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Truly Huge Fitness Tips
Presented by TrulyHuge.com
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Actual Success Stories from "Ordinary" Physical Fitness
Athletes using the New X-Size Program
*the success stories are translated 1:1 from the German
language originals
"My body grows like crazy. I have already won 7 kg (15.5 lbs)
of muscle mass within the first 4 weeks. I also have lost
some body fat, all my pants fit around the waist again!"
[after 4 months] "Believe it or not, I put on additional
19 kg (42 lbs) of pure muscle. That means I put on
26kg (57.3 lbs) at all. Friends I didn't see the last time, didn't
recognize me at first. I really mutated from a skinny guy to
an athlete. I never believed that this is possible. But I also
see a downside at this, I had to buy a complete new
wardrobe..."
Frank S.
Oldenburg, Germany
"...couldn't believe it. I always thought such successes
would be reserved to these who maltreat himself in the
gym hours by hours. However, my job permits me neither
a strict diet nor daily training... I have had completely
enough time and lost easily 5 kg (11 lbs) of fat by ease ...
... I finally have had enough time for my family again! "
[after 4 months] "...now stopped to progress weights. I
don't want anymore muscles, because I don't want to
look like a Huge Bodybuilder. My body looks the way I
always wanted to....so it's time again to say thank you..."
Go to Weight Training Software
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FITNESS TIPS FOR 11/14/2001
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BETA ECDYSTERONE
This plant extract can increase performance and muscle mass.
By Bryan Haycock, M.SC., C.S.C.S.
Some of the greatest athletic achievements of the past century
have come from the former Soviet Union and other countries of
the Eastern Bloc. The training methods and practices of the
government-run programs were closely kept secrets. Once
the Cold War was over and the walls of communism began to
fall, however, many of these secrets of the Eastern Bloc
leaked out. Not only did we learn about their training
practices but also of their experimentation and use of
ergogenic aids to enhance sport performance. One of these
secrets is the use of an extract from the Rhaponticum
carthamoides plant. The active ingredient in Rhaponticum
carthamoides is a compound called 20-hydroxyecdysone. The
Russians classified it as an “adaptogen” because it enabled
animals to resist the effects of physical stress. This may
sound a lot like the way they classified ginseng, but don’t be
too quick to judge: The effects of 20-hydroxyecdysone far
exceed those of ordinary ginseng.
Twenty-hydroxyecdysone is a phytoecdysteroid, which is a
type of phytosteroid. Phytosteroids are compounds that
come from plants that have a steroidlike structure.
Ecdysteroids were first discovered by a scientist named
Peter Karlson in 1950. Scientists have since isolated more
than 100 ecdysteroids, many of which occur not only in
plants but also in insects. In fact, ecdysteroids are even
found in viruses, as well as in parasitic worms and
crustaceans (lobsters, crabs, etc.).
Ecdysterone and Athletic Performance
Research has been done to explore the effects of
phytoecdysteroids in mammals. Considering the structural
similarity between plant steroid molecules and animal
steroid molecules, it was speculated that these ecdysteroids
might have hormonal effects in animals. To explore the
“myotropic” (muscle-promoting) effects of ecdysterone,
researchers tested two groups of animals, one using
ecdysterone and the other using Russian dianabol (Dbol). It
was shown that “ecdysterone, possessing a wider spectrum
of the anabolic action on the contractile proteins of the
skeletal muscles, exerts a more pronounced influence on
physical endurance” than dianabol. Now, that is a strong
statement! Not only did the ecdysterone have a more
pronounced effect on muscle performance, it also increased
protein synthesis in a variety of slow- and fast-twitch fibers,
whereas the dianabol only induced protein synthesis in
slow-twitch fibers.
After these promising results in animals, human trials were
soon to follow. A study using 117 speed skaters showed that
supplementation with ecdysterone increased total work
capacity, VO2 max and body weight. Another study involving
112 athletes demonstrated that within five days of taking
ecdysterone, a reduction in over- training symptoms, such
as fatigue, apathy and declining performance, was reported
in approximately 90% of the athletes taking the supplement.
Ecdysterone and Muscle Growth
I’m sure many of you are just as interested, if not more so, in
muscle growth as you are in performance. Ecdysterone has
also been shown to be a powerful anabolic in muscle tissue.
In a study done at the Czech Academy of Sciences, quail
were fed either the seeds of Leuzea carthamoides (known
to contain ecdysterone) or a pure extract of ecdysterone
from the seeds. They were able to show a dose response to
the anabolic activity of ecdysterone, resulting in a 115%
increase in body mass of the birds fed the pure extract.
These same anabolic effects have also been documented
in mice and rats.
Of course, no one can expect you to believe that animal
research guarantees that a supplement will work for you
and me. Fortunately, human research with ecdysterone is
also promising. In a study published in Scientific Sports
Bulletin, researchers were able to show significant effects
of ecdy-sterone on muscle mass and fat loss when combined
with protein. Seventy-eight highly trained athletes were given
either placebo, protein or ecdysterone with protein. The c
ombination of ecdysterone and protein resulted in up to a
13% reduction in body fat and a 6% to 7% increase in muscle
tissue. This was within a period of only 10 days. Later,
researchers were able to show significant anabolic and
fat-loss effects of ecdysterone during three weeks of training.
What makes ecdysterone even more attractive is that it does
not work through the endocrine (hormone) system. In other
words, although it is anabolic like testosterone, it does not
affect testosterone levels or work through testosterone
receptors. This was both interesting and perplexing to early
Russian scientists. Researcher V.N. Syrov of the Academy of
Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who was involved in
many of the ecdysterone studies, was able to show that
ecdysterone does not increase the level of mRNA or
blueprints for protein as testosterone does, but instead
increases the rate of ribosomal activity. Ribosomes are
cellular proteins that actually hook amino acids together to
form new proteins. This has the effect of enabling the muscle
cell to “work faster” to put amino acids together into protein
chains.In addition to increasing performance and muscle mass,
phytoecdysteroids have been shown to have beneficial
effects on insulin sensitivity, arrhythmias and red blood-cell
count. Clearly, phytoecdysteroids have tremendous potential
as a dietary supplement.
More Potent Than Ever Before
There was a time when extracts of ecdysterone were very
weak, containing only about 10 to 12 mg of active ingredient
per capsule. Today, the extracts have increased in potency
up to 97% ecdysterone. This makes a tremendous difference
in the effectiveness of phytoecdysteroids. To take advantage
of this greater ability to synthesize proteins, an athlete must
consume a high-protein diet and train intensely with heavy
weights at the gym. This will serve two purposes: The high
protein diet will ensure that there are plenty of amino acids
available for the busy ribosomes, and the heavy training will
guarantee that there are blueprints in the form of mRNA
floating around for the ribosomes to work from.
Ecdysterone is a valuable addition to the supplement
market. There are more sports-nutrition options with real
potential today than at any other time in history, so it’s an
exciting time to be an athlete. With the right diet and
training program, high-potency ecdysterone will take your
muscle growth to a new level.
Get the Most From Your Ecdysterone
Eat adequate protein. Try to get at least 1 gm of protein per
lb of body weight per day while using ecdysterone supplements.
Never miss your post-workout protein drink. This is the time
when protein is used most extensively for muscle protein
synthesis. Keep your weight loads heavy. Use rep ranges of
6 to 8 while supplementing with ecdysterone. This will ensure
that the boost in protein synthesis leads to real increases in
muscle size and strength. Consume adequate calories. Eat
at least 12 cal per lb of body weight each day.
Click Here for more Info on Ecdysterone and how you can get a
Free Russian Training Cycles Workout Program
