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<title>True Muscle : Blog Posts</title>
<link>http://truemuscle.com</link>
<pubDate>2012-05-16</pubDate>
<description>List of Latest Blog Posts at True Muscle </description>
<language>en-us</language>
<isc:store_name><![CDATA[True Muscle ]]></isc:store_name>
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<title><![CDATA[Why You Should NEVER Use Store Bought Salad Dressings!]]></title>
<link>http://truemuscle.com/Why-You-Should-NEVER-Use-Store-Bought-Salad-Dressings_b_12.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-09-21</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Why You Should NEVER Use Store Bought Salad Dressings!If you want to truly eat healthy, enhance your fat loss and stay away from some of the really bad additives in processed foods, 1 thing you should get rid of from your diet is typical store-bought salad dressing.I personally always try to stay away from pre-made salad dressings from the store now days, and here's the reason why: ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Why You Should NEVER Use Store Bought Salad Dressings!If you want to truly eat healthy, enhance your fat loss and stay away from some of the really bad additives in processed foods, 1 thing you should get rid of from your diet is typical store-bought salad dressing.I personally always try to stay away from pre-made salad dressings from the store now days, and here's the reason why:]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[Why You Should NEVER Use Store Bought Salad Dressings!If you want to truly eat healthy, enhance your fat loss and stay away from some of the really bad additives in processed foods, 1 thing you should get rid of from your diet is typical store-bought salad dressing.I personally always try to stay away from pre-made salad dressings from the store now days, and here's the reason why:1. The majority of all store bought salad dressings contain a pretty good amount of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Unless you're in a good health food store, it's near impossible to locate a salad dressing that does not contain a high amounts of HFCS.2. Almost all store-bought salad dressings contain heavily refined soybean oil and/or refined canola oil... both of which are VERY unhealthy. Yes, that's correct, canola oil IS unhealthy, despite the marketing propaganda you've been fed claiming that it's healthy. Because of the refining process of both soy bean or canola oils, the polyunsaturated component of the oils is oxidized and makes these oils very inflammatory inside your body. Also, soy bean oil is WAY too high in omega-6 fatty acids which throws your omega-6 to omega-3 balance out of whack.Everyone knows that olive oil is healthier, but when it comes to store bought salad dressings... Even salad dressings that claim to be made with olive oil on the FRONT label are kind of deceptive, because if you look at the ingredients on the BACK label, they are almost ALWAYS made of mostly refined soy bean oil or canola oil as the main oil, with only a very small amount of actual olive oil as a secondary oil.So here's how to avoid all of these bad unhealthy store bought salad dressings and make your own quick and easy SUPER healthy salad dressing...The Quick and Easy Recipe for Super-Healthy Salad Dressing Healthy-Fat Blend Balsamic Vinaigrette DressingFill your salad dressing container with these approximate ratios of liquids: 1/3rd of container filled with balsamic vinegar 1/3rd of container filled with apple cider vinegar fill the remaining 1/3rd of container with equal parts of extra virgin olive oiland Udo's Choice Oil EFA Blend Add just a small touch (approx 1 or 2 teaspoons) of Real Maple Syrup Add a little bit of onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper and then shake the container to mix all ingredients well.This homemade salad dressing mixture is Healthy &amp; Delicious, and I never ever get tired of it!The reason I choose to blend the extra virgin olive oil half &amp; half with the Udo's Choice Oil is that they make up for what each lacks... And even though extra virgin olive oil is healthy and contains important antioxidants, it's monounsaturated, and is low in the essential fatty acids (EFAs). The Udo's Choice Oil is higher in unrefined polyunsaturated oils with a good healthy balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. There are several variations of the Udo's Choice Oil, and one of them (labeled DHA 3-6-9 Blend) even contains a DHA algae oil blended into the mix along with organic flax oil, coconut oil, evening primrose oil, rice bran oil, oat germ and bran oil, and a few others. Overall, blending Udo's Oil with extra virgin olive oil makes nearly a perfect oil blend for salad dressings with an awesome taste and great health benefits. If you can't find Udo's Choice Oil Blends (you can find Udo's at almost any health food store), there are other EFA oil blends on the market...just make sure that they are COLD-processed to protect the EFAs. You shouldn't ever heat an EFA oil blend!Give this homemade super healthy salad dressing a try! You will be doing your body a big favor by staying away from the harmful additives in store bought salad dressings.Enjoy!Want more Healthy Recipes? Click Here.Men Click Here for more free tips and odd foods to fight off ugly abdominal fatWomen Click Here to see a unique method to get a flat sexy stomach (unusual fat-fighting tips)]]></isc:description>
<isc:productid><![CDATA[12]]></isc:productid>
<isc:author><![CDATA[True Muscle Admin]]></isc:author>
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<title><![CDATA[7 "FATTY" Foods that Can Help You to Get a Flat Stomach]]></title>
<link>http://truemuscle.com/7-FATTY-Foods-that-Can-Help-You-to-Get-a-Flat-Stomach_b_11.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-09-06</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ 7 FATTY Foods that Can Help You to Get a Flat Stomach (some of these will surprise you!)These 7 shocking Fatty (but healthy) super-foods can actually help you to burn body fat faster! by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist Author of the best-seller -- The Truth about Six Pack Abs At this point, the anti-fat propaganda has died and almost everybody understands by now that eating fat doesn't necessarily make you fat. In fact, it's absolutely imperative to get enough healthy fats in your diet to keep your hormones balanced, blood sugar under control, and prevent cravings. Here are 7 examples of fatty foods that can actually HELP you to get lean...  ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[7 FATTY Foods that Can Help You to Get a Flat Stomach (some of these will surprise you!)These 7 shocking Fatty (but healthy) super-foods can actually help you to burn body fat faster! by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist Author of the best-seller -- The Truth about Six Pack Abs At this point, the anti-fat propaganda has died and almost everybody understands by now that eating fat doesn't necessarily make you fat. In fact, it's absolutely imperative to get enough healthy fats in your diet to keep your hormones balanced, blood sugar under control, and prevent cravings. Here are 7 examples of fatty foods that can actually HELP you to get lean... ]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[7 FATTY Foods that Can Help You to Get a Flat Stomach(some of these will surprise you!) These 7 shocking Fatty (but healthy) super-foods can actually help you to burn body fat faster! Men Click Here for more free tips and odd foods to fight off ugly abdominal fatWomen Click Here to see a unique method to get a flat sexy stomach (unusual fat-fighting tips)At this point, the anti-fat propaganda has died and almost everybody understands by now that eating fat doesn't necessarily make you fat. In fact, it's absolutely imperative to get enough healthy fats in your diet to keep your hormones balanced, blood sugar under control, and prevent cravings. Here are 7 examples of fatty foods that can actually HELP you to get lean... At this point, the anti-fat propaganda has died and almost everybody understands by now that eating fat doesn't necessarily make you fat. In fact, it's absolutely imperative to get enough healthy fats in your diet to keep your hormones balanced, blood sugar under control, and prevent cravings. Here are the 7 examples of fatty foods that can actually HELP you to get lean...1. Super Dark Chocolate (at least 72% cacao content or higher) - It might not be a secret anymore, but yes, dark chocolate (NOT milk chocolate) can be a very healthy food, even though it is technically calorie dense. However, I would contend that dark chocolate can actually HELP you to burn off more body fat if you're the type of person that has a sweet tooth and likes to eat a lot of desserts. In this case, just 1 or 2 small squares of dark chocolate can many times satisfy your sweet tooth for only 30 or 40 calories as opposed to 500 calories for a piece of chocolate cake or a piece of pie. Also some brands of dark chocolate that are in the mid 70's in % cacao content or higher, can have a fairly high ratio of fiber content (I've seen some brands have 5 grams of fiber out of 15 grams of total carbs per serving), and relatively low sugar content compared to the amount of healthy fats. In fact, that's one of the tricks I use to select a good quality chocolate... I look for more total fat than total carbs (or about the same number of grams of each).The importance of that fact is that it means many dark chocolates will not greatly affect your blood sugar and will have a fairly blunted blood sugar response compared to other sweets.In addition, dark chocolate is also very rich in healthful antioxidants, including a powerful compound called theobromine which has been shown to help lower blood pressure and have other health benefits. The fat content in a good dark chocolate should come solely from the natural healthy fats occuring in cocoa butter and not from any other added fats. Any chocolates with added fats or other additives will generally not be as healthy.The reason I say to choose dark chocolates with at least 72% cacao content is that the higher the % of cacao, the lower the % of sugar. However, this does mean that any chocolate over 80% cacao content will generally start to get a more bitter taste and have very little sweetness. If you like this type of taste, then the higher % cocao, the better. Otherwise, a good 75% dark chocolate is in my opinion an almost perfect combination of lightly sweet with a rich chocolate taste. Just remember to keep those daily quantities of chocolate small as it is calorie dense!You can also reap the benefits of the antioxidants and fiber without all of the calories by using organic unsweetened cocoa powder in your smoothies or other recipes. More Super Foods that KILL Abdominal Fat Here2. Coconut milk, coconut flour, and coconut oil -- Coconut milk and oil are great sources of a super healthy type of saturated fat called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), including a component called lauric acid, which is a powerful nutrient for your immune system, and is lacking in most western diets. In addition, MCTs are readily used for energy by the body and less likely to be stored as bodyfat compared to other types of fats.Along with coconut milk and coconut oil as healthy fat choices, we've also got coconut flour as a healthier flour option for baking. Coconut flour is an extremely high fiber flour alternative (almost ALL of the carbs in this flour are fiber and not starch!). Coconut flour is also VERY high in protein compared to most flours and is also gluten free! Just beware that if you're going to use coconut flour for baking, it absolutely NEEDS to be mixed with other flours as it sucks up moisture like crazy... I've made delicious baked goods by mixing coconut flour with almond flour and quinoa flour in equal parts, and adding slightly more liquid ingredients than the recipe calls for. More Super Foods that KILL Abdominal Fat Here3. Grass-fed (pasture-raised) butter -- yes, delicious smooth and rich BUTTER (real butter, not deadly margarine!)... It's delicious, contains loads of healthy nutritional factors, and does NOT have to be avoided in order to get lean. In fact, I eat a couple pats of grass-fed butter daily and maintain single digit bodyfat most times of the year.There's a lot of confusion about this topic... in fact, I just saw a TV show today that was talking about unhealthy foods and one of the first things they showed was butter. It just shows that the majority of the population has zero idea that butter (grass-fed only!) can actually be a healthy part of your diet.In fact, there's even ample evidence that REAL butter can even help you to lose body fat for a couple of main reasons: a. Grass-fed butter is known to have high levels of a healthy fat called CLA, which has been shown to have anti-cancer properties, and also has been shown to help burn abdominal fat and build lean muscle. b. Grass-fed butter also has an ideal balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids (unlike conventional grain-fed butter) which helps fight inflammation in your body, and can help balance hormones. c. The healthy fats in grass-fed butter also contain MCTs, which help to boost your immune system and are readily burned by the body for energy. The healthy fats in grass-fed butter also help to satisfy your appetite and control blood sugar levels, both of which help you to stay lean!If you have a hard time finding a grass-fed butter at your grocery store, Kerrygold Irish butter is one of my favorites, and even though the label doesn't clearly state grass-fed, the cows are 100% grass-fed on lush green pastures in Ireland. It's one of the richest butters in color that I've seen, which indicates high levels of carotenoids. More Super Foods that KILL Abdominal Fat Here4. Whole Eggs, including the yolk (not just egg whites) -- Most people know that eggs are one of the highest quality sources of protein. However, most people don't know that the egg yolks are the healthiest part of the egg... that's where almost all of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (such as lutein) are found in eggs.In fact, the egg yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids. Also, the protein of whole eggs is more bio-available than egg whites alone due to a more balanced amino acid profile that the yolks help to build.Just make sure to choose free-range organic eggs instead of normal grocery store eggs. Similar to the grass-fed beef scenerio, the nutrient content of the eggs and the balance between healthy omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (in excess) is controlled by the diet of the hens. Chickens that are allowed to roam free outside and eat a more natural diet will give you healthier, more nutrient-rich eggs with a healthier fat balance compared with your typical grocery store eggs (that came from chickens fed nothing but soy and corn and crowded inside egg factories all day long). More Super Foods that KILL Abdominal Fat Here5. Grass-fed beef or bison (NOT the typical grocery store beef!) -- I know most people think that red meat is unhealthy for you, but that's because they do not understand how the health of the animal affects how healthy the meat is for consumption. Keep this in mind -- an unhealthy animal provides unhealthy meat, but a healthy animal provides healthy meat.Typical beef or bison that you see at the grocery store is raised on grains, mainly corn (and to some extent, soybeans). Soy and corn are NOT the natural diet of cattle or bison, and therefore changes the chemical balance of fats and other nutrients in the beef or bison. Grain-fed beef and bison is typically WAY too high in omega-6 fats and WAY too low in omega-3 fats. In addition, the practice of feeding cattle corn and soy as the main portion of their diet upsets their digestive system and makes them sick... and it also increases the amount of dangerous e-coli in the meat. This is not the case with grass-fed meat.On the other hand, grass-fed beef from cattle and buffalo (or bison) that were raised on the type of natural foods that they were meant to eat in nature (grass and other forage), have much higher levels of healthy omega-3 fats and lower levels of inflammatory omega-6 fats (that most people already eat way too much of) compared to grain fed beef or bison. Grass fed meats also typically contain up to 3 times the Vitamin E as in grain fed meats.In addition, grass-fed meat from healthy cattle or bison also contain a special healthy fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in MUCH higher levels than grain-fed meat. CLA has been proven in scientific studies in recent years to help in burning fat and building lean muscle (which can help you lose weight!). These benefits are on top of the fact that grass-fed meats are some of the highest quality proteins that you can possibly eat... and this also aids in burning fat and building lean muscle.Grass-fed meats are a little harder to find, but just ask your butcher or find a specialty grocery store and they usually have cuts available. I've also found a great site here Grass-fed Ground Beef to order grass-fed meats online.5 More Super Foods that KILL Abdominal Fat Here6. Avocados -- Even though avocados are typically thought of as a fatty food, they are chock full of healthy fats! Not only is this fruit (yes, surprisingly, avocados are actually a fruit) super-high in monounsaturated fat, but also chock full of vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, and antioxidants. Also, in my opinion, guacamole (mashed avocados with garlic, onion, tomato, pepper, etc) is one of the most delicious food toppings ever created, and you can be happy to know that it's also one of the healthiest toppings you can use on your foods. Try sliced avocados or guacamole on sandwiches, burgers, eggs or omelets, on salads or with fish, or as a delicious side to just about any meal.The quality dose of healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients that you get from avocados helps your body to maintain proper levels of hormones that help with fat loss and muscle building. Also, since avocados are an extremely satiating food, eating them helps to reduce your appetite in the hours after your meal. Say goodbye to junk food cravings and bring on that fat burning! I personally eat anywhere from a half to a full avocado DAILY and it only helps to keep me lean. More Super Foods that KILL Abdominal Fat Here7. Nuts: Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios, Pecans, Brazil Nuts, Macadamias, etc -- Yes, this is yet another fatty food that can actually help you burn belly fat! Although nuts are generally between 75-90% fat in terms of a ratio of fat calories to total calories, this is another type of food that is all healthy fats, along with high levels of micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Nuts are also a good source of fiber and protein, which of course, you know helps to control blood sugar and can aid in fat loss.Nuts also help to maintain good levels of fat burning hormones in your body (adequate healthy fat intake is vitally important to hormone balance) as well as helping to control appetite and cravings so that you essentially eat less calories overall, even though you're consuming a high-fat food. My favorite healthy nuts are pecans, pistachios, almonds, macadamias, and walnuts, and by eating them in variety, you help to broaden the types of vitamins and minerals and also the balance of polyunsaturated to monounsaturated fats you obtain.Try to find raw nuts instead of roasted nuts if you can, as it helps to maintain the quality and nutritional content of the healthy fats that you will eat.Also, try to broaden your horizons beyond the typical peanut butter that most people eat, and try almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, or macadamia butter to add variety to your diet.One of the little tricks that I've used with clients when trying to cut down body fat is to have them eat a handful of nuts such as almonds or pecans about 20 minutes before lunch and dinner. This ends up being a perfect time to control your appetite before lunch or dinner and helps you to eat less overall calories on that meal.I hope you enjoyed this look at some of the healthiest fatty fat-burning foods you can possibly eat. I could list a ton more, but wanted to give you a few of my favorites for now. Enjoy!More foods that fight stomach fat:See more unique tips to lose stubborn belly fat on the next page...I'm going to show you at least 12 other specific foods, spices, and odd tips that will help you to burn abdominal fat fast:Men Click Here for more free tips and odd foods to fight off ugly abdominal fatWomen Click Here to see a unique method to get a flat sexy stomach (unusual fat-fighting tips)]]></isc:description>
<isc:productid><![CDATA[11]]></isc:productid>
<isc:author><![CDATA[Administrator]]></isc:author>
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<title><![CDATA[HumaPro® - How to Use HumaPro® Protein and Why]]></title>
<link>http://truemuscle.com/HumaPro--How-to-Use-HumaPro-Protein-and-Why_b_10.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-08-10</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ At ALR Industries we take a great deal of pride in not only being innovative but also in being leaders in dramatically supporting the positive direction your performance and health takes. Being athletes and performance oriented individuals ourselves, we design and formulate to enhance all we do in life, THEN we offer our best to you. Sounds like hype to some I suppose, but I am the CEO, Author L. Rea test subject #1 and my name is on every bottle, box or package as my promise to only offer what I personally believe to be the best possible or suffer the humiliation if not. So we get it right before offering our products and even work to improve those we have already. Why settle for good if greatness is the only option? We certainly are not afraid of controversy and even tend to invite it as a means of getting others out of the 80’s. ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[At ALR Industries we take a great deal of pride in not only being innovative but also in being leaders in dramatically supporting the positive direction your performance and health takes. Being athletes and performance oriented individuals ourselves, we design and formulate to enhance all we do in life, THEN we offer our best to you. Sounds like hype to some I suppose, but I am the CEO, Author L. Rea test subject #1 and my name is on every bottle, box or package as my promise to only offer what I personally believe to be the best possible or suffer the humiliation if not. So we get it right before offering our products and even work to improve those we have already. Why settle for good if greatness is the only option? We certainly are not afraid of controversy and even tend to invite it as a means of getting others out of the 80’s.]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[How to Use HumaPro&reg;…And WhyAt ALR Industries we take a great deal of pride in not only being innovative but also in being leaders in dramatically supporting the positive direction your performance and health takes. Being athletes and performance oriented individuals ourselves, we design and formulate to enhance all we do in life, THEN we offer our best to you. Sounds like hype to some I suppose, but I am the CEO, Author L. Rea test subject #1 and my name is on every bottle, box or package as my promise to only offer what I personally believe to be the best possible or suffer the humiliation if not. So we get it right before offering our products and even work to improve those we have already. Why settle for good if greatness is the only option? We certainly are not afraid of controversy and even tend to invite it as a means of getting others out of the 80’s.With the release of HumaPro&reg; by ALR Industries, the first maximal protein synthesis matrix specifically created for humans only, we opened the door for possibly the biggest controversial debate yet. Not only have we done so in the sports performance area but in the world of optimized healthier human nutrition as a whole. That we obviously upset so many in doing so validates that we have pissed off many who have a great deal to lose if word gets out before they can counter market against HumaPro&reg;. I realize no one wants to accept the reality they offer an inferior, if not seriously unhealthy product. But come on, it’s not my fault they opted to forget that they have people trusting them to bring the best as we progress in science. Why bother if you are not seeking to always bring the very best from yourself or the best in what you do? Damn the mediocrity!HumaPro&reg; is the best anabolic support protein synthesis matrix available today…and it only took us 12 years of research and testing to do so. So let’s start with understanding protein as a whole then move into how to use HumaPro&reg; for your specific needs then we can discuss why use HumaPro&reg; other than the fact HumaPro&reg; is lead, and arsenic free. The US government can set “acceptable” (arsenic and lead are acceptable?) standards for how much arsenic and lead is okay for daily intake for you and your children from whey protein even though both are accumulative, and we will set ours at none is acceptable. Work for you?It’s 100% All About NNU…We have all been inundated with the belief that to build muscle we need between 1 gram of protein per kilo, or even per pound, of bodyweight daily. I have even written it myself in books and articles not realizing reader’s perception was based upon an assumed mixture of protein sources common to athletes. What if I told you that you actually only need 0.4 grams per kilo of bodyweight daily? Would you stop reading or want to know the truth? Let’s see…You Only Need 0.4 Grams per Kilo of Bodyweight Daily to Be AnabolicStill reading? Okay…I had not realized until recently that dietitians, coaches, trainers, athletes and health oriented individuals commonly count their protein intake and needs based upon grams of protein consumed daily…then stop there. The protein source is only slightly taken into consideration. And usually this is assumed scientific simply because it is based upon grams ingested daily per pound or kilo of bodyweight. That is like calculating gallons of gas you need to get a 2 ton car from point A to B based solely upon weight. In truth this odd approach only tells you how many calories you are ingesting from protein, not how much your physiology can use or needs for a specific goal such as recovery, growth or performance. Since I and most researchers in my field calculate NNU, I assumed everyone understood this reality was the most important part of counting protein intake already. Which of course shows we all always have much to learn.What is NNU?Nope, not a University football team. NNU stands for Net Nitrogen Utilization. It is the part of protein your body uses to do all the good things we want, the rest of the protein is just waste material and calories. So, the options for protein waste are in the toilet, burned as heat or stored as fat. The toilet gets the lions share. First let’s learn a little more about what NNU is, then we should discuss protein a little more so we all understand that not all proteins are created equal nor are most protein very healthy in reality (No, we are not arguing the vegan thing). (I can hear big protein, meat and egg corps everywhere planning my demise already…lol). Truth is that protein is really a poor and dirty calorie source but the positive nitrogen is paramount.Net Nitrogen Utilization (NNU) Defined: the scientific measure of the anabolic efficiency ratio for a given protein or amino acid. As the % increases so does the anabolic or protein synthesis value.A) Among the three basic macronutrients, 1) proteins 2) carbohydrates and 3) fats, Nitrogen is found only in proteins and its building blocks amino acids. B) When you ingest proteins, they are broken down to make amino acid which are used to make new proteins specific for our body, converted into glucose for energy or stored as fat. Most of the negative nitrogen waste lands in the toilet but some is stored as fat or converted to glucose for energy. For some protein sources this negative waste can be as high as 84% of what was ingested. C) When whole proteins are broken down they release nitrogen.D) So obviously when whole proteins are used to make our own human proteins, no nitrogen is released at that time.E) Nitrogen that is released during metabolism is a waste product and the liver makes it into urea or ammonia (these are both toxic) and it is excreted by the lungs (ammonia) or mainly in the urine and feces (ammonia nitrates and urea). The remaining waste is handled by your kidneys. F) One can measure how much of protein is used to make protein by knowing how much nitrogen was taken in (proteins are 16% nitrogen so 100 grams of protein = 16 grams of nitrogen) and then collecting urine and stool and measuring how much comes out. G) To do this one designs a diet and has an individual follow a diet of only, for an example, whey protein, with fruits and amino acid free vegetables for 3 days and measures how many grams of nitrogen they took in verses how much came out by collecting their urine and stool. If 100 grams of nitrogen was taken in and 84 came out then only 16 grams has been retained.H) This is the method by which NNU is clinically accessed. In this case the NNU would be 16-17%, such as when whey or soy is the protein source.I) In regard to HumaPro&reg; an ingestion of 100 grams would result in less than 1 gram of negative waste better known as Nitrogen Catabolites or NC. Nearly all of it gets made into utilized protein. Therefore the NNU is 99% and less time in the bathroom.Not All Proteins Are Created EqualAs I am sure you have noticed, trying to do the math necessary to be certain that your NNU intake is optimal “appears” complex…but it’s rather simple actually. Try this formula for your base: BW Divided by 2.2 multiplied by 0.4 = Optimal NNU.So if you weigh 220 pounds and you divide by 2.2 you get your body weight in kilograms, which is 100 kg BW. Now multiply 100 x 0.4 = 40 grams NNU. So you need 40g of NNU. Naturally you could simply ingest 40g of HumaPro&reg; 10g at a time 25 minutes before each of 4 meals and you would note results rather quickly but there are times a strong positive nitrogen balance is more beneficial than others. IF (note I said “if”) your goal were to keep it this simple you would:1.) Ingest 10 tablets HumaPro&reg; upon awakening in the AM, do your morning thing and eat breakfast. No other protein is needed. Yes, HumaPro&reg; is a “specific for humans ratio” of predigested Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) providing the complete corrected amino acid profile for near zero waste and highest anabolic ratio possible. 2.) 2 hours later ingest 5 tablets HumaPro&reg; and eat your second meal 25 minutes later. If your first HumaPro&reg; and meal was at 7:00/7:30am you would swallow the next 5 tablets at 9:30am and eat at 10:00am3.) Let’s say you train at lunch. You would ingest 5 tablets HumaPro&reg; at 12 noon and slam a quick meal (no additional protein necessary) then train{1}. Personally I drink Chain’d Out&reg; with all of my meals because I don’t ingest any other proteins except HumaPro&reg;. Chain’d Out&reg; is a very anabolic and unique BCAA complex made of alpha-hydroxy protected BCAAs and a few very effective compounds to support anabolism, recovery and inhibit catabolism…and it can be ingested with HumaPro&reg; due to no cross up-take inhibition. 4.) Post-Training ingest 5 tablets with either 75g of Chain’d Reaction™ or waxy maze. 5.) Assuming your last meal was around 1pm ingest 5 tabs HumaPro&reg; at 3pm and eat your mid-afternoon meal 25 minutes later.6.) Obviously your evening meal would require ingesting 5 HumaPro&reg; around 5:30pm and another meal 25 minutes later.7.)Bed time is very important in regard to recovery and anabolism while avoiding or at least dramatically limiting catabolism. 25 minutes before hitting the pillow ingest 5-10 tablets HumaPro&reg; followed 25 minutes later with a caloric snack. My preference is 15g of Dag oil, 3g Evening Primrose Oil and 3g Omega 3-6-9 with a half cup brown rice and some Chain’d Out&reg;. Hit the teeth and hit the bed. Do You NEED To Always Wait 25 Minutes Before Eating Solid Foods?Of course not! Is your goal is to always create an acute and rapid optimal anabolic growth/anti-catabolic environment? Then you would make sure nothing slows down the passage of HumaPro&reg; through the GI and into the circulatory system creating a delay, would you? The diet out-line above is an example of this full time methodology. Works especially well when dieting due to the decrease in hunger most experience when taking HumaPro&reg; alone before solid foods. However this can be rather difficult to time for some and you can get just as amazing results anyway by making all of your meals more efficient. Yup, you can dramatically increase the NNU:NC ratio just a favorably while repartitioning nutrients away from fat to lean mass. You can simply ingest the desired amount of HumaPro&reg; with regular meals…though I strongly suggest sticking to the first 10 tablets or drink of HumaPro&reg; going down without whole food upon waking. The reason is simple: You want best results so you immediately start your body off in the AM in a positive nitrogen/anabolic environment then keep it going long past bed time that night. So How Does This Work?Let’s say you want to eat 4oz of steak and drink a glass of HumaPro&reg; with your yams. Let’s make it a double shot of Apple Cider flavor HumaPro&reg;. How would you calculate your NNU and NC?9.00g NNC from HumaPro&reg; 100mg NC (waste)8.96g NNU From 4oz steak 19.04g NC (waste)Totals 17.96g NNU 19.14g NCYou just increased your daily NNU 17.96g instead of only 8.96g and dramatically improved your anabolic to catabolic ratio. {1} I know most say protein intake is more important immediately AFTER training, not before. They are simply wrong. Though several studies have validated this, the following site validated a 209% increase in amino acid up-take when EAAs were ingested pre-training. Post ingestion only showed an 81% increase in amino acid up-take/NNU. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Aug;281(2):E197-206.Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise. An additional point of interest is that the rate of anabolism lasted 2 hours post training from the Pre-Training supplementation, and is naturally augmented if Post-Training HumaPro&reg; ingestion is utilized as well.Though this is likely one of the healthiest and fastest ways to diet off some body fat, most want to eat some real food protein. So how would you calculate your NNU if you wish to use some whole food proteins and HumaPro&reg;? Of course the goal is to add a diet and NNU calculator to the HumaPro.com web site but it is actually easy. Using the pie chart above you can do it in a few minutes.Protein Source AOPNC NNU10 Tablets HumaPro&reg;10g100mg9.9g4oz hamburger patty28g19.04g8.96g10 Tablets HumaPro&reg;10g100mg9.9g3oz Fish, tuna, yellowfin, fresh, cooked, dry heat25.47g17.31g8.15g10 Tablets HumaPro&reg;10g100mg9.9gTotals83.47g37.01g46.81gAOP = Amount of ProteinNC= Negative Catabolites (waste)NNU= Net Nitrogen UtilizedCalorie Needs per Day per Pound of BodyweightHBW x 8-10 cals = to meet your BMR (Or Diet Off Some Fat)HBW x 11-13 cals = to meet your BMR and a sedentary lifestyleHBW x 13-15 cals = to meet your BMR and light activityHBW x 15-17 cals = to meet your BMR and moderate activityHBW x 18-20 cals= to meet your BMR and heavy activity/training.HBW x 20-23 cals= to add body mass*HBW = Healthy Body WeightBut Just Calorie Counting Is Not EnoughMost are not aware that their calorie counts based upon calories utilized are incorrect. Often 4000 calories on a plate can be as low as 3000 calories actually available once ingested. The expression “thermic effect of food” is used to describe the energy expended by our bodies in order to consume (bite, chew and swallow) and process (digest, transport, metabolize and store) food. We “expend energy” by burning calories.Processing protein requires the greatest expenditure of energy, with estimates ranging as high as 30%. Dietary fat, on the other hand, is so easily processed and turned into body fat that there is little thermic effect, perhaps only 2 or 3%. The amount of energy required to process carbohydrates falls between that of protein and fat. Usually if the carbohydrate source is high in roughage it can go as high as 15% but carbohydrates like pastas and rice are lower more around 8-10%. We will get into the thermic effect of food more in later articles. For now let’s take a look at some complete diets with factual break downs utilizing the advantages of HumaPro&reg;.]]></isc:description>
<isc:productid><![CDATA[10]]></isc:productid>
<isc:author><![CDATA[Author L. Rea CEO ALR Industries]]></isc:author>
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<title><![CDATA[Why HumaPro Protein? ]]></title>
<link>http://truemuscle.com/Why-HumaPro-Protein-_b_9.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-07-09</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Obviously protein is an essential part of the human diet. Protein helps your body repair and augment muscle, provides the building blocks needed for new tissue, regulate hormones, control metabolism, defend against illness, and a great deal else. Believe it or not, it isn’t the protein you ingest itself that your body needs. It is the correct amino acids and ratios of them the body has to extract from the whole protein that is needed. (Like the formulary for HumaPro for Humans)Did you know that protein is what makes up your ligaments, tendons, muscles, hair, nails, skin, teeth, tissue, organs, and bones? About half of the non-water mass of your body is made up of protein recreated from amino acids specifically for your body.Since most of the body's proteins are continually broken down, the body needs to manufacture thousands of proteins every day to replace them.  ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://truemuscle.com/Why-HumaPro-Protein-_b_9.html</guid>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Obviously protein is an essential part of the human diet. Protein helps your body repair and augment muscle, provides the building blocks needed for new tissue, regulate hormones, control metabolism, defend against illness, and a great deal else. Believe it or not, it isn’t the protein you ingest itself that your body needs. It is the correct amino acids and ratios of them the body has to extract from the whole protein that is needed. (Like the formulary for HumaPro for Humans)Did you know that protein is what makes up your ligaments, tendons, muscles, hair, nails, skin, teeth, tissue, organs, and bones? About half of the non-water mass of your body is made up of protein recreated from amino acids specifically for your body.Since most of the body's proteins are continually broken down, the body needs to manufacture thousands of proteins every day to replace them. ]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[Obviously protein is an essential part of the human diet. Protein helps your body repair and augment muscle, provides the building blocks needed for new tissue, regulate hormones, control metabolism, defend against illness, and a great deal else. Believe it or not, it isn’t the protein you ingest itself that your body needs. It is the correct amino acids and ratios of them the body has to extract from the whole protein that is needed. (Like the formulary for HumaPro for Humans) Did you know that protein is what makes up your ligaments, tendons, muscles, hair, nails, skin, teeth, tissue, organs, and bones? About half of the non-water mass of your body is made up of protein recreated from amino acids specifically for your body. Since most of the body's proteins are continually broken down, the body needs to manufacture thousands of proteins every day to replace them.  The more active you are the faster your proteins break down, and more protein you need to replenish them. Individuals typically need 1 gram of protein daily for each kilogram of their body weight. For example, a 180-pound man would need at least 80 grams of protein a day to meet his body's needs; a 140-pound woman would need a minimum of 60 grams. Protein cannot be stored for later use, like fat or carbohydrates can, so the body needs daily replenishments. Proteins Are Made Up of Amino Acids Just what is protein? Protein consists of smaller units of amino acids. These amino acids, formed of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, are literally the building blocks of the human body. From these amino acids, your body can make hundreds of different proteins that perform different functions. On its own, the body can manufacture 14 of the 22 amino acids it needs. But the other 8 cannot be made by the body and must be obtained from the diet. These eight amino acids are called essential amino acids and include: Isoleucine Leucine Lysine Methionine  Phenylalanine  Threonine Tryptophan Valine The body uses the amino acids obtained from dietary protein or amino acid supplements to build the body's proteins, which become the structural foundation of the body and the molecules that sustain life. Protein Digestion Releases Nitrogen Waste: Amino acids not synthesized into protein become converted to calories or energy. However, converting protein to calories or energy requires your body to strip the amino acids of their nitrogen atoms, creating nitrogen waste. (Why Humapro has no calories…its used to make protein not fuel.) This nitrogen waste from the metabolized protein arrives at your kidneys as a toxic urea, and must be filtered out. For example, a hen egg, the highest protein food, makes only 48 percent of its protein available to the body. The rest of the egg converts to calories and produces nitrogen waste in the process. For individuals with reduced kidney function, the amount of nitrogen waste produced from protein digestion can actually harm their kidneys. According to the National Kidney Foundation, 20 million people have reduced kidney function and don't even know it. Not only does the toxic nitrogen waste considerably strain kidneys, but in high amounts can cause weak kidneys to further decline. Therefore, to maintain optimum health and fitness, you must include enough dietary protein to keep up with losses. Since the diet alone often does not accomplish this, supplementing with an optimum protein source is recommended. Inadequate Protein Intake Damages Your Body Daily protein/amino acid intake is required to maintain or normalize cellular turnover and optimize the body's protein synthesis. Without sufficient protein, the body either lets cells die or breaks down other muscles and tissues to get the protein it needs for repair and other functions. The body may actually eat itself to acquire the necessary amino acids, or borrow the amino acids from the immune system or body functions to meet its protein needs. If you workout and don't have enough protein to rebuild your body, instead of getting stronger, you will become weaker and be subject to injury. Whether due to restricted diets, illness, skipping meals, poor diet choices, and so on, inadequate protein/amino acid intake can compromise your health and affect the following body functions: Bone cell synthesis  Red blood cell production  Heart cell turnover rate  Neurotransmitters/mood  Sense of well-being/stamina  Immune function/antibodies Enzymes/hormones  Skin elasticity/muscle tone Organ function/pH balance  Mobility/joint integrity Many people are unknowingly protein deficient. Protein levels may actually be normal in standard blood panels, but in deeper tests of the serum, many individuals have deficient amino acid levels. Even marginal deficiencies can magnify the effect of every disease. We have never seen a vegetarian who is not protein deficient. Most of the Protein We Eat Is Burned as Calories Although you get much protein through your daily diet, the body cannot, unfortunately, digest and use all of it. A nutritional label may indicate 10 grams of protein in a food, but your body won't assimilate all 10 grams. Most likely you'll assimilate only 10-20% and convert the rest to calories. Why? Because in order for protein synthesis to take place, all 8 of the essential amino acids must be present. All 8 must be at the cell at the same time; otherwise protein cannot be made. Protein cannot be stored, so these essential amino acids must either be in place or the body will burn the protein as energy, or store it as fat. Another factor determining the amount of protein synthesis that takes place is the proportion and ratio of these amino acids. For each creature in the animal kingdom, the proportion and ratio for maximum protein synthesis varies. (HumaPro is the exact ratio for human’s). Many People Have Increased Protein Needs Many individuals need protein well beyond the regular requirements. Endurance athletes and other highly active people have increased muscle breakdown and body wear, and need more protein to rebuild their bodies and prevent injury.  The American Dietetic Association says that when athletes do heavy strength and resistance training, they need more than twice the amount of protein as normal to rebuild and repair their bodies. Not just athletes need more protein. Middle aged and elderly people have extended body breakdown too. The hydrochloric acid in their stomachs, which activates the pepsin enzyme that digests protein, drops to half its regular level as individuals enter middle age. So the protein they eat may never be digested and their bodies break down for lack of it. Much of aging is probably due to this factor alone. Children and adolescents also need more protein because their bodies are constantly growing. They have an increased need for new cells, new tissue, and other building materials. Dieters who starve their bodies, menopausal women with imbalanced hormones, patients recovering from surgery or illness, individuals looking to support healthy kidney function, and others who want to maintain their immune system all have greater needs for protein.]]></isc:description>
<isc:productid><![CDATA[9]]></isc:productid>
<isc:author><![CDATA[Author L. Rea CEO of ALR Industries]]></isc:author>
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<title><![CDATA[Clearly A Better Choice Commonly Not Taken Before Death]]></title>
<link>http://truemuscle.com/Clearly-A-Better-Choice-Commonly-Not-Taken-Before-Death_b_8.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-04-05</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Both my son an I are dying from CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) due to causes not yet known for certain. Our doctors believe it was a combination of high protein intake that produces a lot of negative waste for the kidneys to handle and our levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury are at a cyto-toxic level. I would think ANY amount of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury would be considered toxic and too much? So why is it okay to have it in our foods with salmonella and other health threatening ingredients? Approximately 1 out of 10 people in the UK have CKD. 26 million Americans have CKD and millions of others are at increased risk daily. The number is growing yearly and a major concern shows its ugly head as our food supplies are being largely unregulated by the FDA. Did you know that the FDA actually sets a limit for how much of each deadly substance can be in our foods? This seems a very cavalier way of accepting the inclusion in foods of substances that are not only deadly but accumulate over time in our bodies thus shortening our lives and good health! ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://truemuscle.com/Clearly-A-Better-Choice-Commonly-Not-Taken-Before-Death_b_8.html</guid>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Both my son an I are dying from CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) due to causes not yet known for certain. Our doctors believe it was a combination of high protein intake that produces a lot of negative waste for the kidneys to handle and our levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury are at a cyto-toxic level. I would think ANY amount of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury would be considered toxic and too much? So why is it okay to have it in our foods with salmonella and other health threatening ingredients? Approximately 1 out of 10 people in the UK have CKD. 26 million Americans have CKD and millions of others are at increased risk daily. The number is growing yearly and a major concern shows its ugly head as our food supplies are being largely unregulated by the FDA. Did you know that the FDA actually sets a limit for how much of each deadly substance can be in our foods? This seems a very cavalier way of accepting the inclusion in foods of substances that are not only deadly but accumulate over time in our bodies thus shortening our lives and good health!]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[*The e-mail below is an individuals personal opinion not intended to be misconstrued in anyway as medical advice, guidance or endorsement. Clearly A Better Choice Commonly Not Taken Before DeathWe as consumers are a strange lot to say the least. Regardless of how much evidence and validation is presented to us conflicting our beliefs we tend to hold onto the old ways though they continue to be proven the least healthy and even life threatening. The real oddity is that we sling mud at the answer to what ails us while still embracing that which is doing severe harm to our bodies. Is the media really that strong or is it us that is that weak? 1) More than half a billion eggs have been recalled this summer due to salmonella contamination.2) FDA’s Investigation: On March 23, 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked Irvington, N.J.-based Westco Fruit and Nut Co., Inc. (Westco/Westcott) to voluntarily recall all of its products containing peanuts from PCA because of the contamination threat. Westco/Westcott refused. On April 8, 2009, the FDA served Westco/Westcott with an inspection warrant in an attempt to gain access to the company’s distribution records. On April 27, 2009, at the request of the FDA, U.S. Marshals seized $34,500 worth of PCA peanuts and products containing PCA peanuts at Westco/Westcott because of possible Salmonella contamination. Peanut Corporation of America Provides Further Information Regarding Recalled Products The Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) has announced that because of its bankruptcy proceedings, it is no longer able  to communicate with customers of recalled products. PCA customers should contact FDA recall coordinators regarding the proper disposition of recalled products. As of January 27, 2009, over 500 reports of salmonella food poisoning have been reported in 43 states involving the same strain of bacteria. More than 100 people have been hospitalized and at least 8 salmonella deaths have been linked to contaminated peanut butter.3) Protein is not be the only thing that some muscle-building energy drinks contain.  In a newly released study by Consumer Reports, potentially hazardous heavy metals were also found in the popular protein elixirs.  All drinks in our tests had at least one sample containing one or more of the following contaminants: arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, the report stated. Those metals can have toxic effects on several organs in the body.  Specifically, Consumer Reports tested 15 different protein drinks, and came to the conclusion that there are better and cheaper ways for a person to supplement protein. Among the drinks the advocacy group tested were BSN Lean Dessert Protein Shake, Muscle Milk, GNC Lean Shake Chocolate, and the Energy First Pro Energy Whey Protein Isolate.And still we continue to buy, ingest, feed our kids and even defend the poisons we ingest. Point said, we are a strange lot in regard to being consumers. Everyone is SusceptibleBoth my son an I are dying from CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) due to causes not yet known for certain. Our doctors believe it was a combination of high protein intake that produces a lot of negative waste for the kidneys to handle and our levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury are at a cyto-toxic level. I would think ANY amount of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury would be considered toxic and too much? So why is it okay to have it in our foods with salmonella and other health threatening ingredients? Approximately 1 out of 10 people in the UK have CKD. 26 million Americans have CKD and millions of others are at increased risk daily. The number is growing yearly and a major concern shows its ugly head as our food supplies are being largely unregulated by the FDA. Did you know that the FDA actually sets a limit for how much of each deadly substance can be in our foods? This seems a very cavalier way of accepting the inclusion in foods of substances that are not only deadly but accumulate over time in our bodies thus shortening our lives and good health! I was a long time natural competitive bodybuilder and power lifter using all of the top protein sources from food to supplements. I weighed 113kg average with under 10% body fat then dropped to 81.3kg as the disease progressed. My son at 11 weighs 23.6kg though he did weigh 33.5kg. He is in stage 3 CKD looking for a kidney donor and I am nearing stage 5 preparing for dialysis. CKD is an incurable disease like so many others that require very high quality protein intake and we are very limited as to how much total protein we can eat due to toxic waste from the protein. Being sick all of the time is no joy and malnutrition adds to the rate of decline. About 10 weeks ago my clinical nutritionist offered an alternative to the meek protein level of intake we were able to ingest due to toxic waste. He said it was something he uses personally and can only tell us about. The product was brought to him by a patient who swears she feels better than she has in years due to use and most of her discussion group is now using it. Being a nutritionist myself I did some research and found the science behind it appeared sound so gave it a shot. That was 9 weeks ago. I have more energy, feel the best I have in 3 years and I weigh 87kg now. I am even back to some basic power training. I followed the guidelines for use and gave the nutritional product to my son starting 5 weeks ago and he is up 2.5kg and wants to play sports again. We visited our Nephrologists about 3 days ago for review of our most recent blood and urine tests. His response was not what expected. Both my son and I realized a dramatic reduction in protein waste and loss, a decrease in our creatine and an increase in eGFR. This means both of us have realized an improvement in kidney function and over all health. Our doctor assured us this does not mean a cure has been found but the nutritional supplement appears to have taken a significant load off of our kidneys and allowed our over all health to improve when nothing else has. The name of the product is HumaPro&reg; and is made by a company in the USA called ALR Industries. No Lead, arsenic, mercury, salmonella, animal by-products and vegetarian friendly. As for me, I am starting to look like a bodybuilder again my son can be proud of while he is playing Rugby this Saturday.I want to thank ALR Industries for giving us a far better choice!John an JR]]></isc:description>
<isc:productid><![CDATA[8]]></isc:productid>
<isc:author><![CDATA[Administrator]]></isc:author>
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<title><![CDATA[Chemical Concepts of Bodybuilding]]></title>
<link>http://truemuscle.com/Chemical-Concepts-of-Bodybuilding_b_6.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-03-29</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Chemical Concepts of BodybuildingBy: Author L. Rea In our society a reality has at last become accepted: Age and sexual gender do not dictate athletic potential. With the main stream acceptance of high quality sports supplementation came stronger fitter bodies of all ages and entire thirty, forty and fifty-something generations pouring into the once undisputed young man's domain…the gym. The term sports chemistry once meant anabolic/androgenic steroids (AAS) and seedy images of team doctors closing their office doors to inject some illicit substance into an already enhanced athlete. Oh how things have changed! I often marvel at the way that mere perception alters the responses one will receive to any given statement of fact… so let's open with a good one: Everything good or bad in life and bodybuilding depend upon the chemistry we introduce our bodies to. ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://truemuscle.com/Chemical-Concepts-of-Bodybuilding_b_6.html</guid>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Chemical Concepts of BodybuildingBy: Author L. Rea In our society a reality has at last become accepted: Age and sexual gender do not dictate athletic potential. With the main stream acceptance of high quality sports supplementation came stronger fitter bodies of all ages and entire thirty, forty and fifty-something generations pouring into the once undisputed young man's domain…the gym. The term sports chemistry once meant anabolic/androgenic steroids (AAS) and seedy images of team doctors closing their office doors to inject some illicit substance into an already enhanced athlete. Oh how things have changed! I often marvel at the way that mere perception alters the responses one will receive to any given statement of fact… so let's open with a good one: Everything good or bad in life and bodybuilding depend upon the chemistry we introduce our bodies to.]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[Chemical Concepts of BodybuildingBy: Author L. Rea In our society a reality has at last become accepted: Age and sexual gender do not dictate athletic potential. With the main stream acceptance of high quality sports supplementation came stronger fitter bodies of all ages and entire thirty, forty and fifty-something generations pouring into the once undisputed young man's domain…the gym. The term sports chemistry once meant anabolic/androgenic steroids (AAS) and seedy images of team doctors closing their office doors to inject some illicit substance into an already enhanced athlete. Oh how things have changed! I often marvel at the way that mere perception alters the responses one will receive to any given statement of fact… so let's open with a good one:  Everything good or bad in life and bodybuilding depend upon the chemistry we introduce our bodies to.Action/Reaction Factors Before anyone gets their panties in a bunch and dials up all of the three letter organizations that investigate illegal activities, let me explain that statement of fact. All organic and inorganic matter is made up of chemicals and chemical substrates. Any living organism (uh, like you and me) not only has the ability to, but an absolute need for interaction with the environment around it through Action/Reaction Factors. As an example, think of the saturated fat in red meat and eggs (don't get me started on synthetic trans fats). The liver utilizes saturated fats to manufacture or synthesize a steroid called 5-Cholesten-3b-ol. (Most people know this chemical by the name of cholesterol) Through Action/Reaction Factors controlled and induced by natural endogenous (manufactured inside the body) enzymes the body (begins its illegal activities) utilizes a series of chemical biosynthesis pathways that include the following: (1) Cholesterol &gt; (2) Pregnenolone &gt; (3) Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) &gt; (4) 4-Androstenedione &gt; (5) Testosterone Officer, arrest that body! It just manufactured an illegal AAS and administered it without a doctor's prescription. If this body had not been provided with saturated fats (chemical substrates) it simply would have utilized unsaturated fats as the initial testosterone precursor. If the intake of all fats had been excluded, the eventual outcome would be predominant loss of lean muscle mass, energy, and libido with dramatic increase of female pattern fat deposits. The term sports chemistry now refers to everything from diet and supplementation to hormone therapy with testosterone, growth hormone (GH), IGF-1, HCG, and progesterone. Thanks to the major advances made by the sports supplement industry the main differences between each of these is the issue of prescription -vs.- OTC since each is merely a chemical/chemical substrate. This fact has leveled the playing field for athletes of all ages, level and gender by blurring the fine line between chemical muscle enhancement and nature. Interestingly enough, training and the results that come from it are nothing more than chemistry as well. What few people realize is that there are specific training protocols that result in specific responses. This again is controlled by a series of Action/Reaction Factors and, to a great degree, are readily altered to induce a specific response of choice. Hormones &amp; Horomone-like Substances Testosterone, GH, IGF-1, insulin, and many other hormones and hormone-like substances are manufactured endogenously by the body in response to different training stimulus if the proper chemical substrates are provided. Since each of these has multiple and significant different effects upon an individuals physiology, and more specifically upon muscle and fat tissue, it is therefore possible to significantly effect the outcome of a chosen training and supplemental protocol. I realize that many have unnecessarily accepted the level of mediocrity that is often justified by the catch-all words genetic potential and touted by way to many magazine articles. This of course means that I am about to make some bold and crazy statement to the contrary. (Definition of crazy: Not accepted by the main stream publications as their current point of view) Anyone can significantly effect their own genetic potential in a favorable way and by specific choice. (Yeah, I said and have proven that many times.) I am not saying that everyone can be an Arnold, Dorian, or Ronnie, but I am factually stating that through specific-intent protocols and phases an individual can significantly effect specific results far greater than ever imagined by the average athlete regardless of age or sexual gender. (Ya, I said that too) Okay, I hate the quoting research sites game simply because any idiot can alter a quote or statistic of most research results. But just to momentarily quiet those who erroneously depend upon them for sole validity (instead of actually training and being living examples themselves etc.) I would like to point out a few actual findings. (Geez, you would think a few pictures would do the job, huh?) 8-Week Study On Heaving Weight Training Sometimes good information comes from unexpected places. In a study done to evaluate what effects 8 weeks of heavy weight training has upon serum lipid and lipo protein concentrations scientist made an interesting series of discoveries. As the scientist analyzed the data from 32 college males and females after concluding an 8 week heavy weight training protocol they realized that the test subjects muscle fibers showed evidence of converting from type-I (slow twist) to type-II (fast twist) muscle fibers. First realize that this occurred in only 8 weeks. Second, the fact that the aerobic muscle fibers changed into size/strength oriented (therefore high growth potential) muscle fibers in itself validates the potential for specific training stimulus for specific results issue. By the way, it is good that the researchers were able to extract this finding from their research project. (Research projects are not cheap to fund) In fact an 8 week period is not enough time to produce any type of result concerning lipid profiles. Each of us possesses type-I (slow twist) and type-II (fast twist) muscle fibers in different ratios in different muscle groups. The so-called average individual initially possesses about a 50/50 body ratio. Type-I fibers are considered low growth potential aerobic oriented muscle fibers and type-II fibers are considered high growth potential anaerobic/strength muscle fibers. Obviously the greater an athlete's muscle fiber ratio favors type-II fibers, the greater the potential for muscular growth and strength increase. The ability to alter the ratio through specific training protocols means also the ability to effectively alter genetic make-up. A study done in Oslo, Norway examined long term and short term (acute) hormone responses of 9 experienced test subjects to two different training intensities. The high intensity work-out required the test subjects to perform free bar back squats (front and back) using 100% of their 3 rep max for sets. The moderate intensity work-out required the athletes to do the same exercises utilizing 70% of their 3 rep max for sets. Rest periods were 4-6 minutes. Results Of The Study The test subjects blood samples were taken before, after 30 minutes into, and every 15 minutes for the first hour after each work-out. Next, blood samples were taken at 3, 7, 11, 22, and 23 hours post work-out.The analysis of the blood samples was for: Hormones positively affecting anabolism (tissue synthesis): LH (leutenizing hormone), FSH (follicle stimulating hormone),  testosterone (free), insulin, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Hormones that affect catabolism (tissue wasting): ATCH (adrenocortotropic hormone) and cortisol.   Other substrates analyzed include creatine kinase and lactate. (As indicators of actual training intensity) The test results verified that high intensity training induced a significantly higher level of testosterone and cortisol secretion (and moderate intensity did not) as a short term hormonal response. Though both testing protocols showed a decreasing testosterone level in the post-training hours, the high intensity training results were consistently higher than those of the moderate intensity. LH and FSH levels were not significantly altered as a result of either training intensity. This is a huge finding that exceeds the evidence of higher intensity training protocols being the better method for triggering a significant increase in testosterone. The majority of endogenous (naturally produced inside the body) testosterone synthesis in males is handled and regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary-testes-axis (HPTA). It all begins when the hypothalamus receives neuro-net impulses that signal the release of leutenizing-hormone-releasing-hormone (LHRH) which in turn tells the pituitary gland to release leutenizing hormone (LH). LH then makes contact with the testes Leydig's cells that produce testosterone and release it into the vascular system. However, there is a secondary testosterone synthesis pathway that may be hyper-activated as a result of high intensity training protocols. The adrenal glands produce several different hormones. The hormone of interest for this issue is called dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). DHEA is an androgen that is responsive to enzymic alterations called conversions. Two of the enzymic conversion products of DHEA are 4-androstenedione and 4-androstenediol which in turn are converted into testosterone by the 17-BHSD and 3-BHSD enzymes respectively. Of course under normal metabolic conditions there are several other potential conversion products possible including estrogens. But high intensity training appears to foster a pro- 17 &amp; 3- BHSD environment that results in a favorable conversion rate of these two DHEA conversion products to testosterone. So specific training does have specific hormonal responses. What does that have to do with altering genetic potential? Other Professional Opinions Histochem Cell. Biol. 113(1): 25-29, 2001 It is well documented that consistent heavy resistance training actually increases the concentration (number) of androgen/anabolic receptor-sites on trained muscle tissue. All AAS, whether produced endogenously or provided exogenously (form outside the body), exert their serious anabolic effect by binding or merging with androgenic/anabolic receptor-sites on muscle cells. If muscle cells and fibers possess a greater number of these receptor-sites they also possess a greater genetic growth potential. Guess what. Yup, testosterone is an AAS. J. Streng Cond. Res. 14(1): 102-113, 2000 So you have been told that you can not alter the peak of your bicep or build a wider chest and back? To a great degree…B.S. Muscle is not merely a bunch of fibers that attach to bones contracting and relaxing to provide potential movement. Muscle is composed of multiple fiber sizes and types. Each fiber is made up of different size cells with different individual metabolisms, and different contractile potential and amino acid profiles. This means that during different exercises and different angles of execution there is a different recruitment pattern of different regions of the muscle (confirmed by EMG). Therefore it is possible to trigger the growth process on a more site-specific basis. So is it obvious yet that you can utilize specific protocols to induce growth in specific areas resulting in an alteration in shape? J. of the Amer. Med. Asso. 286(10) It is too often accepted that age is the final deciding factor for muscular growth potential. Without a doubt this is the silliest reason of all for anyone to endure mediocrity. When we are discussing the issues of muscular accruement we are actually discussing which side of the protein-turn-over-rate (PTOR) an individuals body favors. The PTOR is the rate at which an individuals body builds new proteins (anabolism) and destroys old ones (catabolism). This means that for actual muscular accruement to occur an athlete's body must build more new proteins than it destroys each day. At the University of Texas in Galveston researchers utilized amino acid tracing techniques to study 48 healthy men. The protocol was intended to track the rate at which test subjects bodies created muscle proteins and destroyed muscle proteins. What the researchers found was that the PTOR (protein turn over rate) for both younger and older men is nearly the same. This means that an individuals potential for lean muscle mass gain is potentially the same regardless of age. It seems that the reason for lean muscle tissue loss and weakening is not necessarily age related. A sedentary life style is a sure way to cause a dramatic decline in endogenous anabolic hormones such as testosterone, GH and IGF-1. Poor dietary habits not only increase insulin insensitivity but also alter an individuals body biochemistry to a point that disallows the ability to properly utilize protein from food. Bottom line here is that training protocols, diet, hormone profiles, and life style are the main deciding factors for alterations in genetic potential regardless of age and sexual gender. Building the perfect beast is a matter of choice and letting go of the eternal dogma that holds each of us in mediocrity. Oh ya, and… This may appear an over simplification of a normally complicated topic, but in truth it is the tip of the ice burg and only the introduction to what is possible for anyone who chooses, and what has been embraced by those have experienced the reality. References Influences of resistance training on serum lipid and lipo protein concentrations in young men and women. Journal of Strength and Cond. Res. 14(1):37-44, 2000. Hormonal responses to high and moderate intensity strength training exercise. Eur.J. Appl Physiol. 82:121-128, 2000]]></isc:description>
<isc:productid><![CDATA[6]]></isc:productid>
<isc:author><![CDATA[Administrator]]></isc:author>
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<title><![CDATA[Guide to Beach Body Abs]]></title>
<link>http://truemuscle.com/Guide-to-Beach-Body-Abs_b_5.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-03-09</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The most common goal and desire within the health and fitness industry is the desire to develop a flat, sexy, toned, and well-defined midsection. We’re talking beach body abs folks. Who doesn’t want abs? Whether you’re a competitive athlete, figure or bodybuilding competitor, or just an individual interested in looking and feeling his or her best, the universal sign of conditioning is a well developed and toned midsection. ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://truemuscle.com/Guide-to-Beach-Body-Abs_b_5.html</guid>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The most common goal and desire within the health and fitness industry is the desire to develop a flat, sexy, toned, and well-defined midsection. We’re talking beach body abs folks. Who doesn’t want abs? Whether you’re a competitive athlete, figure or bodybuilding competitor, or just an individual interested in looking and feeling his or her best, the universal sign of conditioning is a well developed and toned midsection.]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[The most common goal and desire within the health and fitness industry is the desire to develop a flat, sexy, toned, and well-defined midsection. We’re talking beach body abs folks. Who doesn’t want abs? Whether you’re a competitive athlete, figure or bodybuilding competitor, or just an individual interested in looking and feeling his or her best, the universal sign of conditioning is a well developed and toned midsection.Being a former athlete, personal trainer, contest prep coach, &amp; natural pro bodybuilder I know all the benefits of having a strong core, as well as the benefits of staying lean enough so that your abs are visible. The desire to create a toned midsection should not be solely out of vanity, carrying a low level of body fat impacts every aspect of your life. Creating a health looking physique will result in disease prevention, more energy and more confidence. In fact, the confidence one gains when they make physical changes in their physique is empowering in all areas of your life. I promise, if you make a physique goal to develop amazing abs, and you reach that goal, you will improve every aspect of your life from your job, to your family, to your love life.As state earlier, beach body abs are the absolute most coveted thing in the fitness world. It is by far the most common question I get. It ranges in variation from “How can I get a six-pack?” to “How many crunches should I do per day?” Abs are also the most improperly trained body part by the masses. I don’t know how many times I inactively watch people tirelessly going through the motions and doing hundreds of crunches for 45-minutes four or more days per week. Forget the fact that most of their exercises and movements don’t even properly target the abdominals, because that 45-minutes of abdominal training could be refocused into something that could actually have an impact on developing visible abs, cardio. In fact, in order of importance, here is a list of things one must do to develop VISIBLE beach body abs: Consistency, proper diet, aerobic exercise (cardio), total body weight training, &amp; proper abdominal training. That’s not a typo. Proper abdominal training will result in visible six-pack abs only when the accompanied by all of those other thingsBefore we actually get into abdominal training, you must understand that your diet has to be right before you will ever see your abs. No matter how well developed your abs are, you will never see them if they are covered by a layer of insulation (FAT!). I could write forever about diet, and yes there are literally thousands of ways to diet in order to lose fat. Personally though, I recommend a diet high in protein, low in carbohydrates (timed carbohydrates), and moderate in fat. You should get your protein from lean sources like ground turkey, lean ground beef, chuck tender steak, chicken breast, egg whites, &amp; of course Humapro. Timed carbohydrates is just a fancy way of saying you should take your carbohydrates during times when you are most insulin sensitive, such as first thing in the morning and immediately post workout. Doing this will result in proper nutrient partitioning so that insulin can work sufficiently in storing the carbohydrates as muscle glycogen instead of body fat. Also, you want to make sure you are getting most of your fats from EFA’s (Omega-3 &amp; Omega-6 Fats). Some of the better sources of EFA’s include macadamia nut oil, extra virgin olive oil, fish oils, almonds, &amp; natural nut butters. In fact, I recommend taking in some extra EFA’s (5-7 grams for females &amp; 7-14 grams for males depending on size and goals) with your pre workout meal to blunt the release of insulin. This can place the body in a physiological conducive to burning fat for fuel during your workouts.Be sure to build your diet around your lean body weight and adjust accordingly as you are losing fat. For example, start with 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight, .75 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight (take ¼ of your carbs with meal 1 &amp; another ¼ with meal 2 and take the other ½ immediately post workout), &amp; .30 grams of fat (predominantly from EFA’s) per pound of bodyweight. On non-weight training days lower your carbohydrate intake by simply dropping the post workout carbohydrates and keeping meals 1 &amp; 2 the same as training days. For a male that weighs 200 pounds it might look something like this:   Protein – 200 X 1.5 = 300 Grams Protein/Day   Carbohydrate – 200 X .75 = 157 Grams Carbohydrate/Day (75 grams on off days)   Fats – 200 X .30 = 60 Grams of Fat (35 grams from EFA’s)If you are a women that desires showing off a beautifully chiseled midsection simply cut protein consumption to 1.25 times body weight, carbohydrates to .5 times body weight, and keep EFA intake at .30 times bodyweight. Or you could simply use the Humapro diets provided by ALR Industries at www.alrindustries.com or www.humapro.com Now that you have an idea of what kind of diet may help you develop beach body abs you need to design a cardiovascular program &amp; weight program to help burn calories and maintain muscle mass in your hypo-caloric state. Performing weight training 3-5 days per week is customary. There are many great weight-training programs out there. Those that know me are well aware that I am diehard disciple of Eric Broser’s Power-Rep Range-Shock training. Some other great training programs include volume training, HIT, and DC training. As far as cardio goes, when trying to get beach body abs, you should dedicate 5-6 days per week to cardio. Start out doing 30-minutes per day and slowly add 5-10 minutes until you are doing 45-60-minutes of cardio at each session. Keep track of your heart rate during your cardio sessions; 60-75% of your Maximum Heart Rate (220-your age) is ideal for fat loss.Finally, it’s time to get into actual abdominal training! It’s actually pretty simple to build an effective abdominal routine. Even so, I find it amazing how many people over train, or simply improperly train this body part. The first thing to realize is that abs should not be trained everyday. I’ve found that most people get best results from training abs 2-3 times per week on nonconsecutive days. Next, it’s important to understand the biomechanics of the abdominal muscles. The mid section is made up of many different muscles. These muscles all perform different functions and create different movements. The best abdominal programs will include multiple exercises that target each of these muscles for complete stabilization of the torso and complete abdominal development. The following section has some of the more critical abdominal muscles listed with their functions and some of the best exercises to build, tone, &amp; sculpt these muscles. Rectus AbdominisThis muscle is better known as the “six-pack”. This muscle originates at the breastbone and ribs and runs vertically until it attaches to the pubic bone. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a set of 6 or 8 different muscles, but it is one muscle that is connected by a tendon sheath. The function of the rectus abdominis is the flex, or bend, the rib cage closer to the pelvis. Any movement that incorporates the upper body curling or crunching the rib cage to the hips will work the rectus abdominis. When I train this area, I like to think of my midsection acting like an accordion. It’s also crucial to find that mind muscle connection when performing crunching motions so that you do not cheat. My favorite visual cue is to close my eyes during my sets and actually pretend my upper section of my rectus abdominis is rolling over the middle portion and then the middle portion is rolling over the bottom portion.    EXERCISES (Upper Rectus Abdominis):Floor Crunch Sit-up Swiss Ball Crunch Incline Sit-up Roman Chair Sit-up Cable CrunchNow, even though the rectus abdominis is considered one muscle, it is possible to focus your training on either the upper or lower portion. The above exercises predominantly will focus on the upper portion of this muscle. This is the reason that most people that are lean will have visible upper abs, but still lack clarity and definition in the lower portion of their abdominal wall. Because of this, there are certain exercises we can perform that will target the lower portion the rectus abdominis.   EXERCISES (Lower Rectus Abdominis):Hanging or Supported Leg Raises Hanging or Supported Knee/Hip Raise Incline Knee/Hip Raise Bench Knee-ins or Frog Kicks Reverse CrunchObliquesThere are two sets of oblique muscles that flank the sides of your body. There are internal and external obliques. The internal obliques are used for body stabilization and are extremely important in athletic movements and dynamic, open chained lifts such as squats, deadlifts, and the Olympic lifts. The external obliques are important more so for physique athletes as well defined external obliques can lead to an aesthetically pleasing physique and enhance the “v” taper. To work the obliques you must twist or crunch sideways. One thing you will want to stay away from is doing any type of standing twisting motion, such as what some of the old school bodybuilders would do with broomsticks or barbells behind their necks. This ballistic motion can cause trauma in the vertebrae as well as stretch out the oblique muscles making them appear larger, as if they were love handles.   EXERCISES:Twisting Crunch Lying Side Crunch Side Cable Crunch Hanging Twisting Knee Raise Supported Twisting Knee RaiseTransversusThis is a muscle rarely talked about. The transversus lies to the side and slightly behind the rectus abdominis. It acts almost like a lady’s corset and it pulls the stomach up and in, keeping the midsection flat. This is crucial not only for physique athletes, but also for those that are interested in developing a toned, flat stomach. It is one of the hardest muscles to train. The absolute best way to work the transverses is to do an exercise called the vacuum. To perform the vacuum, simply pull the abs up and in as far as possible. I like to visualize the inside of my belly button touching my vertebrae. Hold that position for as long as you can. You can do this with a couple of twists to make the exercises more difficult and more effective. For instance, you can do it standing up, or on all fours. You can also exhale all the air in your lungs and perform the vacuum and attempt to hold it as long as possible. Another exercise you can do to train the transversus is to perform a hanging straight leg raise, but with a twist. When hanging on the bar, perform a mini vacuum by pulling your abs in as far as possible and holding. Inhale in this position, while maintaining the vacuum, and begin lifting your legs up (keep them straight) all the way until they touch the bar. Maintain the vacuumed position, exhale forcefully, and in a controlled manner lower the legs slowly and repeat for desired amount of repetitions. This exercise can also be modified by perform either a horizontal (adduction/abduction motion) or vertical (scissor) style kicks while the legs are in the up position (by the bar you are hanging on).    EXERCISES:Vacuums Hanging FULL Leg Raise Hanging FULL Leg Raise with Horizontal or Vertical KicksHow to Build a Complete Abdominal Training ProgramTo build a complete ab training program, you want to incorporate exercises from each of the above muscle groups. Because of their sheer difficulty, I recommend choosing a transversus exercises first followed by an exercise that hits the lower rectus abdominis. Your third exercise should work the upper rectus abdominis and you should finish with an exercise working the obliques. There is a strategic reason for choosing lower ab exercises before upper ab exercises and upper ab exercises before oblique exercises. Because the upper abs are usually more developed than the lower abs, we need to prioritize the lower portion, and due to the fact that the oblique muscles are used in stabilization, it is crucial to train them last. Now, the last thing we need to consider is rep ranges and total sets for each muscle. Below you will find a weeks worth of abdominal training. Notice that each day of the week the exercises are changed, as is the rep ranges and the order of the rep ranges. This is due to the fact that the body is an extremely adaptable machine and changing things up will lead to greater, more consistent gains.DAY 1Vacuums (transversus) – 5-6 vacuums held as long as possible Hanging Leg Raises (lower rectus abdominis) – 3 X 10-20 Reps Floor Crunch (upper rectus abdominis) – 2 X 21-25 Side Cable Crunch (obliques) – 1 X 16-20 Each SideDAY 2Hanging FULL Leg Raise (transversus) – 2 X 6-8 Reps Weighted Incline Sit-up (upper rectus abdominis) – 2 X 10-12 Bench Knee-Ins/Frog Kicks (lower rectus abdominis) – 3 X 13-15 Alternating Twisting Crunch (obliques) – 2 X 16-20 Each SideDAY 3Incline Bent Knee/Hip Raise (lower rectus abdominis) – 3 X 10-12 Supported Twisting Knee Raise (obliques) – 2 X 13-15 Each Side Cable Crunch (upper rectus abdominis) – 2 X 16-20 Vacuums – (transversus) 4-5 vacuums held as long as possibleEach set should be taken close to, or complete failure. This workout is not set in stone and can be changed form week-to-week or day-to-day. My suggestion is to vary your exercises and vary your rep ranges for each exercise. If you need to add resistance go ahead. Remember, building a great midsection has as much to do with diet and cardiovascular exercise as it does with ab training. Now, hopefully you have the knowledge and background to build an ab routine that will lead you to developing those beach body abs you’ve been dreaming about your whole life!]]></isc:description>
<isc:productid><![CDATA[5]]></isc:productid>
<isc:author><![CDATA[kyle Harris]]></isc:author>
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<title><![CDATA[Back It Up by ALR Athlete Kyle Harris]]></title>
<link>http://truemuscle.com/Back-It-Up-by-ALR-Athlete-Kyle-Harris_b_3.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-02-22</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Article: Back It Up - Back Training article by ALR Athlete Kyle Harris“Did you see the guns on that guy?”“Dang, that dudes chest was huge?”“WHOA! You have an eight-pack man!”“Bro, your delts are like melons!”Those are all phrases we’ve either heard or said, whether it’sabout a pro bodybuilder, friend, or the local freak that hits it inthe gym you go to. I’ve heard and read these phrases eversince I was a young child and saw Lee Haney for the firsttime. I think it was on TV when I was at a friend’s housearound the time I was in first or second grade. ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://truemuscle.com/Back-It-Up-by-ALR-Athlete-Kyle-Harris_b_3.html</guid>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Article: Back It Up - Back Training article by ALR Athlete Kyle Harris“Did you see the guns on that guy?”“Dang, that dudes chest was huge?”“WHOA! You have an eight-pack man!”“Bro, your delts are like melons!”Those are all phrases we’ve either heard or said, whether it’sabout a pro bodybuilder, friend, or the local freak that hits it inthe gym you go to. I’ve heard and read these phrases eversince I was a young child and saw Lee Haney for the firsttime. I think it was on TV when I was at a friend’s housearound the time I was in first or second grade.]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[Article: Back It Up - Back Training article by ALR Athlete Kyle Harris“Did you see the guns on that guy?”“Dang, that dudes chest was huge?”“WHOA! You have an eight-pack man!”“Bro, your delts are like melons!”Those are all phrases we’ve either heard or said, whether it’s about a pro bodybuilder, friend, or the local freak that hits it in the gym you go to. I’ve heard and read these phrases ever since I was a young child and saw Lee Haney for the first time. I think it was on TV when I was at a friend’s house around the time I was in first or second grade.I’d always had an obsession with freaky, aesthetic physiques since I was a child and thought He-Man was the absolute coolest and strongest man on earth. That fascination only continued as I watched Superman movies and cartoons. I always knew I wanted wide shoulders and big guns. Something changed slightly though around the time I was in junior high. In my friend’s parent’s basement, between sets of our typical arm busting workouts, I would leaf through old Flex and Muscle and Fitness magazines. Most of the time we would focus on the arm articles and incorporate techniques to build massive guns. One day though I was hypnotized by an article on back training. What? That’s right! I’ll never forget the day.The article was titled something like, “Flex’ Back.” It was a back training article on my new hero, Flex Wheeler. The title playing on his come back after a near death car accident and his absolutely freakishly detailed back. From that day forward, back became my favorite body part. My focus shifted from building huge arms to creating a condor-like wingspan with the detail of the Rocky Mountains. To this day, back day is my favorite and I am more impressed with bodybuilders that sport impressively wide and thick backs than I am with athletes walking around with huge guns or super wide clavicles.With my newfound way of thinking, I begin to hammer out 1-arm rows, pull downs, seated rows, shrugs, and so forth in an attempt to build the back of my dreams. Fast-forward 3-4 years later. Playing baseball I tore my rotator cuff. During a meeting with my rehab specialist, it was pointed out to me that I had an extremely miss proportioned back. It was pointed out that my trap area and upper back were thick and quite defined, but I lacked width and depth in my mid and lower regions. This was causing improper scapula movement when I threw creating extreme bursitis and tendonitis and resulting in 2 small tears in my infraspinatus. This rude awakening shifted my train of thought on training, particularly my shoulder and back training. Throughout the next 5-6 years I would strategically begin a plan of attack which allowed me to build an impressively wide, deep, detailed, and aesthetic back, most notably a “Christmas” tree deep enough to lose your shaker cup in. The following strategies are things that I have learned, developed, or adapted in order to help create a back that is a secret weapon. I’ve also accompanied a sample workout that I cannot take sole credit in creating (my coach, friend, and mentor Eric Broser must be credited with much of the information I have attained in back training, as well as a credit to the workout created here).Use Your Hands As Hooks You’ve probably heard this one before, but it is crucial in proper back training. When training back and performing pulling exercises, you must envision your hands as hooks. To assist you in doing this, utilize a false grip. In a false grip, your thumb will be on the same side of the bar as your fingers. In fact, your thumb will be directly beside your index finger. When in proper position, use your mental fortitude (and imagination if you must) to picture your hands as hooks. At this point, it is crucial to keep your wrists relatively locked into position throughout the entire rep. If you begin bend your wrists/hands forward, you will begin to use your forearms and biceps and take the stress off your lats. Not good for building a BARN-DOOR Back.PUSH With Your Elbows DON’T Pull With Your ArmsOnce you’ve mastered the ability to use your hands as hooks, the next thing you need to do is think less about PULLING with your arms or hands and think more about PUSHING the weight back or down with your elbows. I often envision a pad underneath my elbows (for pull downs) or behind my elbows (during rows). I focus on pushing this imaginary pad down or backward to move the weight. By utilizing the false grip and creating a mental environment of “pushing” the elbows, I’m able to focus and using back power, not biceps power!Initiate Movement With The ScapulaNext, when starting from the stretched position, initiate the movement with your scapula. During pull downs, the scapula should initiate the movement by rotating down, inward, and back. Next, you want to lead with the elbows by “pushing” the imaginary pad discussed earlier. For rows, you will do the same, but the downward movement of the scapula will be much less.Perfect Posture/Positioning Perfect posture is essential to building a great back for multiple reasons. First and foremost, with improper posture and body positioning you are going to invite injury. It’s impossible to build the perfect body or a huge back when you’re laid up. Secondly, proper positioning and posture allows you to shift the stress and load on the back properly, resulting in better muscle fiber innervation and stimulation. To get into the perfect posture you must think BIG CHEST &amp; BIG GLUTES! Your lower back (lumbar region) should maintain an arch. This arch should be slightly greater than your natural lumbar curvature. Secondly, you’ll want to bring your shoulders down and back while pushing your chest out. You will need to maintain this positioning throughout the entire movement. This perfect posture is even more important for exercises such as bent over rows and dead lifts.Feel The Stretch/Stretching Techniques On with the movement! At the top of any back movement (except dead lifts and heavy rowing) it is CRUCIAL to get a good stretch in the right places. Where are these right places? Throughout the shoulder blades and belly of the lats. This gets difficult as the weight increases and repetitions decrease. Be careful though, because it takes some practice to be able to maintain proper posture and perform a full repetition to allow lat stretch and scapula rotation.Feel The Squeeze You’ve felt the stretch at the top of the motion. You are using your hands as hooks. You’ve initiated movement with the scapula, and you are pushing the “imaginary pads” back or down with your elbows. Now, you must be sure to perform a full rep and feel a good squeeze at the bottom of the movement. That is, after you’ve completed to concentric part of your lift, you must squeeze the muscle at peak contraction and hold it for up to a second. Be sure to fight and FEEL the negative portion before you completely return to the stretch position.Constant Tension Although it is absolute that you build your back workouts around basic exercises such as the dead lift, pull-up, and barbell row, you must also include types of exercises that induce constant tension. These are mostly exercises that assist the lifter in limiting moment to initiate movement. The best examples are those exercises in which you use a cable, such as seated rows and lat pull downs. When performing these exercises, one must not forget the aforementioned principles, and in addition, the lifter must concentrate on the mind muscle connection to create a state of constant tension. Constant tension refers to the muscle(s) being under stress (concentric, peak contraction, eccentric, stretched) throughout the full duration of your set. That means no resting or relaxing and absolutely NO cheating or swinging, unless it is to get that very last rep. Cheating is only acceptable after you have reached your repetition goal or if you have reached failure at 1 repetition short of your goal.Separate The Lats &amp; Low Back Another idea that I have taken to is separating my “lat” training from my low back training. I think of my lats and low back as two distinctive muscle groups. Is there crossover? Definitely. However, by doing this, I can train back on a day all by itself and effectively hit my lats (and the other muscles around there) and my low back. I do this by performing 9-12 sets for the lats/mid traps/teres and an additional 4-6 sets for the low back through dead lifts, rack dead lifts, or back extensions.Exercise Choice/Combinations/Angles Lastly, you must realize the importance of proper exercise selection. In a recent discussion with some friends, it was asked of me if I believed that pull downs and pull-ups increased lat width, while rows increased back thickness. While I am a believer in this theory to some degree it is not that simplistic. The back is such an intricate muscle group it’s not appropriate to attack it with this crude mind set. I don't think you can solely categorize any back movement into a width or thickness group. Sure, certain movements are going to work more on width or more on thickness. For instance, typically pull downs are thought to build width or a wingspan. On the other hand, rows are thought to be for thickness. However, if you do a wide grip row, you can't tell me that that isn’t' going to stimulate growth in terms of lat width. In the same manner, a close grip pull down will work on thickness as well. A much better way to think of it is in terms of grip and movement. You must work angles and grips to effectively and thoroughly hit your back. You do not need to hit every angle each time you work back. That's overkill. But, by varying it from workout to workout you trick your so you do not adapt, thus creating growth!The Workout*Take note that this is a sample workout. It can be used in its entirety, but should not be the only back workout in your arsenal. Use the ideas and principles written above as well as this template to create back workouts that will vary from workout to workout. (*Note that many of the ideas, schemes, and principles in this workout are centered around Eric Broser’s Power, Rep Range, Shock training system.)1. Reverse Grip Barbell Row – 3 Sets of 4-6 Repetitions 2. Wide Grip Pull-ups or Lat Pull Down – 1 Set of 10-12 Reps, 2 Sets of 7-9 Reps 3. Close Grip Seated Row – 1 Set of 10-12 Reps, 2 Sets of 13-15 Reps (w/ emphasis on peak contraction) 4. Straight Arm Pull Down Superset w/ Med Grip Machine Row – 1-2 Sets of 8-10 EachAs you can see you are able to attack the back with different angles and grips here assuring that you hit eat region. Another benefit of designing a workout like the example above is that you are able to stimulate fast twitch, slow twitch, and those muscles that lie in between, resulting in more growth, strength, and SIZE!The last thing I want to touch on is a technique that I have found to be quite beneficial to those that just can’t get back growth to occur. This is an over-“reaching” technique. It is similar to over-training, but can result in better growth when performed properly. To do this, an individual can increase their working set total from the recommended 8-11 up to 16. By doing this for no more than 6 weeks an individual can induce a myriad of anabolic events to aid in back growth. However, if you do this for longer than 4-6 weeks you are inviting over-training and your results will plateau and possibly even regress.It’s my goal that you will be able to implement the above strategies and build a CONDOR-like wingspan, accompanied by the thickness and detail of a chiseled mountain range. GOOD LUCK!Article source: ALRIndustries.com]]></isc:description>
<isc:productid><![CDATA[3]]></isc:productid>
<isc:author><![CDATA[True Muscle Admin]]></isc:author>
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<title><![CDATA[Is HumaPro Whey Protein? HumaPro Build Muscle Fast!]]></title>
<link>http://truemuscle.com/Is-HumaPro-Whey-Protein-HumaPro-Build-Muscle-Fast_b_2.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-02-07</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Author L. Rea CEO of ALR Industries explains in this video how HumaPro is not whey protein and how HumaPro is better utilized by the body to allow you to grow lean muscle faster.  ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://truemuscle.com/Is-HumaPro-Whey-Protein-HumaPro-Build-Muscle-Fast_b_2.html</guid>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Author L. Rea CEO of ALR Industries explains in this video how HumaPro is not whey protein and how HumaPro is better utilized by the body to allow you to grow lean muscle faster. ]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[.]]></isc:description>
<isc:productid><![CDATA[2]]></isc:productid>
<isc:author><![CDATA[True Muscle Admin]]></isc:author>
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<title><![CDATA[Building a Bigger Quadsweep]]></title>
<link>http://truemuscle.com/Building-a-Bigger-Quadsweep_b_1.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-02-06</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Article: Building a Bigger QuadsweepHow many times have you seen it in the gym? A guy training legs with heavy weight, seemingly good form week in and week out and his legs just don’t look big. You see guys maybe squatting 405 for sets of 8-10 (the rep range for optimal growth?) Yet, their legs just don’t have that sweep? They don’t have that size? ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Article: Building a Bigger QuadsweepHow many times have you seen it in the gym? A guy training legs with heavy weight, seemingly good form week in and week out and his legs just don’t look big. You see guys maybe squatting 405 for sets of 8-10 (the rep range for optimal growth?) Yet, their legs just don’t have that sweep? They don’t have that size?]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[Article: Building a Bigger QuadsweepHow many times have you seen it in the gym? A guy training legs with heavy weight, seemingly good form week in and week out and his legs just don’t look big. You see guys maybe squatting 405 for sets of 8-10 (the rep range for optimal growth?) Yet, their legs just don’t have that sweep? They don’t have that size?Well, I will tell you something I learned on my last off season with master trainer and top bodybuilder Pete Ciccone. It isn’t always about the weight (well, weight matters), it isn’t always about the reps, but it IS about form. Form matters the most when training legs – or any body part for that matter.So, what can I do for a bigger sweep? There are several things and I will go through them here.Depth/Range of MotionFoot placementMixing up your rep scheme 1.) DEPTHIf I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen someone on leg press only doing a ½ rep thinking they were going all the way down, or someone doing hack squat without taking the sled to the bottom… I probably wouldn’t need to be writing this for ALR and I would be sitting on a tropical beach right now. First thing you may have to work on is your hip flexibility. If your hip flexors are tight, it is going to be hard for you to get super deep on the leg press or squats for that matter. Second, you need to make sure you are taking it as deep as you can. You don’t want your ass to come out of the seat (on leg press) and you don’t want to be bending over like the Queen of England is in front of you on squats. All this comes with building your flexibility over time. You will have to bite the bullet and lower the weight if you have a problem with taking the weight too deep. Perhaps have a workout partner spot you and help you out of the hole so you can start building your strength at those levels. Your legs work through the entire range of motion. When you train biceps you don’t stop half way down on every exercise and curl up to the top do you? So, on legs, you shouldn’t stop half way down and only work part of your legs. By going deeper, you are going to be activating muscle fibers that have not been targeted before – further up your leg and out in your sweep as opposed to just your teardrop. This holds true for the leg extension too. ALL the way up and all the way down. If you don’t fully extend your leg, you aren’t flexing your leg all the way. It is like you aren’t fully extending on a triceps exercise. Range of motion is the key for these exercises as well! 2.) Foot PlacementI see a lot of guys going with a wide stance in the gym. They use a wide stance on their squat, they use a wide stance on their leg press, on their hack squats, and just about everything is wide, wide, wide. There is a good reason for this. You generate more power and can move more weight this way. You have a stronger base and can push the weight up using more combined muscle groups. That is fantastic if you are a powerlifter. However, if you want to develop your quadsweep, you are going to have to start thinking narrow stance and your toes facing forward (as opposed to out to the side).Yes, yes I know. That goes against what you read about in the books about form this form that. Maybe that is why so many people struggle with building their sweeps. I added 2” of size to my legs in just one year by making a few simple changes to my form and casting my ego aside so I could lower the weight and learn how to do it correctly.Keeping your feet inside your shoulders with your toes pointed forward will smash the ever-loving hell out of your sweep. Leg Press, Hack squat, front squats, squats, IRIS machine, AFS Leg Press, etc. Combined this with your depth and you are hitting a home run for building an awesome sweep. Granted, you should still hit some wider leg stuff as well – you don’t want to completely neglect that part. But your primary focus, as a bodybuilder or someone who wants a bigger quadsweep should be to keep your stance narrow, toes forward and taking it to the house. 3.)Mixing up your rep schemeNow that I’ve discussed the form issues, let’s talk reps!Legs operate a little differently than most muscle groups. Yes, you still aim for the 8-12 for optimal growth. However, legs need a little more. 20-30 rep sets (with a weight that you are pushing to actually HIT those reps) will flood those legs with blood and help to carry you on your way to hugeness of the sweep in no time. Sometimes, we used to finish off with 100 rep sets on either the AFS Press or the Leg Press. Starting with a weight we could only do for 10 reps and then slowly stripping the plates until we hit 100. So, a decent Quad workout might look something like this.Squats – 3-4 working sets of 8-12 reps.Leg Press/Hack Squat Super set – 15-20 reps each, going as heavy as you can go through it. 3 total supersets.AFS Press – 3 sets of 20, then one set of 50-100.Leg Extensions (if I don’t hit the 50-100 I’ll do FST-7, if I do, then usually 4 sets with regular rest)Granted, I like to incorporate different schemes on different days and not all of this is set in stone. I may not superset during prep and try to keep it heavy (lower nutrients). However, this is an idea of something different you might want to try if you are struggling with your current leg training to build a bigger sweep.Stay Sexy my friends,Lou “The Big Sexy” Uridel(article content from ALRIndustries.com)]]></isc:description>
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<isc:author><![CDATA[By ALR Industries Athlete The Big Sexy (Lou Uridel)]]></isc:author>
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