SubscribeWhat Makes Big Muscles?
Soy. Skim Milk. Synthol.
One of these things turns you into a circus freak.
Another helps with uptake of amino acids, and the third is even better.
In a recent study a small group of men performed leg exercises, and then consumed either skim milk or a soy beverage.
For three hours after the workout, the researchers found, muscle uptake of amino acids was significantly greater when the men drank milk than when they consumed soy. (Reuters)
Instant Guns
For some people, increased protein is not enough. So they go all they way and start injecting synthol into the muscle.
Competitive bodybuilders originally used synthol [...] to even out minor asymmetries in muscle size and shape. But before long, some bodybuilders began injecting massive quantities of the oil into their arms in order to appear more buff (ABC News)
Synthol is not a steroid - but more like an instant implant. Use of the "oil" is by no means part of the bodybuilding mainstream - but is relegated to the "freaky fringes".
However the skim milk study (funded by the Dairy Council I might add) raises some interesting questions.
Are all the hundreds of expensive whey protein powders any more effective than a scoop of skim milk powder from the bulk bin (at a fraction of the price)?
That's an interesting find. Never knew the power of skimmed milk!
ReplySynthol ppl are a DISGRACE to body-building community and they make all of us, who regularly engage our muscle in some kind of relationship with weights, look like idiots (I might not be civil enough, but these things should really be ridiculed out!)
As for whey / milk dilemma, I can't help myself, I'm into whey all the way.
ReplyWhole milk protein is superior to whey, but still not as good as whole egg. Even using skimmed milk, you should get an advantage over whey. For the best results, take milk protein isolate and mix it with heavy cream so that the mass ratio (not calorie ratio) of protein to fat is 1:1. At some point in bodybuilding, people forgot that animal fat is just as important to building muscle as the actual protein, maybe more important.
If you're trying to put on muscle, don't drink reduced fat milk, don't separate your eggs, and don't trim your meat. Just reduce your carbs; they are only needed in minimal amounts.
ReplyEwwww!
I've never wanted to be bulked up... to you body builders, why do you want to be so buff? Attract women? Impress children? Because You Can? Be able to open tight jar lids with a flick of the fingers?
ReplyDepends on the type of bodybuilder. To me, a bodybuilder shouldn't look "bulked up" or gross to most people. People should see him and say something to the effect of "look at that shape" or "wow, that guy looks like a statue". Look at these pictures of Steve Reeves and you'll see what I mean:
http://www.schwarzenegger.it/mro/reeves/sr65.jpg
Replyhttp://www.schwarzenegger.it/mro/reeves/sr52.jpg
http://www.schwarzenegger.it/mro/reeves/sr3.jpg
As a woman, I don't know many women who are attracted to bodybuilder type guys, so I'm thinking that can't be a reason, since it doesn't work on the masses. For every one woman I know who loves Vin Diesel, there are thousands who prefer more regular guys like Jude Law (skinny) or Ben Affleck (regular weight). I think the most buff that the average woman is attracted to would be something like Matt Damon in "The Bourne Identity", and that, in bodybuilder's terms, is a "a girly mahn". (I just had to quote Hans & Franz, haha)
So I'm gonna vote "because you can" here.
ReplyAs a woman, I don't know many women who are attracted to bodybuilder type guys, so I'm thinking that can't be a reason, since it doesn't work on the masses. For every one woman I know who loves Vin Diesel, there are thousands who prefer more regular guys like Jude Law (skinny) or Ben Affleck (regular weight). I think the most buff that the average woman is attracted to would be something like Matt Damon in "The Bourne Identity", and that, in bodybuilder's terms, is a "a girly mahn". (I just had to quote Hans & Franz, haha)
So I'm gonna vote "because you can" here.
ReplyBecoming stronger, for me, is about the pursuit of excellence. And becoming bigger, that is about the assurance of existence.
What really boggles my mind are the underweight; those who are on the verge of vaporization. And, as boggling, the admittedly weak; carrying on their sub-par survival of the unfittest.
While not necessarily locked in a Darwinian struggle, we should still have higher expectations and higher regard for our personal strength - physical as well as mental.
But for size? We are always just one disease away from a battle for our lives. Muscle is the store of protein on which the immune system relies to destroy pathogens. It's the measure of organ mass and function.
If you lose 40 percent of your lean body mass, you are dead! AIDS, sepsis, cancer and other lethal conditions - which includes aging poorly - cause a wastage of lean body tissue. And the victims die when their lean mass declines 40 percent.
Thus, if a 150 lb man and a 200 lb man (each with 15% body fat) were to both become diseased, the larger man would have an extra 17 lbs of muscle to burn before dying. Who would you rather be?
About aging: Have you seen those elderly whose limbs seem to be shrinking while they grow pot bellies? There it is! I see this in my own father, who is in his mid-fifties.
His focus is on scale weight, rather than body composition. Focus yourself on BMI and die the same way! Each time I see my father, his arms and legs look smaller and his pot belly grows. More and more like a dying African child. I'd sponsor him for the price of a cup of coffee each day, but he won't listen. It's proximity bias, the prophet rejected in his own hometown.
But maybe you will listen. It's the body composition, stupid! First off, have a body. Don't go around with a physique like a 9-iron (head on a stick), or you're looking for non-existence. Second, make your existent body well-lived in and a damn good deal muscle. Forget the scale and BMI. You are a human being, not a demographic. Who wants to be average when the average SUCKS!
ReplyMost women I know think NATURAL body builders are hot. (Once they are shown the difference between the winners of "natural" competitions and regular competitions)
I myself love muscles and hate the trend towards the feminine-looking man that Hollywood has gotten into.
Those that use steroids, well, they don't look so hot. There's a reason why their bodies didn't get that size with just diet and exercise.
ReplyThat picture of the "instant guns" is just a little disturbing. But thank you for the information on milk, I always knew it was good for more than just Oreos :)
ReplyI think it must be a cultural, or possibly age difference. In my age range (I'm 32, most of my friends are 27-37), it is not so common. Maybe the younger women think like that.
ReplyAs a retired athlete I am all too familiar with the bizarre and extreme things body builders and athletes will do to pack on the muscle. The healthiest, best way to build muscle is simply to allow for proper repair time after a weight training session (and to have a thrice-weekly training session at a minimum - but you must rotate muscle groups worked). A mix of soy protein and whey protein is fine, but natural proteins (grass-fed beef, chicken, fish) are best. Supplement with a shake if you like, but don't buy the ones that are loaded with toxic ingredients.
ReplySoy is toxic. The best (natural) way to build muscle is with a milk and egg diet, hands down.
ReplyUm, since you have made a personal argument, I'm 53, 6' tall, and weigh 163 pounds. I don't know if I look like a 9-iron, but I certainly would not be mistaken for a dying African child. I don't think I'm looking for non-existence - I enjoy my body and what it can do. I'm reasonably athletic. I do resistance training.
I just think bodybuilders look kind of gross. I know that it takes lot of effort and dedication to look like that, and I was wondering what the motivation is. I think I agree that the draw is - because you can do it. It's not something that anyone can do. Like being a scratch golfer or sub-four-minute miler, doing it is a physical accomplisment that requires predisposition, skill, effort and dedication. And, now I know that some women think bodybuilders are hot.
Kailash, please tell me you don't do bodybuilding so you'll be able to survive longer if you have a wasting terminal disease...
ReplyMy earlier post was just approved, so you can look at that. Also, in my case, I'm preserving an art. Bodybuilding used to be about symmetry and shape. The principles date back to Pythagoras and da Vinci. Nowadays, everyone just wants to "get huge". The steroid users are obsessed with the amount of muscle they can put on, and the naturals are just trying to be like the steroid guys without using steroids.
I would like to see bodybuilding become more about shape and less about weight/measurements. I would also like to vanquish the horrible "chicken, rice, and flax oil" diets that are in vogue.
ReplyYikes. Its a little scary to me. I am all of being in shape. But, I do not like the over built look.
ReplyGreg Valentino is the king of Synthol, and is not ashamed to admin it. Check this out:
http://www.ebicep.com/greg-valentino.html
Nasty stuff.
ReplyI looked at those pictures of Greg Valentino and that is just gross. I remember a woman once saying, "Who would want to be with a bodybuilder. It would be like sleeping with a tree." (Of course she was my uncle's girlfriend and my uncle is on the thin side.)
ReplyeBicep.com, lol!! An entire website devoted to building one muscle, that's hilarious. Especially since they don't even mention squats as one of the best bicep builders around. But then you'd have to understand weight lifting to understand how that could be... And I don't imagine that is their target audience.
Anyways, here's an interview of Greg Valentino from my favorite website:
The Most Hated Man in Bodybuilding
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=211hate
It's sad when you see how he looked at age 20, before even using steroids, let alone synthol. BTW, Valentino won't admit to synthol, only to steroids. Who does he think he's kidding?
ReplyWhile I can admire someone would work so hard to look like a statue, I don't find statues particularly attractive either, like that Steve Reeves guy. I still stand by the more "normal" look, just to clear up I wasn't talking just about "non-natural" bodybuilding freaks, but about the natural ones as well.
I am also baffled by the "to survive a terminal disease longer" reasoning. We are all mortal, and all we can do is aspire to maintain the highest quality of life while we are alive. But we are all gonna die one day, whether we weigh 150lb or 200lb.
ReplyI am suprised by the results of the study, in some ways. My brother and his friends swear by whey protein and have gotten good results. I think it will be interesting to hear that they could have got better results with milk. I wonder what is the comparison with Creotine(I think that is how it's spelled) protein powder.
ReplyHi Ryan,
Thanks for the links! I think Koko hit it on the head: a lot of appreciation of beauty comes from with whom you grew up.
Looking at Reeve's photos, they don't look like the classic era statues (the men his age are strong, but not so built out; the more built out men, like Neptune and Hercules, are older), but if modern body building were available back then, they might look different. I could see learning to appreciate this.
ReplyHi Kailash,
I was thinking about your comments about your father while I was out on my long run today. Please take all of my comments here to be from someone basically your dad's age and from someone who clearly doesn't know anything real about your circumstances outside of what you've written here. From that posting, I think you love your dad and are frustrated with his inability to understand what you're trying to tell him.
I see one great thing in your desription of your father - he's got determination. You may think that it's not wisely directed - and from what you've said, I can see why you think that - but he's doing something.
In the mid-fifties, there's a huge spread in abilities. Some of my friends in the age range of 50-60 are in terrible shape, and can barely walk up stairs. Other friends are doing very well - doing great in citizen races and, outside of skin damage, are in as good or better health and shape as they were 30 years ago.
People in their fifties are still resilient. The ones in bad shape, who have decided to increase their strength and stamina, usually do so readily. And, the feeling they get by doing so is pretty heady - it reminds one of being young again.
So, I'd change tactics with your dad. You want him to stop focusing on BMI and start focusing on something that's healthier. He's probably intimidated by you and your lifting - you sound like you have an iron will and a tough love approach. So, I think that your challenge is to find something, similar to the BMI, that he can focus on but that isn't in competition with you.
Because of what I like to do, the things that come to my mind are walking, running, swimming, and so on. But, did he used to play racketball, tennis, basketball, soccer?
One more small point - you've probably done this, but just in case: be sure to tell your dad how proud you are of his accomplisments tracking his weight. Even if you think it's poorly focused, it's an accomplishment. By acknowledging it, you'd show that you value his attention and abilities.
Good luck, Kailash!
ReplyI'd like to see photos of Ryan!
Also, whatever happened to James? I almost miss his rants.
ReplyTrue, so do I now that you've mentioned it.
ReplyJames had every single comment moderated for a while. He disappeared - and then came back for a bit. Those were some truly impressive rants.
ReplyI don't believe the the type of milk is the thing that should be focused on to build muscles.
ReplyI build my muscles with meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. I could care less about studies telling me that highly subsidized industrial produce they are always trying to sell more of will help.
ReplyWell then, how about going back and reading the first part of my post... I only expounded upon the bit that was more obscure.
Pursuit of excellence.
ReplyExcept it makes a difference. Skim milk is not as effective as whole milk, pasteurized milk isn't as effective as raw milk, grain-fed is not as effective as grass-fed (CLA content), and the milk from the first few months after birth is the best.
Then don't listen to the studies. Looking at the sheer amount of protein that is absorbed by the body, 94% of whole egg is absorbed, and 90% of whole milk is absorbed. Raw meat ranks somewhere near 77% I believe. If you eat only the white of the egg, skim or pasteurize milk, or cook your meat those percentages go down.
ReplyMilk has been used for ages by natural bodybuilders to bulk big weights.
It's easy to consume & take with you & it costs nothing.
Not uncommon to see athletes gain 40 pounds on 1 year using milk & a solid training program.
ReplyI've always liked super-skinny men and so do most women I've known who have shared that info with me. But I want to be strong so I can be competent and free of the constant physical worry of modern life -- cozy in my insulated home but helpless before a swollen windowframe? No thank you. I want to be cool as I whip open windows, pop those jars, and ride a dirt bike to the next town without breaking a sweat. I assume men who like muscle want the same thing, and maybe more of it. Nothing wrong with it.
ReplyThe only reason to why I want to become stronger is because of people. Many people have beaten me up. Well, now I am going to do the same. They are not going to know what hit them.
ReplyWow, the Dairy Council wants you to drink regular milk instead of soy milk. Shocking! I generally ignore data like this and stick to independent studies. I grew up on a farm, I know how these councils work, and they're looking out for producers and sellers, not consumers.
Reply