For many bodybuilders their first introduction to steroids was Dianabol (also known as D-bol and by the generic name, Methandrostenelone). It's safe to say that many iron pumpers remember their first cycle as fondly as their first girlfriends! The Ciba Corporation first manufactured d-bol in the 1960's. As an anabolic steroid it is chemically a derivative of the male hormone testosterone. This means that it has both anabolic (muscle building) and androgenic (masculinizing) properties. Since it's first use 40 years ago, D-bol has quickly become one of the most popular and sought after drugs in bodybuilding.The good - Super potent!
When used properly, D-bol will produce outstanding mass and strength gains. As many bodybuilders are fond of saying "if you can't grow on D-bol you can't grow!" The drug's effectiveness is routinely compared to other strong steroids like Anadrol 50. For most bodybuilders a daily dosage of 4-5 tablets (20-25mg) is more than sufficient to produce dramatic results. Some users do experiment with higher dosages, but this practice often leads to unwanted side effects. Dianabol also combines well with other steroids such as Deca-Durabolin, into stacks. Bodybuilders have discovered that for developing maximum size, a long acting testosterone analog such as enanthate works best.
And now for the bad
As expected, D-bol, being moderately androgenic will produce side effects. For starters the drug can be quite estrogenic in some users. Gynecomastia (swelling of the nipple region) is often a concern during use, and may occur quite early in the cycle (particularly if the individual used high dosages). For this reason many bodybuilders add an estrogen blocker such as Nolvadex, to their cycles. Another cosmetic side effect is water retention. This is a concern for competitive bodybuilders, as it will cause a notable loss of muscle definition.
Besides gynecomastia and water retention D-bol can produce such androgenic side effects as oily skin, acne and body/facial hair growth. There is also the possibility of aggravating male pattern baldness in individuals genetically predisposed for this condition.
And the ugly
Like all oral steroids, D-bol has been C-17 alpha alkylated (chemically modified at the 17th carbon position on its nucleus). While this modification protects the drug from being deactivated by the liver, it can also be toxic to the organ. Long-term exposure to C-17 alpha alkylated substances can result in damage and possibly even the development of certain forms of cancer. A combination of short (6 to 8 week) cycles and medical monitoring can reduce this risk.
The alternatives!
Besides the risk of side effects there are three other reasons to avoid using Dianabol. For starters the drug is easily detectable in drug tests. So if you're an athlete in a sport that has testing, D-bol is out. Second, as of 1990, most steroids-including D-bol were reclassified as illegal substances. Whether it's cocaine, heroin, or steroids, law enforcement types don't really care. If they nail you it's a pay raise for them and jail time for you. Enough said.
Finally a third reason to pass on Dianabol is that there are options. The supplement industry has made available numerous legal alternatives to steroids. Users report outstanding muscle gains with few side effects.
Men commit most violent crimes. Scientists have studied the role of testosterone, the male sex hormone, in the violent and aggressive behaviour.
In the laboratory, male mice castration reduces aggression while testosterone replacement restores aggression in castrated mice. The male hormone has an effect on the organisation of the brain. The brain in infancy is sensitive to the effects of the male hormone, which make it more responsive to the effect of testosterone in later life.
However, male individuals differ in their aggressiveness. In one experiment, scientists separated male mice into two groups: the aggressive and the non-aggressive. They were then castrated which reduced their aggression. When they gave testosterone replacement therapy, only those mice that belonged to the aggressive group showed a restoration of aggressive behaviour. In other words, testosterone is necessary for aggressive mice to exhibit aggression, but replacing testosterone is not sufficient to turn a previously non-aggressive mouse into an aggressive mouse. A possible explanation for this finding is the idea that early exposure to testosterone organizes the brain. Testosterone also affects females. In female mice, which had their ovaries removed, testosterone - but not estrogen - increases aggressiveness.
Studies about the relationship between hormones and aggression in humans use various methods such as interviews, questionnaires or criminal records to assess aggressive behaviour. It does appear that there is a positive correlation between violence in male and female prisoners and circulating levels of androgen. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether androgens facilitate aggression or just encourage social dominance, competitiveness, and impulsiveness.
It is possible that high levels of testosterone secreted inside the body encourage behaviour, which aims to dominate and enhance one's status over other people. Sometimes dominant behavior is aggressive when its clear intent is to inflict harm on another person, but often dominance is aggressive. Sometimes dominant behavior takes the form of antisocial behavior, which includes rebellion against authority and law breaking.
The act of competing for dominant status affects male testosterone levels in two ways. The first, testosterone rises in the face of a challenge, as if it were a response to an impending competition. The second, testosterone rises in winners and declines in losers after the competition. Thus, there is a two ways relationship between testosterone and dominance behavior, each one affect the other.
There are important individual differences in our response to testosterone. In a recent study, research gave testosterone to 56 men aged 20 to 50 years. Testosterone treatment significantly increased aggressive responses on a frustration-inducing computer game involving a fictitious subject. This effect, however, was not uniform across individuals; most showed little psychological change, whereas a few developed prominent effect.
In sports, testosterone increases before competition as a response in anticipation to winning. At the same time, winning increases testosterone while losing reduces testosterone level. These effects also occur in sports fans. The same effects happen in non-physical games such as chess. It is possible that these effects are due to changes in status because testosterone increases in students after graduation and in hostages after their release from captivity. Thus, it is possible that these effects will correlate to changes in dominance. Studies have shown that testosterone levels change in response to changes in ranking of men.
There are two possibilities, either testosterone causes changes in person' dominance or dominance affects the level of testosterone. If testosterone level is a stable personal trait, it is possible to predict a person's aggressive, dominant and antisocial behaviour from measuring this hormone in his blood.
Men with higher levels of testosterone are more likely to be arrested for offenses (other than traffic violations), to buy and sell stolen property, incur bad debts, or use a weapon in fights.
On the other hand, testosterone levels vary according to a person's dominance. In an interesting study of 2,100 male Air Force veterans, testosterone levels fell and remained low with marriage and rose with divorce. It seems that marriage make men lose their dominance
Creatine is one of the most tried-and-true supplements for muscle building. It doesn't claim to have any crazy "miracle" effects, but many people find that it truly works for helping them get the most of their workouts and build more muscle. Here are a few tips on how to pick the best creatine product.
1. Go For Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is the original form of creatine, the best creatine, and the one on which most studies have been done. It is has been proven time and again to help cause in increase in the production of ATP (energy) in muscles, and to allow lifters to take their muscle-building sets a little farther.
The other main competitor of creatine monohydrate is called creatine ethyl ester. While it certainly has good properties, it is not nearly as time-tested and proven as monohydrate, and it tastes like absolute garbage. If you've ever tried to just take some with water, you'll know what I mean - it is possibly the most bitter substance I have ever tasted.
2. Pick A Reputable Company
There are probably thousands of different supplement companies, large and small, but if you want the best creatine, go with a company with an established reputation. Such companies include Biotest, Higher Power, and EAS.
Some of the less reputable companies have the potential to give you impure creatine and straight-up scam products. I mean, creatine is a white powder - it's not that hard to fake!
3. Avoid Products With Fantastic Claims
Certain companies market supplements that claim to be the best creatine product, but they overhype them to the point that you know something fishy is up. Sometimes you'll see products that are basically just creatine combined with a sugar drink priced at TEN TIMES the price of plain creatine or more.
These types of products are often marketed in nice little packages or even drinkable cans, premixed. They also make outrageous claims as to the effectiveness of the product, or even about creatine in general.
One thing you have to understand is that while creatine is a great, proven supplement, it is not a miracle powder, and it is not the "secret" or "key" to finally putting on lots of muscle. If a company tries to tell you differently, they are lying to you.
4. Only Buy What Is Dirt Cheap
Creatine is one of those products that just does not have to be expensive. The best creatine is going to be one that is pure creatine monohydrate, and that is around 10 cents per serving. Don't waste your money on anything more expensive, as it will literally do nothing more for you.
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Creatine is the most popular sports supplement in the world. It has been scientifically proven to increase energy, muscle size and strength. Supplementing with creatine gives you more instant energy (to push out those last few reps in the gym), acts as a buffer to lactic acid, increases muscle volume (users report weight gains of up to 6lbs in 2 weeks) and enhances protein synthesis. Creatine is an awesome supplement for bodybuilders, strength athletes and anyone who wants to increase size, strength or speed!
Creatine has benefits that relate to numerous kinds of people. In this article I will talk about who may gain from taking creatine.
People Who Want To Get Bigger
Many scrawny men want to add muscle to their frame. Creatine can help in doing this. Using creatine draws water into the muscle cells, increasing the size of muscles. It also enhances the repair rate of cells, so if you are exercising you can add muscle faster. Using creatine will enhance your size in the short and long term.
Do You Want To Get Stronger?
Using creatine increases your power in brief time period, high intensity activities. This means you can exercise harder. You will be able to move extra weight and perform more reps. More intense exercise means additional stimulus for muscle growth. Creatine also enhances the action of repair cells called satellite cells. This speeds up muscle repair, and enhances the rate of muscle growth.
Would You like To Be Faster, And More Explosive?
Many individuals observe feeling extra explosive after starting on creatine. This is great for athletes in numerous different sports. That extra speed can give you an edge, allowing you to out jump, kick, swing, throw, sprint, or lift, your competition. It is tough to think of a sport where more explosiveness isn't desirable.
Would You Like More Endurance?
For some time, people believed that creatine was just useful in sports that required brief, intense periods of action. There is now evidence that it also has benefits for endurance athletes. A study with runners found considerable improvement in 300 meter and 1000 meter interval times after using creatine.
One trouble with using creatine is weight gain due to water retention. Employing the traditional loading method (20 g per day for 5 days) can result in an increase of 2-5 lb in the first week. For sports where each pound matters such as running and cycling, this weight gain can have a signficant impact on performance. However, using modest quantities of creatine (2-5 g per day) results in little to no water retention. And even these low amounts of creatine can substantially enhance performance.
There Are Few Athletes Who Don't Benefit From Creatine.
When used properly, I believe creatine can improve performance in just about any sport. I suggest buying a small container and trying it out to see if you experience its benefits. Skip the loading period and just use a small daily dose (2-5 grams). Take it one month on, one month off. Write a journal of your workouts to see if you observe enhanced performance.
For full development of the chest muscles, you'll need to perform a variety of chest exercises that target your pecs (pectoral muscles) from a number of different angles.
Building the upper pecs is very important for creating a full, powerful looking chest. Just focusing on the lower chest muscles can create a saggy appearance. Targeting both upper and lower pecs with different exercises will ensure you get the best chest development possible.
There are many different exercises to choose from. Here are a few of the best chest exercises to get you started.
Bench Press
The bench press works the overall chest and triceps muscles and can be performed using either a barbell or with dumbbells. Using dumbbells will recruit more stabilizer muscles to keep the weights steady, so you'll probably not be able to lift as much as you can when using a barbell. If you don't have a spotter, using dumbbells is slightly safer than using a barbell as you can drop them to the sides, if needed, rather than getting trapped under a bar.
The angle of the bench can be changed to target different parts of the pectoral muscles. A flat bench will work your overall chest, whilst increasing the incline will place more focus on your upper pecs. However, any more than a 45 degree angle will start to target your shoulders muscles (anterior deltoids). If your gym has a decline bench, where your head is lower than your chest, you can also perform the bench press on this to work the lower chest muscles.
How to do it:
1) Start by lying face up on a bench with your feet planted firmly on the ground.
2) Tighten your abs to flatten your back against the bench. This will protect your lower back.
3) Keep your shoulder blades pinched together to focus the lift on your chest rather than the front of your shoulders.
4) Push the barbell or dumbbells towards the ceiling squeezing the chest muscles as you go. Make sure you don't lock the elbows at the top of the movement.
5) Lower the bar until your upper arms are parallel with the floor. Lowering any further can place excessive train on the shoulder joint.
6) Repeat the movement.
Seated Chest Press
This exercise is similar to the flat bench press except you're sat down and using a machine. The motion is stabilised by the machine and so the effort is focussed on the chest muscles.
Because the seated chest press uses a machine, it is safer than using a barbell on a bench press so you won't need a spotter and you'll be able to lift a heavier weight. And heavier weights mean more muscle building (as long as you use good form).
How to do it:
1) Sit in the seat with the height adjusted so that the handles are at the same height as the middle part of your chest muscles.
2) Push the handles forward concentrating on squeezing your chest muscles.
3) Slowly lower the weight to the starting position just before the weight stack touches down and then repeat.
Dumbbell Flyes
Like with the bench press, you can perform flyes with the bench at different angles to vary the emphasis on different parts of the chest.
How to do it:
1) Lie on the bench after adjusting it to the required angle.
2) Hold the dumbbells out to the sides with your elbows slightly bent.
3) Move the weights up and over your chest in an arc.
4) Lower back to the starting position.
Cable Crossovers
This is a similar motion to dumbbell flyes. However, whilst dumbbell flyes are a great exercise, the tension on the chest muscles reduces as we bring the weights in until there is almost no effort in the pecs when the weights are overhead. Cable crossovers, on the other hand, keep more of the tension on the pectoral muscles at the apex of the movement. This helps to develop the hard-to-get inner pecs. Using both exercises in your chest workout programme will make you get the best all-round chest development.
How to do it:
1) Lock each pulley into a high position, above the level of your head.
2) With your arms out to the sides, grasp one pulley handle with each hand. Your body should form a t-shape.
3) Stand with one foot in front of the other.
4) Bring your arms down and together in front of you. Squeezing your chest muscles and holding for one second at the peak of the movement.
5) Let the weights slowly pull your arms back to the start position, giving your chest muscles a good stretch. Then repeat the motion.
Muscle Building Tips for all these Chest Exercises
The concentric phase (lifting the weight) should take about 1-2 seconds.
The eccentric phase of the exercise (lowering the weight) should take about 3 seconds. Much of the muscle building power of resistance exercises comes from this 'negative' part of the exercise so, once you've lifted the weight, don't waste it by just dropping it.
At the top of the movement, make sure you don't lock out your elbows as this can put excessive strain on the joint. Always keep a slight bend.
Always make sure you've warmed up and have stretched the muscles before training. This will help prevent injury. Resistance training tends to shorten muscles, you should always stretch the muscles you've trained after your workout to prevent this effect. Stretch your chest muscles to ensure they don't pull your shoulders forward giving you bad posture.
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