The Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training

Fitness model SJ McShane shares three reasons why HIIT needs to be part of your regular workout routine

What if I told you that you could burn more fat, build lean muscle, and save time in the gym by doing less cardio? Well, with HIIT or (High Intensity Interval Training), you can! HIIT is a type of cardio training in which you alternate short, very high intensity intervals with longer, slower intervals to recover. This type of training has been used by athletes to improve performance, but it's also been shown to benefit the average exerciser. HIIT training not only helps performance, it also improves the ability of the muscles to burn fat. In the hustle and bustle of today’s jam-packed schedule, our once firmly adapted fitness routine can go straight out the window. With the pressure to meet all of our daily requirements to our families and jobs, our goals get the back seat. Well, grab a hold of your fitness goals because I’m going to explain some amazing benefits of HIIT that will get you back on track or on a new road to fit.

Burns Fat
Are you guilty of spending a lot of time running nowhere on the treadmill? Listen to this: Exercise physiologists used to believe that steady-state cardio was superior for fat loss because relatively more fat is used by the body as fuel at lower exercise intensities than at higher intensities. The “Fat-Burning Zone” shown on most cardio equipment as only 60%-65% of max heart rate is really a myth and is NOT optimal for burning fat. This is what drove lots of women to spend hours on the treadmill a week! Yes, you burn more fat relative to glycogen when going for a walk, but what we care about is total fat burn. At higher intensities, you are burning far more fat, even though the fat/glycogen ratio is lower. In addition, HIIT allows you to exercise at very high intensities for a much longer period of time than steady state, so you burn more fat.

As an added bonus, there’s also an after burn effect known as EPOC (excess-post exercise oxygen consumption). You increase your metabolism and burn more calories for up to 24 hours after interval training, whereas going for a jog burns almost NO calories after. Who wouldn’t want to burn more for less time working out? This is why HIIT is known for its results in fat loss.

Saves time and money
The beautiful thing about HITT is it can be done in the comfort of your own home, outside or even at a hotel while traveling. The exercises that can be performed during HIIT are endless. All you need is your body weight to get in a good workout with no equipment required. Exercises like, running, biking, jump roping, and rowing all work great for HIIT, but you don't need any equipment to get it done. High knees, pop squats, or anything plyometric like jumping lunges work just as well to get your heart rate up fast! This makes it perfect for those who can’t get to the gym. With HIIT, you will be working harder than you normally work, but for about a quarter to a half of the time. Twenty minutes of this hard core training will leave you sweaty. If you are used to performing 60 minutes of cardio you save 40 minutes and get double the benefits!

Preserves hard earn muscle
Anyone who has been on a diet knows that it's hard to not lose muscle mass along with fat. While steady-state cardio seems to encourage muscle loss, studies show that both weight training and HIIT workouts allow dieters to preserve their hard-earned muscles while ensuring most of the weight lost comes from fat stores. Especially when adapting a lower calories diet, our bodies can experience a negative responses which is loss of muscle as well as fat. This ultimately lowers the person’s metabolic rate, which is not ideal for someone looking to burn fat. HIIT workouts along with weight training have been shown to preserve muscles mass ensuring that most of the weight loss comes from fat stores. You aren’t spending enough time to breakdown muscles fibers while performing HIIT. Another huge bonus: The more muscle we have, the higher our metabolism.

There are many more positive benefits that come from interval training, the list goes on. Benefits range from a healthier heart to increasing lung power, increased metabolism and even agility. No matter what training routine you are in currently, give HIIT a try, you won’t be disappointed with the results!

The Five Basic Stipulations of Proper Steroid Cycles and Responsible Steroid Use

1. No individuals under the age of 24 should engage in any anabolic steroid cycles what so ever.
2. Testosterone must be the very first and the ONLY anabolic steroid used in the very first beginner anabolic steroid cycle, and Testosterone must also be included in all cycles, no exceptions.
3. Cycle lengths should be kept as short as possible.
4. The lowest effective dose in order to provide gains should always be utilized before increasing doses.
5. An absolute minimum of stacked compounds (no more than 2 at any given time unless absolutely necessary) should be used in any given anabolic steroid cycle.

Detailed explanations of the five stipulations:

1. There is no specific age for each and every human that has been determined to be the age by which the human body and its subsystems (especially the endocrine system, which is our primary concern here) have fully matured and developed. The ultimate final age by which we all reach full growth and maturation is determined by our genetics and to a lesser extent, our lifestyle habits. Every individual’s genetic ‘programming’ is different, and therefore some individuals will fully mature at a younger age while others may reach full maturation at approximately 24 years of age, and others will perhaps mature at an even older age. It is general knowledge concerning the endocrine system that Testosterone levels in males are continually rising until the median average age of approximately 24 – 25 years old, at which point these levels reach their peak and begin to decline. The Hypothalamic Pituitary Testicular Axis (HPTA) which controls endogenous natural Testosterone production is a very sensitive network. Furthermore, there is no specific ‘test’ that one might be able to undergo in order to determine if he/she has reached full maturation of the human body’s subsystems. Therefore, the average median age by which almost all human beings reach maturity has been determined to be 24 – 25 years of age. Some may mature earlier (as mentioned earlier) and some later than this. By engaging in anabolic steroid cycles and introducing anabolic steroids to the body prior to the age of 24, the risks of severely and permanently disrupting and damaging the endocrine system is extremely high. Only after the age of 24 – 25 do the risks of considerable and permanent HPTA damage drop drastically.

2. Testosterone is literally the original anabolic steroid, produced naturally within all humans and most animal species. It is considered the safest anabolic steroid one could use for this reason, due to the fact that it is the hormone that each individual’s body already produces, already uses, and is already accustomed to. Therefore, the use of Testosterone for the purpose of performance and physique enhancement is simply the equivalent of introducing more of a hormone into the human body that it already manufactures and uses.

Furthermore, all first cycles for bare beginners to the world of anabolic steroids should always use some form of Testosterone-only as their very first anabolic steroid cycle. Solitarily run Testosterone cycles provide the user with a safe compound (Testosterone) that the human body is already accustomed to naturally, as all humans already produce Testosterone endogenously. This will allow the user to gauge their response to the most basic anabolic steroid, Testosterone. It is from this gauging process that individuals can assess their potential responses to other anabolic steroids, as the chances are that if an individual responds horridly to a basic Testosterone cycle, then there will likely be a higher chance of the individual responding even worse to most other compounds which are essentially modified analogues of Testosterone.

As explained above, solitary Testosterone-only cycles are the ideal beginner first-time anabolic steroid cycles. The problem with stacking multiple compounds in a beginner first-time cycle lies in the fact that it is quite a potentially dangerous practice. A hypothetical beginner who has never used anabolic steroids or whom has never run a cycle before would not know what to expect upon use. It stands to reason that if a stack of several different compounds are run for a first cycle and the individual reacts in a very negative manner (or experiences a particular very undesirable side effect), there will be no possible means for this individual to figure out which anabolic steroid is responsible for the bad reaction if a cocktail of several anabolic steroids have been stacked in one cycle. This would become possibly life-threatening if said reaction were to be a very serious mortal reaction (such as an allergic reaction, for example).

3. Duration of use is an extremely very influential factor but very easily understood, as it need not be explained that the longer a particular anabolic steroid cycle is run, the increased incidence of side effects will also present themselves as the duration of use becomes longer and longer. The recovery of natural endogenous Testosterone production also becomes increasingly difficult following the termination of an anabolic steroid cycle if a cycle is run for longer and longer lengths of time. Various anabolic steroids may exhibit higher degrees of HPTA suppression and shut-down than other compounds, but all anabolic steroids exhibit this effect of HPTA suppression and eventual shutdown as duration of use continues. Severely atrophied Leydig cells in the testes following extremely long cycles will have far greater difficulty re-engaging endogenous Testosterone production again due to desensitization to gonadotropins resultant of long-term suppression/shutdown. Ideal cycle lengths for short-estered anabolic steroids should be in the range of 8 – 10 weeks, and for long-estered anabolic steroids, 10 – 12 weeks. Any longer than this and the individual runs high risk of increasingly difficult HPTA recovery.

4. The issue of utilizing the lowest effective dose is simple: make progress with the lowest possible dose first, grow into this dose, and then increase the dose as required (which is on average, several cycles into beginner use). Many individuals (mostly beginners) tend to engage in extremely ludicrous activity whereby a brand-new first-timer will run 500mg/week on their first cycle, then proceed to 700mg/week on their second cycle, and then 1,000mg/week on their third, and so on and so forth. This is absolutely unnecessary, and, not to mention not very healthy at all. As mentioned earlier, many anabolic steroid users (both beginners and experienced users) severely underestimate the power of these hormones and most usually when individuals do things like that, it is because they claim their gains and progress has stopped. The culprit is usually a flaw in their nutrition or training (or both), not in how many mg per week of total steroid they are using. These details and concerns must be kept in mind. A very important detail for all individuals to understand in relation to anabolic steroid doses is that the human body only manufactures approximately 50 – 70mg weekly of Testosterone (depending on various factors such as age, lifestyle habits, genetics, etc.). Considering this, we can use logic to conclude that: 500mg is approximately 7 – 10 times the amount that the human body produces. Suffice to say, 300mg weekly should then be perfect for any first-time beginner cycle.

5. Quite simply put: the use of more than two compounds stacked in any given anabolic steroid cycle is completely unnecessary for the average casual recreational anabolic steroid user. The stacking of three or more compounds in a single anabolic steroid cycle is only necessary for competitive bodybuilders and professional athletes. Increasing the number of anabolic steroids utilized in a single cycle increases the weekly dose of total steroid, which thereby increases the risk and intensity for side effects tenfold, and presents increasingly harsh stressors on the human body

How Does Ipamorelin Affect the Body?

Ipamorelin is the newest muscle building peptide supplement in the body building and athletic markets.  The peptide is synthetically produced and releases maximum amounts of growth hormone. The growth hormone that is released from the peptides of Ipamorelin is one of the strongest seen on the market to date, pertaining to muscle growth and weight loss.

Ipamorelin, being a newly synthetic supplement on the market, is still being studied and under research for its effects on the body and how it works so well to produce muscle gain and weight loss. So far the findings for its effect on muscle growth are very positive. When Ipamorelin peptides release growth hormones, the cells go straight to the muscle to support its larger development and seems to steer clear of any possible bone or cartilage distortions. Researchers have also found that Ipamoelin does not decrease your body’s natural production of growth hormone. So your own individual growth hormone works as well, maximizing your muscle growth benefits.

Ipamorelin, has also been shown not to make one hungry. This of course is where the weight loss factor comes in. So not only does this new “miracle” supplement build muscle it helps you lose unwanted fat at the same time. Ipamorelin when injected in 200 -300 mcg amounts, releases very slowly in the body. This again maximizes the length it stays and works to help ward off hunger and build muscle. Another benefit of its slow release method is that it does not suddenly raise ones Cortisol and Prolactin levels, which leads to better results again.

While Ipamorelin seems like the next miracle drug for athletes and body builders, it does have a couple of discovered side effects such as a head rush feeling and headaches. It is best to start your supplementation of this compound at its lowest dose and build up if needed. It is also suggested that it be injected thirty to forty-five minutes before working out. By injecting Ipmorelin and then working out, when your body naturally produces its own growth hormone, one is getting the double benefit of both growth hormones working together, again maximizing results.

So Ipamorelin seems to be all the buzz within the exercise and health industries for a good reason. With little to no side effects and working along with one’s own body’s growth hormones, Ipamorelin fights off hunger while maximizing one’s overall muscle gains and prolonged post-workout success. More research and studies are regularly being done on this new compound but so far it seems as if the health and excursive industries have hit gold.

The Truth About Steroid Use in CrossFit

I have been hearing a lot about how there is steroid use in CrossFit. I will not say I can tell if someone is using steroids, nor will I talk ill about the blogs I have read, but all I can truthfully say is that I do not know if someone is using steroids unless I have tested their urine sample. I do not believe that every person in CrossFit or the CrossFit Games is using steroids. The reason for this I hope can be explained in this article about natural hormone increases brought on by heavy resistance training.

Steroids or Strength Training?
Long-term weight training brings significant adaptations that can result in enhanced size, strength, and power of trained musculature. When there is an increase in anabolic hormones brought about by heavy weight lifting, it can increase hormonal interactions with various cellular mechanisms and enhance the development of muscle protein contractile units. When there is stimulation From a motor neuron to initiate muscle contraction, various signals are sent from the brain and muscles to endocrine glands.

Hormones are secreted during and after weight lifting due to the physiological stress of the exercise itself. Hormone secretion provides information to the body regarding the amount and type of physiological stress (e.g. epinephrine), the metabolic demands (e.g. insulin), and the need for changes in resting metabolism. Thus, specific patterns of nervous system stimulation from weight training results in certain hormonal changes that are simultaneously activated for specific purposes related to recovery and adaptation to the acute exercise stress.

The patterns of stress and hormonal responses combine to shape the tissues’ adaptive response to a specific training program (like Olympic and powerlifting). So without going into anything too confusing, the specific force produced by the activated muscle fibers determines the alteration in hormone receptor sensitivity to anabolic hormones as well as changes in receptor synthesis. As few as one or two weight lifting days can increase the number of androgen receptors (the receptors for testosterone) in the muscle tissue. Combined, these alterations lead to muscle growth and strength increase in the intact muscle.

Following strength training sessions, remodeling of the muscle tissue takes place in the environment of hormonal secretions that provide for anabolic actions. There is an increase in the synthesis of actin and myosin and a reduction in protein degradation. Now, here is the catch to all of this great stuff due to strength training. If the stress is too great for the athlete, catabolic actions in the muscle may exceed anabolic as a result of the inability of anabolic hormones to bind to their receptors or the down regulation of receptors in the muscle tissue. So hormonal actions are important both during and after an exercise session to respond to the demands of the exercise stress. The magnitude of hormonal response depends on the amount of tissue stimulated, the amount of tissue remodeling, and the amount of tissue repaired after strength training sessions.

Only muscles fibers activated by the strength training are able to be adapted. Here is where genetics and muscle fiber types come into play (I know some of you were waiting for it). Some fibers may be close to the athlete’s genetic ceiling for cell size, while others may have a great potential for growth. This is where many people draw their conclusion as to the fact that CrossFitters are on performance-enhancing drugs, because many believe that people only have a certain ceiling for cell growth, but ultimately, unless we can see your genetic code, no one can know for certain what your genetic ceiling is for skeletal muscle cell size. Just because someone doesn’t look like you, doesn’t mean it’s impossible to look like that.

Now going back to hormones, the extent of hormonal interactions in the growth of muscle fibers is directly related to the adapted size of the fibers. Thus, if an exercise program uses the same exercises over and over again, only a specific set of muscle fibers associated with those movements will be activated and stimulated to grow. Since CrossFit is the epitome of variety, in most cases people are working various muscle groups at any given time, which will aid in the growth of all muscle groups, not just one individual group. Studies show that the volume of work, rest periods between sets, and the type of exercise are vital to the response pattern and magnitude of hormonal changes in men and women.

PEDS, Steroids, and Stereotypes
Now many of you may be wondering what all of this has to do with steroids and other PEDs. This has everything to do with why people may fit a stereotype, but not actually be on PEDs - and all because of how they exercise. Every athlete is on a different schedule and type of programming. How an athlete chooses to exercise has an impact how the body responds to hormone interaction. Our bodies all produce their own hormones, and some people have tapped into something within their own bodies that makes them productive in regards to their own hormone secretion.

So just because some people look as though they have only 3% body fat does not automatically mean they are loaded on PEDs. It could mean they have found something that works for them and makes them extremely efficient at using the hormones produced in their own bodies. And there is even more going on to getting strong than what I mentioned here in this article. We didn’t take into account diet, supplementation, or health history. There is a lot going on biologically when it comes to cell growth than what we can see from the outside.

PEDs and CrossFit Competition
As CrossFit becomes more popular in the sports arena, it will be important to ensure that athletes are competing without the help of PEDs. CrossFit does require urine tests for Games-level competitors, but it does so without the help of a third party that has no involvement with the CrossFit organization itself. As the popularity of the sports and the purse sizes grow, this may become a problematic scenario in regards to the drug status of the competitors.

As for right now, there is no need for CrossFitters to get so bent out of shape that people critiquing potential drug use have to pull down their blogs. Everyone has an opinion, even if it may not be valid to you or anyone else you may know. The best thing for us as CrossFitters to do is to be honest, continue to do what we are doing, and not sweat the small stuff. It all comes out in the wash in the end.

The Benefits of Melanotan II

Melanotan II is known as a good way to tan. It is a hormone a synthetic hormone that once you intake causes a reaction within your body that results in a natural tan. Yes, it acts as a tanning agent. It is a perfect way to tan without being exposed to the sun. You can have the benefits of a beautiful tanned body all year while reducing the skin damage that you can get from receiving too much UV radiation. You always need some sun or an artificial tanning bed, but you don’t have to expose yourself for long periods of time, like you probably to get that desired tan. The tan looks natural.

Another benefit that is very interesting and caught my attention is that it can also help men and women with their sexual life.  Melanotan II has been found to significantly increase libido, causing powerful rock hard erections in males and increased desire in females. Great for those of you who want to have a better sex life with your partner! You know what that means, better sex life, better mood, and also a great workout.

Additionally it helps decrease the appetite by targeting an appetite suppression receptor in the brain. Once you start taking it, you will notice a decrease in appetite.

It is important you do know that if you stop using Melanotan II the tan will fade away and will become completed faded within four to eight weeks. The other benefits such as increase libido, sexual performance along with the appetite reduction will also fade.

You can find it as a powder form and it has to be mixed with liquid such as bacteriostatic water, so it can be injected. After opening the powder make sure you refrigerate.

If you are asking yourself the amount needed. It is recommended you start administering a higher than normal dose so that your system gets saturated with the hormone and you can start seeing the effects. You might have to have a daily dose or in some cases multiple injections per day, depending on how you want to look. Some people believe that the more they inject it the more natural effect they see but this is only a speculation since there is not factual evidence.

The results achieved will vary depending on different variables such as the exposure to the sun or tanning beds, body size, natural color and the users reaction to the hormone, among others. You will have to try the doses is the right for you. You use it and then start increasing the dose until you reach the results you wish for.

Start with 0.015 to 0.02 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per injection. This dose will be sufficient. Evaluate the reaction and go from there. Remember to be patient and that the results of taking Melanotan II is different for everybody. Increase amounts as needed.  Don’t forget to keep in mind to watch for your tolerance. It is important not to forget about your health while trying to look good.

Different studies have been made since Melanotan II was discovered in the 80s and they never displayed any harmful side effects. The biggest benefit is that is believed to be helpful against skin cancer since it is thought to reduce the possibilities of the disease or even skin damage occurring after the exposure to harmful UV rays.

Melanotan II doesn’t have any toxicity issues, so no worries there. There is no indication that any organs in the body are affected by the use of this hormone. On the other hand there have been cases reported of nausea, but after using 6 injections. Like I mentioned before regulate the amounts of your intake, evaluate how you feel and then go from there. You lower the dose if necessary.