resistance

Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, is the gold standard for endocrine treatment of estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer. Tamoxifen is also known to have metabolic effects. A new study in The American Journal of Pathology reports that the drug also prevents obesity, fatty...

Training Science - Light Weights Can Kick Start Muscle Gains “Lift heavy to grow!” This mantra has been preached since the early days of bodybuilding. Current research-based resistance training guidelines are consistent with the heavier-is-better-mentality, professing that loads below ~65...

The Best Rep Range for Muscle Growth The “strength-endurance continuum” is a widely accepted concept in the field of exercise science. Simply stated, the theory asserts that training in different rep ranges elicits differential effects on muscular adaptations. From a practical...

​Persistence by Josh Hodnick Experience has shown me that a large number of people that begin a new workout and diet program, do so with unrealistic expectations. With two-thirds of the American population being overweight, and one-third being obese, countless weight-loss programs are being...

As far as American sports scientist Brad Schoenfeld can tell from the literature, bodybuilders and fitness fanatics make more progression by training their muscle groups twice a week than if they only train each muscle group once a week. Schoenfeld writes about this in a meta-study that has...

Split vs. Full Body Routines Which is Best for Maximal Muscle Growth? Going back to the early days of bodybuilding, competitors routinely trained using full-body routines. Steve Reeves was a huge proponent of this style of programming. He worked all the major muscle groups during each...

The Effects of Strength Training on Women The Effects of Strength Training on Women In this the first of several summaries of research into the effects of strength training for women we will address some key issues such as can women make increases in strength? Will...

The Best Training Techniques for Muscle Size & Strength Optimal strength gains are typically achieved by high-intensity training requiring the use of heavy weights within a low repetition range, while the best hypertrophic response is ordinarily stimulated by the use of moderate weights...

The Best Training Techniques for Muscle Size & Strength Optimal strength gains are typically achieved by high-intensity training requiring the use of heavy weights within a low repetition range, while the best hypertrophic response is ordinarily stimulated by the use of moderate weights at a...

10 Reasons Bodybuilders Are Bigger Than Powerlifters by Bret Contreras, Brad Schoenfeld, PhD | 05/24/11 Here's what you need to know... The most jacked powerlifters aren't nearly as jacked as most bodybuilders. As muscular as they may be, they don't achieve the same hypertrophy. Neither...

Insulin-like growth factor-1 builds muscle (hypertrophy) and utilizes carbohydrates as fuel for energy. We characterized the metabolic profile of transgenic mice exhibiting enhanced muscle mass driven by increased mIGF-1 expression (MLC/mIGF-1). As expected, 6-month-old MLC/mIGF-1 mice were...

The Positives & Negatives of Testosterone Testosterone Lowdown - The Positives & Negatives Men in their prime take for granted that testosterone is there. Yet, declining testosterone levels are associated with a number of physical, psychological, sexual and metabolic dysfunctions facing...

by Mike Arnold As with any performance enhancing drug, it is not what how much you take that matters, but how much your body can effectively use that determines the end result. Nowhere is this basic truth more evident than with insulin. While the more is better mentality may pay dividends with...

Steroid Corner - Side Effects of Aromatase InhibitorsMost bodybuilders who use anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) have used an aromatase inhibitor to prevent the otherwise inevitable estrogen excess that accompanies the use of supraphysiologic dosing of testosterone and other aromatizable AAS...

by Mike Arnold Anyone who is familiar with my writings will immediately recognize my proclivity for the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport. Aside from their ability to radically improve the composition and performance of the human body, as a whole they are a fascinating set of...

Whey Protein: Health Benefits and Side Effects Milk is made of two proteins, casein and whey. Whey protein can be separated from the casein in milk or formed as a by-product of cheese making. Whey protein is considered a complete protein and contains all 9 essential amino acids and is low in...

Metabolic Syndrome: How to Diagnose and Beat It Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a flashing warning light, strobing a yellow alert that you’re headed towards diabetes and cardiovascular disease. MetS is defined by a checklist of factors:[i] High waist circumference Elevated triglycerides Low...

by Bryan Haycock Since the Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 1990 became law on November 29, 1990, physicians have struggled with the ethics of becoming involved with patients using anabolic steroids. There are serious repercussions for doctors’ accused of prescribing anabolic steroids to...

Regimented resistance training has been shown to promote marked increases in skeletal muscle mass. Although muscle hypertrophy can be attained through a wide range of resistance training programs, the principle of specificity, which states that adaptations are specific to the nature of the...

By Dan Gwartney, M.D. A lot has already been said over the last two decades about the decline of symmetry and aesthetics in bodybuilding. Tradition- ally, elite-level bodybuilders were graced with Olympian lines, similar to the figures Michelangelo and other classical artists and sculptors...