Click Here for Free Bodybuilding and Fitness Magazine Subscription
Muscle Atrophy Bodybuilding
Product Reviewed: Pumped Extreme - Kre-Alkalyn Complex Creatine
Rating: 5 Star
Reviewer: Max Mussello
Out of all the Creatine's I've tried, from powdered monohydrate creatine to fancy sounding pre-made stacks, this Kre-Alkylyn complex called Pumped Extreme is hands down the best ever. The first part of this creatine review will be a Pumped Extreme Review, because it is the best creatine supplement that I have ever tried and it has given me the most muscular gains!
Having a sensitive stomach and an aversion to putting chemicals or anything unnatural in my body, this was like a miracle solution for me! Pumped Extreme comes in a capsule format, and you can avoid all the common side effects associated with traditional creatine use such as cramping, diarrhea, indigestion, anxiety attacks, etc. This was my experience anyway, and I cannot tell you that creatine works like illegal steroids, because it doesn't. I can tell you though that I have used many different brands in the past with minimal results, and now that I have used Pumped Extreme I have actually seen some great gains in strength AND muscle SIZE, and I haven't had any negative side affects! I have used it for over a month and a half to date!
For full details go to http://www.trulyhuge.com/creatine.htm
You can also order Pumped Extreme by calling 800-635-8970 or 503-648-1898, 10 am to 6 pm PST
How To Avoid Muscle Atrophy - Use It Or Lose It
Muscle Atrophy is serious business. There are two forms of muscle atrophy, and I will get into those in this post. But first I want to say this. Every action has a reaction, and every inaction has a reaction as well. In this post I am going to unpack what muscle atrophy is, why lean muscle is vital to optimal health, and how to steer away from muscle atrophy. Many work sedentary jobs plugging away at the computer for endless hours. But doing that is exponentially increasing the likelihood of muscle atrophy rearing its ugly head. Keep reading, it is well worth knowing this info.
What Exactly is Muscle Atrophy?
In the simplest definition, muscle atrophy is the wasting away of muscle tissue. There are two types of muscle atrophy, disuse atrophy occurs when people do not use their muscles, hence the use it or lose it tag line. The other is neurogenic atrophy, this occurs when there is a disease or injury to the nerves. For this post we are going to be focusing on disuse atrophy simply because it correlates well with working out. As we age our muscles naturally atrophy. Because our muscles naturally atrophy over time, it is like adding fuel to the fire if a person never uses their muscles in terms of exercising.
Muscle Atrophy And The Realities
Many people when they think of working out focus primarily on cardio. Don't get me wrong, cardio is a very improtant component to your fitness routine. But, cardio does little to build lean muscle and can actually promote muscle atrophy if you embark in chronic cardio. Research has shown that if you don't use your muscles in terms of bodyweight exercises such as push ups, pull ups, etc or any other form of strength training that the older you get the less likely your muscles will respond well to exercise and can increase inflammation and muscle tissue scaring. The same research found that "younger muscles actually had four times more regenerative stem cells compared to older muscles".
Now that we looked at a few negative impacts of muscle atrophy lets look at some bright spots of maintaining lean muscle mass. The more lean muscle you have on your body the better your blood supply and delivery of nutrients and hormones will be to that lean muscle. Having a healthy amount of lean muscle mass also helps prevent heart disease and osteoporosis. How exactly? The more lean muscle you have the less likely you will have a high amount of visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat that accumulates around your mid section which surrounds your organs such as your liver and heart. This will also lead to poor detoxification which decreases the body's natural ability to eliminate free radicals. It helps prevent osteoporosis due to the fact that when you do resistance training of any kind you are putting tension on the muscles. Putting tension on your muscles also puts pressure on your bones which in turn keeps your bones continuously creating fresh new bone . Another benefit of maintaining lean muscle is that you will naturally burn more calories during the day because lean muscle burns more calories in a 24 hour period compared to fat.
The Silver Bullet To Prevent Disuse Muscle Atrophy
Hopefully by now you have come to the conclusion that disuse muscle atrophy is something that you want to stay far way from. The silver bullet to this problem is staying active and incorporating strength training into your workout regimen. However, consistently showing up and working out can be daunting at times. So make sure whatever fitness regimen you are doing that you actually enjoy it! Otherwise, muscle atrophy is going to rear its ugly head eventually because if we are honest with ourselves, how often do you stick with something you don't like to do? Bodyweight training is perfect to prevent disuse muscle atrophy, it is highly sustainable, and you can create virtually any type of program that you will enjoy.
Final Thoughts On Muscle Atrophy
Disuse muscle atrophy is part of life to some extent. As we age our muscles slowly atrophy. But if we keep them active on a consistent basis we can slow this process down to a snails pace. Showing up on a regular basis to work out is tough, and don't let anyone tell you differently. It takes hard work to show up and exercise for months and years on end 5-6 days a week. It can feel like another job or another thing you have to do. Believe me I have been there and go there from time to time. But if we take a step back and look at the things we can do to position ourselves to live a healthier and active life at least for me, the hard work and going through the grind is worth it. Show up, find a fitness program you like to do and stick with it. Add variety into it to ensure that you are maximizing your efforts and results. But most importantly, think with the end in mind. Don't let disuse muscle atrophy win simply because working out was or is hard.
For more information on bodyweight exercise checkout The Muscle Experiment: Lost Secrets Of Bodyweight Training at https://www.the-muscle-experiment.com