This is a compound with the generic name Oxandrolone SPA, from S.P.A. Milano Company (Societa Produtti Antibiotica), Italy. The only original anabolic steroid available in Europe containing Oxandrolone, it is available in pill form – 30 tablets in one box with one push-through strip of 30 tablets.

Oxandrolone is a mild steroid with only a slight androgenic component. In reasonable dosages, it has been observed to have very rare or no side effects. This compound was developed primarily for women and children.

Oxandrolone does not prematurely close the epiphysial growth plates and hence does not cause stunting of growth in children. Oxandrolone is commonly used as a growth enhancer in children and to prevent osteoporosis in women. Its very light virilization symptoms, if any do occur, makes Oxandrolone ideal for female athletes at a safe daily dosage of 10-15 mg.

In bodybuilders and powerlifters Oxandrolone causes a strong strength gain by stimulating the Phosphocreatine synthesis in the muscle cell without depositing liquid (water) in the joints and the muscles. Powerlifters and weightlifters who do not want to end up in a higher weight class take advantage of this since it allows them to get stronger without gaining body weight at the same time.

A combination of Oxandrolone and 20 – 30 mg Holotestin daily is effective and makes muscles also look harder. Good results have been observed with a simultaneous intake of Oxandrolone and 120-140 mcg Clenbuterol per day www.fitnesspharmaas.com.

Oxandrolone by itself does not cause noticeable muscle growth but it clearly improves the muscle-developing effect of many steroids. Deca Durabolin, Dianabol (D-Bol), and testosterone compounds combine well with Oxandrolone to achieve a ‘mass buildup’ as the strength gain caused by the intake of these remarkable tissue-developing and liquid-retaining substances results in additional muscle mass.

A stack of 200 mg Deca Durabolin per week, 500 mg Testoviron Depot (e.g. Testoviron Ethanate 250) per week, and 25 mg Oxandrolone per day leads to a substantial gain in strength and mass in most athletes. Deca Durabolin with a distinct anabolic effect and stimulates the synthesis of protein; Oxandrolone improves the strength by a higher phosphocreatine synthesis; and Testoviron Depot pumps one up for the workout and accelerates regeneration.

Developing Callouses

by Bidz Dela Cruz

In one of my articles in www.gloves.com.mx entitled, “Gloves for Gym Workout”, I mentioned about developing callous to do away with the use of gloves. Callouses are not replacements for gloves but they are even the better option in working out (rather than wear gloves).

Gloves are not necessary in working out. Our coach back then in the powerlifting team always scold us if he sees us wearing gloves. Wearing gloves in the gym gives you minimum workout output. Gloves are restrictions in working out. They are a hindrance, dragging you from carrying heavier poundage or allowing you to do higher repetitions. When you are serious in working out, you really should develop calloused hands. Callouses will be your protection from the metal plates and bars. Having a thick palm covered with several callouses makes you endure the pain of the direct contact with metals. With gloves on, your grip are limited. The thickness of your gloves gives you an unnatural grip. But when you make a bare contact with your hands on the metal, you can be able to grip the bar more firmer, thus allowing you to carry heavier poundage or allowing you to do higher repetitions.

Callouses are also very essential in rock climbing. Rock climbers whether they like it or not, develop callouses as time goes by. This is their system of adaptation to be a better climber. Callouses are the rock climbers best friends aside from their belayers and spotters. Callouses protect their hands from cuts due to uneven surfaces of the rocks, they also serves as lock points when gripping a sloper (a type of rock hold where you use your open palm to stick to the rock), they also prevent you from slipping because the roughness of the rock compliments the roughness of your (calloused) skin. These are just but of a few of the many advantages of developing callouses for rock climbing.

In developing callouses, it is necessary to manage them as they inhabit your palm. It doesn’t mean that once you have several callouses already, you are always assured of the advantages mentioned above. Callouses have a life span. It starts from a neat smooth skin, slowly emerging to form thick marks on your palm until it is fully developed (thick and rough enough to irritate a handshake with an non-calloused hand). When the callous reached its peak of thickness, constant exposure to water and continuous climbing will tear it apart from the palm and thus leaving a non-calloused spot, virgin and sensitive again for difficult holds. Sometimes, when the process where the callous is tearing apart from the palm is starting, difficult grips cause it to prematurely tear apart totally, thus giving you cuts and blisters (and a little bleeding). This is where callous management comes in.

Managing your callous is both an art and a skill. Sometimes you have to minimize the thickness of your callous by mans of sandpaper or nail file. There are times during the start of the separation of a developed callous when you have to cut the initial parts separated by a nail cutter so as not to lead to premature separation. Over cutting or over filing a callous might give you unpleasant cuts and blisters as you hold your next rock hand-holds. It is your hand, you are very much aware how you grip the rock, so you should know how much callous to file and cut.

If you are not into powerlifting, weightlifting, gymnastics and sportclimbing (rock climbing, wall-climbing and bouldering), and you have shook someone’s hand with so many callouses, before assuming that he is a construction worker (I am not ostracizing the construction workers here nor saying anything that would belittle them.), ask him his/her sport first, you might just get surprised!

The author is a content provider of gloves

If you want to know more about gloves, rock climbing, fitness, health and the outdoors, visit www.gloves.com.mx

Keyword Tags: gloves, rock climbing, fitness, health, outdoors

Pharmaceutical Name: Testosterone

Chemical Name:4-androstene-3-one-17b-ol

Cutting/Bulking:Cutting

Anabolic Rating:100

Active-life: 2-3 days

Drug class: Anabolic/Androgenic steroid (For injection)

Average Reported Dosage: Male 50-200mg daily

Acne: Yes

Water Retention: Yes

High Blood Pressure: Yes

Liver Toxic: Low

Aromatization: Yes, high

DHT Conversion: Yes, high

Decreases HPTA Function: Yes

Average Price: $6/amp

Testosterone propionate, after Testosterone cypionate and enanthate, is the third injectable testosterone ester that needs to be described in detail. This makes sense because, unlike cypionate and enanthate, both of which are widely used and well-spread in Europe, proprionate is little noticed by most athletes. The reader will now certainly pose the question of why the characteristics of an apparently rarely used substance are described in detail. At a first glance this might seem a little unusual but when looking at this substance more closely, there are several reasons that become clear. Testosterone propionate is used on so few occasions in weightlifting, powerlifting, and bodybuilding not because it is ineffective. On the contrary, most do not know about propionate and its application potential. One acts according to the mottos “what you don’t know won’t hurt you” and “If others don’t use, it can’t be any good.” We do not want to go this far and call propionate the most effective testosterone ester-, however, in certain applications it is superior to enanthate, cypionate, and also undecanoate because it has characteristics which the common test-osterones do not have.

The main difference between propionate, cypionate, and enanthate is the respective duration of effect. In contrast to the long-acting enanthate and cypionate depot steroids, propionate has a distinctly lower duration of effect. The reader learns how long this time is from the package insert of the German Jenapharm GmbH for their compound “Testosteron Jenapharm” (see list with trade ‘names): “Testosterone proprionate has a duration of effect of I to 2 days.” An eye-catching difference, however, is that the athlete “draws” distinctly less water with propionate and visibly lower water retention occurs. Since propionate is quickly effective, often after only one or two days, the athlete experiences an increase of his training energy, a better pump, an increased appe-tite, and a slight strength gain. As an initial dose most athletes pre-fer a 50-100 mg injection. This offers two options: First, because of the rapid initial effect of the propionate-ester one can initiate a sev-eral-weeklong steroid treatment with Testosterone enanthate. Those who cannot wait until the depot steroids become effective inject 250 mg of Testosterone enanthate and 50 mg of Testosterone propionate at the beginning of the treatment. After two days, when the effect of the propionates decreases, another 50 mg ampule is injected. Two days after that, the elevated testosterone level caused by the propi-onate begins to decrease. By that time, the effect of the enanthates in the body would be present; no further propionate injections would be necessary. Thus the athlete rapidly reaches and maintains a high testosterone level for a long time due to the depot testo. This, for example, is important for athletes who with Anadrol 50 over the six-week treatment have gained several pounds and would now like to switch to testosterone. Since Anadrol 50 begins its “breakdown” shortly after use of the compound is discontinued, a fast and el-evated testosterone level is desirable. The second option is to take propionate during the entire period of intake. This, however, requires a periodic injection every second day. Best results can be obtained with 50-100 mg per day or every sec-ond day. The athlete, as already mentioned, will experience visibly lower water retention than with the depot testosterones so that propionate is well-liked by bodybuilders who easily draw water with enanthate. A good stack for gaining muscle mass would be, for example, 100 mg Testosterone propionate every 2 days, 5p mg Winstrol Depot every 2 days, and 30 mg Dianabol/day. Propionate is mainly used in the preparation for a competition and used by female athletes. And in this phase, dieting is often combined with, testosterone to maintain muscle mass and muscle density at their maximum. Propionate has always proven effective in this regard since it fulfills these requirements while lowering possible water retention. This water retention can be tempered by using Nolvadex and Proviron. A combination of 100 mg Testosterone propionate every 2 days, either 50 mg Winstrol Depot/day or 76 mg Parabolan every 2 days, and 25 mg Oxandrolone/day help achieve this goal and are suitable for building up “quality muscles.”

Women especially like propionate since, when applied properly, an-drogenic-caused side effects can be avoided more easily The trick is to increase the time intervals between the various injections so that the testosterone level can fall again and so there is an accumulation of androgens in the female organism. Women therefore take propi-onate only every 5-7 days and obtain remarkable results with it. The, androgenic effect included in the propionate allows better regeneration without virilization symptoms for hard-training women. The dosage is usually 25-50 mg/injection. Higher dosages and more frequent intervals of intake would certainly show even better re-sults but are not recommended for women. The duration of intake should not exceed 8-10 weeks and can be supplemented by taking mild and mostly anabolic steroids such as, for example, Primobolan, Durabolin, and Anadur in order to promote the synthesis of pro-tein. Men who do not fear the intake of testosterone or the possible side effects should go ahead and give propionate a try. The side ef-fects of propionate are usually less frequent and are less pronounced. The reason is that the weekly dose of propionate is usually much lower than with depot testosterones. A daily injection of 50 mg amounts to a weekly dose of 350 mg while several depot injections easily launch the milligram content of testosterone into the fourfigure range. When compared with enanthate and cypionate, propionate is also a “milder” substance and thus better tolerated in the body. Those who are convinced that they need daily testosterone injections should consider taking propionate. The key to success with propionate lies in the regular intake of relatively small quantities (50-100 mg every 1-2 days.)

Although the side effects of propionate are similar to the ones of enanthate and cypionate these, as already mentioned, occur less frequently. However, if there is a predisposition and very high dosages are taken, the known androgenic-linked side effects such as acne vulgaris, accelerated hair loss, and increased growth of body hair and deep voice can occur. An increased libido is common both in men and women with the use of propionate. Despite the high conversion rate of propionate into estrogen gynecomastia is less common than with other testosterones. The same is true for possible water retention since the retention of electrolytes and water is less pronounced. The administration of testosterone-stimulating compounds such as HCG and Clomid can, however, also be advised with propionate use since it has a strong influence on the hypothalamohypophysial testicular axis, suppressing the endogenous hormone production. The toxic influence on the liver is minimal so that a liver damage is unlikely (see also Testosterone enanthate). What athletes dislike most about propionate are the frequent injections that are necessary.

As for frequent injections: The Testosterone Berco Suppositories by the German company Funke can help. This is quite an unusual testosterone compound since these are suppositories. The suppositories contain 40 mg Testosterone propionate and are introduced into the body through the rectum. This form of intake also has an additional advantage. The substance Testosterone propionate is reabsorbed very rapidly through the intestine. For a package with 18 suppositories the price on the black market is about $35.

Substance: Testosterone Propionate

Trade Names:

Agovirin inj. 25 mg/ml; Leciva CZ

Androfort-Richt. 10, 25 mg/ml; Gedeon Richter HU

Androlan (o.c.) 50, 100 mg/ml; Lannett U.S.

Hybolin Imp. (o.c.) 25, 50 mg/ml; Hyrex U.S.

Neo-Hombreol 50 mg/ml; Organon NL

Testex (o.c.) 50, 100 mg/ml; Pasadena U.S.

Testex Leo 25 mg/ml; Leo ES

Testosteron 5, 10 mg/ml; Galenika YU; Hemofarm YU

Testosteron 25, 50 mg/ml; Galenika YU; Hemofarm YU

Testosteron 10 mg/ml; Sopharma BG

T Berco Suppositorien 40 mg/S; Funke G

T-Prop. Disp. 10, 20 mg/ml; Disperga A

T Jenapharm (o.c.) 25 mg/ml; Jenapharm G

T Streuli 5, 10, 25, 50 mg/ml; Streuli & CO.AG A

Tprop. Eifelfango 10, 25 mg/ml; Eifelfango G

Tprop. Eifelfango 50 mg/ml; Eifelfango G

T Vitis (o.c.) 10, 25 mg/ml; Neopharma G

T propionicurn 10, 25 mg/ml; Polfa PL

Testosterone Prop. (o.c.) 50 mg/ml; Quad U.S., Lilly U.S.

Testosterone Prop. 100 mg/ml; Steris U.S.

Testoviron 10, 25 mg/ml; Schering 1, ES

Testoviron 50 mg/ml; 5chering 1, GR

Testovis 50, 100 mg/ml; SIT I

Testovis Deposit. 5 0, 100 mg1ml; SIT I

Triolandren 20 mg/ml; Ciba Geigy CH

Virormone 25, 50 mg/ml; Paines & Byrne GB

Virormone Veterinary: 100 mg/ml; Paines & Byrne GB

Ara-Test 25 mg/ml, 10 ml; Aranda Laboratories Mexico Testogan 25 mg/ml, 50 ml; Laguinsa Costa. Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala

Testosterona 50 5 0 mg/ml, 10 ml; Brovel Mexico

abs exercise videos     biceps exercise abs workout six pack abs

Weight training uses a range of standard equipment such as free weights, racks, benches, steps, fitness balls, medicine balls, treadmills and various machines such as leg extension, triceps push-down and assorted cable machines. Here you can find out how they work and how to use them.

Home Equipment

7 Home Gyms and Multi Gyms

Seven home gym reviews and multi gym reviews based on a range of function and affordability for weight loss and fitness to serious weight training and bodybuilding.

Home Gym Equipment – How to Choose What’s Best for You

A ‘home gym’ can be a place to work out at home or a single workstation that allows you to perform many exercises. These are also called multi-gyms. Either way, this article tells you how to go about setting up your own home gym.

Nautilus Bowflex Home Gym

Bowflex is a very popular brand of home multi-gym for full body workouts.

Epinions Gym Equipment Reviews

A consumer review site with ratings of equipment. Useful for getting an overview and price before further research.

Competition Weightlifting – Olympic Liffting – Powerlifting Equipment

Critical Bench commercial weight training and lifting equipment.

Gold’s Gym Strength Training Equipment

Gold’s Gym Weight Training Equipment for fitness centers and homes.

Bowflex is a very popular brand of home multi-gym for full body workouts.

Epinions Gym Equipment Reviews

A consumer review site with ratings of equipment. Useful for getting an overview and price before further research.

Competition Weightlifting – Olympic Liffting – Powerlifting Equipment

Critical Bench commercial weight training and lifting equipment.

Gold’s Gym Strength Training Equipment

Gold’s Gym Weight Training Equipment for fitness centers and homes.

We all know the old saying by Russian powerlifting coach Boris Sheiko, “to press a lot, you must press a lot.” While for most of this may mean training the bench twice a week for others like Sheiko’s trainees it could mean training the bench everyday! In either case this motto simply means you must practice the skill of bench pressing by using the bench press drill with heavy weights in order to put up huge numbers on a regularly scheduled basis.

The inherent problem here is the fact that there will be a “pattern overload” of sorts in that the extension muscles of the upper torso may be over utilized in one particular posture such as the competition style bench press. One way to counter act this problem is that full meet lifters will get ample upper back work during the deadlift. Another way to counter act this is to include a bit of an upper back routine where the extension muscles are counter acted by working the muscles of flexion. But as most full meet lifters know the combination of all three lifts is hell on your shoulders leaving one in painful predicaments often enough to not have the wherewithal to continue with any type of movement after your main lifts are done.

Well, if you want to stay in the game and continue to PR well into your golden years; lifters of all kinds must suck it up and begin to train those abused areas with respect to restoring balance and dexterity. For most of us competitive lifters and recreational lifters alike the internally rotated (i.e.- “walking ape”) look is often times a warning sign of a potentially injurious situation in regards to the muscles responsible for balancing the humerus and decelerating horizontal adduction.

Here is a prehabilitative list that you can plug into the end of your bench training.

1) Halbert Cleans: Named after Westside bench great George Halbert. You simply perform a dumbell clean a la Westside except your body is inverted, lying prone on an incline bench . Higher rep ranges are best and you can also perform them for timed efforts.

2) Barbell Muscle Snatch: take a wide or close grip on a barbell in standing position and proceed to “snatch” the barbell utilizing only your upper body muscles. This will surely engage everything from your traps, levators, rotators, and serratus in a deliberate concerto of shoulder girdle mechanics.

3) Seated External Rotations: take a seat on a flat bench while propping one leg up on the bench with the knee bent and in front of your body and foot held flat on bench. Situate your arm in “L” formation with the elbow held on top of the knee of the propped leg (you would obviously use the arm of the same side in this drill). From here hold a dumbell or low cable handle in your working hand with the arm in internal rotation (hand should be at crotch) forcefully externally rotate the arm until the hand is in a direct line over knee. You can use reps as low as 8 here but this is no maximal attempt drill.

4) T-raise into External Rotation: More of a mobility drill here. Lie prone on an incline bench with dumbells in hand. Start by holding the bells in front of your chest with your thumbs facing each other. From here horizontally abduct both arms as in a rear delt raise while rotating the thumbs to the ceiling. Get through 15 reps if you can.

The use of one, or all, of these exercises after your bench training will mean an extended longevity of your shoulders and the chance to train productively without interruptions from injury.

Like bodybuilding, power lifting is no longer a rare sport like it was a decade ago. As a sport, power lifting has survived an era of misunderstanding and biased under – appreciation, to become a popular sport. But most people cannot differentiate between bodybuilding and power lifting. Power lifting is as ancient as it is unique.

While bodybuilding is not yet a recognized sport, power lifting was incorporated in the inaugural Olympic Games in 1896. Bodybuilding is simply put, not a sport. Power lifting was and has remained the only Olympic sporting event that involves as part of the sport, heavy weights. At a time when most people did not understand or appreciate the sport, power lifting was given a slot in the Olympics. This led to it being commonly referred to as the Olympic Power lifting or quite simply Olympic Lifting.

Today most people no longer regard bodybuilding and power lifting in ignorance. It’s a common understanding that power lifting is a modern sport exhibiting the world’s strongest and most powerful men and lately women, competing to lift unbelievable weight sizes.

Weightlifters are therefore the Body building on the other hand is a modern quest exhibiting men and women with unbelievably large and well defined strongest and often those with the most powerful muscles from all over the world while bodybuilders posses the largest muscles toned to perfection. Both body builders and weight lifters learn their art and build their muscles through hard and specialized training. Training for power lifting involves developing enormous body strength packed in compact body frames not in bulk frames possessed by bodybuilders.

Bodybuilders are extremely dedicated and disciplined athletes who in most times are quite strong. But these can not compare in strength with the best weightlifters. Actually a difference between the two sports is that body builder’s well formed muscles whether possessing strength or not, compete solely based on their appearance. Yet weight lifters develop muscles purely for strength. In most instances, muscle size does not correlate highly with strength.

We have four broad categories in which we can classify those athletes who train with weights. These include weight trainers, weight lifters, power lifters and bodybuilders. Though these sports use weights as their training tools, they are distinct and much specialised sports.

There are those individuals who train and practice with weights for purposes of their general fitness, or to as an effort to improve their performance in some other sport, are basically called weight trainers. Those athletes with smaller and often less visible muscles may out-lift bodybuilders with voluminous muscles. The athletes who train with weights purely to build strength participate in the sport called power lifting. On their part, body builders do not train with weights primarily for strength but to form large and well defined muscles. Power lifters are extremely strong athletes with a level of competition beyond that of weigh lifters.

Power lifting is primarily a test of body strength and power while body building is a show of developed and well defined body muscles. In power lifting, body power is a crucial factor because the ability to move with speed and balance ultra heavy weight barbells is relatively as important as pure strength itself. In body building, the ability to identify and develop the volume of each body ligament and fibre to solid distinct muscle packs is determined not only by conscious effort but by persistent application of pressure.

are many exercises that can help you achieve huge gains in muscle mass. There is one, however, that may have a bigger impact than any other. I’m talking about the deadlift. While the deadlift may not be the most popular exercise in the gym, it is one of the most effective when it comes to gaining more muscle mass throughout your body. If you haven’t included this in your workout program you could be missing out on major muscle gain.

What is the deadlift?

Back around 200 B.C. in Rome young soldiers would be sent out to retrieve their fallen soldiers and lift them onto wagons; hence, “the deadlift”. By doing this they would become used to battle but at the same time strengthen their backs. Later, this exercise would become one of the three gauges of powerlifting.

The deadlift is a free-weight exercise that utilizes a loaded barbell. Starting from a bent over position the barbell is lifted from the ground up into a standing position with the arms completely extended. There are different versions of the deadlift, however the concept is the same.

Why is this exercise so effective?

The deadlift is a compound exercise, meaning more than one muscle group and/or joint is involved. Naturally you get more benefit from a compound exercise because your are exhausting not only your primary muscle groups but your secondary, or stabilizer, muscle groups that are used for balance throughout the lift. During the deadlift you are working the muscles in your legs but also in your back, shoulders, and arms too. Thus it is ideal in any program intended to build overall muscle mass.

Also, studies have shown that the more muscle you use during an exercise the more growth hormone and testosterone is released in your body. These two hormones are vital when it comes to muscle growth. The deadlift uses more muscles than just about any other exercise you can do, which makes it one of the best for releasing these hormones.

Where does it fit in your bodybuilding program?

Since the deadlift utilizes so many muscles, it is important to organize your workouts in such a way that you will not overwork those muscles. Either working on those muscle groups the same day or at least a couple days apart from your deadlift workout is the best way to insure you are not overdoing it.

If you are looking to add a few pounds of muscle or have hit a plateau and are looking for something to help you break through it, the deadlift may be your answer. When it comes to building muscle and releasing muscle growing hormones in your body, not many exercises can compete. Of course, as with any exercise, there are inherent dangers when doing deadlifts. It is important to learn the proper way to perform this exercise to avoid any serious injuries. But, when done properly, it can help pump your muscles to the max and give you that growth you are looking for.

Since 2005 new Work at Height Regulations have been in effect as a way to improve safety in all manner of industries that use mobile access machinery, the scissor lift and scaffolding. Part of these regulations have been created to make sure that the person using powered access machinery has had a suitable level of training. By ensuring there are always workers with training when people are using access machinery, it is hoped that safety will be increased. The scissor lift falls into the powered access machinery category, being referred to as a mobile elevated platform or MEWP for short.

MEWPs are used in a large variety of industries, allowing workers to reach inaccessible areas speedily and safely. The contemporary scissor lift has been designed with guard rails that actively work towards preventing falls and dangerous situations. This type of machinery can also be used in interiors and exteriors meaning it is a far reaching mobile access solution. In terms of the usability of the scissor lift, painters and decorators regularly use them, as do maintenance workers such as electricians who need to access wiring in large halls or auditoriums. It is hoped that by the release of the Work at height Regulations 2005 that the safety in all of these industries will be improved, allowing workers to perform their roles safely and effectively.

Training courses are in abundance when it comes to the use of the scissor lift. With effective training operators are given the knowledge to select thee right lift for the job, part of this process includes taking account of the maximum height of the lift, how large the platform is and the amount of safety equipment affixed to the platform. It is not just the government however that have strived to making the use of powered access machinery safer, IPAF and independent body of manufacturers and users has recently embarked upon a ‘clunk, click’ campaign. This campaign resembles the road safety variant of the same name and attempts to put safety issues at the forefront of all workers’ minds that utilise mechanised lifting solutions. IPAF are also working in conjunction with government ministers to further develop the safety procedures for working at height to create a safer working environment.

As previously stated having training means that the selection of the right equipment is assured. This thought process must first assess the height of the job as a machine that only reaches with the worker at full stretch will not be suitable. In addition, training enables operators to make an assessment of the working area. Factors such as nearby doorways, any external weather condition, such as high winds, and the surface the machinery is to be placed upon should all be taken into account. Once again having suitable knowledge to recognise the risks posed by oncoming traffic or overhanging hazards is essential.

As a part of the Work at Height Regulations, training is considered a legal necessity. As an employer it is important to ensure all staff members working on access equipment have had training, otherwise legal penalties can become an issue. None of these developments should be begrudged however, with accidents costing thousands in compensation, as well as the human costs of debilitating injuries or even death, the response of the government to make the use of powered access machinery is an understandable and required response.

An adequate supply of macro nutrients and micronutrients are required for survival, growth, and development, and for the maintenance of health and well-being throughout life. Regarding skeletal muscle growth, the accretion of protein (primarily contractile) represents one of the primary goals that a select group of athletes (e.g., bodybuilders, powerlifters, Olympic-style weightlifters) aspire towards. Rates of protein accretion (and loss) are a function of the balance between protein synthesis and degradation. An increase in skeletal muscle mass can occur via an increase in synthesis, a decrease in degradation, or a combination of the two. Note that each process is mechanistically distinct. That is, one can occur in the absence of changes in the other.

Nutritional status and the hormonal milieu present in the body have a profound impact on how protein is used (i.e., oxidized, used to make additional contractile or noncontractile protein, etc.). Various supplements have been touted as muscle-builders” based on the notion that they impact protein metabolism, specifically, via an inhibition of protein degradation. Some of these supplements, it is clear, do in fact ameliorate the decline in protein synthesis seen under certain stressful states; however, protein synthesis may also be affected when these supplements are consumed.

A couple factors must be taken into account regarding the degradation of cellular protein? The half-lives of different proteins vary tremendously between and within cells. Also, proteins do not exist within solution intracellularly but are part of distinct structures (e.g., contractile protein, cytoskeleton, etc.) within the cell. If the integrity of each cell is to be maintained, the degradation of various proteins within a cell must be regulated smoothly. Regarding skeletal muscle, there is evidence that myofibrillar and nonmyofibrillar protein are independently regulated. Thus, when examining the existing data on how various dietary supplements affect protein synthesis and degradation, one must remain cognizant of the fact that whole­body protein synthesis and degradation may (or may not) reflect changes in skeletal muscle protein synthesis and degradation.

The supplements that this chapter will cover are those that have been touted as anticatabolic. It would seem plausible that a decrease in protein degradation with no change in protein synthesis should result in the accumulation of extra protein. This of course would be particularly important for athletes involved in the strength-power sports (i.e. bodybuilding, powerlifting, Olympic-style weightlifting, shot put, discus throw, etc.)

Ok, in case you didn’t get it the first time, gluteal muscles are your BUNS. Who doesn’t want a tight set of buns when you are showing off at the beach? Well, if you don’t have a tight set, chances are, you won’t be showing off anyways. Heck, a whole industry was built around the concept of buns of steel so you know it is a subject worth delving into.

One of the more recent entries into the world of exercise equipment (in the US anyways) is the kettlebell and it makes a perfect tool for sculpting and toning your glutes. The kettlebell resembles a cannonball except that it has a large oval handle coming out of the top. While it has been used in Russia for hundreds of years, it has just recently been introduced into the US within the last 10 years or so. The principles of physiques are employed while using the kettlebell perhaps more efficiently than with any other exercise in existence. Your whole body works together to move the kettlebell through space in a dynamic compound movement that is designed to exercise your whole body at once. Your core muscles, and of course your gtuteal muscles, get an amazing workout in the process.

So, go grab a kettlebell (15-20 pounder for women and 36-40 pounder for men if you are just beginning) and let’s check out 3 simple movements you can do with a kettlebell to help you build a tight set of gluteal muscles.

Kettlebell Deadlift-Perhaps no other exercise is credited for creating as many perfect buns as the deadlift. A staple lift in powerlifting, the deadlift is an effective move that targets the core and particularly the glutes. The kettlebell deadlift is not much different. Simply squat down and grab the handle with both hands and then stand straight up letting the bell hang down freely in front of you. Then, squat down and put it back on the ground. Work to increase both your weight and your reps as you progress with this exercise.

Kettlebell Swing-This is the foundational movement for the kettlebell and a fantastic total body workout. Start out by squatting down to pick up the bell using both hands. Then, thrust your hips forward while standing up and allowing the bell to swing forward and up to your eye level. Then, allow the bell to swing down again and through your legs. This exercise, while it looks simple, will give your glutes a KILLER workout. Keep this one as the basis of your routine and you will have bulletproof buns in no time.

Kettlebell Clean-Again, because this move require full muscular recruitment and you will start from the squat position, it is an excellent workout that features the glutes as the foundation. This exercise is done by grasping the kettlebell with one hand and powering it up in one motion and bringing the kettlebell to rest on your forearm with your hand tucked under your chin like you are about to throw a punch with your arm tight to your side.

When beginning with any of these exercises, it is wise to seek the advice of a trained kettlebell instructor. While these exercises will make your butt the envy of the beach, no one will see it if you hurt yourself and are laid up. Get the hang of these exercises though and you will have billboard worthy buns in no time at all!