MSCLMAMA

How I Finally Got Muscle to Grow - Phase 2 by Amit Sapir | 02/24/14 You can read all about Amit’s training and other logs or splits on T Nation as well. *msclmama If you want to stop spinning your wheels and finally build some muscle, and I mean a lot of muscle, you need to use two training methods: heavy strength training to build muscle density and hardness, and hypertrophy methods that focus on rep volume and intensity techniques. In the first part of this three-phase program, I outlined the exact workouts I use for the Strength phase. Now let's look at the next 10-day phase: Volume. Volume To get big, not just strong, you need volume in your training in addition to strength and power exercises. There's going to be a lot of exercise variety with any high-volume training program, and variety is good! Every time I've introduced something new to my training that my body isn't used to, it's had a positive effect on muscle growth and strength. However, variety doesn't mean "cram as many goofy exercises into one training program as you can." You need a strategic plan. You have to apply volume and variety intelligently, in its own phase. Here's how you do it: Phase 2 - Volume Day 1 – Quads, Hams, Posterior Chain ExerciseSetsReps ALying Hamstring Curl – After the fifth set, keep doing additional sets until you can't do 10 reps525, 20, 15, 12, 10 BDeadlift312 CBarbell Lunge (wide stance)312-15 D1Standing Hamstring Curl312-15 D2Stiff-Leg Deadlift312-15 ESeated Hamstring Curl220 FLeg Extension420, 15, 12, 12 GWide Stance Leg Press425, 20, 15, 12 HPendulum Squat/Hack Squat312-15 Day 2 – Chest, Triceps ExerciseSetsReps AIncline Barbell or Dumbbell Press415, 13, 11, 10 BLow Incline Dumbbell Flye312-15 CFlat Dumbbell Press312-15 DMachine Flye312-15 EHammer Strength Press (Decline)212-15 FMachine Dip312-15 GCable Straight Bar Pushdown312-15 HStraight Bar Overhead Extension312-15 IClose Grip Bench Push-up2failure Day 3 – OFF Day 4 – Back, Biceps ExerciseSetsReps ANeutral Chin-Up412-15 BWide Grip Pulldown312-15 CLow Row, Cable or Hammer312-15 DOne-Arm Reverse Pulldown212-15 EHigh Row Hammer212-15 FStanding EZ Bar Curl – 2 sets close, 2 sets wide412-15 GPreacher Machine Curl312-15 H1Concentration Dumbbell Hammer Curl212-15 H2Preacher One-Arm Machine212-15 Day 5 – Shoulders ExerciseSetsReps AReverse Pec Dec315-20 BStanding Lateral Machine312-15 CSeated Hammer Press415, 12, 11, 10 DDumbbell Front Raise312-15 ESeated Lateral Machine215-20 Day 6 – OFF Day 7 – Quads, Hams (Quad emphasis) ExerciseSetsReps ALeg Extension525, 20, 15, 12, 12 BPendulum Squat/Hack Squat412-15 CNarrow Barbell Lunges (Smith)412-15 DFront Squat2-320-25 EHamstring Circuit – Pick 3 different hamstring curl machines and perform a circuit. Do 12-15 per exercise.312-15 Day 8 – Arms ExerciseSetsReps AStanding Barbell Curl312-15 BLying Decline Dumbbell Skullcrusher312-15 CStanding Hammer Curl312-15 DRope Pushdown312-15 EHammer Preacher Machine312-15 FClose-grip Decline Bench312-15 GDumbbell Concentration Curl2-312-15 HOverhead Dumbbell Extension2-312-15 Day 9 & 10 – OFF Enjoy this second phase... if you can. The volume is crazy, so expect a skin-tearing pump. You can also expect to be thoroughly exhausted after each workout. And if you find yourself dreading the never-ending nature of these workouts, don't think things are going to get any easier. The insanity of Phase 3 is yet to come.

The Very Best Time to Take Creatine While there's really no bad time to take it, there is a best time. Check out this new research. by Chris Shugart Creatine works for size and strength gains. It works when you load it, it works when you don't load it but take it consistently, and it works for just about everyone who lifts weights. It may even boost longevity and help with heart function. And thousands of studies have shown that it's perfectly safe, despite all those ninnies in the 1990's who told us we were going to blow out our kidneys and get all roid rage-y on the waitress at IHOP. Yeah, didn't happen. You'd think science would be "done" with creatine by now, but the studies keep pouring in. For example, we're still looking at dosing protocols. Is there a best time to take it? Well, for years we assumed the best time was before training. Makes intuitive sense. Take the magical muscle powder before you apply resistance to said muscles, right? Sure, that works fine, but it turns out that taking creatine AFTER training is even better. The Meta-Analysis In You're Taking Creatine at the Wrong Time, TC Luoma summarized a 2013 study that showed that taking creatine monohydrate lead to twice the lean muscle mass gains in those using it right after training compared to those using creatine pre-training. The same group of lifters who took their creatine post-workout also lost more fat than the pre-workout group doing the same workout. Now, researchers Forbes and Candow have looked at two more newer studies. In a nutshell, both show that post-workout creatine ingestion is slightly more effective than pre when it comes to size gains. Why? As TC noted, it could be because the workout itself somehow sensitized the cells to creatine uptake. Based on the meta-analysis, it could be because you have a pump going after lifting (increased blood flow, better delivery). How to Use This Info It's really hard to take creatine "wrong." But for best results, take it after training. You can also take it before and after training if you'd like. Five grams is the standard dose, but try 3 grams before and 3 grams after. If you're using a pre-workout nutritional supplement like Plazma™, just toss your creatine into that. Likewise, if you're using Surge® Recovery or Mag-10® post-workout, just add creatine to the mix. For best results, use micronized creatine monohydrate. Reference Scott C. Forbes, Darren G. Candow, "Timing of Creatine Supplementation and Resistance Training: A Brief Review" Journal of Exercise and Nutritio

I’m not sure how many times I can say or attest to the product. Sure, one can claim oh.. the person is a rep, or whatever it may be. But at the end end of the day I want a product that I know I can hand to other women and say YES this product will be OK for you to take. And that in itself is pretty ballsy if I truly didn’t believe the product was legit. I would never do that to another woman. Why do you think BT has had such strong female presence of clients OVER YEARS. Not months. But years. It’s reliable, and a good product. When we asked for 5mg Anavar we got it. All I can say is the positive experiences I have had using BT and several clients over a 6 year span. By all means if you want to use a lesser brand with people who don’t give a shit about you, fill your boots. Not here to butter anyone up, just tell you a real and honest opinion, from a real and honest user.

Great post!!

For me, I use Test Enth as I prefer longer ester, it’s very personal to each woman. What works for me may not work for another woman. Depending on several factors to base that choice off of. I prefer to inject once a week, I prefer to have longer test life 7-10 days. So for me, this works! This is where it is crucial to taper on, monitor, evaluate, continue use, taper off. For me, for where I am at, I prefer to treat it like TRT. I will most likely never stop using Test.

Really looking good hun!!

Day 7 on Nouveau, and almost immediately I am getting better, deeper sleeps and incredible DOMS. I can only attest this to this product as it’s rhe only new compound I have added. Really enjoying this product, I am only taking 2.5 IU a day and having very visible results!! Pictures in my my log!!

Only three types???? Lol ??? Pretty much like.. all the above!! I neec a shirt shirt that says “F*ck off im training” lol

This is one I personally can relate to as I have diagnosed GAD. Or severe anxiety. I actually found prep and competing for me to actually help, helps me stay focused and forces me to be in social scenarios. Otherwise I would be a hermit. Lol. Most people would never assume I have bad anxiety but I do struggle with it every day. Without the gym my anxiety would be even worse and has become essential to my well being!!!

Creatine monohydrate is the most cost-effective dietary supplement in terms of muscle mass and strength gains. Everyone, including beginners to the supplement world, can learn a great deal about this amazing natural product right here! There are many supplements out on the market that are legal and can be purchased over the counter. Even though these supplements are legal, not all of them will promise to help achieve fitness goals. Some products out on the market are merely a placebo and will not do anything the label says it is capable of doing. There are also some supplements out there that cause side effects worse than the supposed beneficial outcome of the product itself. Throughout this course, you will be supplied with information based on research findings on creatine monohydrate. Creatine monohydrate is known as a physiological sports ergogenic and also a nutritional sports ergogenic. Creatine can be found in small amounts in animal foods and can also be produced in the liver and kidneys from amino acids (arginine, glycine, and methionine). However, much of the creatine that is found in food is destroyed when cooking. Creatine is a substance that is naturally found in our bodies. Over 90% of the creatine in the human body is found in muscle. Bodybuilders consider creatine a necessity for getting results. Creatine monohydrate is the most cost-effective dietary supplement in terms of muscle mass and strength gains. Creatine can help support protein synthesis, which helps muscles grow. Creatine supplementation has been studied for over 80 years - broad use of this substance has only gained popularity in the past decade. Protein Synthesis The process by which nitrogen from amino acids is linearly arranged into structural proteins through the involvement of RNA and various enzymes. Protein synthesis is muscle growth. The more efficient you can make this process the more efficiently you can build muscle. Dosages Many athletes prefer to use the powder form of the substance, which can be mixed in with fluids and is quickly directed into the bloodstream. Creatine is best absorbed when taken with carbohydrates. The best time to take creatine is directly after a workout - this is when your muscles are most receptive to absorbing creatine from the blood. Theory Creatine is used to increase physical power and mechanical edge. It is also used to increase high power and speed in sporting events that use energy primarily from the ATP-CP energy system. Creatine can help burn fat and increase muscle mass. It also claims to increase strength in the elderly. Scientists have come up with many different theories as far as what creatine actually does for the human body. They have been studying how much creatine should be ingested and what creatine does once inside the muscle itself. They have come up with a standard as for how many grams each person needs per day to see results. Creatine supplementation could increase the amount of creatine in the body, thus improving performance in high power and speed skills. "Muscle stores of CP may split and release energy for the rapid resynthesis of ATP, although the supply of CP, like that of ATP, is limited. The combined total of ATP and CP might sustain maximal energy production for approximately 5-10 seconds of maximal effort" (Williams, 1998). Effectiveness "Several studies have shown that oral creatine supplementation in amounts approximately 20-30 grams per day for 5 to 7 days significantly increased intramuscular concentrations of both free creatine and CP during rest and during recovery after intense exercise. Some subjects, however, were nonresponders, as their muscle CP levels did not increase. Some studies found that creatine supplementation improved performance in the later stages of repetitive, short-term (4-10 seconds), high-intensity cycle ergometer sprint tests, repetitive bouts of isotonic, isometric, and isokinetic resistance testing. Some research suggests creatine supplementation may serve as a buffer in the muscle and may decrease muscle lactate accumulation, enhancing performance in sport events dependent on the lactic acid energy system. One consistent finding in most studies is an increased body mass. A week of creatine supplementation has been found to increase body mass by about 0.9-2.2 kilograms (2.0-4.6 pounds)" (Williams, 1998).

Creatine and Depression A well written article by Will Brink Studies suggest creatine may be helpful with depression, and various mood disorders as well as being neuroprotective. I have covered that topic over the years here on BZ via article, vids, etc. It’s also a primary ingredient in my Bomb Proof Coffee recipe. Here’s a new review worth a read covering the possible mechanisms by how creatine may exert anti-depressant effects, clinical studies that exist, and so forth on this important topic. Another recent study examined the impact of creatine on bipolar depression and found benefits. Bottom line: Creatine does a body and brain good! The possible beneficial effects of creatine for the management of depression Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry 2018 September 4 Depression, a highly prevalent neuropsychiatric disorder worldwide, causes a heavy burden for the society and is associated with suicide risk. The treatment of this disorder remains a challenge, since currently available antidepressants provide a slow and, often, incomplete response and cause several side effects that contribute to diminish the adhesion of patients to treatment. In this context, several nutraceuticals have been investigated regarding their possible beneficial effects for the management of this neuropsychiatric disorder. Creatine stands out as a supplement frequently used for ergogenic purpose, but it also is a neuroprotective compound with potential to treat or mitigate a broad range of central nervous systems diseases, including depression. This review presents preclinical and clinical evidence that creatine may exhibit antidepressant properties. The focus is given on the possible molecular mechanisms underlying its effects based on the results obtained with different animal models of depression. Finally, evidence obtained in animal models of depression addressing the possibility that creatine may produce rapid antidepressant effect, similar to ketamine, are also presented and discussed. Cognitive effects of creatine monohydrate adjunctive therapy in patients with bipolar depression: Results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Journal of Affective Disorders Volume 224, 15 December 2017, Highlights • Depressive episodes and cognitive impairments produce most of the dysfunctionality in bipolar disorder. • Multiple lines of evidence strongly implicate the occurrence of mitochondrial dysfunction in bipolar disorder. • This study was the first to investigate cognitive effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on bipolar depression. • Creatine monohydrate supplementation for 6 weeks was associated with improvement in verbal fluency in bipolar depression. •Future studies on the cognitive-enhancing properties of creatine monohydrate in bipolar disorder should be undertaken.

The only ones worth watching are the Pro Qualifiers. But you are right, even that now seems watered down. And you are very right... after doing the Van Pro I saw first hand its all about the money. Not about the athletes one bit.

If you are lactose intolerant or lactose sensitive, you may be wondering if you can consume whey protein as part of your healthy diet. Lactose intolerance, also called lactase deficiency and hypolactasia, is the inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk (and hence some dairy products). Whey protein is a by-product of the cheese making process, so it would be natural to think that whey protein contains lactose. But most whey protein isolate contains less than 1 percent lactose. This means pure whey protein isolate contains very little lactose, and you may be able to consume it even if you are lactose intolerant or lactose sensitive. **However I personally notice when I am in prep I cannot digest the milk sugars and I choose products now that are lactose free. So far in Canada I can only find two; Magnum Quattro and Creed by PS. Thoughts? Do you have this issue as well? Leave your comments! I’d love to hear!

Welcome to NL!!

Do you have one where you live? If you do, it may be a great way to add in proper macro nutrition with half the effort! Life gets busy! I love cooking my own meals and certainly in prep it’s very particular. However, having these in the freezer have been awesome to get in a variety of nutrients! Thoughts? Would you or have you used it? ~msclmama

Oh girl.. you know how the ifbb and anything attached is just a cash cow. I do love it though and I’ll keep going back until they get sick of seeing my ugly mug!!!! Lol!

Sadly. Mostly just WOS now. To me the promoter should have included FBB and pisses me off they don’t. So I won’t do any show that does not have Pro FBB included now. I did get an invite to Ms International so we will see. I would like to try to get my card here in Canada first!!!

Stupid it doesn’t have pro. So next year I’m aiming to do TO Pro Am get that damn pro card lol!

Amateur, I’m not a pro yet ? I competed this year at the Van Pro AM lol in WBB, 2nd place.

Here is my little get up ?

I placed second, lost my card to a transgender lol ? Not bashing nor complaining but it is what it is!! Lol. Go back and try again!

That would be fun!!! Road trip! ?

Your log is awesome! Looking great!!!!!

Wish I could do some graston on you hun! Some fascial stretch therapy. Love to come over one day and hit up XConditioning. I know I’m a BB so go easy on me lol! Love to come train with real equipment. I’ll bring my tools! Lol! Do you have any athletic therapist there?

I love Proviron!!! Almost as much as I love Anavar. Eat em like grapes lol! Really fantastic oral, little sides for me personally, if anything only positives. Can’t wait to run it in prep ?