Certainly diet, training and experience play a part in their ability to recover from dietary excess, but as many other athletes discover, discipline and willpower are not sufficient to account for the dramatic changes seen in the pros.
This month’s Fat Attack addresses 10 of the more common and most effective means of achieving ultra-low body fat content used by the pros and high-caliber amateurs. While these methods are effective, many are illegal and most carry some element of risk. A fair question would be: Why they are used at all? The answer is simple; it’s the same drive that causes shareholders to participate in insider trading, some college students and professors to plagiarize and cheat, and politicians to lie. It’s a desire to be the best, regardless of cost, risk or ethics. Thus, while the techniques may be unique to bodybuilding, or even sports in general, the phenomenon is not.
Do not view the following information as an endorsement of these techniques. Rather, use it to approach the decision to use any of the methods described with greater foresight.
STIMULANTS
Stimulants are most easily understood as drugs or supplements that increase fat loss by providing a signal to the body that it’s in an excited state and needs to be ready for action. Stimulants act either by stimulating the release of the “fight or flight neurotransmitter,” norepinephrine (NE), prolonging its signal, or directly substituting for NE. There are two classic examples of stimulants used for fat loss by bodybuilders.
Denne historien er fra December 2021-utgaven av Muscular Development.
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Denne historien er fra December 2021-utgaven av Muscular Development.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Best Cardio for Fat Loss - High Intensity vs. Low Intensity
Low-intensity cardiovascular exercise is the most common way to reduce body fat, despite mounting scientific evidence showing this form of cardiovascular training may not burn body fat as effectively as high-intensity cardio. In addition, low-intensity cardio has also been shown to inhibit muscle growth¹2, making the use of this approach to enhance your physique even more questionable.
Are Unilateral Exercises More Effective Than Bilateral Exercises?
Bilateral exercises simultaneously use both limbs to lift the weight, so that the resistance is being shared between each limb.
THE AMAZING POWER OF JULIA DI POMPEO
Pro Figure Champ and Pro Powerlifter!
BRYAN JONES: THE LORD OF CLASSIC RETURNS!
It seems like a decade has passed since the pandemic began in 2020. That was a chaotic year for all of us. MD sent me to Atlanta to cover the Chicago Pro, because restrictions in Illinois made it impossible to hold Tim Gardner's annual extravaganza there. The athletes still showed up in force to compete, and the Classic Physique division alone featured 30 men. When they came out to be adjudicated, one man stood out in a flash as the one to beat. I had never heard of Bryan Jones until that point aside from a vague recollection that he'd won the USA a couple of years before. With his braided and colored hair piled on top of his head in a gathered bun with the ends appearing to be some type of bizarre plant, I dubbed him \"The Kai Greene of Classic.\" That didn't stick, thankfully, because Bryan \"Lord\" Jones is a unique athlete in his own right. I knew I was looking at a man who was going to make waves in that division. A few months later he did just that, placing fifth in his first Olympia appearance. But we only saw him twice more after that, at the Arnold Classic and once again at the Olympia at the end of 2021. Since then, Jones has been working hard to build the additional size needed to successfully transition to the Open category. I spoke with him about his brief but notable time in Classic, and how he plans to make a big splash in Open.
Andrew vs. Hunter: THE BATTLE FOR TEXAS!
A BATTLE IS BREWING
GET A CLASSIC SUMMER PHYSIQUE WITH LOGAN FRANKLIN
Summer is in full swing, and for the vast majority of bodybuilders that don't compete, this is our showtime! All the many months of toiling away covered up while the sky was dark and gray and icy temperatures had you shivering have led to this. Last month we provided you with eight excellent tips to get ripped and ready, but let's take it a step further. This month, we enlisted the help of Classic Physique superstar and GAT Sport athlete Logan Franklin to come up with his best advice on how to make sure you have the most Classic-looking physique possible to show off on the beaches or at the pool. Here's what he has to say about the Classic look, areas of the physique to emphasize and how, and his best nutrition tips to make sure you turn plenty of heads this summer!
SUCCESS STORY: YANIV ZUR
BALANCING BUSINESS, FAMILY, AND ELITE FITNESS
HOW MUCH REST IS BEST?
Getting enough rest after weight training is essential for optimal muscle growth and performance. Unfortunately, many get insufficient rest because they simply disregard the fact that weightlifting breaks down muscle tissue, creating the requirement for adequate rest to fully recuperate.
Get Peeled With Extra Virgin Olive Oil
As you know, pathologic fat accretion results in obesity. The medical community and pharmaceutical industry have been struggling to address this burgeoning condition in the Western culture - particularly in the United States. Obviously, individuals have also been struggling in their attempts to avoid or correct unsightly or unhealthy fat gain. Imagine the shame these professionals and people must feel when they realize they may have been ignoring a risk-free, health-promoting, inexpensive dietary ingredient that can enhance fat loss. Bodybuilders seek potent drugs or supplements to force the metabolism to strip body fat to low single-digit percentages, but failing to acknowledge the foundation of diet can sabotage even their extreme measures.
CREATINE: THE BEST FORMS
New products and formulations are introduced to the supplement market every day. However, it is very rare for a product or especially an ingredient to create noteworthy evolution in supplement performance. Arguably, the greatest leap up this axiomatic evolutionary ladder occurred with the advent of creatine supplements in the 1990s. Creatine has proven over and over to be \"the real deal\" in clinical research and broscience. It's a muscle-building, performance-enhancing supplement that nearly all athletes should use.
