The MuscleTalk forum upgrade in September is still proving to be popular, and site traffic is at an all time high. The most users ever on line was a massive 2969 in October, although many of these were guests; come on folks, join the community! We have also changed the MuscleTalk colour scheme back to how it was 2 years ago which makes text more easy-on-the eye than it has been since the upgrade.
Christmas is nearly upon us again (oh no!) so we've re-launched the excellent MuscleTalk Healthy Christmas Recipes eBook which contains lots of delicious healthy variations of traditional festive delights. The ebook is just $7.95 (approx. £5.00) and can be purchased and downloaded immediately
MT Moderator PartyBoy and Pro-Member Crackaddict have written the informative Beginners Steroids FAQs article
Any comments, ideas or suggestions on what you would like to see on your favourite bodybuilding, strength and fitness website, please email them to james@muscletalk.co.uk
Have you got your MuscleTalk T-shirt yet?
*** Best Wishes from James and The MuscleTalk team! ***
See you at www.MuscleTalk.co.uk
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*** The Truth about Creatine ***
By Michael Iurato aka Capri200 - MuscleTalk Member
When the word 'creatine' surfaces in conversation it tends to be a very opinionated subject. This supplement has been dragged through the mud in anyway it possibly could be. The people who involve themselves are people who feel that their word is stone because they have MD next to their name. These people may be paediatricians who don't know the first thing about supplement stimulation or what makes the human body tick from a performance stand point. I am going to clarify some things about creatine in this article. Some thoughts are from fact and some from opinion; at the end you can make up your own theory.
First off America and other countries were blinded by the FDA from their outtake on this supplement. It is understood that creatine is a compound which has a say in muscle stimulation, performance, and growth. But society was brain-washed into believing that supplemental forms of creatine is very hard on the kidneys, crystallizes in your joints, dehydrates the body and blows you up with water retention. Well I hate to break the news to all these 'gurus', but that is about as true as cigarettes not being habit forming. There was a study done to determine the body's response to creatine. The result was that retention of water was non-existing and something else was happening.
Many of the companies with dextrose uploading formulas are really not hitting the boundaries that it should. Dextrose can infact upload creatine, but it is a proven fact that it takes exactly 92g of dextrose to get a full shuttle of creatine into the system. To me that is totally intolerable to the gut. The Germans did a study that proved to work: Creatine mixed in warm water is a very sufficient way to take creatine. It allows for a smooth ingestion without cramps, gas, or stomach pains.
The fact of the matter here is that creatine has had more tests done than any additives in any food known to man. If creatine was proven not to work than I'm sure the FDA would find something better to do with their time, but they still cannot come up with a proven clause stating that creatine is detrimental to your health and does not work. See, in our world of bodybuilding it's not about internal response anyway. Who the hell cares if something changes the expression of a gene and who cares if GH goes up? The only thing that matters is that someone gets bigger, stronger, faster, and leaner. And Creatine fits that bill!
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** James Collier BSc (Hons), Registered Nutritionist offers personalised nutrition programmes through email tailored to YOUR needs. For more information see: www.muscletalk.co.uk/james.aspx or email: james@muscletalk.co.uk
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*** Listening, Understanding and Communicating with your Body ***
By Michael Iurato aka Capri200 - MuscleTalk Member
The thing that makes this sport an art is that human genetics are used like different textures and colours. You are given the materials to create but everyone's tools are different. So the science is to teach yourself how to best utilize the materials that you have. If everyone's genetics were equal than it would be quite a boring place. Everyone walks around in the gym and envies someone's certain body part they wish that they had, because they just can't peak it quite as well or rip up quite that sharp. This is normal and is why we all strive so hard to reach our personal best. This takes me to the reason of this article…
So you got under the squat rack and did 600lbs with your ass to the floor. You got on the bench and pressed 405lbs for reps. You feel strong, you feel good, but do you really know what you are doing, and are you reaching the peak of your genetic code?
In most people I can say the answer to that is no. So many people are fascinated with the Ronnie Colemans and the Davanna Medinas of the world that they follow their every step thinking that maybe, just maybe, I can be that way someday. Well, I hate to be the stork delivering bad news but it ain't happening. First off these men and women in these magazines are on a suicide mission and it is just a matter of time before the door of Health and Luck slams in their face. I cannot preach about things that I have done myself, but in moderation is one thing. These men and women are pushing their genetic code past normality. The point here is that Ronnie's diet may work for me and not you. Davanna's diet may work for Suzy and not Beth.
The fun part of this sport is to find out what exercises work for you and what food and how much is needed to give you optimal performance. The interesting thing is that once you recognize this, you become so educated that you will realise that what you did 2, 3, and 4 years ago was ridiculous. Your body is a machine. You would never give a Ferrari regular gas would you? You wouldn't send your Ferrari to a chop shop to get body work done would you? Didn't think so. The point I'm trying to make is that fuelling up is extremely important in performance and the way your body suppresses all the nutrients. And finding exercises that you can consider top notch to do the cosmetic body work is also important. Working out is the easy part. It's understanding what your body is trying to tell you and responding to it. That is the hard part. Experiment. Experiment. Experiment. Try everything. Mix and match foods, change time frames, training times and exercises. Then one day it will click and you will be able to control your physique and overall wellness. Your Body is your temple. Build it your way.
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*** November's Recipe - Lancashire Hot Pot ***
By Nicole Bremner aka Nikki - MuscleTalk Moderator
Taken from Muscle Menus 2
** Ingredients
450g lamb cutlets, trimmed of fat
1 tsp almond meal
200g carrots, sliced
400g potatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion, cut into rings
1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
500ml lamb stock
** Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Roll the lamb cutlets in almond meal and grill on both sides in a large pan until browned. Remove from heat.
In a large casserole pot, layer carrots, potato, onion, herbs then lamb finishing with a layer of potatoes. Pour over the stock, cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour. Remove the lid and cook uncovered for a further 20 minutes before serving.
** Information
Serves 4. Per serve: 300kcal, 26.5g protein, 23.5g carbs, 11g fat, 4g fibre.
More great bodybuilding recipes can be found in the 'Muscle Menus', 'Muscle Menus 2' and 'Muscle Menus Vegetarian' eBooks:
And prepare for Christmas early with Healthy Christmas Recipes
*** Video Review - Ronnie Coleman: The Unbelievable ***
Review by DaveH - MuscleTalk Member
www.musclefinesse.com/videos-the-unbelievable-ronnie-coleman.asp
Probably the best way to get this review under way is to declare that this is my favourite bodybuilding video of them all. While not as long as some of the other videos out there, it benefits from a perfect running time of over one hour and has a pacing and balance seldom shown in other videos of this type.
It's a few weeks out from the Mr Olympia contest and Ronnie's out to defend his title again. The focus of the video is Ronnie's training and cutting whilst fitting this into his job of a police man. Why does he work as a law man when he is already Mr Olympia? Simple, in Ronnie's own words. "I love it".
The format of the video is divided up into 4 training days: Shoulders, Chest and Triceps, Back and Biceps and a leg day. On his shoulder day, Ronnie trains early and quickly because he is pushed for time due to his work commitments. He trains, cleans up and goes to work. At the police station he jokes about how the best thing about his job is that he can wear shorts and judging by the humidity outside he isn't kidding. This is further exclaimed when we see him sweating during a briefing from his superior. Clearly a man of this size with a bullet proof vest on must be quite uncomfortable. The police segment is incredibly interesting and useful as it shows that it is actually possible for any budding bodybuilder to have a job and train effectively. Granted, eating a jacket potato and chicken on your lap in a squad car is not ideal but it is an example, nothing more of what can be achieved if you have the right mindset.
Back to his training is where this video really takes off. Ronnie's workouts are interspersed with many comments that most people already know. "Yeah buddy, lightweight". Watching Ronnie deadlift huge poundages (800lbs) is enough to get you back into the gym if you've had a layoff. Seeing Ronnie, front squat that uncomfortable 585lbs makes you want to buy bigger jeans or a pair of clown trousers. Witnessing Ronnie dumbbell press 200lbs in each hand for 12 reps and then again on an incline urges you to pick up a heavier weight and throw it on the floor when you finish. It's all made more amazing because he is cutting for Mr. Olympia, and his strength is still unbelievable.
It really is that good. The only downside is that this is on VHS only, but that is no big problem. On our viewing experience, we meet Brian Dobson, Metroflex gym owner who reveals that when he first saw Ronnie, it blew him away. It's easy enough to see why. Buy this now and be prepared to blown away too.
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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