Increase IGF-1 – Increase Muscle Mass

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Q: What is IGF-1?

A: Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is almost immediately converted by the liver into the powerful growth-promoting hormone IGF-1 (insulin-like-growth-factor-1) . IGF-1 binds to the IGF receptors within the cells. It is a highly anabolic and anti-catabolic compound. IGF-1 is the channel through which other hormones and anabolic agents must pass before they can achieve their positive effect on muscle tissue.

 

Q: How can I increase IGF-1 without injections?

A: There are many ways to increasing the bio-availability of IGF-1.

1) Perform high intensity exercise

2) Keep your weight training sessions under 1-hour

3) Avoid high fat meals before exercise – This can minimize growth factor response.

4)  Use creatine -  It significantly increases the bio-availability of IGF-1.

5) Consume a protein supplement during a strength and conditioning program -  This significantly increases IGF-I concentrations.

 

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Dropping Water

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Jon-Carlo Astorina

Contributing Writer

Dropping Water

 

Where did this whole notion of needing to drop water come from? The idea was most likely born to bodybuilders that take performance enhancing drugs. Steroids are known to exert what is known as Mineralcorticoid Activity. A Mineralcorticoid is “any of a group of steroid hormones that are secreted by the adrenal cortex and regulate the balance of water and electrolytes in the body.” A major Mineralcorticoid is Aldosterone, a hormone that promotes the “retention of sodium and bicarbonate, the excretion of potassium and hydrogen ions, and the secondary retention of water.” In English, this means that the amount of sodium absorbed by the kidney is increased. With sodium comes water!

The common trend when cutting water is to take a diuretic or some other designer product to help the body “dispose” of water. The problem is that it is not possible to specifically target where the water comes from. Whatever product you take to expel the water will take water from the body in a general sense, taking from within the muscle and outside of the muscle. Reducing water inside the muscle actually results in an increase in Aldosterone. Those that practice water depletion also tend to cut and manipulate sodium, yet another factor that results in increased Aldosterone. Without adequate water and sodium, the pressure in the vascular system will be so low that you will be hard pressed to be vascular on stage. Sodium plays a larger role, however. When you enter a sodium deficiency, your body is unable to maintain and distribute fluid in the body. Proper nerve and muscle function depend on adequate sodium levels, as does the pH level of the body.

The elimination of sodium also affects the carb load that bodybuilders practice in the final week before the show. The glucose transporter in the small intestine is sodium dependent. Low sodium decreases the uptake of glucose into the muscle. If you cut sodium, what you end up with is a flat look and more water where you don’t want it.

Water manipulation is not going to make or break your performance on show day. If you execute and follow a strict and appropriate diet, you will enter the week of the show already looking dry, grainy, vascular, full, and solid! A serious and committed competitor will allow himself enough time to diet and prepare for a competition. If you are not stage ready two weeks before the show, there is nothing you can do to reverse that problem. If you are natural and this is your plan as you enter the final weeks of prep, you most likely aren’t lean enough.

 

 

  Bodybuilding Accomplishments:

 2011 ABA Natural Illinois Bodybuilding, Fitness, and Figure Championships
2nd Place Novice Short Class
3rd Place Open Short Class

2011 NGA Heart of America Natural Classic
1st Place Novice Lightweight
1st Place Open Lightweight
1st Place OVERALL NOVICE

2011 NANBF Probody Solutions Natural
1st Place Open Short Class

2011 NGA Titan Classic
OVERALL OPEN MEN WINNER – PRO CARD AWARDED

 2012 NGA Heart of America Natural Classic

3rd Place Professional

 

Jon-Carlo Astorina is a Team JBT Athlete

See More: http://www.nationalgym.com/

 

 

 

 

BIO:

 

JC was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. He now resides in Bloomington, IL and works as a private detective for a prominent PI firm out of Chicago. JC studied Criminal Justice at Illinois State University. He is married with four children. Besides his family, JC’s greatest passion in life is bodybuilding and fitness – a hobby he picked up in college.

JC has been bodybuilding for roughly four years and started competing in 2011. He has a short but impressive competitive resume. To date he has competed in five drug tested bodybuilding competitions, earning his Pro Card in August, 2011. He is recognized as a Professional Natural Bodybuilder by the National Gym Association (NGA).

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Bodybuilding Tidbits Of The Day

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Bodybuilding Tidbits Of The Day 

1) You need to stay well hydrated, but how much should you drink?
(Body weight in kg) x .024. = liters/day. Convert from pounds below – http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/converter.asp

2) To make sure you have healthy dinners each night, prepare food for the week on Sunday and freeze them. To defrost & reheat food is easy.

3) Edamame is a complete protein. 1 cup serving has 189 cal, 8g of fat, 17g of carbs, 8g of fiber and 17g of protein. Steam it over boiling it.

4) If you have a desk job, try to stand at your desk when/if you can. Standing burns nearly 2x the calories as sitting does.

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Reverse Dieting

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Jon-Carlo Astorina

Contributing Writer

Reverse Dieting

 

Reverse dieting is the transition from a cutting diet to a “bulking” diet. Where fat loss was initially the goal, the pursuit of new muscle takes its place. Contrary to popular belief, a growth or “bulking” phase is not an all you can eat buffet. The same dieting principles still apply, only at different macronutrient and caloric ratios.

Reverse dieting is a method commonly used by bodybuilders and other fitness competitors after the completion of a competition in which several months of strict dieting was implemented. The idea is to slowly increase your caloric load so as to not put your body in a state that will promote fat gain. If you were to resume “normal’ eating after a long dieting stretch, your body will most likely respond in a way that will cause more fat to be stored than the creation of new muscle.

A good start to reverse dieting is to increase by calories by about 250-300 calories per day, per peek. For me, and probably many other competitive athletes, this is roughly the caloric load of one small contest prep meal. This means that you are essentially adding another meal to your contest prep diet, but it can, of course, come in the form of larger portions and/or different macro rations (more carbs!).

This could literally be the addition of some oatmeal and fruit to your diet, or a little splurge on a piece of pizza. If you really want to maintain your physique, you will err on the side of caution and keep it “clean.” Some, but definitely not all, do not have the type of strength required to say no the pop tarts, bagels, donuts, pizza and burgers. I know I don’t, and I don’t pretend to either.

You want to keep an increase of about 300 calories per week until you start to notice an increase in weight. Once you stall, you start the process again, adding anywhere from an additional 100-300 calories per day until you notice an increase.

 

 

 Bodybuilding Accomplishments:

 2011 ABA Natural Illinois Bodybuilding, Fitness, and Figure Championships
2nd Place Novice Short Class
3rd Place Open Short Class

2011 NGA Heart of America Natural Classic
1st Place Novice Lightweight
1st Place Open Lightweight
1st Place OVERALL NOVICE

2011 NANBF Probody Solutions Natural
1st Place Open Short Class

2011 NGA Titan Classic
OVERALL OPEN MEN WINNER – PRO CARD AWARDED

 2012 NGA Heart of America Natural Classic

3rd Place Professional

 

Jon-Carlo Astorina is a Team JBT Athlete

See More: http://www.nationalgym.com/

 

 

 

 

BIO:

 

JC was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. He now resides in Bloomington, IL and works as a private detective for a prominent PI firm out of Chicago. JC studied Criminal Justice at Illinois State University. He is married with four children. Besides his family, JC’s greatest passion in life is bodybuilding and fitness – a hobby he picked up in college.

JC has been bodybuilding for roughly four years and started competing in 2011. He has a short but impressive competitive resume. To date he has competed in five drug tested bodybuilding competitions, earning his Pro Card in August, 2011. He is recognized as a Professional Natural Bodybuilder by the National Gym Association (NGA).

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Bodybuilding Tidbits Of The Day

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Bodybuilding Tidbits Of The Day 

1) Aim for 1,200 mg of calcium per day. For better absorption, don’t consume all at once. This can help you strengthen bones and lose weight.

2) Be sure to eat high-protein meals. Aside from building muscle, the amino tyrosine, creates norepinephrine which boosts energy and alertness.

3) Eating more cooked, mixed vegetables can reduce the risk of arthritis. Heat breaks down the veggie’s cell wall, allowing better absorption.

4) Cereals can be a real physique killer with all the sugar they pack per serving. Anything with “ose”, “clusters” or “crunch” means sugar.

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Healthy Chicken Fajita

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(All fat burning recipes contain less than 300 calories)

 

Ingredients:

marinade:
1 T. tabasco sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. honey
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into strips
1 green bell pepper sliced into strips
1 vidallia onion, sliced into strips
4 whole wheat low carb tortillas
2 tomatoes, diced
4 oz. low fat cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

Mix together all marinade ingredients in a pie plate or bowl. Add chicken strips and turn to coat. Let sit for at least 10 min.

Meanwhile, get your pepper and onion washed and sliced into strips. Dice your tomatoes.

Heat olive oil in a large pan or wok. Stir-fry chicken until cooked through. Remove from pan and add pepper strips and onion strips. Stir fry until cooked to your preference.  Add chicken back into the veggies and mix.

Serve 1/4 of the mixture rolled in a low carb tortilla with 1/4 of shredded cheese and 1/4 of the diced tomatoes.

Servings: 4

This meal contains 250.3 calories, 11.6g of fat, 25.3 g of carbs, 10.9g of fiber and 21.8 g of protein.

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Pack On Mass To Your Deltoids

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Pack On Mass To Your Deltoids

Developing cannon ball sized delts is challenging.  The following are some of the best exercises to really pack on mass to your deltoids.

1. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

This exercises is one of the better exercises for building mass to the shoulders. With this exercise, you can continue to add weight week after week. You also have the benefit of training each side evenly. Unlike a barbell, where your dominant side can do more of the work, it keeps your strength even. With the palms facing forward, the emphasis is on the lateral head and with palms facing each other, the anterior deltoid does most of the work.

2. Seated Barbell Military Press

Like the dumbbell press, this exercise packs on muscle to the shoulders. The emphasis is on the anterior and lateral deltoids, as well as the trapezius, upper pecs and triceps. With a barbell you can handle heavier loads, just remember to mentally focus on your weaker side to keep your strength as even as possible. To lower your risk of shoulder injury, use a shoulder-width grip.

3. Upright Barbell Rows

This exercises is a great strength and mass building exercise for your deltoids. The majority of the stress is on the lateral head of the deltoid, trapezius and secondarily, the anterior deltoid, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and teres minor (muscles of the rotator cuff). To fire more trapezius fibers, take a narrow-grip and bring your elbows past shoulder height. To put more emphases on the deltoids, use a wider grip. With each repetition,  at the top of the motion, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Avoid injury by using control and not swinging the weight up.

4. Push Ups

Even though the primary muscle worked is your pectoralis major, your anterior and medial deltoids assist the chest (and triceps) in pressing your body weight back up from the ground.

Perform these exercises each week and watch your deltoids increase in serious mass.

 

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Bodybuilding Tidbits Of The Day

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Bodybuilding Tidbits Of The Day 

1) Opt for frozen veggies when you can. They are frozen within a few hours of harvest and can actually contain more nutrients than fresh ones.

2) All nuts have many health benefits, but pecans contain the highest antioxidant level, with walnuts being a close second.

3) If dinning at PF Chang’s, opt for Chang’s Spicy Chicken over Asian Grilled Salmon. Chang’s Spicy Chicken has 323 calories and 13 grams of fat to Asian Grilled Salmon’s 734 calories and 32 grams of fat.

4) If dinning at Olive Garden, opt for Venetian Apricot Chicken (VAC) over Fettuccine Alfredo (FA). VAC has 380 calories and 4 grams of fat to 1,220 calories and 75 grams of fat for FA.

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Cilantro-Lime Flank Steak Salad

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 (All Bodybuilding Recipes are 300 calories or more)

http://jbtlabs.com/bodybuilding/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/most-muscular-275x300.jpg

 

Ingredients:

Dressing and marinade:
Zest and juice of 3 limes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Pinch cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

 Steak:
16 ounces flank steak, visible fat trimmed

Salad:
1 cup whole-wheat Israeli style couscous
1 medium red onion, chopped, (about 1 cup)
16 cherry tomatoes, halved (about 1/2 pint)
1/2 large cucumber chopped (about 2 cups)
4 cups arugula

Directions:

Pierce the steak several times with a fork.
Combine 1/4 cup lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, and black pepper in a small bowl.
Pour half the mixture into another small bowl. Add the lime zest, soy sauce, and garlic to one bowl to create the steak marinade, and add the balsamic to the the other to make the dressing.
Pour the marinade into a heavy-duty zip-top bag and add the steak. Remove any excess air and seal the bag, making sure the meat is thoroughly coated with the marinade. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight.
Cover the dressing and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat.

At mealtime:
Prepare the couscous according to package directions.
Pour the dressing into a large mixing bowl, then add the onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and arugula and toss well. Add the prepared couscous to the bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Note: This can all be done ahead of time.)

Preheat the grill to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the meat from the refrigerator; allow to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes while the grill heats up.
Place the steak on the grill and cook for 7 minutes per side for medium.
Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 3 minutes so the juices can redistribute, then slice into thin strips against the grain.
Place two cups prepared salad onto each serving plate and top with 3 ounces cooked beef.

Servings: 4

 

This meal contains 361.4 calories, 10g of fat, 41g of carbs, 3.8g of fiber and 26.3g of protein

 

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