by Geoff Roberts

Once upon a time, the most sought after physique on the planet was that of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnold dominated his onstage competition and inspired millions to begin their own bodybuilding journey. This level of domination and inspiration came mostly via The Oak’s massive arms, delts and chest. It is not hard to figure out why, as these particular body parts, along with abs of course, happen to be the three that are most often envied by others. Large chests, shoulders, and arms are almost always the goal of a person who is just starting to train with weights. This shared goal was the case forty years ago, and it will remain this way well into the future. That said, why is it that when Phil Heath and Big Ramy walk onstage at the Mr. Olympia today, we all wait with bated breath for them to turn around so that we can analyze the conditioning of their back sides?

Finding the right diet tips to lose weight is a great first step for anyone who is trying to shed a few pounds. One of the biggest obstacles that many people run into when they are trying to lose weight is a lack of knowledge. Many people are under the misconception that losing weight is complicated, and that it has to involve a lot of exercise. While exercise is definitely something that you should think about, the fact is that you can lose weight without having to spend countless hours in the gym. By following these 10 diet tips to lose weight you can reach your weight loss goals.

by Geoff Roberts

Roughly half a decade ago I made a habit of watching a television show on The Discovery Channel which featured elite athletes from all different sports, who were pitted against each other in obscure tasks. Unfortunately, the name of this television show has escaped me. These athletes, which included a motocross racer, a boxer, a quarterback, a strongman/bodybuilder, a runner, and a couple others, were sent around the world to none Americanized, secluded tribes and colonies to partake in their native “sports” or “games”. Before the games would begin, these American athletes would meet the tribes people, interact with them, and discuss the events. The first order of business was for the tribe leaders to analyze the American athletes, give their first impressions and discuss them among one another.

by Anders JP Eskilsson

There are many factors to consider when a person wants to become a professional bodybuilder. Besides having extra ordinary genetics, to evolve into a successful professional bodybuilder today – and more than ever, means that an athlete generally has to put on tremendously of weight and muscle mass to stand any chance to compete with the best in the global lineups.

by Geoff Roberts

The simple fact that bodybuilding is purely a cosmetic sport leads many of its participants to care much less about what is happening inside the body as opposed to outside the body. This unfortunate fact causes certain habits to rear their ugly head in our sport, which can have negative effects on not only an athlete’s health, but his or her physique as well. Examples of these poor habits include the overuse of drugs, and diet strategies that focus solely on macro nutrients, while ignoring micro nutrients and hormonal responses. One of the chief reasons these two issues tend to have a negative impact on an athlete’s health and or physique, is the often discussed and commonly misunderstood hormone, insulin.

by Geoff Roberts

It is not difficult to understand why people correlate a good looking physique with being healthy. The day to day actions which serve to make a person healthy, such as eating an appropriate amount as well as variety of clean food, exercising regularly, and getting proper rest, do have a positive effect on one’s appearance, after all. The same can be said about physical performance with regards to these healthy habits. However, at a certain level of physical development or performance, these habits begin to mold into a much different image. At this elevated level, these habits start to become extreme in nature and often times harmful to the athletes health. One’s lifestyle quickly becomes more focused around performance, or in the case of bodybuilding, muscle growth, and less concerned with health.

by Geoff Roberts

Although I am not overly religious, you can find some very wise quotes in scripture. On several occasions, scripture makes mention of the possible negative ramifications of remaining idle. Verses such as “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop” come to mind. What verses like this mean is that people who fail to keep busy, or live an exceptionally lazy lifestyle, will often times get themselves into trouble. While these quotes are generally geared towards normal everyday people, one could very easily make a case that they also apply exceptionally well to bodybuilders. Despite what many bodybuilders might think, being able to sit home all day and basically do nothing, is usually not a good situation at all, as much as it may sound ideal. It is not hard to imagine why bodybuilders strive for this idle lifestyle. They can eat their meals perfectly on time, always get ample rest, and successfully defuse any stress, theoretically. However, you have to take the good with the bad as they say, and in this case, for several specific reasons, the bad tends to outweigh the good.

by Josh Hodnik

Amino acids play central roles as building blocks and as intermediates in metabolism. Amino acids also contribute and are also considered crucial for the health of the human nervous system and vital organs, hormone production, and cellular structure. There are over 20 amino acids present in the dietary protein that we consume. Amino acids are categorized as non-essential and essential. Non-essential amino acids can be synthesized by the body and don’t have to taken in through diet or supplement form. Essential amino acids can’t be produced in the body and must be taken in through foods or supplements that contain them.

by Josh Hodnick

Cortisol has become well known as the stress hormone responsible for increasing body fat storage, more specifically, belly fat. There are many fat loss supplements that are intended to lower body fat by lowering cortisol levels. The companies that market cortisol lowering supplements, target individuals that have excess belly fat and who may have a high stress lifestyle. Much of the US population can relate to this situation. With that being said, many consumers believe that supplements intended to lower cortisol may be the key to them finally being successful with losing weight. If decreasing abnormally high levels of cortisol in order to lose body fat was as simple as taking a single supplement, I highly doubt we would see the majority of society walking around with their belly hanging over their belt!

by Cade Thomas

Is there any place closer to hell then the comment section of a bodybuilding video on Youtube or Facebook? As I scroll through my feed, I see a few mainstream articles pop up about popular fitness personalities or celebrities with muscle. Although I know that clicking “view comments” will result in nothing other than a few premature grey hairs and perhaps the beginnings of an ulcer, I usually proceed anyways before my brain can smack some sense into my finger. Without fail, if the gentlemen in the picture or the subject of the article possesses any kind of muscle, it is a given that someone who doesn’t have any involvement in the bodybuilding world will be spewing some kind of nonsensical crap about steroids, cheating, being natural, etc.