Nutritional Support For Joint Structure and Function

The first health care claim of deer velvet antler to be substantiated by scientific evidence, in compliance with US Food and Drug Administration dietary supplement regulations, was announced by the North American Elk Breeders Association (NAEBA) recently. Executive Director Ben Coplan said the determination, made by two consulting firms hired by NAEBA, Nutrinfo of Watertown, Massachusetts and Tradeworks Group, Inc. of Brattleboro, Vermont, is a significant breakthrough for the nation's 1,400 breeders of farm-raised elk.

According to Coplan, the Nutrinfo report states there is a reasonable basis to claim that velvet antler helps relieve the symptoms of arthritis. However, a disease claim may not be used for a dietary supplement in the US; therefore, the acceptable statement for product labels and advertisements of a dietary supplement would be "provides nutritional support for joint structure and function."

"This determination, by two of the leading dietary supplement firms in the world, is "just what the doctor ordered" for the members of our growing agricultural industry," Coplan said.

Many studies have shown most of the carbohydrate in antler is proteoglycan, which is a combination of protein and carbohydrate. The carbohydrate portion is primarily glycosaminoglycan, of which chondroitin sulfate is by far the predominant constituent. One study cited by the Nutrinfo report evaluated the clinical efficacy of chondroitin sulfate in knee osteoarthritis. Treatment with 3 X 400 mg doses per day for 90 days provided significant relief from symptoms as reported by patients. "We intend to research and substantiate other health benefit claims for velvet antler," Coplan said.

"We want to carefully research the potential benefits of velvet antler supplements for supporting the immune system, anti-aging, muscle strength and endurance, and sexual vitality."

Deer velvet antler has been highly regarded in traditional oriental medicine for two thousand years. It is consumed regularly by people of Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong as a highly prized medicinal drug to treat blood loss, weakness, and chronic joint pain. Scientific studies in Canada and New Zealand are now verifying the health benefits of this important supplement.

"The scientific-backed health benefit claim will greatly expand marketing opportunities for velvet antler dietary supplements in the United States," Coplan stated.

The FDA in the United States regulates claims for dietary supplements through a process, which is different than for medicinal drugs; it does not "approve" dietary supplements, but allows producers to substantiate structure/function claims through critical review of scientific studies.

In North America, farmers and ranchers raise approximately 110,000 elk, the largest of the deer family. Historically, the velvet antler harvested by North American farmers has been exported to Asian countries. As the natural foods and dietary supplement market has expanded in the U.S., farmers have turned their attention to the domestic market. Association headquarters is in Platte City, Mo.Copies of the scientific report on velvet antler are available from the NAEBA office.From: North American Elk Breeders Association

For more information visit: HERE

Supplements For Building Muscle

If you were to pace into your community shape and nourishment pile looking pro supplements with the intention of build muscle, you’ll probably discover physically baffled and amazed by solely how many products here are to point out from.  With so many supplements unfilled, it can be a little on the tricky feature to decide which ones will help you with your goals.  There are a ration of supplements made known here to help you build muscle, although approximately could not be ideal pro your goals. 

The initially business to keep in mind, is the detail with the intention of you don’t permanently need muscle building supplements to build muscle, although will help you alacrity up the process.  These types of supplements can help you boost muscular development, as long as you bring about made known.  They can aid you in both muscle growth and the recovery of your muscles.  Among the many products unfilled, the generally standard are protein, creatine, and multi-vitamins.

Protein is a preferred supplement amongst bodybuilders and persons who implementation.  It contains many amino acids which help you to build muscle.  No topic could you repeat that? Type of diet you are or on or supplement you excellent, you must permanently pick lone with the intention of contains a ration of protein.  The ideal way to take protein, is 2 grams for every beat of body consequence.  You can make protein in pill form, powder, or even bars.  When you excellent your protein supplement, you must furthermore get on to guaranteed with the intention of the supplement contains whey, soy, and eggs.  Whey protein is the ideal supplement, as it contains everything you need to start building muscle.

Creatine is a further beneficial supplement, as it will help you boost your muscle bulk and increase the recovery calculate pro your muscles.  Creatine furthermore helps you to boost your muscle pumps as well, allowing you to sort out more repetitions with more consequence.  Normally, you will need to energy through a loading cycle of creatine, which is ordinarily a week.  Once you be inflicted with loaded it, you must aid in cycles, a hardly any weeks using it and a hardly any weeks rancid.  To make the generally from creatine, you must permanently stay on the directions the manufacturer has provided on the label.

Micro-vitamins are a further splendid supplement, as they bring about splendid pro persons who aren’t getting sufficient mineral deposits and vitamins with their habitual diet.  Although you could be inflicted with the preeminent of intentions, a unavailable or confused schedule can get on to it very tricky to make a healthy meal.  If you aid vitamin supplements in your diet, you can make the vitamins and mineral deposits your body needs.  If you are looking to build muscle, you must permanently take the proper supplements, and aid protein bars and shakes if you aren’t able to munch a healthy meal.

Building muscle is something we would all like to sort out.  Even though it requires a ration of implementation and stanchness on your behalf, you must furthermore be inflicted with the de rigueur supplements as well.  If you aid the aptly supplements, you’ll notice the muscle growth in a topic of weeks.  Supplements will help you to build muscle, by speeding up the process.

There are a ration of brands and manufacturers to point out from, counting Weider and MuscleTech.  You can discover these supplements locally or online, giving you bounty of splendid deals to take benefit of.  If you implementation and are looking to add more muscle bulk to your body, you must produce muscle building supplements a try.  They bring about exceptionally well, they taste splendid, and they will greatly assist you in your quest to build muscle and live a healthier life.

Creatine and Bodybuilding

Creatine and Bodybuilding

by Marc David

Creatine is naturally produced in the human body from amino acids primarily in the kidney and liver. It is transported in the blood for use by muscles. Approximately 95% of the human body’s total creatine is located in skeletal muscle.
Creatine is not an essential nutrient, as it is manufactured in the human body from L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine.
In humans and animals, approximately half of stored creatine originates from food (mainly from meat). A study, involving 18 vegetarians and 24 non-vegetarians, on the effect of creatine in vegetarians showed that total creatine was significantly lower than in non-vegetarians.

Since vegetables do not represent the primary source of creatine, vegetarians can be expected to show lower levels of directly derived muscle creatine. However, the subjects happened to show the same levels after using supplements.[6] Given the fact that creatine can be synthesized from the above mentioned amino acids, protein sources rich in these amino acids can be expected to provide adequate capability of native biosynthesis in the human body.

The Effects of Creatine on a Bodybuilder’s Physique

Creatine, arguably the most powerful, legal, sports supplement on the market for over a decade, is not much more than a combination of amino acids. Creatine was not invented by any supplement company it was discovered in 1835 by a French scientist and philosopher named Michel-EugèneChevreul.

While there are many benefits to Creatine beyond exercise (brain, heart, the body’s production of growth hormone, anti-aging effects, fatigue, muscle atrophy, Parkinson’s disease and more) many bodybuilders look for the immediate physical results of this dietary sports supplement. Let’s take a look at the effects of Creatine on a bodybuilder’s physique.

Top 3 Benefits of Creatine:

-Increase in muscle size
-Increase in body mass
-Decrease in body fat
-Shortly after commencing supplementation with Creatine (assuming you are not part of the approximate 33% that does not respond to Creatine supplementation) you will notice an increase in muscle size and overall body mass.

Why Creatine “Makes” Your Muscles Bigger

The initial muscle size comes from a term called “muscle volumizing.” Creatine draws water into the cell through a process of osmosis. As the water is drawn in the muscle’s cells, the muscle physically swells with water. Thus, the initial size is because of this muscle volumizing. This muscle volume increase leads to an increase in body composition.

Because of Muscle Volumizing, the effect of Creatine on a bodybuilder’s physique can increase body weight by 1-3 kilograms (2-7 pounds) during the first week of supplementation alone! This is the weight gain most commonly associated with Creatine supplementation. It’s not actual muscle being built at this point but water in the muscles that is stored. During a Creatine cycle, you might feel more pumped and full because of this process.

The Simple Explanation of How Creatine Builds Muscle

With over 300 peer reviewed published scientific studies, Creatine supplementation has been shown to promote the growth of lean muscle (thru an increase in exercise intensity, recovery and increased protein synthesis). Without a doubt, the increase in work because of the available energy is responsible for an increase in intensity and work which leads to more lean muscle mass. As mentioned above, muscle volumizing helps contribute to the noticeable lean muscle mass. Because muscle has a higher metabolic rate than fat, it burns more calories at rest. By increasing muscle mass, you will burn more calories and make it harder for your body to gain body fat. Creatine supplementation is an excellent way to help promote lean muscle mass which will help burn more fat.

While there are several more positive effects of Creatine supplementation on the bodybuilder’s physique, the most obvious are an increase in muscle mass thru volumization, and increase in body weight and a loss of body fat from an increase in lean muscle mass.

How Creatine Supplements Affect Muscle Growth

I’m sure by now that you are well aware of the popular sports supplement called Creatine. What you may not be aware of is how Creatine supplements effect muscle growth.

Let’s start by looking at the most basic requirement of building muscle. It’s called exercise. What’s needed for exercise is energy. Energy is simply the capacity for doing more work. Because building muscle takes energy, Creatine supplementation and the saturation of Creatine in your body’s stores helps give you more energy when you need it most. Those last few repetitions at maximal power when you are at muscular failure.

What you might not know is that your body transforms the food you eat into chemical energy called Adenosine TriPhosphate (ATP). This energy is stored in cells and is used later for energy.

Creatine is found naturally in foods like beef, pork, herring, salmon, tuna, cod, plaice, trace amounts in shrimp and even small amounts in milk and cranberries.

If you think of ATP as cell’s form of currency, then the power you can deliver during short bouts of intense activity is determined by the size of your muscle’s bank account. Unfortunately, your body can only produce and store so much naturally and it’s storage is not as large as one might want.

Creatine is thus something that the body naturally possesses, stores at relatively high concentrations and uses to increase energy availability, as needed.

Since the store limited, most people can only sustain maximal power for just a few seconds. This is precisely where Creatine supplementation comes into play.

What if your body’s ATP stores could be increased and the muscle cells saturated with ATP? You would have more energy when you need it for longer bouts of intense activity and you could sustain maximal power for a few extra seconds.

Many people mistake Creatine supplementation as directly affecting muscular growth. In fact, Creatine has no direct effect on muscle growth unlike protein. Creatine supplementation’s main function is to increase ATP availability during intense activity when energy usage easily surpasses energy production from stored nutrients.

In summary, Creatine supplementation is like an energy credit card when it comes to your intense workouts and the ability to get at just a little bit more energy for those last few repetitions at maximal power. Having more energy and the ability to do more work during a workout can effect muscle growth.

Creatine and the Safety for Teenagers

Continually in the news people see the questions about creatine and the safety for teenagers. Especially in high school sports where in some cases the supplement has been banned.

In fact, the best general article to read when it comes to creatine side effects is The Truth About Creatine Side Effects. You’ll certainly understand when you read that creatine article that in general, the side effects of this supplement are minor and usually related to stomach discomfort. This rule applies to “individuals” in general. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

Creatine is not a steroid. Creatine is a naturally occurring substance is generally safe for men, women and teenagers.

Before the teenagers (under 18 crowd) start cheering I’m actually going to state the opposite even though in my own non-medical opinion I feel there’s no peer research to show any negative side effects.

Creatine and teenagers just don’t mix.

Before I get booed off the stage, please bear in mind that in general (men, women, teens) nutrition and training are 97% of the puzzle and supplements are around 3%. With this in mind, taking or not taking creatine as a teenager is literally going to make very little different in the scheme of things. Ask yourself a question if you are under 18 before you roll your eyes.

Can you answer the following questions? (True or False)

-You know how many calories you need a day to reach your goals?
-You know exactly how much protein you need a day?
-You always have a plan when you workout?
-Your workouts are never boring.
-You’ve never hit a plateau?
-You don’t miss a meal?
-You have short, medium and long term goals?
-Because 99% of teenagers will answer false to at least one of those questions. Mostly questions 1 and 2.

My point is…

While there’s not any scientific research to conclusively prove that creatine use in teenagers is harmful whatsoever, it’s my belief that while you are under 18 and still growing, there’s no reason to take any sports supplements unless you can answer true to all of the above questions and are responsible enough to follow directions per the supplement and be mature enough to quit if you experience any creatine side effects that you feel are negative.

There’s not a whole lot of good reason to take creatine as a teenager. You’ll get far more benefits as an adult when you’ve had more training experience under your belt and a few more years of solid nutritional fundamentals. The 3% that supplements will make does not outweigh any ‘potential’ creatine side effects you may experience at such a young age.

And while it’s true that science does not prove taking creatine is in any way negative, it’s just a common good practice that individuals who are still growing just focus on a solid nutritional diet and not worry about additional ways to gain a small advantage.

Check out my website: No Bull Bodybuildng.

About the Author:

Marc David is an innovative fitness enthusiast and the creator of the “NoBull Bodybuilding System” method on www.nobullbodybuilding.com
He can show you how to reduce your body fat thru diet, how to gain weight or create more muscle thru an abundance of workout tips by training LESS, not more! Once a self-confessed skinny, “135-pound weakling.” Today Marc is a 200 pound bodybuilder who teaches thousands of people to gain weight, build muscle and reduce body fat with a workout and nutrition system so simple that even a complete beginner can understand it! Marc dispels many “bodybuilding myths”, tells you what most people never realize about nutrition, and what the drug companies DON’T WANT YOU to know. Visit www.nobullbodybuilding.com

View the original article here

Study Shows Clomiphene is Suitable for Hormone Therapy

Study Shows Clomiphene is Suitable for Hormone Therapy

Young men who produce too little testosterone may be better off using an anti-oestrogen like clomiphene citrate instead of synthetic testosterone. Endocrinologists at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York came to this conclusion after analysing cases of 86 men who had tried out this alternative form of hormone therapy.

The big disadvantage to prescribing testosterone is clear: if men produce too little testosterone, usually their pituitary is producing too little LH, the hormone that stimulates the production of testosterone in the testes. And the production of LH is regulated by yet another hormone, GnRH.

The hypothalamus makes less GnRH as the receptors in the gland ‘notice’ more testosterone and its metabolites in the blood. And in particular, the female sex hormone estradiol, which is produced as testosterone is converted, reduces the secretion of GnRH.

So what happens if you give synthetic testosterone to a man who makes too little of his own testosterone? His testosterone production stops completely. So that’s not an optimal solution.

Clomiphene Citrate

An alternative to testosterone therapy is to administer an anti-oestrogen like clomiphene citrate, the active ingredient in Clomid [structural formula shown below]. The clomiphene molecule attaches itself to the estradiol receptor and prevents estradiol from doing its work. As a result, the hypothalamus produces more GnRH, the pituitary more LH and the testes produce more testosterone.

The men in the New York study were aged between 22 and 37. They were given clomiphene for an average of 19 months. Seventy percent of them took 25 mg every other day; the rest took 50 mg every other day.

The table below shows that the concentration of free testosterone rose by more than a factor of 5 as a result of the clomiphene administration. The men’s estradiol levels also rose, but none of them started to form breasts. It would have been strange if they had done from using clomiphene.

The men reported that they felt better when asked the same questions that doctors usually ask of patients who have had testosterone therapy. In the tables above, where the P is less than 0.05, the effects are statistically significant. The effects on the men’s sports performance were strongest.

“Clomiphene citrate is an effective and safe alternative to testosterone supplementation therapy in hypogonadal men”, the researchers conclude. “Clomiphene citrate therapy has a role to play in the testosterone deficient man and should be incorporated into the clinician-patient discussion.”

Source:
BJU Int. 2011 Nov 1. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2011.10702.x. [Epub ahead of print].

View the original article here

AAS Cutting Cycle Synergy

AAS Cutting Cycle Synergy

by John Connor

For years bodybuilders have experimented with various compounds while in their cutting phases to find the ultimate AAS stack to assist in cutting body fat while preserving lean body mass. Almost any steroid may be used to cut with as long as nutrition, training and recovery are properly in place but as contest time approaches most bodybuilders want a hard, defined and dry look. This is a time when various low or non aromatizing anabolic steroids are employed.

The Secret Weapon

Certain anabolic steroids work synergistically with one another and years ago a particular stack started being used often by bodybuilders around the world. At first it was called “The Secret Weapon”. This stack is a powerful combination of anabolic steroids that can elicit a hard, dry grainy look. It preserves muscle mass even during extreme dieting. In fact, many users report gaining lean body mass while dieting on this powerful cocktail of anabolic steroids.

Cut Mix

The secret weapon is no longer a secret. Once this combination of steroids started gaining popularity the manufacturers of steroid products immediately started producing these steroids together in a blend. Most users who administer these blends are amazed at just how effective they are. Today The Secret Weapon is more commonly referred to as Cut Mix.

Cut Mix is a blend of 3 anabolic hormones. Each ml typically contains the following active ingredients: Drostanolone Propionate – 50 mg/ml, Testosterone Propionate – 50 mg/ml, Trenbolone Acetate – 50 mg/ml. Therefore 1ml Cut Mix daily equals 350mg Masteron, 350mg Testosterone Propionate and 350mg Trenbolone Acetate weekly.

One of the challenges with using a pre measured blend is you are locked into certain ratios. The above mix is a 1 to 1 to 1 ratio which may be problematic if you want to keep one compound lower or higher than another. For example, many guys like to run Testosterone at higher or lower doses in relationship to their Trenbolone dose. This is especially true towards the end of prep when the Testosterone dose may be dropped very low or altogether while the Trenbolone dose is kept higher. Therefore I personally like having all compounds in a separate vial so I can create whatever ratio I want depending on the period of the cycle I’m in.

Masteron (drostanolone propionate) is a moderately anabolic steroid that promotes increases in hardness, lean body mass and strength which has a positive effect on the potential for fat loss. Masteron does not possess any estrogenic activity and therefore water retention is highly unlikely. In fact, Masteron is often described as anti-estrogenic. This DHT derivative actually competes with other aromatizable substrates for binding to the aromatase enzyme. Masteron is not only a moderate anabolic but also a mild anti-estrogen which is very useful when stacking with low doses of other aromatizing steroids such as Testosterone.

Testosterone Propionate is a powerful mass building drug that is able to rapidly add gains in muscle size and strength. It’s the only aromatizing steroid in this stack but at reasonable doses aromatization is moderate. I’m convinced there’s almost no other traditional injectable stack that’s as potent and versatile as Testosterone and Trenbolone. It’s a simple stack with enormous potential to harden muscle, promote fat loss and add raw strength. The addition of Masteron adds even more to this synergy as it acts as an anti-estrogen to control aromatization of Testosterone. If Testosterone doses are higher an Aromatase Inhibitor may be needed.

Trenbolone Acetate is at least 3 times more anabolic and androgenic than Testosterone or Nandrolone. Trenbolone binds to androgen receptors (ARs) with approximately three times the affinity of testosterone and has been shown to augment skeletal muscle mass and bone growth and reduce adiposity! Tren is one potent weapon in the bodybuilder’s arsenal. Trenbolone is a non-estrogenic steroid so water retention is highly unlikely. Stacking with complimentary steroids such as Testosterone maximizes Trenbolones potential and also reduces side effects such as loss of libido.

In addition to the Cut Mix several other medications are typically employed to further optimize the cutting cycle. The first compound is Winstrol tabs or an injectable preperation.

Stanozolol has an anabolic rating of 320 and an androgenic rating of 30 making it an excellent steroid for promoting muscle growth with zero water retention. Stanozolol cannot aromatize into estrogen so estrogenic side effects like water retention are not a factor. Winstrol is excellent for dieting bodybuilders and is best employed near the end of a cutting cycle to keep the user anabolic but give a dry shredded appearance. Winstrol significantly lowers SHBG even at very low doses in a matter of a few days. This is significant because that equates to more free testosterone. Winstrol stacked with testosterone means more testosterone stays free or active. Some users report increased sex drive when stacking Winstrol with testosterone. Basically Winstrol makes your testosterone work better and it can raise libido.

Oxandrolone is derived from DHT. It has a very strong separation of anabolic (about 525) and androgenic (24) effect, and no progestational or estrogenic activity. Anavar is noted for being quite mild as far as oral steroids are concerned, which is great for the promotion of strength and quality muscle tissue gains however lipids should be monitored as it will lower HDL significantly. Mg for mg it displays as much as five-six times the anabolic activity of testosterone in assays, with way less androgenicity. This drug is a favorite of dieting bodybuilders and competitive athletes in speed/anaerobic performance sports, where its tendency for LBM gain (without fat or water retention) fits well with the desired goals.

Cytomel or T3 is used to increase metabolic rate. This increase means more nutrient uptake including increased protein synthesis. Since oxidation rate is increased, energy demands are also increased. When you are in a calorie deficit this will mean even more fat loss when using T3. However, T3 is catabolic so it must be used with anabolic steroids to preserve lean body mass while dieting. Start with 25mcg’s T3 daily and after one week increase the T3 to 50mcg’s daily. After one week you may increase the T3 dose once again to 75mcg’s daily if needed.

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) has clearly been shown to increase lean body mass and to enhance fat loss while improving recovery and even helping with injury repair, especially cartilage. It is my opinion that maximal fat burning GH doses start somewhere around 4-6iu daily in men. For maximal fat burning AND adding maximal lean body mass that range appears to be around 8-12iu GH daily. I recommend at least 5 months of GH administration. GH is a long term commitment and there is a lesser benefit to using GH for shorter durations. This can be quite expensive so many users will skip days during the week. For example, the 5 on 2 off protocol is commonly used to get the desired effects but at the same time reduce cost. Basically the user administers a daily dose Mon-Fri and then dose not administer a dose on the weekends. Another popular protocol is only using GH every other day. The EOD method has some scientific support so it would be my first recommendation for GH users who want to reduce cost.

Many users report a synergy when using GH and Steroids together. It’s commonly reported that the fat burning effects and gains in LBM are much more profound with GH and Testosterone. Therefore in order to maximize the benefits of GH I would not use it alone and highly recommend stacking GH with AAS. Testosterone has been proven to reduce body fat and increase LBM in a dose dependent relationship; therefore I recommend that experienced male users administer at least 5iu GH daily for a duration of 5 months with anabolic steroids. Growth Hormone and the secret weapon stack will illicit increases in lean body mass and a significant reduction in body fat if nutrition, training and recovery are properly in place.

Stimulants are typically employed to further increase energy expenditure. Ephedrine and Caffeine are commonly used in this regard. Beta 2 agonists like Clenbuterol may also be used during a cut. All of these may act as an appetite suppressant as well. Personally I’m not a big fan of stimulants because they tend to make me jittery and agitated however I do use caffeine on a regular basis. Caffeine is inexpensive and works well for me. Clenbuterol has some science demonstrating that it’s slightly anabolic so if I was to advise on the use of any of these, Clen would be my preference for those who have no problems with these compounds.

Final 6 weeks of prep

Before the final 6 weeks of prep I recommend cutting on 50-100mg of Anadrol daily and 1 gram of Testosterone weekly. During this phase almost any combination of steroids may be used but I prefer these two compounds as they provide significant power and energy while dieting. An aromatase inhibitor may be used to control excessive aromatase activity from the Testosterone and always keep Nolvadex on hand in case gynocomastia presents. T3 may be loaded during this first part of the cutting phase.

The last 6 weeks of prep I recommend employing the Secret Weapon. Depending on the male users experience level you may inject between 0.5ml – 2 ml daily. However the preferred method is mixing your own ratios to suit your individual needs. I recommend daily injects during contest prep because that will yield the highest blood androgen levels. The Propionate esters from the Masteron and Testosterone possess a half life of about 48 hours however the decline is so significant by the 30th hour that waiting another 18 hours is counter productive. However, a gym rat doing a summer cut for the beach may opt for an every other day injection schedule. The following chart shows the pharmacokinetic characteristics of propionate.

Secret Weapon Sample Cutting Cycle

Week 1-4~One gram Testosterone weekly/50mg Anadrol daily/Arimidex as needed
Week 5~One gram Testosterone weekly/50mg Anadrol daily/25mcg’s T3 daily/Arimidex as needed
Week 6~One gram Testosterone weekly/50mg Anadrol daily/50mcg’s T3 daily/Arimidex as needed
Week 7-10~50mg Test Prop, 50mg Mast Prop, 50mg Tren Ace daily/50 mcg’s T3 daily/Arimidex as needed
Week 11-12~25mg Test Prop, 50mg Mast Prop, 50mg Tren Ace daily/50 mcg’s T3 daily/50mg Winstrol tabs daily/Arimidex as needed
Week 13~50mg Winstrol tabs daily/50mg Anavar tabs daily/50 mcg’s T3 daily/Arimidex as needed

The above cycle is just one example and may be modified to meet individual needs, however this basic cutting cycle has such powerful synergy that it will illicit amazing results if nutrition, training and recovery are dialed in.

References:
1. Effects of Human Growth Hormone in Men over 60 Years Old
2. Prevention of Growth Deceleration after Withdrawal of Growth Hormone Therapy in Idiopathic Short Stature
3. Synergistic effects of testosterone and growth hormone on protein metabolism and body composition in prepubertal boys.
4. The Effects of Growth Hormone and/or Testosterone in Healthy Elderly Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial
5. Tissue selectivity and potential clinical applications of trenbolone (17beta-hydroxyestra-4,9,11-trien-3-one): A potent anabolic steroid with reduced androgenic and estrogenic activity.
6. 17{beta}-Hydroxyestra-4,9,11-trien-3-one (trenbolone) exhibits tissue selective anabolic activity: effects on muscle, bone, adiposity, hemoglobin, and prostate.
7. Effect of trenbolone acetate on protein synthesis and degradation rates in fused bovine satellite cell cultures.
8. Pharmacokinetic Properties of Testosterone Propionate in Norman Men.
9. Testosterone dose-response relationships in healthy young men.

About the Author:

John Connor is a researcher in the field of performance enhancing drugs and nutrition related to the bodybuilding lifestyle. Connor writes frequently about the real life application of these compounds in an advisory and educational role. Connor is also an advocate of the decriminalization of male hormone use in adults. John Connor does not advocate readers engage in any illegal activity; always consult a medical doctor before using any medication.

View the original article here

Goal-Specific AAS Cycles for the Serious Lifter

Goal-Specific AAS Cycles for the Serious Lifter
by Mike Arnold

All PED users, at some point during the infancy of their AAS use, begin contemplating which “stack” would be best suited to their goals. This type of speculation is always accompanied by the question…”What should I use and how should I use it?” So, I decided to have a little fun and with this thought in mind, the following article has come together. Please keep in mind that some of the cycles written herein are extremely potent and are wholly unsuitable for beginners. Anyone wishing to utilize these cycle outlines should be fully aware of the potential side effects involved.

With that said, each cycle listed here represents just one of many different ways that a cycle can be structured, in order to achieve a specific goal. While personal opinion may vary regarding what constitutes the ideal cycle set-up for one’s goals, there are basic guidelines which should be adhered to and which are reflected below.

Let’s move on from here and get started with our 1st cycle, which is…

Cycle #1: The “Ultimate 30 Day Mass Blast”

The following is a short-term and extremely intense mass cycle designed with one goal in mind…to add as much sheer mass as quickly as possible. The result will not be pretty, but rather, the user should expect daily increases in muscle tissue accompanied by significant water retention. It should be mentioned that the following cycle does not result in well maintainable gains, as the large majority of bodyweight added during this cycle will be largely lost upon cessation of use. Impressive strength gains will accompany this program, so much so that this cycle could potentially be used for either purpose.

Due to some of the compounds used in this cycle, the user should give strong consideration to implementing some cycle support product(s) into their program. It should also be noted that in order to take full advantage of the potential growth inherent in this cycle, the individual should be consuming a surplus of calories on a daily basis. If one initiates this cycle after having been off AAS for a significant period of time, a bodyweight gain of 25-35 lbs should be attainable.

Days 1-30: Test base @ 200 mg/day.
Days 1-30: Tren ace @ 100 mg/day.
Days 1-30: M1T (methyldihydroboldenone) @ 20 mg/day.
Days 1-30: SD @ 20 mg/day.
Days 1-30: Humulin R @ 20-50 IU/day (depending on user need).
Days 1-30: GH @ 10 IU/day.
Days 1-30: Follistatin @ 100 mcg/day.
Days 1-30: IGF-1 LR3 @ 100 mcg/day.
Days 1-30: AI @ appropriate dosages.

Cycle #2: “6 Week Super-Strength Stack”

This cycle is designed to deliver rapid increases in muscular strength over a short period of time. The user should also be aware that substantial size gains will also accompany this program. Therefore, this cycle is not appropriate for competitive lifters wishing to stay within a certain weight class. It is also wise to utilize a cycle support product during this cycle, as it contains a considerable amount of potent strength-increasing orals.

Weeks 1-6: Test (any long ester) @ 1,200 mg/week.
Weeks 1-6: Test base @ 50-100 mg (pre-workout).
Weeks 1-6: Tren ace @ 100 mg/day.
Weeks 1-6: Anadrol @ 100 mg/day.
Weeks 4-6: SD @ 20 mg/day.
Weeks 5-6: Halotestin @ 20 mg/day (pre-workout).
Weeks 1-6: AI @ appropriate dosages.

Cycle #3: “Pure Strength Cycle”

This cycle is designed to deliver maximum strength gains with minimum increases in bodyweight and is therefore useful for those wishing to stay within a weight class. Keeping an eye on caloric intake would be wise in order to ensure weight gains are minimized.

Weeks 1-8: Test prop @ 200 mg/week.
Weeks 1-8: Tren ace @ 75 mg/day.
Weeks 1-8: Anavar @ 100 mg/day.
Weeks 5-8: Halotestin @ 30 mg/day.

Cycle #4: The “Geriatric Cycle”

Despite the funny name, this cycle is designed with the older bodybuilder in mind…one who is concerned with keeping their joints, blood pressure, cholesterol, tendons, and ligaments in good shape, as well as maintaining a more youthful appearance and overall health.

This cycle accomplishes all those objectives. The test is kept at a low-moderate dosage, which will keep the bodybuilders health markers in range, but will still supply all the benefits testosterone has to offer, such as an increase in sex drives & performance, an improvement in emotional & mental disposition, as well an increases in muscle size & strength.

The Nandrolone will help keep the joints pain-free and will not cause adverse changes to cholesterol, blood pressure, or the prostate. The GH will improve recovery, improve sleep, and increase collagen production, as well as supply several more benefits ideal for an older bodybuilder. The GH peptides will lead to further increases in GH, while preventing the suppression of natural GH production.

IGF-1 LR3 & PEG MGF will further assist in the accruement of muscle size without having to use additional AAS, which will minimize risk of side effects. It also results in benefits to the heart, stimulates the regeneration of nerve tissue, increases the absorption of glucosamine & chondroitin, decreases LDL cholesterol, enhances the production of white blood cells, and increases fat loss. These are all benefits of significant value to an older bodybuilder.

Weeks 1-16: Test enth/cyp @ 200-300 mg/week.
Weeks 1-16: Nandrolone @ 200-300 mg/week.
Weeks 1-16: GH @ 3-5 IU/day.
Weeks 1-16: ModGRF1-29 @ 100 mcg 2X/day.
Weeks 1-16: Ipamorelin @ 500 mcg 2X/day.
Weeks 1-12: IGF-1 LR3 @ 100 mcg 5 days/week (2 weeks on/ 1 week off).
Weeks 1-12: PEG MGF @ 200 mcg 2 days/week.

Cycle #5: The “Fitness Model cycle”

This cycle is designed with the fitness model/MPD athlete in mind. These individuals need to remain conscious of not only their development, but also things such as skin tone, hair, minimization of vascularity, and an overall healthy appearance. For these individuals, being as hard, grainy, dry, and dense as possible is not the goal. The compounds selected for this cycle reflect the goals of this type of athlete.

Weeks 1-12: Test prop @ 150 mg/week.
Weeks 1-12: Primo @ 500 mg/week.
Weeks 1-12: Nandrolone @ 300 mg/week.
Weeks 1-12: Anavar @ 40 mg/day.
Weeks 1-12: GH @ 5 IU/day.
Weeks 1-12: IGF-1 LR3 @ 100 mcg/day (2 weeks on/ 1 week off).
Weeks 1-12: Finasteride or Dutasteride @ appropriate dosages, depending on compound selected.

Cycle #6: The “Fighter’s stack”

While this cycle might be termed the “fighter’s stack”, it is suitable for individuals such as track & field athletes, MMA fighters, boxers, wrestlers or anyone else requiring that they increase strength, endurance, and aggression, while avoiding excess muscular size.

Weeks 1-16: Test prop @ 300 mg/week.
Weeks 1-16: EQ @ 800 mg/week.
Weeks 1-16: Masteron @ 300 mg/week.
Weeks 1-16: Anavar @ 50 mg/day.
Weeks 1-16: GH @ 5 IU/day.

Cycle #7: The “Porn-Star Stack”

To make it short, this cycle is designed to provide maximum performance, drive, and feeling when with your significant other. Cycle length can vary, with each individual deciding for themselves how long they want to continue utilizing this particular stack.
Weeks 1-?: Test (any ester) @ 500 mg/week.
Weeks 1-?: Masteron @ 300 mg/week.
Weeks 1-?: Proviron @ 50 mg/day.
Weeks 1-?: Cabergoline @ .5 mg/day.
Weeks 1-?: Bremelanotide @ .5 mg (as needed)
Weeks 1-?: Viagra @ 50-100 mg (as needed).

View the original article here

Why I Hate Fat Burners And Diet Pills

Why I Hate Fat Burners And Diet Pills

By Tom Venuto, author of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle

Once a person hits a plateau, do we really need fat burners to achieve that “ripped” or “six-pack” look? I am having a really hard time getting my stomach to look the way I want it, and I really respect your opinion, so I appreciate your thoughts on this. I take great displeasure in seeing those kinds of misleading headlines as well as the misleading use of models who are often paid to endorse the product even though they may never have even used it (they’re just models!)

Countless “fat burner” companies have been sued by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising, false claims and falsifying before and after photos. This week it was the homeopathic HCG scam and the acai berry scammers finally got theirs when the FTC sued them and froze their assets after bilking people like you out of $25 million dollars!

Abs don't come in a pill! The best you get from ANY "fat burner" supplement is a slight thermogenic effect and possibly some slight appetite suppression. A few products might work through other mechanisms like affecting the thyroid (as if it's a good idea to mess with your thyroid without medical supervision), but if you forgive me the generalization, I consider the effects of all “fat burner” products to be somewhere between zero and minutia.

In some of my older newsletters and web pages, I wrote that in my opinion, 97% of your results come from nutrition and training and maybe you get an extra 3% advantage from supplements. I stand by that statement to this day... if not stronger than ever.

Just so you know those numbers aren't something I pulled out of thin air, let's take an example:

There is a significant amount of scientific data that Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, the active alkaloid from green tea extract), if consumed in the proper dosage, could increase thermogenesis / metabolic rate by an average of about 75 calories in 24 hours. Since ephedrine was taken off the market years agao, EGCG appears in many ephedra-free formulas these days.

What is a typical calorie expenditure for an active male in 24 hours? lets say 2700 calories per day. 75/2700 = 2.7%. Pretty close to 3% huh?

That slight little extra doesnt hurt, especially when it's delivered in a healthful package such as green tea, rather than harsh central nervous system stimulants, but it's minutia in the bigger picture.

Another way to put this into perspective is to make a list of what other things would burn 75 calories. Here's some examples adjusted for a 150 lb person:

-walk your dog for 15 minutes
-three times a day, walk for 5 minutes at normal casual pace
-30 minutes of ironing
-bagging leaves and grass clippings for 14 minutes
-re arrange your furniture for 10 minutes
-wash your car, 15 minutes
-vacuuming for 15 minutes
-7.2 minutes of walking up stairs (could be spread throughout the day)

Wow, who'd have thunk that taking your dog for a walk around the block or vacuuming your living room burns more fat than the "most effective" fat burners on the market?" Bet the fat burner companies didn't tell you that did they?

On one hand, I’m tempted to say that everything counts and that yes, 75 calories here, and 42 calories there, it ALL adds up. After you’re exercising regularly and all your fundamentals are in place, details and little things do matter, especially at the highest levels of competition.

I’m simply asking you to put the benefits of any fat burners in proper perspective and realize that:

1. There is no “need” for any pills to help your fat burning efforts! Good nutrition and training alone will do it!
2. The claims made in the ads are often erroneous or exagerrated ... The claims are full of s**t!
3. Some of the newer pills now on the market contain powerful stimulants and can be dangerous or even cause a failed drug test (at your place of employment or in an athletic organization)

Yep, #3 is true. In our Burn the Fat Inner Circle forums, one of our members recently posted in the supplement forum: "I think I just bought a banned substance (pre workout stimulant / fat burner)!!!"

It turns out the supplement contained 1,3 dimethylamylamine, aka methylhexanamine, which is not only quite a powerful stimulant, and why it got a reputation as a preworkout supplement (and a party drug), it was indeed on the list of banned substances for this guy's workplace... And it's on the banned substance list for various sports organizations including the Olympic committee.

These supplement companies know that selling "speed" over the counter will make them rich and they will sneak anything into a bottle for as long as they can keep getting away with it. When one substance gets banned or regulated, they move on to the next one (remember ephedrine? The fat burner industry didn't die out after that did it? It continued to flourish)

And check this out: New versions of that supplement have been released which are not only being promoted as pre workout stimulants - they have added more ingredients and they're now calling it a combination - super fat burner AND pre workout stimulant. Wow, what could be better than that - get buzzed up on stimulants and burn fat right?

Well, I had never even heard of the ingredients on the list so I looked them up. There was not a single human study showing that it did anything for fat burning. The supplement company actually had the audacity to list their scientific references at the bottom of their ad (in the tiny fine print) and if more people bothered to look them up like I did, they'd see that the studies were performed on diabetic mice.

These are the deceptive tactics of the supplement companies you may be giving your money to.

1. NEVER buy a fat burner unless you get independent, scientific verification of the claims made for the product.

How do you KNOW they really work? Are you SERIOUSLY going to take the advertisers word for it - after decades of scam after scam after scam? Are you SERIOUSLY going to take someone else’s diet pill testimonial as fact? Get verification for yourself by going to the pub med data base and looking for proof in the form of peer-reviewed research.

2. Put the potential results in perspective

With those products that have some evidence for benefits, such as those providing a small thermogenic effect, put that in perspective as compared to how easily you could burn that many calories with even light exercise like walking or housework. Keep in mind the additional fitness and strength benefits you will obtain from exercise as opposed to doing nothing and popping a pill.

3. See if there are any side effects or health warnings

With all supplements and especially with strong thermogenics like the ephedrine and caffeine stack, (if you still have access to them), and with many of these new products using ingredients you may have never even heard of before, understand the risk to benefit ratio, and be certain you know the dangers and contraindications.

There are pre workout stimulants that have been on the market the last few years that have similarities to amphetamines. Many are pitched as "natural" or herbal but they contain active alkaloids with drug-like effects. If you don't think there is potential danger there, you'd better think again.

4. Never take a fat burner pill if you don't know EXACTLY what the ingredients are or what they do

You are CRAZY to take pills when you don't even know what the ingredients are and what they do. What more can I say? Yet every day I get questions from people already taking these products and I typically ask them, "You only gave me a brand name, what are the ingredients?" They have NO CLUE! INSANITY! Would you pop a pill a stranger gave you in a bar? Well WTH is the difference?

5. Read the label and see if the product contains enough active ingredient to even work (Beware the "Pixie dusting" scam)

A classic scam is when a product quotes research that a certain ingredient boosts metabolism, which might be true. What they fail to tell you is that all the research with positive results used a large and very specific dosage of the ingredient, which might be very expensive.

So the cheap, deceptive, corner-cutting supplement company includes a “pinch” or “light dusting” of that ingredient just so they can say it’s in the bottle, even though it's nothing more than “label decoration.” Then they have the audacity to invoke the research studies in their advertisements when the amount of the ingredient in their product is no where near what was used in the research!

6. Watch out for the proprietary blend scam

Some companies, don't even let you see how much ingredient is in the product formula, because it contains multiple ingredients and they say their formula is a “trade secret” aka “proprietary”, so they list WHAT is in the product but not HOW MUCH. If you don’t know how much is in there then how are you supposed to get independent confirmation of the facts and analyze whether this product is any good? (hint: You can't!)

7. Make sure there is human research, not just rodent research

In many cases, advertisements cite studies on rats and mice as “proof” under the assumption that the product will produce the same results in humans. Animal research is an important part of the scientific method, as it is often used to help find areas of research where human study should be pursued, or in the other direction, to trace back the mechanism that makes something work. However, for obesity research in particular, a positive finding in rats does not mean the same thing will happen in humans.

What's more, to overcome the ingredient dosage issue above (in point #4), unsavory supplement companies may give a dose to mice that is HUGE for a mouse, but impossible to match pound-for-pound in a human. So a positive result is achieved in a mouse, which may not be relevant to humans to begin with, but even if it were, you couldn't practically, financially or safely take that much yourself, relatively speaking.

8. Look for more than one human study

Consider trying a supplement only after it has human research that has been replicated by different research groups which are not industry-sponsored. My policy is that I will usually only give a “buy” rating to a supplement when a product has an intitial well-designed human controlled trial published and then similar research has been replicated by another research group that is not supplement-industry funded.

Actually, I think it’s a good thing that nutrition and supplement companies fund and sponsor some of the research. They should. They should not only back up their claims with published clinical trials, they should share some of the cost of this expensive research and make sure it's published in reputable journals so we can read them and critique the study design.

However, a basic principle of the scientific method is replication. Other researchers should be able to duplicate the findings. Therefore, while the funding source does not necessarily prove bias, if there is only one study available on a supplement and it is company or industry sponsored, I usually take it with a grain of salt and put an asterisk next to it while I wait for confirmation from another study. (You might be surprised at how IN-frequently this type of confirmation occurs).

Do you REALLY need “more” than nutrition and exercise???

Now, when you weigh the fact that even the products with research backing them only help a little, that many of the ads lie to you about research, exagerrate claims and hide vital information about ingredients, that you can do a few more minutes of exercise per day and get the same results for free, that certain ingredients could be harmful and that you could fail a drug test or lose a medal and the supplement companies didn't warn you, how enthusiastic are you about fat burners?

Above, I've tried to be somewhat balanced and objective by providing you with a punch list about how to be a smart consumer and shop carefully for supplements in the fat loss marketplace. But after more than 20 years of seeing people become victims of the fat burner lie it's really hard to stay "balanced" any more.

My BEST advice is: Don't waste your money on ANY of them - save it and spend it on holiday gifts for people you love - or something special for yourself (people waste hundreds of dollars a month on this diet pill crap).

And remember, the claim you read in that ad, "It takes more than nutrition and exercise to get six pack abs” is absolutely false. You CAN do it with nutrition and training alone. That's EXACTLY how it's done!

Bottom line: I HATE the fat burner supplement industry more than ever and I would hate to see you get hurt, lied to or ripped off. Please be careful out there.

CLICK HERE to learn More About Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle

MEN CLICK HERE to learn more about the proven nutrition program that will cut your body fat to amazingly low levels and reveal your six pack abs as fast as humanly possible

WOMEN CLICK HERE and find out how you can get as lean as a fitness model or figure athlete so you too can see more abdominal muscle definition and get a tight, trim, toned waistline

About Fitness Author and Fat Loss Coach, Tom Venuto

Tom Venuto is the author of the #1 best seller, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle: Fat Burning Secrets of the World's Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Tom is a lifetime natural bodybuilder and fat loss expert who achieved an astonishing ripped 3.7% body fat level without drugs or supplements. Discover how to increase your metabolism, burn stubborn body fat and find out which foods burn fat and which foods turn to fat by visiting the home page at: BurnTheFat.com

View the original article here