While its tempting to buy the hottest body building supplements on the market, its important to realize the underlying chemistry of these supplements and how that chemistry affects the body. While attempting to increase muscle size, these supplements might have surprising and unwanted side affects.

Water and creatine are excellent examples of why people need to pay attention to the chemical make-up of anything they might purchase First, consider the water molecule. Water is a truly amazing substance. Water can dissolve just about anything. Thats why living things require it in order to get the most out of their nutrition and biology.

Water is able to dissolve things because it binds with other chemicals. Water starts by breaking the molecular structure of compounds into ions or parts of a molecule. The ions, depending on their charges, will bind with either the oxygen or hydrogen in water. This changes the way water functions because the addition of other compounds can either help or hinder how water is absorbed in the body.

Creatine is another substance that bonds with just about anything. Creatine is composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. All of these elements are found in water, the body, and any nutrients that the body uses. While this can be helpful for providing increased energy and nutrition to muscles, it also will magnify the affect of anything lying around. In other words, if theres excess water in the system, the creatine can bring the water through the body in such a way as to cause bloating and other digestive discomfort.

If other supplements are in use such as steroids, hormones, proteins, and vitamins, creatine will magnify both the positive and negative affects of these substances. Therefore, its absolutely important to know the chemicals present in the supplements being used, but its also of equal importance to know what affects these supplements produce while in the body.

There are loads of supplements that will certainly increase muscle size. Two of the most dangerous supplements are steroids and hormones. Steroids are used to increase the growth of muscle.

These should be taken under the close supervision of a doctor, and theyre not recommended for recreational use. Steroids are best used for people with asthma and persons recovering from surgery and illness. Taken as a fitness supplement, steroids will yield bigger muscles. But theyll also yield changes in mood and temperament. As they bond with other substances, their affects may be seriously magnified or modified. This is also true for hormones.

Testosterone is most commonly associated with muscle growth. Its best not to take testosterone unless of a hormonal condition. Otherwise, testosterone will produce side affects such as changing vocal range, extra body hair, and uterine cancer in women.
In men, the bonding of testosterone to other compounds can create feminine hormones that will change the nature of the male reproductive system. Therefore, its important to be aware of the way in which these and other supplements affect the body.

Chemistry might bore most people to tears. But on the topic of body building supplements, its absolutely important to know the basic chemistry of these compounds and how theyll positively and negatively affect the body.

One of the single most frequent questions I hear is “what supplements should I take to build muscle/burn fat?” To that question I always answer with a question: “what does your training and nutrition look like?”

The blank looks I often receive in response tell me all I need to know. Many people view supplementation as the sole key to results…the golden ticket, magically unlocking the door to the body they want. They feel without supplements, that door just won’t open!

My view is different…

I use training and nutrition to rip open the door and supplements to help me step through it AFTER it’s open. Because the bottom line is, without proper training and nutrition to start with, the door to results WON’T be open and using supplements to try and get through it is going to be like pushing on a door marked “Pull.” Not going to happen.

I’m not writing this to bash supplements, believe me. I use supplements every single day and always will. I just want to be sure that YOU are getting only the supplements you need and NOT getting stuck with the supplements that you don’t.

*** That being said, I want to be clear that I am NOT a doctor or nutritionist – this is NOT medical advice and DO NOT go against what your doctor or nutritionist has recommended to you! ***

So here’s my common-sense, totally unglamorous approach to effective supplementation…

1. Start with the basics, no matter what your goal

If want to build muscle and you weigh 147 lbs soaking wet, you don’t need some ground-up reindeer toenail fungus from Siberia or some chemical that was discovered 15 minutes ago and has 7 consonants in a row in its name. You need to get yourself under the squat bar and pile some weight on it. Then you need to feed your body NUTRIENTS.

And if you want to lose fat, let me put it this way…if the soundtrack of your life sounds like “Flight of the Bumblebee” because you’re so hopped up on herbal stimulants, you’re NOT going to get the results you want. But a completely shot nervous system, yes.

So let’s boil it right down. You need to start with a good multivitamin. Cripes, even take a Flintstone multivitamin if that’s all you can get your hands on! If you’re not taking a multi, you are NOT giving your body what it needs for health, muscle growth OR fat loss.

Here’s something to chew on…most obese people are actually very malnourished! Sounds strange but it’s true. They’re not lacking in calories…what they’re lacking in is nutrients (like vitamins and minerals). But the foods they eat don’t contain the nutrients that they need so their bodies tell them they need more food. And they eat more food. And they get fat.

If you want muscle, your body NEEDS those nutrients to even build muscle in the first place! Set the protein aside for a minute. Your body needs vitamins and minerals to actually USE that protein to build muscle.

Give your body a decent amount of nutrients in the form of a multivitamin and it’ll pay off. And don’t give me that garbage about having “expensive urine.” I think my urine is worth it. I’d rather have “expensive urine” now than have “astronomically expensive urine” later caused by the drugs needed to make up for the textbooks full of disorders caused by chronic malnutrition.

I ask you, what’s more expensive…a $10 bottle of Flintstone vitamins now or a $90 pill to make up for bone loss later.

In this category, I would also include a “greens” supplement. These are available at all health food and supplement stores. Basically, they take healthy foods (like barley and wheat grass) and turn them into a powder so you get all the nutrients without having to eat the food itself. This is concentrated nutrition and VERY good to take.

2. Protein is key but don’t get nuts about it

You need protein to build muscle. It’s just that simple. Protein is the basic building block of muscle tissue. I supplement with protein every day. But what I DON’T do is buy protein that’s full of isolated fractions of this and “enhanced” with micrograms of that.

Sure, those fancy protein powders are backed by research and all that, but in the real world, it comes back to training and nutrition. The people I see buying those expensive proteins are often the ones stopping off at McDonald’s on the way to supplement store or repping out on the pec deck machine for countless sets!

In order for your body to really make use

Does your body look like a toned one? What do you see as reflected in your body? Is it full of fats or muscles? If your muscles are hidden, it is an indication that you have excessive fat. Unless you get rid of fats, you cannot work on your muscles. The ideas provided in this article are applicable to both men and women.

When the measure of your body fat is found to be excessive, the best way to achieve your objective in having a well-conditioned body is to first remove the fat from your body and control it by doing the following activities to shape up and define your body:

1. Indoor and outdoor exercises – These exercises help improve the body’s ability to burn fat and they have a positive effect on the body metabolism. The outdoor exercises can be in the form of: walking, slow jogging, cycling, or mountain hiking. Indoor exercises can be in the form of: stationary bicycle, rowing machine, treadmill, stair climbing and home aerobic activities.

2. Fitness training or workout in gyms – If you cannot afford to buy the stationary bike, the rowing machine or treadmill, you can visit a gym near you to get the chance of using these machines and do body building work outs. The gym people will assist you how to operate the exercising machines and provide tips on physical fitness. Recently, a new body toning machine was introduced in the market. The use of the machine is to transmit vibration to the muscles and produce contraction. It is not only useful in toning the body but also useful in rehabilitating injured patients and athletes’ strength training. The use of the new machine is highly recommended by health and physical fitness experts and doctors. So if you are planning to buy one, consider this particular machine. It is important to note that slow exercise burns off more fat than intense exercises.

3. Weight lifting/body building – This type of activity increases the amount of muscle allowing the body to use more calories. Also, it improves posture and attitude because physical strength improves emotional strengths. In the same way, it also primes deep muscle levels to increase the muscles involved in an aerobic exercise. Lastly, it changes the shape of the body and enhances the curves.

4. Eating a balanced diet and intake of supplements – Eating may often cause you to accumulate more calories and fats but to have a balanced diet induces gradual fat loss and helps retain the muscles as the fat decreases. Careful attention in balancing the diet is essential. If you think that your diet does not have enough nutrition, you can take multivitamins. It provides the needed nutrients for your body because they are food supplements.

Your mind is now filled with ideas on how to get a great toned body. The next thing to do is to put those ideas into action and achieve positive result very soon. Motivate yourself by looking at the mirror once again to see that bulging body transformed into a slim, firmed, and toned body.

Setting an unrealistic goal for workout program can lead to aversion if the situation becomes a burden instead of an asset. Although there are cases in which goal setting is used to exert pressure for unleashing of hidden potential but it is laid within a certain capacity to avoid negative effect.

B.F. Skinner, the famous psychologist who constructs the positive and negative reinforcement in relation to human’s behaviour. He has stated that a positive reinforcement encourages behaviour by increasing a particular stimulus whereas a negative reinforcement produces identical effect by removing a particular stimulus. An unrealistic goal works in the reverse direction of both of the reinforcements. The effect of an unrealistic goal is definitely not stimulating in accordance to the theory of positive reinforcement but the removal resemblances the condition of negative reinforcement by removing it. An unrealistic goal which is built on an inadequate capacity eventually becomes a constant remainder of inability. Thus, continue to demoralise and frustrate until removal of either the unrealistic goal or the subject, which ever comes first. A realistic goal is the mere reversal because of the visibility of an advancement which leads to motivation and result.

A typical goal setting example is from Tiger Wood,

“There’s nothing wrong with having your goals really high and trying to achieve them-.”

“I know what I want to accomplish and I know how to get there-.”

Even for him, the goal setting is definitely on extreme high side, but the realistic nature is present for encouragement simply because he knows how to get there. Eventually, the goal setting and reality work harmoniously to the victory.

How about, a novice golfer who hangs a banner of Tiger’s goal by the bed side? Obviously, he shall set a goal to grip the golf stick firmly instead of letting it cruises with the ball after the swung. The supreme goal is only reachable upon completion of various preliminary goals which is set along the way. The conquest relies on realistic skill level, not simply setting as high a goal as possible. No doubt, a genius is gifted but vast commoner acquire skill or technique through a series of learning curve therefore reinforcement is required in between to ensure continuity.

Another practical goal setting example is a work out program to reduce a kilogram of body weight in every two weeks progressively to meet an ultimate goal of 10 kilograms. Compare it to a simple goal of reducing 10 kilograms of body weight, the former surely sounds realistic and encouraging than the later. Other professional cases such as, a marathoner handbook segregates and specifies different goals according to individual capacity while maintaining the ultimate goal at 42 kilometres. A body building coach increases the weight progressively for a purpose instead of all in one shot.

Ultimately, a final goal is the establishment by achieving multiple intermediate goals through constant reinforcement and encouragement. Even the city of Rome is built through a series of defeat, integration, merger, conquer over a period of time, not one day.

The demise of American cars happened when they ceased being made solely in America.

A Chevrolet has Japanese parts and many of the models of their cars have identical Japanese equivalents. For example, the Suzuki

Vitara is the same car as the Chevrolet Tracker. The Vitara was lower priced, consumers paid more solely because of the Chevrolet tag.

Owning two vehicles, one a 22 year old Nissan pickup, the other a 9 year old Chevrolet, it has been possible to compare the differences in the quality of the cars. The Nissan, has been hit several times, each resulting in minimal damage from a U-haul truck loaded with construction debris, a car, and a pickup. The Tracker, suffered body damage when an empty plastic toolbox fell off a shelf about 6 feet from the ground.

While neither has been particularly troublesome, the 22-year-old Asian vehicle has had minimal mechanical problems, the clutch replaced after only 130,000 miles, and even then it had not failed, just precautionary.

American car manufacturers have not kept up with the quality side of building cars.

Asian manufacturers trained their workers about quality, introduced quality control to the industry, and demanded perfection from their products. Failure to deliver a quality product was dishonorable (it is a shame that practice does not carry on today in other aspects like milk, and making products for export from China) and was dealt with harshly.

Asian cars last longer, perform better, get better mileage, and cost less. Honda has been rated the number one stolen car (what higher honor can a car have?) for at least a decade.

American car makers, through their own shortsightedness, have led their industry down the path of self-destruction, as evidenced today with their constant visits to Congress begging for $75 billion.

Where the Japanese makers opted for efficiency, American makers opted for size. It worked well for them until the gas industry sent everyone running to find alternate modes of transportation when gas prices ticked up just a bit higher than Americans wished to pay.

As a result, even with a barrel of oil at half was it was mere months ago; the automotive industry still sits close to ruin. Why?

Some will say it is the economy, banks not lending and borrowers concerned about job security unwilling to take a loan for a new car.

That may be true; however, what cars are they buying when they buy?

Open the hood of your “American Made” car. Note the language on many of the