Although you should stretch before your workout, you need to warm the body up before you stretch. Warm muscles are very important to your overall conditioning of the body because muscles stretch better when they are warm. Therefore, before you start any type of stretching, you need to get your blood pumping. You should engage in a least five minutes of aerobic activity such as brisk walking, light jogging or jumping rope. The increased blood flow in the muscles raises your core body temperature. It improves muscle performance and flexibility while it reduces the likelihood of injury.

Each stretch should be for one muscle at a time. You should isolate each muscle as you stretch in a slow, relaxed, static stretching that allows the muscle to reduce tension gradually. By isolating the muscle you are stretching, you experience resistance from fewer muscle groups. This gives you greater control over the stretch and allows you to more easily change its intensity. Melissa Joulwan, a certified fitness instructor and triathlete stated, “If we try to lengthen the muscle too quickly or forcefully, it responds with a reflexive contraction — it shortens the muscle in a protective response to the stress, so the muscle is tightened, rather than relaxed. To get the most out of your stretch, begin the exercise gently and hold it in place.”

Bodybuilders know the importance of taking vitamins. But, which vitamins are best for bodybuilders in the long haul of health and fitness? Learning to read vitamin labels helps you determine what kind of vitamin is sporting for you. 

NATURAL - Means vitamins found in natural foods not tampered with in any way - this means the only substance removed is fiber and moisture. All labels indicate the exact food source. For example, vitamin C derives from citrus fruit concentrate.

CRYSTALLINE - Means vitamins started as a natural food but treated with various high-powered chemicals, solvents, heat and distillations reduce it down to one specific pure crystalline vitamin or amino acid and hence are no longer natural.

SYNTHETIC - Means in a laboratory a scientist reconstructed the exact structure of the crystalline molecule by chemically combining the same molecules from other known sources than natural food. Chemically there is no difference between the Synthetic and the Crystalline. On the label for either Synthetic or Crystalline vitamin only the chemical name of the single vitamin is usually given. Legally it is not necessary to give the source of the synthetic chemical. For example, synthetic vitamin C chemically produced as ascorbic acid from fermented corn.

Yet, the issue is would a bodybuilder rather take vitamins from a natural source that the body can readily assimilate or one chemically produced without natural components.

Sir Robert McCarrison, a British surgeon, brought to the world’s attention the health of a group of people in India in the 1920’s. He studied their foods and dietary habits.  They were a curious people. They appeared to be disease free. 

In his years of studying these people, he had never seen a single case of indigestion, an ulcer, appendicitis, colitis or cancer.  Many of these people lived to be well over 100 years old, had sound minds and every tooth still in their head.  He pored over their diet.  It consisted of whole wheat bread, barley, millet, sprouted beans and peas, fresh vegetables and fruit, raw milk and buttermilk and raw cheese.  Apricots and other fruit, both fresh and dried, constituted a greater portion of their diet than usual. There was little meat.  

McCarrison conducted a valuable experiment.  He tested the same diet along with great amounts of water on experimental animals.  It produced the same excellent health in animals as he had seen with human beings.    McCarrison proved eating the right foods makes a body healthier.         

Get Pumped With Ian Product Review

Accelerade is sports drink like Gatorade but, it has one thing that Gatorade doesn’t have & that’s protein. I’ve never heard of a sports drink having whey protein. It taste really good as well. It has a 4:1 ratio of Carbs to Protein Formula. Accelerade also helps to extend endurance, speeds up muscle recovery & enhances rehydration. This is an awesome product & I’m telling everyone to use Accelerade. I’m giving this 5 out of 5 stars.

My take is that give Accelerade & hopefully you can see or feel what I’m talking about. To get more info on Accelerade, go to Accelerade

Courtesy of Physique Bodyware

Top 8 Fat Burning Foods To Get Fit - Get ripped for the new year, learn how-start now!
Well the new year is here, time to get training again! The top new year’s resolution for most Americans is to lose weight! Here are the top tips you need to eat smart, get ripped and stay lean for life. With our 8 basic simple rules you will look better, feel younger and full of energy. For the next 12 weeks give it your best shot. Just stick with a workout plan that you can live with, make it fun and include these 8 tips

Whey Protein- Have a Whey Protein shake before you hit the gym, after your workout and whenever you’re hungry and can’t find yourself some quality food and before you blow it at the office vending machine. Also, if you know that you’re going to pig out have a whey protein shake about an hour before you hit that all you can eat buffet. You’ll eat less.

Go Green- Have a cup of Green Tea before your next workout! Full of antioxidants, research also shows that supplemental forms of Green Tea are far more effective for burning fat. For best fat burning results you should take up-to three doses of 500 Mg. Daily.

The Incredible Egg- Consume two eggs up to five days a week for a healthy slow digesting, muscle building breakfast. Research shows that two eggs with your breakfast can reduce appetite, reduce daily hunger and overall calorie intake. Compared to comparable calories: of bagels. I.E. bagels caused a insulin response and encourages the body to store body fat and that can’t be good!

Cinnamon- Encourages insulin uptake in muscle cells, which results in muscle-building if you workout. Cinnamon also enhances fat burning inside your fat cells by enhancing the burning of glucose. Liberally add some cinnamon to your daily whey protein shakes, your morning Starbucks blend and especially your morning oatmeal- it’ll add a burst of flavor with a dose of fat burning without stimulants or calories.

Oatmeal- This muscle building old school classic provides slow burning carbs and fiber to keep your insulin levels stable throughout your busy day. Have a small cup of oatmeal in the morning, for even better results add some cinnamon and eat with two eggs and a cup of Green Tea and you’ve got the fat burning breakfast of champions!

Ginger- The ginger root is known to reduce joint pain and inflammation and helps with motion sickness and nausea. Ginger can also increase metabolic rate, burn fat and even stimulate growth hormone. Fresh, dry or pickled, eaten alone or with Sushi and Sashimi ginger burns fat.

Coffee- It’s good for you one day and bad for you the next. Enjoy the fat burning effects because coffee is good again- coffee consumed without milk or sugar in the morning is full of antioxidants, stimulates fat burning (thermogenisis) One cup taken prior to a workout can help enhance performance, you’ll perform more reps and lift more weight. Increase your fat burning benefits by drinking coffee for a few months, then take 3-4 weeks off. When you return you’ll burn fat faster and more efficiently.

Cold Water- Drinking cold water keeps you hydrated, which increases your energy levels and encourages you to reduce calories with a mild thermogenic effect. Drink a glass of cold water on an empty stomach 3X daily- when you first wake up, and between meals. Drink cold water as your main beverage with meals as often as possible. Got a headache- reach for a glass of cold water, it just might do the trick.

Hot Peppers- Chile, red and cayenne peppers are true thermogenic foods. They reeve up your metabolism, raise your core temperature, make you sweat and decrease your appetite. Capsaicin, the chemical that gives peppers their kick, raises norepinephrine the chemical in the brain that increases heart rate, glucose release and gives you that euphoric feeling and increases blood flow to your muscles. Try adding some spice to your eggs, cottage cheese, salads and meat dishes.

My take is use these foods and a good exercise program &  you can lose the fat

There are many strategies you need to have or to do to have a great physique or to maintain a great healthly lifestyle. I will give you a few of them so we can understand what it takes. 1. Set goals. Knowing what you want is great but having the vehicle to do it is another. Start with a long term goal(s) and breakdown your monthly, weekly and daily goals. This will keep you on track to see either you’re ahead, on pace or need to catch up. One way of doing that is to write it in a journal or an agenda list.

2. Find A Training Partner. A training partner should be a little more advanced than you are, if you’re a novice. If you’re advanced or competitive athlete, a training partner will push you to the limits. You will work harder and your pump will be going insane.

3. Surround Yourself with Positive People or inspirations. When you have the people or things to inspire you, you seem to get results quicker. Even when you’re not feeling your best, these things or people can pick you up & get you going on whatever you’re doing.

These three things can help you out in your strategies for training. To get more in depth with this, go to http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/8_training_habit_strategies.htm

My take is that do be successful in your training, read this, take good notes and use this to pursue in your training.

I don’t like the comparision to drug-addiction, but it’s an informative piece about bodybuilding, so I thought I’d share it with you.

Every bodybuilder needs to understand the principles of energy balance in order to succeed in his field. Learning nutrition is part of those principles. It applies to losing weight based on your energy intake, which needs to be less than your energy expenditure. 

Calories control weight loss. It is not the kind of calories you eat but the amount. A number of well controlled studies indicated individuals on low carbohydrate diets lost more weight compared to those on varied or high carbohydrate diets. 

Does this mean the calorie theory is wrong? Or, does the constitution of the diet carry some weight when attempting to lose weight? During a University of Wisconsin program studied six diet programs reviewing each and discovered no difference in 24- hour energy expenditures in individual on low, moderate and high carbohydrate diets.

What is a common denominator for losing weight effectively is the intake of proteins. Proteins are constructed from amino acids, which are converted into blood sugar. Thus, consuming high protein helps keep a stable level of blood sugar. As a result, the body doesn’t get hungry as fast.

Therefore, your protein ought to contribute to about 25 to 30 percent of your energy intake when you are attempting to lose weight because it suppresses the body’s hunger.

Get the Book & Product Review: Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding: The Complete A-Z Book on Muscle Building (Hardcover)

Everyone, go get the new Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding, It is called Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding: The Complete A-Z Book on Muscle Building by Robert Kennedy. This is a awesome book. There’s almost 800 pages with great action shots. This is a staple to fitness & bodybuilding. Retail price is $39.95 (USA) & $49.95 (Canada) but, if you go online, you’ll can get it cheaper than the retail price. My suggestion, check out amazon.com for the bargain of the day.

I just purchase the hard cover book a few days ago and it is great. Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding: The Complete A-Z Book on Muscle Building (Hardcover) is full of information for every level of bodybuilding. If you are a novice, you will love this book. If you are a pro, you will love this book!

Here is a link, so you can purchase today! Click Here