Last month we brought The MuscleTalker to you in HTML format and the feedback was really positive, so we've decided to keep it this way!

It's great to see people using the 'search' facility more effectively since I gave you some pointers in Issue 24. It's a useful tool, but only if you search specifically for what you need.

If you're looking for other useful bodybuilding and fitness sites, don't forget MuscleTalk has its own handy directory. In particular this is useful if you're looking for reputable places to buy your nutritional supplements or fashionable training gear.

A warm 'congratulations' is in order this month to veteran moderator TonyStarks after the birth of his baby daughter Chloë. All the very best to Tony and his family! Hope the sleepless nights don't interfere with your training!

Don't forget to get your cool MuscleTalk training T-shirt this summer!

*** Best Wishes from James and The MuscleTalk team! ***

*** Flatulence: a windy problem! ***
By Kitty - MuscleTalk Pro Member

There have been numerous posts on MT regarding flatulence asking for advice on what can be done to avoid the problem. There are natural ways to combat the problem unless you want to continue making your partner suffer! This information is how to avoid the problem in the first place and not to treat the symptoms.

The worst offenders in our diets often are:

• Oligosaccharide sugars (e.g. raffinose found mainly in beans and some vegetables
• Lactose
• Soluble fibre (apple juice can be pretty bad)
• Starch that may enter the large bowel (good news is that rice is the least offender of this group)

Of course, each person will suffer from the effects of one food more than another, but it has been reported in Environmental Nutrition that the following foods can be categorised:

• Highly gaseous - broccoli, sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, dried beans and peas, milk, dairy products, onions, soya beans and turnips
• Moderately gaseous - apples, bananas, bread and bread products, carrots, celery, aubergines
• Very mildly gaseous - eggs, fish, meat, oil, poultry, rice

** Diet suggestions To investigate what may be causing you the problem, it is recommended that you initially eliminate lactose as this is often claimed to be the worst offender. Keep a food and flatulence diary to identify the culprits and eliminate them as much as possible. Definitely avoid the sweetener sorbitol. Garlic and ginger added to any offending foods can block gas production

Use correct cooking methods that can minimise gas production. For example beans need to be soaked well, rinsed, added to boiling water and boiled in a covered pan for 3 minutes, left to stand for 2 hours, pour off the water, add new water at room temperature, remove after 2 hours, add more water and leave overnight, rinse, add more water and cook for 75 to 90 minutes.

Reference: "Food, Your Miracle Medicine" by Jean Carper (ISBN 0671 03735 8)

*** The Most Effective Fat Burning and Muscle Building Workout that Takes Just 13 Minutes… And can be Done Anywhere! ***
By Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, CSPN of www.guaranteed-weightloss.com

Most people who want to burn off some excess pounds and tighten and tone their bodies simply don't have 2 hours each day to spend in the gym performing the bodybuilding style workouts that most 'fitness experts' recommend. Plus, these workouts consist of exercises and techniques that do not exercise the body in the way it is normally used so they end up building a somewhat unusable strength. In my opinion, most people, unless their main objective is body building, shouldn't perform the traditional style workouts.

While I do still believe that machine and free weight strength training is the best choice for body building, it is NOT the best choice when it comes to general fitness goals like strength, flexibility, endurance, etc.

I don't know about you, but I can barely fit in 15 minutes for exercise let alone 2 hours… and I personally am not interested in muscle size alone (which doesn't mean strength and usually leaves you stiff and inflexible)! I'm sure your schedule is probably the same. The good news though is you don't have to… you can burn fat, increase flexibility, build unbelievable strength and endurance, reshape your body, and build a level of fitness that is truly functional.

I want to share with you a workout that I do personally that delivers a great combination of strength, flexibility, cardio and muscular endurance, and fat burning.

WARNING: The following workout will not only surprise you, but it will likely go against everything you ever thought to be true about fitness. Also, it is recommended you consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.

The exercises should be performed with little or no rest between and you may need to adjust the number of repetitions or time depending upon your current fitness level.

• Jumping Jacks -1 minute
• Bodyweight squat (one-leg squat for advanced) - 15-20 reps
• Push-ups (slower reps for advanced) - as many reps as possible
• Kick butts (jog in place and kick your rear with both heels) - 1 minute
• Hamstring floor bridge (use Swiss ball or one leg for advanced) - 15-20 reps
• Superman (lying on stomach w/ arms out to side, lift legs and chest off floor) - 15-20 reps
• High knees (jog in place lifting knees as high as possible) - 1 minute
• Stationary lunge - 15-20 reps
• Torso rotations/twists - 20 reps each direction
• Side bends/reaches - 20 reps each direction
• Mountain climbers - 1 minute (if you can J)
• Wall sit - as long as you can hold it
• Dips (use chair/bench/stairs) - as many reps as possible

There you have it… sounds easy, right? That couldn't possibly do anything, right? I personally challenge you… try it… no, try it right now! Drop what you are doing and give it a shot and see for yourself. If you find it a bit easy, which I doubt, perform it 2-3 times through without rest.

This workout will deliver more usable fitness results and benefits than any traditional gym or health club workout. Now, you can of course implement this type of workout in the gym and make it even better, but the beauty of this is you can do it anywhere! Also, this is just one example and as you can imagine, there thousands of other exercises you can add or replace… I actually recommend switching the exercises every 2-4 weeks or even better is to put together 3 or 4 different workouts and then rotate them.

If you are not familiar with one of the exercises just replace it with one you know that works the same part of the body. You can also learn all of these exercises along with dozens of others in my soon to be released video which will consists of several workouts like this that you can do anywhere to build and maintain awesome levels of fitness, even workouts with dumbbells, Swiss balls, medicine balls, and more… watch for it in coming months.

Jesse Cannone is a certified personal trainer and author of the best-selling fitness ebook, Burn Fat FAST. Be sure to sign up for his free email course as it is full of powerful weight loss and fitness tips that are guaranteed to help you get the results you want. www.guaranteed-weightloss.com

*** July's Recipe - Chocolate Hazelnut Smoothie ***
By Nikki - MuscleTalk Moderator

Taken from the new eBook Muscle Menus 2 (out soon!):

**Ingredients
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
50g silken tofu
1 tsp hazelnut essence
ice cubes
100ml water (or skim milk)

**Method
Blend all ingredients well and enjoy!

**Information
Serves 1. Per serving: 262kcal, 42g protein, 15g carbs, 5g fat, 0g fibre.

More great bodybuilding recipes can be found in the 'Muscle Menus' and 'Muscle Menus Vegetarian' eBooks.

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