Bodybuilding Basics: Why Can’t I Get Bigger? Part 3

Writen by Mike Berg

One of the most important pieces to the muscle/bodybuilding puzzle is nutrition. The sooner you realize the importance of not only what kind of food you eat but when you eat it, the sooner you will see increases in both strength and muscle density.

One of the biggest problems I see when trying to train novice bodybuilders is their idea of what proper nutrition is. The fact is that if you want to grow large amounts of muscle it takes hard training, proper rest, time and more food than you can imagine. You simply have to eat enough quality food at the right times. For example, you are working out consistently and yet you wake up in the morning and have maybe a banana, or some cereal. If you’re lucky, it’s oatmeal. Then, 4 hours later you might have some lunch. Consisting of what? Maybe a sandwich of lunch meat, some chips etc. You hit the gym after work or school and then you eat a huge dinner.

None of this will help you grow. When you wake up, your body has been without food for anywhere from 6-8 hours. And that’s if you ate right before bed!

What you need in the morning is protein and some complex carbs! Depending on your weight, goals, level of training etc, a breakfast could easily consist of 6 egg whites, a bowl of oatmeal, maybe some whole grain toast. And that’s just going to cover you for about 3 hours!

Mid morning should consist of a high protein meal (remember, since you should be consuming 5-6 meals a day, a meal only means maybe 400-600 calories) of possibly some tuna, turkey, chicken or a meal replacement or protein drink. Lunch should be some protein along with some complex carbs such as brown rice, broccoli etc. You should also have a pre-workout meal and a post workout meal.

The bottom line is that most guys simply do not eat anywhere near enough food to grow. Eating itself is almost a workout! And yes, it can get pretty boring having to eat 2500-3000 calories a day when you are not eating Big Macs. Considering that you might need anywhere up to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, on a 200lb guy, that’s 300 grams of protein a day! That’s a lot of tuna.

Just remember your nutrition will make or break your training. You must eat enough and it must be the correct type of food. Protein should come in the form of egg whites, chicken breast, tuna, lean cuts of beef such as round steak, flank steak, fish such as salmon, nuts etc. Carbs should be whole grain breads, brown rice, yams and the best of all, oatmeal. Some guys will find that due to work, school or time restrictions, a high quality weight gainer might help them get some extra calories but once you make these changes and commit to a solid diet, the gains will come!

Mike Berg has been involved in bodybuilding and fitness as an enthusiast and trainer for over 20 years.
Visit his website for bodybuilding and fitness articles and Bodybuilding Supplements at http://www.milleniumfitness.com.

How To Make HGH And Anti Aging Work For You

Writen by Mike Spencer

Anti aging has become the latest craze.

Wherever we look at, we can see a product or two that promotes anti aging. Anti aging now has a number of quite different common meanings and connotations. Different communities view anti aging in a different way causing a stir and marked confusion.

Whether anti aging is a fact or a myth, the quest for the elixir of youth continues. With this article, I hope to help you make some informed decisions as to whether anti aging products are right for you, and if so, which ones offer real value for money, and which are simply “snake oil” products to stear clear of.

For the scientific community, anti-aging research refers exclusively to slowing, preventing, or reversing the aging process. Obviously as of this time, there are no medical technologies that allow this to be done. Although the scientific community has taken steps to promote anti aging jury such as imposing calorie restriction in humans.

Nor is there any currently available method that can accurately measure the effects of an alleged anti aging therapy.

More than simple prevention.

In the medical and more reputable business community, anti aging medicine means early detection, prevention, and reversal of age-related diseases.

This is quite different from tackling the aging process itself. They acknowledged aging but find means to postpone it. At this point, there is a wide range of strategies and therapies currently available.

Calorie restriction, for instance, is a demonstrated way to lower risk for a wide range of age-related degenerative conditions.

Exercise could be another effective way to promote anti aging.

The majority in business community view anti aging as a valuable brand and one of the best ways to increase sales. We cannot ignore the fact that a number of fraudulent and frivolous business ventures have sprouted these days due to this.

At the other end of the scale, we could see scrupulous businesses who promote exotic products such as snake oil and market them as anti aging products. We also hear of anti aging cremes that may or may not make your skin look younger. And a number of infomercials that promote the anti-aging benefits of exercise machines.

Broadly, and very charitably, we can look at these varied definitions of anti-aging as meaning “to look and feel younger in some way” which actually has no bearing on how long you live or how healthy you actually are.

Copyright 2005 Mike Spencer

At 1st-For-HGH-reviews.com we have reviewed some of the leading and more well known antiaging and HGH supplements and products, with a view to making your life easier in selecting a suitable product. http://www.1st-for-hgh-reviews.com

Get Rid of Warts Today!

Writen by Stefan Rockhaus

Embarrassed about the bumpy, rough protrusion on your skin? Well, that is called a wart. Viruses cause these non-cancerous skin growths on the top layer of the skin. These viruses are called human papillomavirus (HPV). Warts are usually skin-colored and are rough to touch, but in some people they can be dark, flat and smooth.

These warts grow on different parts of the body; more common on the fingers, hands, and feet but most of them are harmless. Children tend to get infected easily. They spread by direct contact, simply by touching the wart. Most warts heal within weeks or months, but sometimes they may even take years. It all depends on the person’s immune system. Those having immune-related diseases such as AIDS and lymphoma, or who are under chemotherapy, take longer time to heal.

Types of warts:

There are several different kinds of warts:

* Common warts – These warts usually grow on the fingers, around the nails, hands, elbows, knees, and on the backs of the hands. They usually appear where skin has been broken – like where fingernails are bitten. They are hard and small. These are also called “seed” warts, because the blood vessels to the wart produce black dots that look like seeds.

* Foot warts – These warts appear on the soles of the feet. They are also called plantar warts. They can be very uncomfortable and painful while walking, because the pressure of walking causes them to get flattened and pushed back into the skin.

* Flat warts – These warts are smaller and smoother than other warts and so they are called juvenile warts. They grow in large numbers – 20 to 100. They most commonly grow on children’s faces. In adults, they are often found in the beard area in men, and on the legs in women.

* Filiform warts – These warts are finger shaped and are usually flesh-colored. They are common in areas around the mouth, eyes, or nose.

Treatment:

You need to go to a Dermatologist to get rid of warts. Depending on the type of warts and the age of the patient, various treatments are used. Laser treatment is the most common. This treatment is expensive. An injection of a local anesthesia is used to numb the area treated. An anti-cancer drug called bleomycin is also used to treat warts; however, this treatment is painful and may cause side effects.

Immunotherapy is another treatment where the body’s own rejection system is used. In one of the methods, the patient is made allergic to a certain chemical which is then applied. After some time, an allergic reaction occurs around the area and the wart may disappear. Dermatologists also inject interferon to boost the immune reaction which may cause rejection of the wart. Luckily for children, warts may disappear over time, without taking any treatment. However, they can be bothersome and painful – if they rapidly multiply then they should be treated.

So, next time you see warts appearing on your skin, do not panic or get disturbed. They are just a viral skin infection which with proper care can be treated.

Fantastic Anti Aging Skin Care and Anti Aging Skin Care Products to Keep You Looking Young

Writen by Amy-Jo Strutt

As we get older, we start to notice changes in our body. Things don’t stay as firm and in place as when we were teenagers. But there are definite things we can do to guard against getting older including anti aging skin care. The first order of business is to drink 8 – 10 glasses of water a day. It is imperative that we stay hydrated in order to keep our facial structure and a healthy complexion. Second, if you are out in the sun, wear anti aging skin care products that contain an SPF of 15 or more. This will protect you against the harmful UV rays that can cause serious cell damage. One of the best anti aging skin care actions is to stop smoking. Smoking reeks havoc with your complexion.

Since it is a fact that we are going to get older no matter what we do, we can use some great anti aging skin care products that have been scientifically proven to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Moisturizers and creams that contain vitamin A and E, essential oils, antioxidants, and collagen are especially effective. You can get quality creams without paying a fortune, although, those moisturizers are available as well. Many people are turning to natural anti aging skin care because they feel it is a more healthy approach. Creams and moisturizers are made with 100% or close to 100% all natural ingredients. You can find a huge selection of recipes on line if you want to give it a try.

There are also a number of anti aging skin care products that are highly recommended by consumer research groups. They have been rated against a number of tough criteria and have actually been consumer tested over a period of time. One study ranked Alpha Derma CE as the best formula for reducing lines and wrinkles. Coming in a close second was Rejuvinol/Rejuvox a combination am/pm nutrient rich moisturizer. But be careful because anti aging skin care is getting very specialized with products that are suitable for your face but not your eyes. You will have to purchase another cream for those. We highly recommend you try a number of them to see which one works best for you.

Amy-Jo Strutt is a successful health and beauty writer and regular contributor to anti-aging-skin-carecentral.com an online resource to help you find the very best anti aging skin care products. http://www.anti-aging-skin-carecentral.com

Cold Sore Treatment – Lemon Balm Ice

Writen by Denny Bodoh

A good cold sore treatment can really be a blessed relief for cold sore victims like you and me.

And, if you’re like me, you want a cold sore treatment that will not only give you a lot of comfort right now, but will hopefully shorten the healing time so you can get on with your life. That’s the beauty of this well proven cold sore treatment.

I’m always searching for a better cold sore treatment. I have many good friends at Mayo who I’ve partnered with for research purposes over the past 33 years. But it’s important to keep in mind that the following cold sore treatment methods are not presented as medical advice – only as information for your consideration. There is no substitute for a one-on-one relationship with a medical professional.

By far, the most popular cold sore treatment is the application of ice. It slows down metabolism, numbs the area, discourages the virus from replicating, and is readily available. Apply ice for 10 minutes at a time to your cold sores, maybe 3 times an hour, as a very basic cold sore treatment.

With this cold sore treatment, if I could catch the cold sores at the first tingle and apply the ice, it delayed – and sometimes prevented – the cold sores from actually moving into the blister stage. If a blister does form, this cold sore treatment still works great for providing blessed comfort. Because it does slow down metabolism, it also will slow down the healing of your cold sores. Best not to use it as much during the healing phase of your cold sores as a cold sore treatment.

A fishing buddy of mine – a Mayo doctor – while on an outing on the Mississippi, revealed his secret cold sore treatment.

His cold sore treatment involves the use of lemon balm tea.

These tea bags can be found for cheap anywhere you find specialty teas. If the lemon balm is not “stand alone” but in a blend with other herbs, that will usually be just fine too – as long as lemon balm is the primary.

Dr. W. explained that he discovered lemon balm herb has anti-viral properties and is a natural cold sore treatment. He took a 16 – 20 ounce container of bottled water. He then brewed a strong batch of lemon balm tea using one tea bag per 4 ounces – then froze the tea bags – using these in place of the plain ice cold sore treatment.

You get the comforting effect of ice plus, as the tea-bag melts, the application of the anti-viral properties of lemon balm. He stored the tea back in the original bottles for convenience and further cold sore treatment.

Additionally, Dr. W. – to supercharge this cold sore treatment – would sip the lemon balm tea and apply the tea liquid to the cold sores with a cotton ball between lemon balm ice sessions.

If you’re the rare person who gets cold sores inside the mouth, you’ll find they are very difficult to deal with. This may be exactly the cold sore treatment for you. Use the lemon balm tea as a mouthwash, then swallow for an additional boost. Listerine has worked well as a cold sore treatment, both in the mouth and applied externally, but it stings like crazy.

I also found that freezing the tea and sucking on the lemon balm ice chips is very effective and comforting as an in-the-mouth cold sore treatment.

I tried his cold sore treatment and it worked great for my family too, back when we used to get cold sores frequently. Quite a vast improvement on the old ice method.

This cold sore treatment, using lemon balm frozen tea bags, is a much better choice than plain ice during the healing stages of your cold sores. Although you are slowing metabolism, you are also killing many viruses with this cold sore treatment.

There are many other reported highly effective cold sore treatment methods that you can try. These include tea tree oil, dmso, olive leaf oil, lysine, zinc, yogurt, aloe vera and more. Lysine and zinc do not work well applied directly because the size of their molecules are too large for effective absorption. Lysine and zinc are better used as internal support supplements.

We have tested every over-the-counter cold sore treatment – at least all that we could find. We found they are great for comfort but none of them did anything to actually kill the virus or speed healing.

Keep in mind that the best and most effective cold sore treatment will be topical – directly applied – for any open surface lesion like a cold sore.

I hope you, too, will find this to be an excellent, cheap, and useful cold sore treatment.

Facial Enhancements with Surgical Implants

Writen by Ricardo Silva

It goes without saying that the appearance of the human face plays a massive role in interactions between each of us. Implants offer an opportunity to put forth your best side.

Facial Enhancements with Surgical Implants

There are many definitions for plastic surgery. One of the more common is the correction or modification of abnormalities in the body. What exactly constitutes an abnormality is the subject of great debate, to wit, an actual abnormality or something a person subjectively does not care for in their appearance.

Surgical implants used for facial enhancements definitely tend to fall within a more medically determined definition of plastic surgery. The implants are often used to address imperfections that are both subjectively perceived and physically present from a medical perspective. Seriously small chins and uneven or collapsed cheek bones are a common area of surgical intervention.

Surgical solutions for facial defects are all about reshaping the face to a more traditional structure. The goal could be to increase the size of a chin to create linear balance from side views or to enhance one side of the face to create balance in appearance. Obviously, there are other situations as well. What is not disputed, however, is the emotional and psychological benefit of such enhancements when a serious defect exists.

To reshape a facial area, plastic surgeons will often use implants. The implants can be preset or customized for the particular problem. For individuals with seriously reduced chins, for example, an implant is placed at the point of the chin to create volume and more natural look. The goal in the surgery is to create a more balanced face by moving enhancing the chin in such a way that a view from the side shows a generally uniform slope from forehead to chin.

Facial surgery of this type is surprisingly uncomplicated for the patient. It is often done in less than two hours and hospitalization is rarely required. Generally, patients can return to work in a week and any indication of a surgical procedure can be gone as soon as two weeks after the fact. Obviously, each situation is different so consult with your medical professional to gain an understanding of your situation and the reasonable results that can be expected.

Facial abnormalities, whether perceived or medically significant, can be the crux of confidence problems. If you fall within this classification, do not hesitate to contact a plastic surgeon to discuss the options available to you. Make sure to look at before and after pictures to get a definitive idea of the solutions available.

Ricardo de Silva is with PlasticSurgeonPractices.com – a directory of plastic surgeons. Visit us to read more plastic surgery articles.

Foot Pain Explained

Writen by Dave Wilson

The human foot is made up of 26 different bones (25% of all the bones in the body), 22 distinct joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. The foot can be broken down into six separate sections: the heel, the instep, the sole, the ball of the foot, the toes and the toenails. Since this section of the body is so complex, many different ailments take place in the feet.

Pressure related problems: An average day of walking around is the equivalent of hundreds of tons of pressure to your feet. Injuries like fallen arches can result after a lifetime of being on your feet all day, every day. Long term effects of fallen arches can result in chronic knee pain and shin splints.

Traumatic injuries: As any professional athlete can tell you, traumatic foot injuries can be a pain in the, well, foot. Broken toes and foot bones can take months to heel, and Achilles tendon injuries can be debilitating for life. One of the most common injuries to the foot is simply dropping something heavy onto the foot and crushing one or more bones in the process.

Ingrown Toenails: An ingrown toenail is when the side or the corner of the toenail end up digging into the skin and causing moderate to severe pain, swelling, redness and in extreme cases, infection. They can usually be cured by simply soaking the toe in hot water for about 30 minutes and then placing thin fabric under the nail to keep it from digging into the foot. In serious cases, minor surgery might be needed to remove the nail from the foot.

Plantars warts: Plantar warts are small, usually round warts that appear on the sole of the foot and are caused by the HPV virus. They sometimes have small black specks with them that will bleed when the surface is punctured. The wart is usually covered by a layer of hard skin due to the pressure on the foot during periods of standing and walking. It can be spread by use of common showers or around swimming pools. They are usually treated by using regular over-the-counter wart medicine containing acid.

Arthritis: Arthritis in the foot is extremely common in older people since the foot alone has 33 joints. Any sort of traumatic injury to the foot can cause arthritis in the future.

Heel conditions: The two most common causes of severe pain in the heel belong to plantar fasciitis and bone spurs in the heel. Bone spurs are caused by a calcium deposit attached to the bone of the heel. They can go from mildly annoying to excruciating depending on the size. We’ll discuss plantar fasciitis later.

Athelte’s Foot: Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungus that attacks the feet. It ranges from being almost painless to causing extreme burning and itching all over the toes and sole of the foot. There are many different over the counter remedies for Athlete’s foot, but if you use many common areas barefoot, you may have to treat it over and over again as it’s easy to catch.

Nerve Problems in the feet: Most nerve problems in the feet are caused by the long-term effects of diabetes. The nerves in the feet are the longest nerves in the body and are susceptible to neuropathy and other ailments brought on by diabetes.

Diabetes: Other than the aforementioned nerve problems, diabetes seriously effects the circulation in the body and many serious diabetes sufferers have lost fingers, toes and even feet due to lack of circulation due to a lifetime of diabetes.

Congenital foot conditions: Birth defects can range from misshapen feet to bone protrusions, to nerve problems. Most congenital problems can be dealt with through surgery.

You can see from this brief overview how many aspects there are to the feet and why foot pain can be such a common and complicated problem for many people.

Animal Byproducts Are In The Sugar, Said The Vegetarian

Writen by James Johnson

Would you know it, but there is animal byproducts in some sugars. The vegetarian, a strict vegan will not eat sugar. The sugar is sometimes colored white with bone char from of all things cows. So if you are vegetarian that does not want to cause any suffering to animals by you eating sugar then you do have some options.

Beet sugar is your first option, this sugar is never made white by cow bone char. In this way you will be able to completely avoid eating the bone char. The big problem is being able to know what food has the beet sugar. If you read the food label and if it says fructose or dextrose the sugar is from a plant like beets or corn but if it says sucrose it could very well have cow bone char in it.

Some sugar companies state their use on bone char, picking those brands only would be a second choice. These companies are known not to use bone char in their sugar, American Crystal Sugar Company, Sugar in the Raw, Irish Sugar Ltd., Imperial Sugar Company and Florida Crystals. Listen up, you should always contact these companies time from time to see if they have changed the way they make sugar. Brands that are known for using bone char in their sugar is C&H Sugar company, Savannah Foods and Domino.

In the United States there is two types of sugars, cain and beet. The cain sugar is whitened with bone char but on the other hand beet is not whitened with bone char. It will be an challenge to find out whats in all the foods we eat, but if its important to you to be a vegetarian, then its a challenge you can overcome. In lots of cases it will be easy to just read the nutritional label, most of your answers are in there.

James Johnson is an accomplished Webmaster and publisher of Vegetariandiet.us where he provides additional information on vegetarian diets and types of vegetarains. Also info on how to become a vegetarin. For more advice, tips and hard to find information on Vegetarian Food

Home Gyms with Free Weights

Writen by Gary Gresham

Having your own home gym with free weights is not only convenient but gives you the freedom to work out anytime you want. You save time and money, have no costly gym fees, no driving time, and no child care is needed.

Having a home gym with free weights and a machine for aerobic activity is the perfect combination for your home gym workout routine. Exercise and cardiovascular fitness are essential in a balanced fitness program.

It’s important to include stretching and resistance to help build and tone muscles, burn fat and help prevent injury. Variety is the key to enjoying and keeping you motivated for a successful exercise workout program.

Setting goals that are realistic can be a huge motivating factor in sticking to your home gym workout routine. These goals keep your mind focused on the rewards you will see and feel.

Once you start your exercise workout program and experience good results, you will become even more dedicated to achieving your goals. When beginning an exercise program here are a few important things to consider:

1. Decide how many times a week you are willing to dedicate yourself to this exercise workout program. For any real benefits to occur, your home gym workout routine should be done at least 3 to 4 times a week. It is also important to set aside a couple of days each week for complete rest.

2. How much time do you plan on dedicating to your exercise program each exercise day? It’s best to start slow and gradually work up as you get more fit. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes a day on the days you exercise depending on your fitness level.

3. Remember to change your exercise and cardiovascular fitness program every few weeks. That’s because your body will adjust to the same routine and your workout won’t be as effective without the change. Variety is a key element for keeping your motivation going and the boredom at a minimum.

Exercise and good aerobic workouts can provide you with a lifetime of good health. According to a study in 2004, more Americans are now participating in fitness activities to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

If your goal is having a toned body with more strength and flexibility, aerobic activity combined with a home gym with free weights is a great way to achieve it.

Copyright © 2005 Treadmill Info.com All Rights Reserved.

This article is supplied by http://www.treadmill-info.com where you will find valuable information, ratings, reviews, articles and buying tips before you make the investment in quality fitness equipment. For more fitness related articles go to: http://www.treadmill-info.com/articles_1.html

Ephedra Diet Pill Product Information – Smacker with Hoodia Review

Writen by Joe Rodriguez

Smacker Ephedra boasts that the ephedra product will SMACK THAT FAT, but can this 25mg ephedra product really delivery the extra energy and fat burning we have come to expect from ephedra? The short answer is YES. Smacker ephedra, now with the appetite suppressant Hoodia, really does increase energy, and burns fat just like the old ephedra products used to.

What Is In Smacker Ephedra

• 25mg ephedra
• 200mg caffeine from Kola Nut
• 105mg White Willow Extract
• Vitamin B5
• Hoodia Extract
• Serving Size: 1 caplet

As you can see, Smacker has the full ECA stack (ephedra, caffeine, aspirin), as well as the phenominal appetite suppressant of Hoodia! Ephedra itself is an appetite suppressant, but many find they need a little bit more appetite suppressant than what ephedra can delivery, and Hoodia really adds that extra appetite suppressant.

What’s New With Smacker Ephedra with Hoodia?
The nice thing about the new Smacker Ephedra with Hoodia is that it now comes in caplet form. This way, if 25mg of ephedra per caplet is too much for you, you can just break the caplet in 2 (or more) pieces and control your serving. Diet Fuel with ephedra was a 3 capsule per serving ephedra product, which was good for people who didn’t want to take full dosages, while others complained about having to take 3 capsules for full strength servings. Smacker, much like products like Stacker2 with ephedra has 25mg ephedra per serving but unlike Stacker2, it can be taken at half dosage. Stacker2 came in capsule form, which makes it very difficult to take half dosages.

Where to buy Smacker Ephedra
Smacker Ephedra is now being sold through a few distributors to many retailers and online stores. The most popular place to buy Smacker is at Bing Products.

Smacker with ephedra, bottom line
Smacker Ephedra with Hoodia delivers exactly what it says, it really does SMACK THAT FAT! Whether you are looking for the extra energy, appetite suppression or a strong fat burner, you should really take a look at Smacker Ephedra with Hoodia.

Joe Rodriguez owns a website EphedraTalk which provides valuable free information for anyone interested in information relating to ephedra, for example Ephedra Diet Pill Product – Smacker with Hoodia Review. Check out Smacker Ephedra now.