muscle

Creatine supplements are like the Kardashians. They aren’t going away any time soon. But unlike the Kardashians, creatine works. As one of the most clinically studied supplements on the market, its effectiveness is unmatched. With more discoveries about this wonder supplement surfacing, it’s...

We all go through periods when pumps elude us. Frankly, these periods really suck. And worse, they seem beyond explanation. It's a bloody shame, considering how motivating enlarged, vascular muscles can be. As Arnold once said, a huge pump in a body part is almost as good as having sex… and you...

What Is Beta-Alanine Before we get into what beta-alanine is, we need to first understand how beta-alanine works. Unlike any of the 20 amino acids, beta-alanine is a bit of an outlier. Beta-alanine is classified as a beta-amino acid, due to its unique molecular structure. Conventionally, amino...

Old School Belief For a long time there was this idea that 30 grams was the perfect amount to consume after a workout because anything over that was wasted. But a few years ago some nerd in a lab coat told us 25 was the maximum effective amount (I can say this because I am a nerd with a lab...

HMB supplements have been very popular in the muscle building scene since the early 1990's. Some bodybuilders have been taking HMB with excellent results. But despite it's popularity over recent years most lifters know little about how HMB works and it's role in the body. This HMB Expert Guide...

The purpose of this article is to list the top 11 supplements, provide a description on what they are and why they’re beneficial during a mass-gaining phase. 1. Creatine Monohydrate Creatine monohydrate is a chemical naturally produced in the body, found in food, and produced in a laboratory...

You've probably seen new gym-goers, gym bros, and advanced lifters adding powdered BCAAs into their shakers before, during, and after workouts. You've also probably seen amino acid jargon printed on the label of your go-to protein powder. Everyone has heard of them, but few people truly know the...

Separating truth from myth can often be difficult in the muscle building and fitness realm. Everyone has an opinion, and often these opinions are based on rumors, misinformation, or a 10 second blurb overhead on the nightly news or radio. Many supplement myths remain prevalent, despite the fact...

There are hundreds of sites out there that sell you creatine supplements but none of them give you the facts about creatine and whether it's what you need for your goals. This page has everything you wanted to know about creatine supplements. If you are considering creatine supplements you...

To maximize your efforts in the gym you need to eat properly. Many trainees make the huge mistake of going gonzo with the weights, but eating like a ten year old girl. This won't cut it. To get big, you have to eat big, and eat smart. Another cornerstone of the muscle building puzzle is proper...

1. What is Whey Protein? Whey protein is the term used to describe a group of milk proteins that are isolated from whey, which is the leftover product of milk after it is coagulated during the cheese-making process. Most people think that whey protein is just the typical amino acids we know...

1. Understanding Protein Basics 1a. What is Protein and Why is it Important? Protein is one of three macronutrients used by the body for energy. These macronutrients include protein, carbs and fats. Scientifically, protein is a series of amino acids linked together like a chain. The links that...

While you’re driving home from the gym, muscle growth and repair is happening at the cellular level. Cellular synthesis and tissue repair depend on a variety of vitamins and minerals. While these vitamins can typically be found in a balanced diet, frequent lifters may find that certain...

German born comedian and actor Flula Borg stars as Javelin in the latest installment of The Suicide Squad. In the movie, Borg portrays a former athlete who competed as an Olympic javelin thrower before turning to crime. It’s a character that first appeared in the Green Lantern comic books back...

Josh Webb has been a personal trainer since the age of 18 and by using the discipline that he first learned on the football field in his youth, he’s been able to fuel a full-time career in fitness. Now 30, and boasting more than 90,000 followers on Instagram, the Monroe, LA, native is passionate...

You lift weights almost every day, yet you can’t build muscle. What gives? Most likely you’ve hit the dreaded fitness plateau, a state in which your body has gotten used to your normal workout routine and you no longer see as big of a progression as when you first started. So how can you...

So you're slaving away in the gym, hour after hour and day after day. You've been hard at work for several months (or years) but now you're hitting that brick wall. You're trying to stay motivated, but it's tough. You just can't see any new way to make gains, you're working with 225 on the...

The next time you're in the gym, take a look around you and watch how many people are half-assing their sets. Ask yourself how much their muscles really contracted during the movement. Anyone can bust out a quick set of curls or presses and appear to have done 10 or 12 reps. But the muscles did...

One of the more heated debates in sports nutrition circles is whether you need to supplement with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to maximize muscle building, or if you get enough of them through whole foods and protein shakes. The most often discussed aminos are the three branched-chain...

1) Don’t cut calories too far under maintenance Obviously there needs to be caloric deficit in order to lose body fat, but too many people are dropping down way too low. What does this mean? It means you become a smaller version of what you were before, but you don’t recomposition yourself like...