The main update to MuscleTalk last month has been the move to our own dedicated server, which has been long awaited and should improve the speed of the site considerably. With this new server we are confident the site can handle much more traffic so we will be updating MT in many ways over the coming weeks and watch the membership soar!
This issue of The MuscleTalker coincides with the launch of 'Muscle Menus' by MuscleTalk Moderators Nikki and James. This is much more than a recipe ebook; it is an invaluable edition to anyone wishing to improve their diet and enjoy their food more. It is packed with recipes catering for all meals and nutritional needs, including snacks, main courses, protein bars and shakes. It also has some great meal plans showing how recipes from the ebook can be incorporated into different dietary regimens. Over 170 great recipes and meal plans for just $19.99 (less than £12)! - Remember good nutrition is the most important factor in building a great physique!
See: Bodybuilding Recipes
MuscleTalk T-Shirts are continuing to sell well, so you'll soon be bumping into you're your MuscleTalk friends in the street and down the gym! They are available at: MuscleTalk T-Shirts
*** Best wishes from The MuscleTalk team! ***
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Informed Bodybuilding Nutrition - The essential read nutrition bible for any serious bodybuilder. See: Bodybuilding eBook
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*** Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) for Physique Conscience Athletes (Part 2)
- By Ant - MuscleTalk Member
In Issue 7 of The Muscletalker I wrote about ALA's liver protection benefits. In Part 2 I'll go on to explain how it can be used in both dieting and bulking to create a more favourable muscle retention/fat loss ratio when dieting, and a more favourable muscle gain/fat gain ratio when bulking.
ALA is known for many beneficial effects regarding crucial factors in lipid metabolism. It is known to lower blood glucose (1), and can reduce insulin resistance (2) in those with less than perfect insulin management capabilities, which can especially be brought on by low caloric intake (3).
A good intake of ALA would be 3000mg per day, spread over 6 meals. You would take 500mg immediately before eating each meal. Your caloric intake must be below maintenance for best effects.
People have found that with this regimen, they could actually eat carbs, yet still enter ketosis! This is due to lowered blood glucose with the addition of ALA.
As well as ALA's effects on lipid metabolism above, we need to understand that during a traditional bulking period, carbs, and therefore insulin levels, are high for the entire day, creating a high insulin environment not dissimilar to insulin resistance, which we know can be helped with ALA (3). As well as this ALA also has the ability to increase the amount of GLUT4 transporters on the outside of the muscle cells (4). This allows more nutrients to be stored in muscle cells as opposed to fat cells, the net result being more muscle, less fat!
Once again an excellent regimen to reap these benefits would be 3000mg per day, spread over 6 meals. You would take 500mg immediately before eating each meal. Your caloric intake must be above maintenance for the desired effects.
To put a figure on how much ALA would affect your body composition on a bulking period here is an example: If a person gains 10lbs of muscle and 10lbs of fat usually in a bulking cycle without ALA. They are likely to gain around 14lbs of muscle and 6lbs fat if they would have taken ALA.
References:
1. Natural products used for diabetes. Shapiro K, Gong WC.
2. Prevention of hypertension, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress by alpha-lipoic acid. El Midaoui A, de Champlain J.
3. Effects of 3 days of 'postoperative' low caloric feeding with or without bed rest on insulin sensitivity in healthy subjects. Svanfeldt M, Thorell A, Brismar K, Nygren J, Ljungqvist O.
4. Lipoic acid reduces glycaemia and increases muscle GLUT4 content in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Khamaisi M, Potashnik R, Tirosh A, Demshchak E, Rudich A, Tritschler H, Wessel K, Bashan N.
*** Hybrid Lifting ***
By Futurecoach - MuscleTalk Member
A hybrid lift is two or more exercises in one single movement. For example, the Clean and Press is a hybrid movement. First you clean the bar off the ground into the front squat position then stand up with the barbell at shoulder height. Once you are stood completely up you will then 'press' (not jerk) the weight from the shoulder position to above head.
Other hybrid movements include squat and calf raise, squat and jerk behind neck, hang clean to front squat, dumbbell curl to kickback, dumbbell fly to bent arm pullovers, hang clean and press.
There are many benefits to all weightlifters in the iron game using hybrid exercises. Dr. Mel Siff outlined the benefits of doing hybrid exercises in his great book Facts and Fallacies of Fitness as the following:
· Exercise of a greater variety of muscle groups in a short period of time
· Exercise over a greater range of joint movement
· Prevention of overloading to a single muscle group
· Combination of strength, speed and suppleness training
· Avoidance of mental and physical stagnation
· Avoidance of establishing rigid or detrimental patterns of inappropriately simulated movements
· Increase blood flow to all the muscles which control a particular join movement
· Learning a complicated manoeuvre via a breakdown into vital phases
· Stimulation of a new growth or performance phase
You can either straight set a hybrid exercise (example 3x5-6), or do the hybrid style, which is, for example, using the clean and press. First you clean the bar then you press it for three reps lower the bar back down and clean for three reps to complete one set; i.e. clean 4 repetitions then press 3 repetitions to complete one set. The key is to be creative with the lifts and experiment.
It is up to the individual how hybrid exercises are placed into your routine. Using clean and press for example again, some like to train this on either shoulder day or back day. Shoulder day due to the overhead press of the movement to work the shoulders, or back day as the back is worked from the initial pull of the movement. This is just a guideline to what some follow, use what you feel comfortable with.
I hope I have put forth enough information to allow you to understand hybrid lifts. All sports people, Olympic weightlifters, bodybuilders and even golf fanatics, benefit from hybrid exercise in developing hypertrophy and motor skills in sports and let's not forget the fun and variety the exercise gives us!
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*** Personal Dietary Advice
James Collier, Dietitian and MuscleTalk Moderator, is available for personalised nutrition advice face-to-face, via email or post or over the telephone. For more details email him on james@muscletalk.co.uk or click here for more details
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*** February's Recipe - Banana Oaties ***
By Nikki - MuscleTalk Moderator
A great tasting protein bar taken from the brand new Muscle Menus ebook: Muscle Menus
***Ingredients
6 egg whites
200g oats
60g vanilla or banana protein powder
150ml skim milk
2 bananas, mashed
2 tbsp of sweetener
***Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Mix together all ingredients and blend until smooth. Spoon into a greased, lined cake tin and level. Cook for 15 minutes or until browned. When cooled, cut into 8 bars.
Makes 8 bars. Per bar: 148kcal, 13.3g protein, 22.3g carbs, 1.5g fat.
The articles in The MuscleTalker are for information purposes only and are the sole expressions of the individual authors opinion and are those not necessarily shared by the owners of www.MuscleTalk.co.uk