Competitive bodybuilding not just about dumbbells anymore

Brett Ranton

A big hello to all our bodybuilding fans.

I thought I’d direct your attention to a fascinating article I just read on the Sun Rock University website. Credit has to go to them for this one. It does well at bringing to the general publics attention the effort that is required to be a professional bodybuilder.

Article

Terry Rodgers

The SRU Bodybuilding and Fitness Club will hold its annual Mr. and Ms. SRU Bodybuilding and Fitness Competition in Miller Auditorium on Saturday, March 30.

The annual event is open to all students to compete, but chances are that very few know what goes into the training for the event.

“It usually takes the average person 12 to 14 weeks of hardcore dieting and training,” Bodybuilding Club president Dan Tokarek said.

Fourteen weeks? How hard could it be?

“(It takes) a lot of hard work, dedication and confidence in yourself,” said Rachel Lhota, who was named Ms. SRU at the competition back in 2006.

In the weeks leading up to the competition, the student-bodybuilders’ schedules would make a normal person cry.

Part of that schedule includes waking up at around 5:45 a.m. every day, with no exceptions, to hit the gym and start a cardiovascular workout before spending the day worrying endlessly about the seven or so meals to be consumed during the day.

“I do about a half-hour of cardio and abs, come back (home) and eat my egg whites and protein then go to work,” Tokarek said.

Tokarek, the reigning Mr. SRU, knows exactly what it takes to have a great regimen. He has been bodybuilding competitively for the last four years.

He said that on a normal day, he’ll consume a chicken breast and brown rice for lunch, oatmeal and whey protein mix for an afternoon pre-workout meal and settle in for a meal of steak and brown rice when he gets home after his workout.

Think he’s done? Not a chance.

Two hours later, he eats and has a protein shake, and just before heading to bed, consumes more chicken and green veggies.

“Basically my whole life revolves around my eating schedule,” Tokarek said. “I’d rather miss a workout than a meal.”

The reason for this seemingly nonstop consumption of “clean” foods is to keep the performer’s metabolism up, which actually makes it easier to regulate the bodybuilder’s weight.

Competitive bodybuilders generally already love to work out, which makes the trip to the gym the easy part.

Along with the morning cardio workout, they’re in the gym two or three times a day.

The nutrition side of the training can be the nerve-wracking part, Brian Mortimer, the club’s adviser, said.

“If you truly want to get lean, your diet must be controlled,” Mortimer said. “Most of the guys and girls are already down here working hard. It really comes down to nutrition; They’re already beating themselves up in the gym.”

Although the diet is different for everyone, there is one aspect that’s constant across the board: the fact that eating is the one thing on each performer’s mind 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“If you want to take a day trip, or go shopping, or go out to eat with friends,” Lhota said, “you think, ‘What can I eat when I get to this restaurant? Or, ‘How many meals do I have to take with me?’”

Meals on-the-go are commonplace for the competitors.

Most cook their meals two to three days ahead of time to ensure they don’t disrupt their routine.

“If you take the time to prepare the food and have it readily available, the chances of you taking (unhealthy food) are a lot less,” Mortimer said.

One competitor said he takes meals anywhere and everywhere-the classroom included.

“I’m always taking food to class or no matter where I’m at,” said Jon Murchak, who finished as the runner-up in the heavyweight division at the 2007 competition.

Murchak said he pre-cooks most of his food days in advance just to get the work involved out of the way all at once.

Since the strict eating is such a huge aspect of his routine, he said there would be no way he’d have the time to cook every meal when it was time to eat.

“I come down (to the gym), get my workout in, and then it’s all about eating the rest of the day,” he said. “If you are not in 100 percent with the dieting and the training, you’ll really suffer from it.”

Operating on such a demanding schedule for three months out of the year requires a strong supporting cast, Lhota said.

“I’ve lost friends through this, which was hard,” she said.

But she also said that her training gave her the opportunity to find out who her true friends were.

Although most of the competitors admit to training on their own or with one partner, they all agree that outside the gym, everyone around them must be on the same page.

“You have to watch your peers. If you are around the wrong guys or girls and all they want to do is eat (unhealthy), it is difficult,” Mortimer said.

Every part of their life must be 100 percent committed when taking on this task.

“Some people don’t understand how we can work out that much and still carry on with our regular life,” Tokarek said. “It is like carrying two jobs. Two full-time jobs.”

Tokarek says that he also has to stay focused on the people around him-like his friends, family and girlfriend-to ensure he’s not forgetting what means the most to him in life.

“It’s really hard to have a social life at all because you’re always on the clock,” Murchak said.

But eating well and weight training are a small price to pay to fuel these athletes’ competitive sides.

“I love to workout and be healthy, and this was just another sport to get into,” Lhota said.

Tokarek concurred.

“I love competition,” Tokarek said, “I just love going against other people and trying to beat them.”

Although the competitors consider themselves “in-season” for the 12 weeks leading up to the competition, their training period is essentially the entire year.

And on March 30, the SRU Bodybuilding and Fitness Club won’t just showcase one of the most demanding sports at the Rock, but a different kind of lifestyle as well.

Keep up the good work. Keep motivated and don’t forget your goal

Til next time.

Acne Diets – Acne Natural Diets

Treatments for acne don’t have to come from a prescription or a cheap over the counter solution. They can begin right in your kitchen. You’ll find if you do a bit of research, the ingredients in some of these medications we pay a helluva lot for… aren’t really all that rare. Some are in fact things that can be found in common fruits and vegetables! Primarily acne is caused by the lack of essential vitamins, A, E and B5. For your convenience here is a list of foods containing these vitamins:

Vitamin A
• Sweet Potatoes
• Carrots
• Mangoes
• Dried Apricots
• Milk
• Eggs

Vitamin E
• Nuts
• Corn/Vegetable/Soybean Oil
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Kiwi

Vitamin B5
• Mushrooms
• Yogurt
• Corn
• Broccoli
• Strawberries
• Eggs

Eating some of these foods will go a long way to seeing your acne slowing to a halt. But you must also remember to not eat oily, fatty foods on top of that. To drink I’d recommend juices as the are a high source of Vitamins… carbonated drinks often contain too much sugar and are not recommended for acne loss.

Why don’t I get told by “experts” dieting is a good way to go?
What you have to realise is doctors are under a lot of pressure from pharmaceutical companies to prescribe you their products. Telling you to eat healthy does not equate to a sale… so they’d prefer prescribing you an expensive pill and hailing it as the saviour of all your problems. It’s not always… and in most cases a simple diet and a few homemade remedies is all you’ll need.

If you’ll allow me to divert your attention to an acne clearing master that would be great Chris Gibson has had his fair share of success helping people lose their acne and has appeared on Fox and CBS to share his information. Check out his website and see what advice he can offer you.

Effective Treatment of Acne Scars

Sarah Reynolds

Even though Acne scarring is extremely common, any sufferer will tell you it’s also extremely difficult to treat. While many people recover from acne with clear skin, many finally get rid of the acne itself only to be left with frustrating acne scarring. You can go through expensive surgical procedures to possibly remove your scarring, but the truth of the matter is there are various ways in which you can reduce your acne scarring without having to see a doctor.

The most important thing you must do is start treatment early before it becomes too widespread. Teenagers who have older siblings that suffer from or have suffered from acne must take action the instant they see acne on themselves because if the older sibling has had a bad case of it chances are the younger sibling will too. The first place many people turn is the over the counter solutions such as Clearasil or Stridex… but these often do not work as they primarily remove bacteria on the face and there are many other products that can do that.

Protecting yourself from the sun is important if you wish to prevent acne scarring. Even though a tanned or burnt face will make it appear as though you have no acne… when that tan or burn dies down your face will look worse than it originally did. So apply sunscreen and wear a protective hat whenever you go out into that glaring sun.

I know you’re gonna hate me for saying this, but please try not to pick at those scabs. Scabs appear to protect the natural healing process that is going on beneath them, so removing a scab will unfortunately make your scarring worse a few weeks later.

You’ll hear this often but that’s because it’s important, please don’t touch your face with your hands. You hands have oils on them that acne just loves! You should also keep you face clean. Cleaning it when you get up and when you go to bed with warm salty water will go a long way to preventing scarring. Also, icing your face before you go to bed should result in an improvement by morning.

If you’ll allow me to divert your attention to an acne clearing master that would be great Chris Gibson has had his fair share of success helping people lose their acne and has appeared on Fox and CBS to share his information. Check out his website and see what advice he can offer you.

Are you Asking Yourself: How Do I Get Rid Of Old Acne Scars?

Sarah Reynolds

Acne can cause a lot of pain and frustration to anyone that suffers from it. The large majority of us went through that stage in our teenage years when we just wanted them gone, but many grown adults unfortunately suffer from them too. These people can be insanely frustrated because in some cases these people have suffered from acne for ten or more years and gone through countless costly treatments in an effort to get rid of them.

I know, I know, by this point you’re probably yelling at me, answer the question in the Blog title, How do I get rid of Old Acne Scars? You’re here for quick tips that have proven successful for people in the past. One of the first thing’s I recommend people do is apply Tea Tree Oil to the entire face to prevent further scarring. Tea Tree Oil is a special multi-purpose herb found only in Australia and Australian Aboriginals had the luxury of using it for thousands of years. The last thing we want, is your scarring to disappear only to re-appear later and Tea Tree Oil will help prevent this.

Now to remove the scars that are already there. First, start eating healthy if you’re not already. Oily fatty foods with sugar do not help your acne situation and you should stop eating foods like this immediately. Also, drink a lot of water. Six to eight glasses a day if you can. Cut back on the cola’s and fizzy drinks because all the non-diet ones have sugar in them.

Vitamin B5! This is something you won’t read in many places but Vitamin B5 will go a long way to helping you get rid of your acne and acne scarring. Some people have claimed Vitamin B5 is a miracle cure for acne… but you must NOT have more than is recommended. You will put your health at risk. However, vitamin b5 deficiency’s can be linked to the appearance of acne, so take your recommended daily dosage to see if it helps you. If you don’t want to take the pills, some excellent sources of vitamin B5 in foods are: mushrooms, sunflower seeds, yogurt, corn, brocolli, eggs and strawberries! So hopefully there’s something in there you love!

If you’ll allow me to divert your attention to an acne clearing master that would be great Chris Gibson has had his fair share of success helping people lose their acne and has appeared on Fox and CBS to share his information. Check out his website and see what advice he can offer you.

Bodybuilding for Beginners – Bodybuilding Tips and Hints

Brett Ranton

Bodybuilding summed up the intense act of exercising to create large muscle bulk that’s not seen on many people. This is often done for competitive exhibition, where bodybuilders come together to be judged… but many people simply do it to challenge themselves, or because they like the look that can be provided by a bodybuilding routine. These people generally can’t do it alone, so this article will serve as a guide to get started on your bodybuilding path.

So the first thing you should do is establish for yourself why you are wanting to do this. Is it for competition, or do you just want to impress that new girl at work? Consider what you want to accomplish and what your ultimate goal is. By doing this, you remove any doubt in your mind about whether or not you think you’re doing the right thing, and you can fully commit yourself to the task at hand. You need a desire to achieve your goal, and you need some good inspiration, because as you can imagine, building muscle is not an easy task.

So now you can ask yourself if you believe it’s possible for you to achieve. You need confidence in anything you do in life to achieve your goal, and building muscle is no different. Stop and think about how you’re going to go about achieving your goal, picture yourself achieving your goal, and then form a strategy and daily plan to compliment your ultimate goal.

You’ve now mentally prepared yourself for the task at hand. The next step is to find a bodybuilding routine and nutrition plan that suits your body type, whether you’re Endomorphic, Mesomorphic or Ectomorphic.

Bodybuilding is not an easy hobby or career path. If you want to take it on you will need help along the way. What I’d recommend (and, many pros would agree) is this site. In my opinion this will set you well on your way.

Bodybuilding – How To Train To Be A Bodybuilder

Brett Ranton

Bodybuilding is an intense sport involving a lot of motivation and determination to succeed. Receiving the wrong advice, or taking the wrong path can lead to you falling behind your competition and ultimately failing in your goal. What you need to start off doing is mentally preparing yourself to be physically and mentally exhausted a large percent of the time. Achieving the body you see on TV all the time is not easy, and there is no quick fix that will see you reach your goal with ease.

What you will no doubt constantly hear, is the three main things a bodybuilder must focus on to achieve his goal. These are as follows:

Strength Training
It doesn’t take a genius to know this would be a very high priority. Strength Training would involve a tailored weights program specifically designed for your needs. There’s not much point following a program that’s designed for someone else because you may need to focus on an area that may not be someone else’s priority. This is where many people new to bodybuilding fail before they even begin.

Nutrition
This is considered the most important thing of bodybuilding by many who have the results to show off. A good bodybuilder diet typically consists of a small amount of the correct fats with a higher focus on carbs and proteins. This diet would typically be used to lose fat, and put on muscle in place of it.

Adequate Rest
Most people would assume the more work you put into it, the more you get out of it. But rest is equally as important as strength training and the correct nutrition. The growth of your muscle’s will occur as you’re resting not as you’re lifting weights… so to exhaust yourself in the gym all day is useless because you’re not giving your muscle’s the rest they need.

Bodybuilding is not an easy hobby or career path. If you want to take it on you will need help along the way. What I’d recommend (and, many pros would agree) is this site. In my opinion this will set you well on your way.

Exercises for Lower Back and Hip Pain

Brett Ranton 

Upon asking, any sufferer of Back or Hip Pain will no doubt tell you how incredibly painful it can be.
Back pain can be something that comes and goes with some people, but many suffer from chronic back pain which of course is course for much more concern. Some people complain of a dull ache, but others get sharp pains or even burning sensations.

The unfortunate truth is, there isn’t really a concrete cure for back pain at this stage. Professionals will will tell you daily exercise is a way to relieve pain, and this is no doubt one of the best ways to go about pain relief.

It’s one thing knowing to exercise, but it’s another thing altogether to knowing which exercise exactly to do. Doing the incorrect exercise can in fact lead to making your back or hip even worse. I’ve included a couple of exercises that I’ve found successful and are widely used in relieving pain:

Back Pain Exercise
Supine Lying Hamstring Stretch
This particular exercise may stretch your hamstrings, but tight hamstrings contribute in a large way to lower back pain. So this exercise is highly recommended to prevent your back pain in the future. This puts no strain on your back as if done correctly, your back should remain still.

To do the Supine Lying Hamstring Stretch:
1. Lie down on your back with one knee bent and one resting on the floor horizontally.
2. Without holding it, move your straight leg up in the air so it’s eventually at right angles with your torso.
3. Place your hands behind your leg and slowly slide them up as close to your ankle as you can. This will result in your hamstring stretching further.
4. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on other leg.

Hip Pain
Hip pain is harder to target with an exercise. What is recommended you do is you learn how to walk properly to reduce strain on that hip. It may sound silly but a large majority of people simply do not know how to walk! Please see my posts on this for more information.

What I’d recommend to you is a resource that teaches you effective exercises for your back pain. Click Here for the resource I used to majorly reduce my pain.

Love Handles – How To Get Rid Of Love Handles

Sarah Reynolds 

There is no denying Love Handles are a source of an incredible amount of frustration to anyone that has them. The best and most effective way of getting rid of them is, unfortunatly for all of us procrastinators… exercise. There are many exercises out there but like anything, some are more effective than others. The most important thing you need is some good information and you’ll find you’re well on your way to losing those pesky love handles.

Leg Flutters
A good exercise to start off on are Leg Flutters. What this does is strengthens and reduces the fat in your back and it’s agood start towards losing your Love Handles.

To do Leg Flutters:

1. Lie on your stomach with your head lifted from the ground.
2. Lift your legs off the ground and “flutter” them backwards and forwards.
3. Repeat
4. Do this for roughly a minute or break up your exercises into two sections if you need a break.

Side Bends
Side Bends are also a rather effective exercise at reducing Love Handles. They also target your upper body so you can kill two birds with one stone. You might read different ways to do this which include weights, but I’s recommend you do this without weights if you just want to lose the Love Handles as this will just put on muscle.

To do a Side Bends:
1. Stand upright with your back as straight as possible. Let your arms dangle on either side of your body.
2. With either arm, reach down the side of one leg while raising the other arm up the opposite side. When you feel tension, hold in that point for a few seconds.
3. Repeat for the other side.

These are two simple exercises that can assist you in getting rid of your love handles… but there are many others that also do a fantastic job.

What I will recommend to you is a site that has seen success for me and a site that I think may provide you with some eye opening information too. Click here to get started.

Weight Loss Exercises – How to Lose Weight with Willpower

Sarah Reynolds

One of the most highly debated topics in the world is “What is the best way to lose weight?” The obvious answer to that question would be to start following a strict diet or exercise regularly. The fact is that there are now many products out there that are simply quick fix solutions that are hit and miss and frankly, mostly uneffective. Companies are jostling for your attention with their new “cure your weight problem” pill or gimmick, and the worst thing you can do is support them by purchasing their product. Sure they can’t make claims that their products will do things that they cannot, but their products only really cater for a tiny majority of cases, and it’s probably not for you.

The best and most effective way to lose weight is to follow a proven exercise and diet guide. Generally these guides are created by people who have been there and know what it takes to successfully lose weight and keep it off. Exercises will target areas that frustrate many like your love handles and a quick 10 to 15 minutes a day doing the correct exercise correctly will see you well on your way to sufficient weight loss.

Many diets will tell you the basics like “stop eating pizza and cake” but it’s the obvious they seem to ignore. Drink lots of water and lots of green tea. Green Tea is a metabolism booster and will assist you in a big way. DON’T forget a healthy breakfast! I’m not talking waffles and pancakes but a decent cereal and juice. You’ve heard it all before but it’s for a reason, breakfast is extremely important.

The Do’s and Do not do’s for losing weight:
• DO exercise on a daily basis. This should include a jog in the morning and a walk in the evening.
• DO eat healthy! Set aside a day a week in which you can spoil yourself with something a bit naughty to reward yourself. Try to make sure it’s not too much of a chore.
• DO count your calories. Make sure you’re burning as many as you’re consuming.

• DON’T lose focus and get lazy! This is no doubt the number one reason for failed weight loss attempt.
• DON’T forget your motivation! Whether it’s looking better for the summer or lose weight to play sport with your kid, your motivation will see you through.
• DON’T get bored! Let yourself have a bit of fun. Just because you’re eating healthy doesn’t mean you can’t create fun meals.

To get you started, I’m going to point you in the direction of a very good diet program that I keep getting positive emails about. The Carb Rotation Diet has different programs for men and women and really has alot of success stories to back it up. Go see if it’s right for you

Lower Back and Hip Pain Relief

Brett Ranton

Back and Hip Pain can be excruciating not only for the sufferer, but for the people close to him/her. Partners of people who have these pains tell of random shrieking screams that come from them even when they do something simple like bend over to pick up that toy truck your son was playing with. The truth is, at this stage, there really isn’t any cure for back pain. Professionals tell parents to make sure their kids get in the good habit of having a good posture… but if you’ve already lived your childhood and have turned into an adult with back pain, they don’t really have any answers for you.

There are exercises that definitely help relieve the pain. Back sufferers will notice that if they get lazy and stop doing their exercises, their pain will get worse. Doing the right exercises correctly is essential to the ongoing improvement of your back and hip pain. Doing these exercises incorrectly can actually lead to your pain getting worse, so make sure you know what you’re doing is advised.

Fake Push Ups
One popular exercise to assist in relieving lower back and hip pain are those fake push ups you sometimes see people doing. While a normal push up will increase strength in your biceps these push ups focus on your back and not your arms. Whatever you do do not do a normal push up because that will put strain on your back and you’ll be paying for it for a few days.

To do a Fake Push up:
1. Lie down on your stomach with your hands firmly planted on the floor.
2. Push your torso up with your hands but keep your legs flat on the ground and stretch your lower back. Hold for 10 seconds.
3. Lower your torso and repeat 15-20 times.

Leg Swipes

It may sound like a break dancing move but it does work. This one more targets the hip but also does cut down on lower back pain.

To to a Leg Swipe:
1. Lie down on your back with your knees bent as if you were about to do a sit up.
2. Simply slowly move your legs to the left and right 30-40 times or until you start feeling tired.

These exercises can be found in a website pass that I have used for my back pain in the past. Click Here for the resource I used to majorly reduce my back pain. The website contains a series of videos I believe you will find very effective for your back and hip pain.