~~ I deleted reply 86 by accident. I'm sorry. I meant to delete reply 88 and repost itbecause I needed to fix the links in this post and pressed delete on 86 ~
Sorry for the delayed reply guys. I did a tricep tear (lateral head) while training on the weekend and will be out of action for a few days. Ended up having some minor laser surgery to repair an elongated tendon and TENS treatment for an old injury of the shoulder. Have been nursing it since Sunday. Iâve got the week off work. Iâll address the questions asked to me in order they came in here.
Canadian Steve - Grubrunner, did you ever play league? At your size and strength you should have tried American football. I played some A and C grade for Mounties when I was young. Tried out for the Balmain Tigers S.G.Ball side and Parramatta Eels Presidents Cup in between, but never made the final cut. Just wasnât good enough. I could hit as good as any, but with my size and weight, always had trouble catching them. Never was agile enough. No good being able to hit when itâs thin air. Forget about gridiron mate. I looked through the NFL American webpage a little while back on some player profiles. Some of those horses make me look like a pony. Donât understand much about the game anyway. No offence.
Without being personal, what would you say is the extent of steroid use in powerlifting? These days I donât know as Iâm no longer involved in powerlifting. And I wonât assume and put down the sport that gave me much in my youth and early adult years. In my days though it was crazy. Supplements and prohormones were not existent in my day. They may have been overseas, but in Australia we had no access to them or even heard of them. Steroids however were a different story. They were huge. They werenât the issue then as they are now days. These days they are closely monitored and regulated by the state and federal governments. Not when I competed. We had everything from the original Russian Dianabol to veterinarian Steroids. It wasnât a matter of what you could get, because everything was available (and not the counterfeit crap these days) back then, but how much money you had to spend. We basically had readily available to us any and every thing you could think of. The fact that powerlifting was a non drug tested sport those days (Iâm lead to believe it still is), was an added bonus to go all out. And we certainly did. The sport actually encouraged competitors on all levels to break records at what ever cost to attract public attention. No BS. And anyone who has ever trained with some consistency and seriousness knows that the body can only produce limited hypertrophy "naturally." You have to go "artificial" to make ground. Infact I had my own MD who frequently supplied my needs who was also a registered doctor with the Powerlifting Australia Association. So there was no need to hit the "black market" for gear when a registered MD was your supplier. He also often did a complete physical on me to make sureany problems were notsurfacing. I never had any problems butI was a lucky one. Many around me took themin huge amounts and had medical problems from failed liver and kidney to severe moodswings (yes "roid rage" is real), but these were mainly youngsters who took them in huge quantities and abused them. They never competed. Just wanted to look "good." Anyway,I wonât mention the doctors name, but some here may remember him making the news many years back for supplying Anabolic Steroids through his surgery which was just on the outskirts of downtown Sydney.
Space Monkey - Grubrunner, did you ever meet Frank Boulgaris while you were competing? Canât say I have mate. What year are we talking about? I did here of a Tony Boulgaris though. He was a young lad about 20 at the time who wasfrom Ballina who was smashing records left and right there and making his way to Sydney and the national scene real quick, before being involved in a nightclub brawl. Apparently the guy was beaten up so bad that after spending 4 days in a comma, he lost much use on the left side of his body. It ended his career there and then. Was never the same after that. I heard it was a Rebels hit for outstanding money he owed to them for drugs he purchased. Iâll leave it at that. CouldFrank have been related Tony? The guys that I often competed against were Lewis Aravena, Tony Kandarakis, Justin Jameson, Abdul Mohammad and the mighty Godwin. Ever heard of them?
Evilgrowler - With Grubrunners extensive experience, I'm curious on his thoughts on protein powders and creatine. Protein Iâm a big believer in. Not so much protein powders. Creatine I believe in, if itâs for a specific purpose. Iâll explain. For anyone who participates in a sporting activity, specially strenuous or vigorous, protein is priceless. Iâll explain briefly. The bodyâs primary energy supply comes from glycogen (the storage form of carbohydrates). Once this is depleted, the body will resort to muscle glutamine. Glutamine is basically a non essential amino acid (the building blocks of protein). Glutamine is one of the Branch Chain Amino Acids, and also the most abundant amino acid in the body. Itâs non essential because the body can produce it and does not require it from external (food) sources. It is the most abundant because for a sporting athlete the body utilizes much more than it can produce. So once the glycogen system is depleted and the body turns to muscle glutamine as an energy, if it doesnât have ample of protein, muscle mass starts to decline known as atrophy. Not good. So for the bodybuilder or vigorous sporting participant, protein is a must. Protein is rated by its Biological Value. Basically it means how quicky it can be "pumped" into the working muscles. The higher the BV (more nitrogen is contained) the quicker itâs in and needs to be utilized (the muscles need to be hungry). Whey Protein Concentrate and Whey Protein Isolate have the highest BV. These are usually found in protein drinks. If protein isnât utilized almost immediately, itâs either a) stored by the body in the form of fat, b) flushed out of the body through human excrement or c) very small amounts are stored by the muscle cells for future usage. This is the problem with most protein powders. They have a very high BV. Taken immediately following a workout, they are great because your muscles need to be nourished. But sitting in front of the box and drinking a protein drink is next to worthless, as your muscles havenât done a thing to deserve it. Taking protein drinks when not necessary is not a good thing. Catabolic actually.
Excess protein
must be taken for a specific purpose. Protein in the form of solids is a far better idea. Fish, chicken, lean meats, eggs, dairy products (to name a few) are far better alternatives. Because they have a lower BV, they are "pumped" into the muscles far slower than WPI and WPC found in protein powders and drinks. Also be very careful as too much protein puts unnecessary stress on the kidneys. If you do elect to consume excess protein, make certain you drink plenty of fluids to ease the kidneys work load. Excess protein puts unnecessary load on the kidneys. You can find good information as to what creatine is everywhere on the net. But just below is my most favourite. Please read them as they are brief put precise. Iâll give my opinion at the end of these links.
<u>
Creatine Background</u> <h3>1.
What is creatine?</h3> <h3>2.
How does creatine work?</h3> <h3>3.
How can I get creatine naturally?</h3> <h3>4.
How does creatine get into muscle?</h3> <h3>5.
Do all muscles respond the same to creatine? </h3> <h3>6.
Does everyone respond to creatine?
<h1><u>Creatine Risks and Side Effects</u></h1> <h2>10.
Is creatine safe for women, children or the elderly? </h2> <h2>11.
Creatine risks and side effects? </h2> <h2>12.
Long term consequences of creatine use? </h2> <h2>13.
Does creatine cause cancer?</h2> <h2>14.
Can creatine help those with Muscular Dystrophy?</h2></h3>
<u></u> Now that you know a little about the basics of creatine, here is my opinion on creatine monohydrate, based on personal use only. I can not emphasize that enough. For the serious athlete, itâs worth its weight in gold as 100's of studies have shown its benefits. Not one reputable study or finding has linked it to any foul play. They tried a few times, but failed. And so they should. Simply put, creatine works! Itâs also why
every serious athlete in the world supplements with creatine and has done so at one time or another. Every! You have to cycle (example 6 weeks on 6 weeks off) with creatine rather than take it non stop. If you donât, your body will stop producing its own supply of creatine when you do stop, and you will eventually. There is a lot of good information online available about creatine. I generally try and purchase "name brand" supplements when I do. Even though they can be expensive at times, itâs worth the extra few bucks it in my opinion. I purchase my supplements from the bodybuilding store at Merrylands Mall or Fairfield Square. Good products at very fair prices. I tried the internet one time but got burnt badly. I passed on my credit card information through an unsecured website, and it got into the wrong hands. I had all kinds of dramas with MasterCard and vowed Iâd never order online again. It is much cheaper online though.
also remember that as you may have read in one of those links above, creatine is not for everyone. I know of many people who have tried creatine but it has done close to nothing for them. Like anything else, if a product does not work for you in progress and improvements, don't waste your hard earn dollars on it.
Grubrunner, I know you are reluctant to reply and I understand that, but I'm genuinely interested in your opinions on the supplements. On supplements in general, Iâm a big believer. However... Again, for the person who trains or plays sports at a professional or serious nature, or even someone just looking out improving there overall health and well being, supplementation is worth its weight in gold. For the average Joe who does very little activity and leads a sedentary life style, supplements are near worthless. Itâs only when the body endures stress through emotional, psychological and physical abuse that supplementation is truly productive. Simply put, those mentioned above put their bodies through much more abuse and torture than there counterparts. Regardless of how well one rests or eats, their nutritional intake is very rarely suffice for muscle growth and recovery. And they rarely get enough recuperation for proper recovery of the muscular and nervous systems. This is where in my opinion and current and prior training experience, supplements come in handy. Real handy. For those who train in a professional environment or even to keep in shape, supplementing with the proper products will be beneficial. The more strenuous the workouts, the less likely one is to get suffice nutrition through foods, and therefore the more beneficial supplements will be for growth, recovery and well being. Letâs face facts here. How many of us blue or white collar workers eat properly in between work, play, studies and home duties? We're not all professional athletes blessed in our sport who spend the days eating, resting and training properly. Supplementing with the right or specific supplementsdoes help. Find the supplement that suits or will aid in your every day living. Research. Depending on the sport you play and the activities you engage in, especially ifits vigorous or srenuous, my personal recommended supplements are: Creatine - Glutamine - CLA - HMB - Meal replacements - Protein Powders - Vitamins and Minerals - Antioxidants - Essential Fatty Acids - Vitamin C - Vitamin B Complex - Vitamin E - Glucosamine and Condroitin (an absolute must for just about all adults especially those who lift weights) - Thermogenics (not for everyone). You can use a search engine on the net to learn more about any of the above products. Iâd be happy to give my opinion on the individually if one wishes to ask.
And for those of you deciding whether to take up the sport, forget 3 sets of 10. That's a myth. It's more like 3 sets of as many reps as you can possible do + 15. There is no "golden rule" as far as how many repetitions and sets one should do, or what works for everyone. When people ask me for my opinion, this is exactly what I tell them: "Find what works for you. Try different combinations of repetitions and sets, and pick the one that not only feels comfortable to you based on your level of tolerance, but which ever produces the specific results that you want. Iâve always stuck to compound movements (basics) rather than fancy multi joint exercises,with low repetitions and sets (probably due to my powerlifting background) and heavy weight. In my opinion, the secret to muscle growth is to
fatigue the muscle in the shortest possible time. Why do "a" number of sets and "b" number of repetitions when you can do less and lift heavier and be out of there a lot quicker with the same if not better results? Donât be afraid to lift heavy, unless you are just starting out of course. The very best bodies in the world throughout history were built lifting heavy weights with low sets and low repetitions. The rule applies to both sexes in my honest opinion. Again, find what works for you, until it stops working, and then find an alternative. Train hard, eat properly (clean) and rest plenty. Your muscles DONâT grow in the gym, they grow while you rest OUTSIDE of the gym. You initiate the growth process inside the gym, but you accelerate and maintain the growth process by eating properly and resting sufficiently." Evilgrowler, Iâm not familiar with you sons medical condition, and I wish you and the family the best with the little champion.
I hope this answers some questions people had. There is plenty of good links online to many topics discussed in this post and thread.I'll be more than happy to answer more questions on this thread, but please remember that these are my personal opinions only.
Cheers
