Welcome to the 14th issue of The MuscleTalker.
MuscleTalk members across the world generally enjoy better weather than we do in the UK, so it's no wonder we Brits make a big thing about it when the sum comes out! I have seen countless topics on MT over the past few weeks discussing 'cutting for the summer', in a desperate attempt to look great in the sun! Why not just stay in reasonable condition all year round? You can gain muscle just as easily holding only a few pounds of body fat, and this way you'll still look lean and muscular.
I'm sure many of you will be off on your summer vacations in the next few weeks and will be worrying about losing your gains while away. My advice is this: forget bodybuilding, you're on holiday! If you eat plenty of food, swim, dance or do 'other exercises' ;) you'll be fine. In fact having some time off can do you the world of good by letting the muscles relax and relieving the psychological pressures of the bodybuilding lifestyle. Do this, and I bet you'll make better gains in the first few weeks back in the gym after your holiday than you've done in a long time!
There's a great new article on MT discussing the benefits of Olympic weightlifting with some great routines by JohnnyFive and Futurecoach04, see here
There are loads of other great articles - Bodybuilding Articles
MuscleTalk just keeps growing and growing … and we hope you do too!
*** Best wishes from James and The MuscleTalk team! ***
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** Check out New Articles, Training Tips and Nutritional Information in a new and exciting High-Intensity Training Website:
http://www.highintensity.net
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** The Bodybuilding Truth
Think you know about bodybuilding? Think again. The Bodybuilding Truth is filled with all the information that was considered too radical for print. A MUST read - Click Here
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*** Fluid and Weight Training ***
By James Collier BSc Hons SRD - MuscleTalk Moderator
** For more detailed information on hydration and exercise see the Informed Bodybuilding Nutrition eBook by James Collier. For more information click here
Insufficient hydration is the most limiting factor in exercise performance. If you learn nothing else this month - remember that! Maintaining a stable body temperature is crucial, and the body regulates this by mechanisms such as convection and sweating, which rely on adequate hydration. Therefore, during warmer temperatures proper hydration is even more important.
However, it is not only the amount you drink which will keep you hydrated, the rate fluid leaves the stomach (the rate of gastric emptying) and the rate we absorb water in the intestines are both crucial factors in supplying the body with water. The rates of gastric emptying and fluid absorption are dependant on:
- How much you drink
- The temperature of the drink
- How hard you are exercising
- Current hydration state of the body
- How much water is in the stomach
- Relative concentration of electrolytes in the fluid
- Relative concentration of carbohydrate in the fluid
The following are a few practical tips for you to keep cool and hydrated during a training session:
- Have a drink (250-500 ml) about 20 minutes before training
- Accustom your body to drinking throughout your workouts. Sips water between sets and don't rely on thirst
- Drink cool beverages rather than warm ones, avoid tea/coffee pre-workout
- Choose water or weak dilute drinks for fluid replacement. Fluid replacement drinks can be useful if used correctly but are not essential
- Sip fluids regularly to avoid bloating
- Wear suitable clothing during exercise, and splash water on the skin. This will help reduce sweating and the need for fluid
** Need a diet for growth to suit YOU? - James Collier, Dietitian offers personalised nutrition programmes through email tailored to YOUR needs. For more information see:
www.muscletalk.co.uk/james.asp or email james@muscletalk.co.uk
*** High Intensity Terms - Part 1 ***
By Paul A Marsland
In the next few issues of The MuscleTalker we will be including parts of this great article by Paul. Paul can be found on his board: http://pub40.ezboard.com/bhighintensitystrengthtraining
- 'High Intensity' what does it mean?
High Intensity Exercise is defined as a 'percentage of one's momentary and volitional muscular effort'. If you're at positive momentary muscular failure in your rep/set, you're said to be using 100% intensity of effort. No one knows for certain just what percentage is required to stimulate growth, but by training at a high level of intensity, you can at least make sure that you have done every thing possible to stimulate a positive response. Also you can measure what you have done & not what you might have done on a workout-by-workout basis, important for accurate record keeping. If, for example, 95% intensity of effort were all that was required to stimulate growth, how you would measure it? Answer you can't!
By training to momentary muscular failure, or 100% intensity of effort, you therefore would cross this threshold of an imaginary 95% and stimulate growth, in theory. Realise that growth stimulation is directly linked to intensity of effort, so the higher the intensity (within limits) the better the growth response should be. However, as with volume and frequency of workouts, intensity must also be regulated, as too much can cause a negative response. Basically, if you train too intensely (long term) or as you become more advanced, in terms of muscle mass and strength, the likelihood of over training becomes greater, as you are, in effect, placing greater and greater demands on you body's ability to recover and grow.
- Anaerobic exercise what is it?
Anaerobic exercise is measured in terms of intensity, as is aerobic exercise. Weight training is anaerobic (without oxygen) in nature so in order for it not to turn into aerobic exercise, it must be of a high intensity or of a more demanding nature. So if one is training anaerobicly, you will be using a high level of intensity, which will require that your workouts are brief in nature. How brief is dependant on the overall volume of the workout, the level of effort you are putting forth, rest between sets & exercises, etc.
So what is the answer? This is based on many individual factors, such as rates of fatigue for different muscle groups, fibre types, intensity of effort, tolerance to stress and motivation, to name but a few. As a general guideline perform 3-6 sets for the larger muscle groups like back and legs, and 1-3 sets for the smaller muscles like arms. You will have to experiment a little to find the optimum for you. As an advanced trainee, there will and should be times when you will have to increase the demands of your workouts. This can be done by slightly increasing volume, frequency or intensity via the use of variables such as forced reps, strip sets, negative reps and static holds. As mentioned previously, what you can tolerate on a short-term basis (generally 2-3 weeks) can far exceed what you can tolerate in the long-term.
While it is true that we are all the same physiologically, we are all different in terms of personality, skin texture, eye colour, etc. The need for an individual exercise prescription based on the above factors is essential to ensure optimum progress.
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*** June's Recipe - Jelly Protein Ice Cream ***
By Nicole Bremner - MuscleTalk Moderator
Here's one for the summer!
**Ingredients
1 packet of sugar free jelly crystals, any flavour
1 scoop protein powder
**Method
Make the jelly according to the instructions, except don't add the second lot of cold water. Make sure all the crystals have dissolved, then add to a blender with a scoop of protein. Whiz up, careful not to let it overflow! Put it in a container and leave in the freezer for about 15 mins, remove, then add back to blender and whiz again. Wait another 15 mins, and whiz again. Let freeze, but not until too solid. This makes a nice ice cream!
More great bodybuilding recipes by Nicole can be found in the Muscle Menus ebook
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