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Friday, November 30, 2012

Whey Protein Stimulates Protein Absorption (especially on Older People)


Sarcopenia is a medical condition that causes a loss in muscle mass as we get old (0.5 – 1% loss per year after the age of 25). This problem can cause injuries, a decrease in the quality of life and even premature death. A possible cure would be whey protein, that stimulates protein synthesis and helps with maintaining the existing muscle mass. 



A study of the Maastricht University in the Netherlands had shown that protein absorption on old male subjects had increased after they consumed 35 g of whey protein per day, compared to those who consumed just 20 g or 10 g. So by consuming 35 grams of whey protein every day, and even better – by combining this with weight training, you could prevent the loss in muscle mass that comes with aging. (American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism, Feb 14, 2012)

For aging adults looking for a complex workout guide made especially for their needs, we highly recommend the "Old School New Body Program".

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Jessica Jessie


Jessica Jessie is an IFBB Pro, a Fitness Model as well as a personal trainer and certified nutritionist. She grew up in Sterling, Virginia and as a young girl she was crazy about sports. She played soccer, volleyball, basketball and with a body like this she was definitely in the cheerleading team as well. She is now competing in Fitness contests and she won her IFBB Pro Card after winning the 2010 NPC Bikini Division in Chicago. She was also at the Bikini Olympia in 2011 & 2012, and at the Arnold Classic in 2012. When she doesn’t compete or train other people, she is also a model appearing in some of the top magazines such as FHM, WWE, Black Belt, Girls of MMA, American Curves and others. 





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Monday, November 26, 2012

Jay Cutler


Born on the 3rd of August 1973, Jay Cutler is one of the top bodybuilders of all times. He won the supreme title of Mr. Olympia in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, he was the Arnold Classic Champion in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and he was also the closest competitor to Ronnie Coleman when we won the Mr. Olympia in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. He was also second in 2008 (very close to Dexter Jackson) and in 2011 when he lost very tight to his close friend Phil Heath. He is a massive bodybuilder, always in great shape and always eager to take the supreme title. We are looking forward to the Mr. Olympia 2013 edition when he is coming back after an injury that kept him away from the stage in 2012. Good Luck Jay! 







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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Kelsey is Sharing Her First Experience on Stage



Remember Kelsey Aquiline? We met her in a previous interview and she was just preparing for a Fitness Competition. So we got back in touch and asked her to tell us all about this experience!


1. Hey Kelsey! It's great to have you back! I'm sure everyone is anxious to know, so tell us: have you won the competition?

I did not win the competition, although I feel like I have won!

2. No problem because we still want to hear all about it! And you can start by telling us more about the competition itself.

I competed in the Sandra Wickham Fall Classic within the BCABBA (British Columbia Amateur Body Building Association). It was the largest bodybuilding competition in BC in history and it was held in New Westminster, BC. I competed in the “Figure” category, in the tall class. I was up against a lot of amazing women, who have been doing this for a long time. I unfortunately did not manage to make top 5, but I did made second call out, which was still a win for me! That means if the placing went past 5, I would have placed between 6 and 9. 



I was 100% happy with the body I brought to the stage! Of course, I plan to grow and make more improvements on my body, but my symmetry and size were there. I was pleasantly surprised by the way my body looked on stage. I believe my downfall was my stage presence. Being my first competition ever, I really didn't know how to handle myself well on stage.

3. Tell us more about how the contest went!

In competitions there are two parts: prejudging in the morning (where majority of the judging is made) and the evening show (where the awards are issued). Due to the large amount of competitors in the show, the final decisions were made during prejudging with absolutely no room for any changes. I watched a video of myself on stage during the prejudging round, and saw where the improvements needed to be made. I feel I did correct a lot of what needed correcting by the night show. Still, there was no room for any judging changes, but that didn't mean I shouldn't do my best to make those corrections and present myself the best I possibly could.

4. Well, congratulations Kelsey! Simply to be on stage is a great achievement and requires A LOT of hard work and dedication. And speaking of that, tell us how you prepared for this competition?

Competition Prep...where do I begin!! That saying "If it was easy, everyone would do it!" definitely comes into play during preparation for a competition. And I heard it A LOT during the last two weeks leading up to the show. Physically, the last two weeks are extremely draining. Mentally, that is a whole other ball game. I expected to have to push myself to the limits. In fact, that is what I was looking forward to! I love being challenged and finding out what I am truly capable of. I looked at myself as a strong individual, body and mind. But I would be lying if I said I didn't want to give up many times. 



My training really didn’t change much. A few hours of cardio a week were added. Everyone is different, personally I was only doing 5 hours a week. It was intimidating to me though. Cardio and I are not good friends. I struggled a lot with getting those 5 hours in on top of the regular amount of weight training I had been doing. That added a lot of mental stress. I was always worrying about getting to the gym and making sure I got everything done. At times I was so exhausted, just walking into the gym made me angry and miserable. I felt like I had nothing left to give! No rest days for the last little while gave me no down time, no time to recuperate.

5. And how your diet changed?

Monday, November 19, 2012

Can White Rice Cause Diabetes?


A study held by the Harvard University on more than 350,000 people had shown that frequent consumption of white rice increases the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. This risk was even higher on the subjects that consumed bigger quantities and the results were the same on Asian people living in China, Japan, United States or Australia.



The risk of developing Type 2 diabetes increases by 11% with each bowl of white rice you consume daily and this risk is higher on Asian populations compared to the rest of the world. The study followed the evolution of the subjects over a period of 22 years, and none of them had diabetes when the study began. Although Asians are consuming high amounts of white rice for thousands of years, this risk increased lately due to the consumption of white rice combined with other sources of refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pastries and sweetened drinks.

Scientists are also insisting on the importance of keeping your weight under control in order to avoid diabetes, but also on the importance of losing weight on people who already suffer from diabetes. (British Medical Journal, published on 15 March 2012)

In case you are looking to lose weight in a healthy way, we definitely recommend one of the most popular weight loss books on the market - "Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle" by Tom Venuto. 


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Saturday, November 17, 2012

An Inspiring Interview with Melissa Bender (Therapist, Yoga Instructor and Fitness Lover)


Holy Grail Body Transformation Program!
1. Tell us something about yourself! 

My name is Melissa Bender and I live in Pittsburgh, PA. I am an Occupational Therapist, certified yoga instructor, fitness blogger, and cross country coach. As you may have noticed from my list of occupations I don’t believe in setting limits. I believe in living life to the fullest. 

2. For how long you’ve been working out and what progress have you made?

I have been tracking my workouts on my blog for a little over a year now, but I have been working out longer than that. I started running consistently in 2008, and I started my yoga certification in 2009. Prior to that, I was a dancer and captain of a dance team. In 2007 I became a flight attendant and stopped dancing, so there was a time period where I wasn’t doing much of anything. The first time I went on a run in 2008 I realized how out of shape I had become, and slowly discovered my passion for anything fitness related. 
 

I went from barely able to jog three blocks without taking a walking break, to being able to run 13 miles and still feel great and ready for more at the end. Pure stubbornness and refusal to fail is all that got me through those first few runs. If someone told me then that I would be coaching cross country a few years down the road I wouldn’t have believed it. Physically I am stronger now, and more capable than I have ever been, even when I was dancing. My athleticism has become much more well-rounded, and my body is more defined now than it has ever been.

3. Why do you love Fitness?

I love fitness because it enables you to do so much. It teaches you how to be physically and mentally strong. It teaches you to set goals, to celebrate victories, and to never give up. I also love fitness because in my field I see the impact of health and wellness as you age. There are many things that happen in life that you can’t control (accidents, illness etc.) but when you stay fit and make healthy choices you are giving yourself the best chance and opportunity to live a happy and healthy life, and to recover from anything life may throw your way. Also, exercise makes me feel good, physically, mentally and emotionally. There is nothing more energizing than a workout.

4. Which is your actual training routine?

Friday, November 16, 2012

Sonia Gonzales



Living in California (United States) Sonia Gonzales is a Cosmetologist, Pro Fitness Model and most important of all the winner of Ms. Bikini Olympia in 2010. Thanks to her amazing body she won many other contests such as the 2007 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Figure, the 2007 California Pro Figure, the 2010 New Zeeland Pro Figure & Bikini, the 2010 IFBB Muscle Contest Pro Bikini, the 2012 Arnold Classic and the 2012 IFBB MuscleContest.com Pro Bikini. Besides this she also had great results in other major Fitness competitions and we will definitely see more from her in the future!






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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

3 Lessons “Skyfall 007” Can Teach Us About Bodybuilding


Skyfall” is the 23rd James Bond movie and it was officially released about 2 weeks ago. It already has a MASSIVE success, being in the top Box Office in many countries, cashing in more than 100 million dollars just in the US (and more than 400 millions worldwide)! Most of the experts agree that it’s a great movie, and some are even suggesting that it will win an Oscar this year! Besides the classic action scenes, fights, special effects, gadgets, beautiful women and other stuff that made the James Bond series so popular, we can also learn some important lessons about Fitness & Bodybuilding! 



Lesson #1: You Can’t Just Drink and Party and Expect Results

As everyone thinks that James Bond is dead, what is he actually doing? Well he is just chilling on a tropical beach, drinking and partying all night. This might sound like a lot of fun, but guess how this affects his top physical shape? As he returns to the new MI6 headquarters and is tested physically and mentally, we can see that he is a “physical wreck” (as Silva calls him later in the movie). Even though he thinks he passed the tests, we find out later that he successfully failed all of them!

So what can we learn from this? Well it’s very simple: whether you are trying to gain muscle or to lose weight and want serious results, you should definitely stay away from drinking and partying on a regular basis. Yeah, it’s ok to go and have some fun now and then, but don’t overdo it! I don’t need to get in details about all the negative effects of alcohol (not to mention if you combine them with who knows what kind of pills, just like Bond was doing) but your body also needs to rest and recover. When you get enough sleep, your body produces the growth hormone, which is essential for building quality muscle. On the other hand, when you don’t sleep enough your body produces a stress hormone called cortisol.

So make sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night, avoid alcohol as much as possible, train hard and results will definitely show up!


Lesson #2: Don’t Give Up!

After M. is being heavily accused by the Ministers, she takes back her pride with a great speech. And the grand finale, the “cherry on top of the cake” is a quote from the “Ulysses” poem of Alfred Tennyson: 

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Do You Make These 6 Muscle Building Mistakes?


Lots of guys are spending months or even years working out hard, doing endless reps and sets, but still with small or even zero results. You invest money, sweat and what you get in return? You may be healthier (well that’s great) but this shouldn’t be the only return of your investment. So stop being frustrated and stop saying to yourself that your body is simply “not made to gain muscle”. 


If you want to add some quality mass and make sure that you don’t train in vain, just avoid these 6 common muscle building mistakes:

Mistake #1: You Don’t Eat Enough

The basic rule of gaining weight is to eat more calories than you burn. This might sound obvious, but many guys simply don’t eat enough. There is no strict rule of how much should you eat, because each person has a different body and metabolism.

Many people eat a lot for the body they currently have. But to get bigger, to advance to the next level, you need to push your limits and eat for the body you want to have! There are many ways to add more calories to your diet: for example you could eat more meals (6 per day) or you could eat more food at the number of meals you currently have (they should definitely be 3 or more). You could also eat more caloric dense foods or add some extra calories to each of your meals. For example you could add one or 2 tablespoons of olive oil to your meals, or some extra peanut butter at the end of the meal, even though you are full.

It may be difficult at first to eat more even if you’re not hungry, but eventually you will get used with it. So if you have difficulties gaining weight, simply EAT MORE! (of course, this doesn’t mean you can get stuffed with junk food – see mistake #3).

Mistake #2: You Don’t Eat Enough…PROTEIN

The most important type of food you need to eat on a muscle building diet is definitely protein. Each time you train hard, tiny fractures happen in your muscles and protein is essential to rebuild the existing muscle but also to add new muscles. Lots of guys simply don’t have enough protein in their diet and this is also because of many “protein myths”. One of them says that your body can’t digest more than 20-30 grams per serving. Well don’t worry about this, because your body can take more than that with no problems.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Mom of 3 Loves Fitness and Coaching Other People -- An Interview with Alexis


1. Tell us something about yourself 
 
My name is Alexis, I recently relocated to Florida with my husband and three children. At the present, I am taking an enormous amount of classes to finish out my degree so I don’t work full time…though I am a mom so I work nonstop. I volunteer as the assistant coach for the high school cross country team, pushing them to exceed all their conditioning and strength training limits from the past years.


2. For how long you’ve been working out and what progress have you made?
 
I have been working out for 20 years, of that I also began training and teaching for eleven years. I began working out to alleviate pain from endometrial cancer that I have had since I was 17. I found the only thing keeping me pain free was stretching and strength training. I loved how it made me feel and changed my life so I pursued my personal trainer certificate and began training others. I trained a large amount of moms who either didn’t go to the gym, couldn’t afford the gym or didn’t want to go to the gym. Personal Training has always been my first love because it’s just that, personal. I got to see a side of people you don’t normally see, or rather the side they don’t show. Watching their lives change for the better was always so rewarding for me. When I got into teaching I still saw the changes but it’s a different realm.  

3. Which is your favorite exercise?

My favorite exercise would have to be pushups! Oh ok, I do love doing clean and jerks.

4. And your favorite meal?

Friday, November 2, 2012

Ronnie Coleman



Ronnie Coleman (also known as "Big Ron") is one of the best and most famous bodybuilders of all time! He holds the record of eight straight wins as Mr. Olympia, and only him and Lee Haney had ever won so many titles in the history of bodybuilding! He also holds the record for most wins as a Pro Bodybuilder - 26 and he is one of the biggest and most massive bodybuilders of all time. You may also know him for his famous quotes: "Yeah Buddy!" and "Light Weight Baby!" :)






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Thursday, November 1, 2012

She's Young, Fit and Loves Pushups -- An Interview with Juliana Llop



1. Tell us something about yourself 

My name's Juliana Llop. I'm 17 years old and live in the small town of Frederick, Maryland. Currently in my senior year of high school I'm aspiring to go to college to major in pharmaceutical engineering. I am a fanatic about self improvement. My daily goal is to work on my mind, body and spirit, and although it's challenging, it's very fulfilling.



2. Single or taken? :) 

I'm in a relationship, my boyfriend and I have been together for about a year now.

3. For how long you’ve been working out and what progress have you made?
 
I've been working out for around two years and do not necessarily measure my results on a scale. However I have gained a lot more muscle, definition, and knowledge of health throughout those years. I've never felt as good as I do today!

4. Which is your favorite exercise?


My favorite exercise has to be pushups. With the variety of ways you can do pushups (military, one armed, wide armed, etc.), they target a ton of different muscles.

5. And your favorite meal?