Body And Fitness Blog

I have started taking Bulgarian Tribulus Terrestris recently as I’ve read that it is more potent - i.e. releases more LH - than the Chinese or Indian Tribulus products available.

Being a frugal chap, I wanted to know what is the cheapest brand for Bulgarian Tribulus, so I searched on Google and found that there was not a lot of suppliers of Bulgarian Tribulus, and the ones that I could find all seemed to stock either one or more of the following products:

• Reflex Nutrition Bulgarian Tribulus Terrestris
• CNP Professional Tribulus Terrestris
• Optimum Health Bulgarian Tribulus

The prices for the Reflex Nutrition and CNP Professional products seemed to vary between £20 - £25, however the Optimum Health product was cheapest at £12.49 for one month’s supply via SuperFit.co.uk

I used to think that the only difference between the bulk suppliers of sports supplements and the fancier brands that we see lots of adverts for, such as Maximuscle, USN, Boditronics, BSN, NutriSport, CNP Professional, LA Muscle and Reflex Nutrition amongst others, was the price of their products.

However, I’ve been swayed recently by the competitive prices I’ve been able to get branded products for from suppliers such as SuperFit, Discount Supplements, PhD Fitness and Monster Supplements. These suppliers do have a very wide range of stock and are usually able to supply you with branded supplements for a similar price to the bulk suppliers.

Let’s for an example, compare prices on one of the most popular mass gaining powders available, Maximuscle Cyclone, versus My Protein’s own, very similarly named mass gaining powder, Hurricane.

According to Discount Supplements Guide, the sports supplement price comparison website, the cheapest place to find Maximuscle Cyclone 1.2kg is Discount Supplements for a price of £28.99 delivered.

Contrast this with the My Protein product, which is 1.8kg and costs £29.95, with an extra £3.95 for postage and packing. So for a total of £33.90 you get a bit more product (600 grams), but is it as good quality? That is for you to decide…

Firstly, what does a ZMA supplement do?

ZMA is a blend of anabolic minerals that support your body’s testosterone production. They don’t increase production levels, so if you have low testosterone, supplementing with ZMA won’t help. However, if you are exercising regularly and or intensely (as most weight-trainers / bodybuilders do), you will naturally deplete your bodys levels of Zinc and Magnesium.

Why is this is problem? Well, if your body runs low on Zinc and Magnesium, your body will lower it’s testosterone production, which is exactly the opposite of what you want if your are trying to grow muscle or increase in strength - not to mention various other side effects of low testosterone like depression and poor mental alertness!

What are the best forms of ZMA supplements?

According to Nutritional Reviews, there is a specifc blend of Zing, Magnesium and Vitamin B6 that should be combined in exacting quantities for the ZMA product to be effective, as according to the study they refer to by Brilla and Conte, 1999 (ZMA study on American footballers, which showed very positive effects on testosterone levels when supplementing with ZMA).

The specific amounts of each mineral are as follows:

• Zinc l-monomethionine aspartate - 30mg
• Magnesium - 450mg
• Vitamin B6 - 10.5mg

Which supplements the right proportions of these minerals?

From looking on my other website at the various different manufacturers of ZMA supplements, and reading through the label information, I’ve been able to identify two different supplements that have the exact proportions of these minerals:

• Primaforce ZMA - £16.99 for 2 months supply
• Universal Nutrition ZMA Pro - £17.99 for 1 months supply

There are some other supplements that have almost the exact proportions of minerals, but they are not exact, which could mean they may not produce the same effects as the zma supplements used in the American footballers study by Brilla and Conte, 1999. Here are some of the other supplements that have nearly the exact proportions:

• Maximuscle ZMA - from £13.99 for 1 months supply
• Bulk Powders ZMA - from £11.99 for 100 capsules

I myself have been taking ZMA from My Protein, but I will be switching to the Primaforce ZMA as it represents good value at £16.99 for two months supply, especially as my preferred supplier, SuperFit.co.uk offer good deals on bulk buys, such that you can get the unit cost down if you buy two or more products.

I recently had the good fortune of receiving a free sample of this with my copy of Muscle & Fitness. I was eager to try it, as the idea of a white chocolate flavour protein shake really appealed to me - I’ve always been a big fan of white chocolate!

The first thing I noticed with this shake was that it was a lot thicker than my normal MyProtein protein shake. I wondered if it had any more carbs in it, but a quick check on the label showed that it didn’t, in fact as it’s name implies, it’s a protein shake for those looking to shed bodyfat!

The white chocolate flavour was really tasty, if somewhat bitty, but I put that down to me having not shaken it properly rather than it having poor mixability. I would definitely buy it again, and if you’re interested in buying some PhD Nutrition Diet Whey then click the link and find the cheapest supplier on Discount Supplements Guide.

And as always, the most important thing to remember is to STAY HYDRATED - whether this means carrying a water bottle with at the gym, or downing glasses constantly throughout your daily routine.

To get a great workout, make sure that you use equipment which will check your heart rate during your workout. If you can get into your cardio zone.

Know that the body burns a higher percentage of fat when you’re in your ‘fat burning zone,’ or lower intensities, but overall calories are burned faster at high intensities, using this formula:

Low Intensity - 60-65% MHR High Intensity - 80-85% MHR Total Calories expended per min. 4.86 6.86 Fat Calories expended per min. 2.43 2.7 Total Calories expended in 30 min. 146 206 Total Fat calories expended in 30 min. 73 82 Percentage of fat calories burned 50% 39.85%

Try this routine four or five times a week, and watch the pounds drip away as you feel your body getting healthier!

STRETCH! For at least five minutes.

1. Jump on the treadmill to warm up at a slow . Start at a low speed and incline, perhaps around three miles per hour, then gradually build that up to four miles per hour (or faster, but remember this is just to get your heart pumping!).

2. After five minutes, go to the weight machines. Work out your arm and leg muscles on the equipment your gym has available. Do 3 sets of 25 reps on each machine.

3. Go to the elliptical trainers, pick a setting you’re comfortable with, and start working out in earnest! Your heart rate should be within your ideal cardio zone by now, and you should continue this for 30-35 minutes at a minimum.

4. Go back to the weights and try some ab exercises next - 3 sets of 25 each.

5. Cool off with another five minutes on the treadmill or the elliptical trainers.

About the Author

Valery Forti is a certified Fitness Trainer through the European Council of Health and a blogger for the site Elliptical Trainers with more than 5 years of experience. She trains her blog users in having an healthy life at home. She is originally from Rome, Italy an misses the nice, warm weather there.

I recently had some knee issues, mainly my left knee which seemed to flare up after about four weeks of doing squats three times a week. This was on the back of running three to four times a week and walking at least two miles a day - just to give some background on the amount of exercise my joints were being put through!

Luckily the pain in my knee came in the last week of my training cycle, so I only had to miss one squat session, before having a well deserved week off. It was after I had felt this pain in my knee and having looked at my workout schedule and realised just how much exercise I was doing that I decided I had to do some research into joint supplements to find a good complex that would help to preserve my joints and protect me from the amount of exercise I was doing.

In the old days it used to be a case that if you were having aching joints, you would take some cod-liver oil and that would be the end of it. Nowadays things have moved on and become much more complex, and the new buzz word in joint supplementation is glucosamine sulphate. As well as glucosamine, there are a few other ingredients that have been shown to be beneficial in keeping your joints healthy, such as MSM and chondroitin.

It was through the research I do into products for my other website, Discount Supplements Guide that I discovered there were a multitude of good, blended joint supplements being manufactured by various well-known and not-so-well know supplement manufacturers.

The product that caught my eye was Primaforce Elastamine, mainly because it contained all the key ingredients I was looking for - glucosamine sulphate, MSM, chondroitin - and it seemed reasonably priced. Some blended joint complexes are on sale for upwards of £20 for a months supply, which in my mind is just too expensive, especially when combined with your other monthly purchases, like protein, creatine and any others.

I’ve been using the product for about a week and a half and so far have noticed that my joints are feeling much better. Some of this is simply that I did have a week off following the end of my training cycle, but have been back in the gym this week, training hard and running hard, and thus far not noticed any problems with my knees. I hope this is largely down to the benefits of the Primaforce Elastamine I’ve been taking!

Over on my price comparison website for sports & health supplements we’ve written up a review of a sample supplement we received - PhD Nutrition Diet Whey - a really great tasting protein shake that has convinced me to stop buying the cheap whey protein that I currently buy and start trying some of these more expensive brands.

What I liked about the shake was that it actually tasted really drinkable, and more like a regular milkshake rather than the rubbish watered down shakes I’ve been taking for the past 9 months or so!

To read the full review, please see the entry on the Discount Supplements Guide blog.

Whether you are in your teens or getting on past retirement, it is always important to keep a check on your joints and prevent excessive wear whenever possible.

Joint care is often overlooked, but is an essential way to keep fit and healthy during your later years and to prevent the onset of arthritis and mobility problems from occurring. Outlined below are four essential joint care tips to keep you limber for years to come.

1. Always stretch after exercise - The strain your muscles exert on your joints can decrease the natural level of ‘play’ in your joints. This lack of multi-directional joint looseness can be attributed to not properly loosening your joints and muscles before and after physical exercise. So be sure to warm up and warm down before any strenuous activity.

2. Use the correct exercise equipment - Incorrectly balanced gym equipment or ill fitting shoes can cause your joints unnecessary wear and tear. Always ensure you have the right equipment for the activity in hand.

3. Ensure you fulfil your recommended daily requirements - Ensuring a balanced lifestyle also translates to eating well. Attempt to eat plenty of whole wheat, grains and get a good dose of fish oil to help with the movement in your joints. Failing that, consider a supplement like Glucosamine, which could help slow down the natural wear on your joints.

4. Get plenty of rest - The body needs a good amount of sleep and rest to ensure adequate repair and re-growth of damaged tissues. Many injured ligaments and muscles can be made worse by over use after the initial damage has been done. Make sure you give your joints a well earned rest after any strenuous exercise.

By following some of these tips, you will hopefully prolong the life of your joints. With only a little consideration, you can improve your overall health by a considerable amount.

This was a guest post by NaturesBest.co.uk

I went for a “gentle jog” yesterday with the intention of doing a three or four mile run, enjoying the lazy afternoon sun after ushering in the beginning of the football season watching Chelsea narrowly beat Man United in the Community Sheild – a game which is really nothing more than a pre-season friendly, but always seems to crop up at the end of the season as “trophy” for whoever won it!

So having watched United beaten - it seems that the last time I watched them that happened as well – I decided that I would go and do a gentle jog round my local reservoir for a couple of laps, enjoy the sunshine and get in some exercise having spent most of the day either doing chores (cut grass, cleaning out guinea pigs, wash clothes) or sat on my bum shouting at the television (clearly Ballack fouled Evra, why didn’t the referee stop the game?).

After having run for one lap – which is about 2.3 miles – I decided that I was still feeling energetic and could quite easily do another lap. After all, the sun was out, there were plenty of people out walking their dogs, even some silly people swimming in the reservoir, and various sailors and wind-surfers all enjoying the sun and above average breeze.

I started the second lap, checking my watch to see how long it had taken me to run the first lap – just over twenty minutes, putting my time at a smidgen under a ten-minute mile pace. Fairly gentle pace, but as I’m building up for the Bath Half Marathon in March next year, I’ve got best part of six months to build up speed.

My main aim at the moment is to simply get some stamina back, as I’ve spent most of this year doing weight training, some short runs (2,3,4 miles) and a fairly hefty amount of sprint intervals or high intensity interval training on the treadmill. I feel I need to get used to running for long distances and used to running for long periods of time, as most of my running this year has been twenty five minutes or less sometimes!

After completing two laps, my time was on just over 45 minutes, which meant I wasn’t noticeably slowing down. With that in mind, and the fact I was still feeling energetic, I decided to complete a third lap. It was during this third lap that I started to feel the effects of the previous two laps, and the low carbohydrate diet that I consume – I was starting to flag a little – but I managed to complete the lap without any problems and the speed didn’t drop either. I completed all three laps in just under 70 minutes!

In fairness I felt much fresher than I would have expected, having run seven miles by the end of the three laps, but I can see that if I am to achieve a sub two hour time in the half marathon I am going to have to improve my stamina to the point where I can run 13 miles comfortably. After I’ve got to this stage, I will have to work on improving my speed.

To achieve my stamina, I plan to do a long run every Sunday, increasing the length by 1 mile every fortnight, until I have run two half marathons on consecutive Sundays. Once I’ve achieved this, I plan to work on my speed.

To improve my speed, I’ll be doing speed intervals on the treadmill, such that my recovery speed is the average speed that I wish to run at for the duration of the half marathon to achieve my desired time – approx 1h50. This will be about 8.5 min miles which is 7 mph or 11.75 kmh.

In addition to this I will start in January running my long runs at the 8.5 min mile pace so that I get used to running at that speed. Roll on six months of hard training to get a good time at next years Bath Half!

I was recently sent a message from another fitness website asking me if I would review one of their posts in their website, entitled “Toned Arms in Record Time”.

Naturally I was curious to see what their article was about, so I followed the link I was sent and read through the three different workouts they suggest for toning up ones arms.

My first reaction was that the lady in the photoshoot was very toned and athletic looking, a nice bit of eye-candy one could say. My second reaction was that the exercises they were touting as being great for toning ones arms in record time were actually not exercises that work the arms directly, moreover they are compound movements that work the shoulders primarily. The exercises they promote are:

• standing shoulder press
• standing cable row
• standing cable flye (leaning lateral raise as they refer to it)

The standing shoulder press primarily works the shoulders, although it does work the triceps, they are not the primary muscle being worked.

The standing cable row, with your arms high as they show, will primarily work the back muscles at the top of ones neck (traps and rhomboids), rear deltoids and will also work the biceps, but not primarily.

Performing a standing cable flye, one handed whilst leaning off the machine will work the shoulders primarily, if you pull the cable to your side it will primarily work the lateral delts, if the cable is pulled to your front it will primarily work the anterior delts. There will be some work done by the forearms in steadying the handle, and a small amount of work done by the biceps/triceps in keeping your arm straight, but I would not refer to it as a good exercise to develop (tone) the arms.

If I were looking to tone up my arms or someone esle’s arms for that matter, I would recommend that they perform compound exercises for the whole body, which will utilise the biceps/triceps. Exercises such as bench press, shoulder press, seated cable rowing, wide grip pulldowns and chin ups. If they were still wanting to do some “extra” work on their arms, I would recommend dumbbell curls for biceps and cable pushdowns for triceps.

If the aim is to build muscle then you will need to work in the 6-12 rep range, working out 1 -2 times week. If the aim is simply to tone and firm up the arms, work in the 20 - 30 rep range and exercise 3 - 4 times a week, combined with some steady state and interval training cardio work.

All of this is completely useless unless you are getting the right nutrition, something most people are too ignorant to understand or too arrogant to accept that they need to change their diet. For a lean, toned look you need to eat a diet that promotes testosterone in the body, as well as not blunting the raised testosterone levels that you will achieve from working out.

To achieve this, eat a high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate diet, ensuring that any carbs that are consumed are low GI - read the back of the packets and if the nutrition information states the levels of sugar in the carbohydrates is more than 10% of the carbs avoid it like the plague. If you have the money, buy whey protein powder as it is high in protein and low in carbs (and fat usually), but allows you to keep a high protein diet without any simple carbs and the unwanted blood sugar spike that they produce.

I find it’s just easier to avoid carbs altogether, preferring to eat fats for energy instead, this is because all fats are low GI, thus affording me a steady release of energy, which has the added benefit of never feeling tired like I used to when I ate a high carb diet.