Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Pretty much the sickest Jungle Gym set up ever!!!

So I look around on my subscription list on youtube like I always do in the morning and what do I see. Well, the sickest Jungle Gym ever! I'm definetly going to build one of these in my studio once I get to that position in the future.

Pure Strength!!!


Check it out



Wade

I'm Back - but why do i keep leaving

I'm BACK!!!

The problem with blogging is that, with everything in life, you need to keep your self motivating to do it. I really don't know why I can't keep up with it. Maybe it's because my reader count is so low or that I've been away from lifting weights for a while. In any case I'm back and I will be trying to keep my Natural Bodybuilding Blog and my MMA Blog up to date as I train and progress through both elements.

The good news is that I'm back in the weight room after a rough 5 months off. The reason why I stayed away from lifting weights is for one reason - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It was hard focusing on both, as one would leave me completely tired for the other. I realised that some how I will have to make time for them both. So, now with 2010 already 2 full months in I finally decided to work them in.

Hope you enjoy what's about to come.

Wade

Monday, August 10, 2009

Starting a new venture into fitness tomorrow

So tomorrow I will be joining my first brazilian jiu jitsu class and i couldn't be more excited. This is something that i wanted to do for a long time as i believe it to be - along with other MMA combat training - one of the greatest all around sports. Its a combination of endurance, strength training, wits and perseverance that make this sport (MMA) an all-in-one package.

I will be keeping a daily long of my training, including all of the ups and downs. I will also be writing and article dealing with MMA and Bodybuilding. Basically, it is considered that if you concentrate in one you will not be successful in the other. I want to prove that Bodybuilding and MMA could build off of each other and allow you to be successful in both. This is considering natural bodybuilding of course.

Let me know what you think and if you have any training in MMA before.

Wade

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Creatine, a staple in the athletic and bodybuilding community

Creatine has been a staple in the bodybuilding and athletic community for decades. In fact, it may be one of the most researched supplements on the market.

Approximately half of the stored creatine in our bodies originates from food - ie salmon, pork, tuna and beef. *Since vegetables do not contain creatine, vegetarians show lower levels of muscle creatine and should be supplemented when training. The other half of creatine is biosynthesized (created within our body) from three different amino acids - arginine, glycine and methionine.

Main Effects
The main effects of creatine on the body is to cause 1. Intracellular water retention (also called volumization) and 2. the ability to enhance ATP production.

1. The water retention of the cell causes beneficial side effects such as increase of strength and giving the muscle belly a fuller appearance. I should also mention, that some studies have shown that the intracellular water retention may also trigger protein syntheses and minimize catabolism (break down of tissue and larger cellular compounds into smaller compounds). From the water retention you may notice some weight gain, up to 1kg in the first few weeks. Once you cycle off of creatine the weight should drop off.

2. By enhancing the production of ATP, creatine provides faster recovery in between sets and an increased tolerance to high volume work. ATP stands for Adenosine Triphosphate, which is the bodies source for energy storage. The phosphates are high energy bonded molecules and when released are responsible for majority of active cellular mechanisms. Once ATP is used, it forms into ADP and then AMP if it's used further - the later are lesser energy forms. Creatine is most commonly found in the body through creatine phosphate (CP or phosphocreatine) which donates its phosphate group to ADP, thus restoring ATP.


Image from http://creatinemonohydrate.net/images/energy.gif


The main purpose of phosphocreatine in our skeletal muscle is to supply a phosphate to ADP to create more ATP. The quick loss of ATP is due to anaerobic activity at the beginning of exercise. Your body is functioning without oxygen at the start of intense exercise which means it won't be able to produce efficient amount of ATP to sustain the movement. With the stores of ATP depleting creatine is able to restore the numbers for a short time - 4 to 6 seconds to be exact. This is why creatine supplementation is great for someone who trains for short bursts of activity - athletes, power lifters and bodybuilders. During aerobic activity your body will have sufficient amounts of oxygen which will help with the ATP generation process.

Creatine Monohydrate
Is the most common creatine found on the market. There is a lot of research behind creatine monohydrate. Some users complain of bloating which is a known side effect, but this is completely dependent on the consumer and changes from person to person.

Creatine ethyl ester (CEE)
CEE is thought to have higher absorption rates and a longer serum half-life than regular creatine monohydrate. Some users say they don't have the same bloating side effect as creatine monohydrate. Once again this is completely user dependent and should be tested by the consumer.

Safety
Muscle cramping is a mild side effect to supplementing with creatine. It only effects a small population of consumers. The cause of the cramping may be due to dehydration. Therefore, extra water intake is vital when supplementing with creatine.

Usage
There are two common ways of consuming creatine powders. One way is gradual, with taking 5 grams of creatine everyday for the duration in which you want to use the supplement. The other way is to use a loading phase at the beginning. During the loading phase you will be consuming upwards of 20 grams of creatine for 5-7 days and then taking 5 grams a day thereafter. The purpose of the loading phase is to create a surplus of creatine in your skeletal muscle. If you decided to consume creatine gradually it would take longer to build the extra stores of creatine then if you loaded to begin with.

Cliffs
- One of the most researched bodybuilding and athletic supplements
- Two common type: Creatine monohydrate and Creatine ethyl ester
- Main effects: Intracellular water retention and Cellular ATP regeneration
- Great for Anaerobic Training. Not effective during aerobic training.
- Two common usage techniques: General intake of 5 grams a day or Loading with 20 grams a day for 5-7 days followed by 5 grams a day thereafter

I hope you enjoyed the first post of my educational section of my blog. If you have any questions please comment and if you life what you read please subscribe.

Wade

I'm tired, it's too early, it's cold outside, i'm not ready, My Feet Hurt! Motivation and Determination is what will drive you!

There are so many excuses for everything. It's up to you to pick and choose what will stop you. But, if your really determined and you know what you want then nothing should stop you. Days go by and they can never be taken back. So, take all those excuses and through them out.

Today you start fresh. Today is your day.



Enjoy

Wade