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GAINING WEIGHT
Contrary to popular belief, there are a number of people who have trouble gaining weight. The true ectomorph faces a long battle of continuous eating to try and put on a few grams of weight. To those of you who fall into this category, let me ask you a question. Are you really eating a lot or are you only continuously snacking on non muscle building foods. Here are a few tips on gaining muscular body weight for the ectomorph.
Begin by training only three days a week. You need time to recuperate and rest. Spend less time in the gym, and when you're there don't muck around. Do compound exercises for all muscle groups, and drop things like peck deck and cable crossovers. Be sure to keep a training diary. Record each set, rep and the weight you use and next when you do the same body part, strive to do at least one extra rep or pound on the same exercise. If you're getting stronger, you're getting bigger!
Your diet plan is simple. Eat everything you possibly can! If you make eating a priority and eat all day, you will eventually gain weight. I hear so many bodybuilders complaining they can't gain weight, but they're eating tuna and rice and fruit, and chips and cakes. Eat meat, and whole milk and top quality whey protein to meet your protein needs. Eat whole eggs! For carbs eat brown rice and pasta. Add anything to your food that will increase the calories, and put a huge dollop of butter on top of it! That will add the mass. Trust me, if you're a true ectomorph and you eat like this, you won't get fat, you'll build muscle mass.
You think you already are eating a lot. Keep a food diary for a few weeks. Write down every thing you put in your mouth. After a few days evaluate your diary and see actually how much muscle building food you actually eat. I bet you'll get a nasty surprise.

What about weight gainers?
Most supplement companies don't even make a "weight gainer" anymore. Those who do haven't changed their formulas much in the last decade or two. They're still full of sugar and poor quality protein. I'd call them liquid lollies, but they don't taste all that good. While these shakes do bump up your daily caloric intake — a necessity if you want to add some serious muscle — you'll also gain a lot of fat. Not to mention these things are just plain unhealthy with all that sugar.
Recently I was given a sample of a weight gainer. I tried it for the fun of it. It was so sugar-filled that my teeth stuck together after drinking it. If you need some fast, high calorie liquid nutrition, don't bother with the junk that's on the market. Instead try this:

chocolate whey powder 60grams
2 1/2 cups of milk
2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese

Blend all this together and it gives you 835 calories and 84 grams of protein. Drinking just two a day will add 1670 calories and 168 grams of protein to your regular intake. Because the fats are mostly "good", the protein is of high quality (no soy), the sugar content is low, and it's healthy too. (Another option is to use a vanilla whey, toss in an apple—peeling and all—then add flax oil and a little cinnamon. The variations are endless, really.)
Just remember, gaining weight is a matter of getting enough calories per day. So the best way to use weight gainer shakes is to use them between regular meals in addition to the food you already get, not in place of it. You'll still need to keep track of how many calories you get each day and adjust accordingly week by week.

Wanna Know A Secret?
Be consistent. How you train and eat is important, but how long you stick with it is the real secret. The secret to bodybuilding (Life?) - CONSISTENCY. Train CONSISTENTLY (don't miss workouts), Eat CONSISTENTLY, Sleep CONSISTENTLY. Have goals and a plan to reach them. Know what you're going to do before you get to the gym. Plan your workout at home, and think about it on the way to the gym.

Body For Life Program or B.S?
With the Body For Life Program being on the telly recently, people have been asking me if it's any good or just hype.
Compared to the "Advanced Sitting" program most couch potatoes are currently using, yes, it's a decent program. Compared to an serious weight training program, no.
Its main problem is its "cookie cutter" approach. That means it's presented as the best program for all people to use. In reality, it's just a generic program and you'll stall out after a short time.
The diet section of the book is about the same: good advice for some, but not for others. It's certainly better than the Big Mac and soft drink diet most people use. Of course, the hype comes in when Bill starts pushing all the EAS products. You can get great results, especially as a beginner, without using any supplements at all, but some supplements do help and can make your "transformation" easier. (Just use products that you've researched from companies you trust.) Keep in mind that the book was written for the sole purpose of selling supplements and take everything in it with a grain of Myoplex Plus, uh, I mean, salt.
Is this program a "life changing miracle" as it's hyped? Well, it's about eating right and working out and that's always been effective, hasn't it? What's new? Bill just put it all together in a shiny package, and let the hype take it from there.

FREE BODYFAT TEST

SUBSCRIBER COMPETITION

This month's winner will receive an ab training video and an Aussie Muscle hat.

Last month's winner of 1.5 kg Balance 100% Whey Isolate and Aussie Muscle hat was Richard Pata of Elizabeth downs.

APRIL SPECIALS
Balance 100% Ion Exchange Whey Ultra Filtered, Instantised
750g $39:95
1.5 kg $69:95

Balance Whey Protein
+Arginine+Glutamine
750g $32:95
1.5kg $59:95

Balance Super Stack #1
2 x Ion Exchange Whey
1kg Creatine
500g Glutamine
+ Free Gym Bag
$227:00 Save over $50:00

Balance Super Stack #2
1x Ion Exchange Whey
500g Creatine
500g Glutamine
$140:00 Save $35:00

Optimum Nutrition
100% Whey Protein
Choc/Van/Straw
$90:00

Musahi MegaTribulus Terrestris 40% saponins
75 caps
$19:95

Musashi HMB
500mg
75 Caps
$34:95

WHAT'S NEW?

After a number of tests proving creatine to be unstable in liquid, I have not had much confidence in promoting liquid creatine products. Creatine Fusion, though seems to be legit. They are confident enough to compare their product to others  and have independent lab reports to back their claims. This product is so new that it did not make it into the paper version of Muscle News, and thus I have not had time to use it myself or get any feedback. Next month I will tell you more.

Advantages of Creatine Fusion?
Liquid - A liquid formula may offer advantages with absorption of creatine, thus allowing for rapid uptake in muscle tissue. Additionally, since there is no mixing or water required, it is convenient to use. Traditionally, the problem with liquid creatine is that there are legitimate concerns about stability...until now.

Guaranteed Stable Formula - Creatine Fusion has a proprietary stabilization method, which ensures that you are getting creatine and not creatinine (the creatine waste product that creatine degrades into when it is in an unstable environment). Our claim is backed up by numerous third party independent laboratories that test our product for both creatine and creatinine content. To view a certified lab analysis,

Superior Cold Dispersion
5.6mg Potassium Per Tablespoon
Synergistic Osmotic Agents
Guaranteed Stability
Creatine Fusion uses Proprietary Stabilization Technology
Creatine Fusion has been Tested by Outside Labs for Purity and Stability
More than Just Creatine
Creatine Fusion contains comprehensive nutritional support that is designed to help the body be more receptive to creatine:
IOI: Isomalto Oligosaccharides Isotose: This unique ingredient helps to increase the population of beneficial intestinal bacteria. In this way, support of creatine absorption may be enhanced through increased micronutrient uptake.
Betamino-BC/K: Is a naturally extracted form of branched chain amino acids that is included to help support the synthesis of creatine monohydrate.
Potassium glycerylphosphate: This form of potassium is produced through a tedious process where potassium is phosphorylated to the point it becomes organically bound to glycerophosphate. Alpha-glycerophosphate is an important intermediate in carbohydrate metabolism in the energy-producing mitochondria.
MSM (methylsulfonymethane): MSM is used by the body for several specific functions. These include the maintenance of protein structure, cell structure and connective tissue. MSM also contributes to cell osmosis and absorption due to its ability to make cell walls permeable. This allows water and nutrients to freely flow in and wastes and toxins to properly flow out. These functions make MSM valuable as basic nutrition support and for enhancing creatine effectiveness.
The Importance of an Independent Lab Analysis.
There are more and more liquid creatine products entering the market. Unfortunately, most do not address the stability issue, while others claim product stability but do not offer any proof. HST is the pioneer of stable liquid creatine. We have been using Creatine Fusion successfully with professional athletes for the past few years and we have scientific proof of its stability by independent third party laboratory analysis, which is the only way to truly prove stability. Why? If a company that markets a product, or its manufacturer, provides you with the test results, there is no assurance that the testing is reliable or valid. Make sure that any assays proving stability come from an independent laboratory.

Directions: Shake well before each use. Take 1 tablespoon 30 minutes before a workout (1 tablespoon equal 1/2 cap). For optimum performance drink 9 full glasses of water daily.

HST Creatine Fusion
$105:00

 

Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Protein

100% Whey Protein is a potent pharmaceutical grade protein supplement. Each serve delivers 22 g of high valued protein and only 1.5g of fat. Each serve has only 2.5g of carbs, making it an excellent choice for individuals on low carb diets. 100% Whey Protein is made from a blend of non denatured proteins with the bulk coming from whey protein isolates. This combination provides high biological value and absorbability while virtually eliminating lactose. 100% whey Protein is an instantised formula that mixes easily with a spoon, and tastes delicious mixed with skim milk or water. For added protein, try mixing one scoop with your oatmeal, yoghurt, muffins, or pancake recipes.

100% Whey Protein 5lbs Choc/Van/Strawberry $90:00

MUSASHI MEGA TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS

With the current concern about artificial growth agents and supplements in sport, there has arisen a need for a safe natural hormone tonic. For a number of years Tribulus has been used in Eastern Bloc countries for this purpose and is now available in Australia. Athletes have reported that Tribulus leads to an increase in lean muscle gain and strength. This occurs because Tribulus increases synthesis of protein in the muscle itself. It supports the stresses of heavy training loads and because Tribulus does not upset the bodies natural testosterone ratio it will not cause athletes to blow positive. Stress in everyday society has also taken a toll on men's hormonal systems; lower sperm counts have resulted in reduced fertility and decreased sex drive. Menopausal symptoms are often treated with hormonal replacement therapy that can have adverse side effects. Tribulus acts on the hypothalamus, the body's master control gland, assisting it to 'kick start' and re-balance these hormonal mechanisms again. People taking Tribulus report a rejuvenated sense of well being. Musashi's Mega Tribulus has over 5,600 mg equivalent of the dried herb, this is the highest dose available, making it not only the most effective, but the best value product in the market place.

Musashi Mega Tribulus 75 caps $19:95

Musashi HMB Capsules

Sports science is trying to isolate the key substances that the body is using for its own growth and recuperation. These crucial substances are what the body is actually attempting to produce from food when we eat it. Often our body cannot produce adequate amounts of these to support the stresses of maximum performance. By skipping these production steps and supplying the end product we can guarantee that the body has just what it needs. It usually takes as much as 20 grams of the branch chain amino acid leucine to produce one gram of HMB!
HMB is a potent anti catabolic, this means that it encourages the growth of lean muscle tissue by allowing it to recover and repair faster. It also increases fatty acid metabolism in muscle cells. HMB had undergone extensive scientific research to prove its benefits.
It's part of the essential 'three legged' stool of muscle growth - protein, creatine and now HMB.

Musashi HMB 500mg Caps
$34:95

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

 WHAT'S THE GOSS?

On Wednesday, March 14, Craig Titus belted Melvin Anthony at Gold's Gym, Venice, after a heated exchange. According to reports, tensions had been building between the two for a couple of weeks. I hear both fellas have been suspended from the Venice facility for a month. If that's true, it will be Titus' second banishment from Gold's for fighting, as bodybuilding's bad boy received a similar suspension for hitting Arne List in the gym a few years back

Melvin Anthony (L) and Craig Titus (R)

IFBB Australian Grand Prix
March 17th, Melbourne.
After an absence of over ten years, the IFBB Pro's made a return to Australia for the Australian Grand Prix. A big crowd were present to see Chris Cormier win his third pro show of the year. Chris had to fight all the way to beat a massive Dennis James into second and Dexter Jackson third. The highest placed Australian was Luke Wood who finished up in 10th place. Other Aussies were Mark Lampard 12th, Matt McLean 13th, and Anthony Wingett 14th.

1. Chris Cormier - USA
2. Dennis James - USA
3. Dexter Jackson - USA
4. J.D. Dawodu - England
5. Jeroslav Horvath - Slovakia
6. Oleg Zhur - Czech Republic
7. Melvin Anthony - USA
8. Garrett Downing - USA
9. Stan McCrary - USA
10. Luke Wood - Australia
11. Christian Lobarede - Chile
12. Mark Lampard - Australia
13. Matt McLean - Australia
14. Anthony Wingett - Australia

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
One thing we do know about women is that they're complicated creatures. A woman is a finely crafted Swiss watch, whereas a man is, well, a sundial constructed by jamming a stick into the dirt.
Testosterone Magazine

 N.B. All Prices are in  AUD.

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