Amino Acids and BCAA's

   If you are trying to build muscle, you are (or should be) taking supplemental protein. But, it isn't the protein your body really needs. When you take your protein, your body breaks it down into amino acids during the digestion process. These amino acids are small enough to be absorbed into the blood stream and can be used by cells to repair muscle tissue, creating new muscle. There are twenty-two identified amino acids. Eight of which are essential amino acids, meaning your body can not synthesize them and has to obtain them through diet (milk, meat, and eggs).

BCAA's.

   While all essential amino acids are important to build muscular strength and size, some are more important than others. Valine, leucine, and isoleucine are known as branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) due to their molecular structure, which features branched chains of carbon extending from their primary carbon structure. BCAA's are unique because they are metabolized in the muscle, and not the liver. When an adequate amount of BCAA's are ingested, they promote an increase in protein synthesis. This results in an increase of muscle growth and recovery time.

Amino Acids as an Energy Source.

   When glycogen levels in the liver and muscles are low (common in low-carb dieting or overall low amount of calories), your body will tap into amino acids as an energy source. This potentially burns up amino acids that could be used in protein synthesis and to promote the building of new muscle tissue and faster muscle recovery. It is common to take BCAA's before a heavy cardio workout to prevent the breakdown of any muscle tissue.

  After your workout, your body is breaking down muscle tissue with a deficit in protein synthesis. This is the best time to take BCAA's. They will increase your body's rate of protein synthesis and aid in repairing your muscle tissue. Otherwise, your body might not be getting the most out of every workout.

                                                                                                    -AO


Source:
MuscleandStrength.com
BodyBuilding.com

All About Beta-Alanine

pH Levels in Your Body.

   As described in "All You Need to Know About Creatine.", your muscles burn up ATP as an energy source when contracting. The harder you work your muscles, the more ATP is used and the more lactic acid is produced. These reactions release H+ (hydrogen ions) into our muscles, causing our pH level to drop. A decrease in the pH level of your muscles causes them to fatigue. Not being able to maintain forceful muscle contractions and perform at your body's highest level during your workout lowers your ability to overload your muscles and achieve better gains.

Carnosine.

   To get our bodies to perform at the highest level, we need to reduce the amount of H+ in our muscles and get the pH level back to the normal range. Our bodies work to keep our pH levels regulated using various buffering systems. These work by absorbing the excess H+ in all parts of our bodies. Carnosine is the first line of defense for absorbing the H+ in your muscles. However, your body can not break down carnosine correctly when ingested alone.

How Beta-Alanine Helps.

   Beta-Alanine plays a huge role in promoting the synthesis of carnosine. Studies show that after supplementing beta-alanine for just four weeks, carnosine levels increased by 42-65%. This increase in buffering capacity (carnosine) from supplementing beta-alanine will result in an increase in strength, lean body mass, and an overall decrease in muscle fatigue.

                                                                                                      
                                                                                                               -AO

The Importance of Sleep

   When you think of building muscle, you always think about things like your workout routine, what to include in your diet, and what supplements to take to help you reach that goal. In my first few months at the gym, I had all these things in mind. One thing I had always overlooked was how important sleep was. To get the most out of your workouts, you have to get a full night of sleep.

Release of Hormones.

  Your body releases it's highest concentration of a growth hormone when you are at rest during the night. These hormones help regulate the way your body's muscles (and bones) grow and strengthen. If you are not getting enough sleep, your body won't be releasing it's maximum amount of this hormone.
   Not only does a lack of sleep suppress the release of growth hormone, studies show that men who are sleep-deprived also show a higher level of cortisol in their body. Cortisol is a hormone that opposes the building of new muscle tissue, and encourages the breakdown of body tissue. Higher levels of cortisol will prevent your muscles from reaching peak recovery before your next workout.
   Along with hindering your body's ability to build muscle and recover, sleep deprivation can also cause you to gain weight. The amount of sleep you get each night greatly affects two of the hormones that influence appetite, grehlin and leptin. Grehlin is the hormone that increases appetite and leads to weight gain. Leptin is the hormone that represses hunger and supports weight loss. A lack of sleep causes a disturbance in the hormonal balance of the two.

Metabolism.

   If you are trying to build muscle without gaining fat, or maintaining lean muscle mass while burning fat, it is very important to have a healthy metabolism. When you don't get enough sleep, your metabolism is altered. This causes your blood sugar levels to imbalance, putting you in a state similar to that of a diabetic. Studies show that a sleep-deprived body takes up to 40% longer than normal to respond and to regulate your blood sugar levels after consuming a meal heavy in carbohydrates.
   Lack of sleep also suppresses your thyroid hormone. Your thyroid hormone regulates how many calories you burn on a daily basis. If your goal is to burn off as much fat as possible, it is very important to get plenty of sleep every night.

                                                                                                     -AO
  

Free Weights vs. Machines

   One of the most common questions of people new to weight training is the difference between free weights and resistance machines. The truth is, there are advantages and disadvantages of both. However, both will promote an increase in overall strength. This article will help you decide which form of training is right for you.

Free Weights.

   Free weights are proven to give quicker strength than the corresponding machine. Unlike machines, they force your body to incorporate extra muscles to stabilize the weight as you lift it. They are also a lot more versatile, to do the number of exercises you can do with one set of dumbbells, you would need more machines than most gyms have available. The motion used with free weights more often resemble the motion you are to use in athletics. Being 6'6" tall, I have found a lot of machines don't allow a large enough range of motion for me to get as much out of the lift as I would when using free weights.

   Although free weights have plenty of benefits, there are also some disadvantages to consider. When training with free weights, not using the correct form during a lift greatly increases your risk of injury. Lifts like bench press, squats, and cleans require you to have a spotter, not everyone who wants to workout has the luxury of having a partner everyday. Free weights are harder to isolate one muscle, since they require more muscles to perform the lift. When becoming fatigued during a lift, it is very easy to start using your momentum to get the rep, rather than a steady contraction of the muscle.

Resistance Machines.

   When using a weight machine, it is much easier to isolate a target muscle because they provide no room for error in your form (making them a much better choice when rehabilitating an injury opposed to free weights). Machines are easy to use, which make them very appealing for beginners. For those of you working out at home, machines take up a lot less space than a squat rack or a clean station. If you are new to the weight room, I recommend starting out on resistance machines until you are comfortable with your form and strength. 

   Although machines are very safe compared to free weights, they also have a lot of disadvantages. They do not offer much versatility (most machines only offer one exercise). A lot of people find that they do not offer enough weight for core lifts (bench press, squats). If you are looking for a weight training program at home, machines are much more expensive than free weights and aren't nearly as versatile.

   Overall, I have found that I get the most out of free weights in almost every way, but still use the machines when having trouble targeting specific muscles. I believe that having a variety of both resistance machines and free weights in your workout will give you the best results. But, like I said before, anyone who is new to weight training should start with the machines until they are comfortable with their form.

                                                                                              -AO

   

The Importance of Multivitamins

   Multivitamins are an extremely useful supplement that are often overlooked. Everywhere you look there are ads for creatine, protein, nitric oxide, pre-workouts, and fat burners, but you never see any for the most essential one, a multivitamin. Your body can not function without the basic vitamins and minerals you get from your diet. When you are training towards whatever your goal might be (weight loss, muscle gain, improving athletics), your body will be using everything your diet provides and still need more.

   The human body requires a wide variety of basic (but essential) vitamins to handle the tasks it is faced with everyday. When any of these vitamins are missing or deficient, your body's maximum performance goes down quick. It is extremely likely that if you're working out everyday (even with a healthy diet), your body is lacking one of these vitamins and is not getting as many results from your hard work as it could be.

Vitamins You Need.

A: Vision, bone growth, immune system, healthy skin.

B complex: Nerve function, vision, healthy skin, digestive system.

C: Immune system, protects cells.

D: What your body needs to process (and use) Calcium.

E: Antioxidant.

K: Healthy teeth, bones, and cartilage.

Zinc: Healthy immune system.

Minerals You Need.

Boron: Processing calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous.

Calcium: Bone health and strength.

Chromium: Insulin production.

Copper: Connective tissue strength.

Iodine: Synthesis for thyroid hormone.

Iron: Carries oxygen within proteins.

Lutein: Healthy eyes.

Lycopene: Promotes healthy heart and cholesterol levels.

Magnesium: Needed in over 250 biochemical reactions of your body.

Manganese: Co-factor in energy production.

Molybdenum: Kidney and liver health.

Nickel: Bone structure and healthy skin.

Potassium: Needed in autonomic body functions (heartbeat, brain function).

Selenium: fights many health problems.

Choosing a Multivitamin.

   Some multivitamins have very small differences, but usually contain the same vitamins and minerals. In choosing a multivitamin for you, you'll notice there are some that target people of a certain gender or age. A man's multivitamin will have certain ingredients that promote a healthy prostate and testosterone levels. A woman's multivitamin will more focus on skin, nails, and hair health. Multivitamins intended for young kids or teenagers will have more vitamins to promote healthy body development. 

   Multivitamins are the most important thing to have in your supplement plan. They are fairly cheap and will get you more out of your other supplements. No matter your age, gender, or fitness goals, there is little reason to not be taking a multivitamin.

                                                                                                  -AO

Why You Need to Take Fish Oil.

   Fish oil is made from the tissue of oily-fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, lake-trout, and sardines. The oil from this tissue contains Omega-3 fatty acids, an essential fatty acid that your body can not naturally produce. There are two notable Omega-3's in fish oil, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and decosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These two acids are believed to have health benefits ranging from reducing the risk of heart attack and coronary heart disease to combating depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Fish Oil and Body Composition.

   Everybody who is trying to improve their body needs to be taking fish oil tablets. The Omega-3's in fish oil cut down excess fat in several ways. They've been shown to increase your insulin activity, which leads to less fat storage and more fat release. They increase the heat in your cellular "furnaces", making them burn more energy. Omega-3's allow your body to burn fat when other times it is unable to, like after a high-carb meal. Fish oil also increases the amount of leptin your body produces, which will increase your metabolism and decrease your hunger.
   One study done by the Nutritional Physiology Research Group in Australia showed that exercise combined with fish oil will burn significantly more fat then fish oil tablets or exercise alone. Researchers found that the Omega-3's in fish oil turned on the fat burning enzymes, but they needed an extra push - exercise. The best thing about this weight loss, is most of the fat loss in this experiment came from the abdominal region.
   In all these studies of the benefits of fish oil, all participants gained some muscle along with losing fat. This is theorized to be "nutritional partitioning", when your body takes calories that were originally directed to be stored as fat and put it towards building muscle instead. Omega-3's were also found to reduce inflammation in your muscles, reducing chances of injuries such as tendonitis and bursitus, and reducing recovery time of your muscles.

Other Benefits.

   Fish oil offers an abundant number of benefits to your body. One of the most appealing to me is the ability to fight cancer. Omega-3's might be able to help combat cancer by starving the cancer cells of linoleic acid. They can also heighten the reaction of the genetic material required to destroy cancer cells, while prevent the adhesion of cancer cells to other healthy cells.
   I've said it earlier, but fish oil is also a great way to enhance your mood. In recent studies, depressed patients given Omega-3 fatty acids have shown a decrease in anxiety, fewer sleeping problems, fewer sexual problems, and a decrease in overall sadness. Even in studies with healthy people, the Omega-3's showed mood-elevating properties by reducing stress and tension.
   Rather you are trying to build muscle, lose fat, or just trying to get healthier, there are too many facts and research showing the benefits of fish oil to not be taking it on a regular basis.


                                                                                                   -AO

The Secret to Abs

The Truth.

   Some of us were born with it, most of us have to work for it, but we all want a toned six pack. The biggest contributor to having visible abs is body fat percentage. The best way to shed fat is to do some cardio; jogging, elliptical, treadmill, bike, or sprints. Any high-repetition (10+) work out will contribute to toning your muscle, but it won't be enough if you weren't genetically gifted with a small percentage of body fat.

How to get there.

   Although body fat is the biggest contributor to having toned abs, it is not the only one. Any experienced trainer will tell you that you not only have to tone your abs, you have to bulk them up. I have read plenty of articles on ab workouts, and the bulking part is always either hardly mentioned or completely overlooked. Bulking up your abs is the same as bulking up any other muscle, low reps with heavy weight. This will make your abs a lot more noticeable, even through a small layer of fat.

What worked for me.
 
   After I had lost some body fat, I still didn't have the abs I wanted. I did plenty of research online and finally found the answer, I need to find a weighted ab workout. After browsing countless workouts, I found University of North Carolina's Strength and Conditioning Coach Jonas Sahration's "Med Ball 400". This workout toned and bulked my abs very quickly with only the use of a medicine ball (3-8 lb.). After finding this work out, I incorporated it into my "Ab day", where I hit 20 minutes of cardio (before every workout) and jump right into the Med Ball 400. After the first few times, I felt like I was able to do a little more with my core even after the workout. I began taking a heavier medicine ball (or even a lifting plate) and holding it straight above me with my elbows locked while laying on my back (like an extended bench press). From there, I would do a sit up with my chin reaching straight up, like I was trying to touch it to the ceiling.
   Although this workout is extremely challenging, it is the best ab workout for those who are going for a trim, muscular core.

Tips.

   The MedBall 400 is going to work your shoulders and some smaller muscle groups as well, it is designed to. Bigger shoulders and traps are big factors in having toned abs because as you bulk them up, the skin will stretch and become tighter around your stomach. Next time you do a shoulder workout, look for a difference in your stomach.
   The greater your muscle mass, the more your body needs to sustain that muscle, increasing your metabolism. This (with a 20 min cardio session before every workout) will burn any fat on your body pretty quickly.
  

                                                                                                 -AO