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Masteron Drostanolone – What you should know about this steroid?
What is Masteron Drostanolone?
Masteron is part of a larger group of anabolic steroids called Drostanolone propionate. It has several ways through which it can be consumed and has in the past been used as an anti-estrogen. Currently, its main use revolves around helping people build muscles and improve their performance in the field when it comes to sports. Masteron is a derivative of androgen, a hormone found in naturally in the body. Being a hormonal derivatives means that it can potentially interfere with certain physiological functions of the body hence the need to have sufficient information regarding its use.
This article highlights important things about using masteron drostanolone and also gives some brands of masteron available in the market. This hopefully, will help you make important decision about using the steroid and which brand will be good for you.
Related Article:: How Can Steroids Help Build Muscles
Nature & Evolution of Masteron
Initially developed as Masteril, Masteron Drostanolone has evolved through different uses over the time to find its current use in building muscles and improving athletic performance. Its first use was as an anti-estrogen product. This way, it proved an important drug in slowing down the effects of cancer of the breast. It would be combined with other drugs that also have an impact on reducing breast cancer and proved helpful.
As time passed by, people found better replacements for use in breast cancer and the steroid found itself in athletes and body builders. This is because of its influence on the hormonal and therefore physiological functioning of the body. It is derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a form of testosterone that cannot be converted to estrogen unlike testosterone itself which can be converted to estrogen via a process called aromatization and therefore its effects being lost.
How Masteron Works?
Masteron cannot be acted upon by the aromatase enzyme and therefore does not lead to production of estrogen, which may bring some side effects such as Gynecomastia. It also does not cause edema, that is, is accumulation of fluids in the tissues. Masteron has even been reported to inhibit the action of aromatase activity hence the reason why there is little production of estrogen. Effects are not usually drastic since Masteron is not a very strong steroid. This is why in most cases it has to be combined with some other steroid. Being a mild to a moderately acting steroid, it is best when used by women.
Must read:: Steroids, Gynecomastia and GynoSurgery
Forms of Masteron
Before looking at the different brands of masteron that are there in the market, it is good to know which forms of Masteron exists since each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. There exist two forms, which are:
Drostanolone Propionate
This type of Masteron is highly regarded as the original form in which Masteron exists. As such, it seems the most popular form and a lot of people have used it compared to the other form. Sometimes when people mention Masteron, they typically refer to Drostanolone propionate
Find it ➢ HERE
It is an anti-estrogen product as well as anabolic and has proved very effective in building muscles. Chemically, it has some properties that make it a strong anabolic product and greatly reduces the rate at which it is metabolized from the body.
Drostanolone Enanthate
The other form of masteron is Drostanolone Enathate (Masteron Enanthate). It of advantageous to Drostanolone Propionate because of its longer lasting effects in the body. This is attributed to the fact that it is a longer ester. Despite its longer effects in the body, larger doses are required as compared to using Drostanolone Propionate. It is therefore upon the user to find what is suitable for them and use it.
Find it ➢ HERE
Top 20 Masteron Brands
#1 MASTERON-P 100
MASTERON-P 100 is an anabolic steroid with an active half-life of 2 to 3 days. Its detection time in the body is about 21 days and has a recommended dosage of 400 mg. the Active Pharmacological Ingredient for MASTERON-P 100 is Drostanolone Propionate 100 mg/ml. it has few side effects and is administered via injection into the muscle.
#2 MASTERONE-E 20
Also classified under Anabolic steroids, Masterone-E 20 has a half-life of about 10 days with a recommended dosage of 400 mg. its detection time in the body is 60 days. It can be injected into several muscles of the body such as the gluteus, thigh muscle and even the deltoid muscle in the arm. The API for Masterone-E 20 is Drostanolone Enanthate 200 Mg/ml. it is good when it comes to bulking
#3 MASTERBOL 100
For every single ml of Masterbol, there is Drostanolone Propionate, benzyl alcohol, and many other ingredients. It has few side effects and is also an injectable steroid.
#4 PHARMA DRO P 100
Its API is Drostanolone Propionate 100 mg/ml. it has few side effects and is injectable
#5 RIPTEQ 225
RIPTEQ 225 has a half-life of 2 to 3 days. An anabolic steroid has a recommended dosage of between 150 and 450 mg per day. Its side effects may include acne and it has a low water retention capacity. Active substances found in this steroid include Drostanolone propionate (75mg/ml), testosterone propionate (75 mg/ml) and trenbolone acetate (75 mg/ml). The testosterone can easily be aromatized to estrogen
#6 FASTRIP 150
This anabolic steroid has a half-life of 2 to 3 days and has a recommended dosage of 150 to 450 mg/day. It may lead to acne and has a low water retention capacity. It may lead to hepatotoxicity hence user are supposed to use it carefully. Active substances include Drostanolone Propionate, Testosterone Propionate and Trenbolone Acetate existing in 50 mg/ml. the testosterone can be aromatized to estrogen.
#7 MASTERMED P 100
The active half-life of this steroid is about 1 to 2 days. The recommended dosage for men is about 300 to 700 mg per week and may lead to acne. There is usually no water retention and its hepatotoxicity is low. The active substance is Drostanolone Propionate, which cannot be aromatized. The steroid has an anabolic activity index of 62% and an androgenic activity index of 25%.
#8 CUT STACK
CUT STACK is an anabolic steroid with a half-life of between 2 and 3 days. The recommended dosage is 150 to 450 mg/day and may present with acne. Water retention is very low and has a high hepatotoxicity potential. It contains drostanolone Propionate (50 mg/ml), testosterone propionate (50 mg/ml) and trenbolone acetate (50 mg/ml) as the active substances. It can be aromatized to estrogen due to the presence of testosterone. Also, it is administered through injection and its effect are both androgenic and anabolic. Apart from being used in muscle building, it can be used in treatment of hypogonadism and other health issues that are as a result of low androgen activity in the body.
#9 MASTOLAB-100
MASTOLAB-100 is an anabolic steroid having an active half-life of 3 days. Men have a recommended dosage of 350 to 500 mg per week while women can take 75 to 150 mg per week. It leads to acne, no water retention and has a low hepatotoxicity. The active substance is Drostanolone propionate and there is usually no aromatization.
#10 MAX-PRO
MAX-PRO has an active half-life of one to about 2 days. Men have a recommended dosage of about 300 to 700 mg per week. It may bring acne and does not retain water. Its hepatic toxicity is low compared to other Masterones and there is no aromatization. The active substance is Drostanolone Propionate. Its fat burning capability enables it to be of great use by athletes to improve performance and help in body building. It has many effects such as:
Ability to stimulate muscles to grow
Anti-estrogen properties
Ability to burn fat and reduce the adipose tissues
Improving performance of athletes
Reduces blood globulin levels
#11 MASTERONE-E 200
MASTERMED E 200 has a half-life of 4.5 days to 5 days and may bring about acne when used. It has a recommended dosage of 300 to 700 mg per week for men. There is no water retention and its hepatic toxicity is low. The active substance is Drostanolone Enanthate.
#12 DROSTAN-E 200
DROSTAN-E 200 has a half-life of 4.5 to 5 days and like all other Masteron steroids, it is an anabolic steroid. The recommended dosage for men is 300 to 700 mg per week and may present with acne. There is no water retention and has a low hepatotoxicity. Its active substance is Drostanolone Enanthate. Also, its main use revolves around drying and building muscle mass. Its effect may include:
Helping build muscle mass
Does not have the effect of delaying fluids in muscles
Has a fat burning capacity
#13 MASTERMED E 200
MASTERMED E 200 has a resemblance to DROSTAN-E 200 in terms of characteristics. It has a similar active half-life as well as the dosage specification of 300 to 700 mg per week. It also does not retain water and has low hepatic toxicity. The active substance is also the same.
#14 MASTOLAB-200
With an active half-life of 8 days, MASTOLAB-200 is yet another anabolic steroid that we cannot leave out. Men have a dosage specification of 400 to 600 mg per week while women require 100 mg per week. Acne is common among all masteron steroids and hence in this brand too. There is no water retention and there is low hepatic toxicity on use. Drostanolone Enanthate is the active pharmacological substance.
#15 ANDROBOLAN 400
ANDROBOLAN 400 is another anabolic steroid that does not only comprise Drostanolone Enanthate (100 mg/ml) as the active substance but also Methenolone Enanthate (100 mg/ml) and Testosterone Enanthate (200 mg/ml) as well. Its active half-life is between 5 to seven days and the recommended dosage is 400 to 600 mg per week.
#16 SUPERTEQ 300
SUPERTEQ 300 is an anabolic steroid comprising Drostanolone Enanthate (100 mg/ml) and two other active substances, Testosterone Enanthate (100 mg/ml) and trenbolone Enanthate (100 mg/ml). Its active half-life is a bit longer than other common masteron brands being 16 days. The recommended dosage is 500 to 700 mg per week and it normally has low hepatic toxicity when used.
#17 MASTEBOLIN AMP
MASTEBOLIN AMP has an active half-life of just 1 to 1.5 days. Men are recommended to take about 300 to 700 mg per week as the dosage. There is no water retention and hepatotoxicity is very low. You will definitely develop acne for using and no aromatization is experienced. The active substance is Drostanolone Propionate. It is an injectable steroid that as a great effect on the muscle.
#18 BURNABOL
BURNABOL has an active half-life of 2 to 3 days and a recommended dosage of 150 to 450 mg per day. Water retention is low but hepatic toxicity is high. The active substances include Drosatanolone Propionate (50 mg/ml), Testosterone Propionate (50 mg/ml) and Trenbolone Acetate (50 mg/ml)
#19 DROSTAN-P 100 AMP
This anabolic steroid has an active half-life of 1 to 1.5 days. The recommended dosage for men is 300 to 700 mg per week. There is no water retention and hepatic toxicity is very low. The active substance is Drostanolone Propionate. It has maximum effects in improving athletic performance and in building muscle mass.
#20 DROSTANOLONE PROPIONATE
This anabolic steroid goes by the name of the active substance it contains. It has an active half-life of 1 to 1.5 days. Men are recommended to take about 300 to 700 mg per week as the dosage. No water retention is experienced and there is low hepatic toxicity. It has capacity to increase athletic performance and improves muscle mass greatly.
How do you benefit by using Masterone?
People go for Masterone because it offers some benefits when working out. It might not have as many benefits as other steroids available in the market but this also implies that its side effects are greatly reduced. The benefits include:
Growth of muscles and their hardening
You cannot escape these benefits if you happened to be using Masteron. Athletes who desire to have hard and strong muscles should go for this steroid and see their effects. It is however not as strong as other steroid such as Trenbolone.
Effects on energy levels
There has been reported increase in energy levels as a result of using Masteron when working out. Being anabolic, it helps increase the rate of metabolism hence the increase in energy.
Masteron helps in shaping out the body through helping one lose weight.
Achieving maximum benefits of Masteron
Having a close relationship with a specialist in Masteron use and administration helps greatly in ensuring that you get the best result ever. Also, get to train frequently more vigorously as time goes by. Train for at least 1.5 to 2 hours each day. Diet is also a bigger consideration to get the best result from using Masteron. A well balanced diet is necessary once you begin masteron use and plays a big role in ensuring that you get the benefits maximally. Finally, you need plenty of sleep, at least 8 or nine hours per day.
Side effects of Masteron
Any substance consumed that has effects on the hormonal composition of the body has side effects that are not desirable. The good thing about using Masteron is that it lacks many side effects but there are there nevertheless. The reason behind the few side effects is due to the fact that it does not aromatize unlike most other steroids. The most common side effects of prolonged Masteron use include:
Suppressing the ability of the body to testosterone naturally
Acne is common among all steroid users
Some people lose control of their emotions often becoming aggressive
Excessive hair losses
Infections at the site of injection as well as other infection spread via sharing needles.
Increased blood pressure
Avoiding side effects of Masteron
There are several things that you can do to avoid the side effects of Masteron. These include:
Involving a professional to determine the right dosage for you as well as your cycle
Testing of your hormones frequently and closely monitoring of the tests
Clearly following instructions of usage as depicted by the specialist
Avoid using the steroid if you are below the age of 18 year
Masteron and Cycles
When using steroids or some other substances, the term cycle is very common and is important that you know it and how it relates to Masteron use. Cycle simply implies the use of something at specific times and not using it at certain times. It beneficial in the fact that it helps in ensuring that one does not become depended on the drug or tolerant to it. Tolerance is not good because you will be forced to take more of the drug for you to feel the impact and in the long leads to dependence. Here is thus where cycling comes in, to help prevent anything like this happening. The cycles when using Masteron are categorized into 2:
Beginner cycle
The cycle differs depending on which form of masteron you are using. For Masteron Propionate users, it recommends that one uses it every day. For Masteron Enanthate, it should be used at least 2 times a week. The dosage also differs with propionate having a lower dosage compared enanthate.
Intermediate cycle
For an intermediate cycle, what changes from the beginner cycle is the dosage especially for the Masteron Propionate, which usually increase.
Post cycle therapy
Post cycle therapy, PCT is a way of trying to prevent the side effects of using Masteron. It is important since after having used the steroid, the natural production of your testosterone is affected and therefore there is a need to bring back the normalcy that is required. PCT involves taking of stimulant medications that try to synchronize your testosterone production to normal again. It is best undertaken during the last week of taking Masteron. The most common stimulant used is Clomed.
Some facts to know before using Masteron Drostanolone
Before using Masteron, it is important to know a few things here and there about it especially if you are a beginner in steroid use. These things include:
Apply Masteron via injection through the gluteus, triceps or shoulder muscle.
The minimum dosage that gives the best results is in the range of 400 to 500 mg.
Side effects can be experienced if one increases the dosage above the minimum required.
It is recommended that one consult a specialist before beginning to use so that you get to know the exact dosage you need to avoid the side effects.
One should take some tests in between cycles to assess the effectiveness of the dosage and adjust if appropriate.
Effects of Masteron Drostanolone on men and women
To be highly effective, use Masteron Drostanolone normally in combination with other steroids during the cycles. In men, it tends to suppress aromatase hence there is removal of fluids, which are in excess, and does not lead to Gynecomastia unlike other steroids.
Must read:: Steroids, Gynecomastia and GynoSurgery
Women who have to use this steroid should do so in the correct dosage to avoid the adverse side effects that may arise. Masteron Drostanolone is however not as bad as other stronger steroids and women can use it a bit more comfortably. Exceeding the dosage as well as prolonged use may lead to their voice becoming course, losing hair in a men fashion and other effects. A dosage of about 100 mg at least three times every week for six weeks usually helps bring about the effects.
Conclusion
Some authorities tend to call Masteron Drostanolone as a universal steroid. This is because athletes use anabolic steroid without having adverse effects unlike other steroids. The steroid is common and when used with other steroids, it tends to produce great results in helping one improve athletic performance as well as build muscles. With few side effects, it is among the best steroid that you can purchase without worrying much about them. It is also the best steroid for women who need the benefits it offers. Several brands exist that are rich in this steroid and one can easily get what they may see as good for them.
How To Optimize Recovery For Maximal Muscle Growth?
Introduction
First, we will tell you why recovery matters so much, especially if you are a natural for maximal muscle growth. Then, we will give you some tips on how to optimize it, and lastly, a few supplements that can help you achieve your goals. Stay tuned!
Why Do You Need Recovery for Maximal Muscle Growth?
The process of muscle building is simple in theory: you lift weights, which causes micro-damage to the muscle fiber. Then, protein synthesis starts happening, and your body heals the damage, at the same time making the muscle bigger and stronger.
Obviously, for this to happen, you need to exercise, you need protein, and you need to rest as the process only gets triggered in the gym, but the muscles grow while you recover.
This process of repairing the damage lasts 24-48 hours post-workout, depending on many factors such as muscle groups affected, training intensity, current fitness level, etc.
The Dangers Of Overtraining
Athletes and gym fanatics often make a mistake by having following the “one more rep!” approach, always trying to force themselves to do more. That kind of mindset looks at recovery as something subhumans do, which can often lead to overtraining.
The obvious risk of overtraining is not letting your body fully recover from the damage, which can have many negative effects all over your body. These range from injuries, suboptimal gains, but can also affect your immune system, neurological issues, mood changes, and endocrinological changes. The overtraining syndrome is a real issue and is something you don’t want to mess with.
But, that doesn’t mean that you will become overtrained if you chain 3-4 workouts in consecutive days. Overtraining develops over a prolonged period of high volume + high intensity activities.
If you notice that you are becoming lethargic, stressed, anxious, that your immune system is weaker, or that you are losing sex drive, loss of appetite, and are continually feeling sore, it is probably time to slow down.
Body Parts Matter Too
When talking about gym workouts that are aimed towards hypertrophy and strength, it is important to note that the 24-48h rule of rest between workouts is important only when working one body part. However, training the opposite (antagonist) body part won’t cause overtraining. This is why you often have Push/Pull workouts, or body part splits such as Chest/triceps-Back/biceps-Legs/shoulders/abs, and similar. By manipulating your training this way, you are still giving each of your body parts an adequate 24-48 hour rest between workouts, which will allow optimal growth.
And remember, compound movements that involve the hip joint (squats and deadlifts, and their variations), as well as pullups and presses tax the body much more than isolations that only target one muscle group. Therefore, never train squats and deadlifts on consecutive days, and if you can, put them at least 3-4 days apart. Monday for deadlifts, Friday for squats.
It Is Important To Have Off Days
Although you can arrange your workouts so that your body parts are activated interchangeably, there’s one thing that is always on – your CNS. When working out hard every day, your body gets taxed a lot, as it has to go through the recovery process over and over again. To make sure it does recover fully, it is essential to have at least one day off every week. Only one day is an option if you are following a classic “bro split,” where you only focus on one muscle group per day. But, if you are training several groups, two days per week off might be a better idea. If you are training full-body, you should do it three times per week, with four off days.
Of course, nothing is set in stone, these are recommendations for most people. But, it is best to stick to them and see how you feel and then adjust accordingly.
Don’t Forget To Recover Between Sets
Recovering between sets will allow your muscles to perform optimally and enable you to reach your goals faster. There are different theories, and rest times between sets differ based on your goals. If your goal is strength, you should aim as long as you need to between sets, as you are going to try singles anyway. Therefore, 3-5 minutes, or even more, between sets is not unusual.
If you are training for size, you are usually somewhere in the 8-12 rep range. That means you are using less weight, but are still going reasonably heavy, and close to failure. In this case, resting 2-3 minutes is optimal.
If you are training for endurance or looking to lose fat via weight training, you are probably doing higher reps with lighter weights. If that is the case, 1-2 minutes between sets is enough. Or, you can choose two opposite exercises and do supersets, one after another.
8 Hours Of Goodness
People, you need to worry about your sleep schedule, just as much as you worry about your workout programs. There’s no going around it, if you lack sleep, your gains will suffer.
Sleep is responsible for energy levels, of course, and if you are drowsy, your workout quality will drop. But, sleep also has essential roles in normal hormone production. Fail to sleep enough, and you will start gaining fat, even if you are not in a surplus. Also, HGH is released during sleep, which is another important factor in muscle growth.
Related Article:: The Importance of Sleep for Bodybuilders
How much sleep is enough? You already know that 8 hours is optimal for most people. There are exceptions, of course, but most will need 7-8 hours of quality sleep. If you can’t do it all at once during the night, it is OK to have an afternoon nap, as long as you reach your goal. Just remember to have an afternoon and not an evening nap, as it can mess with your night sleep if you do it too late.
Tips To Optimize Sleep:
Have a sleep schedule, and try to go to bed and wake up at the same time, whenever possible
Don’t drink coffee, pre-workouts, or anything caffeinated 6 hours before bed
Sleep in a dark and quiet room, use dark curtains, eye covers, and earplugs if you have to
Feed Your Muscles during Recovery
To grow muscle, you need exercise, and you need protein. Muscles are built in the process of protein synthesis, therefore, this macronutrient is essential.
Whey protein is always the best choice if you are aiming to increase your protein intake through supplementation. Whey has the best absorption and will go to the muscles very quickly.
Find it Whey ➢ HERE
If you need something that is going to feed your muscles slower, but over a longer period, Casein protein is your best choice. This is a classic “slow” protein that is most often used before sleep, to give the necessary aminos to your muscles while you sleep. Of course, if you are vegan, or you just can’t tolerate dairy products, plant proteins are a good option too. They will give you all that you need and are usually organic and free of toxins.
Eat Carbs Too
Many gym bros often treat carbs like enemies, as they think carbs ruin those hard-earned abs instantaneously. Yes, it’s true that most junk food like candy and soda is filled with sugar, but that doesn’t mean carbs are bad. It only means that junk food is junk.
Find it Orgain ➢ HERE
But, when you work out super hard, your body’s glycogen gets depleted, which is the main fuel used for highly intensive activities. Glycogen is a form of sugar that is available in the muscles themselves and is used first during the intense activities, as it is already there. So, the best way to refill your glycogen reserves is to eat carbs, which will make sure your body is fully ready for your next hardcore session.
Read more about:: How To Bulk Up Without Getting Fat
Up Your Caloric Intake
This one is not for everyone, but, in some cases upping your caloric intake is worth considering. If you are training super hard, going very heavy and doing it frequently, this can cause a caloric deficit on its own. So, if your plan is to lose weight and you are in a deficit anyway, this can be too much. Therefore, if you are feeling lethargic, or especially achy, it is a good idea to up your calories on non-workout days, so that you can recover well. Also, if you want to go extra hard, upping your carbs on workout days will give you the necessary kick.
Find Casein ➢ HERE
Incorporate Light, Non-Lifting Days
We know that you are hardcore, but if you want to avoid overtraining, you should plan some light days into your schedule. These can be anything from taking a walk, a slow-paced bicycle tour, stretching and foam rolling, going for a swim, or signing up for a yoga class. Anything that is low-intensity but promotes circulation is a good option, as the blood flow will help the muscles heal up better. Plus, you are probably very tight anyway, and doing some yoga poses won’t kill you.
Use Deload Weeks for Recovery
Deloads are controversial, as many claim that they don’t work. But, if something can potentially prevent overtraining, we say it is a good idea to consider it. A deload week is a week where you cut back on total weight use, training volume, or frequency, or all three. So, you can go for 50% of your 1RM, just going through the motions. Or, you can keep the weight, but reduce the number of sets you do. Alternatively, you can replace exercises, doing simpler and easier versions. For example, instead of the bench press, you can do pushups.
The idea is to recover by working, so you don’t get lazy, and your muscles still get a fair amount of stimuli and circulation. But, in the deload weeks you don’t redline them. Athletes who favor deloads say they help them go through plateaus, prevent injuries, and feel much better overall. Athletes who hate deloads claim that they are a waste of time. Try it, and see what works for you.
If You Are Juicing, You Still Need To Worry About Recovery
It is a common thing to hear how steroid users don’t need to worry about recovery, as being enhanced means having much better recovery on its own. That is not exactly so.
While being enhanced does mean that you will recover better, that also means you will train more, and that you will still need recovery. Think about it logically – juicing will let you train harder and more frequently. If you want to do that and maximize your enhanced gains, you will still need to take care of your sleep, nutrition, supplementation, and everything else we described in the article above. If you8 don’t want to maximize your gains, then why are you taking steroids at all?
Must read:: How Long Does Recovery of Natural Testosterone Take After a 12 Week Steroid Cycle Plus PCT?
Conclusion
As you can see, recovery is extremely important for Maximal Muscle Growth. Taking care of it is not hard, but it is not very fun, as it requires you to be idle. This is the central reason why many gym fanatics ignore recovery, as it is not something you put on your Instagram story.
But, even though it sounds boring and unimportant, ignoring it is all but smart and can lead to injuries and health issues. Yes, sometimes it is better to take it slow and easy, if you want to maximize gains, even if you are a hardcore gym maniac.
How Dana Linn Bailey Works Out For A Shredded Aesthetic
This workout routine from Dana Linn Bailey will work to give you a seriously shredded physique.
Dana Linn Bailey is an American Pro bodybuilder and 2013 Olympia winner in the Figure Division. She is also a popular Internet personality and entrepreneur seeking to take what she knows about the fitness world to better the lives of others.
For many of us, finding a great workout routine that fits our lifestyle is incredibly important. With so many exercises to choose from, it can be overwhelming trying to put something together that we can not only enjoy but get the most out of. Looking to the pros and those with massive and shredded physiques is one way to get to where we want to be. As perfect examples of hard work and dedication, their workout routines are exactly what we need to succeed and they are proof of what these workouts can do. This amazing workout routine from Dana Linn Bailey is one to give you a shredded physique you want most.
As a true professional and Olympia winner, Dana Linn Bailey knows just what to do in order to see that much desired growth take place and these workouts will fire up your muscles to grow.
Full Name: Dana Linn Bailey (IFBB Pro Bodybuilder)
Weight
Height
Date Of Birth
125-135 lbs.
5’5’’
05/30/1983
Division
Era
Nationality
Fitness & Figure
2010
American
With an approach to lifting heavy weights and really taking advantage of higher sets and reps, Bailey seeks to not only work hard but also keep her workouts fun and engaging so they never grow stale. As a real competitor and one to watch, these workouts will fit into your busy schedule nicely so you can work hard and not spend all day in the gym. Plus, you won’t be disappointed by the results.
About Dana Linn Bailey
In her youth, Bailey was always active, encouraged to partake in regular activities to stay physically involved. Trying a variety of sports, she found she had an innate ability to be competitive and this would prove her well into her bodybuilding career. She earned her pro card in 2011 and would go on to win several more competitions before her 2013 Olympia victory, thus putting her on the map as a serious contender in the pro circuit. She is now an Internet personality and entrepreneur seeking to pass her knowledge onto others so they too can be confident in their physique like she is.
Dana Linn Bailey Training Routine
This training routine from Dana Linn Bailey will see heavy compound movements matched by other great isolation exercises to really target certain muscle groups to provide for some serious growth. Keeping a fun and engaging routine in your repertoire is important, especially as you work hard. The choice to continue to enjoy what you are doing is important as you look toward seeing gains and wanting to love building your craft and physique. Higher sets and reps will allow more time under tension and a better chance at growth.
Shoulder Routine For Desired Boulders
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Seated Cable Front Raise
4
10
Seated Cable Face Pulls
4
10
Seated Cable Overhead Press
4
10
Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise
4
12
Dumbbell Overhead Press
4
12
Incline Dumbbell Rear Fly
4
10
Alternating Front Raise
4
12
Chest Workout For Rounded Pecs
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Bench Press
5
5
Incline Bench Press
4
8
Incline Dumbbell Press
5
10
Incline Cable Fly
5
10
Cable Cross Fly
4
10
Leg Routine For Massive Lower Body
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Seated Leg Curl
4
10
Back Squat
5
8
Long Pause Squat
5
6
Lying Leg Curl
4
10
Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift
5
10
Sumo Squat
4
8
Single Leg Extension
5
8
Bulgarian Split Squat
4
10
Back Workout For Wider Lats
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Cable Lat Pulldown
4
10
Close Grip Seated Cable Row
4
12
Wagon Wheel Barbell Deadlift
4
8
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
4
10
Behind The Back Pulldown
4
12
Barbell Rows
4
8
Reverse Push-Up
4
10
Machine Rear Delt Fly
4
12
Arms Routine For Bigger Bis and Tris
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Barbell Curls
4
10
Dumbbell Hammer Curls
4
12
Reverse Grip Cable Curl
4
10
Reverse Grip Pulldown
4
10
Skullcrushers
4
12
Close Grip Press
4
10
Overhead Rope Cable Extension
4
12
Triceps Pulldown
4
12
Featured Supplement
While Dana Linn Bailey uses her own supplements of choice, having a solid supplement routine is important for seeing growth and those desired gains we all want most. Having supplements like intra-workouts and protein powders are important for tackling those needs during and after your workout to ensure you get the right nutrients into your body to help you fully maximize your workout, but a good pre-workout can really boost your training sessions to new heights. We wanted to share a great pre-workout with you so you are ready to tackle anything that comes your way.
Performance Lab SPORT Pre
Performance Lab Sport Pre is another high quality pre-workout supplement available to the public at a great price point. Performance Lab Sport is one of the most rigorously scientifically vetted brands and all of their pre-workout products are free of synthetic additives (which might dehydrate the muscles), non-GMO, and vegan friendly. Sport “Pre” increases nitric oxide in the blood to support the oxygenation of muscles during workouts, improves endurance by hydrating the muscles, and enhances both anaerobic and aerobic exercise by increasing ATP reductase.
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Check out our list of the Best Pre-Workout Supplements for more awesome products!
Wrap Up
This training routine from Dana Linn Bailey is one to seriously fire up those muscles to allow for a shredded aesthetic that you will love. Working with higher weight, sets, and reps will allow for those muscles to get real work done while also providing for a fun and engaging way to continue working out. Taking advice from the pros is a great way to maximize our own gains and Dana Linn Bailey is a true professional to learn from.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Dana Lynn Bailey Instagram
Should A Growing Teen Pay Attention To Nutrient Timing Or Just Eat?
When it comes to teens, nutrition becomes a very essential thing of their life. This is because it is during these times that they are experiencing a lot of changes especially physically but also mentally and functionally. During Nutrient Timing that most people engage in sporting activities. Therefore, when looking into the aspect of nutrition for the teens, it is also important to consider whether such a teen actively involves in sporting or may working activities or not.
What is nutrient timing?
What now is nutrient timing? Nutrient timing involves having specified times of taking foods so that you end up with certain body properties that you need. Nutrient timing therefore seems a strategic way of getting certain outcomes for the teens. The question therefore remains, is it necessary? Considering teens in sporting activities as well as bodybuilding, nutrient timing seems to be a great idea since its sole purpose includes:
Evolution of Nutrient Timing
Nutrient timing has been around for a while. For almost 50 years, Nutrient timing has formed a very crucial part of bodybuilders and several researchers have done serious work to find its many benefits. The benefits are not well brought out mainly of some few limitations. These include:
The use of short-term blood makers meaning that the long time benefits are left out.
The use of ultra-endurance athletes during the study.
Related Article:: How to Do Bodybuilding Above 50 years Age
The Concept of Anabolic Window
Something very controversial about nutrient timing is the anabolic window. It is sometimes referred to as the window of opportunity and is a period of about 30 minutes after workouts during which it is assumed that the body can absorb nutrients perfectly. This is a concept that is still debatable, with some people arguing that it a fact while still others believe that it is a myth.
How Does the Concept Seem To Work?
The theory of anabolic window assumes to work based on two important aspects.
1. Carb Replenishment Principle
This aspect is supported by abundant research, with carbs especially glycogen being replenished within about 30 minutes to an hour. This is usually after workouts and hence the need for immediate replenishment. This of course serves to increase performance and recovery.
However, there seems to be a problem. Despite the fact that the concept is well in line with the theory, this will only imply that timing is only going to be of essence if you have a teen who is dedicated to training several times a day. It therefore becomes irrelevant to people who train once are not into training at all.
Another thing that seems not in line is the finding that training will be even better with lower amounts of glycogen in the muscles. This largely applies to teens who are actively involved in fat burning and fitness programs. Immediate replenishment has in fact been shown to reduce the benefits that should be coming out of the respective programs. It is therefore important to note that this aspect does not necessarily apply to most people making the theory of anabolic window almost a myth.
Must Read:: 8 Bodybuilding Myths Those Are Total Bullshit
2. Protein Intake Principle
The protein intake principle works on the basis of using proteins to stimulate the synthesis of proteins in the muscles. Protein synthesis in the muscles is very crucial because it facilitates their growth and also aids in recovery. However, is it necessary that one replenish the proteins right after working out? Well, research has spelt out clearly that it is not necessary and that what is important is actually the total daily protein intake. By taking high quality proteins during each meal, the concept of anabolic window becomes useless and more or less a waste of time and energy.
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The Concept of Pre-Workout Window
Another very important concept that is important in nutrition timing and which therefore also determines whether teens should pay attention to nutrition timing or not is the concept of the pre-workout window. Unlike the anabolic window, this concept to some extend tends to agree more with researchers and experts in the field. This is because keeping the correct time for the pre-workout has been shown to greatly aid performance. This is to mean that there is a timing for teens who wish to burn the fat in their body and there is timing for the teens who wish to enhance their performance in such things as sports.
Carbs are very essential in this window. They provide the energy you need and therefore should never be skipped. A common mistake that people make is eating immediately before the actual workout. This ensures that there is minimal competition between the stomach and the muscles and therefore lets the muscles concentrate on the performance. An allowance of 1 to about 4 hours will generally be perfect.
Another thing to include to your pre-workout nutrition will be sufficient water. This is very essential and drinking about 430 ml of water before a workout will most likely boost the performance.
Must Read:: Bodybuilding Diet Myths for Beginners
It is advised that vitamins should not be taken during this phase. This is because of their negative influence on performance and serving to minimize the benefits of the workout. Thus, in as much nutrition timing as a whole is more of a false myth, some concepts like this pre-workout window is important. The main benefits of adhering to this include:
Help maximize the performance of the teen.
Improve the body structure and composition.
Fat loss acceleration.
Relationship between Nutrient Timing and Breakfast
So what should your teen eat for breakfast or should he or she even it at all? It is a very debatable concept with some expert advising that it may not be necessary to even eat breakfast while others advising certain types of meals with specific nutrients. For those who recommend breakfast, they argue that it should contain very low amounts of carb and high amounts of fat. Such a breakfast will of course help raise the energy levels, maintain higher mental function and accelerate fat burning from the body.
There is no enough evidence to support this though and everything is currently in grey areas. Anything is possible and some even propose that proteins during this time will be great. Therefore, for teens as well as any other person who is looking into the issue of nutrition timing, breakfast timings are not well researched. Ones preferences and also what one wants to achieve should be the driver.
Related Article:: Muscle Building Breakfast Ideas: Start Your Day Right
Relationship between Nutrient Timing and Night
Almost every concept for nutrient timing seems to be a false myth and this one seems to be yet another one. It is generally believed that reducing carbohydrates at night will definitely lead to weight loss. It is a false myth that has been spread across the globe to the extent that people are actually into it. In truth however, when you reduce the carbs, the calories are also going to be reduced. The calorie-deficit that is the result of this will ensure that there is weight loss. It is therefore not a matter of timing but a matter of reduction of one thing, which then affects another.
Reducing carbs at night might in fact be the opposite of what is expected. This is because some experts have proved that carbs at night might help improve sleep quality. For teens therefore, nutrient timing at nigh seems to be out of question and not a suggestion at all.
Nutrient Timing Vs. Just Eating
Despite the fact that nutrient timing has been around for several decades now, more and more research is slowly disapproving it and making it obsolete. What remains is for the teens therefore is simply eating without the stress that comes along with nutrient timing. However, there must be order behind just eating as we are going to see next.
Teen athletes
When talking about nutrition and teens, it is important to consider this concept of physical activity. This is because teens who are physically active have unique nutrient requirements, which we will consider here.
Teen Nutrition Composition
For teenagers, their food should contain certain components that help sustain them through this period. They should be able to get the right balanced nutrients with more calories and most basic nutrients such as proteins.
A teen’s diet should comprise more or less of the following:
Fruits and vegetables that contributes to about 2000 calories every day.
Calcium about 1300 mg per day. The calcium should be fat-free or with less fat. The common sources milk and yogurt.
Proteins which are much needed to help build muscles and as well as other rapidly growing muscles. Popular sources of proteins include lean meat and poultry.
Foods, which are rich in iron. Iron is essential in both girls and boys but will be particularly useful in girls who lose a lot of blood through menstruation.
Whole grains. Whole grains are very good sources of the much needed energy during the teen phase of life among other important roles.
For teenagers, fat should be limited as much as possible. Fat of about 2 to about 30 percent of the total calories will be a good amount for the teens.
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals should be part and parcel for teen nutritional diet. There are several vitamins and minerals all of which serve different functions in the body. Calcium and iron are particularly important for those teens who are physically active because they bring about strong bones as well as sufficient supply of blood to the muscles respectively. Iron is abundant in many types of foods such as the fish and most green leafy vegetables and many more others. Calcium on the other hand is rich in such foods as milk and milk products.
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Must Read:: Best Diet Plan for Bodybuilders 2019
Many vitamins are also very important and can easily be acquired from different types of foods especially fruits and vegetables. Having a balanced diet is sure to give the best result in terms of getting the required vitamins as well as mineral salts.
Carbs
Of course, when one thinks about energy sources, the first thing that comes to mind is carbohydrates. This have been proved beyond doubt to be a very nice source of energy and are therefore a very crucial part of teen nutrition. Teens should never think of cutting back on carbs and especially when they are active in sports, it may cost them a lot in terms of performance.
A good thing about this carbs is that they are readily available in most foods and hence there deficiency is rare. Sources include fruits, vegetables and whole grains. However, there is some selectivity when it comes to eating the carbohydrates. For instance, processed grains are not generally recommended while whole grains such as brown rice are more appropriate in the sense that they provide extra nutrients that may not be in processed grains. Also, carbohydrates that have a lot of sugar should be avoided as much as possible. Such carbs when taken especially before the game tend to gives people a quick burst of energy within a short time and then leave them without anything shortly afterwards.
Proteins
For proteins, it will depend on whether the teen is physically active or not. Physically active teens will definitely need more proteins as compared to their less active peers. Proteins are easily acquired from the common foods that teens eat now and then every day. While it is generally assumed that eating lots of proteins leads to gain of large quantities of muscles, it is not very true and such muscles can only be acquired from training and abundant working out. In fact, those teens who take large quantities of proteins in the name of gaining large and strong muscles end up with some side effects that include
Occurrence of dehydration.
Loss of considerable amounts of calcium from the body.
Occurrence of kidney abnormalities.
Protein sources include fish, lean meat and peanut butter.
Fats
Should teens take fats or burn them? Well, technically speaking, excess fats are not recommended. However, a little fat is very necessary and teens should purpose on having them in their diet. Fats are important for long lasting energy. Carbs get used up fast and therefore fats come in a little while later after the carbs are done.
Fats also differ in types and teens are advised to take certain types and avoid other types. The main types are unsaturated and saturated fats. Unsaturated fats are considered healthier for teens and can be found in such foods like vegetable oils and some types of fish. The unsaturated fats can further be grouped into trans and cis fats. Again, cis fats are the best for teens as well as any other person. Some of these fats are particularly abundant in meat and other high fat dairy products.
For fats, timing can be of essence. It is not good for example to consume fats a short time before and after exercise for physically active teens. This is based on the fact that fats tend to make digestion slow.
Are supplements essential for teens?
For supplements, it is really good if teens know the consequences that using certain supplements will bring. There are certain supplements that can be used without actually doing any harm while there are others that come with extreme negative effects.
Anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids are among the most commonly abused supplements nowadays especially for teens in sports as well as bodybuilders. For teens, these should be supplements that they should try as much as possible shun. This is because most anabolic steroids are derivatives of hormones or hormones and will definitely have adverse side effects.
Anything that interrupts with the normal hormonal composition will also interfere with the normal functioning of the body. Common side effects of using anabolic steroids include:
Male pattern of hair loss on the forehead.
Shrinkage of the testicles.
Growth of facial hair in girls.
Depression and mood swings.
Salt tablets
Salt tablets are common supplements to reduce dehydration. However, the belief seems to be a false one since salt tablets demonstrate to actually be the reason behind dehydration in teens and people who use them. The salts also, especially when taken in large quantities tend to have side effects such as:
Causing nausea and vomiting.
Brings about painful cramps.
Causes diarrhea.
Damage to the stomach mucosa.
Proteins and energy bars
There are some supplements in form of proteins and energy bars. These are some of the supplements which are not 100% important and at the same time not 100% useless. They have not been implicated in doing lots of harm to the body and therefore can safely be used occasionally.
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Dehydration and teen Nutrient Timing
Water is also another very important composition of teen nutrition that is very essential. Teens should always ensure that they avoid dehydration as much as possible. This is especially when it comes to teens involved in sporting activities. A lot of water is lost during exercises and this might be a great contributor to dehydration. Dehydration is related to such conditions as the feeling of overheated and some form of headaches. Teens in hot and humid conditions are likely to get dehydrated.
Dehydration will definitely lead to reduced performance and that is why people not only teens should strive to remain as dehydrated as much as possible. Different people require different amounts of water daily. This will depend largely on the size of the person, their age, how much they are involved in physical activities as well as the surrounding environmental conditions.
Highly physically active teems should at least drink water just before and after exercise as well as during the exercise every about 15 minutes. It is not necessary that one feel thirst before drinking water. Thirst in fact simply implies that you begin dehydrate a long time ago. At the same time, it is not necessary that you force yourself to drink water.
Some sports provide specific nutrient added water. The water is usually important in case of long periods of training but water is no different either. Carbonated water and drinks are not preferred during the exercises due to their probability to cause stomachache. Also don’t drink energy drinks. In fact, avoid the energy drinks at all costs because they have caffeine as well as other components, which have the stimulant effect of caffeine.
Caffeine and Physically Active Teens
Teens who are in sports sometimes are tempted to use supplements with caffeine such as the energy drinks that we have talked about above. Caffeine has many effects in the body but importantly here is that it is a diuretic. Diuretics are substances that basically cause formation of more urine by the kidneys. It might be one of the causes of dehydration but the concept needs more research. Due to its diuretic effects, it cause an increase in the heart rate as well as leading to hypertension. It also leads to reduced quality of sleep and also having an effect of making someone abnormally anxious. The effects when combined will lead to a reduction in performance.
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Despite the fact that some experts have found small benefits of caffeine especially in those endurance sports, it is best to keep away from it. Its benefits seem to be way below the side effects.
Conclusion
Teen nutrition can be very confusing. While there are times when nutrient timing is good, sometimes just eating will be a really good option. Nutrient timing has come a long way and while it is being seen as a false myth, there are some concepts that actually hold true and should be good for teenagers and there complicated nutritional needs. During teenage time is also a time when most people involves in sporting activity. They need to eat certain foods and avoid certain supplements. Weighing the two concepts, it is just good that teens just eat instead of chaining themselves with a theory that lacks full scientific evidence.
The Ultimate Get Ripped Anabolic Stack
Getting ripped in is one of the most important goal of bodybuilders. It simply refers to having your body fat percentage lowered so that superficial veins and the striations in muscles are seen especially when you flex the muscle. Body builders more often than not usually tend to stack the anabolic steroids, which are the major players in getting ripped. To Get Ripped Anabolic Stack simply implies that you tend to or rather take two or even more different types of the steroids usually both oral and injectable.
How much fat should you lose?
Before looking into to the concept of the ultimate anabolic stack, it is important to consider how much fat you should lose. Getting ripped is about losing fat but there is a physiological point beyond which you should not exceed. Two groups of bodybuilders are usually considered here.
First, there are the natural bodybuilders, which may risk a higher percentage, of about 5 to 6 percent. This percentage for this group of bodybuilders is low enough to preserve their lean mass as much as possible.
Secondly, we have the drug-enhanced bodybuilders. These ones are better if they do a percentage within 2 to 4. The lower percentages indicate that these kinds of bodybuilders can maintain their muscle mass despite the fact that such conditions are usually enough to the muscle protein stores of the body.
Must Read:: 8 Common Fat Loss Myths Debunked
Different products used in getting stack
Different products used during different stages of workout so that the end result of getting ripped are perfect or near perfect. These categories include:
Pre-workout products Before you start working out, you need to have sufficient energy to be used during the workout. This is what pre-workout products do. The best pre-workout products usually contain stimulants like caffeine and some contain creatine.
Intra-workout products Intra-workout products are usually in powdered form so that they can easily be mixed with water and taken in between workout sessions.
Post workout products The main purpose of post-workout products is basically to help make the body strong again.
Must Read:: The Secrets Toward A Ripped Look
Phases towards getting a ripped body.
Getting a ripped body takes various steps and processes. The steps generally include:
1. Building of the muscles
This is otherwise called bulking. This phase involves taking in a lot of proteins and carrying heavy weights in addition to training for your strength. It is advised to limit the cardio during this time.
2. Cutting the body fat
At this stage, focus is put towards limiting the intake of calories but maintaining the intensity of your workouts. This means that the excess fat is being burned down in such a state but the muscles are being maintained. You can even have extra interval of training at high intensity to your normal workout intensity.
Care should be taken not to drastically reduce the calories since there will be a need for the body to store the little incoming calories as fat. Sometimes also, the weight loss may reach a point and goes to a plateau stage. This means that the body is does not gain or lose any more weight. In such cases, consider:
Having a thorough review of your diet.
Increasing the intensity of your gym workouts.
Using cutting supplements.
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Related Article:: Best Ideas How to Get Most From Your Workouts?
3. Body Shredding
Shredding is just cutting of fat but with a more cutting intensity than in the cutting phase. It involves several processes some of which include:
Frequently training at high intensity intervals every week.
Having sufficient sleep as well as a good rest.
Different types of stack for bodybuilders
For bodybuilders, life involves different phases each with different supplements. Here are some of these phases including the one for getting ripped.
The mass stack
Mass stack is important when one wants to their size and use them during training periods. Mass stack ensures that you muscle mass also well grown and maintain it. Several people use different mass stacks that are available. A more common one includes several proteins and or amino acids most of which are good when used 30 minutes before and after workout.
Examples of mass stack
Testosterone boosting stack
Another important stack to be considered by bodybuilders is the testosterone stack. Testosterone seems to play a big role in every phase of a bodybuilder. It has a role in building muscle mass, muscle strength and sexual health. Supplements used include:
D-aspartic acid.
Forskolin.
No booster stack
Most no booster supplements come with ready-made instructions, which you can easily follow. However, it does no much harm if you can experiment things out using some of these supplement.
Citrulline.
Pycnogenol.
Glycine propioyl-l-carnitine.
Get ripped stack
This phase of the bodybuilder our major concern here. Getting ripped stacked usually comes after mass stack so that the formed muscles can be well exposed. In as much as there is no one ultimate get ripped anabolic stack, several supplements cam still be used and perfect results achieved.
What to know during getting ripped program?
There are some important things to consider when you decide on the best anabolic stack. Some of them include:
Using weights which are heavier
Getting ripped is all about gaining a lean physique. This does not however mean reducing your normal weights. Increasing weight triggers the body to build and retain more and more muscles. This is because the body increases its rate of metabolism and sustains it for longer periods of time. A state called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption is normally triggered hence the reason for the high metabolism.
Increasing the density of your workouts
When on a lower calorie diet, it will proof helpful if you get to minimize your workouts and make the very efficient as well. For example, instead of having your intra-set recovery process for the movements you make, you can do additional work. This goes a long way into increasing the density of your workouts and helping greatly to get you ripped.
Focusing on free weights as well as big movements
Multi-joint exercise should be a very crucial part of your training if you want to burn off sufficient amounts of body fat and also in building your muscle mass. Multi-joint exercise ensures that you are involving more and more muscles, which also helps you carry heavier and heavier weights.
Use of set-extending techniques
Set extending techniques include supersets, rest-pause sets and dropsets. Set extending techniques involve continuing lifting weights even if you hit muscle failure. The main purpose of extending your sets is basically to make your muscles work even more hard and over a long period of time. This elevates the heart rate leading to burning of more calories.
Steroids used to get ripped
Getting ripped involves burning body fat and building muscles at the same time. Some of the steroids that can be stacked to produce the best results are here. Note that some of them are not necessarily anabolic in nature.
Anvarol
Anvarol is considered a natural substitute for Anavar. It is also a perfect supplement for helping in bodybuilding and has fewer side effects compared to its counterpart Anavar. It is not an anabolic stack but just a natural steroid that is used in place of Anavar.
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Benefits of Anvarol
Anvarol is safe to use and has little side effects.
It is orally taken hence minimal problems related to injection.
It is a legal product.
Throwbacks of Anvarol
Some of the problems that come with using Anvarol include:
It is taken in large doses which may not be good for some people.
Overdose comes along with some side effects.
Testosterone
Testosterone is one of the most crucial hormones in men made in the testicles. Also found in slightly smaller amounts in women. Despite being found naturally in the body, people still take additional artificial testosterone. When it comes to getting ripped, testosterone is a good supplement. Testosterone has many effects that include:
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Reducing body fat content.
Increasing the mass of your muscles.
Improving strength and performance during workouts.
Improves the strength of bones.
Improving libido.
How testosterone helps reduce fat content of the body
In reducing fat content of the body, testosterone does this by upgrading the number of beta-androgenic receptors and also regulates fat metabolism. Insulin which facilitates conversion of carbohydrates to fats is highly regulated by the slightly excess testosterone that is taken by the body.
How testosterone helps build muscles?
Testosterone is an anabolic steroid hence has a role in building muscles mass. It does this by increasing protein synthesis making proteins some of which are part of the muscle mass.
Winstrol
Winstrol is also called Stanozolol and is a favourite during cutting cycles. It has a good effect when it comes to loosing sufficient amounts of fat as well as getting muscle mass. Winstrol has a long history, developed in the 50’s. Men like the steroid because it leads to less loss of muscles while consuming lower calories. It is easily taken orally hence no stress of injection compared to most other steroids.
What are the main benefits of Winstrol?
There are several benefits you get when you use Winstrol. They include:
Performance enhancement
In increasing your performance during workouts, Winstrol increases the number of red blood cells. The increased RBCs serve to transport oxygen faster and in plenty amounts to your muscles increasing the performance.
Reducing the fat content in the body
Like testosterone, Winstrol has an effect on loosing body fat with minimal effects on the muscles. By improving performance, one can spend longer hours in the Gym which means that you will also increase the calories taken and therefore increased metabolism. An increased metabolism simply implies that you are burning more fat hence the fat loss properties of Winstrol.
Less water retention
Water retention is common among many anabolic steroid but with Winstrol, it is greatly reduced. Winstrol due to this effect tends to produce a look that is lean.
Few side effects
The few side effects that winstrol has also made it popular especially when used in recommended doses. Other benefits of Winstrol include:
Improves bone mass just like testosterone.
Improves muscle mass.
It has no estrogenic side effects.
Winstrol works over a very short period of time and effects will be visible very soon.
Winsol
Winsol is an alternative to winstrol. It is just as good in making your body shreaded but of cause with fewer side effects. It reduces body fat at a higher rate compared to its counterpart.
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Benefits of Winsol
Increases the rate at which muscles grows.
Helps in preserving the lean muscle mass.
Burns fat at higher rate.
Improves the rate of recovery.
Few or no side effects in the right dosage.
Improves cardiovascular functions.
Trenbolone
Trenbolone a common powerful androgenic steroid more even compared to testosterone. It was originally meant for beef cattle and became popular among athletes in around 1970. You can use Tren both during the cutting cycles or bulking. It is however more common during bulking because its effect on building muscles is more compared to burning fat. Tren is a perfect get ripped anabolic steroid because of its ability to produce to muscle mass and at the same time reduce fat which are essential here.
Being a strong androgenic steroid, its side effects can be very strong. These side effects include:
Acne.
Reduced libido.
Hypertension and a faster heart beat at rest.
Anxiety.
Sweating.
Main benefits of trenbolone
Improves muscle mass at a higher rate
Tren is a very good anabolic steroid when it comes to gaining muscles without retaining water like the others. It is about 5 times stronger than testosterone.
Leads to an improvement in recovery
During it you need to reduce on calories intake and this usually has the effect that it tends to reduce recovery. Reduced calories makes your muscles more vulnerable to injury as well as increasing the time taken for your muscles to repair after exercise. However, with Tren, you do not need to worry since it tends to improve your recovery even with reduced calories in your diet.
Less water retention
Using tren leads to less or even no water retention. This is because tren usually not converts to estrogen, which relates to water retention and bloating. Tren is a perfect androgenic steroid when you use it according to the set doses. It ensures that you are gaining muscle mass even when you are cutting and that makes it popular.
Clenbuterol
Clenbuterol is also one of the most commonly used supplement for a shreaded body.
Benefits of clenbuterol
Enhances performance.
Helps reduce body fat content.
Improves cardiovascular performance.
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How Clenbuterol works?
Clenbuterol describes as a thermogenic product, working by improving the internal temperature and in so doing raising the basal metabolic rate. The body therefore has to use the fat to supply itself with sufficient energy. Apart from increasing the internal temperature, Clenbuterol also increases the rate at which oxygen supplies around the body, which ensures that the cardiovascular functions are well sustained. The muscles too get sufficient oxygen hence improving their performance.
How the cutting stack works?
The above supplements are good for cutting. They stacks to produce a good ripped body is what we need to know. A commonly used stack includes four of the supplements, Anvarol, Clenbuterol, Testo-max, and Winsol. Each of these plays a specific role as specified below.
Anvarol – The role of Anvarol here is to ensure that the body is producing sufficient amounts of adenosine Triphosphate(ATP). Sufficient amounts of ATP in the body simply implies that contraction of muscles well driven hence the ability to work even harder during workouts.
Clenbuterol – As already mentioned on Clenbuterol, it is thermogenic serving to increasing the internal temperature of the body. The calories are burn even when not doing the exercises because of the increased metabolism in the body. Clenbuterol increases the circulation of oxygen, especially in the muscles. This makes you last longer during working out.
Testosterone( Testo-Max) – Testo-max has tribulus terrestris that serves to naturally boost your testosterone levels in the body. Increased testosterone means that you will be gaining muscle mass as well as improving your performance and many other benefits already said above.
Winsol Winsol is a very good alternative to Winstrol. Its role involves reducing water retention and may help increase testosterone as well.
Why this stack considered good?
There are many other combinations that you can use as a cutting stack and still get better results. However, this combination here seems the best because:
The steroids are safe to use with minimal side effects if you use them in the correct dosage.
The steroids are also legal to use and not the prohibited ones.
Steroids taken orally reduces the dangers associated with needles.
A way that their results are seen within a very short period of time usually about 4 weeks.
How to best use the cutting stack?
Clenbuterol Clen, use it before every workout session. This will make sure that you have enough power for the sessions and that your metabolism remains high hence burning of more fat.
Anvarol Take it every other day and serves to give you the strength and the power needed for every session of your workout.
Winsol Take it every day just like Anvarol. It also serves to boost your strength levels and supplying energy for you to workout.
Testo-Max Take it every morning. It helps boost the levels of testosterone, which in the long run helps in maintaining performance and in retaining the lean muscle.
Time consideration
A common question that people like to ask when the process likely to get through. For a while one person it may take a very short time, it may as well take a longer time for others despite using the same anabolic stack.
A ripped body usually has several factors that have contributed to it and are all related to the length that has been invested in all the phases already mentioned above. Such factors include:
Doing a strength training of the major muscles groups two or more times a week. This way, you will have met what requires to maintain a healthy body and also leads to muscle growth
Resting of the muscles subjected to the training for about 48 hours or more before the next round of such training.
Working to fatigue is also another factor.
Conclusion
There is no one ultimate anabolic stack that you can get. However, you can always experiment and find out what works for you. Have in mind also that several things also come hand in hand to determine which stack will be the best for you for example our genetic composition. However as long as you maintain your muscle mass and burn the fat in your body, then you can be sure to get a shreaded body within no time.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin – A Hormone of Health
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is a protein hormone that is produced mostly by the females during early stages of pregnancy. This natural hormone has several important roles in the body. It is one of those hormones which when detected in the females will be a very crucial sign that they are pregnant.
Being a hormone, it can influence several physiological functions of the body. It has therefore for this reason been adopted to be used for medical purposes by specialists around the world. Here in this article, we will consider how the hormone can be of use to all people including men.
Commercial names of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
Human chorionic gonadotropin in nowadays is a drug under different commercial names. The common ones include Pregnyl and Novarel. Also a related drug called Ovidrel. These drugs are injectable forms and not orally taken. Different uses of the drug may either mean that it is an endocrine drug or a drug for fertility purposes. Endocrine drugs tend to influence the hormonal levels in the body and therefore the body will react to how the hormone changes. Fertility drugs on the other hand simply improve your fertility status.
Effects in the body of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
Once injected, HCG will start affecting the body in about 4 to 12 hours. During this time, it is highly concentrated in blood if measured. In the body, HCG has a half-life of about 30 hours and is usually excreted in urine. The effects of the hormone are very similar to those of another hormone in the body called luteinizing hormone. Basically, it will affect ovulation and estrogen production in women while in men it will have effects on spermatogenesis as well as production of testosterone and a related hormone dihydrotestosterone. These effects have found their way in the specialists of body builders and are currently utilizing it in that sector.
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Biological roles of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in the body
HCG is an important hormone during early pregnancy days. Here are some of its roles during these critical days in the life of the fetus.
Keeps the corpus luteum functioning
Corpus luteum is an important temporary endocrine gland in early pregnancy. It produces 2 important hormones, estrogen and progesterone. The role of HCG here is to make sure that the corpus luteum continues to produce these 2 hormones until the placenta is mature enough to start producing these hormones at which point it disintegrates.
Stimulate production of testosterone in the fetus
HCG also help stimulate the fetus to produce testosterone. Testosterone is particularly important in the fetus helping in the differentiation of the sexual organs.
Enhances the production of corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are other important group of hormones that are important and there production is essential.
Help suppress the reaction of maternal lymphocytes
A fetus is usually considered a foreign object by the body and typically, the mother’s body is supposed to reject it through the reaction of lymphocytes. However, with HCG and other factors, the baby is not normally rejected.
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Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and pregnancy detection
One of the earliest sign of pregnancy is detection of HCG in blood about 24 to 48 hour after implantation. The hormone after a few days will be detected in urine. Waiting for long periods of times for example after about 16 weeks will not lead to a positive pregnancy test using HCG because its levels will be very low both in blood and urine.
Related Article:: 4 Best Natural Supplements For Pregnant Women
Roles of HCG as a drug and supplement
Human chorionic gonadotropin as a drug is very important when it comes to fertility issues. It generally improves fertility both in men and women, usually through encouraging sperm and egg production in men and women respectively.
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Sex-linked conditions
Besides fertility, Human chorionic gonadotropin comes in strongly as a drug used to relive some sex-linked conditions in both men and women. For example, cases of undescended testes in male infants as well as undeveloped female sexual traits in teenage girls can easily be cured using HCG.
Weight Loss
As a supplement on the other hand, human chorionic gonadotropin has been implicated in helping reduce weight loss. This however has not been approved and therefore purchase for this purpose is illegal.
Indications for the use of HCG
Having seen the roles of HCG as a drug, here some of the areas and groups of people who will need HCG upon their cases being presented to a health practitioner who specializes in the area.
Deficiency of testosterone in the body.
Life threatening spontaneous abortions.
Cryptorchidism, that is, undescended testicles in infants either unilateral or bilateral.
Male hypogonadism.
Bleeding in women which is considered dysfunctional.
Must Read:: HCG Dosing For Stimulation Of Testosterone Production
Things to consider before using Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
As a medication, HCG has some restrictions on how to use, when to use and when not to use. All these guidelines were stipulated not long ago (2011) by the Food and Drug Administration. Here are some of the things that you need to consider before it is safe for you to take Human chorionic gonadotropin as a medication.
It is not safe for pregnant mothers to take HCG because they are already producing plenty of it and any additional hormone is likely to interfere with the pregnancy. The hormone has been proved to cause birth defects and therefore should never be taken during pregnancy or when one is planning to become pregnancy sooner.
Some people are usually allergic to some drugs, HCG being included. It may not just be the hormone itself but even the component in the drug. It is therefore important to know if you are or are not allergic to HCG before going ahead and taking it for whatever purpose you want. Allergic reaction can be deadly hence the reason to be more careful.
Prostate cancer patients
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is not considered a safe drug to be used by those who may be having prostate cancer. This is because the hormone is likely to accelerate the progress of the cancer to more ugly phases. Even people with other cancers which are sensitive to male hormones can easily be accelerated by this hormone when it is used as a drug or a supplement.
Related Article:: Prostate Cancer And Steroids: Let The Pendulum Swing
Other factors that medical specialists considers before administering Human Chorionic Gonadotropin as drug include:
If one has any cardiac related conditions.
People having kidney diseases and conditions.
Seizures and migraines.
Asthmatic people.
People with ovarian cysts.
People in early stages of puberty.
Side effects of using Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
Any drug has side effects. For human chorionic gonadotropin, being a hormone makes it even more dangerous when it comes to side effects. Here are some of the side effects that you are likely to encounter when using HCG.
Experiencing fatigue and having a headache.
Easily irritate and also being restless.
One is likely to become depressed.
Gynecomastia in males.
Sudden swelling of the extremities.
Probability of having multiple pregnancies usually increases.
Life-threatening allergic reactions.
Thrombosis is highly likely to occur.
Problems are likely to occur in the ovaries including swelling and rapturing.
Some teenagers enter puberty earlier than expected.
Components That Are Likely To Interact With Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in the Body
Once taken as a drug or a supplement, human chorionic gonadotropin is likely to interact with several compounds in the body, which in most cases may lead to allergic reactions or even bring about other adverse effects that are not allergic reactions. It is good that your specialist knows about whether you have been using some of these components or anything that night contain them.
Generally, HCG will interact with several medication, vitamins, supplements taken together with the diet such as protein supplements, herbal drugs and even recreational drugs.
Drugs that affect blood
Drugs that affect any aspect of blood will definitely interact with human chorionic gonadotropin when taken as drug or a supplement. These include those drugs, which are taken to treat clotting disorders and those taken to increase red blood cells count.
Drugs for treatment of some cancers
Beside drugs for treatment of cancers that mostly interact with HCG are those that will have effects on blood supply. A good example is thalidomide, which also implicate in causing birth defects.
Besides drugs, HCG will also interact with alcohol. When HCG is taken in the hope of improving fertility, then alcohol should not be taken. This is because their interactions usually leads to birth defects.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin & Dosage
Just like any other medication out there, dosage when it comes to human chorionic gonadotropin when used, as a drug is crucially important. The dosage for HCG will depend first on the condition that treat and secondly on sex of the patients. Different conditions require different doses, as do the sexes. Taking an overdose of the drug is considered an emergency situation and you should make effort to conduct the poison center as soon as possible. If you happened to miss the dosage, there is usually no much concern but efforts should be made to reschedule the dosage within the shortest time possible.
The Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Diet
For reasons other than medical purposes, some people tend to on an HCG diet especially in the hope of losing weight. However, the diet is not good at all for several reasons. The main reasons as to why the diet is not a good choice is the fact that it accompanies a diet with low calories. Of course the low calorie diet will make you lose some weight, the low amount of calories are disastrous especially to the brain since it cannot maintain it. It generally not a safe option if you want to lose weight and one should not go for it.
Must Read:: 4 Famous Female Bodybuilders And Their Diet
HCG Diet formula
Having said that HCG diet concept is not a good choice to go for, people out of curiosity may wonder what can be a perfect HCG diet formula for them. The truth is, HCG all this aspect has not been regulated by FDA and therefore finding sufficient information on this aspect is not easy or it does not even exist. However, talking to a knowledgeable physician may help shape things out and make you find a right HCG diet formula for you.
How the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin diet work in weight loss
How does HCG come in to reduce weight? People have reported losing a lot of weight using this supplement although it is not safe as already stressed. The idea of how it actually reduces weight comes from how the HCG produced during early stages of pregnancy works. During these days, the hormone instructs the body to use stored fat for energy purposes so that the mother can sustain the baby.
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Therefore, when taken as a supplement, it will in the same way instruct the body to use stored fat and this implies that the user will not have to ingest many calories. The end results is usually a reduction in weigh due to use of body fat for energy purposes. Therefore, the loss of weight is not due to the action of the hormone but due to the fact that it cause a change in diet, which then triggers a drop in weight.
HCG Drop
Besides the normal HCG used as a medication and as a supplement, there is another product similar to HCG called HCG drop.
Roles of HCG Drop
The product believed to have an effect on the metabolism and on weight loss. It has been implicated to help shape metabolism and reduce weigh hence proving of importance to those with the intention of losing weight.
However, the concept is not well proven and it has been shown that effectiveness actually depends on how the body of the person will take it. This is to mean that HCG drop may be very effective to some people while it may have no effects at all to some people.
HCG Drop reactions
HCG drop not regulate by Food and Drug Administration. Therefore very little information is known about it. Especially when it comes to how it will react with the some components in the body and also other medication that one is taking. Consult a specialist in case you want to try out the product and see how they may advise you.
Recommendations on the use of HCG by Athletes
Despite the fact that use of HCG by athletes may not be the best thing you can do as an athlete, there are certain recommendation which when followed may give some results, which are good. The recommendations are below:
If one has been taking anabolic steroids for at least 6 months and wishes to try out HCG, then it is recommended that you should reduce intake of the steroids the moment you start on HCG. HCG here is believed to reduce the testosterone deficiency. Upon completion of your anabolic steroid cycle, then you should also stop the HCG dosage as well.
So as to ensure optimal level of testosterone in the body, it is recommended that HCG be taken during a break of at least two weeks for anabolic steroid cycles lasting between 3 to 4 weeks long.
Sometimes the athlete may be on prolonged anabolic steroid use without bothering on the use of HCG. In such a case, one should incorporate the HCG in their post-cycle therapy. Inject HCG every day for a total of 20 days.
HCG and Cycles
Look at the recommendations, let us now turn to the cycles. If you can meet the above recommendations, then you can proceed and check out if these cycles can work for you.
HCG cycles for Men
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For men who wish to use HCG, the cycle that is best for them will depend on how much they weigh. An athlete with about 70 kg will require between 1500 to 3000 units of Human Chorionic gonadotropin every day. The dosage increases with increase in weight up to a maximum of 10000 units of every injection per day.
HCG cycles for Women
For women, HCG mainly prescribed for medical purposes. The recommended cycles for women vary and include:
Injecting 3000 international units(IU) twice every 3 days for 3 full weeks.
Injecting 1500 international units of HCG every day for at least 5 to 6 weeks.
Using about 500 to 1000 units two times a week for a period of 8 weeks.
Safest cycle to use
For athletes on anabolic steroids, a safe cycle will be good for them. It involves taking HCG in the 3rd week of the anabolic steroid cycle in doses of between 1000 and 1500 units of HCG. The dosage normally divides into two injections and should end upon the end of the anabolic steroid cycle. Upon completion, one should enter the post cycle therapy.
What happens in case of long time period anabolic steroid cycles?
Some anabolic steroid cycles are particularly long or sometimes some athlete continue using the steroids without necessarily stopping. In such cases, if one still wants to incorporate Human chorionic gonadotropin in the cycle, then the pattern changes slightly. This will mean that you should take HCG every 6 months if not every a quarter of a year. The dosage is usually 1500 units every 4th day.
HCG cycle for shorter Anabolic Steroid Cycles
For those athletes who prefer shorter recovery anabolic steroid cycles, the cycle for HCG also changes slightly. For example, there are those anabolic steroid cycles that run for a period of about only 3 weeks. The HCG dosage used is between 1500 to 2500 IU once every 3rd or 4th day.
Related Article:: Recommended Recovery Time Between Anabolic Steroid Cycles
HCG in Post Cycle Therapy
Under recommendations, it was mentioned that it is good to have HCG as part of Post-cycle therapy for those athletes who have used anabolic steroids for a longer time without incorporating HCG. So how does it come in and in what dosage? Having HCG during this period is very important because it serves to help one avoid some major side effects especially atrophy of the testicles. The HCG also help maintain the muscle size gained over the cycling period. HCG does this through its ability to help realign the hypothalamus pituitary axis back to the normal functioning.
HCG – POST CYCLE THERAPY
The post-cycle therapy involves clomide(50 mg) administered 2 times a day for the first 30 days, tamoxifen (20 mg) every day for 40 days and 2500 units of HCG daily for the first 16 days.
Forms of HCG Commonly used
Most forms of HCG that you are likely to find are the injectable forms. HCG itself is a powdered substance, which comes, sealed in ampoules. As an injectable supplement, administrate it either subcutaneously or intramuscularly.
Preparation of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin for Injection
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin must be properly so that it can be safe for injection into the body. Normally use sterile water or an isotonic solution for dilution purposes. The volume injected depends on the content of the bottle. For example, a bottle having 1000 pieces of the hormone will mean that only 1 ml is injected. The ampoules should be processed with alcohol using the syringe and then introduced in a bottle containing a special powder. Care should be taken to have a few bubbles as possible. After that, shake well to ensure that the powder is well dissolved at the point, which the drug is ready for use.
You can reuse the prepared solution for as long as you want provided that it store it in a refrigerator. The temperature should not rise to more than 20 degree centigrade and the solution should not expose to sunlight.
Conclusion
Human chorionic gonadotropin as seen here is a very important hormone if used for the right reasons and at the right time. While it is very important in the lives of bodybuilders and athletes, care should not take is to misuse it because it has disastrous effects. FDA regulates its medical uses, which is good thing. On the other hand other uses not regulate and therefore their applications will depend on how much you want to risk yourself.
10 Steroid Cycles for Different Goals (Newbie, Bulking, Cutting, Strength)
Steroid Cycles usage comes along with its own rules and only those who stay true to such rules usually survive long enough to experience the benefits. One has to keep in mind the correct dosage, length of the cycle and have an idea how best they can minimize the side effects. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned steroid user, such rules are important and should be at your fingertips to help you get maximum benefits.
Here, we will focus more on the cycling part. People use steroids with different goals in mind. Mostly, steroids are meant to help in bulking, improving strength as well as performance and also to cut down the fat content of the body. To achieve these goals, you have to adapt a certain pattern of steroid usage, which is referred to as a cycle. You will get to know which steroids cycles are best for based on what you need to achieve using steroids in this article.
How Important Is Cycling?
Before going into cycling the steroids, it is important that you get to understand what actually cycling is and how it can help you achieve your goals. Cycling involves use of steroid for some period, pausing for some period and then continuing. Most steroid users will take them for usually about 6 to 16 weeks then either low dosage or even no steroids at all in the following few weeks. There are several reasons as to why the users, more specifically athletes cycle the steroids. Some of these reasons include:
Athletes will target to have high performance during competitions so it is a way of ensuring that the benefits come at the right time and not go to waste.
It is a way of ensuring that they are not easily detected by sports officials considering that most of these steroids are illegal and being detected will lead to automatic disqualification.
Cycling is also a way of ensuring that adverse effects of the steroids are highly minimized and do not affect the health of the athlete.
Cycling also comes in importantly as a way of reducing tolerance development, which may otherwise be disastrous to the career of the athlete.
Other related patterns of steroid usage
Apart from cycling which is a major part of our discussion here in this article, there are other patterns of steroid usage that you may want to know. These include pyramiding and stacking.
Pyramiding
Just like a pyramid, pyramiding in steroid usage involves steady increase in the dosage or sometimes in the frequency of steroid used until a stage usually referred to as mid-cycle. At mid-cycle, the dosage or frequency is usually high and this will automatically be followed by gradual reduction to zero. The time of pyramiding has been estimated to be around 6 to 12 weeks after which the user is expected to engage himself or herself in exercise in the absence of the steroids.
People who follow this pattern of steroid usage claim that it has an effect of making the body adjust to high dosage at the right time. The drug free period that follows is believed to help the body synchronize with the normal hormonal functioning of the body. Obviously, this is something which has not been proofed scientifically and therefore no one is sure whether it is true or not.
Another important pattern that you can encounter among some steroid users is the stacking pattern. Stacking refers to combining the different types of steroids and taking them at the same time. This includes using both injectable steroids as well as oral steroids. Those who follow this pattern believe that when you combine different steroids, they combine and interact in a manner that will lead to a greater and more pronounced effect.
Just like pyramiding, no single scientific evidence exist to support this idea although it has proofed to work with some individuals. As such therefore, it has never been applied for medical purposes in cases where steroids are being used to cure some form of disease conditions. Stacking may be between:
Injectable steroids and oral steroids.
Steroids that act over a short period of time and those that act over a long period of time.
Steroid cycles for different groups
Steroid use has become a common practice nowadays. This is especially when it comes to weight lifters usually in the age bracket of 20 to 30 years. Both sexes also use the steroid although less common among females. We will explore steroid cycle among groups such as beginners, those with the intention of bulking, those who want to cut and even those who look for strength in steroids.
Newbie Steroid Cycles
With steroid usage becoming more and more common. It is not surprising that someone may wonder how he or she may begin using him or her and which steroid to start with. Focusing on the right steroids should always be a priority for beginners. It is not wise to just begin and take a very toxic steroid in the sense of getting the best result at ago. This will lead of course to severe side effects, which may not be what was the intention of the user. For newbies therefore, the best cycles include the one discussed below.
1 Anavar Only Cycle
For the first Anavar only cycle, one has to take 15 mg per day for the first 3 weeks followed by 20 mg per day for the remaining 3 weeks. This is especially designed for male beginners in steroid usage. For the second cycle, one needs 20 mg per day for the whole period and can usually be increased to about 8 weeks.
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Why Anavar?
Anavar is a steroid, which has been approved by FDA to be used strictly for medicinal purposes. However, if you are a beginner who wants to gain lean muscles and loose sufficient amounts of fat without severe side effects, then Anavar is good choice for you to try out.
G.D Searle and co. first launched Anavar in 1962 with the name Oxandrolone that of course later changed to Anavar. It quickly found its way among bodybuilders until it was burned in 1989 for those who use it for non-medicinal purposes.
Pros of Anavar
Significant increase in mass of muscles
Anavar causes a significant and gradual increase in muscle mass, which makes it a favorite among beginners. It is not as strong as other agents so there are smaller side effects. It just requires a smaller to moderate dose of Anavar to bring about an increase in muscle mass of course when using the correct amount of calories every day.
Reduction in body fat
Anavar is a good steroid when it comes to cutting for beginners as well as other steroid users who want to cut down on the fat content of the body. This will be effective if one accompanies its usage with a diet that is deficient in calories.
Reduced water retention
Apart from reducing body fat, Anavar is also great for reducing water retention in the body. It helps eliminate excess water and distribute the fluids more effectively. As such, it will lead to hypertrophy and appearance of pumps since most water is confined to the cell. One visible sign of reduced water retention is increase in vascularity.
Produces muscles pumps and full muscles
Because of reduced water retention, Anavar will make your muscle have pumps that are more prominent.
For strength
Steroid newbies who have a goal of gaining strength will find this a very useful steroid and therefore a very good one to get started in their cycle. It is not however a very effective steroid for strength but its few side effects make it effective for beginners.
Cons of Anavar
Besides being a nice steroid for beginners, it happens that any steroid that is used has its bad side as well. Here are some of the cons of using Anavar.
Increased blood pressure.
Hepatic toxicity.
A reduction in testosterone level.
Depression and anxiety.
Hair loss.
2 Testosterone only Cycle
Another cycle that will be of importance to newbies in steroid usage is the Testosterone only cycle. The cycle runs for 7 good weeks and encompasses 200 mg per day of testosterone for the first 2 weeks, 300 mg per day for the next 3 weeks and finishing with 350 mg per day for the remaining 2 weeks.
Why testosterone?
In the first cycle, the appropriate testosterone steroids are testosterone Cypionate and testosterone enanthate. These two are ester and have a common characteristic of acting slowly which is why they are the best for beginners.
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Pros of Testosterone
Testosterone helps improve muscle development when used at the right time and in the correct dosage amounts.
For medical purposes, testosterone can help in treatment of erectile dysfunction in men who have such problems.
Cons of testosterone
Increased hair loss leading to baldness.
Increased chances of developing heart related conditions such as hypertension and heart attacks.
Reduced quality of sleep otherwise called sleep apnea.
Acne.
Gynecomastia in males.
Most of these problems do not develop immediately however. They only develop on frequently using the steroid for prolonged periods. Thus, for disciplined athletes, they rarely encounter such problems.
3 Dianabol only Cycle
Another steroid cycle for beginners is the Dianabol only cycle. The cycle runs for a period of 6 weeks and involves 20 mg per day for the first 2 weeks followed by 25 mg per day for the remaining 4 weeks. The dosage is a bit stronger and it is recommended for those beginners who are willing to endure slightly more side effects compared to the other 2 cycles.
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Why Dianabol?
Dianabol is a very strong steroid, at least stronger than both testosterone and Anavar for beginners. As such, one can expect to gain more muscles as compared to when using the other 2 steroids. It commonly liked by beginners who are afraid of injection but want to have stronger muscles since it is an oral steroid. The active agent in Dianabol is methandrostenolone, which is one that causes increase in muscles over a very period of time.
Pros of Dianabol
D-bol is able to help one pack on muscles within the shortest time possible compared to other steroids.
It has strength building capabilities again over a short period of time. On average, one can expect to about forty pounds within a short period of time.
The steroid is strong when it comes to losing body fat. Although it is a bulking agent, it helps in getting rid of excess fat too and in the process enhancing the tone of muscles.
When used, d-bol has this effect help one gain stamina and intensity during workouts.
Cons of Dianabol
Development of acne and hair loss leading to baldness.
Development of cardiovascular conditions due to increase in levels of bad cholesterol.
Hepatic toxicity is a common and serious problem caused by Dianabol since it is a c-17 alpha alkylated steroid.
It can also lead to aggressive behavior and mood swings.
Development of breasts in males.
Being illegal, D-bol has legal alternatives, which thankfully have no such tough side effects.
Bulking Steroid Cycles
Bulking is all about gaining muscles abundantly. It involves either packing on muscles or focusing on having lean muscles with the intention of retaining no water and getting ripped. Therefore, the cycles that should help one bulk should take into consideration either of the two aspects. Some of the most common cycles that can of great importance if you need to bulk are highlighted below.
4 Anadrol only Cycle
Anadrol only cycle stretches over a period of 6 weeks. You take 50 mg per day of the active ingredient in Anadrol for the first 3 weeks and then increase the dosage to 75 mg per day for the remaining 3 weeks. The cycle fits those individual who are in need of massive muscles and who in the past have not interacted with this steroid. For those who have interacted with this steroid, they can easily stretch some limits for example adding the cycling time to 8 weeks and even the dosage to 100 mg per day.
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Why Anadrol?
Anadrol is a very strong steroid to the body especially when it comes to bulking. Being such strong, it is not highly recommended for beginners unless they have gotten used to testosterone already or even Dianabol. Even so, they will need low to moderate amounts to be able to tolerate the steroid.
Pros of Anadrol
It is a good steroid when one wants to gain massive sizes of muscles.
It is also good for gaining sufficient amount of strength.
Cons of Anadrol
Increase in blood pressure beyond dangerous levels.
It is toxic to the liver being an oral steroid.
5 Anadrol and Deca Cycle
We have already talked about stacking before and here is how it can relate to cycling. You basically stack Anadrol and Deca Durabolin, another less strong steroid. The cycle runs over a time period of 8 weeks and you typically start off with 400 mg Deca Durabolin for the first 2 weeks followed by a similar dosage for the remaining weeks but of course with 50 mg per day of Anadrol for the first four weeks and increasing the dosage to 75 mg per day just like the Anadrol only cycle.
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Why use the Stack?
Stacking deca and Anadrol will come a long with more effects than using Anadrol alone. Deca, being a milder steroid will help minimize the side effects associated with Anadrol.
Pros of using the stack
The combination is more potent compared to using Anadrol alone.
Improves sexual health unlike when Deca is used on its own.
Cons of the stack
Suppression of natural testosterone production.
Likelihood of increased water retention.
6 Anadrol and Test Cycle
Another wonderful cycle that can help in bulking include stacking Anadrol and Testosterone. This is a slightly more powerful alternative to the cycle above, which uses Deca Durabolin instead of Testosterone. It runs over a shorter period of time of 6 weeks. The dosage for Anadrol is the same as for the Anadrol only cycle while testosterone involves 200 mg per day for the first 2 weeks, 300 mg per day for the following 3 weeks and finishing off with 350 mg per day for the last one week.
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Why the stack?
Being more powerful than the previous stack, the cycle will only be of importance to those well-advanced bodybuilders. These should have also been ardent users of Anadrol and successfully.
Pros of the stack
Massive muscles are gained and are exceptional.
Strength is also gained more that the above stack.
Cons of the stack
Increase in blood pressure which may not be good for your health.
Increased water retention.
Reduced production of natural testosterone.
Hepatic toxicity.
Probability of developing gynecomastia in females.
7 Test and Deca Cycle
Testosterone and Deca Durabolin can be combined to produce one of the best-stacked cycle for bulking. It is great because it is considered one of the safest cycle that one can use to get bulk. It involves 200 mg/day of each of the two steroids for the first 3 weeks, 300 mg/day for the following 4 weeks and finishing with 200 mg/day.
Pros of the stack
It is good for giving strength and size to the muscles.
Low risk of gynecomastia.
Cons of the stack
Hepatic toxicity is likely to occur.
Cutting Steroid Cycles
Cutting is an important phase in the lifespan of the bodybuilder, where they try to loose fat but at the same time trying to maintain the mass of the muscles. Steroids involved should therefore be ones that can burn sufficient amounts of fats while preserving the muscle mass that has been build. Here are some great cycles that can be used to cut.
8 Winstrol only Cycle
The winstrol only cycles stretches over a period of 6 weeks with 20 mg/day for the first 2 weeks then increasing to 25 mg/day for the remaining time period.
Why Winstrol?
Winstrol has been known as the best Cutting steroid. It is cheaper than Anavar, which is also a good cutting steroid hence people tend to go for it. Its ability to help maintain the muscle gained is superior to that of Anavar but the only problem is that it has stronger side effects.
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Pros of Winstrol
Leads to massive muscles gains.
Good at making someone shredded.
Cons of Winstrol
Increase in blood pressure which may not be good for one’s health.
Hepatic toxicity.
Acne and facial hair loss.
9 Winstrol and Trenbolone Cycle
Winstrol can also be stacked with trenbolone and be used in a cycle to produce the best cutting effects on the body. The dosage for winstrol of course remains as the one above but tren should be taken in doses of 150 mg/day for the first 4 weeks and then increasing to 225 mg/day for the remaining period.
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Why the stack?
With Tren in the picture, it means there will be more of the shredding.
Pros of using the stack
More fat burning and drying out effect compared to when using Winstrol alone.
Enhanced muscle gains.
Cons of using the stack
Suppressed testosterone production.
Increased blood pressure to dangerous levels.
10 Proviron and Winstrol Cycle
Apart from Proviron, Winstrol can also be stacked with Proviron to bring about cutting. The dosage for Winstrol is maintained while for proviron, 25 mg/day are used for the first week followed by 50 mg/day for the remaining period.
Proviron Mesterolone 25 mg
Why the stack?
This stack produces a very well ripped body more even than Winstrol and tren.
Pros of the stack
Great stack for removing water from the muscles.
Cons of the stack
Increase in high density lipoproteins hence cardiac related problems.
Conclusion
Different cycles are used to achieve different purposes as seen in this article. Most of the cycles however serve more than just the intended purpose and it is good that way. You should be able to find the right cycle, which favors you according to which group you fall into.
Best Creatine Pills vs. Powder – Pros and Cons of Both Forms
Creatine is one common supplement that you can use to achieve several benefits in your body if you are an athlete. It has been in use for a long time and as such, it exists in different forms that have evolved with time throughout its history. Creatine Pills & Powder is one most studied supplement used by athletes and that’s why there is sufficient information on it.
The two common forms that creatine supplement exists are the pills and powder forms. These have often lead to problems as people are not sure which form is the best for use. Since both forms exists in practically equal measures, this article highlights some important information on both forms with a stress on the pros and cons of both forms.
Creatine in details
In the body, creatine is a compound, which naturally produced from the amino acids. It also acquires from other sources other than the body’s amino acids for example the proteins of animal food. The creatine referred in this article however is the supplemented form that can be bought from different stores.
Dietary supplemented creatine that is bought ensures that you get as much creatine as much as possible and not only the minute amounts produced naturally in the body. Used this way, it has an impact on the performance of an athlete and also on the general health of the user. Just like many other dietary supplements, there have risen concerns about its use since it generally interferes with several physiological functions of the body.
Generally, for athletes, creatine is very important in ensuring that increase strength, increase muscles mass and performance as mentioned above. It is the most commonly used supplement because it is among the few supplements that prove to bring about the intended results.
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Benefits of using creatine as a supplement
Creatine has a wide range of benefits some of which we describe here:
1. Creatine increases your energy levels
Creatine has the effect of increasing the available energy. This means that when it comes to your workouts, you will work harder than ever before. Working out harder also leads to muscle hypertrophy. The reason behind the increase in the energy is because creatine increases anabolic responses as a result of increased hormones responsible for such activities in the muscle. A good example of such a hormone is insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1).
Must Read:: Best Supplements for Energy Levels
2. Reduction of protein breakdown
Creatine has a great impact in reducing the breakdown of proteins in the body. This is advantageous to bodybuilders since it means that they will retain a lot of proteins some of which are a crucial part of the muscles.
3. Hydration
Creatine increases water concentration in muscles. This water is responsible for making your muscles stronger and bigger.
Related Article:: Drink More Water If You Want To Lose Weight And Build Muscle Fast
4. Improving brain function
Aside from muscles and bodybuilding, creatine has been known to improve the functioning of the brain. The supplement when taken leads to increased brain creatine which may improve the function of the brain. The brain functions that have been noticed to improve include the short-term memory and reasoning.
5. Growth signaling
Creatine is also important in growth signaling. The growth signals are particularly meant to improve muscle hypertrophy through the action of satellite cells, which are responsible for sending the signals. The signals mainly stimulate muscle repair and growth particularly after your workouts and training sessions.
6. Reducing the levels of inhibitors
The major inhibitor for muscle growth is myostatin. When it is held back, muscle growth proceeds at a faster rate. Creatine is a very good inhibitor of this compound and the overall results is increase in muscle mass is at a faster rate.
Besides its use by bodybuilders, creatine has other applications especially for medical purposes. It has for instance been considered to be helpful in heart diseases, some form of cancer, muscular dystrophy and Parkinson disease among others.
Drawbacks of Creatine
Creatine has been referred to as the most safe supplement to be taken. This implies that it has very few if any drawbacks. Many researchers have looked into this area and have concluded the same way. The most important thing that needs the right dosage. As long as one is taking the right dosage, they can be sure to stay safe when using the supplements unlike other common supplements. There are however some few concerns that a few people have noticed when using creatine. These concerns include:
Cramps and dehydration
A few people who have used creatine supplements have complained of cramps and dehydration. This has not been proved and there exist no scientific explanation to it. It has actually been shown that creatine actually does the opposite of this health effects.
Bloating
Bloating is perhaps the most reported problem associated with taking creatine supplements. Also, Bloating results in discomfort especially when one is just beginning to take the supplements, a period called the creatine loading phase. Bloating comes as a result of increased water in the muscles leading to weight gain. The bloating seems to affect only a section of the people who can still avoid it by restricting themselves to a certain amount of the dosage.
Kidney problems
There are no problems that are caused by creatine on the kidney. People have associated creatine with kidney problems because increase creatine also leads to increase creatinine levels and creatinine levels are used as kidney markers. However, this may prove challenging if there already exist a kidney problem. People with such problems are advised not to use creatine before seeking advice from a medical specialist.
Must read:: What Internal Organs can be Affected During Steroid Cycles?
Types of creatine supplements
It comes in different forms some of which are highlighted here.
Creatine monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is the form of creatine which is commonly used in different studies. It is sometimes considered the standard creatine over which all the other forms are compared. It also the most potent form.
Creatine pyruvate
Creatine pyruvate has a major effect on increasing the blood levels of creatine. This however does not seem to have an influence over the performance.
Creatine citrate
This form is more water-soluble compared to the others and can help avoid clumping in the water.
Creatine magnesium chelate
When this form of creatine is used as a supplement, it tends to prevent the gain of water especially at low doses.
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Buffered creatine and creatine hydrochloride
These 2 forms are best known for their conversion back into their basic form by the stomach acid.
There are many other forms including:
Micronized creatine monohydrate.
Creatine ethyl ester.
Forms Of Creatine Supplements
Creatine supplements can come in form of pills, powders or capsules. Capsules contain the powder and therefore there are two major forms in which creatine can acquire, that is, the powder forms and pills forms. Each of these two forms have their own advantages and disadvantages, which clearly highlighted here below. Generally, people say that they are minor if any differences between the two forms. The most important thing to note here is that whether they are pills are the powder, the content of creatine is the same. Differences therefore come in in other aspects other than content of creatine taken in.
Creatine Pills
Creatine pills are usually taken together with fluids such as water orally. Taking creatine this way is the best way in which you can increase the levels of creatine in your body. Take creatine together with multivitamins without any problems.
THREE-ATINE (Monohydrate) > > HERE
Pros of Creatine Pills
Transportation – Transportation of pills is much easier instead of powders. This is because they are not likely to spill.
Less wastage – When taking pills or tablets, you expect little wastage since tablets are not likely to be spilled while being consumed.
Dosage – When it comes to dosage, pills ensure that you get the exact dosage as specified. Pills have that specific amount of monohydrate hence every pill will be the best for you.
Cons of Creatine Pills
High Cost – Purchasing pills can be troublesome for some people because they have a higher purchase cost compared to powder forms of creatine. This will be particularly felt during the loading phase when you need more of the pills.
Absorption is slower – Compared to powder, pills have a slowly effect after you take them. Attributed to their compact form, which means that they must first be digested before they take the effect on your body. To help minimize the problem, they are taken earlier so that they can be absorbed.
Combining with other supplements is harder – Creatine can be a very good companion when combined with complementary supplements. The common supplements which are best combined include the carbohydrates and proteins. With pills however, it might be difficult to combine and only powder form can be useful.
Creatine Powder
Creatine powder is perhaps the most common form of creatine consumed, at least by bodybuilders and other people who like working out.
Micronized Creatine Powder > > HERE
Pros of Powder
Cost effective – One can easily afford creatine powder as compared to pills.
Absorbed More Readily – The form of powder as compared to the tablets s readily absorbed because there is no need of digestion.
Combining with other supplements is easier – Creatine combines more easily with other supplements like mentioned above. The powder form will make it easier to combine unlike their counterparts the pills.
These pros have made many people like the powder as compared to pills. The fact that they are cost effective means that one will spend less on them and also the fact that they can be combined easily with other supplements means that one will get maximum benefits.
Cons of Powder
Not easy to transport – Spills are common with powdered forms of creatine when transporting and this leads usually to great losses.
Wastage – Apart from wastage due to transportation problems, powdered creatine is more likely to waste through other forms also. They may for example get stack around the corners of the containers.
Incorrect dosage – One is more likely to get incorrect dosage when using powdered form of creation as compared to pills. This aspect also closely links to wastage because when the powder sticks on the vessel of taking the powder. Incorrect dosage may even lead to side effects being experience more often.
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Effectiveness Of Creatine
Whether in powder or pills form, creatine affects several physiological functions of the body and therefore leading to some effects. How effective creatine can be depends on several goals that one intends to achieve after having used creatine. Here is a clear overview of how effective the supplement can be in the line of what one needs to achieve.
Muscles mass
Creatine has effects on the muscles and several athletes and bodybuilders have been using it to gain muscle mass. With muscle mass, creatine is more effective compared to any other supplement known including the proteins. This will particularly be more pronounced if it is used in during resistance training. All of these arguments are a result of intense training in the area.
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Strength
You can increase Strength of the muscles through several processes by different supplements. There are those supplements that improve strength through water retention. For creatine however, it has its own way of improving the strength in the muscles. This is through increasing the energy of in the muscles, which means that the muscle cells have the energy needed for their actions. This is much way better than water retention and this makes creatine among the best supplement ever to bring about strength.
Performance
For performance, creatine is good in increasing performance especially when it comes to short burst exercises. It is ability to stimulate production of ATP in sufficient amounts in the muscles is the one responsible for increasing the performance. Creatine does not seem to extend this effectiveness to such activities that require long endurance.
It is very clear that creatine is a perfect supplement that you can count on to help get the best effect ever as seen above. All the information on creatine has been supported by great research and there is therefore no doubt about its effectiveness.
How to take Creatine supplements?
Creatine is an orally taken supplement. Different ages can take in creatine as follows depending on their needs and goals.
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Children and teenagers
Creatine supplements are not good for children. Sometimes however, they may take them for medical purposes although it is very rare. Requires advice from medical specialist.
Adults
Doses for adults vary from person to person and with the intended effects. For example, the loading dosage requires in exercise performance take 5 g of creatine monohydrate 4 times in a single day for a period of not more than 5 days. One can also take 2 g of the creatine monohydrate each day as part of the maintenance dosage in exercise performance. Something that has been researched and found to be good when taking in creatine is combining it with carbohydrates. The carbohydrate make absorption better.
The Right Time to Take Creatine
Whether you are taking the powder or pills, creatine needs to be taken at the right time. This will depend on which activity you are engaging in during the day. Basically, take creatine during the day when one plans on Exercising.
On the day when you plan to carry out your exercises, you can take creatine in three different way according to how you may like it.
Shortly before exercising
You can take 5g about 30 minutes before you start your exercises. This means that you are going to supply your muscles with creatine instantly and will increase your performance.
Shortly After Exercising
Take creatine Within 30 minutes after your exercises in which you should take just 5g of the creatine. Creatine is good when it comes to muscles recovery therefore people who take creatine after exercises usually have this in mind.
Mornings And Evenings
Take your creatine some few hours before or after the exercise. This is not however justified and may not be good. Using creatine this way produces the least effects as compared to the other two ways. When not on your exercises, you can still supplement your creatine without any bad health effects. This is mainly to ensure that you have high levels of creatine in your muscles all the time. Just ensure that your doses are a little less as compared to when you are going to exercises.
Interactions of Creatine with Other Compounds in the Body
Creatine interacts with several compounds that may also ingeste. These are particularly drugs and therefore when one is taking certain medication, they should be careful not to include creatine as well because it may lead to some unwanted health effects. Some of the drugs that interact with creatine in the body include:
Caffeine
Caffeine interacts with creatine in the body and results may not be good to the user. First, caffeine has the effect of reducing the effect of creatine in the body. It also possess the risk of dehydration. When used together with ephedra, the effect may be disastrous since there is the risk of developing stroke.
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Diuretics
Diuretics or what some people call water pills, also interact with creatine leading to harmful effects on the body. Like caffeine, they also lead to dehydration in addition to increasing the chances of kidney damage.
Probenecid
Probenecid is a drug used to treat a condition called gout. It interacts with creatine leading to increased chances of kidney damage.
NSAIDs
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs interact with creatine and also usually increases the risk of kidney damage. They are some of the most used pain relieving drugs and so one is likely to use them and still use creatine. Great care should therefore take a while.
Creatine Loading
Creatine loading is another good aspect that directly or indirectly relate to whether one uses the creatine powder or pills. It is a phase where one tries to maximize as much as possible the available creatine in their muscles. It basically involves taking in more creatine at the shortest time possible so that the muscles saturate faster.
Necessity Of Creatine Loading Phase
Creatine loading serves to immediately boost your creatine levels at once so that your main task after the phase is to maintain the levels. However, it is not purely necessary that one undergo this phase. This is because even taking smaller doses can eventually bring the levels up and only time makes the difference here.
How Can Creatine Loading Be Beneficial?
Creatine loading is all about maximizing the muscular creatine levels at the shortest time possible and this can be beneficial. Some of the crucial benefits include the following:
Accelerate Muscle Gain.
Strength and power also increases up to as much as 5 to 25 %.
Performance too increases during high intensity exercises.
Creatine loading is also important in preventing injury such as strains, muscle tightness and other types of injuries common in sporting activities.
Side Effects
Generally, creatine loading is safe and can be used over both the long and short-term periods without many issues. However, it has its own side effects:
Gastrointestinal related issues
Gastrointestinal issues are sometimes experienced but it is very rare for one to experience them. These problems include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Weight Gain And Bloating
Generally, creatine associates with weight gain and bloating. With creatine loading, this seems to be accelerated.
Conclusion
Whether you want to use pills or the powder is up to you. It all gets down to what you do every now and then. For example, if you are a person who likes moving from place to place, then you will probably have to settle for pills to avoid losses. Just keep in mind that powders and pills contain the same substance which is equally beneficial and only minor differences comes in.
9 Causes of Gynecomastia and Man Boobs
Gynecomastia is an emerging condition in men in the recent times. It can be referred with different names including Male breasts, Man boobs or simply moobs. Although harmless, the condition can cause serious trouble including the risk of developing breast cancer. The condition can easily be avoided although there are genetic causes, which means that the person is born with man boobs. This genetic condition is called Klinefelter Syndrome and less or nothing can be done in such a case.
What actually happens in gynecomastia is that there is an increase in breast tissue, particularly the glandular tissue and not the fat tissue in men. Men usually have breast tissue but not in large amounts as women do. The hormone that brings out this difference, calls estrogen and is usually in high amounts in females than males. Therefore, when a man develops breasts, most likely it will be an increase in the hormone estrogen.
The causes in one or more ways somehow will always point to an imbalance in the hormones estrogen and androgens. Any condition or substance that will lead to an increase in estrogen and a drop in androgens in makes will make them have gynecomastia.
Related Article:: The Effects of Estrogen on Body Composition – Estrogen Dominance
What are indicators of Gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia is a condition, which can easily be self-diagnosed. However, it is always advisable to see a medical specialist for proper medical diagnosis. It can occur in one or both breasts and in most cases; it starts out as a small painful or painless lump beneath the nipple. Eventually, the whole breast enlarges and then that will be gynecomastia. Breasts will enlarge unevenly sometimes. Some of the signs and symptoms include:
The breast tissue becomes swollen.
There is breast tenderness.
In some cases, it may be breast cancers causing the swelling. It is important to be able to distinguish between the two. Major differences between breast cancer in men and gynecomastia include:
Cancer in most cases will be confined on one side while gynecomastia can be on either side.
Cancer is usually not centered around the nipple unlike most cases of gynecomastia.
Cancerous breast tissue usually feels hard or firm.
Cancer have associated dimpling of the skin on the breast, the nipple may retract or some discharges nay be seen coming out and the axillary lymph node may be swollen.
How Gynecomastia is diagnosed?
Proper medical diagnosis of gynecomastia is done by a medical specialized in such a field. It basically involves taking your past medical history including drug use and medication accompanied by a physical examination of your breast tissue. Apart from doing the physical exam, other specialist go ahead to do other tests just in case you have other conditions. The most common tests include:
Blood tests for example liver functions and even hormone tests.
Testing of your urine.
An x-ray of your breast tissue that has in low doses.
Biopsy of the breast tissue when a suspicion of cancer is raised.
Risk factors of Gynecomastia
Who is likely to get gynecomastia? There are several risk factors that may lead to one getting this condition. Some are related to lifestyle while other are as a result of normal physiological processes. The risk factors implicated in gynecomastia include:
Male teenagers growing normally are at risk of developing gynecomastia.
Male infants.
Aging.
People exposed to certain diseases.
Certain medications.
The causes of Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia has so many causes. Here, we highlight the top 9 causes of gynecomastia in men.
1. Obesity
Obesity refers to a situation where there is increased fat content in the body. It can be a cause of Gynecomastia and has been a common one in the recent past where we have had increased cases of obesity all over the world.
So how does obesity come in to cause obesity? It is believed that the increased fat in your body as well as in your breast tissue has a role in disrupting the hormones in your body including the estrogen and the androgen and therefore bringing about gynecomastia. The disruption is carried out because of a hormone called leptin, which increases, in levels when there is increased fat in the body.
In cases of obesity, leptin will rapidly increase in the body and this result in a condition called leptin resistance. Leptin resistance causes the brain to see that the body is starving and it directs its activities in ensuring that the body is getting enough nutrients and that reproduction is not important here. This implies that the hormones for reproduction in males, the androgens are suppressed and there will be a rise in estrogen, which will then cause gynecomastia.
2. Steroids
Perhaps the commonest causes of gynecomastia are the anabolic steroid used by bodybuilders and other athletes. Most if not all anabolic steroids are usually synthetic versions of testosterone. Since the body has the mechanisms of converting testosterone into estrogen, some of these anabolic steroids get converted into estrogen leading to development of gynecomastia.
Steroids > > HERE
Estrogen usually requires in the male body in limited amounts. It has several roles such as helping in maintaining healthy bones, sexual activities and help ensure that the fat content in men is low enough not to cause any health related conditions. However, beyond a certain limit, it comes with associated health risks one of which is gynecomastia.
So apart from causing trouble with your testicles among other side effects of the anabolic steroids, they can really make your life embarrassing by making you develop man boobs, which not every male person would want to be associated with. It is estimated that about half the cases of gynecomastia are as a result of anabolic steroid abuse.
3. Cancers
There are certain types of cancers implicated in causing gynecomastia. Most of the tumors sometimes are usually undetected hence the importance of seeking a proper medical diagnosis. Since gynecomastia is a result of hormone imbalance, these types of cancers must have a part to play in causing the hormonal imbalance.
The major tumors that have been known to have an impact on hormones are the testicular tumors and pituitary tumors (Prolactinoma). These tumors will result in either an increase in production of estrogen or a decrease in production of testosterone.
Testicular tumors for example can result in increased synthesis and production of a hormone called Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG closely resembles Luteinizing hormone (LH) both in structures and in function. It therefore will also lead to increased production of testosterone and also the conversion of the produced testosterone to estrogen and that is where trouble comes in.
4. Genetic hereditary disorders
Another common cause of man boobs are some hereditary disorders that one is born with and which most likely run through their families. Klinefelters syndrome is the commonest of the causes. In this condition, an individual has 3 pairs of chromosomes instead of the usual 2 pairs. Normally, a man has the XY chromosome combination. However, in Klinefelters syndrome, there is an additional X chromosome forming the XXY combination.
In such cases, the patients will be sterile and gynecomastia is an outstanding feature. This is a bit hard to manage because it is not easy to change the chromosomal arrangement of a person.
5. Side effects of certain medications
There is a wide range of drugs that have gynecomastia as a side effect of taking them. In fact drugs ranks highly in causing man boobs causing even as high as a quarter of all the causes of gynecomastia. So how do drugs come in when it comes to causing hormonal imbalance, which causes man boobs?
Well, most drugs and especially the ones that are prescribed harbor about three effects that are likely to cause gynecomastia:
They have an estrogen like activity when taken.
Can raise the levels of estrogen directly.
Have androgens as part of them and these androgens can be converted to estrogens.
So, talk about amphetamines, antibiotics or any other common drugs and you will see that they somehow can be the reason why you are developing man boobs. It is good that you get to know the side effects of the drugs you are taking. Talk to your doctor about it and if you develop any signs of increased breast tissue, then you can consider stopping.
Here is a list of the drugs that are commonly known to cause gynecomastia:
Spironolactone – it is a diuretic substance and contains activities that are opposite to those of androgens.
Drugs that are calcium channels blockers that are important treating hypertension for example nifedipine.
Drugs that inhibitors of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) also used in treatment of hypertension for example captopril.
Antibiotics such as metronidazole and isoniazid.
Drugs used in management of ulcers such as cimetidine and ranitidine.
Digoxin and diazepam.
6. Abusing alcohol
There are several ways in which alcohol can cause gynecomastia. This happens when one drinks excess alcohol every day. One can be prepared to have grown his belly and also be prepared to have man boons as well.
The first way in which alcohol can cause man boobs is through its damage to the liver. The liver is a very crucial organ in getting rid of hormones and when it is damaged due to alcohol abuse, this activity tends to reduce and eventually stop. One of the hormone that will not be eliminated from the body is estrogen. Over time, estrogen gets to accumulate and its immediate effects includes causing Gynecomastia. Apart from being inefficient in eliminating estrogen, a damaged liver is even more likely to convert the androgens into estrogens.
Apart from damage to the liver, alcohol itself in most cases contain certain compounds that will influence the balance of estrogens and testosterone in the body. The most common compounds found in alcohol are the phyestrogens. Phytoestrogens are basically compounds that mimics the estrogen in the body. How do they get into the alcohol we consume? Well, the hops that use to make beer and also some plants that have a part in making most alcoholic beverages have these compounds in abundant and that is how they end up in the alcohol we consume.
7. Aging
As men age, most of them tend to have an imbalance in their hormonal composition. The first time you may experience gynecomastia is at puberty. During puberty, one produces lots of hormones in high amounts including the estrogens. This is likely to cause man boobs. This is usually not something to worry about since as you leave teenage behind, your hormones come to level and everything goes back to normal. So as long as it does not progress for a long time, there is absolutely nothing to worry about teenage Gynecomastia.
In other cases, you may experience what the experts call idiopathic gynecomastia at some point in life and this may not go away. Idiopathic implies that the growth of the breast tissue cannot simply be traced to the cause. However, there has been some explanations as to why there may be such a case. One common one is that as we men grow, different part of the body also grow including the breast tissue. But the body does not stay in one state all the time and it is likely that the as the body reduced to grow at some point, the breast tissue did not cease for some reasons, hence gynecomastia.
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As one grows older also, testosterone levels tend to become lower and lower probably because there is less production due to aging of the tissue responsible for its production. This means that estrogens have an upper hand and can now easily cause man boobs. Sometimes older people may have been exposed to some estrogens or something that causes hormonal imbalance without actually having an idea what it was. This might also cause Gynecomastia in old age.
8. Kidney and liver diseases
Another major cause of gynecomastia is severe disease of either the kidney or the liver or even both. These two organs are particularly important in regulating some hormones and other proteins that have a role in preventing development of man boobs.
The liver as seen in alcohol abuse has a major role to play when it comes to giving you gynecomastia if you do not take great care of it. Many conditions that damage the liver are due to alcohol abuse but any other disease that damages the liver including some viral diseases can lead to disruption of normal hormonal elimination hence causing man boobs. Apart from reducing disruption, the liver has a role in regulating synthesis of certain proteins and one crucial protein regulated is the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). The SHBG binds testosterone. In severe liver disease, this protein tends to be over produced and will bind more of the testosterone produced. This lowers the amount of testosterone in circulation leading to trouble.
Related Article:: Top 20 Liver Detox Products and Anti-Estrogens on Amazon
Kidney diseases also cause almost a similar situation only that the most severe forms of kidney disease will lead to such a condition. Although man boobs are also a clear symptom, one tends to notice other common symptoms first including abnormal urinary discharges and even skin rashes first before noticing gynecomastia.
9. Smoking Cigarettes And Using Marijuana
Cigarette smoking causes man boobs indirectly. Excessive smoking will lead to development of lung cancers some of which just like the testicular and pituitary tumors will cause a disruption in the hormonal balance and this will lead to gynecomastia. Lung cancers in fact have an upper hand when it comes to causing gynecomastia. All the other cancers that are known to cause hormonal imbalance. The good news is that the lung cancers are a bit more preventable unlike the other forms of cancers.
Apart from cigarettes, Marijuana is another common cause of man boobs. So many people are still not aware of this and therefore sometimes they tend to think that marijuana has no role in this. Using marijuana in excess amounts has the effect of increasing breast tissue in men. Hoe this happens is still a mystery but some studies suggest that marijuana depresses the levels of testosterone.
Other common causes of Gynecomastia
There are still so many other causes of man boobs and here are some of the honorable mentions:
Depriving yourself of certain nutrition in the name of deprivation diets.
Drugs used to manage hair losses.
Plant oils and natural grooming products.
Testosterone replacement therapy.
Time in the womb as a fetus.
Read this > > Elucidation of Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Will the Gynecomastia go away?
Having looked at the causes of gynecomastia, you may be wondering how long does one need to have this condition before it goes away. The truth is, it depends on the type and cause of gynecomastia. Pubertal gynecomastia for instance may regress once one is out of puberty. Of course, there are rare cases where such gynecomastia persists in which case there will be need of medical treatment.
Other forms of gynecomastia stay for a longer period of time. Cases have been reported where gynecomastia has lasted for more than 12 months without treatment. If gynecomastia lasts that long, most likely, it will undergo fibrosis and this will complicate treatment.
Related Article:: Steroids, Gynecomastia and GynoSurgery
Treatment of Gynecomastia
There are two major approaches in the treatment and management of gynecomastia. However, gynecomastia in most cases is a condition which will go away on its own within a period of about six months provided that the condition leading to it eliminate as much as possible. If it does not go away, treatment can either be:
Using drugs.
Surgical approach.
Using Drugs in Treatment of Gynecomastia
There are several drugs, that we can use in the management of gynecomastia. Their effectiveness has been in question but they are still used. In fact, most if not all of them have not been approved by the FDA. The commonest drugs that have been in use include:
Testosterone replacement in older men but not younger males who have normal testosterone levels.
Clomiphene taken for a period of 6 months has also some good results.
Clomiphene Citrate > > HERE
There has also been the selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen, which works by reducing breast volume. It has also been helpful in cases of severe and painful gynecomastia.
Danazol, a synthetic derivative of testosterone helps reduce the levels of estrogen in the body by limiting its production by the testis.
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Surgical Approach in the Treatment of Gynecomastia
Drugs are more effective in the treatment of gynecomastia during the early stages of the condition. However, after a period of about 12 months when the glandular tissue has been transformed into a fibrous tissue, drugs become less effective and only surgery might prove helpful here.
Surgical reduction of the breast tissue refers to as reduction mammoplasty and use it in cases where we have:
Severe gynecomastia.
Long term gynecomastia.
Drugs have failed to bring the condition back to normal.
Prevention of Gynecomastia
Like treatment, prevention of gynecomastia depends on the types of gynecomastia one is talking about or how it is. Gynecomastia caused by hormonal imbalance as a result of for example aging or pubertal changes cannot be prevented. Other forms for example those which are caused by some medical conditions can be prevented. This will be through preventing the underlying conditions such as avoiding abuse of alcohol. Having a clear and sound knowledge of everything to do with Gynecomastia can help you avoid it in the future if it is the kind that can be prevented.
Conclusion
Gynecomastia is a common condition that has been a major cause of concern for men. It so many causes some of which have been highlighted in this article. Gynecomastia can easily be managed and one is bound to have his normal breast composition. It is however, an embarrassing condition and many men have been suffering silently. In case where you have the condition, you can do some of the following things so that you can avoid being depressed:
Get some counseling from a trusted expert.
Reach out to the people you love including your friends and family members.
Connect to people with similar conditions or who have gone through the same condition.
5 Creative High Protein Meal – Prep Dishes to Save You Time
For people who are always busy a good example being athletes, meal prepping comes in as a very important concept. The concept basically involves preparing your meals or dishes way before consuming them. It is a very imperative not only in saving time but also in its effect on the health of the individual. Preparing Meal a head of your schedule as it seems is of course a bit complicated. We therefore decide to explore this concept here in great details highlighting some of the top 5 most creative high protein meal prep dishes that can help you save time if you are a busy individual.
Why is meal prepping beneficial?
Preparing your meals in advance some great benefits touching on some aspects such as your nutrition, your lifestyle and so much more. Here are some of the most important benefits that you can be sure to rip if you consider meal prepping:
Helps you stick to your preferred diet – When you have your meals ready, you can never be tempted to eat something that is may not be important for your health nutrition-wise.
Controlling your diet is easier – Meal prepping does not only help in making sure that you stick to your diet but also comes in strongly in helping ensure that the diet you are consuming has the right contents in the right amounts.
You can easily put your hunger under control – Since you already prepared your meal, there is no point why you should feel hungry since you can easily eat your meal.
Saving time – Of course, we cannot fail to mention that meal prepping saves quite some time especially if you have little time to prepare your meals.
Saving your costs – Have your meal already prepared saves some costs such as costs of delivery of meals, you don’t waste a lot of food and other resources.
When you start meal prepping, you tend to know exactly how much of the ingredients you will need for each of the meals that you will be preparing. This in the long run helps reduce wastage.
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Some disadvantages of meal prepping
Meal prepping lacks many disadvantages. Some of the few that can be found include:
It can get boring for some people – Some people prefer to eat a wide variety of food. Meal prepping on the other hand in most cases will involve eating only a single variety of food. This will not favor people who like going for variety.
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May not be good for kids – Meal prepping may not work for kids because they may not like the plan.
The disadvantages of meal prepping can easily be avoided through using spices of different varieties or any other way of flavoring your food. This way, you end up avoiding the monotony.
The different ways of prepping High Protein Meal
Meal prepping can be done in several ways most of which take care of how much time you want to spend during the process. You can always spare your weekend if you choose the best way of meal prepping. Here are the different ways that you can prep High Protein Meal:
Cooking meals in advance
This way of meal prepping simply involves cooking full meals such that the next thing when they are removed from the fridge will be eating them. The only thing that might intercept will be reheating them so that they are warm and good for consuming. The most appropriate meals that this way of High Protein Meal prepping is suitable are those meals that are particularly great for dinner.
Batch cooking
Another way of meal prepping is batch cooking. Batch cooking involves preparing sizeable quantities of a certain recipe, which can then be divided into single portions. These portions are each frozen and are consumed for a given period of time usually of several months. Meals that are good for lunch and even dinner will be best prepped using this way of meal prepping.
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Portioned individual meals
In this way, one basically prepares meals then divides them into portions that are separate. These portions are refrigerated and can be easily grabbed and consumed afterwards. If you like quick lunches, then this way will be particularly good for you to use as you prep your meals.
Earlier ingredient preparation
Sometimes if you do not want to prepare meals in advance but still want to save some time, then you can consider preparing your ingredients earlier. This means that you are going to use minimum time as much as possible while in the kitchen.
There may be other ways that you can do your meal prepping. It totally depends on your day-to-day routine. However, the above-mentioned ways are the most common and one or two are likely to favor your routine and ensure that you are not late whether you are an athlete or any other person who is busy.
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What to Consider Before Starting Meal Prepping
Before you start meal prepping and even before choosing your recipe, there are 3 things you need to put into consideration:
The meal you want to prepare at an appropriate time
There are meals you may want to prepare for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is very important that you know which food will be the best at such times for you.
The day of doing your meal preps – So that you do not interfere with your work or your workouts, find a suitable time that you can do your meal preps. People often go for Sundays and Wednesdays but it is upon you to choose the appropriate day.
The amount you want to prepare – Deciding on the amount to prepare is also very important. This makes sure that you do not waste a lot of time and at the same time ensure that the food lasts the time intended.
The Type and Number of Meals to Prepare During High Protein Meal Prepping
Something that is very crucial when it comes to meal prepping is getting to know the type of meal as well as the number of meals to prepare. This is because Meal Prepping is all about planning a head and one cannot plan ahead without knowing what and in which amounts to prepare. To ensure that you get the right type and amount to prepare, you can follow this guide here:
Find out the type of meal that you want depending on your preferences.
The next thing that you will consider is the meal prepping method that will fit your day-to-day activities and lifestyle.
After having landed the best method for you, have a quick check on your calendar and find out the number of breakfast, lunches and dinners that you will require for the specified period of time according to your method and again your lifestyle.
Take into consideration the times you are likely to not use your meal preps for example you may have dates and so on.
Start with recipes that are familiar to you and then slowly transit to more complex recipes.
Spending less time while High Protein Meal prepping
While it help save time in the long run, meal prepping can keep you in the kitchen if you are not well prepared. Highlighted here are some of the tips that can help ensure that you are spending less time as much as possible in the kitchen when doing your meal preps.
Have one schedule that you use
Having a single schedule for your meal preps is a good first step in ensuring that you spend the least time possible in the kitchen. Have a clear outline of when you will fetch your groceries and when you will be preparing the meals. This of course also depends on your lifestyle and how busy you are.
Know the recipes that you need for your meal preps
Having a well-known combination of recipes for a given meal preps is something else that goes a long way I ensuring that you spend as less time as much as possible. It is generally recommended that your recipes should at least require different cooking methods so that you do not end up requiring the same utensil for several kinds of meals.
A good organization in prep and cooking time is required
Different foods have different cooking times. Knowing this will help you organize how well you can ensure that you they fit into your lifestyle. Generally, start with foods that require long cooking times. As they cook, you can focus on the ones that require shorter times.
Have a shopping list
Lastly, if you are considering saving time while making your preps, always ensure that you have your shopping list. This is one area that when not properly taken into consideration will lead to a lot time being wasted. Things like getting to double check everything will waste a lot of time. Therefore, a shopping list is a great tool for you to save time while making your meal preps in the kitchen.
General types of foods suitable for meal prepping
Before looking into the 5 high protein meal prep dishes, here are some of the general types of foods that are good when it comes to meal prepping. Some of them will be a crucial part of the dishes you will want to prepare.
Frozen vegetables – are among some of the best foods you can incorporate into your meal preps. They include broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and peas.
Starchy vegetables – suitable for meal prepping include cassava, potato, taro and canned pumpkin.
Stiff fresh vegetables – in this category include cabbage, carrots and radish.
Lean protein – are also part and parcel of meal prepping. Foods in this category include eggs, shredded cheese, tofu, beef and pork.
Whole fruits – to ensure that you balance your diet, fruits should also be part of the meal preps. Notable fruits include apples, oranges, pears and bananas.
The 5 creative high protein meal prep dishes
After having looked into various concepts of meal preps, one thing that has emerged is the need to save time. Busy athletes and other people will try to identify those dishes, which will help them save time and at the same time contain high protein, which is required considering the nature of their activities. Here are some of those dishes, which will make sure that you are spending less time in the kitchen and contain high proteins.
1 Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken
Barbecue chicken for a long time has been the best meal to be taken during dinner. Something good about it is that it can be made more easily and quickly compared to most other foods.
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Here is how you can prepare your barbecue chicken as a meal prep:
You will first make a tex-mex salad with lettuce, tomato, onion, black beans, Monterey jack cheese and crushed tortilla chips about a handful.
This is followed by topping over a thin-crust whole-wheat pizza dough and then sprinkling with mozzarella.
After that, you will top over medium baked sweet potato.
Then make a quesadilla with high protein tortillas, Monterey jack cheese, beans and diced tomatoes.
Finally, roll into a high protein tortilla full of lettuce, tomato, onion and Colby-jack cheese.
2. Beef Stir – Fry With Asian Peanut Sauce
This another great dish that falls in our category of creative high protein meal preps, you can quickly prepare this dish through following the simple steps below.
Chop the beef and add it to brown rice and beans or a chili if available.
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You can then cube, reheat and then add to a soup that is broth-based and which has sliced vegetables, a good example being carrots.
The next thing that you do is making a Panini sandwich using thin slices of pork and some cheese.
Next, you serve over wild rice with sautéed cauliflower or even kale on the side.
Finally, slice and then add whole grain pasta with vegetables.
3. Rosemary – Mustered Pork Tenderloin
Next on our list of the top 5 creative high protein meal prep dishes is the rosemary- mustered pork tenderloin. Here is how you can prepare your dish.
Chop the pork tenderloin and add it to brown rice and beans or even a chili.
Proceed to add to a broth-based soup with sliced vegetables after having cubed and reheated.
Follow this by making a Panini sandwich with thin slices of pork and cheese.
Serve over wild rice with sautéed cauliflower or kales if available on the side.
You can then slice and add to whole grain pasta with vegetables.
4. Baked Salmon With Citrus Herbs
This dish is for those who like fish. A delicious dish can be prepared as described here below.
Baked salmon can be enjoyed over some green salad made with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese and sunflower seeds.
It can be served with quinoa or sometimes faro and some side vegetable be it cauliflower or broccoli.
The leftover salmon can diced and used in a frittata or an omelet.
You can then chop and make into salmon cakes.
This can be used in fish tacos with black beans, shredded cheese dice avocado.
5. Teriyaki Tofu
Although it can generally be said that tofu lacks the flavor, it is a far way good dish that can quickly be prepared and also contains high proteins. Besides, you can easily infuse ginger, garlic, onions or any other flavors to suit your flavors.
Teriyaki tofu can be served over brown rice or even sorghum.
Toss it into leftover chili.
You can then create a Buddha bowl with sautéed greens and lentils.
Finally serve with baked sweet potato fries and broccoli.
Storage of the Meal Preps
After having prepared your meals, the next thing that you will consider is storage so that they remain fresh for the period that you specified. The most important thing that is highlighted here is the medium of storage. Getting the right storage contain will go a long way into ensuring that you get the best result ever. Storage containers can be:
Airtight Containers
Airtight containers can be used to keep ingredients, which are ready to cook. They should be washable and include silicone baggies and stainless steel containers, which are reusable.
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BPA-Free Microwavable Containers
BPA-microwavable containers have the advantage in the sense they are very convenient and are not harmful to your health. Example of these containers include Pyrex glassware and collapsible silicone containers.
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Freezer-Safe Containers
Freezer safe containers come in strongly in helping maintain the quality of your food. This because they have this effect of limiting freezer burn as well as nutrient losses. The container of choice in this category include the wide-mouthed mason jars with a space of about 1 inch left to allow space for the expansion of food when it freezes.
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Compartmentalized Containers That Are Leak-Proof
Finally, some very good containers that you may consider using for storage of your meal prep dishes are the compartmentalized leak-proof containers. Particularly if it comes to those meal prep dishes intended for lunch or those dishes that usually require their ingredients to be mixed at the end.
Food Safety When Carrying Out Prepping
Meal prepping can result to some health problems if enough care is not taken into consideration. One such health problem is food poisoning, which affects millions each year. So what guidelines can be used to ensure that food poisoning as well as other health effects related to meal prepping are not experienced?
Proper Temperatures
You refrigerator or freezer should always be at proper temperatures. The recommended refrigerator temperatures are about 5 degrees Celsius or below while for the freezer should be -18 degrees Celsius or below
Refrigerating Fresh Foods
Fresh foods should always be refrigerated as early as within 2 hours of purchase and after cooking. To ensure that they cool quickly, you can simply spread those foods, which have been cooked into containers, which are a bit shallow. This is followed immediately by transferring them into your refrigerator.
Storage Period
Storage times for certain foods is important. For instance, such foods like fresh meat or even fish should be cooked within about 2 days after purchasing them. Others like red meat can stay a bit longer but not more than 5 days after purchasing them. Within the storage times, it is recommended that they foods be kept in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
Cooking Temperatures
Cooking temperatures should be the right for the right type of food. This is because bacteria in different foods are killed at different temperatures. For example, meats heated to temperatures of at least 75 degrees Celsius will ensure that most of the bacteria are killed.
Thawing food
Thawing food should also be done safely and the best way to this is by using your refrigerator instead of instead of the countertop like some people do. So that this process is done faster, you can submerge the food in cold water and change the water after every 30 minutes.
Reheating the food
Reheating the food is another thing that will ensure that your food is well and safe. This should be done at the right temperature as well as just once. The recommended temperature of reheating the food is usually about 75 degrees Celsius. It is generally considered that the more times you heat your food the more you increase the chances of food poisoning. It is therefore in the best interest that you heat your food only once.
Labeling
Labeling your food and including the date on which they should be consumed also helps ensure that your dishes stay safe as much as possible.
Eat food at the right time
Lastly, eat the food within the stipulated time. This will ensure that the food does not go and give you food poisoning.
Conclusion
Meal prepping can be a great way to help you save cooking time if you are a busy athlete. This article has highlighted some important concepts regarding meal prepping as well as giving you some of the top 5 creative high protein meal preps that can be very helpful.