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Are bodybuilding supplements needed?
Bodybuilding Ysf

Are bodybuilding supplements needed?

11:46 AM No Comments
The question on many bodybuilders lips are: do I use supplements or not, and are they worth investing in.

Let’s break this down and have a look shall we.
There are numerous reasons why athletes as well as bodybuilders look into/take supplements, they are:-

• Concerned that their food supply does not contain the right amount of nutrition
• Not trusting pharmaceuticals
• Understanding that diet alone will not achieve optimal levels of nutrition.

Supplements will include

• Vitamins and minerals
• Amino Acids
• Herbs

The worrying thing about supplements is that anything that is classified as a dietary supplement is not required to meet FDA standards, let alone any other standards. It worries me to think we take them and they are not regulated or any safeguards are put in place to make sure that the purity of something that is sold to help benefit us isn’t 100% regulated by anyone, so anything can be added without our best interest at heart..


It turns out that they are not made to meet the same or similar safety requirements as prescription medication or any other manufacturing standards, seems that they are not required.
There are no requirements to meet product potency or purity ratings so they do not need to show what they claim on the side of the tin, and that they have any real effect on your health and what they claim to do.

Some groups have tested and are suggesting that a number of supplements can and may deliver on only advertising claims, so these claims are making young bodybuilders starting out to go spend their hard earned cash on things that may not help them on a big scale, but only on a short scale.

My personal option is that supplements are overrated, I found in my own training, that when losing weight food supplements helped, but other supplements weren’t working the way I wanted them to, but I have heard testimonials from other who have used certain products that they have helped then gain a certain level, but like most, it’s all up to you and your training and how far you push yourself.

It’s only recently that more and more bodybuilders become users of supplements and steroids because of the volume strength training, this started to challenge the trainers to the best of their potential and they wanted to go past their point of known return also known as “the wall” they had hit. The younger bodybuilder’s spent up to 7 days a week in the gym (this is normal for most hard core bodybuilders) but when you’re in a gym with al big blokes and girls, it does make you want what they got and give you the hunger, so they went out and found things to help them push even further, and some worked hard with little to show for all their hard work.

This to me is a waste of time and your energy, if you start off using infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions, followed by the required cool down and recovery period, you will see a difference in next to no time and with no help from supplements or steroids.

But this is my opinion, so when looking at supplements please look more closely, ask other bodybuilders for their advice and so as much research as possible, nothing worse than spending the cash and getting no results.
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Gaining Muscles without fat, can it be done?
Bodybuilding Ysf

Gaining Muscles without fat, can it be done?

11:40 AM No Comments


In my years of training, I have heard allot of people asking this question, or similar so I have decided to try and answer this one. The concerns are gaining while on a high calorie diet and if they should do aerobics to offset the weight gain. NO… this isn’t the way forward.

Why I hear you shout at your screens, well this will detrimental (good word I think) to gaining muscle.  For the desired results you want you have two options, train and diet to gain muscle or lose weight, you can not to both. If you are a true what we call a hardgainer (A Hardgainer is a genetically-typical person (if there is such a thing). Now you want to gain weight, we can cross the weight loss bridge when we come to it.

Gaining Muscles

We do not have a magic pills, powders, food or exercise that will allow you to gain muscle and lose the weight at the same time, it’s impossible and I would strongly advise you not to even try it as you will be disappointed and you’ll be wasting valuable training time.


Your genetics and metabolism will determine how things go for you.  There are some people who can do it, and then there are people who cannot put weight on no matter how hard they try. I believe it will be a waste of your time and energy to try and gain muscle while trying to keep the body weight low.

Allot of skinny guys want to be able to gain more muscle or tone up, but they seem to be afraid of gaining body fat, they look at all the pictures and articles on line and in magazines about people being able to gain the pounds, but what you all need to remember is that each bodybuilders body is totally different to yours. The bodybuilders who loss the fat while building muscle, you have to remember are big guys who have allot to lose while building, where you might have no body fat on you what so ever. Just remember that while making your mind up to train, and what you want to gain from it.

Weight training helps people to tone up and slightly increase their muscle mass by turning fat into muscle, but please and I mean please remember that you will never increase your body mass far above your own starting weight on that particular or type of diet.

You gain muscle, you will lose a lil weight, it’s like the ying and yang of the bodybuilding world.

If you want to gain weight you need to design your diet accordingly. Allot of us have extremely fast metabolism; gaining weight can be and has been proven to be difficult.

I have learnt that if you want to gain weight, you need to shock your body with heavy weights and eating lots of calories.

When weight training to shock your body, you need to pay more attention to the compound free weight exercises, and lift heavy weight as they will stimulate the largest amount of muscle fibres, your body will react by increasing its muscle mass.

The eating shock part of this way is to eat as much protein and fats as you can (not in one sitting of course) but as you do, you over load your body which in turn it will create more fat..

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Vitamin C for best muscle building supplement‏s
Bodybuilding Ysf

Vitamin C for best muscle building supplement‏s

11:33 AM No Comments
Maintaining a healthy life style required a balanced diet and good exercise, good nutrition is crucial for that goal. Creating your own healthy eating habit helps maintain yourself for many years it’s not just a short term goal this us a life goal.  In today’s society it is hard to do that as busy lifestyles and poor eating habits many of us have developed several vitamin deficiencies that can lead to poor health conditions, but wait not all is lost, there is a solution to correct this, there are different supplements that can help reverse and prevent these deficiencies.

One of the vitamins that is an essential is of course vitamin C, but not everyone knows it by “Ascorbic acid”. Vitamin C as every one knows helps reduce oxidative stress which is caused by rigorous training during bodybuilding sessions, work puts and routines, this becomes very apparent when you first start out and knowing this before u start training will help you recover better as you will prepare your body better before  you begin any training.
Vitamin C for best muscle building supplement‏

Us humans do not have the ability like so many animals to produce our own vitamin c so we have to supplement  them ourselves by taking vitamins and also having foods rich in vitamin c.  Not allot of people realise that vitamin c has many benefits for instance it helps us humans to absorb iron from food as well as protect our cells. As everyone is well aware vitamin c helps the body fight infections like colds, it is also known to help build collagen, which I didn’t know myself till I started bodybuilding collagen is in nearly everything, i.e muscles, veins, teeth, bones, capillaries and in your cartilage.

As you read this I’m thinking your understanding how important vitamin c is in our daily lives, let alone when your bodybuilding/ exercising. It helps maintains your full body, and keeps it in working order.  As a bodybuilder you will also realise vitamin c plays a very important part of a natural supplement to you and your training by maintaining your muscles, and to help keep your body strong and your bones healthy.

Vitamin c can be sourced from various fruits and vegetables, most commonly known is the grapefruit and oranges. Less known vegetables are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peppers, kiwi fruit and sweet potatoes are also a very good source of vitamin c, try to include these foods in your diet, there are so many recipes you can use to help incorporate them into your food routine, a lil change can go a long way.

It is also know that vitamin c can improve your exercise routine, having the right dosage can help to strengthen your immune system and will also help you recover quicker from your work out/ routine. A lil fact I never knew till I started training, vitamin c helps suppress a particular hormone called “cortisol”, which prevents muscle growth in your body while it encourages fat buildup. As vitamin c is a water-soluble it does not build up in your body so you can take a dosage that is safe for you and on a regular basis.

For best results it’s advised to take 1000 mg an he before you start your work out, this will also help reduce muscle soreness especially if you start to rip your muscles, it won’t take the full pain away just soreness. Vitamin c to me is a supper vitamin as no other vitamin has such benefits on your body. There are many versions of vitamin c but they are all efficient forms of vitamin c.
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Nitric Oxide and other muscle building supplements
Bodybuilding Ysf

Nitric Oxide and other muscle building supplements

11:28 AM No Comments
So the burning question on every bodybuilders lips is, is Nitric Oxide the best supplement to use when building up muscle.. That is one of those yes no answers.  We will pick through this question to get the right answer for u, as I want you to make an informed decision. It is your body after all.

To get to your answer we must start from the begining.
What is the best muscle building supplement, there are many bodybuilders who may tell you something else, but for now lets begin with Whey protein..as you might be starting off this is the best choice, then as ur training intensifies this may change for you. But for now this is the best, why I ask you cry, well for me it’s because it’s 100% natural, and like me, I like to do things as nature intended me to do.It also can help without any side effects, it is also scientifically proven to be more healthier for you and your body. This is my recommendation, you can get whey protein shakes which I find easy to digest and u can get different flavours.
Nitric Oxide

I also think protein is also a good choice for no 1 as without protein your body can not build the muscle you desire.

My other no 1 spot is shared with….correct…Nitric Oxide. I found this supplement help maximise the results in a shorter space of time. I’ve seen bodybuilders use these two to gain, the results were amazing.

Nitric Acid has  an amino acid called l-arginine in it.. I know I was shocked when I first heard & read this. As it hits the body it turns into nitric oxide through your body’s complicated process..(I won’t go into detail now as I don’t want to throw you).

So how does it work I hear you shout, well what it does is expand the blood vessels, helps the proteins, nutrients and oxygen get through to the muscles, so start to tear your muscles (don’t stress only micro tears) while doing your set, this incredible supplement helps heal faster and helps make them stronger. This is great if your a hard core bodybuilder but also for the novice.

There are many supplements out of the market that claim to do this, but I have seen the results and I believe this is by far the best. I think when looking at supplements like this and for what you need, trial and error is the key, as your body will tell you if it world or not. For me and many of my bodybuilder friends they all agree this is best. Some will swear by it and won’t train without it.
Your choice, you decide.

Please always remember that all our articles are for advice purposes and should not be taken as medical information, for that you should seek professional advice from your general practioner or from a sports therapist. Please remember that I am doing this as a hobby and it is my own personal point of view.
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Best Chest Workout For Mass
Bodybuilding Ysf

Best Chest Workout For Mass

11:10 AM No Comments
The pectoralis major, or “pecs” for short, are the largest muscle group located in the upper body. Working the inner, upper, and lower pecs requires quite a few specific exercises, but the results speak for themselves. A well built and toned chest rounds out the appearance and physique.
In order to develop bodybuilder muscles, it is necessary to tear it down with heavy exercise. It is then rebuilt with a high-protein diet. Although diet is often overlooked by amateur bodybuilders, it is extremely important in muscle development. Generally speaking, a muscle builders diet should consist of at least 25% protein and 40% unrefined natural carbohydrates. This is balanced out by healthy fats and fibers.
As part of a routine, the chest should have a dedicated day of total focus per week. Although other muscles will be exercised during this workout, these are only incidental and take a second hand to the chest routine. Any good workout will involve barbells, dumbbells, and body resistance moves.
The following list of exercises make up the best chest workout for bodybuilding. This routine should begin with heavy weight exercises and move down the ladder from there. In other words, it should descend from the ones with the heaviest poundage to body resistance exercises.
Chest Workout For Mass
The best chest workout for those at an intermediate level is usually three sets of eight to ten repetitions. More advanced lifters can consider raising this to five sets of heavier weight with six to eight reps.
Bench Press with Barbell, Wide Grip
Bench Press with Barbell, Wide Grip

Lie on a flat bench and plant your feet squarely on the floor. The bar should be gripped at roughlydouble shoulder width. Begin by lowering the barbell to your lower neck/upper chest region, pause, and then return overhead. 

It is recommended to start with one set as a warm up, using only light weight. This loosens up the muscles and prevents unwanted injuries. The next sets should be performed with the maximum weight possible, for eight to ten repetitions.

Each movement should be slow and smooth, with a pause at full contraction. While lifting, never arch your back or lift with your buttocks off the bench. This can cause strain on your lower neck and eventually lead to injury. Also, bouncing the bar on your chest is never a good idea.

Front Barbell Raise, Incline

Using a lighter weight barbell and an incline bench, begin with your palms and arms facing straight down. Extend your arms upward behind your head in a smooth continuous motion.

Front Barbell Raise, Inclin

Dumbbell Flies, Flat Bench

While laying in the supine position, grab two moderately heavy weights. Hold the dumbbells straight up, and lower them in a smooth fashion. Your arms should bend slightly at the elbow, and should finish parallel with the floor. Avoid overextending your shoulder joints.
Dumbbell Flies, Flat Bench

Incline Press with Barbell, Wide Grip

This is a variation of the standard flat bench press. While laying on an incline bench, lower the weight from straight overhead to your lower neck/upper chest area. The right amount of weight should exhaust your muscles after eight to ten reps.

Decline Press with Barbell, Wide Grip

A variation of the previous exercise but on a decline bench. Arms should start perpendicular to the floor. The weight should be lowered slowly to your neck – eight to ten reps here.

Flat Bench Dumbbell Press

This exercise starts with dumbbells straight overhead. Like the standard bench press motion, lower them slowly to your chest. Make sure to keep your upper arm nearly parallel with your shoulder while keeping your elbows high. Get eight to ten reps with heavy weight.
Flat Bench Dumbbell Press

Flat Bench Dumbbell Pullover Press Lateral

Start with medium weight dumbbells in the supine position. This move begins with the weight at your chest. The dumbbells are then rotated past your head and towards the floor. Then, bring the weight back to your chest and press them over head. From here, keep your arms bent at a forty five degree angle and perform a lateral fly.
Flat Bench Dumbbell Pullover Press Lateral

Push Ups Hands Together

Hands and toes should be about a foot apart and your body remains straight. Push ups are most effective when performed slowly and for as many repetitions as possible.


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Chest Workout Routine
Bodybuilding Ysf

Chest Workout Routine

11:02 AM No Comments
The largest muscle group in the upper body are the chest muscles. Known as pectoralis major and minor (“pecs”), these muscles are thick and fan shaped. In order to target this muscle group, any good chest workout routine should focus on using heavy weights in exercises that target the inner, outer, upper, and lower pecs.
Since the pecs are considered “pushing” muscles, they tie in closely with your shoulders and arms. This means that working out your chest will naturally work your deltoids and triceps as well. The weights used in your chest workout routine directly affect the size, spread, and depth of your pecs.

Different Exercises Targeting the Pecs
Chest Workout Routine

Bench Press – this is often considered to be the “go to” chest exercise. There are many different ways to perform a bench press, using various grips, angles, benches, and weights. The only commonality is that each uses an Olympic bar with plate weights.
The most basic bench press uses a wide grip on the bar while laying flat. This effectively puts more exertion on the outer pecs. Lowering the bar to the chest or neck also determines whether the upper or middle pecs are worked.
It is easy to incorporate tricep and deltiod exercise into the bench press. By lowering the bar to the middle of the chest and keeping elbows at your side, triceps help in moving the weight. Alternatively, lowering the bar to your neck while keeping elbows wide and away from the body includes the frontal deltoids in the workout.
In addition to the flat bench, many people include incline and decline benches in their chest workout routine. The incline bench will target the upper pecs when lowered to the neck. The lower pecs are worked when this is performed on the decline bench.
Parallel Bar Dips – this exercise is extremely effecting for working the upper and inner pecs when hands are placed at shoulder width. Placing hands wider results in outer pec and deltiods being involved.
Dumbbell Exercises – free weights can be incorporated into a chest workout routine in a number of different ways. Most of these exercises simply imitate or approximate bench press exercises, but with dumbbells instead of an olympic bar. In addition, flies can be performed on a flat, incline, or decline bench. This works well for stretching and tearing of the muscle.
Cable and Pulley Machine – this machine is commonly used for chest finishing exercises. The two-handed crunch (similar to flies on a bench) starts with arms spread wide and bent at the elbow. The handles are then brought together in front of the chest.
Bent Arm Pullover – With weight on the floor, the lifter lays back on a flat bench (supine position). You then reach back and grab the barbell from over your head. While keeping arms bent, the weight is brought up the the chest in fluid motion. This exercise effectively stretches chest muscles as well as deltiods and triceps.
It is easy to compound this exercise. Once the weight has been pulled up to your chest, perform a bench press and then return the weight back to the floor.
Most trainers agree that a solid chest workout routine starts with heavier weight exercises (ie bench press), and then continues on through barbell and dumbbell exercises, ending with bodyweight exercises such as push-ups.
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Leg Muscle Building Exercises
Bodybuilding Ysf

Leg Muscle Building Exercises

11:00 AM No Comments
There are three key muscle groups that make up your legs. These are: the hamstrings (thigh “biceps” on the upper back of the leg), the quadriceps (frontal thigh muscles), and the calves on the back of the lower leg. It is important to work all of these muscles, even if you just want huge thighs.
In the average human being, legs make up two thirds of the total body weight. This is because they are solid muscle. Since the core has many organs, it is hollow and therefore has a lot of air space. Since they are such large muscles, the legs, and particularly the thighs, will require rigorous exercise in order to get any bigger. Luckily there are manyleg muscle building exercises that have been designed specifically for getting those big thighs you want.
Bill Pearl’s book, Keys to the Inner Universe, is accepted by many as the go-to bodybuilding encyclopedia. He has 50 pages dedicated to building and defining leg muscles. Over 150 exercises are explained and pictured. Naturally this is above and beyond what most people will do, so here I’ve compiled some of the essential leg muscle building exercises.
Leg Muscle Building Exercises

The Squat

Probably the most effective leg exercise is the squat. In turn, it is also the most avoided exercise because it requires a lot of exertion. Squats can be performed in a number of different ways. The most common are with barbells (preferred approach) or with a weight loaded Smith machine.
Barbell squats can be done with the weight at shoulder or chest level in front. For more of a calve workout, they may be done with the heels elevated about two inches. No matter how they are performed, you should NEVER “lock out” your legs in the straight position. This removes tension off the muscles and places it on your joints. Ouch.
To help you gauge the correct distance to go down, it is alright to place a flat bench under you and go until your butt makes contact. Other people go all the way until their posterior hits their heels. How far your feet are spread and how you point your knees will determine whether your inner, outer, or upper thighs are worked.
Building huge thighs requires variations of the same leg muscle building exercises. Here are different ideas for squats.


Barbell Squat: the standard squat. With an Olympic bar and plate weights, put the bar over your shoulder. Your feet should be shoulder width apart and flat on the floor. Slowly squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Use enough weight that you struggle to reach ten reps.
Barbell Squat Wide Stance: the same as above, but with a wide stance. Point your knees outward and feel the burn in the inner thighs.
Hack Squat: this one is tough. Elevate your heels off the floor and hold the bar behind your buttocks. Squat until the weights nearly hit the floor. Repeat slowly.

Leg Presses

Leg Press Machine: most gyms have at least one of these. While seated, your foot position determines the muscle area worked. A wide stance will hit the inner thighs, and a close stance will focus on the upper thighs.
Decline Leg Press Machine: pretty much the same as above, except for in a decline position. Again, foot placement will change the muscles worked. If you go deep enough, you will even feel the burn in your gluteus maximus (buttocks).

Other Leg Muscle Building Exercises

Leg Extension Machine: this machine will effectively work your inner, outer, and lower thigh down to your knees.
Thigh Curls: work those hamstrings with a leg curl machine. Alternatively, you can use a simple cable and pulley machine with ankle straps and perform curls this way.
Abductor and Adductor Machines: working the inner thigh and hip flexors, this exercise is important in toning and defining your thigh muscles. Again, if these machines are not available, a cable and pulley machine will work fine with ankle straps. This exercise involves standing straight and moving one leg up and to the side.
Dumbbell Lunges: this exercise is great because it can be done pretty much anywhere. It will strengthen both the quads and the hamstrings, and even work the gluteus. This exercise builds lower body flexibility and helps stabilize your hips.
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The Best Muscle Building Supplements – Should You Use Them?
Bodybuilding Ysf

The Best Muscle Building Supplements – Should You Use Them?

10:56 AM No Comments
Active members of the muscle building community have recognized for a long time that certain supplements will help build muscle fast. The best muscle building supplements will increase the size and density of your workout results. However, medical science says that certain supplements are not really good for you. In fact, they could potentially be harmful to your health.
Anyone who is up to date with sporting news or has read a paper recently is sure to have heard about performance enhancing drugs and the certain athletes that have been caught using them.
The original culprits were drugs like anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (HGH). However, there is always evidence of new drug labs making performance enhancing products that do not show up on drug tests.
The Best Muscle Building Supplements
It is no secret that the world of bodybuilding has been effected by certain drugs as well. The known use of doping has led to two different types of bodybuilding competitions: those that are open to any and all competitors, and drug free competitions that require each contestant to get tested.
But what about the average person like you and me? Is there something safe that can be done for the person who just wants to get into the best condition of his or her life? What can accelerate the process?
Through selective supplementation, there are many natural ways to assist your diet and workouts. They are all perfectly legal and do not require a prescription or doctors supervision.
The late great trainer of champions, Vince Gironda, personally avoided any steroids or HGH and encouraged his students to stay away from them as well. Although I bet some of them succumbed to the temptation of fast and easy muscles, the Iron Guru maintained that your could easily boost your testosterone levels and metabolism naturally.
Really, the best muscle building supplements are the simplest and natural ones. I am talking about protein. Accelerating muscle growth involves taking enough protein to rebuild the damaged muscle tissues from those extreme workouts.
Although the best source of natural protein is in the food you eat, sometimes this is not enough. In this case, protein supplements would be recommended. When looking for these products, always go natural. This means avoid filler materials and additives.
Creatine Monohydrate is a buzz word in the muscle building community. Its a hormone that is produced naturally in the body. What it does is aid in the assimilation of protein during the rebuilding of muscle tissue. It can also add explosive power to your workouts. As there are no known negative side effects, many bodybuilders claim that creatine is one of the best muscle building supplements around.
L-Glutamine is another one of these naturally occurring supplements. After strenuous assertion, L-G will assist the body in recovery. It is known to ease post workout soreness and get you back in the gym sooner.
Amino Acids, the building blocks of protein, are responsible for muscle tissue growth. Some examples are Choline, Leucine, Inositol, Isoleucine, and Valine. All of these may safely be taken as workout supplements.
In certain medical circles, the use of HGH is advocated. This is done to stave off the effects of aging. The body deterioration the comes with older age is due to a diminishing amount of HGH produced in our body. This usually begins after the age of 30.
In certain situations under doctor supervision, the supplementation of human growth hormone has shown quite remarkable results in the growth of muscle tissue. In these scenarios it also has helped with fat reduction and the reversing of aging signs.
As the story goes, “You may not live and longer, but you’ll look great at your viewing!”
Recently discovered as being heart healthy, Nitric Oxide is an interesting addition to this list of the best muscle building supplements. Louise Ignarro, the Nobel Prize winning medical doctor and author, has done extensive research on the benefits of NO. This gas is formed by the breakdown of arginine, an amino acid.
According to Dr. Ignarro, the supplementation of NO will benefit your cardiovascular health. This means for bodybuilders an better blood circulation and increased energy.
In summary, there are many natural supplements out there that can help boost your metabolism and build up muscle tissue while losing fat. The best muscle building supplements can make a great difference in the results of your workouts. However, excessive supplementation is usually counterproductive.
Anabolic steroids are definitely illegal in many forms, and are considered a health hazard. It is a good idea to consult a doctor before beginning any type of supplementation program.
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