The MuscleTalker - Issue 81 (January 2009)

Happy New Year! 2009 is going to be a HUGE year for MT and, indeed, UK bodybuilding as a whole. There will be lots happening, with the main event being the Body Power 2009 Expo in May at the NEC in Birmingham, UK. MuscleTalk is partnering with the organisers to bring you the biggest event UK bodybuilding and fitness has seen. More information here

MuscleTalk sponsors Daz Ball. Darren Ball won the UKBFF heavyweights in 2007 and will be a HUGE name in international bodybuilding in the future. He'll be the figurehead of MT and will be working with James in a number of projects. Daz has signed a two year promotion and sponsorship deal, and you can meet him on the MuscleTalk stand at the Body Power Expo where he'll be competing and guest posing.

The winner of the MT Shape Up Challenge Part II sponsored by Muscle Finesse is The_Goat who made phenomenal progress. The runners up were Murphyblew and 40 plus. Well done to all of you who entered!

The results of the 2008 EmTee Awards are:
Nutrition - RedHotF
Supplements / Prohormones - Firest0rm
Performance Enhancing Drugs - dazc
Training - A tie between boar and micky
Female - Elfintan
Power & Strength - Fat Pete (for the second year running)
All Round Member - T0NY

Well done to all and thanks to all the nominees for their valuable contributions in 2008!

The new Bodybuilding Recipe Videos section is proving popular. Check out our own expert chef Paul Elliott's latest recipe: Beef Stir Fry with Egg Noodles.

New articles, interviews and reports in December:
- Dietary Nucleotides and their Role in Human Health, Sports Nutrition and Muscle Gain
- Interview with new BNBF Pro Annie Ottey

Past articles at Bodybuilding Articles, with categories of all our main articles and past newsletters contributions.

MuscleTalk T-shirts!

*** Best wishes from James Collier and The MuscleTalk team! ***

See you at www.MuscleTalk.co.uk

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*** Classification of Carbohydrates ***
James Collier - MuscleTalk Moderator & Nutrition Consultant www.healthyaction.co.uk

Carbohydrates are a macronutrient along with fat and protein, and we use carbs for energy. If you're very active, play a lot of sport or are bulking in bodybuilding they should form the bulk of your diet. The main types are as follows:

Sugars
Sugars are the simplest form of carbohydrate and are the building blocks of complex carbs. Monosaccharides, such as glucose, fructose and galactose are single unit sugars. Disaccharides, such as sucrose (table sugar - two glucose molecules) and lactose (milk sugar - glucose and galactose) are made up of two monosaccharides, joined together.

Oligosaccharides
These are short chains of monosaccharides - 3-20 units long. Some pass through the small intestine into the colon, where they are digested by the so-called 'friendly bacteria', helping them to survive and multiply in the gut. For this reason, some oligosaccharides, e.g. FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides) are known as prebiotics. As many oligosaccharides taste slightly sweet but are not absorbed, they are used as bulking agents in low calorie granulated sweeteners.

Polysaccharides
These are commonly known as complex carbohydrates and are large molecules of many hundreds of monosaccharides, joined with different bonds creating unique structures. Glycogen is a storage carbohydrate composed of many glucose molecules in the muscle and liver as an energy store, to be broken down when energy supplies are required. Starch is the plant equivalent of glycogen, and is a major nutrition source in people's diets.

There are numerous methods of classifying carbohydrates, depending on their structure or digestibility and absorption, the most well known is the glycaemic index or GI. The GI measures the reaction of the blood glucose levels to consuming a carb-containing food when compared with glucose, which has a GI of 100. Low GI foods, below about 55 cause glucose levels in the blood to rise only slowly and over a long time period, compared with high GI foods of over 70, which lead to a rapid but short lived rise in blood glucose. In practical terms, a low GI food with its more sustained release of glucose into the blood will keep you feeling fuller for longer compared with a high GI food that will satisfy hunger only for a short time period. The situation is complicated by the fact that consuming different foods with one another will alter the GI. For example, eating high GI white bread with butter will lower the overall blood glucose response, so lowering the glycaemic load. Fat and protein both act to slow the absorption of glucose from carb-containing foods, reducing the glycaemic load of the meal.

Another relevant method of classifying carbohydrates is by the insulin index or II. This describes the response of blood insulin to consuming all foods, not just one that contains carbohydrate. Some meats and other low carbohydrate foods evoke an insulin response without a glycaemic response.

High GI carbohydrate foods include all sugars, cakes, confectionary, white bread, white pasta and some breakfast cereals. Medium GI foods include wholemeal bread, some types of potato and some high fibre breakfast cereals. Low GI carb foods include sweet potatoes, small new potatoes, basmati rice, quinoa, granary bread and oats.

Digestible carbohydrate, in whatever form is ultimately broken down into short chains or single units and absorbed into the bloodstream. Monosaccharides may then be converted to glucose and used immediately as an energy source. Alternatively, they will be stored (associated with water) as glycogen in both the liver and muscle. This energy store can be quickly mobilised to supply the muscles and brain (which relies solely on glucose as its energy source). The capacity for storing carbohydrate is limited, so if excess carbohydrate is consumed beyond what our body needs, it will be transformed and stored as adipose tissue (i.e. fat).

Carbohydrate foods add calories (i.e. energy), they provide valuable vitamins, minerals and fibre, and they ensure that muscle recovery is swift and effective following training. The basis of a fitness enthusiast's diet should be low to moderate GI carbohydrates, to keep blood glucose and hence insulin levels stable. The pre-workout meal should contain sufficient amounts of low GI carbs to ensure the training is adequately fuelled. For hard exercising people, fast acting, high GI carbohydrate, immediately post training is important to promote re-fuelling.

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*** Female Strength Training - Triceps & Biceps ***
By Hazel, MuscleTalk Moderator

Weight training is something that used to be aimed primarily at men, but in recent years more and more women are participating in. Weight training has many benefits as we know, including increased strength and bone density, enhanced immune system and improved confidence, women are starting to realise this and do not fear that it will make them 'big' and masculine. Women also have lower levels of testosterone, the anabolic hormone that contributes to increased muscle mass so making it harder to gain mass, weight training actually facilitates positive changes in body composition for example, lower body fat, tighter looking muscles and improved strength.

Any new female trainer when asked says they want to improve the muscle tone of their arms, get rid of their 'bingo wings' but not get too 'big'. Any regular trainer will tell you how hard it is to put that muscle on!

Arm exercises are fun to do because you can really see the muscle working. People like to train the biceps together with the triceps; although they are both arm movements, they involve muscles on opposite sides of the body that perform entirely different functions. You can train the biceps first and then the triceps, or the triceps then the biceps, or you can alternate them, doing first a biceps and then a triceps exercise or adding them on to a different body part, depending on your training split.

Outlined below is an example training routine:

Tricep Dips - Using either parallel bars, but preferably a dip machine (assisted if needed), press yourself with arms extended, chest up and feet crossed behind you. Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are above parallel to the floor, keeping your stomach muscles tight with your head up, this will place the emphasis on the triceps rather than the chest. Aim for three sets; 8-10 reps or to failure.

Seated Hammer Curls - Targeting the biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis. Sit on a bench and hold the dumbbells with a palm-in grip. Contract the biceps to curl the weights towards the shoulders. Hold and squeeze at the top. Aim for 3 sets; 12-15 reps or to failure.

Preacher Curls - Emphasis is on the short head of the bicep, with top of the preacher bench under your armpits; use an underhand grip, shoulder-width apart on the bar. Raise the bar as high as possible, keeping your elbows on the bench. Contract your biceps at the top of the movement then return slowly to the start position. Aim for 3 sets; 12-15 reps or to failure.

Close grip Push-up - Targeting the triceps and the chest. Start in a push-up position with your back straight then move your hands inwards so they inside shoulder width. Bend your elbows and slowly lower your body until your chest is almost touching your hands, then slowly return to the start position. Focus on your triceps during the move. Again aiming for 3 sets, to failure.

The biceps muscle has two tendons that attach in different places and also two different muscle heads that arise from these tendons. The tricep originates from three tendons and has three different heads that join together for a common tendon insertion on the elbow. Because of the different origins of the heads, you need to train these muscles using different exercises and angles to emphasize each head so try to vary your training routine every few weeks to ensure you are maximizing the results. Hopefully we will see more women gravitating towards the weights area!

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*** Food of the Month - Chinese Cabbage aka Bok Choy (pak choi) ***
By Big Les - MuscleTalk Moderator & Nutrition Consultant - www.healthyaction.co.uk

The Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa) has a long history, evidence of its consumption dating to the Stone Age, and commonly cultivated by the 5th Century - in China (no prizes for guessing that one).

Chinese cabbage comes in two main varieties: the Pekinesis - with broad green leaves with white petioles tightly wrapped in a cylinder formation forming a definite head; the other, Chinensis is proper bok choy (technically speaking) and comes with smooth dark green leaves; it resembles celery and has no head. It is a winter vegetable and is in season from October through to March with baby varieties available as early as August.

A green leafy vegetable, Chinese cabbage is rich in anti-oxidants and phytonutrients. However, the particular speciality of Chinese cabbage is calcium with 40g of it giving 21mg, followed by a healthy dose of folate, iron, potassium, magnesium, B2 and B6 all for approximately 5 calories.

Having won itself a place on your plate with its health nutrient profile that helps you recover, ward off heart disease and cancer, it's time to know how Chinese cabbage fits into your menu. Chinese cabbage has a mild flavour, which is slightly mustardy although unique in its own right and not really like the cabbage us Brits normally get. Smaller ones are more tender, so for crunch get the bigger one and for salads the small younger one. When buying look for firm stalks and leaves, any yellowing or wilting means it's a bad 'un. Store in an unsealed plastic bag in the fridge and your Chinese cabbage can stay fresh for more than week, although it's always best to eat a soon as you can, and definitely within 4 days.

Chinese cabbage can be eaten raw; and so can be cooked anyway you like - although it is an obvious candidate for the stir fry. Before eating, cut the base off before washing; pick a point to cut where the stalks can be cleaned individually.

So get experimenting, if you are lucky you could find one of the up to 20 or more other varieties that are grown, such as the choy sum or flowering Chinese cabbage with its yellow flowers - and give that a try too. Remember only the base needs go in the bin - the rest can find its way into almost any dish, and the green leaves can even be pickled!

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*** MT Powerlifting Totals Competition ***
By Hazel - MuscleTalk Moderator

Check out the latest totals

Also check out the Test your Mettle... What's your best? competition - open to all MuscleTalk members, just for fun so please join in! Also the MT 220lb bench press competition - how many reps can you do?

BigScottishBastard, now in the 125+ kg group, has moved up to just behind Fat Pete with a new total of 695kg. Cliff_vtr, with a total of 480kg, moved into second place in the under 75kg group.

Well done guys!

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*** Recipe - Lime and Chilli Marinated Tuna ***
By Paul Elliott, MuscleTalk Chef - www.chefcd.com

Bodybuilding Recipe Videos

** Ingredients
150g tuna loin fillet (yellowfin)
2 passion fruit, pulp required, or 2 tbsp juice
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium hot green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp caster sugar
3 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

** Method
Push the passion fruit through a sieve to extract the juice. Stir in lime juice, olive oil, chilli, sugar, coriander, salt and pepper. Sear the tuna in a non stick griddle or frying pan, until only just cooked (rare). Put tuna onto a plate. Spoon mix over tuna and serve with steamed basmati rice or similar.

More great bodybuilding recipes can be found in the eBooks 'Muscle Menus', 'Muscle Menus 2', 'Muscle Menus Vegetarian' and Muscle Menus Shakes, Bars and Smoothies

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*** DVD Review - James Llewellin's 1 Step Ahead ***
Review by James Collier, MuscleTalk Owner & Moderator

Available here

1 Step Ahead is the first DVD of new IFBB pro bodybuilder James Llewellin. This film is subtitled 'an inspirational true story of one man's quest to become a champion', a phrase which truly suits the film. James is MT member 21gunsalute and watching this bodybuilding DVD for me was unlike the others as it's about someone I have the pleasure of knowing.

This is not just a training film, although there is some hard workout footage edited suitably so as not to drag on, and there's lots of good advice about training imparted alongside the workouts. There is some nutrition advice, and James emphasises the importance of a good diet for him achieving results.

There are a few interviews with James himself and with others involved with helping him. It's filmed over the few weeks run up to the UKBFF British Finals, where James won the overall and was awarded his IFBB pro card. The footage is professionally filmed and edited, with the main criticism being the music is too repetitive. James informed me that the music is by a local band; it is actually quite good, but two hours of hearing the same tune...

James is a genuinely nice guy, and this comes across well on camera. This DVD is well worth buying as James is someone you can derive true inspiration from in a very 'real' way. Stick it in the player for either a relaxing night in or for background training motivation.

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