Maintaining Muscle Gains -by Malcolm Marshall

Maintaining a bodyweight of 300lbs+ is no easy task. Between normal everyday activity and intense training taking in enough quality calories to preserve hard earned muscle can become a full time job. The body is very efficient in many ways but the bodies tendency to burn muscle as fuel when your available glycogen stores have been spent is tough for a bodybuilder or anyone trying to maintain muscle mass. Simply adding additional meals when you are already consuming 5-6 meals per day just isn’t possible in most situations.

This is where Whey Isolate and Glutamine play a critical role in me preserving my muscle size and bodyweight. The importance of a fast digesting protein such as Whey Isolate is a quick and efficient way to maintain appropriate levels of protein in the body.

Tips:

•   In the morning your body has been without protein for the 6-8 hours that you have been sleeping. A Whey Isolate shake in the morning is a great way to provide your body with much needed protein.

•   An immediate post-workout Whey Isolate shake is a great way to provide your body with the necessary protein to begin muscle repair.

Glutamine is a very important amino acid that can readily be converted   into usable fuel during intense workouts. By loading my body with additional glutamine I do not worry about sacrificing reps or intensity. Since it is flavorless I add this to my protein shake or any beverage that I may have.

Lift hard, lift heavy, but also be smart about protecting the weight gain that you have worked so hard to achieve. Whey Isolate and Glutamine from Prolab are two smart choices in staying 300lbs

Jessica Clay Discusses CrossFit Endurance

What is CrossFit Endurance?

Do you do triathlons? Do you do Ironman’s? Are you a biker? Do you run 5k/10k/marathons/ultra-marathons, etc? If you answered yes to any of these questions than this information is for you!

“CrossFit Endurance (CFE) is new standard in endurance sports training that utilizes the fundamentals of strength & conditioning, interval training, and stamina to enhance performance in endurance competition. CFE combines all 10 elements of conditioning/fitness along with (endurance) sports-specific programming to create an athlete that is more powerful, faster and can recover quicker.

Why are there no long runs/rides/swims (aerobic training) in this type of training?

Long runs/rides/swims fall into the category of training we term “long slow distance” (LSD) and is solely aerobic in nature. Aerobic training has the following benefits and drawbacks:

BENEFITS:

• Increased cardiovascular function
• Better fat utilization
• Greater capillarization
• Increased Mitochondrial growth

DRAWBACKS:

• Decreased muscle mass
• Decreased strength
• Decreased power
• Decreased speed
• Decreased anaerobic capacity
• Decreased testosterone levels

It is apparent that the many drawbacks of LSD training easily overpower the limited benefits. It is our contention that limiting an athlete’s exposure to LSD training will allow them to remain not only functionally competent in other areas of fitness and competitive in aerobic endurance pursuits, but DOMINATE in ALL areas of fitness.”  Information courtesy of CrossFit Endurance: http://www.crossfitendurance.com/faq/

As an avid CrossFitter I am looking forward in utilizing the CrossFit Endurance program to benefit my training specifically for CrossFit. I am excited to see how following this program will help lower my times on my CF workouts. I have done triathlons and numerous distance races before I started crossfitting, I wish I would have been aware of this program back then. But now I will focus this program to benefit me as a CrossFitter while simultaneously becoming an endurance athlete.

Some products I currently take for CrossFit and CrossFit Endurance are:

Pre-workout:
EO2 EDGE by MRI (PROLAB’s sister company): is a specialized design that meets six critical factors of endurance and is the perfect choice for pre, intra, and post-performance fueling to meet the demands of high-intensity, long duration bouts of exercise and competition.

EO2 Benefits:

• Efficient Fuel for Active Muscles
•  Optimal Blood Flow
• Natural RBC Support for Peak O2 Availability
• Muscle Recovery from Training Induced Stress
• Optimal Muscle Contractions and Increased Time to Exhaustion
• Restoration of Body-Hydrating FluidsPost Workout:

PROLAB’s BCAA Plus: is a muscle-preserving formula made up of the essential amino acids L-Leucine, L-Valine and L-Isoleucine known as branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). Unlike other amino acids, BCAAs are immediately utilized by the muscle and are a preferred fuel for energy during training. BCAA PLUS delivers a flow of replenishing BCAAs that can help to counter muscle tissue depletion and fuel new growth. BCAA PLUS has been fortified with Vitamin C to attack free radicals and Vitamin B6 helps to further support protein metabolism and energy production.

PROLAB Glutamine

Other:
Beta-Alanine Extreme: delays muscle fatigue and help extend high intensity training sessions with a dynamic blend of CarnoSyn® Beta Alanine and the amino acid L-Histidine. Beta Alanine floods the muscles with the specialized amino acid carnosine to work as a buffer against lactic acid buildup helping to allow higher intensity for a longer period of time before fatigue sets in. BETA ALANINE EXTREME also supports prolonged stamina and can help reduce muscle soreness both during and after training allowing for faster recovery time between sets and between workouts

Fish Oils

Multi-mineral/Multi-vitamin

I get my supplements from: http://www.prolab.com/ or also Vitamin Shoppe sells their supplements. The above link will give you a description of each supplement.

Lastly I use in the morning and post workout, PROLAB Whey protein.

Rest and Recovery -by Charles Turner

Never underestimate the importance of getting enough sleep and rest between workout days. If you don’t allow your body plenty of time to recoup, how can you expect to see the type of gains that you want? The one thing that is crucial to remember is that when you work out, you are actually breaking down your muscle. The body only builds muscle when you’re resting- through proper rest and nutrition.

The effects of inadequate rest and recovery between workouts can lead to the following:

1. Low levels of energy
2. Decrease in Growth Hormone and Testosterone Levels
3. Increase in catabolic (muscle destroying) hormones
4. Overtraining – this can lead to injury

It’s really simple, not getting enough sleep and rest between workout days will encourage your body to lose muscle and gain body fat; something none of us want when trying to reach our fitness goals. The solution is really simple…get more rest!

Tips:

1. Aim for 8 hours of sleep a day. Can’t get 8 hours- squeeze in small naps throughout the day
2. Relax a couple hours before bed to prevent your adrenaline levels from rising
3. Try to avoid physical activity close to bedtime- which can elevate your heart rate
4. Try to go to bed the same time/ and wake up at the same time everyday
5. Try not to weight train on consecutive days (no more than two days in a row) your muscles and nervous system need time to recover.

Remember when designing your training split; make sure that rest and recovery are never overlooked-it’s when your muscle truly grows. To maximize recovery try 1 serving of PROLAB Glutamine Pre/ Post workout, and a serving prior to bedtime. Sometimes the simplest solution could make all the difference when trying to reach your goals!

Why use Glutamine? -by Thanh Le

Glutamine has been a part of my supplement stack for many years now and will continue to be a part of it for many more years to come. When people ask me, “What supplements do I NEED to buy to increase muscle mass and lose some fat?” I always tell them to stick to the basics and Glutamine is one of them.

Glutamine consists of about 20% nitrogen and is the most abundant amino acid found in skeletal muscle, over 60% of skeletal muscle is Glutamine.  Glutamine plays a lot of key roles in the human body; protein synthesis is one of them.  Amino acids are the key building blocks of protein, and protein is needed for muscle repair and recovery. Glutamine’s anti-catabolic properties also help with muscle repair and help prevent muscle breakdown, especially when you are on a low calorie cutting diet. Glutamine also plays a key factor in keeping your immune system in top notch condition.

During intense workouts, your body is depleted of its Glutamine stores. When your body is low on Glutamine, you lose strength, your recovery is slowed down, and the energy source for you immune system is depleted. So why wouldn’t you want all the positive effects of Glutamine added to your supplement stack???

So how often and how much should you take? I recommend 2-3 servings a day at a dose of 5g each. I take my first serving with PROLAB Whey Isolate as soon as I wake up. My second serving is a part of my pre-workout cocktail consisting of PROLAB Quick Fire and Beta Alanine Extreme. My last and final serving is with my post workout shake in half a serving of N-Large 3. Glutamine powder is odorless and tasteless, so you can get in your servings in a variety of ways. You can mix it in drinks, protein powders, oatmeal, and yogurt. Try it out, you won’t be disappointed.

CrossFit Polaris Raises Over $7000 for Breast Cancer Organization -by Jessica Clay

I would like to say thank you to PROLAB for helping out at the numerous CrossFit events that I have been involved with recently. Many CrossFit Athletes are becoming aware of the benefits of proper supplementation and are turning to PROLAB products to help them achieve their physical goals!  My Team and I have provided PROLAB samples at numerous CrossFit gyms around town, and PROLAB has been kind enough to provide Product Prizes for our various events.

The feedback from the athlete has been fantastic!  They mention having better stamina, improved recovery, better focus as well as improved strength and energy. Some of the PROLAB samples and prizes included:

1. Beta Alanine Extreme
2. BCAA Plus
3. Glutamine Powder
4. Quick Fire

Below are some of the events that myself and PROLAB have been involved in over the past few weeks.  And yes!  We have been busy!

1)     As a co-owner of CrossFit Polaris we hosted an event called:  Barbellsforboobs.org (B4B).

Barbells for Boobs is a 501(c)3 non-profit breast cancer organization whose mission is to provide funding through the MAMMOGRAMS IN ACTION ® GRANT PROGRAM for qualified low-income and uninsured women and men who need screening and/or diagnostic procedures in the prevention of breast cancer.  This event was an amazing success!  We were able to raise over $7,000+ dollars for B4B!

At the event, participants did a WOD called “GRACE.”  This WOD includes doing 135lbs. Clean & Jerks (the ladies did 95lbs.) – and whoever does the most in 30 seconds wins.

The top 3 Males and Females received awards including PROLAB Glutamine, Quick Fire, and BCAA Plus. First place Male and Female winners also received PROLAB prizes.  Not to mention all the samples that were handed out throughout the day.

2)     Friendship CrossFit is another local CrossFit Gym.  They hosted a Master’s event recently that was a great success! In their awards and giveaways were PROLAB samples and supplements; I received great feedback from some of the athletes that received the award supplements.

3)     This past weekend was the Columbus Marathon.  I volunteered at an aid station and CrossFit Polaris was there giving out brochures of our CrossFit gym, samples of PROLAB and showing people was CrossFit is all about.

Thanks again to PROLAB for continuing to help in our CrossFit community!

Make the Most of Your Time -by Charles Turner

With the responsibilities of a new job, I’ve found that my schedule has become extremely hectic. I think we can all agree that finding time to get to the gym with a busy schedule can be a daunting task. What I’ve learned is how to become more efficient with the time I do have. Below are some steps I’ve taken to make things a little easier, and hopefully they can help you as well!

All it takes is 3 days a week at the gym. No more than an hour at a time.

1. Choose resistance training over cardio. Your body burns calories 48-72 hours after a weight training workout. Bottom line lifting weights burns fat, even out of the gym.
2. Incorporate full body workouts. Not only will these type of workouts burn greater amounts of calories, but they will also allow for a better recovery time since you’ll only be training 3 days a week. This type of workout will allow for greater flexibility with a busy schedule. There will be no reason to stress when you miss a workout, because your entire body is covered.
3. Utilize intensity techniques such as super sets, tri sets and giant sets. Not only will the workout be more time efficient, but it will be more intense leading to greater calorie expenditure.

Nutrition and Supplement sense for the busy individual.

1. Do you find it difficult to consume 6 small meals a day? Give Intermittent fasting a try! I’ve had great success with this approach, and feel that it’s more geared to the busy individual. Basically you have an eating period of 8 hours, and a fasting period of 16. The beauty of this approach is that it allows you set up your eating times according to your schedule. Not only that it gives you more flexibility with your eating, but if you slip up on your diet, you don’t have to beat yourself up all day long!
2. For those sitting the majority of the day take advantage of supplements such as PROLAB Advanced Caffeine and Thermo Fire. These products will have a thermogenic effect, increasing metabolic, and overall calorie expenditure during grueling training sessions and help outside the gym as well.
3. To prevent muscle wasting and keep and cortisol levels to a minimum due to high stress, consume 1 serving PROLAB Whey Isolate and Glutamine Pre and Post workout, and 2 servings on  non-training days.

Now I’m not saying that this is a fool proof plan, but it might make your life a little easier, and help you get the most out of the time you do have!

Protein Cookie Dough 2.0 -by Jeremy Scott

As an athlete with PROLAB, I am all stocked up on Whey Isolate Protein. Sometimes my day gets so busy I don’t often eat my 1^st meal until 1pm, I will just grab a few scoops of Whey Isolate thrown in a little creatine and l-glutamine and hit the gym!

When  I do get a little more time on the weekends or my “off days” I like to mix things up and try different combinations like this Vanilla or Chocolate Oats treat!

Vanilla or Chocolate Oats

• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 2 TBSP Peanut Butter
• 2 Scoops PROLAB Whey Isolate – Vanilla or Chocolate
• 2 TBSP Coconut or Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Throw in a bowl mix and enjoy, think of it as the healthier version of cookie dough…..without the cookies and without the dough!!!

Leg Day! -by Thanh Le

Legs are an important part of any training regimen.  Doing heavy legs increases testosterone and helps increase your overall body mass. Since my back surgery last year, I was not able to do legs up until about a month ago, and boy did I miss it. I have a love/hate relationship with legs which I’m sure most people do.  Legs are a pretty big body part and you should start repair and recovery before your workout by using PROLAB BCAA Plus and Glutamine as part of your pre-workout supplements.  Try the workout below which should have your legs screaming for mercy after you’re done.

Always start off your workouts by doing light warm-up sets and stretching. Let’s get started:

Leg Press (Shoulder width placement):

• 3 Warm-up sets to get blood flowing
• 5 x 15 pyramiding weight up; superset with Air Squats for 15 reps
• 1 x 20 half weight of final set; superset with Air Squats for 20 reps

Hack Squats:

• 3 x 16 – First 8 reps feet together; last 8 reps wide stance toes out
• Note:  Feet together works the outer sweep of the quad; wide stance with toes out works the inner teardrop of the quad

Leg Extensions:  4 x 10 – Hold each rep for 2 seconds. Last rep hold for 5 seconds

Lying Hamstring Curls superset with Straight Leg Deadlifts:  3 x 10

Walking Lunges:  2 x 20 – Do this with just your body weight

This workout should have you waddling out the door. Remember to take your PROLAB Whey Isolate, BCAA Plus, and Glutamine immediately after your workout to start recovery!

Leg Day Split -by Malcolm Marshall

This is a two body part workout that I usually split into two days; hamstrings at the beginning of the week and quads in the middle.  I will normally train calves three or four days a week using basic raising movements.  Preferably moderate to high weight with high repetitions ranging from 20-35.  I train using mostly isolation movements to concentrate on a specific muscle.

As always, I drink Quick Fire before my workouts for energy and for that extra push that I need to make it through. I also drink Whey Isolate by PROLAB mixed with Glutamine for that ultimate recovery.

Quads

• Front Squats – 4×12   weight 135, 225, 315,405
• Vertical Leg Press – 4×20  720lbs. including the machine
• Leg Press – 4x 10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1   540lbs including the machine
• Leg Extension – 4x 10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1  130lbs  super set walking lunges 40yds 135lbs.

Hams

• Laying leg curls – 4×25  100lbs.
• Seated leg curls – 4×25 110lbs.
• Standing leg curls – 4×25  80lbs.
• Romanian Dead lifts – 5×12  135-185-225-275-315lbs.

Train Smarter with injuries…Chest day! -by Thanh Le

This week I’ve been talking about injuries that I have or have had throughout my 10+ years of training. I’ve learned to train smarter after enduring so many injuries, both acute and chronic. In bodybuilding, you are focused on developing your muscles, so strength and the amount of weight you lift should not be the most important thing in your training routine. To continue to grow, you need to constantly shock your muscles.

Due to injuries, a lot of exercises had to be taken out of my training regimen, and others slightly modified. For instance, flat barbell bench press puts a lot of stress on my shoulders and low back, so to modify that a little I will do smith machine barbell bench press with the bench inclined about 15 degrees.  Focus on your form, and if you do go heavy, only do what you KNOW you can handle.

Today’s chest routine is a mixture of heavy weight, moderate weight, and explosive movements. An hour before my workout, I always have half a serving of PROLAB N-Large3. This keeps me from feeling too full and bloated from an actual meal and has a mix of proteins and complex carbs to fuel my workout. 30min later I have my pre-workout energy cocktail…PROLAB Quick Fire for energy and mental focus, Beta Alanine Extreme to delay muscle fatigue and have longer intense workouts, Glutamine and BCAA Plus reduce and prevent muscle catabolism while giving the muscles a kick start to recovery.

Stretch out and warmup properly.

Incline Barbell Bench Press (Pyramiding Weight Up) – 1 x 12 , 1 x 10, 1 x 4-6, 1 x 16(same weight as first set, first 8 reps close grip, next 8 wide grip)

SuperSet: Pec Dec Flye with Flat(10-15degree incline) DB Bench Press – 3 x 10-12, 1 x 15

Decline Hammer Strength Machine – 1 x 15, 2 x 12, 1 x 8

Super Set: Cable Crossover with Explosive Flying pushup(for  beginners, explode and fly up with just your hands onto stacked weights. Advanced can explode and flyup with both hands and feet onto stacked weights)  – 4 x 10-12

Hope you guys enjoy the workout. Train Smart, Train Hard, and Keep it Intense!