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It’s Thanksgiving and you know what that means: food, family, friends and Sexy Pilgrims…

It’s Thanksgiving and you know what that means: food, family, friends and sexy pilgrims. Check out Muscle Milk’s foray into the world of branded entertainment with the world’s first Thanksgiving R&B slow jam at sexypilgrim.com.

The video stars Tenacious D member JR Reed and tells the story of the pilgrim who never made it into the history books. Enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

You’re Welcome.

Beware of What You might Be Currently Drinking!

Would you purposely take a “Corn Syrup Solids” capsule? How about a nice “Fructose” shake to kick start the lean mass gain and fat loss process? Unfortunately, this is what many bodybuilders unknowingly do. We drink our MRP and assume that it is for the best, but in reality, it could be doing more harm than good. With fat promoting maltodextrin and other cheap, filler carbohydrates, we are left with subpar results, a flabby waist and even worse, these cheap but tasty ingredients can also lead to bad health issues. What kind of “health” supplement is this?

Scivation has the Solution to this epidemic, Scivation Solution 5™–The World’s Most Advanced Meal Replacement™. This revolutionary formula is packed with high quality protein to help build lean mass, an abundance of HEALTHY fats to help you get lean and stay lean, Soluble fiber, a complete, full spectrum digestive enzyme blend, and an advance blend of Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables called the PolyOrphac Blend™ containing the equivalent of multiple servings of fruits and vegetables per shake! And to top this all off, Solution 5 has a thick, rich, amazing taste that will have you craving more!

Solution 5 contains NO FRUCTOSE, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, MALTODEXTRIN or SUGAR!

Solution 5 Protein Blend

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The Solution 5 Protein Blend contains the most advanced protein blend ever seen including ProCream - a unique whey protein/high-phospholipid complex, Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate and a PEA Protein complex.

This blend of protein provides you with the perfect ratio and mix of amino acids along with controlled rates of dispersion that provides your body with the protein it needs when it needs it.  

Getting the Most Out of Your Diet

Healthy Carbs and Fiber are a must for everyone for overall health and wellness as well as proper digestion of protein. You also need antioxidants from fruits and vegetables and digestive enzymes to ensure that you get the most out of your meals.

Fiber
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Put down the unhealthy shake and take a sip of the greatest tasting, most advanced meal replacement ever created. Solution 5 is here, and for the first time, a shake can be just as good as real food.

Bodybuilding.com has some special guests in town for a few days to do some informational training videos, articles and such.

Please welcome Obi Obadike and Kendall Wood to Justin TV for a live chat.

Obi and Kendall will be on Justin TV tomorrow, Friday, June 26, 2009.
Come join the chat and ask any questions you have from 12:30-2:00 p.m. MST.

For more information click here.

To join the chat click here.

Hey guys!!!

I’m 11 weeks out today, and feeling pretty good. I came back from the Arnold Classic a little discouraged because I’d gained weight over the weekend (I blame it on myself…not anyone else. I USED TO have 0 willpower when it came to protein bars, not anymore).

Keep in mind, I was working at the Scivation booth all weekend, and we were SUPER busy selling gym bags and Vasocharge. I will give you an approximate breakdown  of what I ate over the course of the weekend (Friday – Sunday). I kid you not. What you are about to read is EXACTLY what I ate every single day. It totaled roughly 2000 calories, which is about my maintenance level, but ~250 -500 more than I am supposed to eat according to my CHA diet.

Breakfast:

Entrée size Garden Salad at Bob Evans
2 scoops Scivation Whey protein
2 ounces mixed nuts

Lunch AND Dinner

About 5-6 protein bars (Or ~2lbs of samples from the hundreds of booths)

Midnight Snack

Entrée size Garden salad at wherever Team Scivation was eating (Red Lobster, Bob Evans, Max & Erma’s)

So there you have it. I am human. I cheat. But as a good friend once told me, “It’s not about falling, it’s about getting back up.” I got back up Monday morning, cleaned up my diet, and haven’t looked back since.

As I told you last week, there are a couple things I want to talk about in this week’s installment of my OBF transformation series. First of all, I took my “BEFORE” pictures last week. If you check out my OBF journal,  I want to let you know in advance that this is NOT what you will see 11 weeks from now. You have my word.

I’m a little embarrassed by what you will see there.  I have, what we like to call in the competition realm “Post-Contest Blues”; it’s the SLIGHT depression that competitors feel because they’re no longer in contest shape. Yes, I understand that for a woman, it’s not necessarily healthy or ideal to maintain contest shape all year round, but I don’t see why that gives me permission to have gained 15 pounds since my last contest. I will touch more on “Maintaining your condition” in a later installment.

CARDIO

The first point I’d like to touch on is my cardio. I started off at 14 weeks out with 30 minutes, 4 times a week (ie. On weight training days), and High Intensity Interval Training 2 times a week (ie. Tuesdays and Thursdays). For my Steady State cardio, I usually keep my heart rate between 130 – 150bpm, which corresponds to about 65% - 85% of my max heart rate. I use a heart rate monitor most of the time when I’m doing cardio so that I can track how hard I’m working. For SS, I like to use the elliptical, the treadmill or the Stepmill. ANYTHING but the bike. I find that if I spend too much time on the bike, my legs either don’t get cut and stay the same size, or lose a little muscle and end up looking flat. So I avoid that kind of cardio whenever I can. My HIIT protocol involves 15 intervals of 15 seconds work and 45 seconds rest. I then cool down for 5 – 10 minutes at the end. Sometimes, I incorporate something called “TABATA” training instead of my HIIT. That’s when you perform an exercise at MAXIMAL INTENSITY for 20 seconds, then take a 10 second break. Then go another 20 seconds on, and 10 seconds off. You repeat this 8 times for a maximum of 4 minutes total. It’s an amazing way to get a great workout in if you’re pressed for time, but still want to exercise and accelerate your metabolism. As my weight loss plateaus, or if I start to gain, my trainer will increase my cardio as he sees fit.

My Phoenix Moment

I first read about “Pheonix Moment/Theory” from someone named  Chris Sugart. I will quote part of the article here, as I think it’s important for everyone to read. And I know for a fact (and I certainly hoep) that it will resonate with some, if not ALL, of you. It begins, “The pattern of success is clear. Regardless of their primary physique goal — rapid fat loss or massive muscle gain — those who ultimately succeed always begin the same way: They get pissed off.

That’s the first stage of what I call Phoenix Theory. In mythology, the phoenix (or Bennu bird) ends its life-cycle by bursting into flame. From its own ashes, the fiery bird is reborn. I’ve discovered that those who make jaw-dropping physical changes usually follow the same basic path. Their achievement leaves a trail, and you can follow it… if you dare. You see, with all great successes comes a dark side. The Phoenix Theory of body transformation involves four key stages:

1) A traumatic event leading to a sudden realization and awakening
2) Anger and a firm decision to change
3) The physical transformation itself
4) Continued progress fueled by fear of regression”

So basically, the premise is that you need an awakening (be it a rude comment from a co-worker, an objective look at your own reflection, a blood work profile gone awry, etc.) in order to be rebord, and refreshed so that you can truly tackle and OWN the task in front of you. I had my Phoenix Moment at 12 weeks out, and never looked back.

Looking to the Future

My weigh in this week went, more or less, as planned. I lost 1lb. Which isn’t bad, but I set my sights high on losing roughly 1.5 – 2lbs per week. So I asked my trainer if we could bump the cardio up a little, and we did. I’m now on 35 minutes steady state cardio 4x/week, and 2 HIIT days (15 intervals) 2x/week. The good news though, is that my skinfolds and measurements are down; which means that I am losing fat. When doing skinfolds, mere milimetres could mean the difference in a couple %-age points of bodyfat lost. So I know my body is going in the right direction, albeit a little slower than I’d like. I don’t know what my bodyfat percentage is exactly, but at this point, I would hazard a guess that I’m in the early – mid teens (maybe somewhere between 13 – 15%). I can see my abs and my quad cuts are starting to come though. I’m guessing 13 – 15% because the legs are usually a tough and stubborn place for women to lose bodyfat, so I know I’m starting to get lower.

In the next installment of this OBF series, I will talk about how to stay motivated, why we shouldn’t use the term “Weight Loss”, and why social support (like the Forums on bodybuilding.com) could mean the difference between a first place finish and a last place finish. As always, feel free to check out my online journal for daily updates, nutrition, workouts, and information! Jaim91’s journal: Here

Here are some videos of my workouts this week:

80lb Upright rows

12 pushups with 45lbs on my back

Rear Delt pulls with 60lbs/hand

Stay tuned for Part 5!

Competition Countdown Part 3!

Hey everyone!

As I write this, I’m 13 weeks out from the OBF Spring Spectacular, and one day away from my trip to the Arnold Classic. I should mention that I have all my food for the weekend packed, as I don’t want to take any chances at this point in the competition with not having the time to go grocery shopping for my diet. What IS my diet, you ask?

This is a great segue to introduce what I’m doing in terms of a nutrition plan for my competition.

I’m a Certified bonafide member of the “Carb Haters Anonymous” Club. I know I may receive some backlash for what I’m about to post, but you have to remember that I’ve been dieting for a while now (on and off), and I know what works best for my mind and my body. Yes, I’m 21, and yes, I have a fast metabolism and train hard. So in theory, carbohydrates WOULD BE an okay source of fuel for my body. However, when I’m using them to diet or bulk, I just don’t feel as lean or as energetic.  And so, the majority of my calories come from fats and proteins, with my only carb meal of the day coming from oatmeal post workout. See, carbs add up fast. We know that consuming 400grams of Fruity Pebbles cereal can be done in a heartbeat. This leads to the famous CRASH that occurs when your blood sugar drops after these carbs have come and gone out of your system. This is usually what causes people to have to nap after lunch at their desk at work.

I am one of those people.  I have read enough studies, and done enough self-experimentation to know that for me, Scivation’s CHA (Carb Haters Anonymous) diet provides the finest fuel for my body and mind. I’m about to use a cliché here, but bare with me for a second…For me, comparing carbs to fat for energy is kind of like comparing automobile gasoline. If carbs are 87 octane, then fats are racing fuel! While a racing car can probably run on 87 octane, it will not be running optimally. But on racing fuel, BOOM, pure SPEED AND POWER. The same goes for your fat burning and muscle building and preserving engine. Give it carbohydrates and it will surely run, but then it will CRASH! Give it HEALTHY fats, and you have yourself a lean, mean, fat burning and muscle building MACHINE! I want to be that lean, mean fat burning machine.

I should add, however, that I still consume an abundance of veggies (mostly broccoli, green beans and brussel sprouts) to get my vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. These veggies also help with the acid/base balance in my body, which I consider crucial for optimal health. Not to mention, they really help with satiation!

A typical day’s diet for me:

1600 Calorie Plan

Meal 1       4 Egg Whites
3 Whole DHA eggs
                35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 2 5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
               18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
        ½ cup oatmeal OR 4 ounces sweet potatoe OR ½ cup brown rice
             35g protein, 15g fat, 30g carbs

Meal 3       5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 4       5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 5        5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 6       5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

***I add 3-6 servings of vegetables spread throughout as many meals as I want.

** Meal 2, where I add the carbs, is usually post workout; I  tend to work out in the morning. If I workout later in the day, then I just move the carbs around.

To prevent my metabolism from crashing, and to prevent a crash of leptin/increase in ghrelin, I incorporate a “reefed” meal once a week on Sunday nights. It consists of:

• 1. 1.5 cup steamed green beans or 12 oz asparagus = 15g carbohydrates
• 2. ½ cup oatmeal (measured dry then add water and microwave) = 30g carbohydrates
  2 tbsp raisins = 15g carbohydrates
• 12 almonds or 2 tsp Smart Balance Light butter spread - used in oatmeal = 10g fat
• 3. 8 oz yam or sweet potato = 60g carbohydrates
  2 tsp peanut butter or almond butter = 10g fat

So there you have my nutrition plan in a nutshell. Every Saturday, I sent my weight, measurement and pics to my trainer, who evaluates them, and determines what, if any, changes should be made to my training, nutrition or cardio protocols.

In the next part of the series, I’m going to talk about my cardio regimen and what motivates me inside and outside of the gym. Last night, I had something called my “Phoenix Moment”. In the next installment, I will introduce this concept to those of you who don’t know what it is, and how it could possibly change your life (OK, I may be exaggerating a little, but it will certainly be the kick in the butt you need to start being INWARDLY focused/driven, and get yourself aligned with your personal goals.)
Until then, please feel free to drop by my workout journal, and take a look at what I do, how I eat and what I train on a daily basis: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4701513

Jaime Filers Competition Countdown 4!

WBFF Director’s Rant - “Juiced up or Natural - A Moral Dilemma?”
By: Daryl Gazey

WBFF Director of Operations’

First and foremost, I owe a great deal of gratitude to all those who took the time away from their oatmeal and egg whites to read my last, somewhat lengthy rant about the political side of competition. My goal is to shoot from the hip here, knowing all to well that the people in front of me may catch a bullet or two but those who stand behind me (the WBFF) may revel in my/our viewpoints. Where do I gather my material from you ask? In the past couple of decades or so, concerns from ‘would-be’ competitors, seasoned competitors, spectators, promotors and die hard fans of our industry have always arose and left me scratching my head. Once the splinters were delicately extracted, I would do my due diligence to find the answers sought and then ‘delicately’ provide what I felt was an honest answer. Now I know that when I use the word ‘honesty’, a few feathers will ruffle and more than a few eyebrows will perch. What the heck does this have to do with honesty? Hang fire…I’m getting to it.

With the competitive fitness season finally upon us (dam you people who have year ’round sunshine!), questions and concerns are abounding. Valid questions that would apply to not only the WBFF but every organization’s policies and procedures. I’ve responded ad nauseum to the "How come it’s so expensive?" and the ever so popular "Is it drug tested?" inquiries. Hmmm…a couple of valid zingers huh? I’m sure more than a few contest promoters have wiped the sweat from their keyboards when responding to these requests.
So….why are we gouging you and how come the lady standing next to you weighs 230 and has shredded glutes and a 3 o’clock shadow? Let’s draw our proverbial gun and fire off the first shot.

If they can’t nail down the use/abuse/complement of performance enhancing substances in the Olympics (yes I’m referring to the ’s’ word), using stringent testing protocols and a hefty budget to do so, how the heck do you think "Bob’s High School Auditorium Natural Bodybuilding, Figure and Rib Fest" is going to fare? Oh yes, but they do offer a 10 minute polygraph, a urinalysis, a signed consent form and they take a chunk of money from my entry form to do so. Hello? Any 9th grader who has access to the internet can fly past ANY and ALL of these doping control methods using the right strategy and informed choices. Is a ‘natural’ show natural? One could only hope that the appeal of a natural show is ONLY a reflection of the moral ethics of it’s participants. That is the ONLY thing that will keep a natural show truly drug-free. But, in the spirit of competition, the smell of victory is all too strong for those athletes that want to ‘win at all costs. What’s next for those who ‘gear up’ to compete naturally? Perhaps claiming a disability to garnish a gold in the Special Olympics?

It’s inarguable that those who choose to compete with pharmaceutical assistance vs those who do not, poses a huge dilemma to any organization that presses for ‘fairness and honesty’ amongst its athletes. Does the WBFF drug test it’s participants? In short..no we do not. Absurd right? Do we condone or advocate the involvement of anabolic agents or fat loss products. Well again, that doesn’t matter if we do or we don’t. I know (and you probably do as well) that people will ingest, inject, inhale, implant and for the most part, do what they feel is necessary to ‘win at all costs’. With a team of lab coated, pharmacy gurus standing at stage right, Sylvia Brown the psychic in the audience and the FBI’s team of polygraphy examiners in their midsts, does any show even have a shred of chance in advocating their natural status.

Are we hippocrits? Some may think so but I like to see us as realists. It serves little purpose to run a drug tested show when all of us who are ‘in the know’ realize this to be an ineffective and moot tactic. So whether you opt for good ole’ fashioned creatine or some esoteric doctrine of sports medicine, chance are we’re not necessarily going to know. I’ll humble myself in stating that it’s safe to assume that most high caliber athletes are using ’something’ to better themselves and really it boils down to a matter of personal choice and that has nothing to do with whether a show is ‘drug free’ or not… Competition, as the name implies, is just that. Who is better than whom. Personally, I’d rather stand on stage knowing that the odds are fairly high that the guys standing next to me are anabolically-equipped rather than enter a so-called natural show where the chips are going to fall where they may.

In summation, it took 0.15 seconds for google to return 138,000 responses on ‘how to pass a steroid test’

I’ll let you be the judge the next time you’re paying for a drug testing fee.

Here is what everyone is buying from Bodybuilding.com.

The top ten sellers:

1. Optimum 100% Whey
2. BSN NO-Xplode
3. Universal Animal Pak
4. CytoSport Muscle Milk
5. BSN Syntha-6
6. Gaspari SuperPump250
7. Nutrex Lipo 6x
8. Bodybuilding.com Shaker Bottle
9. Optimum 100% Casein Protein
10. BSN Nitrix

BSN is doing something right holding 3 of the top 10 spots.

These are all great products, so if you are looking to get started on some supplements or want to try some new ones these are some good choices to look into.

Everything You Need To Achieve Your Goals!
By: BiologyBabe

Resolving to get into the best possible condition for your body should be an “anytime” of the year decision!

No matter your personal goal, whether it be to lose a lot of weight or just a little bit; to gain some quality mass or increase your strength; maybe you’re an endurance athlete looking for that extra push to get your numbers up, or this is the year you want to step onstage and show off all of your hard work; Bodybuilding.com has the precise products to fill your needs. And to help you out they have product reviews by real live customers and BodySpace members.

You can search anything you’re looking for by name right here: BodySpace Member Product Reviews. Even product suggestions based on your own purchases to cut down on your research time, and best of all, the lowest supplement prices on the web and price matching!

[ Read More ]

Hey New Guy: Bodybuilding Advice for the Beginner in all of Us
My Love Affair With DOMS

At first, my girl was worried.  She said I talked about her every time I came home from the gym; said I wasn’t careful with my verbose descriptions—hell, she admitted she was getting jealous.

I told her I was in love with DOMS.

She figured that new afternoons-and-weekends-trainer had a cute nickname, short for Dominique or Diana or something that started with D—you can imagine her relief when I told her it wasn’t another woman I’d fallen for.
It was DOMS—

–Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

If you’ve spent any kind of time in the weight room, you know what I’m talking about.  That burning, aching, cramping soreness in your muscles the next day, the kind that lets you know you really broke that muscle down.  

You kind of become addicted to her; suddenly, a Tuesday morning without that intense tingle in your biceps means you must have failed in your arm training the day before.  

Some scientists (far smarter than myself) attribute the onset of DOMS to micro-damage that occurs to muscle tissue following those make-your-mother-cry workouts.  It’s one of those ‘good pains;’ the pretty cousin to that wicked-burn lactic acid—you know, the one that comes your way in the middle of that last set of curls.

I leave the science stuff to the egg-heads—all I know is that DOMS loves me, and I love her right back.

She’s honest with me, DOMS is. (In ways I sometimes wish my girl would be after shopping for ‘a few things’ with my credit card.)

She lets me know when I’ve turned her on, and she’s not afraid to tell me when I need to step my game up.

I listen to her, and, in doing so, learn which areas of my workout I need to focus on in order to bring her howling back.

When she goes away, I chase her—only instead of buying pretty things to woo her, all I have to do is hit those seated rows again.

She knows how to give me just enough; after leg day, I’m not bed-ridden and miserable, but I’m not taking the stairs two-at-a-time, either.

If all my relationships were as mutually beneficial, I’d probably be a much happier man.  For now, though, I remain content with my girl—she’s got the out-of-the-gym stuff covered—besides, my thing on the side is always waiting for me after the squat rack.