There was a time when bodybuilders ate food (gasp!). It is difficult to visualize today, given the prominence of protein powders, energy drinks, and meal replacements in all their manifestions (bars, powders, and drinks). It may be difficult to realize as well that bodybuilding and powerlifting have their roots in the blue-collar community. Some modern bodybuilding pros live the life of celebrities, receiving impressive endorsement contracts to supplement prize earnings and other payments. This allows them to access a wide variety of foods, supplements, and dietary guidance to provide for an optimal diet.

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By: Robbie j Durand, M.A. Senior Web Editor I remember when I saw Ronnie Coleman's training DVD Cost of Redemption, I highly recommend purchasing this DVD if you haven't. It includes Ronnie's workouts include 160 lbs Dumbbell shoulder presses, 800 lbs Squats, 2,250+ lbs Leg Presses, 495 lbs Bench Presses, 75 lbs Alternate Curls and more!! Here is what's really interesting, Ronnie sure as hell does not train like a bodybuilders in those DVD's and yet he was a 310 pound mass monsters. He trained incredibly heavy, yet he was not following the traditional 60 second rest periods for muscle mass principle. In Blood and Guts, Dorian would rest sometimes up to 5 minutes after squats, after spending some time with Branch and talking to Bryan Dobson at Metroflex Gym in Arlington, TX about how Ronnie trained, they trained very hard but often took anywhere from 3 to 5 minute rest periods. All of these champions certainly don't train with the traditional bodybuilding routine that used moderate weight with short rest periods (60 seconds or less) yet all of these guys are built like brick shithouses!! So if short rest periods as preached for some many years are the guy to muscle growth than why the fuck are these guys so big?. In this month's Journal of Sports Medicine, there was a review of 35 studies examining the both acute responses and chronic adaptations, with rest interval length as the experimental variable. By tweaking your rest interval duration, you can make some serious gains in strength and size, but it not what has been traditionally thought of by bodybuilders. By tweaking your training routine, now you can!

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Myostatin, IGF-1 and cytokines have all been found to influence muscle mass in both animal and human studies. A new study published in the Journal of Physiological Genomics examined these genes in response to resistance exercise, and the results may shock you.

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NORMAN, Okla.—Consumption of a low-calorie energy drink may improve physiological adaptations to strength training, according to a new study (J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(8):2227-38. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181aeb0cf). Researchers from the Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Health and Exercise Science at the University of Oklahoma, assessed the effects of daily consumption of an energy drink alone or with exercise on measures of body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, mood and safety in previously sedentary males. A total of 38 men were recruited for the 10-week study and randomly assigned to energy drink + exercise (EX-A), energy drink (NEX-A), placebo + exercise (EX-B) or placebo (NEX-B). Subjects in the exercise group participated in resistance and endurance exercise.

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4 Simple Rules For Gym Etiquette By Dane C. Fletcher

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WOLLONGONG, Australia—Supplementation with fish oil may improve skeletal muscle function and recovery, according to a new study (Br J Nutr. ePub 9 Aug 2010. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114510002928). Researchers from the University of Wollongong, Australia, noted fish oil modulates the fatty acid composition of muscle membranes; such changes in heart membrane composition have been linked to enhanced mechanical performance and modulations in oxygen consumption. They sought to determine whether changing skeletal muscle membrane composition in the legs could impact muscle function.

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NORMAN, Okla.—Adding leucine to a pre- and post-exercise carbohydrate beverage does not provide benefit on muscle recovery after resistance exercise, according to a new study (J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(8):2211-19. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181dc3a10).

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