The MuscleTalker - Issue 58 (February 2007)

We now have new Terms & Conditions for membership on MuscleTalk. Can all new and existing members please read them (found here). There are no changes to the way we run things on MuscleTalk, and whilst members may be familiar with our current rules, we do urge everyone to read the revised version. Any new memberships will have to agree to these rules upon initial registration.

In addition to the new Terms & Conditions, we also have Guidelines for Posting of Topics and Replies which can be accessed by clicking the 'Posting Guidelines' link at the top left hand corner of the box each time you make a post, and they will appear in a new window. Alternatively you can read them here.

We hope both the new Terms & Conditions and Guidelines will help to clear up any uncertainty that may exist and make your posting on MuscleTalk more pleasurable.

For top quality supplements, great prices and top service, check out the MT sponsors in the Supplements Directory

The Hurcules Cup 2007 in association with MuscleTalk.co.uk will be on Saturday 12th May 2007 in Liverpool. Prize money! Special guest judges and posers! For full details see here.

New articles:
- Improvising your Training in Prison by inmate Aarron Lambert
- Check out Scott Liddle's (aka POWERHOUSE585) Journal as he get's ready for the NABBA Mr Scotland
- Muscle Dysmorphia - A Review; Hulkster reviews the literature on this condition which may affect many MT members!

*** All the best from James Collier and The MuscleTalk team! ***

See you at www.MuscleTalk.co.uk

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*** Introducing the 'Osagi Stack' ***
By Osagi - MuscleTalk Moderator

Anybody visiting the Bodybuilding Supplements section of MT over the past few weeks, can't have failed to have noticed that there's been a great deal of interest in what's become known as the 'Osagi Stack'. It's a pump enhancing, energy & endurance boosting pre-workout supplement stack that's received some great reviews from those who have tried it.

For the benefit of those who may have missed it (you really need to get yourself across to the supplements section more often!), I thought I'd put together a quick article summarising the key features of the stack and what you can expect from using it.

What I should point out before going any further is, whilst I may have introduced this supplement stack to the forum, and it's subsequently became associated with my name, I cannot take credit for the initial idea of stacking the various ingredients together. In truth the stack is based on similar formulas used in many branded, off-the-shelf pre-workout products. However the problem with many of these off-the-shelf products is gram for gram they are very expensive, which makes them uneconomical to use and subsequently places them out of reach to many would be customers.

By sourcing the raw ingredients from bulk product suppliers (see some of the MT sponsors) and putting together your own pre-workout stack, not only can you make some great savings, you also have the option of tailoring the ingredients to your precise needs which I'll go on to discuss a little later.

** What exactly does the 'Osagi Stack' consist of and what can it do for you?
The basic ingredients of the stack are:

- 3-5g Arginine-AKG (A-AKG), Di-Arginine Malate or Arginine Ethyl Ester (AEE)
- 2g Creatine Ethyl Ester (CEE) or 3g Creatine Monohydrate
- 2g Taurine
- 1g Glucuronolactone

As mentioned briefly, the purpose of this stack is to produce an enhanced 'pump' as well as provide stimulatory and endurance enhancing benefits. To that end the above list of ingredients have been carefully picked to provide all of these benefits in a single, synergistic stack. With regards the enhanced pump, you may already be familiar with the role nitric oxide (NO) plays in vasodilation. In plain English, vasodilation is a term used to describe the dilating or relaxing of blood vessels and nitric oxide is an endogenous pulmonary vasodilator which plays a key role in the vasodilation of blood vessels in the human body.

As blood vessels relax, they widen, increasing your body's ability to deliver blood to working muscles which results in what us bodybuilders refer to as the 'pump'. Since it causes your muscles to temporarily swell and thus give the appearance of a more muscular physique, the pump is usually only thought of as being of cosmetic value. However improved blood flow during exercise means more oxygen and nutrients get to the working muscles as well as helping to assist in the removal of waste products, such as lactic acid which can impede athletic performance. So in that regard, the pump can be thought of having an ergogenic or performance enhancing effect on the body.

Getting back to the ingredients of the stack, arginine actually plays an important role in the human body where it essentially acts as a precursor to NO production. However the problem with supplementing with plain l-arginine has always been that very little arginine actually makes it into the blood stream where it is actually used to produce the target nitric oxide. By using one of the above arginine salts like A-AKG and di-arginine malate or even arginine ethyl ester, more of the core compound will make it into the blood stream where it can get to play in helping to enhance circulating NO levels.

Closely linked to the pump, or 'muscle blood volumisation', is the concept of 'muscle cell volumisation'. Cell volumisation is a popular term referring to the hydration state of the cell. Creatine and taurine have been shown to have powerful effects on cell volumisation. Again much like the pump, cell volumisation increases the size of the muscles causing them to swell; but, rather then being of purely cosmetic benefit, cell volumisation has been shown to have a positive effect on muscular growth and hypertrophy.

Of course let's not forget the role creatine plays in the production of ATP and improving muscle force output and the improved mental focus and concentration that is associated with taurine supplementation, all of which is obviously going to be conducive to a great workout.

As great a nootropic taurine is, many people like a little extra kick in their pre-workout stack, usually resorting to a dose of caffeine, synephrine or maybe even ephedrine for that increased stimulatory response. But the trouble with these stimulants is that as great a boost they may bring, they also tend to leave you feeling equally as flat and as they leave your system. Most coffee drinkers will be familiar with the dreaded caffeine spike, not a very pleasant experience as you come down off your caffeine-induced high and especially not something you want to experience part way in to a gruelling workout.

There is however another problem using the aforementioned stims with this nitric oxide-enhancing stack, and that is they all act as vasoconstrictors in the human body. A vasoconstrictor is basically the opposite of a vasodilator, in that they force blood vessels to tighten and constrict (which is what's responsible for the increased blood pressure you may feel as a result of using these stims, particularly the more powerful ones such as ephedrine). The effect of using a vasoconstrictor at the same time as a vasodilator is that it tends to cancel out the pump enhancing effects you are aiming for, rendering that part of your stack an absolute waste of time. So this combination of stims together with your NO stack is best avoided.

What we really need is a substance which has a pronounced stimulatory effect but doesn't interfere with the pump enhancing effects of the stack, and that where glucuronolactone comes into play. Glucuronolactone is a naturally occurring chemical compound produced from the metabolism of glucose in the human liver and has been shown to improve memory retention and concentration as well as acting as an antidepressant and more importantly for a pre-workout stack; a pretty powerful stimulant. As a result of all these properties, glucuronolactone is often included in 'energy' or stimulant drinks such as Red Bull. The real beauty of this substance in terms of including it as part of the stack is that it doesn't exert any vasoconstricting properties in the body so it won't interfere with the pump at all!

** What can you expect from using the 'Osagi Stack'?
Perhaps we should start by outlining what you shouldn't expect from it; the Osagi Stack won't lead to steroid like gains or 10lbs of muscle mass overnight. Unfortunately these are some of the claims that were made for NO-based stacks when they first hit the market and, as a result of the product not living up to these massively over-hyped claims, the products were soon looked upon in poor regard. This is a great shame because amongst the benefits this stack can actually impart are increased pumps and cell volumisation (obviously), which as we have touched upon briefly already have been shown to have very real anabolic and ergogenic effects including increased strength, endurance and reduced DOMS. Add to that one hell of a wallop in terms of increased energy and focus from the combination of taurine and glucuronolactone and you really do have a useful and highly effective pre-workout stack.

Obviously there's only so much I can cover in one article, but if it leaves you wanting more, be sure to drop by the supplements section where I will be more then happy to answer any questions you may have as well as suggest a few more goodies you may add to the basic stack to tailor it to your needs and improve upon various aspects such as stamina, endurance or mental focus with the addition of compounds such as citrulline malate, beta-alanine and alpha-GPC.

Osagi (MT's resident mad scientist!)

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*** Forearm Training ***
By James Collier MT Co-Owner

Many of us do not train forearms, and feel that bicep, tricep and back training conveniently hit the forearm muscles as well. But to many hardcore bodybuilders working forearms is an essential part of a workout regiment, and forearms are certainly one of the more abandoned muscle groups among the moderate trainers. So here are some simple forearm exercises, which you can tag onto the end of an arm or back workout:

** Reverse Curls
Take the barbell and hold it down at your thighs, gripping it slightly narrower than shoulder-width. Make sure that you have a reverse grip, so your palms are facing your thighs. Keeping your elbows locked into your sides; slowly lift the bar toward your torso. Stop when your forearms are completely contracted, which means that your hands should be across from your shoulders. Slowly let the weight bring your arms back to the starting position, at your thighs, while you squeeze your forearm muscles during the negative motion. Try 8-10 reps for three sets.

** Barbell Wrist Curls
This exercise is more effective from a seated position. Sitting on a bench, take the barbell into your hands with your palms facing upward. Make sure that your hands are together during this exercise, maybe a half inch between them, with your elbows locked to the insides of your thighs. With the weight on your fingertips, your hands should be pointing toward the floor as your wrist at an angle of almost 90 degrees.

Then roll your hands upward so the bar gradually rolls into your palms, until your wrists are straight and no longer bent downward. Squeeze the forearms throughout the entire range of motion. Slowly allow the weight to bring your hands back down to the starting position. Repeat the motion, doing 8-10 repetitions for a set of three.

** Reverse Barbell Wrist Curls
This exercise is practically identical to barbell wrist curls apart from the fact that the palms are facing downward instead of upward. Sit on the bench and lock you elbows inside your knees. The weight should be down at your fingertips and your wrists bent toward the floor. Slowly roll the weight into your palms, lifting the weight upward, squeezing the forearm muscles the entire time. Bring your wrists up as far as they'll go, and then slowly bring the weight down to the starting position. Try three sets of 8-10 reps.

Like any other muscle, train with good form and do not to over-train forearms as injuries to these muscles could seriously hamper your workouts. So many other muscles depend on forearms during workouts: biceps, triceps, shoulders, back, and chest.

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*** Food of the Month - Liver ***
By Big Les - MuscleTalk Moderator

Liver is a love it or hate it food, and often gets neglected. However if you are looking for a powerful nutrient punch then liver delivers!

100g of Liver is going to give you around 30g of protein and virtually no carbohydrate, so a hit for the low carb days. But where liver really scores is from vitamins and minerals. The first big hit is from vitamin A; measured against the daily recommendations you could get over 680%, (between 10 and 25mg depending on where your liver came from).

After vitamin A you get the punch of B12, with up to 110mcg, or over 250% of a daily recommendation. Vitamin B12 is necessary for the synthesis of red blood cells, the maintenance of the nervous system and growth, too little B12 and you have anaemia. In the hard training bodybuilder B12 is in higher demand than for most other people.

You also get folate and riboflavin hammering home the B vitamins. Folate, known to many as folic acid, is essential not only for the proper absorption of iron but also for growth, and particularly healthy nerve cells. Riboflavin is important for growth, aids antibody production in the immune system, helps to maintain healthy skin, hair and nails, assists in proper thyroid function, and is also beneficial in preventing eye disorders. If that wasn't enough, riboflavin is a co-factor in the production of the antioxidant glutathione, which helps to prevent lipids from free radical damage. Important because it is cholesterol that has been damaged by free radicals that poses the health risk to blood vessel walls.

In addition to the big hits from vitamins A, B12, folate and riboflavin you are also getting a good dose of B6 and niacin from your liver, as well as healthy contributions from iron, selenium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and copper.

So what do we buy? First of all you need to be buying liver from a young animal, the liver is the body's detoxification unit, and as time goes by in animals just as humans toxic substances can build up in the liver. More importantly older liver is tougher when you are eating it. The strongest flavoured liver is pigs liver, which is also the toughest in texture; chicken liver is tender and mild. The liver should be a rich pink colour and have a moist not slick surface. It should also have a clean smell, so if it smells bad, it is bad. Liver is most commonly sautéed, although it also gets to be stewed.

For all of you that like liver, and for those that are willing to give it a go, rest assured this tasty morsel comes with the nutritional clout to justify its inclusion in any bodybuilder's diet.

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*** MT Powerlifting Totals Competition ***
By boar - MuscleTalk Pro-Member
See: www.muscletalk.co.uk/fb.aspx?m=1083082

Greetings fellow MTers and powerlifting followers! It's been a busy month within the MT powerlifting total tables with many members submitting new numbers - more than we've had in a long time, so thanks for that guys; this includes a very impressive 610 total @ 86kg by new member iaink. Olympian member tat2shep pulled a 191kg deadlift taking his total to over 500kg, well done mate. Purplepaul broke 500lb on the deadlift and pro-member tony1blue blasted his total into orbit with 3 PBs!! 227.5kg squat / 167.5kg bench / 250kg deadlift total 645kg @ 108kg.

Many other respected members got new numbers, please see the PL totals table for the updated lists. The leaders remain the same but with the PL season getting into full swing they are sure to change, so keep logging in and popping by. Until next month, keep pounding.

Boar

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*** Recipe - Smoked Haddock Chowder ***
By Nicole Bremner, Recipe Consultant and MT Moderator

Taken from Muscle Menus 2

** Ingredients
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
300g potatoes, cubed
700ml vegetable stock
450g smoked haddock, cut into 2cm cubes
175g sweetcorn kernels, tinned or frozen
400ml skim milk
2 tbs fresh coriander, finely sliced

** Method
Sauté onion and leek until softened. Add the potatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes stirring. Pour over the stock and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add the haddock, sweetcorn and simmer for 5 minutes. Add milk and stir until heated through. Serve topped with coriander.

** Information
Serves 4. Per serving: 280kcal, 35g protein, 27g carbs, 3g fat, 2.5g fibre.

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 - 2006 Mr Olympia ***
Review by Big Les - MuscleTalk Moderator

Before I review the latest Mr Olympia, one note; if you don't like bodybuilding contests then this is not for you.

Okay, a new champion brings a new production company, out goes Magna Media and in come Hard Body Entertainment. I have to give them credit for the effort made to make the presentation more interesting with a more real time event feel utilising the same camera's and presenters as the pay per view. The lighting and camera work is really very good and for the first time ever it is easy to see who is in shape and who isn't. Usually the top 10 look in much the same condition, not this year, you can see just how rock hard Jay came in and how off Ronnie looked by comparison. Given the result this is just perfection. With over 3 hours of coverage we also get a very good look at the competitors. As a fan, I was left wishing previous offerings had been like this.

In fact I have only one gripe, the presentation between contest footage doesn't really know its audience, and the fact that the presenters often talk as if you couldn't tell a bicep from a tricep can be a little grating. Backstage interviews were pure comedy, the chances of getting a comment that sounds intelligible - completely nil.

I really enjoyed it, and it is by far the best presentation to date. I am not mentioning the bonus DVD other than to say it makes a great place to rest your coffee while you watch the main show.

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