Diet tips for building muscle.  One thing you should remember that in focusing your diet for building muscle, you have to focused, persistent and discipline so you can success on your body building. One of the best way to build your muscle is to increase your calorie intake, i will give you tips on good healthy calories that you should take. Healthy diet plan have essential part in gaining weight and building new muscle tissue.

So often when people expect quick result, they often go to the gym and expect their body will look like Arnold. Do not expect that this will happen fast. You need proper weight training and the having a good diet plan to build your muscle. By eating the right type of calories means healthy muscle building diet.

Healthy diet for muscle building is the best combination of more protein rich diet, carbohydrates, fats, salt, minerals, vitamins .

You will see great improvement in your body building in a couple of months if you do the right diets for body building and the right weight training programs. It is all about how well your diet plan and how hard have you train your body to gain muscle. If you are a person who like fast food so much, you better change your eating fast food habit. Get started by having a proper body building diet plan.
Here some quick diet tips for building muscle for you to get started :

-Take a lot rich quality protein food for your diet menu. I suggest you to take 1-2 gram of protein per pound of your body weight. Protein is very important for muscle repairing and building new muscle tissues. Consume protein rich food such as meats, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, tuna, chicken, skim milk.
-Go for complex carbohydrates before and after exercises (weight training). These carbohydrates should be from high quality sources such as multigrain bread, brown rice, oatmeal, Potatoes, sweet potatoes.

-Eat little but frequently. Instead of eating heavy meal 3 times a day, try to eat your meal frequently means 5 – 6 times a day. Remember; never skip your meal and breakfast.

-Drink lot of water daily to boost your metabolism and muscle building.

Prefer water than sugary drinks like soft drinks and alcohol.
-Change your workout routine frequently every 6-8 weeks. Do not over load your muscles try to increase your reps or weight every time you next train a particular muscle group.
-Add fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet menu.

Hope this diet tips for building muscle will help you in your body building programs.

THIS BUILDING MUSCLE GUIDE HAVE HELPED THOUSAND OF PEOPLE IN BUILDING THEIR MUSCLE

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By: Bodybuilding Contests

With its biggest, best year yet, the 2010 Bodybuilding.com L.A. Fitness Expo was a monumental success! From the massive, excited crowds to more than 250 exhibits and booths, the Los Angeles Convention Center was packed on January 23rd and 24th. Joe Weider was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Expo offered 10 major competitions.

Guest Appearances

On top of all the vendors, free swag, and beautiful people, the Expo also sported a record number of guest appearances.

	Ronnie Coleman Alongside his eight Mr. Olympia wins as a professional bodybuilder, Coleman holds the record for most wins as an IFBB professional with 26 wins.
	Michael “Titan” O’Hearn Michael was Team Captain Titan in American Gladiators. In addition to 4-time Mr. Natural Universe titles, O’Hearn is also a 4-time Power Lifting Champion, and Iron Warrior.
	Ava Cowan Ava Cowan is a Team Gaspari NPC Figure Athlete and a 4 x Overall Figure Champion. She also became a certified personal training specialist after receiving her credentials at the Fitness Institute in Boca Raton, Florida.

BodySpace Spokesmodels

Of all the contests at the Expo, none was more anticipated than the 2010 BodySpace Spokesmodel competition. The event gained so much popularity that audience members were referring to the entire Expo as “The BodySpace Expo.”

From 300 contestants, BodySpace members voted on their 10 favorites to compete in L.A. If you haven’t already,

Check out our exclusive, behind-the-scenes coverage of the Spokesmodel Search finalists!

Male SpokesModel Contestants Doing A Posedown
At The Mecca Of Bodybuilding – Gold’s Gym Venice.

Gorgeous Girls From The Expo Posing
For The Camera. Stunning Aren’t They?

A Once In A Lifetime Photo-Op With
The Legend Himself, Joe Weider.

They Work Hard And They Play Hard! Having
Fun And Enjoying The LA Nightlife.

Contestants Capping Off The Night With A
Good Cheat Meal! They Deserve It!

The Expo

For more great event coverage, check out our L.A. Fit Expo main page, where you can catch more pictures, videos, and highlights.

BodySpace Spokesmodel Female Finalists.

2009 BodySpace Winners Sean And Allison.

Mindy Karuk & Erin Stern.

Bodybuilding.com Booth: BodySpace Spokesmodel Finalists!

• erin stern
• Allison Stern
• Mindy Karuk
• 2010 erin stern
• spokes model male
• matthew scodras
• L A fitness expo 2010 ava cowen
• fit expo
• ava cowan photos
• are erin sterns implats over the muscle
• the fit expo

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By: Bodybuilding Contests

The 2010 Arnold Classic Sports Festival

When:

March 4-7, 2010

Where:

Columbus, Ohio

Greater Columbus Convention Center
400 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614.827.2500

Directions:


If traveling from the North, take I-71 South to Broad Street and turn right. Continue across the bridge and the facility is on the right after the bridge. If traveling from the South, take I-71 North to 4th Street. Turn left onto Broad Street and continue across the bridge. The facility is on the right after the bridge.

Franklin County Veterans Memorial
300 W. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614.221.4341

Nationwide Arena
200 W. Nationwide Blvd.
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614.431.3600

Hotel Information:

The 2010 Arnold Sports Festival enjoys more than 100 hotel partners – from luxury hotels to stylish bed & breakfasts, the City welcomes you! For best room rates, ask for Arnold Sports Festival blocks.

The EXPO:

Fitness enthusiasts from around the globe gather for the annual Arnold Fitness EXPO, a three-day extravaganza of fitness shopping and sports entertainment featuring the biggest names in the fitness industry. 700 booth spaces create the largest and most prestigious fitness EXPO anywhere in the world offering a wide array of fitness supplements, equipment, apparel, and endless star power. The 3-day annual EXPO offers the enthusiasm and excitement of 170,000 visitors and more than 17,000 athletes competing in 40 sports & events.

The Arnold Fitness EXPO grows every year in size and entertainment variety on the Arnold Fitness EXPO stage. The steady stream of non-stop fitness entertainment draws around the clock unparalleled crowds who come to shop, see and enjoy. Leading EXPO stage entertainment includes Friday’s 12 noon prejudging for the professional women’s Ms. International, Fitness International, and Figure International competitions as well as armwrestling, amateur bodybuilding, fitness & figure, professional strongman competitions, fitness entertainment and more.

Event Info:

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer held the first-annual Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic in 1989. Today the Arnold Sports Festival is recognized as the largest multi-sport festival in the nation and the greatest sports-fitness experience of a lifetime.

The growth and popularity of the event led to the addition of the Ms. International Professional Women’s Bodybuilding contest; the now 700-booth Arnold Fitness EXPO in 1993; the Fitness International, a contest of female athleticism and appearance in 1994; The Arnold Martial Arts Festival in 1996; The Arnold Cheerleading Competition in 2000; and the Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships, Arnold Gymnastics Challenge and the Arnold 5K Pump and Run in 2001.

Since then the addition of many more events including the MHP’s Arnold Strongman Contest, The Arnold Archery Competition, The Killerspin Arnold Table Tennis Challenge, The Arnold Fencing Classic, and The Arnold USA Powerlifting Championships have created a four-day event that welcomes 17,000 athletes and 170,000 fitness enthusiasts to five premiere Columbus, Ohio venues. including Franklin County Veterans Memorial, Dispatch Ice Haus, Greater Columbus Convention Center, LC Pavilion and Nationwide Arena. Every year the event gets bigger. New in 2010 are Amateur Strongman, Amateur MMA, Skateboarding and Figure Skating.

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By: Female Transformation Of The Week

Before: 215 lbs

After: 130 lbs

Vital Stats

Name: Megan Tarntino <!–
Email: singbutterflybrisk@yahoo.com –>
BodySpace: tarntino

Before:
Age: 21
Height: 5’6″
Weight: 215 lbs
Body Fat: 36%
Waist: 41″
Chest: 42″

After:
Age: 22
Height: 5’6″
Weight: 130 lbs
Body Fat: 17%
Waist: 27″
Chest: 33″

Why I Got Started

I was always chubby in high school and when I got out I just let it go to the extreme! The scale was going up day by day! One day I reached a whopping 215 lbs and I knew that I had to do something.

A friend saw me in the mall and came up to me and said “Megan, you got so big!” My heart dropped and I knew I had to do something about it!

I Knew I Had To Do
Something About It!

How I Did It

I joined a local gym and started to workout a little. While working out I always saw beautiful women who were figure competitors. I loved the way they looked and the way they carried themselves.

I thought “This is something I would love to do with my life!” Without even doubting myself and keeping my head up high I made my long term goal to lose the weight and compete in 2010!

Well after a little research and 11 months of going to the gym twice a day six days a week, weight training, 5 mile runs 4 days a week, spin class and a dramatic diet change, I lost 85 lbs.

I went from 215 lbs to 130 lbs and I am not even done yet, I have just 5 pounds to go and only 4% more body fat to lose!

I Made My Long Term Goal To Lose
The Weight And Compete In 2010!

Supplements

• NxLabs Nitro T3
• Nutrex Lipo 6
• Glutamine
• Whey Protein
• BSN NO-Xplode
• BSN Syntha-6

RELATED PRODUCT

BSN Presents: Syntha-6 Syntha-6 is the ultra-premium protein with an ultra-premium taste. Our multi-functional protein blend utilizes multiple individual proteins, each with varying digestive rates and distinct amino acid profiles. [

Diet

Meal 1:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup of oatmeal
• 1/4 cup of blueberries

Meal 2:

• 4 oz of chicken breast
• 1/2 cup of sweetpotato
• 1/2 cup of green beans

Meal 3:

• Protein shake
• Apple

Meal 4:

• Spinach
• Fish
• Cucumber
• 1/2 avocado

Meal 5:

• 2 scoops of BSN Syntha-6

Training

I ran in the morning before work and cycled on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday in the afternoon. Cardio was done at least 6 days per week, twice a day.

• Sunday: Shoulders, Calves, And Abs
  
• Monday: Legs
• Tuesday: Chest And Triceps
• Wednesday: Abs
• Thursday: Back
• Friday: Glutes And Abs
• Saturday: Off

Suggestions For Others

Never give up! When you set a goal, go for it full throttle and don’t ever let anyone hold you back. You’re in-control of you!

Don’t Ever Let Anyone
Hold You Back.

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INTRODUCING NO2… the first of an exciting new category of muscle-enhancers known as a hemodilators. NO2 has the unique ability to perpetually sustain the flow of muscle-building agents to skeletal muscle.

Now get faster, more dramatic increases in muscle size, strength and endurance plus full-body muscle recovery and the stunning new phenomenon known as the perpetual pump… all from the man who brought you creatine!

What is NO2 ?

NO2 has created a revolutionary new category of muscle-builders and muscle-enhancers known as “cell-signaling hemodilators”.

Through mediation of the “signaling-molecule” nitric oxide (NO), NO2 induces powerful hemodilation and creates dramatic increases in muscle size, strength, endurance, power output, and load capacity.

With its advanced sustained-release technology pHyser3, NO2 generates a virtual permanent muscle pump, now known as the “perpetual pump.”

NO2 was created by the same man who introduced Creatine to the market in 1993 – Ed Byrd, co-founder of EAS™ and now president of MRI™ (Medical Research Institute).

How NO2 works ?

NO2 creates – and sustains – levels of nitric oxide in the skeletal muscles.

Nitric oxide is the muscle’s “cell-signaling” molecule responsible for blood flow (hemodilation), oxygen delivery, glucose uptake, muscle velocity, power output, and muscle growth.

By creating and then sustaining levels of nitric oxide in the skeletal muscles NO2 delivers continuous muscle-enhancing benefits around the clock. Like amplifying muscle-growth signals for faster gains in lean mass, accelerating both fast and slow twitch muscle fiber for greater strength, providing complete “full-body muscle recovery”, and increasing endurance index (EI).

In addition, NO2′s sustained hemodilation (continuous and amplified blood-surge to the skeletal muscles) generates a “perpetual pump”.

Before the introduction of NO2, hemodilation occurred only during intense exercise, and lasted for a relatively brief time. Now, with NO2′s extended-release delivery system pHyser3, it is possible for hemodilation to last all day long! That means greater results and faster gains for you. And, of course, a “perpetual pump.”

The NO2 difference

The NO2 difference is this:

• No other supplement can sustain levels of nitric oxide AND generate a continual and amplified blood-surge (hemodilation) in skeletal muscles.

Until the creation of NO2′s extended-release delivery system (pHyser3), generating and maintaining nitric oxide levels was impossible. The human body’s pH factor literally dissolved any agent or substance that could help generate nitric oxide inside the body. Now, with NO2′s pH-corrected, body-compatible delivery system, pHyser3, the human body is
able to not only accept the nitric oxide delivery agent, but also sustain levels of nitric oxide in the muscles throughout
the entire day.

Now athletes and bodybuilders can finally get all the powerful benefits of hemodilation – all day long! Including faster gains in muscle mass, increased strength and endurance, and the creation of the “perpetual pump”.

Hemodilation

Hemodilation means a widening of the blood channels leading to skeletal muscles through the mechanism of amplified blood flow.

The word “Hemodilation” comes from combining ‘Hemo’ [from the Greek word 'haima' meaning blood] and ‘Dilator’ [from the Latin word 'dilatare' meaning to widen]. The measure of the widening of the blood canals is calculated by the “dilation differential™” – known as d-delta™.

Hemodilation is initiated by nitric oxide synthesis. Nitric oxide is the cell-signaling molecule responsible for blood flow, oxygen delivery, glucose uptake, muscle velocity, power output, and gene-expression, or muscle growth. By sustaining nitric oxide levels in the skeletal muscles, NO2 generates its sustained hemodilation. The channels that deliver muscle building agents to the muscle cells become forced open and remain that way throughout the day.
The results are faster gains in lean mass, greater strength, increased endurance, complete full-body muscle recovery, and a “perpetual pump.”

NOTE: Hemodilation is a new term that came into existence with the discovery of nitric oxide (NO). Under ordinary circumstances, hemodilation lasts only briefly. With the introduction of NO2, however, and the sustained NO levels it generates in the skeletal muscle, sustained hemodilation became a reality. The word hemodilation, as applied to NO2, means sustained hemodilation.

Hemodilation vs cell volumization

“What I started with Creatine, I perfected with NO2.” -Ed Byrd

How does NO2′s “hemodilation” compare to Creatine’s “cell-volumization”?

Because Ed Byrd introduced both Creatine and NO2, he says it best…

“As you probably know, Creatine causes ‘cell-volumizing’ by pulling water into the small space inside the muscle cell.
It does increase size, but you may look a little “puffy”. NO2′s hemodilation, on the other hand, creates genuine size by forcing blood into the vast and voluminous spaces between the muscle cells – not inside the cells.
This super-engorging creates massive pumps. What’s more, because the blood is between the cells not inside them, the pump is rock-hard – not at all puffy.

And with the extended-release delivery system pHyser3, the pump does not go away. You get what is known as a “perpetual pump”.

“Frankly, my recommendation to bodybuilders would be to take both Creatine and NO2. I look at it this way, what I started with Creatine, I perfected with NO2.”

What results should I see with NO2 ?

The first result most bodybuilders see (in 5-7 days) is the “perpetual pump.”

The perpetual pump is a massive rock-hard muscle pump that literally does not go away. Unlike the exercise-induced pump that quickly fades with time, the perpetual pump is virtually permanent.

Then, 2-3 days after the appearance of the perpetual pump, you’ll start noticing increases in strength and endurance.
At the same time, you’ll see increases in size in all your skeletal muscles.

Is NO2 right for me ?

Ask yourself these simple questions:

• Am I happy with my current muscle gains?
• Would I like to get the great-looking pump I get after an intense workout, and keep it all day long?
• Would I like to add more reps and more sets to every workout?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, NO2 is the perfect answer for you.

That’s because NO2 gives you:

• Continuous gains in lean mass by triggering forced-growth muscle-signaling action;
• A perpetual pump through its powerful hemodilating effects;
• Greater strength by accelerating your fast-twitch muscle strength; complete full-body muscle recovery; and
• Far better workouts by increasing your Endurance Index (EI).

Is NO2 safe ?

Yes. NO2 generates, and maintains, levels of nitric oxide – a substance that is totally natural to your body.

NOTE: There are now 3 categories of substances that help enhance performance: Drugs; Dietary Supplements; and now with the introduction of NO2 – Nutraceutical Expressors.

Drugs, like androgenic anabolic steroids, are foreign to your body. They work powerfully, but because they’re a foreign agent, they have many negative side effects. We do not recommend using drugs unless under a doctor’s supervision.

Dietary Supplements are naturally occurring substances in your body. They have a moderate range of effectiveness and usually have no side effects.

NO2 – the Nutraceutical Expressor™ – gives you the best of both worlds: powerful results and safety.

Nutraceutical Expressors work by amplifying both volume and action-time of muscle-building agents that are natural to your body. For example:

• Keeping nitric oxide in skeletal muscles for extended periods of time to effectively increase muscle-building protein synthesis
• Inducing sustained hemodilation; and
• Providing complete full-body muscle recovery

  are all examples of the benefits of Nutraceutical Expressors.

When should I take NO2 ?

For maximum results, refer to the chart below. You should start noticing results in about 5-7 days.

IMPORTANT: Remember to drink at least 64 ounces (that’s 8 glasses) of water daily while taking NO2.

Men

Women

Hemodilation

Hemodilation means a widening of the blood channels leading to skeletal muscles through the mechanism of amplified blood flow.

The word “Hemodilation” comes from combining ‘Hemo’ [from the Greek word 'haima' meaning blood] and ‘Dilator’ [from the Latin word 'dilatare' meaning to widen]. The measure of the widening of the blood canals is calculated by the “dilation differential™” – known as d-delta™.

Hemodilation is initiated by nitric oxide synthesis. Nitric oxide is the “cell-signaling” molecule responsible for blood flow, oxygen delivery, glucose uptake, muscle velocity, power output, and gene-expression, or muscle growth. By sustaining nitric oxide levels in the skeletal muscles, NO2 generates its sustained hemodilation. The channels that deliver muscle building agents to the muscle cells become “forced open” and remain that way throughout the day. The results are faster gains in lean mass, greater strength, increased endurance, complete full-body muscle recovery, and a “perpetual pump.”

NOTE: Hemodilation is a new term that came into existence with the discovery of nitric oxide (NO). Under ordinary circumstances, hemodilation lasts only briefly. With the introduction of NO2, however, and the sustained NO levels it generates in the skeletal muscle, sustained hemodilation became a reality. The word hemodilation, as applied to NO2, means sustained hemodilation.

Perpetual pump

A “perpetual pump” is a muscle pump that remains in its post-exercise, blood-engorged, rock-hard condition virtually all the time! The increased muscle size and muscle density achieved through exercise do not fade with time.

The “perpetual pump” is a brand new phenomenon. It’s one of the stunning effects of the sustained hemodilation you get from NO2.

Increased blood flow is responsible for your pump. Your body responds to exercise by releasing nitric oxide, the muscle’s “signaling molecule” responsible for increased blood flow.

When you exercise hard, Nitric oxide opens the blood floodgates, allowing blood to surge in. That’s hemodilation, and that’s how you get a “pump”. But the exercise-induced pump is only temporary. It disappears soon after the body realizes exercise has ended.

Now, with NO2, pumps do not go away. Even massive, vein-popping pumps show no sign of diminishing.
That’s because NO2 generates a continuous surge of blood that courses through the skeletal muscle throughout the day. So muscles remain engorged and steel-like all day long. The secret of the continuous surge of blood lies in NO2′s exclusive nitric oxide extended-release delivery system pHyser3.

Muscle Fiber Twitch Accelerators

These accelerators are any agent or substance capable of increasing the contractile velocity of both fast and slow twitch muscle fibers.

By increasing nitric oxide production, NO2 increases your maximum contractile velocity – in all muscle types.
Fast-twitch fibers get faster. Slow-twitch fibers start acting more like fast-twitch.

The results are immediate and consequential, and include increasing your load capacity, boosting your power output, and quickening your muscle contraction.

Endurance index (EI)

The Endurance Index (EI) is the new measure of the rate of increased endurance during work output.

Current research indicates that the keto-acids, like the ones you find in NO2, can help significantly delay fatigue and dramatically improve your Endurance Index (EI).

In fact, many athletes are now reporting that taking NO2 gives them the kind of endurance they get when they train at high altitude and then race at sea level.

Providing Full-Body Muscle Recovery

Muscle recovery refers to the difference in blood channel diameter between normal conditions and hemodilated conditions. The greater the dilation (d), the greater the blood-surge to the skeletal muscle. The difference between any two sizes of dilation is called the differential (dD).

NO2′s increase in the dilation differential is what generates the new condition known as the “perpetual pump.”

The new full-body muscle recovery is one that provides all skeletal muscles with a complete recovery.
That includes both the smaller and larger muscle groups.

Full-body muscle recovery allows all the muscles on your body grow in the correct proportion to each other – providing a better and more proportional physique.

NOTE: The continual surge of blood that NO2 supplies muscles gives them the time they need to recover completely. Compare that to the normal recovery time of about 30-45 minutes. NO2′s “amplified” surge of blood and the greater dilation it creates (known as “dD” – dilation differential), “forces” blood to all the muscles not just the larger ones.
That gives all skeletal muscles a complete recovery.

Dilation Differential (dD)

Dilation Differential is the difference in blood channel diameter between normal conditions and hemodilated conditions. The greater the dilation (d), the greater the blood-surge to the skeletal muscle.
The difference between any two sizes of dilation is called the differential (dD).

NO2′s increase in the dilation differential is what generates the new condition known as the “perpetual pump.”

Nutraceutical Expressors

Nutraceutical Expressors dramatically amplify both the volume and action-time of natural muscle-building agents.
For example, NO2 helps keep nitric oxide in skeletal muscle for extended periods of time to effectively increase time of muscle-building protein synthesis, induce sustained hemodilation, provide full-body muscle recovery, accelerate muscle fiber twitch, and increase endurance index.

NOTE: There are now 3 categories of substances that help enhance performance: Drugs; Dietary Supplements; and now with the introduction of NO2 – Nutraceutical Expressors.

Drugs, like androgenic anabolic steroids, are foreign to your body. They work powerfully, but because they’re a foreign agent, they have many negative side effects. We do not recommend using drugs unless under a doctor’s supervision.

Dietary Supplements are naturally occurring substances in your body. They have a moderate range of effectiveness and usually have no side effects.

NO2 – the Nutraceutical Expressor™ – gives you the best of both worlds: powerful results and safety.

Dillation Differential

Dilation Differential is the difference in blood channel diameter between normal conditions and hemodilated conditions. The greater the dilation (d), the greater the blood-surge to the skeletal muscle. The difference between any two sizes of dilation is called the differential (dD).

NO2′s increase in the dilation differential is what generates the new condition known as the “perpetual pump.”

Gene Expression (re-defined)

“Gene expression” is not a new term. But it now has new meaning thanks to NO2.

In fact, it is the standard term used to describe the activation of any gene responsible for a specific function – like constructing new muscle.

Gene expression, when used in the context of NO2, however, takes on a new meaning. It refers to sustained gene expression, and therefore, the sustained muscle growth it provides.

pHyser³™ (delivering the undeliverable)

pHyser³ represents a major breakthrough in the effective delivery muscle-building agents. pHyser³ allows the delivery of agents previously thought to be undeliverable.

MRI’s new pHyser³ is a pH-corrected, body-compatible delivery system that allows the human body to fully accept the nitric oxide delivery agent, unlocking the full potential of nitric oxide’s powerful effect on skeletal muscle.

In addition, its extended-release delivery mechanism ensures that nitric oxide levels are maintained and sustained for the entire day. That’s how NO2 creates a steady and continuous blood-surge to the skeletal muscles. Creating greater size, strength, endurance, and the “perpetual pump.”

pHyser³ was created by the Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Northern California. MRI’s president and CEO is Ed Byrd, co-founder of EAS™ and the man whose company introduced the last significant breakthrough in sports supplements in 1993 – creatine monohydrate.

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But who is it that the professional bodybuilders call a freak? Who is the freak’s freak? Answer: Greg Valentino. If you don’t know Mr. Valentino, check out the pics below (and no, there’s no Photoshopping involved):

Greg is not a liked man. In fact, he’s quite possibly the most despised man in bodybuilding. Mention his name on an internet forum and this is what you’ll hear: “Why would he destroy his body with Synthol like that?” “Does he think he looks good?” “Who does he think he’s fooling?” “He’s a laughingstock.” “An idiot.” “An embarrassment to the sport.” “He gives bodybuilding a bad name.”

When TC told me that Greg had offered to do an interview with T-mag, I wasn’t sure what to think. When I was asked to conduct the interview, I really didn’t know what to think. You see, although I’d never spoken to the guy, I didn’t like him either. In fact, I pretty much agreed with the statements above. I wondered if it would be wise of T-mag to draw attention to this guy. I wondered if he deserved a forum in which to speak. But I also couldn’t help but wonder what he had to say.

The old psychology student in me has always been interested in the motivation of self-professed freaks. People with full body tattoos, people with ten pounds of piercings, women with breast implants the size of beach balls… I find them all fascinating. What would bodybuilding’s biggest freak have to say? What motivates him? And most of all, is Greg Valentino a glimpse into the frightening future of bodybuilding, or is he the death nail in a “sport” gone too far?

It was time to find out.

Testosterone: Greg, I heard you were arrested, you’re not talking to me from jail are you?

Greg Valentino: No! I have been in jail, though. I had a lot of problems obviously, but I’m okay now.

T: I also heard the other day that you were dead.

GV: What it is this: everyone accuses me of Synthol. I don’t take Synthol. I was taking propionate and Equipoise into the muscle itself. Synthol just works one way: it stretches the fascia. With Equipoise and propionate you get the double whammy. You get the stretch from the oil plus you get the localized growth from the drugs themselves.

Synthol is like taking oil without the drug. It’s like taking dead oil — like buying fake steroids without a drug in there. You can only get so much for Synthol. I’ve got 27-inch arms, what, you think I have seven inches of oil in there? That would be ridiculous; they wouldn’t even look like arms anymore. Listen, I had 21-inch arms before I ever took a steroid in my life.

T: Really?

GV: Yes. I’m in my 40′s. I trained for 25 years without ever touching a drug. Then when I took roids — I’ve taken roids for over six years now — my body just exploded. I was always a genetic freak with the arms. And I can back it up with pictures.

T: I recall seeing some pictures of you from back in the eighties and you looked like a normal bodybuilder.

GV: In some of those early pictures I was only twenty years old. I was a lightweight and won my class in a lot of shows. I had 18-inch arms at about 143 pounds. I didn’t even know what steroids were back then.

T: After so many years of natural training, why did you start using steroids?

GV: To be honest with you, I saw a lot of guys passing me — guys that I’d been training for years. These guys had just started out lifting weights and all of a sudden, just a few years later, they’re already gigundo. And here I am training slowly, making gains over the years and they went from nothing and now they’re somebody. It’s frustrating. Plus I just felt like I’d earned it. Twenty-five years of lifting weights with no steroids and everybody accusing me of it anyway, I figured, holy shit, I earned it!

T: Do you use steroids or other drugs now?

GV: I haven’t taken steroids in over a year and I’ve never done growth hormone. I got thrown in jail, couldn’t touch a weight, came out and still looked fuckin’ big! My arms are still like 25 inches…

T: You’re not using anything right now? No type of site injections or anything?

GV: No, I can’t do anything! They’re on me. I’m in drug rehab and I don’t even take drugs. You’re talking to a guy who’s never drank in his life, no recreational drugs or nothing, but they have me in a drug program.

T: You were busted with steroids and they put you in a drug rehab program?

GV: Yeah, they don’t know where to stick guys for steroids so what they do is stick you in with the hardcore drug people. So I’m in classes with crack addicts and all that shit. So anyway, I can’t do drugs. I’m drug tested twice per week. I can’t do any steroids; they test me for that, too.

T: So after your initial experiences with steroids, when did you decide to go all out with the arms and site injections?

GV: The minute I started I fell in love with it because my body responded incredibly. Within the first month I smacked an inch on my arms. And I wasn’t even doing site injections yet. Then I just went hog wild, you know? I just kept going with it. Ice cold, my arms were 27 inches. And I’m a little guy. It’s not like I’m tall or anything. But I don’t just have big arms. I’m big all over. My worst body part is my chest. My chest is flat. It’s not bad but it’s not up to par with the rest of me. I have a very broad back and my shoulders are really wide.

T: People always want to know why you do it because it’s just not symmetrical.

GV: Yeah, but I’m not trying to be symmetrical. I’m trying to be a freak, you know what I’m saying? Like I’m the Tom Platz of arms. Guys like Paul DeMayo who’ve known me for years will tell you I’ve always had big arms.

T: So you’re saying that much of your arm size is the result of genetics and if someone wanted to do what you’re doing they probably wouldn’t be able to get the same results?

GV: Right. Synthol is available to everybody and anybody. Let’s just say that for shits and giggles sake, that’s what I did. Then how come there aren’t other guys walking around with 27-inch arms? I know a lot of guys who’ve tried Synthol who didn’t get nothing from it. They got a temporary pump and as soon as they went off, they lost it all. If it was that easy, then everybody would be walking around with big arms.

T: Have you ever thought about doing an X-ray or an MRI to prove your critics wrong?

GV: I would do that. You know what they’re going to say, though: you’re not going to be able to tell the difference between Synthol or if it’s steroids. But you can definitely tell it’s not no implant, so I’d be more than happy to do that.

T: Now, you say you don’t use Synthol, but I read where you said that you have your own blend of MCT oil and other stuff that you use. True?

GV: No, no, I’ve never said that. People say I say all kinds of shit. MCT oil? That’s nuts! I wouldn’t take MCT oil as a supplement, much less stick that shit in my body. You’d be nuts to do that. I have never talked on a forum, not even the one at my web site, but people use my name all the time and say the most horrendous shit. My web site is horrendous. I’m blowing it up and going to put a new one up.

T: Give us an idea of what you did exactly to get your arms that way.

GV: I did a lot of Testosterone. I did about 3000 mg of Test per week. I love Testosterone and I love Equipoise. The Test I did was mostly propionate. Once in a while I would do enanthate and I would always keep it with Equipoise. I’d probably do, oh God… I would do a shot every other day. I wouldn’t worry about the amount of oil; I would worry about the amount of drug. Over the course of a week, I take 3,000 mg of Test and probably put in 400 to 500 mg of Equipoise. Remember, that’s 15 mg shots. So that would be about 10 CC’s of EQ over a week’s period. I would do shoulders, triceps, and biceps.

Greg as a steroid free young man of 20, Greg right before be started using steroids (according to him), Greg with 23-and-a-half-inch arms, and finally Greg with 27- inch arms.

Now, I would mix up the drugs. I’d throw sten in there sometimes in place of the propionate. People give sten a bad rap, but I happen to love it. It made me hard and ripped. You seem to grow a little more body hair from it and it’s definitely androgenic. There are some pro-bodybuilders who used to get drugs off me and they happen to love it.

T: Is selling drugs what got you arrested?

GV: I was arrested because I was a big time drug dealer!

T: You owned a gym right?

GV: I owned a gym, I’m the landlord now, but I had to sell the business because it caused a lot of problems for me. You know, I’m the guy that was on Comedy Central when I was arrested. They were making fun of me and everything.

T: What was that all about?

GV: My arms are so big and my shoulders were so broad, they were filming me when I came out of the police station. They do these spoofs about the local news on the Daily Show and they showed me and said, “What do you think this guy was arrested for? Hint: It wasn’t estrogen!” Then they showed me on tape and said, “Local police found that this guy was doing steroids. No shit! What, did you think he was storing nuts for the winter in those arms?”

T: Now, you’ve told me that you know a lot of the pros like Ronnie Coleman and are friendly with them, but Lee Priest has said some nasty stuff about you, right?

GV: I could stand next to Lee Priest and you could hide him right behind me. I’m a little taller than him, but not much. But yeah, Lee has said a lot of nasty shit. But what he doesn’t understand is that I was training when he was in elementary school. I started in 1972! I know more about training than most of these guys, I swear to God. That’s why when these guys go off the shit they look like they’ve never touched a weight in their lives.

Shawn Ray was fucking flipping out on me at the Night of Champions too, saying he didn’t understand what I was doing. But you gotta’ understand, I’m big all over. I’m a lot bigger than him. My arms were bigger than Shawn’s before I did roids!

T: Have you lost much size since you were forced to go off?

GV: Yeah, I’ve lost size. My arms are 25 inches now. But I was just at Night of Champions and people were still going nuts wanting my pictures and all that crap.

T: You say that as if you don’t like the attention.

GV: Do I like it? Actually, I’m a little embarrassed.

T: So what’s your motivation? You’ve got to expect that kind of attention.

GV: My motivation is this [laughing], I’ve got small man complex, Napoleon complex, whatever it is. I’m only like five foot five and a half. I mean, a guy with 27-inch arms who’s only 5’5″ with a 27 inch waist…it looks ridiculous. But then again, if I can’t grow taller, then I’m going to be the biggest freak I can be. I don’t give a shit about symmetry.

In bodybuilding, nobody gives a shit about Milos Sarcev up there all symmetrical with a beautiful body. You ask the crowd who they like to see. They like to see the freaks, Markus Ruhl or Paul Dillet, even though he can’t pose to save his life. People love to see mass. They like to see freaks. It’s what gets them into this sport.

T: Do you think you motivate people?

GV: No, I think I disgust people. I get rotten e-mail from all over the world from people that tell me I suck, I look like shit, I ruined my physique… Then again I do get people who are awed by it, the fact that I’m a freak. Anyway, I know I disgust people. I know I’m the laughing stock of bodybuilding. I know that and that’s okay with me.

T: You know, I’m thinking about titling this piece “The Most Hated Man in Bodybuilding.” No offense, but that’s the impression I get from listening to people talk about you.

GV: That’s fine. You gotta know the kind of person I am. I’m a very easy going person. I understand that I’m the most hated person in bodybuilding, without a doubt! It’s not that that’s what I want, but it’s okay by me because that’s the truth. But people don’t give me credit. Most guys could never hang with me. I can do the most incredible amount of sets. I used to curl a ridiculous amount of weight. I can’t any more; I’m in my forties.

But nobody gives me credit. They assume it’s all Synthol or drugs, but they don’t understand. I had 18-inch arms in the 140′s. Right before I started taking steroids I was like 185 with 21-inch arms. It’s nothing for me to do 60 sets for a body part. I love volume training. I used to have to drink soda and eat rolls while I was training just to keep the carbs up because I would train for hours. I don’t do that anymore, but I still do mega sets.

T: I have to ask, are there any daily activities you can’t do because of your arm size?

GV: Everybody asks me that. I can shoot baskets and I can throw a football a mile. I play sports; I’m very well-rounded. I can hit fast balls over the fence. People don’t realize I’m a really good athlete. I’m not muscle bound at all.

T: Now, you have an arm-training video, but come on, it’s not like you got your arms from just training alone. Isn’t that being deceptive?

GV: It’s not an arm training video. It’s a regular training video with my philosophies and stuff. If I worked with you for one fucking week, I guarantee you I could put an inch on any body part you want without steroids or any injections.

T: But when people see your arms, the smart ones say, hey, what does this guy know about training, he just shoots a bunch of stuff into his arms!

GV: Exactly. But the people who’ve worked with me will tell you they’ve put inches on their arms and their whole body. I have different ways of doing shit.

T: Any health problems from all this?

GV: Oh fuck yeah! I have a video where I’d hit a blood vessel with an injection and it had exploded my blood vessel. It just kept bleeding and bleeding and I couldn’t do anything about it. Even after they stuck me in jail, they couldn’t do anything about it and when I came out my arm was fucking humongous. My left arm was like 29 inches. But it wasn’t muscle, it was like a balloon in there. So I videotaped myself pulling all this blood and shit out of there.

Also, I was taking 3,000 mg a week of Testosterone alone. Throw in about another 500 mg of Equipoise and you’ve got about 3,500 mg of drugs. Well, they stuck me in jail, so I went from 3500 mg to nothing! Thank God I didn’t lose muscle, but my dick was like holy shit! I was at the point where Pam Anderson could come in and suck it and nothing would happen. It’s destroyed my libido.

My body is bouncing back now. I never got no nut shrinkage though. I don’t understand that, but I didn’t. They were still the size of eggs, but I definitely fucking lost sex drive. I can get a hard-on now, but it’s been over a year and that’s why. But when I first came out, I was like, holy fuck!

I don’t get any bitch tits or nothing. I never took any anti-estrogens. I believe that’s something that’s genetic. Some guys can sniff steroids and their nipples get sore. Other guys can take whatever and they don’t have any problems. I think guys who naturally have bigger nipples are more prone to getting bitch tits than guys with small nipples. I always had small nipples. I have a lot of theories on shit.

T: What about scar tissue?

GV: I’m sure there’s some scar tissue in my arms from taking injections. I get hard spots and stuff. I’ve had abscesses. That’s why my one bicep doesn’t peak. I went to an emergency room doctor and he fucking sliced my bicep to fucking clear out an abscess. It flattened out my peak in one arm.

T: Tell me, are you making money off of this?

GV: [laughing] No! Nobody likes me! I’m making no money. Well, I do make some money off my videos. I haven’t sold a ton, but I’ve sold quite a few.

T: If you don’t do Synthol, why do you sell it on your website?

GV: Everyone is always asking me about it and asking where can they get it because they think I do it. So why not try to capitalize on that? So I get it from my friend who owns Zoe Labs. I’ve only sold a couple of bottles actually.

T: Where do you see yourself in 20 or 30 years?

GV: Hmm, maybe with 30 inch arms! No, I’m just kidding. I don’t know. I know I’ll always be in shape. Hopefully I’ll still be alive.

T: Think you’ll be around at age 60? I have to wonder given your past run-ins with the law and heavy steroid use.

GV: I don’t blame people for thinking that about me. I’m not taking any drugs anymore. I want to get a doctor to put me on Testosterone because I know I have low Testosterone now. But I’m certainly not going to sell that shit anymore. I don’t take any other risks. You’re talking to a guy who’s never drank in his life. I don’t even know what beer tastes like! I’ve been a best man at three weddings and I’ve toasted with water. It has nothing to do with bodybuilding. It has to do with the fact that I idolized my father growing up and he never drank, so I never drank. The only risks I’ve ever taken in my life involved steroids and I’m done with that. I’ve got kids and I don’t want to spend my life in jail.

T: Just out of curiosity, do you think Synthol should be allowed in professional bodybuilding?

GV: I do. I think Synthol is useless, personally. Well, not useless, it has a small place in bodybuilding. Women have breast implants and that enhances their physiques without a doubt. Without the implants they’d look like men in bikinis up there. If they can do that, I don’t see what the big deal is with guys using Synthol. Synthol doesn’t make the bodybuilder. If people say my arms are all Synthol, then I challenge anyone else to get 27-inch arms just by using it. There’s no way. You’ve got to have the drug to get the localized growth.

T: What do you think about the state of competitive bodybuilding in general?

GV: Bodybuilding is definitely going backwards. It’s a terrible sport. The promoters make money, but the bodybuilders make next to nothing. You’ve got guys in the top five at the Olympia who are bouncing in nightclubs just to support themselves. Mike Quinn was bouncing in nightclubs yet he was sixth one year in the Olympia. If he were the number six player in baseball he’d be making millions.

Bodybuilding is a terrible sport. I like it for me. I like being a freak because it makes up for the fact that I’m a little guy. But as far as who wins the Mr. Olympia, I could give a shit. As long as the Yankees win the World Series I’m a happy man.

T: Any last words for your critics and haters out there?

GV: Well, I guess if they keep talking about me it’ll keep my name out there. There’s no such thing as bad publicity. Everybody hated George Steinbrenner but the Yankees kept winning.

T: But if you’re not making money off of it, why do you want the publicity?

GV: One day I’d like to make money off of it. The thing is, when people meet me they like me. When I’m at the big shows, people always mob up to me and tell me they didn’t realize I was a nice guy. I give everybody the time of day and give them respect. I’m not a bad person; I’ve just done some bad things.

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By: David Robson

Let’s face it: walking through our workouts, with a lack-luster attitude, will produce very little in the way of size gains. We all know those who shuffle from one piece of exercise equipment to another in an aimless fashion, looking at their watches and hoping for their session to come to an end so they can drive home and watch television.

One wonders why these people train in the first place. After all, real gains come only from intensive training and their half-hearted sessions, lacking the necessary intensity, more often than not, fail to deliver even minimal results.

We all know real champions are those who push their physiques to the limit and accept nothing but the best from themselves. These people are the ones who move quickly and purposefully around the gym, like human dynamos with expressions of intensity on their faces – their physiques reflect the intensity they apply. These people clearly demonstrate discipline, the essential component that often separates the awesome from the mediocre.

What Is Discipline?

People generally hate discipline because it often means forcing oneself to confront the realities of their life: the dieter for example who must rigidly adhere to a stringent eating plan.

Discipline therefore has negative connotations for many. It is, however, an immensely important variable, as far as developing a phenomenal physique is concerned.

Mental Control
A Life And Death Situation

Essentially, exercising discipline means having control over ones mind – using our inner voice to force a particular result. Imagine performing a set of bench-presses with a non-disciplined mind-set. The weight lifted and number of reps would probably be at least 25% below what could be achieved with sufficient motivation.

A Non-Disciplined Mind-Set
Can Reduce Achievements By At Least 25%

Imagine then a raving lunatic approaching with a gun and demanding you load an additional 20kgs and pump out and extra 5 reps. In all likelihood this would be achieved.

The lifter has disciplined themselves to lift this weight because their life has depended on it. This is precisely the type of attitude needed to excel in bodybuilding, and sport in general. Training needs to become a life or death situation, as extreme as this may sound.

Before beginning the aforementioned set of benches, the lifter, in the first instance, has taken the easy way out. This is a natural part of the human condition. We are likely, when faced with difficulties, to take the easy option because we are pleasure seeking beings.

Obeying The Doctrines Of Oneself

We all love to feel good and this makes sense. However, we need to apply self discipline, and make things hard when training muscle is the aim. Clearly an unpopular concept, discipline (which means adhering to the doctrines of another) must be used to push the boundaries of physical capability.

Self discipline could be extrapolated to mean obeying the doctrines of oneself. This means we must set goals and continually seek ways to enhance motivation levels. In short, self discipline is the ability to get the job done, regardless of ones emotional state.

Given its competitive nature and the degree of excellence needed to separate oneself from others of similar proficiency, sport is one arena where self discipline is needed in abundance. One who understood the importance of self discipline was Great coach, Vince Lombardi, who said,

	“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”

How To Practice Self-Discipline

Self discipline is essentially a frame of mind. When we think positive thoughts, self-discipline is more readily activated. On the flip-side, negative thoughts promote a sloppy attitude and a weak mind.

	The Necessity Of Negative Thinking. Contrary to what positive thinking devotees say, applying negative thinking is often necessary to achieve your goals and improve your life. Let’s start off by going over some of the pitfalls of positive thinking.

This leads to low self-discipline. The key to activating self-discipline through positive thinking is to perfect our inner dialogue – the little inner voice that talks to us all the time, and gives out instructions.

Those who have experienced a negative childhood, generally have a very negative inner dialogue. Thoughts planted in our heads from a young age tend to crystallize into a particular mind-set that leads us into adulthood.

If negative thoughts are planted, it is much harder to activate a positive mind-set and consequently self-discipline is harder to practice.

On the other hand, a positive upbringing will probably lead to a more optimistic voice and a higher degree of self-discipline as a result.

Given training success depends to a large extent on discipline; one will need to try and change any nagging self doubts and negative internal dialogue.

Before attempting a set a heavy squats it is advisable to train your inner voice to say, for example, “this will be the most enjoyable set of squats ever and the weight will be lifted with ease” as opposed to the negative “this weight is very heavy but I will attempt it anyway”.

“This Is The Most Enjoyable Set Of Squats Ever!”

By repeating the former, a positive, lasting, thought pattern will be established. This will help to obviate any lingering negative feelings which inevitably impede training progress. Practice the following to ensure your inner voice becomes positive, which will help to forge self-discipline and enhance training.

1: Forget The Past

Focus on the present, and future if previous negative experiences are holding you back. This will help to establish a positive inner voice and self-discipline.

Negative thought patterns are often established in childhood. Constantly dwelling on childhood experiences will reinforce negative patterns and dilute the present.

2: Your Inner Dialogue Must Be Specific

Before training arms, for example, think about exactly what is to be achieved. “I will lift the heavy weight” probably won’t cut it. Rather, “I will curl the 85lbs and contract my biceps to develop massive arms” is more detailed and conjures a vivid image of an end result.

3: Visualize

Repeating positive statements to develop a positive inner voice does not have the same impact as visualizing exactly what you want to achieve while making these statements. Imaging building biceps like mountains, while saying “my arms are exploding with new growth”.

4: Try To Avoid Negative Events & People

Both will sap energy and dilute enthusiasm. Negative people will plant negative thoughts in those of whom they come in contact with. Surround yourself with positive people as this will reinforce your own positive thought patterns.

A good training partner can help to strengthen self discipline with their insistence that you complete “one more rep”.

Surround Yourself With Positive People.

5: Learn To Master Problem Solving

An important step to establishing self-discipline is taking control of ones emotions. Becoming upset and angry will only serve to derail positive thinking and self-discipline. We all encounter problems. How we deal with them differs depending on a variety of factors. Self-discipline, and control, certainly help when it comes to solving a problem, and moving on.

Those who find it hard to move on are often those with minimal self-discipline. An injury, for example, might mean weeks, or months, away from the gym. Continuing positive self-talk, and keeping ones eyes on their goals, will assist a smoother transition back to the gym, when the injury has healed. A strengthened resolve and sufficient self-discipline will help in this respect also.

6: Focus On Discipline, Often

Discipline, by its very nature, is not an easy trait to establish. However, by putting ourselves in challenging situations throughout the day, while resisting the temptation to become sloppy and unfocused, one can strengthen their ability to rouse discipline when it counts.

For example, when sitting in a chair, one might try to keep their back straight; despite the fact they are tired and feel like slouching back. Another way might be to resist staying up late or sleeping in, excessively. These things might encourage complacency and a resultant lowering of discipline over the long term.

	How Your Personality Affects Your Training! By developing greater insight into who we are, training weak points can be challenged, and overcome. Read below to find out more about different personality types! [

Indeed, focusing on discipline, with a view to building it, can be elegantly explained with a bodybuilding analogy: in short, the more you train discipline, the stronger it becomes, and, just as it takes some muscle to build more, it, similarly, takes some self discipline to establish additional levels.

Progressive Resistance

The key when using this analogy, to establish self discipline, is to consider the principal of progressive resistance, as it applies to weight training (the lifting of progressively heavier weights, or the addition of repetitions, to increase training intensity, and promote muscular gains).

Taking on challenges that are close to ones capabilities will promote increases in self discipline, more effectively than unrealistic, largely unobtainable, targets.

Therefore, to build self discipline, take it slowly and establish it at a progressive rate, rather than diving straight into the heavy stuff and risking injury, metaphorically speaking.

It is next to impossible to achieve every objective, regardless of how self disciplined one is. It is, therefore, more advantageous to correct the so called smaller problems, such as eating that extra bite of pizza, or stopping short of failure when training with maximal weights, rather than trying to tackle a 300lb behind-the-neck-press, when ones training weight on this movement is 120lb.

7: Work Hard

This could be the single most important piece of advice pertaining to the achievement of self discipline. To put all of the above into practice, one needs to work exceedingly, and consistently, hard.

Hard work to some might conjure up images of self denial, and suffering. However, all the good things in life come as a result of the kind of sustained hard work that makes these things worth having, and life worth living.

The biggest barrier to self discipline is a weak mind, and this often results from failure to set goals, and execute a plan of action (explained soon). As mentioned, self discipline can be strengthened like muscle tissue, and the more one practices self discipline development, the more they will become strong mentally.

How To Apply Self Discipline

Knowing all of the above will undoubtedly help when aiming to strengthen self discipline, but without a plan of attack, the best idea and knowledge base in the world might fail to gain traction. Using the following plan will help to bring ones self discipline goals to fruition.

1: Choose the area of life that needs strengthening.

For simplicities sake, a basic weight training example will be used. An area that might need addressing could be the amount of weight lifted on the bench press. A lifter might stop short of adding an extra 5-10lb due to complacency, or lack of self discipline.

2: Create a plan of attack.

The plan would, therefore, be to consciously add weight to this movement, as per the progressive resistance example mentioned earlier. At this point, self discipline is actively being put to the test, as a change in mind-set is being occurring.

3: Execute the plan.

The execution phase is where the lifter will either succeed, or fail, as the mind-set is challenged to actually put into practice what has been planned.

Not dissimilar to classic goal setting, this is the essence of self discipline – the execution of a plan to break a negative cycle of self delusion. Indeed, without goal setting, we live our lives floundering in a sea of ill discipline.

	The SMART Way To Set Goals! The SMART Goal Setting principles will help you reduce your chances of setting goals that you wouldn’t be able to obtain even if you had some sort of superhuman powers. [

Conclusion

To achieve ones bodybuilding goals, a large degree of discipline is imperative. The sloppy thinking and complacency that result from an undisciplined mind (which is itself the product of negative thinking) may result in a complete lack of focus and low self-belief.

To counter this state, it is advisable to focus on developing discipline. The strategies suggested in this article might sound silly to some, but they will have profound results if practiced religiously.

Anything that encourages a positive inner dialogue is conducive to success in any sphere. Given bodybuilding is an intensive activity, a large degree of self-disciple is needed.

Self-discipline (the strategy we use to get ourselves to do something that does not come naturally) can only be developed through a strong sense of self belief coupled with a positive inner voice.

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By: Topic Of The Week

TOPIC: Why Are We Trying To Enhance GH, And… Is It Working?

The Question:

Being exposed to the bodybuilding community and all of the current news regarding steroids in sports, many of us have heard all about the use of growth hormones. However, how many of us know how they work, or why they work?

Why are we trying to enhance GH?

How effective is GH?

What are the differences between GH and steroids?

Show off your knowledge to the world!

1st Place – Opiewags99
View This Author’s BodySpace Here.

Being exposed to the bodybuilding community and all of the current news regarding steroids in sports, many of us have heard all about the use of growth hormones. However, how many of us know how they work, or why they work?

Enhancing GH
Why Are We Trying To Enhance GH?

Human growth hormone has recently become a topic of controversy in the bodybuilding community. Although many people talk about it as one of the factors that will lead to the decline of professional bodybuilding, many people simply do not know what it is. So let’s take a second to look at what GH actually is.

Growth Hormone, or GH, is a hormone that is secreted by the pituitary gland in the human body. The simplest way to describe the effects of growth hormone is to say that it causes cell growth and cell reproduction. ¹

But, what does growth hormone actually do? There are a couple of things that growth hormone does.

1. Calcium:

First of all, growth hormone raises the body’s ability to insert calcium from foods that are consumed into bone tissue. This strengthens the skeletal system, allowing the body to be very much more resistant to trauma. This essentially means that you’re less likely to break bones if you’ve got high levels of growth hormone.

2. Protein Synthesis:

The second thing that the growth hormone does in the body is that it increases protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is the creation of new proteins in the body, which leads to new muscle mass, as muscle is primarily made out of protein. What a lot of people don’t realize about protein is that the protein you eat doesn’t directly get put into your muscles in the same form that you eat it in.

When you consume protein, your digestive system then releases acids in addition to an enzyme called pepsin, the acid helps denature (unwind) the protein while the pepsin breaks the protein into small peptides, which then get broken down into smaller monomers called amino acids.

These are then built back together by the body, into new proteins, which is the actual synthesizing of the protein. Now, this is a real limiting factor in bodybuilding, and the simple fact that growth hormone increases the rate at which proteins are synthesized, directly means more muscle mass with the same amount of training.

3. Adipose Cells:

The third effect growth hormone has on the body is that it increases the body’s ability to release fat from adipose cells into the body’s bloodstream. This directly allows the body to use stored fat as energy rather than glycogen, which would keep your body fat at the same percentage. This release of extra fat molecules into the bloodstream adds up to be one of the strongest natural ways to lose body fat.

4. Central Nervous System:

Another thing that growth hormone does to the body, and the last we’ll be looking at in this article is it’s ability to stimulate the central nervous system, allowing the individual to be much healthier and much more resistant to falling ill to the common cold and even other serious illnesses.




	1 of 3: The Central Nervous System (CNS): The human central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord. These lie in the midline of the body and are protected by the skull and vertebrae respectively. This collection of billions of neurons is arguably the most complex object known. The central nervous system along with the peripheral nervous system comprise a primary division of controls that command all physical activities of a human. Neurons of the central nervous system affect consciousness and mental activity while spinal extensions of central nervous system neuron pathways affect skeletal muscles and organs in the body.
	Learn More… Back Next

As you can see by the effects that growth hormone has on the body, these are some very desirable properties. Who wouldn’t want stronger bones, more muscle, less fat, and have a much stronger immune system? Certainly every reader here. So this leads us to ways that we can increase the amount of growth hormone flowing through our veins.

Naturally, there are a few things you can do to increase your HGH levels. A few of them include getting good amounts of sleep, resistance training, and cardiovascular activity. Another way to increase amounts of growth hormone is through the proper use of supplements.

According to a variety of studies, it is suggested that arginine supplementation, such as the Arginine-Alphaketoglutarate found in many common NO2 supplements, can significantly raise GH levels. Not only that, it can also provide massive pumps during your workouts which will in turn increase productivity in the gym, also raising GH levels naturally through the stress placed on the body. Another method of raising your GH levels through supplementation is through taking a more direct GH stimulator.

Effectiveness
How Effective Is GH?

Growth Hormone, being a naturally occurring hormone in the body is very simply one of the most effective hormones in the body. Since it is a naturally occurring hormone, rather than a chemical that is normally never seen in the body, it is safer, and more effective than chemical supplementation.

To essentially reiterate the some of the information above, growth hormone is remarkably effective at not only increasing the size of muscle fibers, it can also increase the number of muscle fibers, which is called hyperplasia. In addition to this, it increases protein synthesis in the body in addition to increasing the rate at which lypolysis occurs in a person’s body.

Simply stated, growth hormone, or increasing the amount of growth hormone your body can be a very valuable tool that a bodybuilder, or even a person just looking to lose a few pounds of fat while putting a bit of muscle on, should certainly look into for easier gains.

GH vs. Steroids
What Are The Differences Between GH And Steroids?

Steroids are essentially drugs that mimic or lead to increasing the amounts of testosterone in the body for the sake of much faster muscle recovery. Typically steroids are prescribed to people who have been succumb to an injury and need help in the recovery process.

This leads us to why some athletes such as bodybuilders take them. They also want much faster muscular recovery, which allows them to work out and recover much more quickly, allowing them to train two or three times as frequently as us natural athletes. The problem with this is that it is illegal.

The real difference between steroids and growth hormone is in the side effects. Although more research is needed, growth hormone has little to no side effects on the body. Steroids have side effects such as severe acne, shrunken testicles, roid rage, and gyno.

Now, I know that some people will argue with me that growth hormone does have a huge side effect, forgive the pun, called agromegaly. Acromegaly is basically referred to as gigantism, and is an unnatural growth of bone mass or thickening of the person’s skin which is caused by a very large amount of growth hormone for an extended period of time. ²

Acromegaly.

Now this seems silly to think that you’ll turn into a giant from supplementing with GH raising supplements, but if you’re worried about it, cycling is the way to go. Keep in mind, that people who suffer from gigantism have uncontrolled amounts of GH due to tumors or improperly working pituitary glands, so remember you have control of how much you want secreted, and can stop supplementing if you wish to.

Steroids, or more specifically testosterone; is like growth hormone in the sense that they’re both hormones that the body naturally produce. Since these two substances require prescriptions, this shifts the focus of what we are talking about to supplements that aim to raise the amount of either of the two hormones in the body by stimulating the body to create them, rather than doing something like “injecting” them.

There are both GH promoting supplements in addition to Testosterone boosting supplements that can legally and safely be taken by the general public. These supplements will aid in your bodybuilding gains in addition to reducing the amount of work needed to maintain the gains you have made.

Thanks for reading!
-K (Opiewags99)

References:

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hormone
2. www.rajeun.net/sideeffects.html

2nd Place – Belloc
View This Author’s BodySpace Here.

Despite the perception given by the latest articles in the media, the use of growth hormone is nothing new.

In fact many top level athletes and bodybuilders have been using it since the early 80′s. At that time there was no synthetic growth hormone available so they had to use growth hormone extracted from human pituitary glands… yes, that’s exactly what you’re thinking, they extracted growth hormone from cadavers, creepy stuff.

Besides being a morbid practice it turned out to be dangerous too, since a large percentage of people who used it ended up with mad cow disease… fortunately, this practice came to a halt in 1985.

Some bodybuilders and athletes had to resort to using growth hormone extracted from Rhesus monkeys; physicians never used that form of growth hormone. By the early 90′s synthetic growth hormone was widely available and throughout the decade the popularity of GH soared… so as you can see GH use has been around for quite awhile and it’s not the ‘newest Hollywood fad’ or the ‘latest pharmaceutical edge for top level athletes’ like the headlines in the media make it seem.

Some Had To Resort To Using
Growth Hormone Extracted From Rhesus Monkeys.

So what exactly is growth hormone? Well… It’s a hormone that directly stimulates growth and cell reproduction in the organism (hence its name), it’s produced, stored and secreted by the pituitary gland. Unlike most hormones used for bodybuilding purposes, GH is not a steroid hormone, it’s a protein hormone made up of a chain of 191 amino acids.

Enhancing GH
Why Are We Trying To Enhance GH? And What Are The Differences Between GH And Steroids?

When we think about bodybuilding and athletic performance we immediately think about the testosterone hormone, it has been proven time and time again that those athletes and bodybuilders that have the highest levels of testosterone are the ones that perform better.

I believe that the importance of GH is up to par with that of testosterone for bodybuilding and athletic purposes, and consider this: For many professional athletes using anabolic steroids to enhance their testosterone levels is not an option, no way would they risk a million dollar career by getting tested with above normal testosterone levels. Unlike testosterone there’s no way to tell if an athlete is using a synthetic form of GH so that’s why many top-level athletes use it.

Related Steroids Articles:

• An Insider’s View On The Effects Of Testing! - By David Robson
• Steroid Temptations. - By Myron Mielke
• Steroids In Sports? - By Athletes Topic Of The Week

Let’s focus on why recreational bodybuilders (you and me) are trying to enhance their GH levels; let’s analyze what elevated GH levels can do:

• Increase muscle mass by creating new muscle cells (hyperplasia)
• Promote protein synthesis
• Burn stored body fat for energy (lipolysis)
• Strengthen and increase the mineralization of bone

We lift weights so we can hypertrophy the muscles (make the cells in the muscle swell up), now consider that GH can actually create new muscle cells, and you begin to understand just how important it is to keep our GH levels high, not to mention that elevated GH levels can help us burn fat for energy and promote protein synthesis and literally make us bigger by making our bones more dense.

GH Effectiveness
How Effective Is GH?

It’s a moot point to discuss the effectiveness of GH. Why would athletes and bodybuilders spend thousands of dollars a month if they saw little or no benefit in GH therapy?

GH therapy is much more expensive than other hormone therapies (it ranges from 1k to 30k a month). I believe that a large percentage of elite level bodybuilders use GH; you see one of the side effects of GH is the so-called ‘GH gut.’ GH increases the size of everything (muscle, bones, organs and intestine). This explains why, from the early 90′s onwards, the gut size of the top-level bodybuilders has been increasing.

One Of The Side Effects Of GH Is the So-Called “GH Gut.”

This led some people to say that GH ruined the sport of bodybuilding and that they much preferred the physiques displayed by bodybuilders in the 70′s, but consider this: without GH you wouldn’t have the mass monsters of today.

I knew this 15-year-old girl that underwent GH therapy, she was kind of short for her age and skinny. I saw her a year later when she turned 16 and I didn’t recognize her. She was not only taller but she looked much older than 16.

She told me GH therapy was h-ll because she had to take injections two times a day and she would have to keep taking those injections for quite some time to come. So if you’re not an elite level bodybuilder or a short 15-year-old girl GH therapy is probably not something you would consider.

But there are ways to stimulate the production of GH in our own bodies. Here are some:

• Sleep at least 7 hours. You need rest to ensure proper hormonal production and it is when you sleep that the body is more active repairing itself and producing the hormones you need to grow.
• Make sure you ingest enough dietary protein and fat, both these nutrients play a vital role when it come to hormonal production.
• Lifting weights has been shown to increase GH, especially intensive compound movements like deadlifts and squats.
• Low levels of blood sugar stimulate GH production; you can achieve this by eating low carb or by fasting for a few hours.
• Arginine has been shown to increase GH levels; try taking a supplement containing arginine before going to sleep.

You can also try one of the several supplements that claim to elevate GH levels to see if they work or not, I can’t comment since I’ve never taken one, but hey maybe if I win this!

References:

1. Growth Hormone Therapy PMID 18048950
2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hormone
3. Actions of Anterior Pituitary Hormones: Growth Hormone (GH). Medical College of Georgia. 2007
4. www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2004/nichd-07.htm

3rd Place – mrkdrt
View This Author’s BodySpace Here.

Bigger and better. This is the way of the world, and the mantra of countless bodybuilders and fitness fanatics. With this said, Growth Hormone is becoming increasingly popular for use in the field of athletics. But, the illegality of HGH demands further enhancement of GH (produced in one’s own body) with “boosters” or “releasers” available at many supplement stores.

Enhancing GH
Why Are We Trying To Enhance GH?

The name says it all, growth hormone. This peptide is responsible for signaling growth in the human body ??” predominantly in stages of life that requires full-body growth (puberty for example). This growth, for the most part, is throughout the entire body ??” so not only muscles are targeted, but also expect your organs and bones to grow as allowed.

For people with GH deficient disorders and the elderly, GH treatment is able to support and promote continued health of muscles and bones. The results are incredible! It has even been labeled as the “Fountain of Youth.”

GH has given many people in need the ability to grow as youth do. The downside ??” this form of GH is widely unavailable or VERY expensive for the average bodybuilder. For the most part, pure GH for injection is hard to come by ??” and in many countries, is illegal for use other than prescribed.

However, many products are selling that boost or promote the production and/or release of GH (somatotropin). These are of course, at the discretion of the user to decide whether they work or not.

The benefit of these is that side-effects of excess GH are minimal as the GH is produced by the body itself ??” in response to the stimulators. That said ??” there are downsides to injectable GH.

Some of the most famous side-effects include Acromegaly, gigantism, blindness and tumor growth. So, enhancing GH production is a great way to increase GH effects ??” without the negatives. I suggest to using the GH boosters, as opposed to raw Growth Hormone ??” to limit the side-effects ??” and get an overall safer GH experience for mass gains.

GH Effectiveness
How Effective Is GH?

The creation of synthetic GH is meant as a supplement for those with a deficiency or dire need of the hormone. For an average person, GH is produced and secreted in response to certain stimulus ??” sleep, exercise and nutrition (the top stimuli) ??” all things the average bodybuilder will regulate. So, the average bodybuilder will have GH being produced and secreted, unless they are deficient.

An excess of GH in the human body can lead to gigantism (a serious disorder), vision loss, aggression and the promotion of cancers and tumors in the body ??” to name a few. This said, GH might not be recommended for use unless needed, or approved by a physician. However, boosting GH with a supplement may give the gains bodybuilders want, but at a slower, safer pace.

For most bodybuilders, the goal is muscular hypertrophy ??” to increase mass and size of muscle cells. What GH promotes is not hypertrophy, but hyperplasia ??” increasing the number of muscle cells. While this may appear superficially as an increase in mass ??” it is actually growth related to more cells being present.

One study compared bodybuilders without GH ??” the same amount of lean muscle mass was gained for those taking GH on a short-term basis. One benefit observed though was that fat loss was greater for those taking GH (Yarasheski et. al.) Thus, GH may be effective for fat loss during training for mass gain.

GH vs. Steroids
What Are The Differences Between GH And Steroids?

GH and Anabolic steroids are both hormones, but without getting too heavy into the science, growth hormone is a peptide (which are made up of amino acids) and steroids are based on the sterol molecule.

Anabolic steroids mimic the hormone testosterone. It’s impossible to notice the differences between the 2 substances in liquid form ??” but your body knows the difference!

While both may appear to do the same thing, they do not. Anabolic steroids promote hypertrophy ??” which is increasing SIZE of cells, while GH promotes hyperplasia ??” which increases the AMOUNT of cells. Both can have negative side-effects, but as far as most studies show, anabolic steroids are far more dangerous and can lead to more disorders in the future.

Literature Cited:

1. Yarasheski, K. E., J. A. Campbell, K. Smith, M. J. Rennie, J. O. Holloszy and D. M. Bier. 1992. Effect of growth hormone and resistance exercise on muscle growth in young men. American Journal of Physiology. 262:E261-E267, E268-E276.

3rd Place – blackirish

Being exposed to the bodybuilding community and all of the current news regarding steroids in sports, many of us have heard all about the use of growth hormones. However, how many of us know how they work, or why they work?

Growth hormone, known alternately as HGH or simply GH, is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain in response to a variety of stimuli. Sleep, if long enough in duration for REM sleep to be achieved, produces a burst of GH secretion, as does body temperature elevation, and the consumption of certain amino acids.

	What Is REM Sleep? Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is normal stage of sleep characterized by rapid movements of the eyes. REM sleep is classified into two categories: tonic and phasic.[1] It was discovered by Nathaniel Kleitman and Eugene Aserinsky in the early 1950s. Their seminal article was published September 4, 1953.[2] Criteria for REM sleep include not only rapid eye movements, but also low muscle tone and a rapid, low voltage EEG — these features are easily discernible in a polysomnogram, the sleep study typically done for patients with suspected sleep disorders. [ wikipedia.org ]

Growth hormone utilizes several mechanisms to promote the growth of body tissues; working to directly boost anabolic actions in the body by stimulating an increase in the rate of cellular reproduction, enhancing cellular repair, and promoting the synthesis and secretion of insulin-like growth factors, notably IGF-1. These pathways cause growth throughout the human body. GH also promotes testosterone production, which is something we are all interested in.

Once the long bones have reached their full potential and the body’s organs have attained their optimal size for function, our bodies tend to use our endogenous GH exclusively to repair damaged tissues, to promote the preservation of glycogen reserves by triggering a metabolic switch to facilitate the preferential use of body fat for fuel, and to maintain a healthy metabolism.

However, if exogenous sources of GH are introduced to the body in large doses, it can stimulate the continued growth of bones, organs, and muscle tissue.

In adults, the long bones have fused, and the additional bone growth will typically cause a thickening of the facial bones and skull, and continued growth of short bones (hands: carpals/metacarpals/phalanges – feet: tarsals/metatarsals/phalanges), causing a condition known as acromegaly. The extra growth of the organs can cause the distended abdomens we have sadly become accustomed to seeing in professional bodybuilders.

Enhancing GH
Why Are We Trying To Enhance GH?

The bodybuilder seeks to increase or enhance the amount, and thus effects, of GH in their system based on two specific actions.

First, muscle tissue is effected in the same way as any other tissue, and muscle growth is the primary goal of all serious bodybuilders. The enhanced healing ability, coupled with the increased ability of muscle cells to reproduce via satellite cells creates a powerful environment for increased muscle size and strength.

Add increased levels of IGF-1 and testosterone, which work in synergy with GH, and a bodybuilder may create a hormonal dynamo of muscle growth.

The second desired effect is the preferential burning of adipose tissue for fuel. The preservation of glycogen is critical not only for cellular energy (think increased intensity), but also for optimal cellular repair and volume (recovery and muscle size/hardness). Not to mention that burning more body fat creates a leaner body.

I said that bodybuilders use GH for these two beneficial effects, but GH offers much more. Including:

• Elevated libido
• Greater skin elasticity
• Mood enhancement
• Improved neurological function

GH Effectineness
How Effective Is GH?

GH can be very effective. Witness the incredible muscular development of today’s professional bodybuilders when compared to the physiques of the champions of yesteryear, before GH was in vogue.

While I, like many of my peers, long for the days of Arnold and Haney, there is no denying that since GH has arrived on the scene, the top tier competitors have become much more massive. While the results seen onstage may be a result of synergism between GH and the rest of the pharmacological agents the pros are using, GH is definitely playing a big role in today’s bodybuilding world.

But results are not limited to large dose injection of GH. Anecdotal evidence suggests that even the relatively tiny dosages of GH found in homeopathic preparations are helping bodybuilders decrease their recovery time. I have also read accounts of L-Dopa rich macuna pruriens supplements helping athletes to get lean. These GH enhancing strategies may not deliver incredible results, but for most of us, every little bit helps.

GH vs. Steroids
What Are The Differences Between GH And Steroids?

First and foremost, GH is natural. While modern GH is synthesized, rather than being taken from cadavers as in the past, the synthesized GH molecule is identical to that produced by our bodies. Steroids are also synthesized, but they are not exact copies of testosterone, the hormone they are meant to approximate.

Additionally, steroids are androgenic as well as anabolic. GH has no androgenic actions, thus, it will not lead to the masculinization of the female body or the feminization of certain parts of the male physique as steroids have been known to.

Conversely, steroids can be carefully selected, due to their modified molecular structure, to maximize certain aspects (anabolic) while minimizing others (androgenic). Large dose GH will effect all tissues of the body, with no reliable way to minimize its effects on bone and organ growth.

Finally, steroids are, as we all know, illegal. Steroids cannot be legally possessed by any person in any amount unless prescribed by a medical doctor. GH is also controlled to a large extent, requiring a script for all but minute doses, such as those used in homeopathic medicine, but it can be obtained legally in such preparations.

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Conclusion

GH is getting some bad press due to its use by professional athletes. But this substance offers a plethora of benefits to those who use it judiciously. As with anything, moderation is key. One can use GH to cut fat and boost muscle mass while easily avoiding negative side-effects such as acromegaly and enlarged organs.

My preference is to give the body every opportunity to maximize its endogenous production of growth hormone through nutrition, supplementation, and regularly producing a hyperthermic body environment through hard training or the use of a far-infrared sauna.

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By: David Robson

In their quest for greater muscle size and the ripped, dry look that characterizes a top-level bodybuilding physique, competitors have, since the 1950′s, as is generally thought, used a variety of supplemental substances, both naturally and pharmaceutically derived.

After experiencing unprecedented muscle growth with anabolic steroids in the early ’60s (a time when these drugs were used in larger quantities as the level of bodybuilding competition increased), bodybuilding competitors knew they had found the critical factor necessary to take them several steps higher towards physical perfection, and iron warriors the world over have not looked back since.

With the 1970′s ushering in a new era for competitive sporting success, with the emergence of lucrative contracts and entire careers based a upon athletic ability, a new compound found its way into the drug regimes of champions not adverse to pushing the boundaries: Growth Hormone (GH).

As a hormone critical for the health and well being of all humans, Growth Hormone is needed in precise amounts for the optimal functioning of a number of physiological processes and growth of body tissues, including muscle. Generally this is achieved, resulting in growth and functioning within ‘acceptable’ and ‘normal’ parameters. However, an over or under production of GH can potentially cause serious health concerns.

A New Compound Found Its Way
Into The Drug Regimes Of Champion.

Excess GH, as occurs in those with Acromegaly, ultimately leads to an overgrowth of tissues and problems such insulin resistance and muscle weakness.

GH-secreting tumors, occurring in childhood, can also cause excessive GH production and resultant Pituitary Giantism, as witnessed with Andre the Giant, for example, who at 12 years old stood 6’3″ and at his full height was 7’4″. He ultimately died from this condition.

	Pituitary Giantism: Gigantism, also known as giantism (from Greek gigas, gigantas “giant”), is a condition characterized by excessive growth and height significantly above average.

As there can be problems with an over production of GH there can also be so with too little. Genetic conditions and congenital malformations manifested through GH deficiency can cause a lack of growth in children. Though rare, Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) in adults can cause decreased muscle mass, quality of life and energy.

In both of these groups, carefully monitored GH supplementation restores the functions affected by GH deficiency. Benefits, in this context, generally include reduced fat mass, increased lean muscle tissue, increased bone density, improved lipid (fat) profile, reduced cardiovascular risk factors and improved mental health.

Bodybuilders being bodybuilders soon realized that if GH were introduced into their drug repertoire big muscles and shredded conditioning would result. And this is exactly what was experienced in those who began using this, until then, largely unknown anabolic agent.

Competitors of the ’70s, and especially the ’80s began to present a more refined look with chiselled muscle development reminiscent of Classical Sculpture and resembling deeply etched rock. Those guys, one could reasonably postulate, were not adding additional cardio to their programs and eating more lean proteins.

Since GH had become a mainstay for serious bodybuilders worldwide, it has attracted its fair share of criticism: some feel it is extremely dangerous while others contend it simply does not very well at all.

Those who use it, however, know just how effective it can be. Indeed, since its inception, and first application as a bodybuilding super-substance GH has remained an anabolic that has attracted many conflicting opinions and has been shrouded in mystery. I sought some answers.

One man who has, for many years, observed GH being used, and who is the first to say how effectively it builds muscle and reduces fat, but is also realistic as far as its application and efficacy in all who use it, is Ali Amini.

	Ali Amini: Ali Amini is the Middle East’s most successful contest specialization guru. He is a trainer and nutritional advisor to hundreds of elite bodybuilding champions. Ali is a man at the cutting edge of sports science and athletic performance.

“GH”, says Ali, “is a single-chain protein made of 191 amino acids with a molecular weight of approximately 22 kDa (Kilo Daltons). It is released into the blood-stream by the somatotrope cells of the anterior pituitary gland. Initially it was taken from human pituitary glands, however, in 1985, biosynthetic GH replaced this earlier version.”

Trainer And Nutritional
Advisor, Ali Amini.

What of Growth Hormone’s widespread use and its application amongst the sporting elite? “GH is used in sport for its ability to burn fat, increase lean body mass, shorten recovery time and strengthen joints and ligaments while healing damaged tissue,” says Ali.

“And as far as pro bodybuilders go, all of them use GH, especially these days as it is much easier to get than in the early ’90s. But it is not as essential a part of contest prep or of an off-season cycle as most think.

It helps a lot if taken in the right amount and at the right time according to the type of program/cycle one is on, but it is not a crucial aspect of the whole program.”

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Bodybuilding Benefits Of GH And Effective Administration

“A lot of people think that GH is a magic potion,” says Ali. “But most of these people are not taking GH at its maximum potential. GH doesn’t add 50% to your gains, not even close to that. By adding GH to a cycle you will be lucky and considered genetically gifted and blessed (that your body responds well to GH) if you get a 15% benefit/gain.”

In light of Ali’s observations GH does not appear to be the magic bullet that many feel will give them bodybuilding success. However, if a bodybuilder were to solely use GH while excluding anabolic steroids from their program, what kind of effect would this have on their physique?

“Very little in the way of muscle gains and a barely noticeable decrease in body fat,” says Ali, perhaps controversially. “GH alone isn’t that strong of an anabolic, and even though it has the property of holding protein synthesis, like testosterone, it doesn’t provide a constant durability of its effect, like testosterone, nor does it noticeably increase strength like other anabolic drugs.”

GH Doesn’t Noticeably Increase Strength
Like Other Anabolic Drugs.

But, though not a miracle drug, GH can work well for bodybuilders as shown in those who use it at optimal dosages. Surely if it is used by all professional bodybuilders it must have much merit.

“I know smart bodybuilders never do over 8 IU (International Units) a day, but, in some cases, I have heard of others doing 24 IU a day and even some non-pros, less then 150 lbs, who use 24 IU a day. This results in bloating because of all the water retention caused by that dose.”

So what is the optimal dose of GH one should take to attain its benefits? Ali: “To get the full effect of GH, timing and amount are crucial. Needless to say, period taken and consistency is more important than the total amount, as taking a 200 IU kit of GH over 50 days (at 4 IU a day) is more efficient than taking the same 200 IU over a period of 25 days (at 8 IU a day).”

As is clear from what Ali has said, GH used in conjunction with anabolic steroids is the most effective form of administration. It is known to work, but how? What exactly does GH do and what are its positive effects?

“GH diverts calories in food towards protein synthesis and away from fat synthesis as demonstrated in animal tests. It is as powerful as testosterone in stimulating protein synthesis properties.”

Those who are GH deficient are often cited as proof positive that GH is an important building agent; that we all need it to function properly. Ali’s take on GH deficiency?

“GH-deficient (GHD) adults have reduced lean body mass and increased fat mass, particularly central abdominal fat mass, thus proving that the higher the GH level, the more muscle mass and less fat is synthesized.”

And how long does GH have to exert its anabolic effects? “GH”, Says Ali, “has a half-life of 15 to 20 minutes after sub-q (subcutaneous) or intravenous injection. After that, blood concentrations of GH reach their peak between one and three hours after injection.”

So once the optimal dosage of GH and the potential benefits have been decided, how can it be administrated timing-wise?

Click Image To Enlarge.
GH Diverts Calories In Food Towards
Protein Synthesis And Away From Fat Synthesis.

“A lot of theories and speculation have made about the best way to administrate GH,” says Ali. “The most reasonable way would be decided after one gained an understanding of how GH is produced in the body, how it interacts with other hormones and under which circumstances it converts best to IGF-1.

IGF-1 production is regulated by factors other than GH, most notably nutritional and thyroid status. But when GH is released it goes to the liver to stimulate a set of Growth Factors, and IGF-1 happens to be the best known of these.

“IGF-1 is a 70 amino acid single chain hormone that has been shown to be the most potent derivative (caused by GH release or administration) of GH,” continues Ali. “GH is a hormone that works back to back with insulin so the lower the insulin, the more GH the pituitary gland produces, and thus there will be a better environment for GH to work.

Some speculations recommend taking GH at any time because they say what I just mentioned is applicable for the GH produced by the pituitary and not that externally administrated. However, the body produces GH in those conditions because it is the best time for it, sequentially leading it to function at its maximum potential.

Therefore, using GH at a time when insulin is low (using blood sugar as an indicator), post workout would be the best time to use it. However, if administrated in conjunction with insulin, GH should be taken immediately post workout with the insulin administered within a 30-40 minute window after that.”

Since within bodybuilding circles it is common knowledge that elite competitors take GH twice a day, and that timing is of the essence, if post workout is one of these optimal periods, when is the other?

“A second dose,” says Ali, “can be taken before going to bed, again at a time when ones blood sugar is very low as when a bodybuilder is getting ready for a show and is on low a carbohydrate diet; this is the optimal period – night – especially if a low carbohydrate meal was the last meal or two.

However, it would be even better to take it (the second GH dose) during the sleeping period, when, for example, waking up in middle of the night to go to the bathroom.”

It Would Be Better To Take It
During The Sleeping Period.

Optimal Dosage And Timing

And what, typically, would each of the two dosages be?

“The main benefit of GH is its action on the liver to produce IGF-1,” says Ali. “So, for this matter, it is important to know the capability of the liver in terms of how much GH it can use to get the maximum result/benefit. The liver can work with three to four IU of GH at a time and can do that twice a day with a reasonable gap of five to seven hours.

Therefore, the best dose would be a total six to eight IU a day divided into two doses and having those five to seven hours apart. For example, a dose (either three or four IU) can be taken post training with another three to four IU dose before bed or during the night sleeping period.”

Clearly, as with any anabolic agent, there is an optimal dosage, but it has not been clearly documented as to what would occur if one took too little or too much GH. If one took below the recommended IU of six to eight per day of GH, as Ali recommends, what effects, if any, could they experience? If a bodybuilder took, for example, 2 IU, what effect would this have?

A Dose (Either Three Or Four IU)
Can Be Taken Post Training.

“What I recommend,” says Ali, “is aligned with the capability of the body to use GH at maximum doses to produce maximum effect. However, taking less will definitely work and the gains will be noticed, just not at full potential (the body’s full capability of occupying GH and employing it).”

Conversely, what would be likely to happen if that same person took well over the recommended amount? If they took, for example, 20 to 25 IU what could happen?

“Nothing dramatic,” says Ali. “Just some water retention side effects, in a case where the subject abusing GH is not suffering from any kind of disease. But if you understand how GH works in the body and how the body utilizes it, it will become pretty obvious how, when and how much you should take.

Needless to say, trying to make GH use more constant for a longer period of time will result in more gains and make it much more cost efficient, as the legitimate form of it is still not cheap.”

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That being said, GH does, like any other drug, hold dangers if used irresponsibly. So exactly how does GH compare to other anabolic drugs in terms of health problems if used excessively?

“Anabolic steroids can cause serious problems if overused,” says Ali. “With some, the side effects are harsher than others. 17aa (one of the most potent steroids ever synthesized) is the least of your problems when you talk about overdosing, as insulin, Trenbolone and diuretics respectively are the most dangerous when overdosed.

With GH, by comparison, you don’t need any special form of detoxification post cycle, as the body doesn’t become toxic from legitimate GH.”

GH And Insulin: Negative Interaction

As Ali says, insulin, a transport hormone, secreted from the pancreas to store nutrients in various body tissues, can be extremely dangerous if taken synthetically for bodybuilding purposes. It is also understood that insulin and GH do not interact positively with one another to produce lean muscle gains. What is the deal here?

Ali: “By introducing insulin to your body, GH and thyroid hormone levels drop dramatically. That is just how the human body works. Therefore you need to supplement your body with the two hormones mentioned to compensate the shortage, edge out the gains and minimize the side effect of insulin.

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Naturally, GH is produced best when insulin levels are low, and biologically that is the best time for GH to be produced and to begin working." How is this dilemma solved among bodybuilders who use GH?

"I do, however," says Ali, "recommend taking insulin and GH together, but not at the same time. Depending on your insulin protocol, which we won't get into here because this is a discussion about GH, GH should be taken when insulin is low. And I advocate this protocol because this is the way the body works and all we can do is learn more about this and act accordingly.

You can say that the body is doing this in absence of an external source of GH and insulin and choose to take them both at the same time. But why risk the benefits and gains when there is no study to prove this?

And what I am recommending is what is recommended by the body in the first place. As I said, GH can be taken post workout in an intramuscular manner to reach the system ASAP and then insulin can be introduced 30-40 minutes after that."

GH Can Be Taken Post Workout
In An Intramuscular Manner.

Best Form Of Administration

GH can be taken in a variety of ways, but what is the most effective method? What do the pros do? Ali: "The most common has been sub-q (subcutaneously) for years, and a lot are still doing so. However, this was the medical method used when it was first introduced for GH-deficient people or infants born with a very low birth weight and/or lack of height.

But in the case of "GH in sports" it is different. The administrator is not a deficient patient; he is a person who wants GH to work in his body as soon as possible to get the most benefit from it, making the intramuscular (IM) method the best choice for administration in athletes as, in this fashion, it reaches the system much faster and starts its actions sooner than a sub-q injection."

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Side Effects

It is often thought that the larger the competitor, the more GH they will need to realize any kind of benefit. It seems this is yet another myth.

“The size and weight of the athlete is not a big factor here as it all depends on the liver’s capability to utilize GH and produce IGF-1,” says Ali. “Even though some athletes take up to 24 IU of GH a day, the body/liver can’t utilize this amount, hence the abuse of GH and the undesirable side effects that can be seen.”

As is known, all drugs have their share of side effects. What can be expected as far as the deleterious effects of taking GH? Can death result, as some think?

“There has been nothing recorded or reported on the matter of dying from GH,” says Ali. “However, GH has the tendency to worsen any cancer due to its cell volumizing and anabolic effect on a cell’s size. These are the serious potential effects. Jaw and nose growth are the main, and most noticeable, signs of using GH over a longer period.

No study has yet proved that GH causes cancer, even though a lot of speculation is made. The truth is: the cause of cancer is still not clear today. So no GH or, for that matter, any anabolic steroid is cancerous (theoretically to date) unless the person has been suffering from cancer before using any kind of anabolic; which, in some forms of cancer, the usage of anabolic drugs might worsen the case.”

GH Detection

As Ali suggested before, the intramuscular method of GH administration is the most popular, as this causes a faster cascade of Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) and faster growth as a result. Why is this method best exactly? Why can’t it be taken orally like some anabolic steroids?

According to Ali this is “because it is a protein hormone and, as a result, has to be administered by injection as it is completely digested to its basic amino acids (the amino acids it was made of) when administered by mouth, which means it can’t be differentiated from an oral amino acid supplement. Thus, only injectable administration can allow GH to function at its full potential.”

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This being the case, can GH be detected in a drug test?

Ali: “Due to the liver and kidney internalizing the GH-receptor complex and completely degrading it to its basic amino acids, only minimal quantities of GH appear in the urine and the pattern of urinary excretion has been shown, in those using, to be too low, leading its metabolites in a urine sample to look identical to the metabolites of orally administrated amino acids, making GH an undetectable drug in a doping test.”

Growth Hormone: Good Or Bad?

With their eternal search for a bodybuilding edge, bodybuilders have turned to synthetic growth hormone to boost what nature provides for them naturally. But is it as effective as many are led to believe?

The fact bodybuilders at the cutting edge use it to obtain rock hard definition and additional muscle size is testimony to its powerful nature, but according to Ali it is not a miracle substance and will not work as effectively as steroids for adding pure muscle mass.

However, in today’s ultra competitive bodybuilding climate any edge appears to be worth pursuing and chemicals seem to be a firmly entrenched way in which to gain it. So is GH use good or bad?

From an effectiveness standpoint there is much divergence of opinion, with those considering it to be essential and those, like Ali, who feel it might add the finishing touches to a base of rock hard muscle that hard training and good nutrition has first established.

From a health standpoint there has been not one documented death directly attributable to GH administration, nor does it seem this hormone is as dangerous as some of the more powerful steroids along with insulin and diuretics, the latter of which has taken lives.

With its high cost and, in some quarters, questionable effectiveness, is GH worth the time and expense? As the pro bodybuilding scene continues to grow, along with it athletes, themselves ably assisted by various chemicals, a definitive answer will likely be given sometime soon.

Disclaimer:

Conclusions and opinions given in this article are for educational and entertainment purposes only. They do not necessarily represent those of this site and David Robson.

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