The Infonian

For some bodybuilders, achieving the perfect state of pump can best be described as being what nirvana is to a Buddhist. It’s everything they strive for when working out. So it’s no wonder that some of the world’s most famous bodybuilders-including Arnold Schwarzenegger-have described the pump as, “the greatest feeling you can get in the gym.”

Depending on who you talk to, you’re likely to get different opinions about the importance of the pump. For some guys, it’s kind of the “holy grail” of bodybuilding, but there are plenty of other bodybuilders who don’t pay much attention to it at all.

The guys on the “pro pump” side say that a good pump is what all bodybuilders should strive to achieve when they train. From their point of view, the pump signifies that you’re training with sufficient intensity.

They also say that achieving a good pump during a workout means that the systems are functioning properly and that you are delivering lots of nutrient-rich blood to the muscles, which in turn indicates that they are primed for growth. Furthermore, they say that when a bodybuilder is able to achieve a good pump quickly, it is a clear signal that his body is in an anabolic state, ready to grow.

Without getting too deep into the whole science of things, the pump is the result of both sarcoplasmic and mitochondrial hypertrophy, both of which generally occur at the highest levels through workouts that focus on medium or high rep sets. These types of hypertrophy result in an increase in the volume of the muscle, which gives the appearance of the pump. The downside to this is that this type of growth is temporary-it only lasts a short while and there is also no real increase in strength gains here either. This type of training is sometimes referred to as “form over function,” because while they may look good, the muscles are not nearly as strong as they appear.

Real muscle growth occurs through myofibrillar hypertrophy, which is the result of heavy training (heavy weight, lower reps). Myofibrillar hypertrophy is also the type of growth that brings about the big strength gains. The guys who focus on this type of hypertrophy are not only big, but they’re strong too. This is where you really get the explosive strength, but this type of hypertrophy does not result in much of a “pump.”

Which brings me to point of view of the guys who say that the pump isn’t all that it’s made out up to be. These are the guys who tend to focus not just on size but on strength as well. In other words, they don’t want to just look powerful, they want to be powerful too. When training, these guys focus on progressive overload and intensity, doing fewer reps with maximum weight.

In the gym, you’ll see them doing compound exercises like squats and deadlifts with heavy weight, not doing rep after rep of leg extensions with a light weight.

What you do is going to depend on what you want to achieve. One point of view isn’t right and the other wrong-they each just lead to different results. The decision is going to come down to a personal preference on your part. I will give you a tip though-you can have the best of both worlds. One way is to mix up your workouts, initially focus on high weight/low reps to get the myofibrillar hypertrophy going, and then afterwards move on to lower weight/higher rep sets to give you the pump. This will ensure that not only are your muscles primed for growth but they’ll get bigger and st

ronger too.

Author: Mike Westerdal

As a bodybuilder you already know that carbohydrates are an important part of our diet, and that all carbs are not created equal-some are good while others are not-so-good or even bad. The rate at which carbs release their energy determines where they fall on the spectrum. The carbs that release their energy slowly are the good ones, while the ones that release their energy quickly are the ones to avoid. There are three types of carbs: complex, simple and refined. Complex carbs are the slowest energy-releasers, with refined carbs releasing it the fastest. Knowing which is which used to be tough until the Glycemic Index was developed. The Glycemic Index (GI) classifies carbs based on the rate at which they release energy. Carbs that that fall low on the GI scale release their energy slowly while those that are high on the GI scale release their energy quickly. This is important to know and here’s why: Carbs that release their energy quickly produce a rise in blood sugar levels followed by a rapid fall, leading to a “crash,” which makes us feel lethargic. On the contrary, carbs that release their energy slowly help keep blood sugar levels on an even keel, which allows us to maintain our energy levels throughout the day.

Exactly where a particular food falls on the GI is determined by how much it raises blood sugar levels over a two to three hour period. The GI uses a scale of 0-100. Most people who use the GI classify any food that ranks at 55 or below as having a low Glycemic Index, meaning that it raises blood sugar levels considerably less than foods that fall higher on the scale. Foods with a medium GI are those that have a rank of 70 or below with anything above being classified as having a high Glycemic Index.

Refined carbs release their energy very quickly and therefore, have a high Glycemic Index. These are the ones you find in processed foods. Refined carbs have been processed by machines that strip the bran and the germ from the whole grain. They fall high on the GI because they release their energy quickly. Refined carbs have been largely stripped of the nutrients, meaning that they’re basically empty calories that have little nutritional value, send glucose levels skyrocketing and leave you feeling hungry a short while after you eat them. White bread and white rice are some foods that are made up of refined carbs.

Simple carbs are mostly sugar and also release their energy quickly. You’ll find them in sodas, candy, chocolate, fudge and other foods that have lots of added sugar. While you want to mostly avoid simple carbs because the majority of them have a high Glycemic Index, they’re not entirely bad because most fruits-which can be very good for you to eat now and then-are made up almost entirely of simple carbs.

There are plenty of fruits made up of simple carbs that don’t rank high on the GI. Fresh strawberries for example, rank 40 on the GI, well below the threshold of 55. Some other fruits that score low on the GI include apples, pears, oranges and cherries, among others. So even though they’re simple carbs, feel free to occasionally add a handful of these nutritious fresh fruits to your protein shake.

Complex carbs-like the ones you find in broccoli, beans and whole grains-generally score the lowest on the GI. These are the nutrient-rich, slow burning carbs. They don’t cause glucose levels to spike and since they release their energy slowly, they help keep the body feeling “full” and satisfied longer than fast-releasing carbs. This is important not only for sustaining energy levels throughout the day but is essential for maintaining proper weight.

It’s important to note that while the Glycemic Index can be a useful tool, it should serve as a general guideline, not as a hard and fast rule. If your goal is to lose weight, then you should definitely stick with almost entirely with foods that have a low GI. As a bodybuilder though, there are times when you will certainly want to mix in some foods with a higher GI-particularly after an intense training session when your body needs a quick burst of energy. In any case, the Glycemic Index really is a handy, worthwhile and easy-to-use planning tool, especially since there are lots of interactive websites that allow you to enter the name of a food to quickly find out its Glycemic Index.

Author: Mike Westerdal

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, there are around 20 amino acids found within proteins. The names are Alanine, Arganine, Asparagine, Aspartic acid, Cysteine, Glutamic acid, Glutamine, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenelalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Tyrosine and Valine. We as humans can produce around 10 of the 20 amino acids needed, the rest have to be ingested from our food or by using supplementation. Failure to do so can be detrimental, especially to the bodybuilder as all are needed to help build muscle, that’s why protein shakes are always a good idea.

The ten amino acids our bodies can produce are alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine and tyrosine. There are also amino acids that are classed as essential these are arganine, histidine, isoleucine leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine, you must make sure especially if bodybuilding, that these are part of your main staple diet.

Now that we know that protein (amino acids) are the main foundation of any diet especially athletes, remember an inadequate amount of protein usually equals inadequate muscle growth, so if you want top end results from all your hard work in gym make sure that you are getting and using a top quality protein supplement.

Usually it is a good idea to have a word with your doctor before starting an increased protein supplementation diet as there are many different types on the market which get there protein from different sources so you have to be careful you aren’t allergic to any of the contents.

Another good tip that seems to be coming to light these days is that protein consumed 30 mins or so before your workout is the best, the theory is that your body will utilize the protein more efficiently, certainly something to try out or at least think about, just make sure you don’t make it to heavy and thick.

When making your protein drinks why not add some fruit like yogurt or strawberries, just make sure you use a blender to get the mixture full liquidised, also in my opinion it makes it taste much nicer.

If you tend not to like protein shakes or drinks why not look into protein bars, most use just taste like any other chocolate bar but are usually packed with much more goodness, just do a little research to find out which is best, obviously you want one with a high protein content, so don’t just choose on price alone.

Author: James Davis