Glutamine remains the supplement of choice for many bodybuilders. Glutamine is an amino acid that can be found naturally in lots of foods such as beans, meat, fish, poultry and dairy products. Glutamine is also an important component of protein powders and is one of the twenty non-essential amino acids found in the body.
Glutamine is the most common amino acid that is in skeletal tissues and makes up just over 60% of amino acids in muscles. And this is why Glutamine is so important for building muscle.
Glutamine for Building Muscle
Glutamine is distributed throughout the body and plays an important role in protein metabolism. In the eyes of someone that is trying to gain muscle, the strength of glutamine is its ability to reduce the amount of muscle deterioration that occurs as a result of intense physical training. Not being able to replace the high levels of glutamine used up during intense exercise could result in greater status to illness due to a weakening of the immune system. In addition, glutamine 'stolen' from the muscles to maintain the immune system must be replaced to keep those muscles in 'building' mode.
Supplementing with Glutamine
People wanting to build muscle can therefore benefit from supplementing with glutamine each day, preferably taken post-workout to enhance its recuperative effects. Glutamine is a classed as a non essential amino acid. Non essential means the body produces it naturally, not that it is not essential. Just over 60% of our glutamine is found in the skeletal muscle, with the remainder occupying in the lungs, liver, brain and stomach. Glutamine has a unique molecule structure with two nitrogen side chains. This structure makes glutamine the primary transporter of nitrogen in the muscle cells, crucial for supporting muscle growth.
Glutamine Research
Recently, glutamine has gained importance through research demonstrating its unique contribution to protein synthesis (muscle growth), anti-catabolic breakdown functions (prevents muscle tissue breaking down) and muscle building hormone elevating properties. Due to these effects, glutamine plays an important part in your body by aiding recovery of muscle cells. The immune and digestive systems crave glutamine. The digestive system often struggles to get enough glutamine to cope with the high protein diet of a for example a bodybuilder. The other main cause of glutamine depletion is intense physical exercise. When a person undertakes in intense physical activity (working out) more glutamine is required than the total amount produced by the body. If the body cannot get the required glutamine needed from the bloodstream it must revert to the storage facility, the muscles. The body will now break down the glutamine stored in the muscles and send it into the bloodstream. It's under these circumstances that glutamine supplementation is required.
by JonTaylor
It’s a common belief that, when you’re trying to lean out – or “get cut”, in gym lingo – you should switch your training to high repetitions with lighter weights. Is that really the way forward, or is it just bro science’? Well, there’s no gentle way to break this to you: high reps won’t make you cut.
The object of weight training is to stimulate muscle growth, not weight loss. Nutrition is the key to reducing body fat. You lift weights to build muscles – period! But that’s not to say that training with high repetitions doesn’t help at all.
Muscles consist of slow-twitch fibres that are activated during long sets with lighter weights, and fast-twitch fibres stimulated during heavy lifts over a low number of repetitions. Both fibre types can grow as a result of appropriate training.
Increasing the size of muscle fibres results in larger, stronger muscles, which in turn leads to a higher daily calorie expenditure. This is because muscle – unlike fat, incidentally – needs calories for maintenance.
Lifting heavy weights for a few reps increases the size of fast-twitch muscle fibres, which leads to muscle growth and higher calorie expenditure. Lifting lighter weights for a high number of repetitions does the same thing for slow twitch fibres. Technically, therefore, training with a high number of repetitions does help you to burn fat. But so too does heavy lifting – in which case, why deprive half of your muscles of a growth stimulus by limiting your training exclusively to a high-rep protocol?
An alternative is to try 3D training, which I have designed to be followed all year round. This method allows you to increase strength and build muscle while getting leaner.
How is it done? Well, let’s say that you split your training into four workouts: chest, back, shoulders and legs. The first thing to do it create three different routines for each workout. The first will be a heavy workout, focusing on a few compound exercises – essentially, a typical strength-training protocol. The second will involve a higher number of repetitions and increased volume – possibly super sets using a mixture of compound and isolated exercises. Last but not least, you should perform a workout consisting of super-slow reps; machines can come in handy here.
Let me talk you through the super-slow rep workout, as it's my own creation. Set up a boxing timer for four 60-second rounds with a 60-second break between each. Then perform 10 perfectly strict reps of a given exercise at 3:0:3:0 pace, without losing muscle tension. This way, you can break down the muscle fibres very efficiently without stressing your joints. And because the weights used will be very light, you will be ready to train heavy again the following day!
Keep rotating the workouts so that you perform each routine for every muscle once in every two- to three-week cycle. Then you just need to control your calorie intake for that ultimate superhero look!
Sample chest workout
Heavy:
Flat bench press: 4 x 5 reps (2:0:1:0 tempo)
Bench press at 30 degree incline: 4 x 6 reps (2:0:1:0)
Weighted dips: 3 x 8 reps (2:0:1:0)
High volume:
Dumbbell press at 30 degree incline: 4 x 12 reps (3:0:1:0 tempo)
Dumbbell fly at 15 degree incline: 3 x 15 reps (3:0:1:0)
Flat dumbbell press: 4 x 12 reps (3:0:1:0)
Cable crossover: 3 x 15 reps (3:0:1:0)
Dips: 3 x 15 reps 2:0:1:0 tempo
Super slow reps:
Bench press at 30 degree incline: 4 x 10 reps (3:0:3:0 tempo)
Decline machine press: 3 x 10 reps (3:0:3:0)
Dumbbell fly: 3 x 10 reps (3:0:3:0)
Press-up: 3 x 10 reps (3:0:3:0)
By: Captain Physique
Meat products belong to one of the six major food groups. Poultry, pork, red meat, game and fish all provide the body with essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins in order for it to remain healthy.
Recently, however, there has been public controversy concerning just how healthy eating meat on a daily basis really is, especially red meat.
It’s argued the consumption of red meat directly links to heart disease and even cancer. Meanwhile, fears have grown about the amount of fat in all meats, particularly saturated fat.
So, what are the facts?
Minerals
Meat has a very high mineral content including body essentials like magnesium, zinc and iron.
* Magnesium
Magnesium is important for bone strength as it improves vitamin D synthesis as well as help decrease net acid production. It’s thought the consumption of magnesium through diet could assist in preventing osteoporosis.
* Zinc
Zinc is vital for the body’s immune system and is essential for muscle growth and repair.
Most importantly, iron helps to maintain energy levels as well as maximise oxygen transport throughout the body. If there isn’t enough iron being consumed people run the risk of developing anaemia and fatigue. Red meat and turkey are particularly iron rich.
Protein
Meat is an excellent source of protein, which is essential for any healthy diet. It helps build and repair muscle as well as help maintain healthy hair, bones, skin and blood.
Due to its High Biological Value (HBV), protein obtained from meat is easily digested and thus absorbed quickly and effectively by the body.
Red meat, chicken and turkey are extremely high in protein.
Vitamins
Vitamins are vital in maintaining a healthy body. Meat is a particularly good source of vitamin E and B vitamins including B2, B6 and B12.
Vitamin E has very strong antioxidant properties and helps reduce damage caused by oxygen to cells thus allowing faster muscle repair and recovery.
B vitamins all work together to help convert food into energy but they also have individual uses. B2 is essential for the manufacture of red blood cells, which then transport the oxygen around the body. B6 is vital for protein synthesis and B12 is imperative for good nerve functions.
Other Benefits
Minerals, protein and vitamins aside, meats, especially fish, provide the body with essential unsaturated fats like Omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 can actually help reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure and the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
What To Watch Out For
Unfortunately, meat can be high in saturated fats. Lamb, pork, beef and duck are considered the worst culprits.
Too many sat fats can actually increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol.
However, when choosing which meat to buy, opt for lean cuts like roast joints, skinless chicken breasts, turkey and extra lean steaks and trim any excess fat before cooking.
In essence, meat should be consumed as part of a healthy diet particularly for athletes.
While the benefits of meat seem to outweigh the negatives, it’s important to moderate the daily intake, as too much could potentially have harmful consequences.
According to the American Heart Association, the daily consumption of meat should be limited to 6oz.
Bodybuilding is a sport that relies on heavily on it's competitors maintaining a strict nutritional plan in order to get themselves into peak physical shape for competitions.
Bodybuilding requires it's competitors to build muscle mass whilst also keep their body fat percentage as low as possible which is a very difficult task. In order to achieve these feats bodybuilders should consider a variety of supplements such as the below.
Beta Alanine
A beta alanine supplement has been shown to not only aid performance, but also help aid the development of lean muscle mass. By buffering the lactic acid from your muscles beta alanine allows you to train more rigorously and thereby aids the development of lean muscle mass whilst helping you burn additional calories to keep your body fat percentage low.
Whey Protein Isolate
Whilst many athletes will reach for a standard whey protein shake after a workout, bodybuilders should instead consider a whey isolate shake. Whey isolate is lower in carbohydrates and fats than a standard protein shake making it ideal for muscle gain whilst still keeping your body fat percentage low.
CLA
CLA is an ideal supplement for supporting weight loss and lean body composition goals. This makes CLA a powerful aid when trying to cut before a big competition or show as it can help to get your body fat percentage right down. For this, CLA supplements should be a staple for any bodybuilder in the build-up to competition.
ZMA
Having a good recovery supplement is essential for bodybuilders in order to allow them to spend as much time as possible in the gym prepping for competitions. For this reason a supplement such as ZMA is the go to option as it can help aid muscle aches and pains thereby allowing you to get straight back into the gym.
by DavidNicholls
Building muscle takes more than just putting hours in at the gym. While training is obviously important, rest is equally significant. It’s during this time muscles heal from the stresses forced on them during exercise.
However, most importantly, an athlete must have the right nutrients, minerals and vitamins in their diet for adequate muscle recovery and repair. Supplementation can help boost an athlete’s protein intake or give that all-important vitamin hit post-workout, but meat should be the preferred source.
Protein
It’s imperative for an athlete to consume a sufficient amount of protein daily to support muscle growth and meat is an excellent source.
It has High Biological Value (HBV) and is made up of Essential Amino Acids (EAA) and Non-Essential Amino Acids (NEAA). The body can produce NEAA naturally, whereas EAA, which is essential for protein synthesis, cannot.
According to the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, strength athletes require between 1.2g and 1.7g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day. Endurance athletes need a protein intake of 1.2g and 1.4g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day.
Therefore, a strength athlete weighing 105kg will require 126g to 177g protein daily and an endurance athlete weighing 75kg will need between 90g and 105g protein each day.
It’s thought a typical 6oz lean fillet steak contains approximately 32g protein.
Vitamins & Minerals
Meat is naturally rich in multiple vitamins and minerals, all of which essential for muscle gain. It contains high quantities of zinc, selenium and B vitamins e.g. B 2, B 6 and B 12, as well as iron, in red meat.
Zinc, known for helping in the production of protein, assists in the recovery, repair and growth of muscle cells as well as boosting the body’s immune system.
Selenium, an anti-oxidant, helps prevent muscle injury post-workout by preventing oxidative damage to the healthy muscle cells, thus allowing them to repair and grow faster.
B vitamins help release energy from foods meaning an athlete will have a much more energetic and worthwhile workout.
B6 and B12 even have specialised roles that directly relate to muscle growth. B6 is needed for AA metabolism and B12 is required for maintaining nerve function, thus allowing muscles to contract.
A 4oz lean cut of beef provides your body with approximately 50% of the RDA of B6 and 25% of the RDA of B12.
Iron, known for boosting energy levels and combating fatigue, also helps facilitate the production of red blood cells. These then transport oxygen around the body and helps stimulate cell growth – particularly in the muscles.
Creatine
Naturally found in meat, creatine is a nitrogen-containing compound that provides muscles with energy and helps improve protein synthesis, thus encouraging muscle gain.
90% of creatine is found in the muscles with the remaining 10% in the heart and brain.
Essentially, meat is well-balanced and excellent natural source of various elements crucial for muscle growth.
However, meat can be high in saturated fats so, for optimum muscle growth, it’s recommended athletes choose lean cuts like turkey, chicken breast and lean steaks and trim off any excess fat before cooking.
Eggs – The Nation’s Favourite Superfood
Back in the 1980’s the Nation had a bit of an egg revolt. According to then experts the consumption of eggs was to be limited because of their links to high cholesterol.
Since then, though, the nutritional profile of eggs has changed dramatically thanks to the improved diet and lifestyle of the Chickens that lay them. As a result, eggs are firmly back on the daily menus of many – including athletes, fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders.
Egg whites are especially popular because they’re high in muscle building protein, low in fat and contain absolutely no carbs, but the egg as a whole should not be dismissed.
In fact in a recent article by Dr Juliet Gray, eggs were described as a natural health food and diet aid - essentially a superfood with outstanding nutritional and health benefits we should all be eating.
Yet while we know the 1980’s research is outdated and the protein value of egg whites, in comparison to fat content, is arguably unrivalled – just how many of you know the true health and nutritional benefits of eggs?
The White
The egg white has so much more to it than just protein. It’s extra low in fat and contains many an essential mineral including:
* Magnesium
This mineral serves so many functions it’s hard to list them all.
In a nutshell, though, Magnesium is needed for the creation of ATP, regulating blood sugar levels, helping you sleep and maintaining bone health.
Research also suggests Magnesium can have a positive impact on blood pressure as well as prevent strokes and heart attacks.
* Iron
Iron plays a huge role in the growth and development of the human body by metabolising proteins and encouraging the growth of red blood cells.
This is essential because the more you train the greater the risk of becoming anaemic which can have a negative impact on your workouts.
Studies also show Iron fights fatigue, helps transport oxygen around the body and boosts your immune system.
* Calcium
We all know calcium is important for healthy bones and teeth, but it has other health benefits too.
Most recently Calcium has been proven to have positive impact on weight loss as it can actively prevent weight gain by promoting fat to be burned as energy and less fat to be stored.
The Yolk
Once vilified the big bad wolf of the egg world because of its dreaded cholesterol stores, the yolk has been reinstated as a food to munch in recent years thanks to its many nutritional positives….
Essential fatty acids
Egg yolks contain Omega-3, which is needed for keeping your brain and body in peak condition.
Without it, your concentration levels could drop, you could feel fatigued and you’ll most likely struggle for motivation.
Egg yolks also have Omega-6, which is essential for healthy skin, hair, libido and response to injury!
Vitamin D
AKA the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D is essential for keeping your bones and teeth healthy as well as regulating your mood.
The greatest source of Vitamin D is sunlight (hence is AKA!) but a small number of foods also have it - eggs are one of these lucky foods providing you with roughly 21% of your RDA per serving!
Zinc
Zinc is extremely important in not only maintaining your overall health and well-being, but it keeps your immune system healthy too.
It can also boost your brain function by regulating how neurons communicate actively affecting your cognitive function.
The list goes on and on. In total, the egg has 25 vitamins and minerals, most of which found in the yolk and all of which have positives for your health.
They are antioxidants due to their selenium content, powerful immune boosters, a great source of energy and help your body build lean muscle the whole food way.
It’s easy to see why this once condemned foodstuff is now the Nation’s favorite superfood.
Cure your biceps blunders with this heavy-duty dose of dumbbells.
You know the adage: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. When you aim to improve your physique, you don’t use the same approach day after day; instead, you diversify, incorporating several different movements, angles and loads. And when something stops working for you in the gym, common sense dictates that it’s time for a change. Yet there are some who play to the adage, repeating the failed workouts of yesteryear in hopes that this time will be different. One of the joys of lifting weights is that you have hundreds of options at your disposal, and there may be no greater ally than dumbbells in the quest for a better body.
Dumbbells are the Talented Mr. Ripley of the fitness world, doing the work of barbells and machines in nearly every imaginable exercise, oftentimes better. Their versatility is second to none, allowing lifters to detect muscular imbalances, train without a spotter, vary wrist angles…the list goes on. This month, take a mostly unilateral approach to your biceps training. Open with a standard mass-builder, dumbbell-style. From there, it’s on to dumbbell incline curls, which target the outer head of your bi’s. Close with a one-arm preacher curl to bombard that often-neglected inner head.
Need to inject a little variety into your biceps workout? Then walk away from that rack of EZ-bars and try our all-dumbbell routine. You’ll work your peaks from different positions that are guaranteed to keep them growing.
1. Standing Dumbbell Curl
How Many? 1 warm-up + 4 sets; 10, 10, 12, 12 reps
1) START: Stand erect holding two dumbbells at your sides. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows. Palms face forward.
2) MOVE: In an explosive yet controlled manner, simultaneously curl both dumbbells, keeping your elbows tight at your sides. At the top, squeeze your biceps hard as you hold the peak contraction momentarily. Slowly reverse the motion, bringing the weights back to the start. Repeat.
2. Incline Alternating Dumbbell Curl
How Many? 4 sets; 8-12 reps apiece
1) START: Set the bench to about a 45-60-degree angle. Hold a dumbbell in each hand as you sit back on the bench and allow your arms to hang straight down toward the floor. Palms faced forward.
2) MOVE: Curl one arm at a time toward the same-side shoulder, keeping your elbow back. Keep your head straight and don’t lean to either side. Squeeze your biceps at the top. Slowly lower to the start. Alternate arms.
3. One-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl
How Many? 3 sets; 10-15 reps for each arm
1) START: Hold a dumbbell in one hand and secure yourself on a preacher bench. Keep your nonworking hand on the bench for balance.
2) MOVE: Slowly lower the dumbbell, stopping just short of locking out your elbow. In a smooth and controlled motion, curl the weight toward the same-side shoulder. Squeeze at the top before slowly returning to the start. Complete all reps for one side, then repeat with the opposite arm.
by Eric Velazquez
