasting precious time on it when you should be working out and getting real results. Gregor, of All Things Gym has a great one-stop-shop site on exercise. You can view weightlifting and strength training videos to keep you occupied for hours. It’s a well-thought of digital curation that offers convenient and valuable resources for everyone. Do you appreciate a good interview with known experts in the field? Then, this site won’t disappoint. It got a great blend of workout instructions and real talks concerning exercising to keep you motivated for a long time.

Nate Miyaki

http://natemiyaki.com/

Natural Physique Athlete – Student of the Ronin Strategies. All sounds very impressive. Let us present Nate Miyaki.His achievements as People’s Nutrition Educator and Fitness Author make him a true authority in the field. He writes well in an easy to understand tone using a no-nonsense approach which is very easy to become a fan of.Nate’s engaging Vlog makes physical fitness more dynamic. It motivates and educates ordinary men to rise beyond their comfort zones. The site also contains great physique transformation plans, links to his books and podcasts, nutrition basics, list of supplements and everything you need to achieve a great body.What really stands out about this site is Nate’s way of mixing philosophy and fitness into one, we are a big fan of this approach to help transform your life completely in every aspect.

Conclusion

We’ve just scratched the surface of blogs to naturally help you build more muscle. Finding a blog with truthful information that you also enjoy reading can be a difficult task. We hope this list provided you with lots of value and many great reading experiences. Did we miss someone? Let us know in the comments, what are your favorite blogs to help you build more muscle?

August 22, 2016