Comments on: Building Muscle 101: Master the Basics

By: Mike OD

Mike OD — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:53:47 +0000

Creatine is probably the only thing on the market shown to help with a slight increase in strength (and yes you get a few pounds heavier with more water retention too). Good news it is cheap, just don’t believe the hype of those high creatine supplements saying they are better….they are not. Don’t expect miracles from it, but it can give you a little boost.

By: Ron

Ron — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:51:54 +0000

what do you think about taking creatine, does it also help the whole muscle building process or is it totally unnecessary?

By: tasha

tasha — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:48:25 +0000

Maybe this is not the correct location to post since my goal is weight (fat) loss, but what you have posted for training, i.e 5×5 compound movements, is what I’ve been using for training since, late May/early June. I gave up sugar in June and grains in August. My real motivation for giving up sugar (in addition to wanting to lose bf ) originated as a suggestion from an acupuncturist to remedy insane mood swings and painful periods, i.e. pms. Well, the results were pretty amazing; though a bit crabby around that time of the month, the physical manifestations of any sort of cramps disappeared. This motivated the removal of grains the following month, though contrary to what the acupuncturist recommended since she recommended a vegetarian diet. I have lost bf, but I feel like it has definitely slowed down since the initial change in my diet. In fact, I feel that my bf loss has stopped. My body type is a bit odd in that I have defined musculature ( I know I’m mesomorphic, but I suppose we all are), despite bf, (always have) but I maintain belly fat. For a female, I gain muscle very easy and am pretty strong: my legs and arms have definition, I don’t gain much weight in my hips, but I do in the glutes, breasts and abdominals. though my obliques are defined. It’s a bit frustrating since I’m trying to get some sort of balance. At present, I am 5’5 inches and 200 lbs. I’ve lost 15 lbs. since eliminating sugar/grains. However, I began drinking kefir in earnest this past month, after not drinking milk for years (though I eat plain greek yogurt once in a while), for the probiotics. I prepare it at home with raw milk ( a blend of skim and whole). So my real question(s) are (and they may seem weird): could my daily intake of kefir (a blend of skim and whole raw milk) hamper loss of belly fat and do I really need to do any cardio? I hate cardio if it has to do with any equipment in the gym…I ride my bike for errands and swim once in a while, but I love to lift. And I’m looking into bjj…thanks in advance for any input you may provide…and yes, I eat primal/paleo with the hiccups of kefir,sometimes yogurt, and occasional cooking with a some real butter and/or ghee.

By: tanya

tanya — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:01:49 +0000

that’s funny, i was just about to ask the same thingg…

By: skustes

skustes — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:58:14 +0000

Jenny, we’ve heard of it. It was part of one of our humor posts: http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2009/08/13/swine-fluand-fun-stuff/ =D No need for silly gimmicks. If you are looking for workouts that you can do at home, check out our bodyweight circuits.

Cheers
Scott

By: jenny

jenny — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:35:56 +0000

have any of you guys heard about the Shakeweight? i saw an infomercial about it and i was wondering if anyone has one or has seen anything about it?

By: Mike OD

Mike OD — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:41:44 +0000

Dan – You’ll probably need a little more than just 3x10s for the legs to give them the stimulus to grow. You can mix up some strength and then add in some volume after…like doing 3 sets of 6-8 reps of squat, and then doing 3x10s of lunges. I wouldn’t work out any more than 3x a week for the muscles. Just watch what you eat, get enough protein in and keep calories low on off days, then add in some pwo carbs (but not too much that you just pack on more fat).

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:18:01 +0000

You have inspired me to do legs today! ha…I can honestly say I have chicken legs, but if it’s going to help growth and add muscle I am going to have to start doing it at least once a week for now. Just to get things straight, should I only be doing 3 sets of 10 for squats to start? I’ve been doing so much reading, I think I’m confusing myself. I’m thinking putting together a schedule of something like this for today for example…
– 3×10 Squats, 3×10 Bench, 3×10 Pull ups (def not getting 10 pull ups 3x in a row, but I’ll try)
Am I thinking right or is this totally wrong?
I know I’m eating right & enough and I know I take in plenty of protein so I’m not worried about all of that. I’m more interested in cleaning up my workouts and doing things right. I currently hit the gym and do 2 body parts a day so I’ll end up going 3-4x a week. (Back & Bi’s)(Chest & Tri’s)(Shoulders & Legs) and then do some cardio one day.
Any advice is appreciated! Just a little info about me…I’m 30 yr old, 6’0, 200lbs even..looking to stay in this range, but lose body fat.
Thank you!

By: Rick Stewart

Rick Stewart — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:31:37 +0000

I’m trying no pwo meal right now to see how that goes, but after a couple of weeks of that I may try 10-12g of aminos before I lift and see how that feels.

Thanks guys.

By: skustes

skustes — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:15:46 +0000

Awesome…gonna check it out. With my heavier training load for the track season, I’d like to see if this can help me recover a touch quicker.