Nutritional Information Supplement Questions Product Reviews

2010 IFBB Mr.Olympia

2010-09-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Olympia keeps getting better and better as each year passes. Last year, Jay Cutler was the first person ever to win back the title after being defeated the year before by first time winner Dexter Jackson. This year Jay Cutler will going for his fourth title, but many other competiors want to make sure he'll only have three. The favorites other than the champ going into the contest are: Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Dexter Jackson, Branch Warren. If Phil Heath brings the same package he brought at the Arnold plus improvements, I very well believe we have ourself a new Mr. Olympia. Though Kai Greene beat Phil earlier in the year at the Arnold, many believe that Phil had won. A poll was taken in Joe Weider's Flex Magazine, and the results were a landslide win for Phil. Now if Kai brought what he did the year before at the Arnold, that contest would be a tough one to judge. A lot of people have looked over Dexter Jackson and forgot he won the title in 2008. Dexter is using that as his fuel for this contest. Dexter was not his normal self at the Anrold earlier this year but rebounded with that dry crispness that we are use to seeing at the Australian Pro. Another contestant who is getting no respect is last year runner-up Branch Warren. Many believe that second place is the best Branch will ever place at the Olympia. Branch knows he does not have the best genetics in the game, but makes up for it with his hard work ethic in the gym. Branch will be looking to take the title this year and prove he is worthy of being an Olympian. The show will go down to the wire, but I have Phil Heath as the 2010 Mr.Olympia champ, not other bodybuilder has better symmetry or fullness as him.

Top 6

1. Phil Heath

2. Kai Greene

3. Jay Cutler

4. Dexter Jackson

5. Branch Warren

6. Roelly Winklaar

Review of MHP DARK MATTER, post-workout muscle growth accelerator

2010-08-31T07:41:00.000-07:00

The "Anabolic Window" opens the first hour after training; the most crucial period through nutrition to promote muscle growth. Most people over look the importance of their post-workout nutrition, they wait over a hour or more before they consume their protein shake. Another common mistake is when one believes that whey protein alone is all they need to fuel their muscles. They are right that the muscles need to be fed whey protein, but they also need carbohydrates, and amino acids. Most whey proteins on the market are composed of amino acids. Creatine and L-Glutamine can be thrown in as well to enhance channce of stimulating muscle growth. Creatine increases your size and strength, whereas glutamine speeds recovery. MHP DARK MATTER is probally my favorite post-workout supplement and the perfect recipe for the "Anabolic Window". DARK MATTER absorbs faster than whey, spikes insulin dramatically, maximizes creatine uptake and glycogen replenishment. 2007 Mr. Olympia runner-up Victor Martinez credits DARK MATTER for adding 12 pounds of dense muscle to his physique. I took DARK MATTER in the past, and it yielded great results. No other supplement on the market puts your body in an anabolic enviroment like DARK MATTER. If you don't won't to flush your hard earn gains down the toilet, make DARK MATTER your standard like me. Every workout ends with DARK MATTER...Enter the Anabolic Axis for the most powerful anabolic reaction ever experienced!

Syntrax Nectar Protein Review

2010-08-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

If the same dull taste of your protein is stopping from taking your protein as much as you should, sit back and let me tell you about this mouth water protein from Syntrax called Nectar. Most protein powders on the market day all have one thing in common: the bland "milk aftertaste". To my suprise, I found this not to be true with Nectar. This protein delivered a sweet fusion of fruit and candy! Another plus Nectar has is the ease in mixing, it only took me three to four shakes in my shaker cup! The reason I chose Nectar is because it is a whey protein isolate. Whey protein isolates contained zero carbs, zero fat, and aspartame free. What caught my eye though was the fact that Nectar contained a whey protein isolate called Promina. This isolate is this fastest digested and the fastest for muscle recovery. Nectar is available in 9 fruitylicous flavors : Twisted Cherry, Fuzzy Navel, Crystal Sky, Carribean Cooler, Apple Ectasy, Strawberry Kiwi, Roadside Lemonade, Pink Grapefruit, Lemon Tea. From here on out, my protein will never be boring. You can do the same too, by using Nectar it will leave your mouth watering for more protein!

2010 Europa Super Show Dallas,Texas

2010-08-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

Essa Obaid

Tony Giles

Ed and Betty Pariso's Europa Show in Dallas, Texas proved things are bigger in Texas! The expo floor looked like a Ft.Worth cattle auction, jammed pack! Me and Rodney didn't get much time to walk around the booths. Last year there seemed to be more companies represented, but there were still some major stars like Dorain Yates, Flex Wheeler, and Shawn Ray present. We spent most of our time watching the NPC and Pro Show. The NPC show was loaded with top notch competitors. Lorenzo Jones took the overall and the light heavyweight class. Lorenzo looked great, but to me the real standout was middle weight winner Tony Giles. Tony's conditioning was phenomenal, as well as leg development. This was by far the best NPC show I have seen far as the quality of the athletes. Next up was the IFBB pro show. Cedric McMillan was a favorite to take the number one spot, but unfortunatley things go according to plan. Arnold Amatuer winner Essa Obaid came out of literally nowhere and dominated the show with the same freaky muscularity and freaky conditioning Mr. Olympia bride Branch Warren brought at the 2009 "O". Essa is all the way from Duabi, another one of George Farah's clients. Me and Rodney both thought he was the winner hands down, but Mark Alvisi grabbing the 2nd spot was a gift. Everyone with us had Alvisi placing 4th or even 5th place! The show's favorite Cedric McMillan was given a shocking 4th place. Overall it was an awesome show, gives the fans excitement about the future athletes to come.

No Rest For Chest

2010-08-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

Here lately my chest has made some great gains, I've developed more outer and upper. So all day yesterday I was envisioning another great workout that lead to further gains in my journey of building my body. Got to the gym normal time, quarter til eight. Before I start even warming up I hear someone complaining about how cold it was in there. First exercise flat barbell bench. I get under 225 for the first warm up set, everything felt great. Next, I got under 315 for the second warm up set . . . . 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 BLOOOOP felt a warm sensation run in my left out pec towards the armpit, well I thought I just might of popped it so I did a few more reps but I felt a burn each rep I did so I had to admit to myself I had a little problem and racked it. In denial, I told myself well maybe its just the angle, so when we moved on to incline dumbell I banged out a set with 110lb dumbells which would be a extremely light weight for me. It honestly didn't burn as bad as the flat position but still enough to get in my head. So I faced reality and chose not turn a minor injury into a severe one, so I ended my chest workout and told my partner to go on without me. At this point I was angry as a grizzly bear who got their picnic basket jacked! I've delt with numerous injuries in my short journey so far, so I'm pretty happy with the way I handled this one. Bodybuilding's great Arnold Schwarzenegger said it best : "Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength."
I found this quote when I thought I dang near tore a tendon in my knee over a year ago hack squatting. This quote can't be more true, the adversity I faced made me stronger not only in my training, but also my character in life. Whatever task I'm going to do I give 100%, whatever obstacle comes at me I overcome. This was running through my mind when I was about to lose it, so I told myself time to hit some calves. I worked my calves til they mooo! By the time I was done, my partner finished working chest, and we began abs. In abs we did another drop set on the decline sit ups. Starting with a 60lb dumbell, 50lb dumbell, 45lb plate, and then finally body weight all counting as one giant set. We also used a "shock" method by using different weight in a different order. This method has your muscles asking "which way did he go!?" Surprisingly I had my partner beat on this I went til I could not do a situp with my own body weight. Next we moved on the lower ab leg raise machine and banged out 3 sloppy sets. We were both beat from the giant "shock" sets we performed, so we called it a night. In conclusion, I must practice what I preach: "you got to do workouts that work for you, just because they work for one, does not mean they will work for you." Some reason for me incline barbell has never bothered me, and every time I do flat barbell it does more damage than good. If you ask any bodybuilder what they use to build their chest very few will say flat barbell bench. In an article in Flex Magazine, on Phil Heath's 2008 Olympia prep, his trainer Hany Rambod (who is also trainer of present Mr.Olympia Jay Cutler and many other pros) said he never encourages any of his clients to perform flat barbell bench. Next week I plan just getting blood to the area using the machines with light weight. Then hopefully in two weeks of trial and error of what I can or can't do I will go back into using dumbells and hammer strength equipment. If things go well after that I will be back doing barbell work, flys, dips, but the barbell will only be incline.

Back In The Groove

2010-07-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

Last night me and Carlos pumped up the biceps. In our split, we train biceps alone. He thinks that when paired with triceps, your the pump you get opposes the muscles. I myself don't like to pair back with biceps, because I feel that when you train both together you put too much work on the biceps and lead to overtrain. I've noticed in the past when I got a solid back workout and tried to tack on biceps towards the end, it just got sloppy. So we come to an agreement on working biceps alone. If we do hit any other muscle it would be our hamstrings, abs, or calves. In this workout we chose to finish with abs. Starting out we warmed up on the preacher with an ez-curl bar. We love this bar because it takes the pressure of the elbows and wrists. First set was shy of 100lbs, we both curled the weight 12-15 reps. We grinded out a total of three sets. The last set was performed to failure, we added a few scraps of iron to get us to 135lbs. Carlos had the with ease, pumping it out effortlessly about 10-12 reps. I myself, went to battle for 7-8 reps. Next we did the same exercise but this time we used dumbells. Dumbells allows you to get a better contraction on the muscle. First set we start off with 60lb dumbell, then next set 70lb, and the last set with 75lb. The 75lb one I had drop setted with a 25lb dumbell to failure. At the moment the 25lb dumbell felt as heavy as the 75lb one. Next exercise we did something different for a change, we use the hammar curl bar. The hammar curl bar is a rare species to find in most gyms, but fortunately our gym has one. In this exercise we leaned over a hair and place our knees slightly on the bench forcing more work out of the targeted area. Finally to put a fork in our biceps thrash we did the high cable curls or some call "super man''. This one brings out a sick nasty mountain top peak on the biceps plus stretches them out intensely. In this exercise we like to keep our reps high and concentrate on the squeeze. Carlos said he wanted to hit abs hard the night before, so that we did! We did declind situps with 45lb plate to failure and then 35lb plate to failure as one set, we repeated this three times. Then the last one after the 35lb plate we did our bodyweight to failure. I was very suprised my abs weren't cramping up due to the punishment because it was intense, I gave each set my all. Then we moved on to oblique cruches on the back extension equipement while holding a 45lb plate. Three sides on each side to failure. A lot of times people do a good job on hitting abdominals but tend to neglect their obliques, so we make sure each week we hit them atleast twice. To wrap the evening of fun up we concluded with the antique ab machine. This one I really feel in the upper abdominal region. Believe me I know so because right now I feel like an army of ninjas beat me in that area with ninchucks!

Training Solo

2010-07-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

Saturday I had to hit legs at the gym solo because me and my partner Carlos were on different schedules. I had moments of doubt creep in my mind when we discussed we were not going to be able to train together that night. Mainly because I was so pumped that week looking forward to bang out five plates on squats! I knew now that I wasn't going to do this because I won't have Carlos there to assist me if something went wrong. The time came for when it was time for me to hit the gym. Excuses ran through my mind to take the day off : "I didn't eat enough, my knees were still tender, I haven't even took my pre-workout yet!" Instead I knew there was work to be done, so I got in my truck and headed to the gym. Once I entered the gym, I saw one of my good friends who is preparing for the Northwest Arkansas tearing it up, you could tell each and every rep matter. That there was more than what any pre-workout, it reminded me why I do what I do. First I started off with front squats. I wanted to go heavy, so I kept each set 5-6 reps. I supersetted with leg extensions. My main goal on leg extensions was getting a good contraction at the top, each set I turned my toes at different angles to hit all parts of my quads. Last set of front squats, I threw 365 on there and banged it out 5 times. The weight was slightly uneven on my shoulders, it kind of looked like a sea saw, but still I managed! Next was unilateral leg press supersetted with standing leg curls. Standing leg curls are probably one my favorite exercises for hamstrings. Then I moved on to the lying leg curls supersetted with the hip abductor machine. The hip abductor has really helped my leg development out quite a bit. I've seen major growth in my inner quads. This exercise is incorporated in all of my leg workouts now. Finally to put the icing on the cake, I did walking lunges with the dumbells. Lunges hit my glutes better than any exercise. A lot of people think lunges are for girls but believe me if eight time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman does them, I would keep that opinion to yourself! The lunges drained every drop of energy I had left. Training solo wasn't so bad, next week I'll be back in the groove.

Biceps Tonight

2010-07-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight at the gym me and my boy Carlos going to hit biceps. We usually start out with preacher e-z bar or preacher dumbell. Going preacher style forces you to use strick form. I prefer using the dumbell because you seem to get a better contraction on the muscle when you squeeze. Next exercise we do is standing barbell curls. Standing barbell is one of the best mass builders for the bicep. We generally go fairly heavy, while the last few reps are usually force or cheat. Then we move on to hammer curls. Hammer curls hit the outer head, and plus the brachialis. Some reason these are one of my favorite exercises for biceps, I think probally because it's my strongest movement for the muscle part. Last but not least we usually finish up with any kind of cable curl to force the most amount of blood in the muscle. Another rule of thumb we follow is cutting the rest time down. This allows us to sustain a pump and also burn fat because our workout is on par with doing cardio. I think we are going to throw hamstrings in tonight too, if we do I'll keep yall posted. Until then train hard or go home!

The Attack On Back....And Triceps

2010-07-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

Last night was the attack on back, and not to forget triceps. We started off with one of the lifts you never see performed in the gym...DEADLIFTS. There is no better exercise than deadlifts for back other than lat pullups. Deadlifts give the back a rugged look and adds dense layers of muscle as well. We kept our reps moderate, anywhere from eight to ten, and super setted with reverse cable pushdowns. The next movement was hammer strength rows. In this exercise we alternated grips wide to inner to hit our back at different angles, and we super setted with one arm over the head tricep extensions which hits the long head on the tricep. This part was pretty tough considering we racked out the row machine and going back and forth from end of the gym to another with no rest in between. Next on the agenda was lat pulldowns, which was super setted with the dip machine. On the dip machine we used one arm because the machine the machine was too light when we used both. Finally we finished our brutal attack with low cable rows super setted with tricep pushdown with the rope. Back workouts are pretty draining next to legs, we were already fatigue from the night before, we went super heavy on chest and kept the intensity to the max the entire workout. Right now I can feel my lower back got a lot from this, I'm already sore down there...and it's the right kind of sore, not the oh crap sore I think I slipped a disc in my back sore!

Quads Vol.2

2010-07-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

I thought my knee would recover from the injury I substained while performing smith machine squats last week, but I wasn't counting on performing any squats in this last workout. I went in the gym with a positive mind and told myself that this is going to be a great workout. I started off warming up my knees with leg extensions and incorporated strecthes between each warm up set. My first exercise for that day was unilateral leg press. I like this exercise because you don't have to load out the machine with tons of weight because you putting workload on one leg as opposed to two. After pressing, I thought my knee was handling it pretty well. Since my knee felt this way I said the heck with it I'm doing squats, but this time it was the squats I like, free style. Got under 225 to warm up with and surprisingly it felt fine on my knees. We gradually worked our way up to 405, finishing with 12 reps last set. My knee after this wasn't 100% but I kept on. Next we went to the hammer strength horizontal leg press, this exercise we also performed single leg. After that we super setted the abductor/adductor machine with leg extensions. By then my quads pumped to the max. Finally we finished up with leg curls and standing leg curls. Hamstrings are often neglected when it comes to leg day or just any other day in general, we usually hit hamstrings twice a week. Overall I was happy with my workout.

Why I Hate Smith Machines

2010-07-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I received a text from my workout partner, "We're going to go heavy on squats". I was pumped, but then I thought I remember something about him saying he wanted to do squats on the smith machine this week. In denial, I still asked him if we were going to do free or smith, of course his answer was smith machine and smith machine it was. We went up to five plates on each side which on the smith machine is still heavy but definitely not as heavy if you were doing free, which demands more work from the muscles to stabilize the weight. I have never been a fan of smith machine. The smith machine keeps you fixed in one spot, it applies the worse pressure to my tendons, resulting in inflammation which hinders me from the rest of my workout. The five plates were easy for my muscles but painful to my tendons. I just prefer doing all of my squat work free style, no fixed position, no momentum, just me and the load on my traps. My planned workout that I've been envisioning for the past two days took a drastic one-eighty, so I just had to improvise. By improvising, I just went light on hacks, just enough weight to keep the blood pumping, and the I supersetted the abductor/adductor machine with iso leg extensions. One thing I will never let happen is to surrender in the gym, I don't care if my knee cap popped out of place, I will still find some way to better my body. I know I need to start back supplementing Universal Nutrition's Animal Flex, which helps prevent setbacks. Setbacks, as being injuries. Animal Flex should not just be taken while the injury is present, it should be taken before as Universal calls it an "insurance."

Labrada Nutrition Power Carb

2010-06-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

Lee Labrada has done it again, early this summer Power Carb was added to the Labrada Nutrition line! Power Carb is a premium carbohydrate for your muscle glycogen as well as a force for increased nutrient uptake along with a powerful increase of muscular function. Labrada specifically designed and created Power Carb to promote your glycogen stored in your muscles by up to 1200%! This all leads to you being able to train harder and stronger for a longer period of time as well as an enhancing energy level. Power Carb passes through the stomach very quickly, it acts like a pump, pulling water and nutrients along with it (Creatine, Glutamine, BCAA, etc.) with it which are shuttled to your muscle cells. Power Carb can be use for Pre-Workout, Intra-Workout, and Post-Workout. I use Power Carb for Pre-Workout with Super Charge creating the perfect Pre-Workout cocktail, and Power Carb is also a stable of my Post-Workout when I stack it with my whey protein. If you want to add a powerful Texas size punch to your workout use Lee Labrada's Power Carb!

Whey vs Casein

2010-06-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

The battle rages on!!! The subject of the ultimate protein has been one circulating the health and fitness world for years, and I'm gonna try and help set the record straight!
Casein makes of 80% of the protein content of milk! It is characterized by its slow digestion which is in fact the single most thing that makes this protein so special. Along with its excellent amino acid content, casein protein shows to be very anti-catabolic meaning that it fights again muscle breakdown. The slow absorption of casein guarantees that will muscles will stay fueled all day long! It is also the ideal protein to be taken during long periods in between meals such as when your sleeping to ensure you can maintain that muscle you've worked so hard for! But....Casein may not be the only protein with great benefits.
Whey protein is absorbed much faster that casein which makes it ideal for when your body needs to replenish its protein stores fast! Whey is the perfect protein for your Pre-workout and Post-Workout needs. Whey protein has been shown to increase protein synthesis to help muscles grow after a hard workout.
But the best protein may not be one or the other but a combination of both whey and casein! Some products such as Syntha-6 have a blend that contains both proteins! Use whey as your pre and post-workout protein and casein between meals and before bed and you are sure to draw great results.
You can use both at these proteins to get the best of both worlds to ensure you can fuel your muscles the right way everyday.

The Breakfast of Champions

2010-06-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

Breakfast is by far the most important meal of the day. An average person sleeps for over 8-12 hours a night, which means they have nearly gone half the day without food. When awakening in this long period of fasting, the body is in desperate need of nutrients to fuel up on. The only time I would recommend skipping breakfast first thing in the morning is when performing cardio right of the bed on an empty stomach, reason being this is the greatest fat burning window. Even though, after the cardio session a solid breakfast is needed. For example, before I hit the gym I rise out of bed a chug a glass of water and then I wash down some Optimum Nutrition Oats N Whey with my eggs and banana. In this meal I am consuming protein and carbohydrates I will need to fuel my workout. I like to wait at least thirty minutes before I take my pre-workout supplement. The advantages of having a meal like this as opposed to having a mouse size granola bar are day and night. The protein and carbs I consume are constantly working throughout my workout when I am banging out each rep, my muscles are fuller, I have more stamina. The importance of a sound breakfast cannot be stressed enough. Quit stalling your potential and throw the gears in full throttle with a breakfast of champions.

I Don't Know Jack!

2010-05-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last week I started a hot pre-workout supplement with the name of
Jack3d. USP Labs C.E.O Jacob Geissler claims : "over 3/4's of your pre-workout pump product is nothing but ineffective filler that can actually cause you to gain bodyfat and hinder building ripped, lean muscle!" This statement has me second guessing myself about my previous pre-workout Monster Pump. I begin to wonder if all the past pre-workouts I've used consisted of ingredients holding me back from bettering my physique. When I read the nutritional facts label of Monster Pump, I found some of the ingredients Geissler warns about. Monster Pump contained maltodextrin and artificial coloring.

The dosage of maltodextrin I was fueling my body with, would have been no different than me chugging a Coca-Cola before I hit the gym! Now that creeps me out because that means basically this whole year I've drank a Coca-Cola everyday! Looking deeper, I found that Monster Pump used some artificial coloring. "In fact, some countries have actually banned certain artificial coloring from their food supply. For example, Red #5 can't be used in Australia because it's deemed a health threat!" says Geissler. In my first experience with Jack3d I mixed two heaping scoops with four ounces of cold water. The flavor of Jack3d I drank was lemon lime, it smelled like laundry detergent but tasted great

The first thing I noticed was the instant surge of energy within fifteen minutes after drinking it. I felt I had more stamina throughout my workout, I rested no more than thirty seconds in between each set. My strength did not take a nose-dive, I felt as the workout progressed so did my strength. Overall I was very pleased with this pre-workout. Another reason I think I've found my new love, is Jack3d is best bang for your buck in the pre-workout category. Jack3d contains forty-five ultra-concentrated scoops all for just $29.99. WOW, that's a great price! I thought before I was taking the top notch pre-workouts on the market but USP Labs Jack3d shows that I don't know Jack!

2010 IFBB Half Year Recap

2010-05-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

The IFBB kicked off for the first time ever in Mesa, Arizona with the Phoenix Pro.
Melvin Anthony (left) the veteran, nailed the show with his classic
v-shaped back and conditioning. Melvin Anthony Jr. wins the 2010

IFBB Phoenix Pro. Hidetada Yamagishi (right)caught the
eyes of many, although being one of the smaller contestants,
Yamagishi fought his way to second place. Hidetada who is
sponsored by Gaspari Nutrition
plans on entering every show he can this year, which is very
uncommon this day in the sport. Yamagishi is a true warrior.
Finished (2nd).

The next stop was the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio. The Arnold Classic is considered the 2nd biggest show next to Mr. Olympia. The show was highly anticipated awaiting to the MetRx'sstar athlete, Phil Heath's healthy package, and to see if the former Mr. Olympia champ Dexter Jackson would seek his revenge on claiming the top spot again, or if last years winner Kai Greene would defend his title. The show went down to the wire between "The Gift" Phil Heath, and last years champ Kai Greene. Kai came in with a stronger back and powerful legs that snuck by Heath's impressive muscle bellies and conditioning.

Flex Magazine took a fan poll on who they thought who won, and "The Gift" won by a land slide. The show left fans wondering if Dexter Jackson's blade dull, and a taste of what to come at this years Mr. Olympia. Within less than a week the Aussie Pro took place with Kai Greene taking another 1st place prize. Roelly Winklaar was the fresh breath of the show claiming 3rd place and a promising future possessing one the most impressive arms in bodybuilding.

Next stop was Orlando, Florida hosting the Europa Show of Champions. That warrior Yamagishi I spoke of earlier came in like his boss Rich Gaspari and slayed the competition. Yamagishi was spot on this go around with cannon ball shoulders and paper thin conditioning.

Now we are caught up to two weeks ago when the New York Pro took place. Roelly Winklaar stole the show, basically coming out of nowhere as this years 1st place New York Pro champion. The big talk leading up to the show was Dennis Wolf rebounding from the embarrassing finish at last years Mr. Olympia. Dennis still looked to be missing a piece from his equation, he was still too smooth, and lacked the awe of his 2007 Olympia frame. Roelly Winklaar physique was comparable to the hall of famer Flex Wheeler but with twenty pounds more densely layered muscle. It is just unbelievable to think that this is just the 3rd pro show this rookie has competed in. He shined with potential at the Arnold and Aussie, but the judges said his presentation of his body was the only thing holding him back. Roelly spent hours upon hours practicing leading up to the show determined that would not be a factor for this contest.

This year so far will be one for the history books, with new stars on the rise, and familiar ones still looking for the formula to take down the champ Jay Cutler later this year in Las Vegas. All I can say is get your popcorn ready and enjoy another exciting year in the IFBB!

Intresting what i thought was cheap

2010-05-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

I was in Wal-Mart yesterday and glanced up at the protein they have for sale and thought man that is cheap. I wandered over to take a closer look at the servings to see what the cost was per serving. Well to my
surprise the stuff cost $1.00 per serving. Then I thought what a smart way to get cheap whey
Concentrate top dollar prices. i mean come on folks cheap protein for a buck a serving when you can get whey isolate with digestive
enzymes and more for 1/2 that per serving. I mean protein that mixes with a spoon and not a blender.

What a total rip off but then again the folks that are buying the stuff think Wal-Mart is cheap. If you want a good protein that mixes with a spoon try Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard. This is a blended protein with whey protein isolate as the main ingredient at .60 cents a serving. This is almost 1/2 the cost per serving as the cheap protein in Walley World.

Workout Like A Monster!

2010-05-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

Cytosport's Monster Pump is for the hardcore athletes seeking freaky gains in the gym. Monster Pump increases lean muscle mass in just the first workout. Unlike other pre-workouts, Monster Pump is fueled with 25g of waxy maize starch. The waxy maize starch helps keep the muscles fuller. I noticed the difference in first workout on this powerful formula. Before I was taking Gaspari Nutrition's Super Pump 250, which lacks waxy maize starch. It was great but I did not have the fullness in my muscles as on Monster Pump. Monster Pump is composed of four complexes. The Monster Vol complex contains: waxy maize starch, L-Arginine, dextrose, malic acid, creatine chelate glycerine arginine alpha ketoglutarate, Kre-Alkalyn, L-Citrulline acetyk-L-Carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, L-Norvaline. The Kre Alkalyn is my favorite source of creatine because you retain no water from it. The L-Carnitine helps you keep lean by boosting the metabolism. You can not run on empty so there is a Monster Fuel Complex: malodextrin, Alpha-L-Polycate, Carbogen. The Monster Strength complex contains: L-Glutamine, L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine. The Monster Focus complex is loaded with 200mg of caffeine, B6, B12. I think this has become my favorite pre-workout. With Monster Pump I have two products in one. In the past I would have to buy my pre-workout and carb complex separate, but now thanks to CytosportI have that all in one powerful punch! If you are looking to make freaky gains in the gym unleash your inner monster by drinking nature's ultimate power workout formula Monster Pump!

New URL for Keysupplements.com blog

2010-03-08T11:23:00.001-08:00

New URL for Keysupplements.com blog

2010, Commit To Be Fit!

2009-12-30T14:20:00.000-08:00

The New Year is approaching, and people are making their resolutions. Many make a list of health and fitness resolutions for the new year, but unfortunately most of them are broken before you can say February. I am going to tell you how you will be able to make the commitment to be fit in 2010, and live a healthier life. Nutrition, hands down is the most important in your destination to be fit. Pop-Tarts, Honey Bunns, and Lucky Charms may be your way of kick starting the morning, but all you are doing is just fueling your body with unessesary amounts of sugar. A healthier way to go about your first meal of the day, is supply your body with protein and carbohydrates. My first meal is two cups of oatmeal, 6 egg whites, IsoWhey (Whey Protein Isolate) shake. On excuse for having a trashy breakfast, is because the individual is pressed for time. DING! Optimum Nutrition makes the perfect product for these people, it is called: Oats & Whey. With this, you are recieving a sufficient quainity of protein and carbohydrates. Another common mistake made in one's diet, is only eating two big meals a day. The person is just overloading the body with too much to intake because they have so many hours between their meals. That is why it is best to have six meals a day. In six meals, you feed your body properly so it never reaches the point of having your stomach bark at you to eat. Chicken, Fish, Vegetables, Rice, Sweet Potatos, Lean Ground Beef is what my meals generally consist of through the day. If you take the time to prepare your own meals instead of driving through a Burger King you will have nutrition nailed down pat. Now that you have your diet squared away, now what about that dreaded word called fitness? Most people think of fitness as torturing the body. My suggestion for them is not to dive in full speed. I would even say that you might start it by just parking in the back of Wal-Mart instead of snagging a spot by the door, well that might be too much for some, I forgot I said Wal-Mart! Exercise can be done in ways without being realized. Playing a game of basketball with friends, walking the dog, mowing the lawn. Then as you progress you can start weight and cardio training. Weight training and cardio will transform your body like no other, eventually the routine will just become a habit, exercise will be fun! If you follow these brief insights to commiting yourself to be fit, 2010 will be a new year and a new you!

Why Creatine?

2009-12-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

Although creatine’s role in the energy production process is its most notable trait, there is evidence that creatine can stimulate muscle growth. It does this in a couple of different ways. By allowing you to perform more work as a result of additional energy, increased protein synthesis is stimulated. Secondly, when an abundance of creatine is stored in the muscle, the muscle will hold more water in its cells and become what is known as “volumized” or “super-hydrated.” The more volumized a muscle is, it will promote the synthesis of protein as well as deter the breakdown of protein. Volumizing the muscle will also create an environment where an increased level of Glycogen synthesis will take place. Increased protein synthesis along with training will lead to muscle growth. There is also scientific evidence that shows supplementation with creatine causes muscle tears to repair themselves quicker. I use Muscletech Celltech because of the transport delivery system which forces the monster dose of ultra-potent creatine into the muscles.

Finally did am MRI on my back problem.

2009-12-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

II haven't been posting much here I guess because I have been so bummed out because my back hurts all the time. I hurt it back in June 2006 and have never really gotten over it. I tried to get back in the gym but everything I did just made it worse so I finally just quit going about 2 years ago.

I guess I just got depressed and quit my daily posting, writing articles, and other things I enjoyed. we were able to get insurance so had an MRI done last week and just got the results.

It seems years ago maybe when I fell off a cliff in Mexico head first, or the motor cycle accident I fractured my L4 in my back. Over the years deposits have been building up and this is the cause of the pain. Doc said there is nothing I can do for it right now so I plan on getting back to working out.

I am kind of both relieved and upset but at least I know what's going on and will just have to deal with it.

I have to say I have lost my muscle tone and shape so it will be a worth taking a few pictures and posting my progress. All my workouts will be done from home using a gadget I bought, but I will post more on that latter.

Anyway long story over I plan on getting back to the basics.
Cheers,
Joseph

Since 1977

2009-11-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

Universal N utri tion has been leading the way in the supplement industry since 1977. Until the arrival of Universal, bodybuilders and athletes had very few supplementation choices. From BCCA's to Weight Gainers, Universal has it covered. In 1983 Universal started the very first product in their Anim al Li ne called: Animal Pak. This pak revolutionized the supplement industry forever! Never before was there one product that contained amino acids plus essential nutrients a bodybuilder and athlete needs to fuel their body. One of my favorite products by them under the Animal Line as well is Animal Flex. Animal Flex is should be thought as an insurance as they say. Flex contains Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Flaxseed Oil, Shark Cartilage, etc. Flex allows me to bust out heavy squats without suffering the throbbing pain in knees and as well as from preventing injuries that might occur in the future. Universal continues to come out with quality products that work. In 2009, Universal signed bodybuilding's rising star Evan Centopani, New York Pro winner.

2009 NPC Nationals

2009-11-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

This year the 2009 NPC Nationals are hosted at the Westin Diplomat Resort in Ft. Lauderdale, Flordia. This is the last chance of the year for the contestants to earn a pro card. All eyes will be on BSN's young gun Trey Brewer. Every since Trey sign with BSN, the bar has been set at Olympia potential. Trey placed 4th in the Super Heavyweight class last year.

To many this was seen as a complete flop but in actuality for any other NPC contestant it would be a great success for their first National show. Light Heavyweight Branden Ray is another contestant who has been long due for a pro card. If Branden comes in dryer and with better paint job he will earn what he desrved last year.

Bantamweight Rino Martin, our very own here at KeySupplements.com recently suffered a shoulder injury that opted him out of the contest this year. Rino and I have been training latley, and he is already weighing the heaviest he has ever weighed. If Rino keeps up the pace he is on, I do not see a reason why he would not be the 2010 Bantam winner.

Charity for the Pubcon 2009

2009-11-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

I have a sister-in-law that has undergone 3 surgeries because of breast cancer and fully support this charity during the conference.

Breast Cancer Charity