by Josh Hodnik

Androgens were first discovered in 1936. Since then, testosterone and many other anabolic steroids have been successfully synthesized. There would be a forty-five year period between the discovery of the first androgen and scientists locating the androgen receptor in muscle. Due to a lack of knowledge regarding the androgen receptor in the muscle, scientists questioned how anabolic steroids worked in muscle tissue for many years. Some would question whether they even worked at all.
Read More »Understanding the Androgen Receptor

by Anders JP Eskilsson Many of us who start with bodybuilding or weight training will sooner or later get notifications from our surroundings about our… Read More »The Fear of Losing Muscle Mass

by Josh Hodnik

Today, it’s not uncommon for a 200-pound bodybuilder to consume 300-400 grams of protein per day. This appears to be excessive when compared to the Recommended Daily Allowance of 60 grams per day. There has been a long debate on how much protein is needed to maximize muscle growth. Many doctors claim that Americans consume too much protein, and that this can lead to kidney disease, osteoporosis, prostate cancer, and diabetes. It has long been theorized that even highly active people can assimilate no more than 25 grams of protein at one time. There can be a large gap in the amount of protein that any individual may need and can absorb at one sitting. There are several factors that may determine this.
Read More »How Much Protein Do You Really Need?

by Cade Thomas

Bodybuilders these days like to remind us of the level of sacrifice they are nobly enduring to better the world through their own physique enhancement. They will do ANYTHING to achieve their goals…except eat plain food without making it taste good, do lots of cardio, work a real job on the side to afford the lifestyle, etc.
Read More »Suffering or Slacking?

by Lonnie Lowery

You know what you want and you’re learning how to get it. As a bodybuilding enthusiast, you have cultivated a love of heroic muscle mass and (hopefully) muscular performance as well. But almost paradoxically, you’ve probably also come to dig extreme leanness. Indeed, the desire to unveil your hard-won musculature seems natural, even if it wasn’t an initiating desire as you began weight training. A ripped physique approaching 5 percent body fat actually looks bigger – and certainly more impressive – than the same structure that is blurred by 12 or 15 percent fat.
Read More »Temporal Nutrition Explained in Detail

by Mike Arnold

From the beginning, vegetarianism has been the red-headed step child of performance-based nutrition; oft maligned and generally portrayed as inferior to the meat heavy diets which characterize modern bodybuilding.  It’s not so much the foods themselves that detractors have a problem with, but rather, the lack of animal products within the diet—the claim being that animal proteins are essential for meeting the nutritional requirements of those engaged in the various strength and physique sports.
Read More »Vegetarianism and the Bodybuilding Lifestyle?

by Mike Howard

Calories have become a perfect target for diet book authors and gurus alike to play on the emotions of those who struggle with weight. In the typical diet book and health blog world, calorie (and any mention of counting them) is met with an illogical amount of hostility. It has become one of the greatest sources of confusion in the word of fat loss and has undoubtedly led to much frustration for those looking to shed pounds. Rest assured you are not alone if you are befuddled by the whole thing…
Read More »Is a Calorie a Calorie?

What is the best way to gain size?” Because I am a competitive bodybuilder and coach, I am asked this question more than any other, and in my experience, everyone seems to expect that there should be a black and white answer. The truth is that if a black and white answer were to exist, wouldn’t everyone who is seeking physique development already have the body they want? A common idea in the industry is that in order to get bigger, you must lift heavier and heavier weights and constantly work to gain strength. This is only partially accurate. The problem is that many people misinterpret this approach by striving to increase limit strength (1-rep max) in order to induce hypertrophy.
Read More »The Bodybuilding Basics Explained