Il Nuovo Body Building™ di Rusty Moore

Disclaimer and/or Legal Notices

The information provided in this book is for educational purposes only.I am not a doctor and this is not meant to be taken as medical advice.The information provided in this book is based upon my experiencesas well as my interpretations of the current research available.

The advice and tips given in this course are meant for healthy adultsonly. You should consult your physician to insure the tips given in thiscourse are appropriate for your individual circumstances.

If you have any health issues or pre-existing conditions, pleaseconsult with your physician before implementing any of the informationprovided in this course.

This product is for informational purposes only and the author doesnot accept any responsibilities for any liabilities or damages, real orperceived, resulting from the use of this information.

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Strategie Muscolari Per Un Fisico Davvero Sbalorditivo

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Meat-Head Movement is Strong! 5 Why training to look and feel better has better is frowned upon by “real” lifters.

Chapter 01: Concentrating on “The Big 3”? 8Building a body based on the dead-lift, squat,and bench press creates imbalances for most.

Chapter 02: The 2 Main Types of Muscle Growth 13Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy VsMyofibrillar Hypertrophy

Chapter 03: “Cumulative Fatigue" 17Building fatigue in the muscle from set-to-setto increase muscle mass quickly.

Chapter 04: A High Volume of Sets and Reps 19A high volume of sets and reps is idealwhen building muscle is the main goal.

Chapter 05: Hybrid Muscle Building 20Mixing different muscle building and strengthtraining principles for your ideal results.

Chapter 06: How Much Muscle Can You Gain? 22The answer to this question is largely determined by how much muscle you have already gained.

Chapter 07: Eating for Muscle Gains 24You want to eat just a little over maintenance while getting enough protein and without becoming obsessed.

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Chapter 08: Only Proven Muscle Building Supplement 29There is only one muscle building supplement worth taking. Everything else is unnecessary.

Chapter 09: Setting Up Your Workout Routine 31Discussing the need to customize routinesto make them ideal for you and your goals.

Chapter 10: Phase I - Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy 33Rapid muscle growth by using the principles ofhigh volume and high fatigue.

Chapter 11: Phase II – Increase Muscle and Density 41A combination of increasing strength, muscle densityand muscle size simultaneously.

Chapter 12: Phase III – Max Density and Definition 48Hardening up the muscles to the max while dropping excess body fat.

Chapter 13: Bonus Phase – Shrink Wrap Your Muscles 57Replicating the method that Taylor Lautner and othershave “accidentally” used to look ultra sharp.

Chapter 14: Building Mass on Upper Body Only 61Just focusing on building size in the upper body or specializing on a particular body part.

Chapter 15: Final Thoughts 64 Questions and Answers 65

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~Introduction~

The Meat-Head Movement is Strong!

Okay, time to rant a bit...

There was a time not too long ago, when it was okay to train to improve the look of your physique. It was fine to not only focus on strength and functional fitness, but it was cool to actually care about the appearance of your body as well.

A nice looking body? What a Novel concept!

Many guys at “muscle building” sites care more about raw numbers rather than appearance. Total body weight & how much someone can lift in one of the BIG exercises is what many guys focus on these days. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just don't take advice from these guys if you want to look your best.

Go to any hardcore weight lifting forum...

The guys who command a lot of respect are, more times than not, the ones who have a build like a professional wrestler. Even many of the fitness experts on these massive sites have nothing close to an aesthetic physique...but many of them are strong. Again...not bad if that is your goal...but a terrible approach if you want to look sharp.

I believe a fit & muscular guy should have at least some ab definition.

If you don't have at least a little ab definition, then I won't take fitness advice from you...end-of-story. Gaining muscle and gaining fat at the same time is easy as hell. Strength will come along with the increased leverage that the fat provides, but that is NOT impressive...at all.

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The “Go Big or Go Home” Syndrome

It is too bad that much of the sites dedicated to building muscle have this strange aura about them. Many of you reading this will know exactly what I am talking about. It is like they are detached from the outside world. Some of these sites almost have a “prison yard” feel to them...not that I know from first hand experience!

Appearance and style is only for pansies in “Muscle Building Land”

You would have to be a wussy to care about style and appearance, right? “Real men” don't care about these things...at least this is what is spoken of in muscle building circles. In these same circles, guys like Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig, Cam Gigandet, Taylor Lautner, and Ryan Reynolds...aren't in impressive shape, because they can't bench 300+ pounds or squat 405 pounds for reps.

The Irony in all of this!

Outside of this strange muscle building community, things are 100% the opposite. Men would rather look like Daniel Craig or Ryan Reynolds than bench press 350 pounds. Younger guys want a physique like Cam Gigandet and Taylor Lautner and could care less if their squat totals are over 400 pounds.

I pulled out of Meat-Head world many years ago

I never really became a true meat-head, but I did get caught up in some of this madness about 20 years ago. My goal was to gain as much muscle as genetically possible...and I went from 175 up to 225 pounds in a little over two years. After slimming down, I cut down to 215 pounds.

I gained 40 pounds of muscle in a little over 2 years and looked terrible!

To be honest, the first 25 pounds were gained within 6 months. I should have stopped there. The remaining 15 pounds were added to my hips, butt and

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thighs as I worked my squat from sets of 6 with 225 pounds, up to sets of 6 with 405 pounds.

I received a lot of compliments in the gym on leg day back then.

A lot of guys claim to squat with 4 plates per side (or more), but I rarely see this done on a regular basis. I'm 6'3” with some seriously long legs. When I was squatting 405 for sets of 6 rock-bottom reps...people would stop what they were doing and would watch. The bar had to travel a long distance.

Unfortunately that leg, hip and butt mass didn't create a great look.

I had a hard time fitting into jeans or dress pants. I was also more sluggish. Squatting strength doesn't necessarily translate into athleticism. If I could go back in time, I would have squatted for possibly the first 3-6 months to build up a little base muscle and then would have never done that lift again.

My Advice?

Squats and dead lifts are extremely effective at building mass, but you probably only need to do them for a few months when you first begin lifting. Even then, you should be careful. Yes...they will put on muscle mass...but often times in the hips, butt, and upper thighs. You really don't want a lot of excess mass in these areas if you are looking for a pleasing physique.

This leads us to the next chapter...

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Chapter 1

“The Big 3”

Don't Say I Didn't Warn You!

If you have read any muscle building books, you know about the “Big 3”

Squats Dead-lifts Bench Press

They will build your physique, but you have to be cautious. A physique focused on building big numbers in these lifts, will quickly become imbalanced...

Here is a picture of a lifter who is powerful in the Big 3.

Notice how he is thick in the mid section?

This is partially due to the trunk strength and mass necessary for heavy squats and dead-lifts.

His hips and upper thigh mass, create a rounded lower body look and take away from his physique.

No doubt this guy is strong as an ox and has a lot of mass, but he could look 2-3 times better with a more strategic approach to his muscle gaining workouts.

I know what people are going to say...

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If he simply dieted down and lost his excess body fat he would look a lot better. This is true, but those imbalances would be just as strong without that layer of body fat...and this guy does have a tiny bit of visible ab definition, so it isn't like he is way overweight or anything.

Let's look at a ripped guy who is strong at the Big 3

This guy can probably squat and dead-lift some pretty serious numbers...as is evident by his massive lower body structure and trunk.

...but in my opinion he has overdone the muscle mass over his entire physique.

The thighs, hips, and mid section could use much less muscle. The thighs rub together and also create that rounded sweeping look that take away from the upper body.

He is a freakishly muscular guy, which is valued in bodybuilding circles, but has a look way over-the-top for the tastes of most people.

The Big 3 basic movements build muscle and do it well...

The problem is the fact that they make certain parts of your body grow at a quicker rate than other parts of the body. If your thighs grow 4 inches in circumference, but your arms only grow ½ of an inch, then you will look heavier and thicker on your lower half. If that is something you are aiming for, then that is great...if not, then you need to do something different.

I'm NOT saying that you need to avoid the Big 3 altogether

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Some people probably really do need to squat and dead-lift for at least a little while to build up some base muscle. An extremely skinny guy or someone with exceptionally skinny legs could use a bit of time on those lifts. The problem is what those lifts can do to the look of the body over the long-term.

...and you are not committing a crime by skipping these lifts entirely

I don't care who says “squats are the king of all exercises”! If your legs are the size you want, then avoid this exercise. Doing squats will make your legs, butt, and hips bigger...and are extremely effective at doing so. They are the king when it comes to putting mass on your lower body, so avoid them if you don't want to add size to these areas. Makes sense, right?

Are Gyms really filled with guys that have large upper bodies and thin legs?

A common thing you will read about in bodybuilding forums is that gyms are supposedly filled with guys who have big upper bodies and skinny legs. I rarely see this phenomenon. The legs tend to reach a proportionate size to the upper body by simply carrying that weight around. I do see a lot of guys lacking definition in their thighs and calves, but that is simply due to high body fat levels more than anything else.

What I see in my gym? Big guys with almost zero definition.

While I don't see too many guys who are way out of whack in the leg department...I see a ton of guys who seem to have just as much fat as muscle. Body fat helps guys lift a little more and increases the weight when stepping on a scale, but creates a terrible look. It may fill up a shirt, but certainly doesn't look impressive on the beach. Another bad thing about excess body fat is that it makes the face appear rounded and chubby. To get an angular “GQ” type of look to the face, you must get the body fat levels down to a reasonable level.

Are you sold on the idea of building really big legs?

The reason I'm harping so hard on lower body size is because that is what is being pushed so hard in fitness magazines and bodybuilding sites. Sure it is a

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great way to add to your body weight, but there is a strong possibility it will create an imbalanced look. The body of a typical athlete isn't massive bulky thighs. Let's take a look at one of the top athletes in the NBA, Kobe Bryant.

Like most athletes, Kobe Bryant has thighs in proportion to the rest of his body. His thighs and calves are dense and defined, largely from explosive sprinting and jumping.

Do a Google Image Search for any of your favorite athletes. For the most part, their legs are slim and dense...and nowhere close to the size of a guy featured in the pages of a typical fitness magazine. You have been sold this idea that you need to build the legs up to unnatural levels. I have not been impressed by large legs for many, many years. It is not a hard goal to accomplish...quite the opposite. Do a high volume of squats while pushing the pain barrier and eating a high calorie diet. You will get large legs.

Here is the “ideal” created by the bodybuilding community. I actually think this guy has a great upper body (a little on the large side) but has way overdone the mass in the lower body.

I believe he would have a much more impressive look if his lower body were slim and dense instead of huge. The eyes are drawn to these tree-trunk legs instead of his impressive chest, shoulders, and abs.

Many guys in the bodybuilding world would simply say that he needs to add more mass to his upper body, but I do not agree! No matter how big his

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upper body gets, these legs are simply too big. Guys with legs this large have a hard time walking, let alone running. Again, my goal is not to slam this guy. He has achieved an impressive physique as far as bodybuilding competitions go...I simply would not recommend that you take this same path.

Note: I realize the pictures of these big guys depict extreme examples. I don't want people to get the wrong impression that it is easy to get legs the size of a big bodybuilder.

We talked about Squats and Deads...what about the Bench Press?

I think that most guys will do fine using bench presses on an ongoing basis when working out. The big challenge with the typical flat bench press is that it does develop the mid and lower pecs at a faster rate than the upper pecs for a lot of people. This creates a droopy rounded looking pec, instead of a square masculine chest with a line down the middle that goes all the way up to the collar bone.

To create square masculine pecs, incline presses need to be emphasized.

We will discuss this in further detail later in the course, but most guys need to spend a lot of time working on various incline presses and incline flyes to insure nice pecs. Upper pec development will also create that line down the middle of the pecs that goes all the way up to the collar bone.

Take a look at that picture again of the bodybuilder with huge legs.

This guy has perfect chest development. Notice how it is close to the same thickness from top to bottom? This won't happen overnight...and some of this is great genetics...but I can teach you exactly what it takes to get close to this type of chest development. Occasionally you will have to back off on flat bench presses, but you can re-introduce them after your chest gets more even development from inclines.

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Chapter 2

The 2 Main Types

of Muscle Growth

I am going to start this chapter by killing a myth...

Bigger muscles do NOT necessarily equal greater strength. In fact, if you are after rapid muscle growth, then your main goal isn't to increase strength...your goal is to workout in a way that creates “cumulative fatigue”. Often times I see guys after muscle gains who are making very slow progress due to their obsession with gaining strength.

Increasing the weights used is secondary to creating muscle fatigue, if training for mass is your goal. Over time it will take heavier weights to create the same level of fatigue, so it does pay to add weights at that time. The best approach is to increase the weight when the current weight feels too light, NOT adding weight because you are trying to reach a specific number.

Your ego is your biggest obstacle when it comes to gaining muscle.

To create cumulative fatigue, you need to decrease the rest in between sets. Each set, builds upon the previous set when you are aiming to fatigue a muscle. This is different than strength training. When you are working your muscle in a way that creates fatigue, you will have to back way down on the amount of weight used. It will “appear” that you are weaker than the guys who are resting 2-3 minutes in between sets, but this isn't the case. When this brief mass building time is over, I will teach you how to train for strength and firm up that newly gained muscle.

Hard Muscle VS Soft Muscle

Many people would have you believe that looking defined is all about how much muscle you have and how low your body fat levels are. Body fat levels

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do play a big role in how defined you look, but this is just part of the equation. There are two types of muscle growth that also dictate how sharp your body will wind up looking once the body fat levels are low: Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy & Myofibrillar Hypertrophy

Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy: This is an increase in the muscle cell fluid (sarcoplasm) within the muscle cell. This is a fast way to increase the size of a muscle, but since sarcoplasm is a fluid and can't contract...it won't make the muscle significantly stronger. This is why sometimes a huge body builder isn't as strong as a smaller Olympic Lifter.

Myofibrillar Hypertrophy: This is actual muscle fiber growth. Since muscle fibers can contract, growth in this area leads to dramatic improvements in strength. This leads to very limited gains in muscle size. Think of a water-balloon...to make it bigger it would be much faster and easier to fill it with water than to make the rubber thicker...but thicker rubber would probably make the balloon stronger. Not the perfect example, but hopefully you get the idea.

So which type of growth are you after?

This is actually a complex question, because it depends upon the condition of the muscle being worked. Also...you can lift in a way that targets different degrees of each type of growth. It all comes down to rep ranges to target the different types of muscle growth.

1-3 reps: This targets strength and Myofibrillar Hypertrophy. This would be used by someone who is happy with the size of their muscle, but wants to add definition and density to that muscle.

4-5 reps: Now you are getting a bit of strength as well as a bit of size. This is still a bit geared towards increasing muscle density, with just a bit of size increase as well. A lot of “5 X 5” programs are popular because it builds functional muscle for athletes that want a bit of muscle and a lot of strength to go along with that muscle.

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6-10 reps: This is a good sweet spot in between the two types of muscle growth. The closer it gets toward the low end of the spectrum, the more it focuses on density and strength...the closer it gets to 10 reps the more it focuses on muscle mass.

12-15 reps: Nothing but muscle growth in this range. Very little gains in the way of strength. I think it is helpful to throw in a set or two of this rep range in the context of a pyramid set.

There are circumstances where each rep range is useful.

Here is an example...Have you ever seen a skinny guy with literally no pec muscles hop on a bench and put up 275 pounds no problem? If this person wanted to build their pecs, they would need to decrease the weight and do multiple sets in the 10-15 range until they added the mass they desired. At that point they could go back down to medium to lower reps.

Here's another example...What about guys with big arms, but little definition. For these guys, I would recommend that they works triceps and biceps in the 3-5 rep range to “harden up” their arms and add definition. There is also a good chance that they would need to go on a fat loss program. If they did both at the same time, they could transform their arms in short order.

Here is an example of a man with good muscle density. Notice how the shoulders and arms in particular have a hard detailed look? This is because he is strong as well as has a good amount of muscle mass.

It helps that his body fat is low as well. This guy has a good amount of muscle, so

from this point forward would probably just want to focus on increasing strength and muscle density even further with lower reps. Once a natural amount of muscle is attained no need to add more mass.

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Different rep ranges for different body parts?

It is rare that a person has equal development across his entire body. I will use myself as an example. I have big biceps with good definition. Ultra hard shoulders and calves that are slightly undersized. I also have a large chest that still has a slightly softer look than I would like. Here is what my game plan would look like...

✔ Biceps: Keep doing what I am doing (5 reps).✔ Shoulders and calves: Decrease weight and increase reps (10-15).✔ Chest: Increase weight and decrease reps (3-5).

See how you can customize your workout to add muscle mass or muscle density to the parts that need it by tweaking rep ranges?

Now I won't lift in each of those muscle ranges forever. I will adjust the weights up or down and adjust the reps up or down depending upon how my body responds.

Over time you will gravitate towards a certain rep range.

Once you are satisfied with your size, I would recommend sticking around the 3-5 rep range. The reason for this is that this is going to harden up your muscles and create striking muscle definition when you are at low body fat levels. It is also fun to gain strength and increase the strength-to-weight ratio in your body. You will eventually feel quite a bit more athletic when you train in this manner...but it is not written in stone that you need to work in this lower rep range once you gain enough size. Some people prefer higher reps and still look great training in the 6-10 rep range. I will also talk in the “Bonus Phase” about 3-4 weeks of higher rep sarcoplasmic growth before an event.

But rep ranges are just part of the whole muscle building story...

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Chapter 3

“Cumulative Fatigue”

When Each Set and Rep Builds

Upon The Previous Set and Rep

Please read this chapter carefully...

The principle of cumulative fatigue is where the muscle building magic happens. If you understand this simple concept, you will know more than 99% of the people in your gym when it comes to building muscle. I dare say that the majority of personal trainers don't understand this concept very well either...at least not at this level.

When you lift for muscle mass, each set needs to “build upon” the previous set. If you are doing 5 sets in a lift for instance, they are all working toward fatiguing the muscle. Each set and rep will get harder as you progress through the sets...this is what I call cumulative fatigue.

Too much rest in between sets is the enemy of cumulative fatigue.

If you rest too long in between sets, your muscle will “recharge” all the way. This is great if you are just training for strength, but is a bad idea if you are trying to fatigue the muscle. To fatigue the muscle you need to hit the next set before the muscle has recovered all the way from the previous set. This typically requires a short rest period of 45-60 seconds in between sets (this rest time will vary a bit depending upon the lift).

Pausing in between reps also is the enemy of cumulative fatigue.

When you are strength training it makes sense to pause in between reps and reset before each rep. This NOT a good idea when you are training for mass. You want to hit each rep, so it builds upon the fatigue from the rep before it.

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Mass building workouts work best with a faster rep tempo.

For pure strength training, the reps need to be slow to allow the nervous system to build tension. When training for muscle mass and fatigue, you want to lift the weights with a faster tempo. The movement should be somewhat fast without throwing the weights...almost rhythmic in nature. This will also allow you to get more work done in the gym (getting in a lot of volume in a shorter period of time).

Many guys make the mistake of chasing heavier weights which requires a lot of rest in between sets, pausing in between reps, etc. It is fine to add weights as long as you stick to the rules of cumulative fatigue.

✔ Short rest in between sets.✔ No pause in between reps.✔ A fast “rhythmic” tempo.

Remember, these tips are purely for fast muscle growth...

Like the rest of this course these variables can be tweaked a bit. If you are after just a little bit of muscle and a lot of strength, then you can pause a little longer between sets, add more weight, and you can pause in between each rep, do less reps, etc. Avoid fatigue for pure strength, aim for fatigue for muscle mass...and tweak this in either direction depending upon your goals.

Pushing on to the next set, before fully recovering from the previous set, takes a lot of self-discipline. Your natural tendency is to rest more in between sets.

Ignore your instincts and hit the next set before recovering for the best mass building results.

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Chapter 4

A High Volume of Sets and Reps

Equals An Increase In Muscle Size

If you are after size you need to do enough sets and reps to slightly damage or stress the muscle. The fastest way to quick muscle growth is to fatigue the muscle over a decent amount of sets and reps. Doing one set to failure is a great way to increase muscle density, but not the best for rapid muscle growth.

A high volume of lifting especially helps stubborn muscles.

The typical advice to increase the size of a stubborn muscle is to try and lift heavier and heavier weights targeting that muscle. This is terrible advice! What usually causes a muscle to be stubborn as far as mass or strength is concerned, is a weak mind-to-muscle link. The fastest way to increase the mind-to-muscle link in a stubborn muscle is to practice contracting that muscle as much as possible without over-training. A high volume of lifting gives this stubborn muscle a lot of practice.

A high volume does not mean you will increase your time in the gym.

The typical strength training session I recommend on my blog is 30-45 minutes. It uses a low volume of sets, with a lot of rest in between the sets. Although a muscle gaining workout uses many more sets and reps, it uses reduced rest periods. The total time spent lifting is roughly the same...30-45 minutes.

Compressing more work into the same time period.

One way to increase fatigue is to do more volume of work within the same period of time. This works especially well if you are unable to increase the resistance of the weights being used.

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Chapter 5

“Hybrid Muscle Building”

Mixing Different Principles

The place where many muscle building programs fall short is the ability to customize the program. Don't worry, I do plan on giving a program to work from...but I fully expect for you to make tweaks and adjustments based on your current level of development and your specific goals. Let's talk about some specific tweaks and ways of mixing principles to get the precise desired results you are after.

A High Volume of Low Reps:

So we know that low reps mainly increase strength as well as microfibrillar growth. We also know that a higher volume of lifting increases fatigue more than a lower volume of lifting. So this approach would slowly build dense muscle. It would be for someone who was after muscle growth, but was also interested in strength and density. This growth would still be slower than the typical “cumulative fatigue” approach.

A Low Volume of High Reps:

A lower volume of lifting equals less fatigue than a higher volume of lifting and would limit muscle growth. Higher reps do increase sarcoplasmic hypertrophy which is great for increasing mass. This combo would lead to maintaining muscle size. This would be a good routine for someone who wanted to maintain muscle mass without spending much time in the gym (like when life gets too busy to spend as much time training).

More Rest In Between High Rep Sets:

More rest in between sets will allow for a greater weight to be used in each set, but will not create the maximum cumulative fatigue as a strategic muscle

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building program. This is a great way to increase strength in a muscle while slowly adding a bit of mass in the process. Since this is a strength approach using higher reps, the muscle growth will be sarcoplasmic in nature...a bit softer than when strength training in the lower rep range.

Less Rest in Between Low Rep Sets:

We know that less rest creates a bit of cumulative fatigue. We also know that low reps increase strength and muscle density (myofibrillar hypertrophy). So this is another way to slowly add a bit of dense muscle while gaining strength. You won't gain as much strength as when resting longer in between sets, but you will add a bit more muscle than a traditional “pure” strength training workout.

This gentleman is much bigger than the typical examples I use on my blog...

...but is a solid example of a muscular athlete with low body fat and good vascularity, but not great density.

In my opinion he has overdone the sarcoplasmic muscle growth a bit and would do well to cut back in sets, reps, and overall volume of lifting.

Perhaps low volume strength training with a decent amount of rest between sets would do the trick!

Note: Again, this guy is much bigger than what I think looks natural. I don't think you should really aim for this size. It looks a bit overdone for the tastes of most people (plus...good luck finding clothes that fit).

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Chapter 6

How Much Muscle Can You Gain?

You have a genetic limit on how much muscle you can gain.

This isn't anything to stress over. To create the lean “Hollywood” look you typically can be well under your genetic upper limits for muscle gain. I have found that guys look best and most natural when they stay under their natural limits as far as muscle mass goes, but spend their time and efforts getting lean and sharp.

You can reach 60-75% of your genetic upper limit in less than a year.

Of course this isn't true for everyone. Some of this has to do with age. Most guys can typically make their biggest gains between the ages of 17-25. Someone who has never trained, regardless of age will obviously put on much more muscle than someone who hasn't. Taylor Lautner for instance, gained a bunch of muscle in about 6 months. He was untrained as far as gaining muscle went and was the perfect age to put on a decent amount of muscle. If Taylor Lautner is smart, he will stick to that same size and not keep trying to add mass. He has already reached his ideal size.

Quick gains can happen when people are well below their normal range.

Your body was meant to carry a certain amount of muscle from just being active. Some people haven't been active in years and because of that their muscles have shrunk. When you read about an older person putting on 20+ pounds of muscle this is typically the case. There is a good chance they were 15 pounds under what they should have been carrying in the first place...and that the weight lifting only added 5 pounds above and beyond their set point.

If you are active and have already put on a decent amount of muscle.

It is very unlikely that you are going to add a whole lot more muscle if you

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have already added a decent amount to your body. Experienced lifters are lucky to add 3-5 pounds of pure muscle to their frame in a year (unless roids are involved). Since you are limited in the amount of muscle you can gain, it makes sense to target where you will add this muscle mass.

Gaining 3-5 pounds of muscle on 1-2 body parts makes a HUGE impact...

If you are experienced, the only way to make a positive visual change as far as muscle mass goes is to only focus on gaining mass on 1-2 body parts at a time. You can spend the next 2-3 years adding muscle evenly over your entire body and people won't notice a difference...but focus that muscle growth on a few key areas and people will notice!

Even a beginner can benefit from specializing on muscle groups.

I wouldn't recommend just focusing your attention on 1-2 muscle groups, but maybe reduce the volume on an especially strong muscle group and add a little more to a weak muscle group. Back in college I trained with a guy who naturally had huge calves and forearms. He had no need to do a single exercise for calves or forearms. Instead he focused his attention on back and chest (his weak points). Within 6 months he put on 15-20 pounds of muscle and the rest of his body caught up with his calves and forearms.

A big mistake I consistently see in the gyms I have trained in.

What if Brad Pitt wanted to gain as much muscle as Duane Johnson (The Rock)? What if Hugh Jackman wanted to be as slim as Cam Gigandet? These are ridiculous notions, but I see this all the time in gyms. Your body has a set amount of muscle it likes to carry around. Trying to gain a lot more muscle than this or lose the muscle that your body likes to carry around is madness. In 6-12 months (max) you are going to get an idea of how much muscle is a natural amount for your frame.

The typical thing I often see...is guys getting to the level of Taylor Lautner or an Abercrombie Model, but then become addicted to gaining more and more muscle. What was once an amazingly aesthetic physique becomes bulky and the guy winds up with that cheesy “muscle head” look.

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Chapter 7

Eating for Muscle Gains

There are two schools of thought when it comes to gaining muscle.

One group believes that you eat your way to muscle mass...that it is your diet that determines how much muscle you gain, not the set and rep scheme you are using. Another group believes that muscle gains are largely due to the type of training performed...with nutrition being less important.

Where do I stand?

It depends upon the experience and condition of the trainee. If the trainee is a skinny novice, then I will recommend more calories than a beginner who is soft and chubby. An experienced lifter whether they are chubby or slim will require less calories than a beginner, since their potential for muscle gains is less than a beginners.

No need to be completely protein obsessed, either...

Get over the notion that you need crazy amounts of protein to gain muscle. Guys who use steroids can utilize large amounts of protein, but if a natural guy does this, he will likely get fat. Here is an amount that is probably more protein than you need, but just to be safe...eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. Again, you could likely get away with 60-75% of this amount.

How many calories in a day?

The short answer is 200-400 calories per day over maintenance, but again this depends upon how experienced the lifter is and the age of the lifter, etc. There are so many variables and so many ways to make this complex. So here is a rough estimate of daily calories.

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Goal Weight in Pounds X (hours working out per week + 9.5) = Calories

To figure out how many calories per day, this formula is a good starting point. So lets say you are 175 pounds, workout 6 hours per week, and want to gain 10 pounds of muscle. We would take 185 pounds X (6 + 9.5). So 185 x 15.5 = 2,867 calories. A 175 pound person would start with this number but pay attention to body fat percentage and weight from week to week. I actually believe that this is more than needed, but it is a good starting point.

If body fat goes up then back off in calories a bit.

This isn't an exact science, so back off by 400-500 calories or as close as you can get to that if you are getting chubby. It is hard to estimate calories within this amount, so simply eat a little less than the amount you have been eating. It is better to gain a little less muscle and to gain it slowly by eating too few calories than it is to gain excess body fat. When in doubt, error on the side of eating a little less if you have been gaining body fat.

Do NOT go low-carb when trying to add muscle mass...

Grandma was right! Great whole food meals like this, with balanced protein, fats, and carbs...are ideal when trying to gain muscle.

You need those carbs to fill the muscle cells when in muscle gaining mode...especially if you are doing a full-blown “cumulative fatigue” type of workout.

That low-carb paleo and primal diet is great when trying to get lean or maintaining, but hold off for now. I'll talk about when to use that way of eating later.

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The more I learn about nutrition the smarter I realize my Grandma was!

My grandma was one of my best friends in the world and she passed away this year. I believe she was 92 years old and she had a great life. My grandma was an outstanding cook. When she made dinner there were always vegetables, salad, salad dressing, rice or potatoes, butter, and some type of meat. The nutrition industry has moved away from these whole foods over the years.

The nutrition and fitness industry acted like Grandma was wrong.

First they came up with the idea that all fat is bad. They replaced butter with margarine. They took fats out of foods that had good portions of natural fats. Then they attacked carbs. Then they claimed that vegetables didn't have the same amount of vitamins as they used to have. They suggested people take vitamins instead of vegetables. Even fruits were attacked for having too much sugar.

Grandma has been right all along!

Perhaps the only thing that grandma did wrong was want you to eat until you were stuffed. But besides portion size, grandma's cooking with whole foods blows away all the processed and genetically engineered foods. Go to a local farmers market if you have one near you and get away from boxed foods. You will be much healthier in the long run...and your body will thank you.

You can also gain muscle without being a Saint.

My advice is to eat balanced meals with whole foods whenever possible. Try to get vegetables along with your carb, fat, and protein source...but if you like nachos or hot wings with beer (like me) then go for it on occasion. I won't be a hypocrite. I gained most of my muscle mass in college at the age of 19...and I drank a decent amount of beer from time to time. I was fortunate to be in a fraternity with a great cook that made balanced meals each night, but my diet was not perfect.

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Aim for balanced meals about 75% of the time.

If you can eat balanced meals around 75% of the time and stay within your calorie range...you will make great progress. Your body is smart and it will put on muscle if you train in the proper way. Your diet is important, but you don't need to be obsessed with being perfect. Just get in an adequate amount of calories and protein each day and you will be good.

Here is a grocery list for people who don't cook a lot (like me).

✔ Protein : 6-8 chicken breasts, 1 big carton of eggs, 1 block of cheese, 2-3 large containers of yogurt, 1 steak, 2 big containers of non-fat milk (to make a special protein shake I will talk about later).

✔ Carbs : white rice (I have a rice steamer), tortillas, granola, potatoes, yams, croûtons, halibut

✔ Vegetables : broccoli, bell peppers, avocados, cauliflower, kale, cilantro, jalapeño peppers, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, squash, celery, zucchini, spinach, onions, peas, etc. (I spend most my time in the produce section of the grocery store).

✔ Fruits : honeycrisp apples (the best apple ever), fuji apples, oranges, grapes, pineapple, and bananas.

✔ Fats : butter, olive oil, coconut oil✔ Other : Ice Cream, Salsa, Salad Dressing, and a 6 pack of Corona Light

Note: This is a sample muscle gain grocery list. You can get more desserts besides ice cream, as long as you don't go way over in calories. The Corona Light is a good beer to drink with dinner. I like to sip on one when I am cooking and it barely feels like I had a beer. It tastes much better than regular Corona and I actually recommend drinking it without a lime in it. A great bonus tip :)

So what could you make from this grocery list?

When I was gaining muscle I ate a lot of omelettes loaded with vegetables. This is a cheap and easy meal. Add salsa and cheese on days where you need extra calories. You can also make power salads with a bunch of chicken cut

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up and vegetables, cheese, croûtons, salad dressing. You can eat meat, rice and a vegetable of choice...or meat potatoes, and veggie. I also like to make chicken fajitas, which is a great way to get vegetables (tasty too). I make every configuration of breakfast burrito possible. I also put salsa on just about everything...potatoes, in my soup, on my omelet, in my eggs...I have a problem!

More things to eat...fish tacos. I also like to mix in granola with yogurt for a snack. In fact stock up on yogurt...it makes for a great protein source. Fruit and yogurt along with a cup of coffee makes for a great breakfast. You can also make a power soup. Get some chicken broth at the store, cut up and add 1-2 chicken breasts and a ton of vegetables.

So what about the large quantities of milk?

Most of the time I am not a big fan of milk, but you will want a decent amount on hand when gaining muscle. The reason you should get non-fat milk is that I am going to have you use it for a post workout protein shake.

I want you to get chocolate milk powder as well. I like “Nestle Quick”.

Two large glasses of this classic chocolate milk drink after lifting is as good as any of the expensive protein shakes when you are trying to add muscle to your body. I know it sounds nuts, but trust me on this.

My friend Craig Ballantyne is a fan of chocolate milk after working out as well.

The reason you want non-fat milk is so that the nutrients absorb quickly into the muscle cells. Fat slows down the digestive process, which is great most of the time...but after working out you are after quick digestion and absorption.

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Chapter 8

The Only Proven

Muscle Building Supplement

Let's get this out of the way.

Creatine is the only proven muscle building supplement worth investing in. It has shown to build muscle in the absence of extra calories. Honestly, nothing else comes close (despite what the ads tell you). Here is the brand I'm recommending these days (late 2012-early 2013)

A few of you may have read my book “The Supplement Conspiracy”

I offered this book for free for a limited time over on Fitness Black Book. I pulled it, because at some point I will release it as a bonus for a paid product. This product was unique, because I interviewed two scientists who in the past were Heads of Research and Development for large supplement companies.

Here's a response I got when asking about muscle building supplements.

"Creatine is the best muscle builder by far, and it’s cheap. 1000 grams of creatine monohydrate will probably only run you $50. That’ll last you months. After that you might look into some protein, and maybe some glutamine. I can’t point to any research that proves glutamine or protein helps with muscle building, but guys still seem to want to take them. You’ll most likely be given a sales pitch for some sort of “nitric oxide” stimulating product as well as branched chain amino acids and testosterone boosters. For true scientifically proven effectiveness for muscle building I can only recommend creatine."

Both of the scientists in this report actually created supplements.

They did the research, lab tests, developed formulations, etc. One of the

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gentleman still owns an entire supplement company. It is not in their best financial interest to tell you just to take creatine and forget about most everything else, but it is the truth. Although I pulled this off the market a while back, I would like for you guys to read this report...

You guys will get a lot out of this. The supplement industry isn't always honest with you, so I created this with the hope that readers of my site wouldn't waste their money.

In my opinion this is the most honest report written about supplements to date.

Enjoy :)

You could take a protein supplement to save time...

You don't really “need” a protein supplement. It is just a way to insure you are getting enough protein if you don't get enough from your meals. So if you wanted to, you could get a decent protein powder and make a shake for breakfast instead of cooking a meal. Alternatively, you can do what I did back in college...drink a couple of glasses of non-fat milk.

Don't take creatine from day #1 of your mass building program.

I have an approach to taking creatine that works wonders and will make a huge difference in the way you look once you get extra lean. Begin taking creatine 3-4 weeks before a vacation or special event when calories are lower. This will add a bit of muscle size and “shrink wrap” your skin around your muscles to insure maximum definition. When you lean down a bit your skin gets loose. Lose any extra fat...add creatine to add some size and insure that there is absolutely no loose skin blurring muscle definition. Works well!

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Edizione in Lingua Italiana

Contents

Welcome! “Smiles Everyone, Smiles!”.....................................................3

I Was a Big Supplement Sucker a Few Years Back ................................4

The Story of “Mongo Lloyd”.....................................................................5

The Supplement Conspiracy. No One is Safe!.........................................6

Fitness Magazines + Supplement companies = BFF...............................7

The Power Back Into the Hands of The People .....................................8

The Law of Reciprocity............................................................................9

Introducing Two Scientists from the Supplement Industry..................10

Do You Need Supplements? The BIG Interview....................................11

The End. Yep, The Very End!.................................................................31

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Welcome!Have you ever been hesitant to do something you knew was right?What about something that would negatively effect you financially?

Well, I am in that exact position!

Let me explain...My name is Rusty Moore & I run a little fitness blog that gets a crazy amount of visitors each day. Last month I had over one hundred thousand visitors and a Quarter Million page views.

I'm Not saying this to brag. Heck, I'm as surprised as anyone that my site has grown to this level.

So why am I hesitant to write this supplement report?

As you will soon find out by reading this report, you probably don’t need supplements the majority of the time. There is A LOT of money to be made by selling supplements...and my site gets enough traffic for me to earn a Full-Time Income if I chose to sell supplements.

What I am doing by writing this report is severely limiting my money making options in the future as far as selling supplements goes.

I do a lot of things wrong as far as making money online goes, but this might just be the dumbest move yet. The good thing is that I believe 'Karma' will pay me back by telling you the truth.

Sincerely,

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Supplement Suckers Unite!

I was a big-time sucker when it came to buying supplements, especially when I first began working out.

Maybe you can relate to my story...

I grew up in the 80's and reached my teenage years just as Arnold Schwarzenegger became popular. I turned 14 when The Terminator (1984) came out.

I wanted to get as big as Arnold...As Fast As Possible!

That is when I found out about Protein. I read in the fitness magazines that all the Pro bodybuilders got big by taking protein.

NOT just any protein!

These guys got this big, by taking protein powder that had magical ingredients not found in food.

Obviously these guys didn't take steroids. They were 265 pounds of pure natural health. Why else would they be in a Health and Fitness magazine!

Of course you couldn't get Really Big, without Amino Acids!

When Mongo Lloyd packed on 40 pounds in a year, he obviously took a lot of protein powder (a given fact in the 80's). His real "secret" was amino acids!

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The Story of "Mongo Lloyd"

So Mongo Lloyd outlined his workout routine, what he ate, and most importantly the supplements he took. He did photo shoots and interviews for all the big fitness magazines.

Mongo Lloyd looked massive and had tons of teenage guys aiming for that look. Not only was he massive, the guy was ripped! Sure he worked hard in the gym, but the difference between him and regular guys in the gym were all those fancy supplements he took.

...but he always forgot to mention his "best" supplements.

You see, Mongo Lloyd had a special batch of supplements that worked better than anything he talked about in the magazines.

He didn't mention them for this reason...

As a 25 year old man, it was apparent to Mongo's doctor that Mongo needed a bit of "hormone therapy".

[Note the sarcasm above. This is an example of a serious "steroid hookup".]

Mongo and others like him were the start of something bigger...

I like to call the bodybuilding magazine era of the 80's and early 90's the start of the big Supplement Conspiracy. It started with young men trying to get big, but then slowly targeted every demographic.

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The Supplement Conspiracy"Does my butt look too big?"

If you thought the "gaining muscle" market was big then wait until you see how many supplements they have for fat loss.

Fat loss is a HUGE market for the supplement industry!

Think about it. Almost everyone you know wouldn't mind being a little leaner. So, the weight loss and fat loss market includes everyone.

Eating fewer calories each day? It can't be that simple!

While the main way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories each day then what you burn, people don't want to hear that. They have a "feeling" that there is a quick fix that they haven't heard about.

The Supplement Companies have marketing down to a science.

Make no mistake about it, supplement companies have amazing marketers and copywriters on their side. They are trying to make money like everyone else, so of course this makes sense. Unfortunately, many supplement companies use tactics that are a little "grey" in my opinion.

• Claiming a supplement creates "steroid like" results• A pill that burns 6X the fat compared to diet & exercise alone• Citing company sponsored studies as "real research"

But Misleading Advertising Alone isn't a "Conspiracy"

The Definition of Conspiracy: A secret agreement between two or more parties to perform an unlawful or unethical act.

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Fitness Mags + Supp Companies = BFF!As Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock Would Say "It Takes Two...". If you are too young to get the 90's reference consider yourself fortunate!

Fitness Magazines Used to Give Out "Unbiased" Info

I had a subscription to Ironman Magazine from 1988 until 1991. It was a pretty solid place to get training advice. They outlined workouts that produced results without using steroids. There were helpful articles in that magazine that didn't mention a supplement at all.

In the early 90's, magazines began having more ads than content

When fitness magazines were at their peak, they cashed out in a big way. Instead of having ads and articles separate...they combined them as one.

These ads became 3-4 pages and were disguised as articles at first. The line between ads and articles were blurred.

In addition to that, many of these magazine and supplement companies formed one larger conglomerate. The money was flowing in like clockwork.

These mega-companies continued to flourish in the "Internet Age"

In the first 10-12 years of the Internet's existence, companies with deep pockets still held the power to influence the masses. It was smooth sailing for these guys until 2004...

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Power Back to the People!In 2004, Myspace reached critical mass. The site became so successful that it ignited a storm of other social sites. Today these social sites are growing at an exponential rate and have changed the face of the Internet...forever.

Good news gets spread at a rapid pace, so does bad news!

In the past, when you received bad service or a crappy product, you were mad and maybe would tell 1-2 friends about it. Today, you can reach thousands and even hundreds of thousands with the push of a button.

Do you have a Facebook Page?

As of this time, Facebook has 175 million users and each user has an average of 120 friends.

If you really wanted to you could probably spread news to over 100,000+ people within hours. It would be hard to track, but we are so connected it is certainly possible.

Even Google is beginning to take notice of user generated content on these sites, so news gets spread quickly and becomes permanent!

Good Ole' adverting just isn't working as well as it used to

Slick advertising is becoming less and less effective. Why listen to a company talk about their product, when you can ask a friend? If you were researching a supplement, ads aren't going to give you real info.People have a voice online and that is good news for you and me. The good companies will thrive and the bad ones will wither away.

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The Law of ReciprocityThe Law of Reciprocity states "whatever you do will be returned back to you". This is how mankind has worked since day one. I am a firm believer in the "give first and give often" philosophy.

I'll take it a step further...

I believe that to really thrive online, one must give much more value than one expects in return. If a supplement doesn't help or work like it should and the customer paid money for that supplement, then that supplement company is headed for failure.

Too Much Yin and Not Enough Yang!

The supplement companies that thrive in the future are going to need to provide great value for the money. Exaggerated claims and fake models aren't going to cut it anymore.

There needs to be a balance between give and take. The Supplement Conspiracy was doomed from the start. The Universe never fails to achieve balance over time.

So the BIG Question is this..."Which Supplements Work?"

The whole point of this ebook is to help you understand which supplements are worth your money. You could read "biased" information from a magazine or website -OR- you could talk to the scientists who actually formulate and produce these supplements...

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Two Scientists Who Aren't Afraid to Talk

Before I introduce these two gentleman, I need to explain a couple of things. The first thing is that no actual supplement brand names will be mentioned. They also won't mention any supplement company names.

Introducing expert #1: Brad PilonBrad is best known for his groundbreaking online diet course, Eat Stop Eat . Many of you may recognize Brad, but what you may not know is that he worked for a number of years as Head of Research and Development for a large supplement company. He was involved in product development, designed formulas, designed patents, etc. This makes him a top notch expert when it comes to supplements and nutrition.

Introducing expert #2: John BarbanJohn is best known for his men’s online course on symmetry, The Adonis Effect . John is currently a director of R&D for a supplement company. He is a sought after expert on nutrition and supplementation and also does consulting work for many supplement companies. He has up-to-date insider knowledge that few posses.

This is NOT a pitch fest for a magical supplement!

Sometimes these so-called unbiased reports and interviews wind up being a promotion of a special supplement. This is nothing like that whatsoever. These guys give their honest view on every supplement question asked of them.

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The BIG Supplement Interview

How the Interview Was Constructed: Brad and John were interviewed separately. We agreed that it would be best if they would reply without hearing the other guy's answer. Then we would list their answers next to each other to compare.

This simple method worked out extremely well...

I liked the fact that both Brad and John could take their time and really think about the question before responding. I was going to do an audio interview, but decided against it.

This e-mail format allowed me to time to come up with better followup questions. With an audio, I tend to feel rushed.

The result is a report that lets you compare thought out replies between two scientists who have spent a large amount of time in the supplement industry. Enjoy!

Question #1: If someone eats a balanced diet, do they really "need" supplements. What I asking is this...is it possible to get all the nutrients someone needs from food alone.John: I don’t believe there is one perfect diet, or even what you could call a ‘balanced diet’ that can be recommended to all people across all cultures, even if we are only speaking of people in north America as an

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example. I would think the better way to say it would be as follows: In modern industrialized countries it is difficult to become nutrient deficient if you are living above the poverty line. Much of our food is fortified with nutrients to ensure we do not become nutrient deficient no matter how ‘bad’ or ‘unbalanced’ our diet seems to be. For example, you’ll notice that table salt is called “iodized” salt, this is because iodine deficiency used to be a major problem. The simplest and most effective way to get everyone to take enough iodine every day was to put it in with our salt and commonly consumed goods like bread, and this was adopted in the USA as far back as the 1920’s to ensure that iodine deficiency would be wiped out in industrialized countries. Just to put this into perspective as of 2003 the WHO (Word Health Organization) reported that there were still 1.9 billion people with insufficient daily iodine intake across the world. Take a moment and thank your lucky stars you’re not one of them.

So bringing this little story back full circle to answer your question. It is virtually impossible to become nutrient deficient in modern western countries no matter what you eat. Even if you think you eat a ‘bad’ or unbalanced diet, organizations like the WHO are way ahead of you. If you live in north America or any industrialized country, and you have at least a few dollars to spend on food in a day, you will most likely never become nutrient deficient no matter what you do.

If you have a specific goal you are after then maybe there is a supplement that can help you get there for example: Creatine to help build muscle.

We also have not taken into account genetic variability. In some rare cases people will find they don’t absorb a certain nutrient very well and supplementing it might help. But make note of the word I used, RARE cases. This is not that common, and requires extensive testing to determine.

In general you can eat what you like and not worry about nutrient

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deficiency.

Rusty (Follow-up): John…I have to be honest, I never considered the WHO. Do they have other nutritional standards that western countries must meet when producing a certain food. Where do people go to find out more info on the WHO’s role in the way we eat?

John: Most people in north America wouldn’t consider what the WHO is up to because as far as the WHO are concerned we don’t have any problems that are really difficult for them to solve. For example there are still millions of people around the world that are malnourished and can’t even get clean drinking water every day. Our problems aren’t so dire, our major problem is having too much to eat, kind of a nice problem to have compared to being so poor that clean water is an issue. If you want to learn more about the WHO you can go to this link http://www.who.int/en/ and browse around and see what’s going on in the world and with their organization, I’d bet you would be really surprised what is going on right now.

Brad: There are lots of examples around the world of people thriving without eating what we would consider the ‘traditional North American balanced diet’, so when people do eat with lots of variety I see little need for additional supplementation. Unless we are talking about people in a disease state, or possibly the nutritional needs of growing children, I see little reason why a fully gown adult human would absolutely NEED to supplement their diet, with the exception of convenience of lifestyle.

Rusty (Follow-up): Brad… I love nachos, pizza, hot wings, etc. I eat them every so often and feel great and stay lean year round. People assume that I eat nothing but salad and chicken breasts when they hear I have a fitness site. What are your thoughts on eating a variety of foods? Is it just fruits, veggies, and healthy fats and proteins –or- can people eat “normal” food in moderation and stay healthy.

Brad: I think ‘variety’ can include foods that North America doesn’t

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consider to be super healthy – pizza is a favorite example. Made properly, I think this can a be a food that fits easily into a life style of variety. The preoccupation we have in North America of criminalizing food is ridiculous. Good foods, bad foods...I mean...is a chocolate cupcake the Darth Vader of the food world? I’ve heard people say that it is ironic that the populations of the world who are most obsessed with healthy eating are also the ones who are quickly becoming the most obese and most plagued with chronic disease.

Often times the protective benefit of simply eating less trumps the effect of eating more ‘healthy foods’.

Question #2: What is your personal outlook on supplements. Do you think everyone should take them?John: I think it should be based on your personal goals. For example, if you want to put on as much muscle as possible it would make sense to take creatine. Creatine is well researched and shown to help increase muscle mass. The available research indicates it is very well tolerated, effective and safe for use. If your goal is muscle mass or strength, you’d be short changing yourself if you didn’t take creatine.

With that said, not all supplements are as well researched and as effective as creatine, and this is where the confusion about supplements come in. Even though two supplements can sit on a store shelf side by side, there is no guarantee that they have the same level of research supporting their efficacy and safety. So you really are left to the mercy of each supplement manufacturer hoping that they are honest people and won’t try to screw you. And I would say most big brands are doing their best to produce a quality product. After all, it is not in their best interest to make a product that makes all of their customers sick. It wouldn’t be long until they were out of business and being sued by everyone and their dog.

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Rusty (Follow-up): John…It sounds like creatine is a unanimous winner when it comes to gaining muscle. Back in the early 90’s when it exploded onto the scene it was popular to mix it with grape juice. What is your recommended approach to using creatine? Do people really need to load it for 5 days?

John: Loading isn’t necessary, you can just start taking one dose per day and you’ll see results after a week or two, loading might get you there a few days faster, but by the end of 3 or 4 weeks it won’t make any difference if you loaded or not. If you are going to load creatine you don’t need to do it for five days, you can get the same result just loading for 1-2 days tops and then drop down to one serving per day, five days of loading is total over kill and totally unnecessary.

Brad: No not at all. I think they are an industry that have grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade, and as they become bigger and more regulated their products will probably do very little harm, but for now there is always a small risk associated with supplements. As supplement companies become more and more profitable they have more and more money to spend on investigating new and novel ingredients that I believe are really beginning to touch on the realm of pharmaceuticals. Yet, despite this advanced technology they do not need to conduct pharma style phase trials, and do not need to do tetrogenicity or drug interaction studies prior to marketing their product (this is not to say that some companies don’t do this, just as this time, to the best of my knowledge it is not required). The bottom line is I think it is only a matter of time before one of them stumbles upon something very potent that could possibly have very dangerous side effects.

Rusty (Follow-up): Brad & John…I heard a rumor a few years back that the FDA was going to regulate all supplements like pharmaceuticals. It takes years for a drug companies to get a drug approved, do you think anything similar will happen in the supplement industry? Do you believe that legislation will tighten up at all when it comes to supplements?

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Brad: I hope so, but I have my doubts. Firstly, the supplement industry has some very effective lobbyist groups working for them. Secondly, with the exception of the ephedrine scare, supplements haven’t really hurt too many people. Sure, there is the empty promises and hit to your wallet, but to my knowledge its not like they are killing hundreds of thousands of people. The sad thing is that regulation would make the industry better. I know with 100% certainty that many of the big companies already have excellent safety assurance and quality assurance programs in place. They could easily survive in a more regulated climate. It’s the small “look what we made in Jim’s basement” companies that wouldn't survive – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

John: Trying to predict what the government is going to do in this area is tough. I don’t expect them to regulate them as strictly as drug simply because most of them aren’t anywhere near as effective as drugs and therefore the demand just isn’t there. My guess is that the few products that show true drug like effects will get regulated on a case by case basis and perhaps get removed from the supplement category and moved into the drug category of regulation. The rest of the products that don’t seem to do much but are also basically benign will remain in the obscure category of dietary supplement, not a food, not a drug.

Question #3: Here is a scenario: Let's say I eat a well balanced diet, but also have a monthly budget left over for supplements...

$200 and want to drop 30 pounds. How do I spend this money each month?

John: First I would start by doing some background research on products that are promoted to help with fat loss. Then decide if you think any of them fit with your lifestyle, medical history, goals etc. Then

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gather some information from your local supplement store on the ones that sell best, ask about customer feedback on which ones people seem to like. Also as the store clerk for the ones to stay away from and see what they say. From there you can make a semi informed decision on what you might want to take. If you wanted to spend the whole $200 they will find $200 of stuff in the store to sell you. You could walk out of there with a fat burner, an appetite suppressant, protein powders, protein bars, etc etc…

A typical fat burner/appetite suppressant capsule product won’t be more than $50/month. After that I can’t really think of what else you would want to take to help with weight loss. You’ll probably end up with a protein powder as well to make smoothies with. Some people really like doing this as way to cut down on calories. They replace one bigger higher calorie meal per day, with a lower calorie protein smoothie. A good protein powder will probably run you about $40/month.

So I don’t see any way to really spend $200/month on a weight loss supplements. You and I both know the rest of your weight loss will come from eating less food and a good workout program.

Brad: Books, night classes and martial arts class. Anything to keep you busy and not thinking about food.

Rusty (Follow-up): So, It sounds like less food is the answer…and possibly some Meal Replacement Powders as a way to reduce daily calories. The fat burner is just the “icing on the cake”, the big results come from eating less calories with a strategic workout.

John: Less food is always the answer. The trick is finding a way to do it.

$200 and want to gain 10 pounds of muscle. How do I spend this money each month?

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John: Creatine is the best muscle builder by far, and it’s cheap. 1000grams of creatine monohydrate will probably only run you $50. That’ll last you months. After that you might look into some protein, and maybe some glutamine. I can’t point to any research that proves glutamine or protein helps with muscle building, but guys still seem to want to take them. You’ll most likely be given a sales pitch for some sort of “nitric oxide” stimulating product as well as branched chain amino acids and testosterone boosters. For true scientifically proven effectiveness for muscle building I can only recommend creatine. There is one other testosterone boosting ingredient that has got some recent research showing it might actually boost testosterone so that might be a product worth trying out, but then you’re getting into hormone manipulation that some people might not be comfortable experimenting with. On top of that, just because it might boost testosterone there is no evidence that it will cause an increase in muscle mass the way creatine does.

So for muscle building I think creatine approx $25/month, some protein $40/month, glutamine if you like $40/month, and testosterone booster approx $60/month.

Rusty (Follow-up): John…So really, someone could just invest in creatine and make sure they get enough protein from food or adding in a good protein powder. That sounds like an affordable solution, since creatine only costs $25 per month. For someone who wanted to gain muscle, without adding a bunch of fat…what would you suggest their protein intake be? I hear so many different answers, but what do you think is a good starting point?

John: Most people in north America already eat more than enough protein for muscle building so chasing some mythical amount of protein in hopes that you will build more muscle isn’t a smart investment of your energy. I just finished editing Brad’s new book on this very topic. The book is called “How Much Protein” and it’s the definitive answer about protein and muscle building.

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Brad: Take the 200 dollars and give it to the biggest guy in the gym. Tell him all you want to do is train with him for the month. Try to lift the same weight as him. Become as competitive as possible. Strive to beat him in a lift. Imagine there are millions of people watching the two of you in competition and YOU are the underdog. Do everything you can to keep up and eventually best his lifts. It will be the best 200 you will ever spend.

Rusty (Follow-up): Brad…That is funny, but competition certainly is a great motivator. It also never hurts to workout with someone one step ahead of you. A related question…after the workout is complete, do you recommend a post workout shake or anything of that nature for someone looking to add size? The common advice is a fast absorbing protein shake after working out and then a well balanced meal an hour after that. I used to drink Nestle Quick mixed with non-fat milk after working out when I was younger and it worked well.

Brad: I’m just not sold on the whole post workout nutrition idea. Sure it has been shown to transiently increase markers of protein synthesis through measurement of surrogate endpoints...but what the hell does that mean? It’s also been shown to reduce protein breakdown and free radical production and possibly cortisol – but how do we know these are not necessarily components of the muscle building adaptation? Lastly, we’ve seen that you can increase the size and weight of muscle by taking creatine after your workout, and creatine supplies no known nutrient value, so muscles CAN grow without immediate post-workout calories. The timing story is interesting, but the panic-driven need to eat right after your workout otherwise you will get ZERO results seems to be driven more by marketing than logic.

Question #4: Let's say I am just interested in getting all my vitamins and minerals. What do I look for in a multi-vitamin?

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John: I’d say take a multi that is in capsules instead of tablets. That’ll ensure you at least can absorb all of them. Tables are pressed together and have binders to hold them together. There is some research to indicate that you may not absorb everything that is in a tablet before you end up excreting some of it. But like I said before, it’s difficult to become nutrient deficient in north America anyway, so I would view a multi vitamin as an insurance policy or icing on the cake.

You could also look at a multi vitamin that has something extra added to it so at least you’re getting something else in there.

Brad: Avoid mega dose multi-vitamins. Especially the ones with super high doses of the fat soluble vitamins A and E. Look for a vitamin that is formulated in-line with the recommendations of the national academy of sciences, and not one that simply tried to put 100% or more of everything into their formula.

Rusty (Follow-up): So if the label says 200% of the Recommended Daily Allowances, is that a bad thing?

John: It might not be bad per se, but it’s unnecessary. Mega dosing vitamins and minerals hasn’t proven to do much of anything as far as promoting any health related outcomes. Vitamins and minerals can also be overdosed to a point where they have negative consequences. Most if not all people in north America should be able to get all of their vitamins and minerals from their diet. If for some reason you still feel like you need a multivitamin supplement then I’d say take one that is at 100% RDA or lower.

Brad: I just don’t see the value, and depending on the nutrient in question, see more risk than reward. There are a lot of things in life (and especially diet and nutrition) where the rule of “more is better” fails us..so micronutrients are possibly no different.

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Question #5: I got the audio cassette tape (showing my age) a while back called "Dead Doctors Don't Lie". Is it true that many vitamins in pill format don't get digested in the stomach?

John: Like I said above, tablets are pressed and use binders to hold them together so there is the potential that they are not fully absorbed, capsules break down very quickly and the full dose is readily available to be absorbed in your system.

Brad: Completely depends on the the way the vitamin tablet was pressed, and the coating and binders that are used in the manufacture of the pills. We’ve become very good at drug delivery over the last five years. If they are using the right technology, this is no longer an issue.

Rusty (Follow-up): So the bigger more reputable companies will most likely have a product that is absorbed well? Here is a related question about the same tape “Dead Doctor’s Don’t Lie”. This gentleman mentioned that our soil is depleted of minerals, so the vegetables we are eating now have only about 20% of what they did 50-60 years ago. Any truth to that?

John: That is a broad generalization he is making. Without doing the background research on all of this my guess is that there is a grain of truth to this statement but it doesn’t apply to all soils everywhere on earth. Even if this statement was proven to be true across the board for food grown in all corners of the earth we would still need to do research measuring if this has any effect n people at all. Our population as a whole is healthier and living longer than it ever has, so my completely unscientific guess is that it’s not that big of a deal at the moment.

Brad: I wouldn’t go as far as to say the ‘bigger more reputable companies’ have products that always absorb well. It’s only the companies using the right technologies. Being bigger doesn’t always

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mean your better. As for the soil question. Really, I have no clue, but more importantly it obviously would have to vary by geographic location...so it surely can’t be right everywhere.

Question #6: Does bright colored urine mean that the nutrients aren't getting absorbed into the system?

John: It means the opposite. Anything that ends up in your urine would get there through the filtering process of your kidneys. This means it was in your bloodstream first, then filtered through your kidneys, then ends up in your urine.

Brad: You know, off the top of my head I honestly do not know.

Question #7: Are some substances unstable in liquid form?

John: That is a pretty vague question. I’m assuming you are referring to creatine as there is a marketing angle that some manufacturers take that states creatine is unstable in liquid form and breaks down to a useless byproduct. This is however a half truth so to speak. In order for creatine to breakdown to its inert by product creatinine it needs to be in a very acidic liquid at a very high temperature. I highly doubt this is how you are storing your creatine so it is not an issue unless you routinely store your creatine in boiling cups of acid!

In other words, putting creatine in a cup of water or juice and leaving it there for a week will not have any significant effect on it because it is not hot enough or acidic enough to really break the creatine down. And let me make it clear that the liquid must be both hot AND acidic at the same time for it to break down, of both conditions aren’t present the creatine will be fine.

Brad: Absolutely. When you break food down to its chemical

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components they all have their own unique heat sensitivity, light sensitivity PH sensitively, some can even be degraded by agitation or nutrient-nutrient interactions. It’s not as simple as everybody seems to think.

Rusty (Follow-up): Brad, John…Are there any products on the market you can think of right now that are sold in liquid form that you would avoid?

John: I’ve never purchased any supplement in a liquid form. So I guess you could say I avoid them all, but I’ve never gone looking for one either…does that answer your question or just make it more confusing? The only supplement I take is creatine and it is a powder form.

Brad: The clear whey protein drinks. It takes a huge amount of phosphoric acid and malic acid to keep the protein in suspension (that’s what gives it that crazy dry aftertaste)...just not something I am comfortable with. If you need to drink a ready to drink protein, I’d stick with the milk based ones until the technology gets a little better.

Question #8: I'm going to list the top selling products on the biggest supplement selling site online. I won't give out specific product names. I will also just list each type of product just once, so if one product is listed as number 1 and number 7, I will only list that one first. Can you give us a 1-2 sentence comment on each product...whether you think it is good, neutral, or not worth the money?

*Brad: I’m assuming for all of these we are talking about fully grown adults, who are training but are no longer growing. If we are talking people in their teens or early twenties then its a whole different ball game, but for adults these are my answers.

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Whey Protein

John: If you want to buy protein whey is a good option. Look for a product that has some isolate as well as concentrate in it. Also pay attention to the number of grams of protein per scoop compared to the total grams in a scoop. If it comes out to 80% protein or higher then you know you’ve got a good product.

Brad: The flavor systems are getting better all the time, as are their dispersability and mouth feel. If you want a milk shake that is low in calories then whey protein shakes are your best bet.

Rusty (Follow-up): I have heard of recipes where people mix whey protein powder into their cake mix, make pancakes with it, etc. Does it still keep the same nutritional properties when cooked?

John: Yup. Cooking whey protein doesn’t change its nutritional properties. For example cooking a piece of chicken doesn’t change the amount or quality of the protein, it just kills off bacteria so you won’t get sick eating it. Oh and cooked chicken tends to taste better than raw!

Brad: Yep, just like cooking eggs, it may change the way it looks...but you still digest it and you still absorb it.

Nitric Oxide Product

John: There is no scientific evidence that these products do anything as far as muscle building. These products are based on an effect seen in cardiac patients and then extrapolated to muscle building. The research is taken completely out of context, don’t waste your money. Brad: Depends. In my opinion unless they contain creatine I wouldn’t bother.

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Rusty (Follow-up): I always thought this product was questionable. It is hyped pretty hard right now.

John: Yes they are hyped because there hasn’t been a true innovative breakthrough muscle building product since creatine monohydrate over 15 years ago. The supplement industry is just grasping onto anything marketing story it can to sell something new. And the nitric oxide story is a good one, unfortunately the research shows that it doesn’t do anything. That is why nitric oxide products are becoming combination products mixed with creatine as Brad mentioned. By mixing the two products together supplement manufacturers know the creatine will give the customers some real muscle building effects but they can charge more than regular creatine because they’ve also added the nitric oxide boosters in there.

Milk Based Protein Powder (supposedly replicated mother's milk)

John: No magic to these compared to whey protein. Whey protein is also a milk based protein. If you like the taste of these proteins go ahead and use them, but don’t spend any extra money because they say it is like mothers milk.

Brad: Getting awfully close to just taking apart milk and putting it back together gain. Take milk, break it down to whey, casein, lactose and fat. Add whey, casein, fat and a little bit of the lactose back together. Add special ingredients. Create 70% profit margin on ‘new improved’ whole milk. In my opinion I just don’t see this being much different than whey. I can’t imagine a person would see massive gains in their muscle mass Simply by switching to this kind of shake.

Rusty: Good to know! I think they do charge quite a bit more for this type of protein.

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A Vitamin "Pack" (Vitamins, Minerals, EFA's and Aminos - 11 tablets per pack)

John: I can’t say there is anything inherently wrong or dangerous or unsafe with these products, but I can’t really justify why you would take so much stuff without a good reason. So I guess I would say these mega packs fall into the ‘don’t waste your money’ category.

Brad: I’m on the fence with this one. It really depends on who we are talking about and what the exact formula is..neutral

Rusty (Follow-up): Brad’s answer reminded me of another question to ask. Does a high level Olympic athlete need more vitamins and minerals than a somewhat active adult. I realize that the calorie requirements would be different, but what about the RDA for the basic vitamins and minerals?

John: A high level athlete probably does need a bit more vitamins and minerals because they are simply using up resources faster. But only a BIT more, and this can usually be taken care of by more food or a simple multivitamin, I just don’t see the necessity for a huge pack.

Brad: Really depends on the athlete, the type of activity, etc. This level of athlete at this time in their career is much different than the rest of the population..probably in the top 1% of the world in terms of human performance and nutritional needs. So while these people may need a different nutrient intake, remember that unless someone has said “You know, you might just win gold” to you in the last six months, this is not a reason to think you need more vitamins and minerals just because you are working out hard.

A Whey - Casein - Milk - Egg Protein Powder

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John: Same rules apply for these as the whey or milk protein. Make sure you’re getting a high dose per serving (at or above 80% protein per serving) and, then just go on taste and well it mixes.

Brad: Add in some flour and you have pancake mix. Again, it’s no different than whey protein..or whey protein is no different than this. I still do not think you will see any difference between this or whey.

Rusty (Follow-up): It sounds like the supplement companies work hard advertising the differences of their “whey based protein” to sell it as a superior protein but in reality the differences are negligible. Am I on the right track?

John: Yup. Whey protein as well as the other dairy based protein are all good. If you’re going to use one I would just go for one that mixes well and tastes good. Casein protein seems to taste better because it tends to mix up a bit thicker and creamier than whey but a certain portion of the population is allergic to casein and will get an upset stomach from it. If you’ve tried casein and it gave you indigestion then you might want to try whey protein as most people can handle whey without an issue.

Brad: I would hazard a guess that the difference in your physique will not be remarkable by any stretch of the imagination.

Fat Loss Liquid Capsule (Guggulsterones Z&E, Yohimbine HCL, Caffeine Anhydrous USP)

John: I can’t see a reason why guggulsterones will do much for fat loss. Yohimbine and caffeine will definitely give you a buzz and can kill your appetite for a bit. So I’d say if you’re looking for a stimulant caffeine, yohimbine and ephedrine are still the best.

Rusty (Follow-up): John...the ephedrine and caffeine stack does work well. This is pretty controversial because people claim it is dangerous.

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What are your thoughts?

John: Ephedrine is one of the most well researched ‘supplements’ out there. The controversy comes in when you mix in politics, insurance companies and health risks and side effects. I’ll try to make this example as simple as possible. Many people who are overweight or obese and interested in losing weight probably have some degree of hypertension (high blood pressure) and a higher heart rate which puts them at a higher risk for a heart attack. These people might want to take ephedrine to help them lose weight, but the side effects of ephedrine are high blood pressure and increased heart rate! So you end up in a catch 22. The people who are most interested in taking ephedrine to help them lose weight are the same people who should never take ephedrine because of its side effects. Now I’m sure you can imagine how easy it was for lawyers to sue companies who were marketing ephedrine as a weight loss supplement to overweight and obese people. It was the constant lawsuits over ephedrine that got it pulled off the market. As a matter of fact, most companies that sold ephedrine pulled their products off the market before the government ever banned it simply because their insurance companies couldn’t afford to insure it anymore.

Brad: The plus is it’s cheaper than a month worth of GrandeAmericanos from Starbucks. The negative is in my opinion theeffectiveness would be about the same. I just can’t imagine anyonelosing 50 pounds of fat just by taking a pill.

Rusty (Follow-up): Brad, good call on the diet pills these days. Since they don’t contain ephedrine anymore aren’t they just basically a jacked up version of caffeine?

Brad: Caffeine and green tea are the main components in the vast majority of supplements on the market right now. Sure, they will all have their own unique ingredient...or their own DOZEN unique ingredients, but for most of them, caffeine is where the kick comes from.

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Creatine Fruit Punch

John: Creatine is creatine, this is just a version mixed with flavoring, nothing special, but it drives your cost per dose up. I say stick with a basic creatine.

Brad: I have no problems with creatine, you could probably skip the fruit and the punch.

Rusty (Follow-up): So no benefits to the creatine being absorbed with a simple sugar? In the early 90’s I remember the guys going out and buying grape juice and mixing it with creatine.

John: Creatine monohydrate absorbs fine without anything added to it. Adding sugars to help with absorption was an interesting idea but not worth the extra calories. Even if it did help a bit with absorption you would probably just get super fat from consuming all of that extra sugar.

Brad: The research clearly shows that if you can get your insulin up into the supraphysiological range (higher than is physiologically normal) then it will speed up creatine update into the muscle. Of course, this typically takes more than 100 grams of glucose. To me this is just a little on the scary side, and definitely on the unneeded side.

Chromium Picolinate

John: I can’t come up with any reason to recommend this ingredient to anyone for any reason. It’ll be marketed for insulin mimicking properties and absorption enhancing properties, even muscle gaining, but there is little research to show it can do any of this. I would put this in the ‘don’t waste your money category’

Brad: It’s not the 1990 anymore. Bel Biv Devoe aren’t making top ten

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hits, the 49’ers aren’t super bowl champs and Chromium isn’t cool anymore...let it die.

Rusty (Follow-up): So no need for anyone to buy this, which is what I thought. I’m a Seattle guy and back in the early 90’s I’m sure Bel Biv Devoe wasn’t even allowed to be played in the city. It was nothing but Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Primus, The Presidents, etc. Good place to be in the 90’s for live music!

John: Definitely a good time and place for music. I’ve seen Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains in concert and I went to lollapalooza the year Nirvana was headlining but unfortunately by the time the tour got to our city Cobain had already decided he’d had enough of this world. The Smashing Pumpkins and Beastie Boys ended up headlining the show, it was still awesome.

Brad: Ok, so we have clearly illustrated that Seattle Washington has given the world better music than Burlington Ontario. No surprise there (However, we did give you finger eleven). You also gave us the movie “singles”, whereas we gave you some scenes from the first X-men movie, so I’d consider this one a draw.

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Thanks to Brad and John

I'd like to thank Brad and John again for taking their time to write detailed answers to these questions. It is obvious that they are experts when it comes to all aspects of diet and nutrition.

These are two “stand up” guys that I've quickly grown to respect in the short time I've known them. This Interview is just a small snapshot of their teaching style. If you want to learn more from these guys, here are the links to their sites.

Eat Stop Eat – Brad's Pilon's breakthrough course on flexible Intermittent Fasting for rapid weight loss.

The Adonis Effect – John Barban's course for men on how to attain the sleek and lean, perfectly-proportioned physique.

Hope you enjoyed this report!

Cheers,

Rusty MooreVisual Impact Muscle Building

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Edizione in Lingua Italiana