November 2002

Muscle Tips:
1. Warm up before you work out. 2. Stretch your muscles. 3. Visualize your muscles growing. 4. Divide your muscles into three or four groups. 5. Incorporate testosterone releasing exercises into your workouts.  6. Go for a full range of motion. 7. Hold the movement at the point of peak contraction. 8. Reduce the time between sets. 9. Focus on progressive resistance. 10. Follow the natural path of your muscles.



Words from us…

Wayne’s World
Optimum performance in workouts most often comes down to muscle performance. Skeleton muscle makes up 40 percent of the body and moves the bones of the body. Thus building muscle while paring down fat mass will boost health, muscle growth and performance. Most current debate and evidence indicate the number of muscle fibers is fixed early in life (fat cells also), so humans have a predetermined number of cells. The body has 630 muscles, many of which can be enhanced through supplements to make a person stronger, faster, and perform better. Antioxidants and amino acids (eight are essential) are especially good for muscle-building.  In addition to these, take a look at arginine, glutamine, taurine, branch chain amino acids (BCAAs), bitter orange, carnitine, forskohlii and pyruvate.  These amino acids, prohormones and herb extracts are available at Stay Healthy!, so ask questions of our staff and learn about these supplements and the science behind them.  Muscle is amazing in its complexity and function, but just as complex is building it, keeping it, and effectively using it.  Call us at 877-2494, or stop in to learn more.      
Thank you so much for your patronage. Stay Healthy!

Gina Says:
  Would you like to have more energy, look better & be able to eat more without getting fat?  If this appeals to you as much as it does to me, then building long lean muscles is only a few short months away. 
Step 1/ Don’t rely on the scale, muscle weighs more than fat, measure yourself.  Step 2/ Drink Yerba Mate tea, it’s an energizer that will get you up & running.  Step 3/ Warm up with cardio or stretching.  Step 4/ Begin your workout at the same time every time, because anything you do for 30 days consecutively becomes a habit. 
Step 5/ Do something you enjoy, like sports or swimming.  Remember, at first you will be tired but be patient, for you will soon have more energy than before.  The leading cause of exercise failure is overdoing it & giving up to soon, so now that you know, see ya at the track.


James Sloane answers questions:
  There are three forms of muscle in the body; skeletal (striated), smooth, and cardiac. Skeletal muscles are the muscles that move our bones. Smooth muscle makes up tissues such as the uterus, colon, and blood vessels. The heart is composed of cardiac muscle. The most common problem we see with muscles are muscle cramps. Cramping of the heart muscle is known as angina. Cramping of the uterine muscles is known as menstrual cramps. Pain in the skeletal muscles is known as fibromyalgia. Magnesium relaxes all three forms of muscles by displacing calcium. For this reason magnesium should be taken without calcium, and on an empty stomach. Recommended dosage is 300mg twice daily. Higher doses can cause diarrhea. Essential fatty acids can assist with menstrual cramps as well by reducing the production of inflammatory prostaglandins.  Flax and fish oils are excellent sources for EFAs. Reducing the intake of animal proteins will also lower the production of inflammatory prostaglandins. Chronic fibromyalgia symptoms are best treated with magnesium, malic acid (derived from green apples), vitamin B6, and 5-HTP. General muscle pain is best treated with topical arnica creams, provided there are no open sores, or anti-inflammatory herbs such as Devil’s claw and yucca combination. Remember to drink plenty of water to keep the system clean, and exercise to keep the muscles strong, elastic, and working properly.

Tarah’s Corner-  I believe in order to build muscle and maintain a healthy lifestyle you must exercise.  Not just everyday walking and lifting at work, but a real 1 to 2-hour workout in the gym or at home.  Whether you need to gain or lose weight, become stronger and faster, you need to build your muscles.  There are many supplements you can take to help kick the process along but lets start with the basics first.  Eating right.  Meaning you need to consume more protein and less fat.  By less fat I mean less BAD fats, saturated, and hydrogenated.  For example, saturated fats are fast foods and deep-fried foods.  Hydrogenated fats are found in margarines and frozen foods like oven ready pizza and so on.  Eat good protein from fish, chicken, nuts, and good protein drinks.  So now we have the diet straightened out.  We know that you should work out at least 3 times a week, and there are supplements you can take.  Creatine to help build muscle mass, tribulus terrestris, soy, whey, rice and egg proteins.  
If you have anymore questions about muscle health come see us at Stay Healthy! for all your answers.
“It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires great strength to decide what to do.” 

J.C. Speaking Words of Wisdom
This month I have chosen to speak about the lost concept of chi (energy) gathering. Look at the ancient Chinese masters, were they huge?  Did they have muscles bulging out of their shirts? No, yet they were incredibly strong and could perform feats that a modern day body builder would not even attempt. How could these small men of the past and modern day practitioners muster the physical strength to achieve such acts as moving heavy objects, breaking bricks, and to be virtually impervious to knives and other sharp objects? CHI-POWER is more abundant and can be stored to such a degree that muscle strength would be secondary. It’s inevitable that as we grow older our muscles will deteriorate, but our internal source of power will increase if we practice diligently. Most people would find this hard to believe, because they don’t understand the concept of storing chi. Somewhere in history the majority of people forgot that we can store energy in are lower dan tien center (two fingers below your belly button). Technique: Close your eyes, take a deep breath and visualize yourself breathing in universal chi into the lower dan tien.  If your stomach area is getting warm then your on the way to building CHI-POWER. This is the basic foundation for Acupressure, Tai Chi, Chi-kung, Martial arts and most forms of massage and healing.
Knowledge applied is wisdom…

Nik notes:  High protein consumption is an essential step in muscle mass gain, yet water is just as important.  Protein needs water to be broken down into usable material, making it easier to digest.  Drink your water & see results!
Art by NIK