Basics about Steroids

Hello,

It's difficult to get away from in the gym and fitness world, so, having been asked several times a day this week basic information about steroids, I thought it appropriate to share this article with you......

There are three commonly known types of steroids - androgens (dominant male hormones), estrogens (dominant female hormones) and cortisones (often used as an anti-inflammatory drug). The most abundant androgen in men is testosterone. Increased testosterone is seen as beneficial for athletic performance because it influences our metabolism (body's processes) to increase muscle mass, strength, recovery and regulates less accumulation of body fat. Subsequently, men will typically display a greater muscle mass, strength and lower body fat percentage than women, although I know many women that would argue our ability of greater recovery.

The mention above of testosterone aptly brings me to the reason the majority of us, certainly if you're receiving a gym biased newsletter like this, will associate the name steroid with anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids (a subgroup of androgens) have primarily been designed as a synthetic copy of testosterone, albeit typically lower in androgen properties. So, encompassing all the "good" aspects that testosterone brings - muscle growth and recovery - while downplaying the "bad" aspects - oily skin, acne, baldness, body hair etc. This is not to say that users of anabolic steroids will not experience androgenic side-effects, as androgen levels will still be increased and, certainly if higher doses are taken, the risk is greater increased.

There are other potential negative side-effects, which we’ll cover in more depth in future articles. Here’s a taster... some potential side-effects are dependent upon your choice of application, such as oral steroids that are 17-aplha-alkylated (Anadrol, Dianabol etc.) and are fairly toxic on the liver, as the coating is applied in order to stop the enzymes of the liver breaking the substance down, placing the liver under stress as it keeps trying. Surprisingly, as you may warrant a greater dose of a weaker 17-aplha-alkylated steroid, a weaker steroid may increase the likelihood of toxicity side-effects.

Although drugs can enhance both performance and physique, the results are unsustainable without regular use, therefore, increasing the temptation of abuse and negative side-effects.

One of the reasons for creating the book Gym Workouts - Maps to Success is that many people will use and/ or abuse anabolic steroids to make up for the failings in both their diet and training. Before considering the temptation of anabolic steroids (or other performance enhancing drugs), I advise that you correct the aforementioned issues first in order to be the best you can be drug free, thereafter, the choice is yours. To help, the book Gym Workouts - Maps to Success provides an infinite structure to apply to your consistent and progressive training.

Resource: This article is an extract from the book Gym Workouts - Maps to Success.

Also worth mentioning: I've noticed another re-emergence over the past couple of weeks of non-commercial steroids marketed and sold as "pro-hormone supplements". These fall in to a bit of a gray area. As they've never really been commercialized, they're not yet classified as a "Steroid", but they are a steroid! Normally, these steroids have not been commercialized due to reasons such as high toxicity and there being "better" steroid choices available (which have been commercialized!).


All the best,

GP
Knowledge is Power!
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P.S. Due to the success of the ebook version (note: read reviews), I have just signed-off the publisher's proof for the paperback version of Gym Workouts - Maps to Success, so this should be printed, released and distributed over the next week. I'll send a newsletter advising when it's ready.

Home Gym Workouts

Hello,

With many gyms over-selling memberships and not policing male gym members intent on working out their arms (or ‘Guns’ as they like to call them - LOL) in front of the mirror for an hour, over the past few months I’ve been inundated with more and more requests from dismayed female gym goers wishing for decent gym workouts to perform at home.

Most of these female trainers have been limited with both space and available gym equipment, therefore, the overwhelming majority have opted for a gym ball and dumbbells, which is ample for a good home gym workout, as I’ll demonstrate with the progressive (from "beginner" to "advanced") workout routines and exercise illustrations featured within our new book.

So, here it is: the step-by-step home gym workouts program for women: Home Gym Workouts: Gym Ball & Dumbbell Workouts for Women.

Available now at a special introductory price to our Newsletter and Face book Fan Page subscribers. Check it out here: Home Gym Workouts: Gym Ball & Dumbbell Workouts for Women.

Remember (both sexes), if you’re working out in a gym, be sure to avoid the usual pitfalls by checking out our free gym workout routines here: Free Gym Workouts

....and our general rules-of-thumb here: Gym Workout General Rules of Thumb

All the best,

GP

Free Cross Trainer Workouts

Hello,

Just thought I'd drop you a quick newsletter to advise about some of the sections that are popping up on the Gym Professor website. We try to add more and more free content as often as we can, so please be sure to check the website regularly for updates. You can also now stay up to date on both Twitter & Facebook, if you haven't already signed-up :).

With word of mouth (& related success stories) about our free weight training gym workout routines increasing website traffic, we've received requests for more sample cardio. workouts to be added to our free advice arsenal of training goodies, therefore, today, I've been busy including cross trainer workouts to the site. Please find links to these workouts below...

Cross Trainer Workouts (Home): 

Steady State Cross Trainer Gym Workout

Cross Trainer Gym Workout 1 - Interval (2:1) 

Cross Trainer Gym Workout 2 - Interval (3:1) 

Fartlek Cross Trainer Workout

Sample Road Running and Treadmill Workouts have been added here: Free Treadmill Workouts.

You will probably also find the article Cardio Workouts Considerations and Options page useful in your approach to designing your own cardio. workout program.

As always, thank you for your continued support - recommending us, visiting our advertisers, and reviewing our gym workouts book.

All the best,

GP
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Free Cross Trainer Workouts

Choosing a Gym Ball for your Gym Workout

For all-intents-and-purposes a Gym Ball (often referred to as a Swiss Ball or Exercise Ball) is a wobbly bench.

The gym ball’s instability and, therefore, your greater reliance on your primary stabilizing muscles (abs and lower back, commonly referred to as “core”) have seen an incredible rise in its popularity to improve your “core” muscles.

Realistically, your “core” muscles are at work during all motions/ exercises and are placed at most stress/ work during major compound exercises, such as Deadlifts, Squats etc. With this in mind, performing “advanced” exercises like those stated will have a greater overall benefit to help improve “core” strength, provided you have no prior contraindication (i.e. existing injury). However, a Gym Ball is a comfortable and affordable choice for training at home, as well as being the most popular option, hence its inclusion in our sample gym workout routines.

If you’re buying a Gym Ball, please buy one of commercial-grade. The difference in price between a cheap home-use ball and a commercial-quality ball is fairly insignificant, as you can get a good-quality commercial ball for $20 to $30. For use though, the difference is significant – the commercial anti-burst balls being far less pliable.

Please also make note of the sizing suggestions below:

55cm Ball. To suit: those under 5'6

65cm Ball. To suit: those under 5'6 - 5'10

75cm Ball. To suit: those over 5'10

This article is an extract from the forthcoming Gym Professor publication Home Gym Workouts: Gym Ball & Dumbbell Workouts for Women.

All the best,

GP

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Performing Fitness Tests & Achieving Successful Data

Many fitness tests have been created as a unit of measure for various fitness categories, such as general fitness, aerobic fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. 

Fitness tests are only as accurate as you make them, so reading instructions carefully, and performing them often, should bring more accurate results. 

Although fitness tests are only likely to highlight what you already suspect - a bodybuilder achieving "excellent" muscular strength test results, or a marathon runner displaying an "excellent" score for their aerobic fitness tests - it can be used for trend analysis, which can identify progression or decline and might, in turn, alter the way you train/ or you train your client. Also, it'd be ignorant to assume you've taken all factors into account, although unlikely, sometimes the test results can throw up a surprise, such as a powerlifter with poor grip strength or an outwardly healthy individual with high blood pressure.

If you're performing fitness tests on a client for the first time, you should have their full approval and a completed PAR-Q (health questionnaire) that you're happy with. Please visit the www.gymprofessor.com website for further information about PAR-Q’s. If you're working with a deconditioned (not “fit”) individual, as a matter of course, they should see their Doctor beforehand and, thereafter, it would be prudent to perform the static fitness assessments (measuring general fitness) first.

Please visit the Gym Professor website for more information on the following:
Static Fitness Tests (measuring general fitness - good health & well-being).
Dynamic Fitness Tests (aerobic fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility).

Until next time,

GP

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Free Gym Workouts 
Free Fitness Workouts

Choosing Dumbbells for your Home Gym Workouts

As myself (GP) and contributing Fellows to the Gym Professor web site work in one form or another in the sporting world, we're rather spoilt when it comes to choosing supplements and gym equipment, as we have free-trial and pick of pretty much everything on the market. Therefore, when it came to selecting home-use dumbbells to feature in our upcoming book - Home Gym: Gym Ball & Dumbbell Workouts for Women - the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells, with adjustment from 5lb to 52lb per dumbbell, were an easy and unanimous choice.

Dial-up/ selectable adjustable dumbbells, like the Bowflex 552 Dumbbells, have an obvious quick-change advantage over a dumbbell bar (that you load with plates) and take up less space than a fixed set of dumbbells. Price-wise they fall between the two. Unlike the advertising material associated with this type of interchangeable dumbbell, I'm not going to blurt on further about the benefits of choosing an adjustable dumbbell for home gym training, as the advantages are clear, instead, I'll discuss why I personally rate the SelectTech 552 Dumbbells as being the sensible choice.

There's now many brands offering an adjustable dumbbell of this ilk, examples include PowerBlock, TurboBell, Gold's Gym Transformer, York Fitness Dial Tech. All of the aforementioned have a sales tag-line of some kind or another for you to buy their product over their competitors. PowerBlock's marketers often use "original", "ergonomically designed" and "best" amongst their sales pitch, whereas Gold's Gym can promote their product as being cheaper than their rivals. Having used them all, I can categorically say without biased that the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells offering is the best - yes, the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells gets the Gym Professor 5 star rating! The reason, it's quicker to use/ adjust than the "original" and "best" options and the adjustment is not prone to "stick", as I've experienced on the cheaper copies. The Bowflex SelectTech 552's are also comfortable in the palm and are not too cumbersome in size for use during a gym workout. Also of note, they offer the best incremental range of those available and appear to age better (show less signs of wear), compared to cheaper alternatives.

You may have noticed that Bowflex offer a larger adjustable dumbbell - the SelectTech 1090's (10lb to 90lb adjustment per dumbbell). Although they've existed for a few years now, the 1090 dumbbells were in production for a couple of years prior, most likely the concern over the size a major contributing issue. The Bowflex SelectTech 1090 Dumbbells are a success for the heavier home lifter, benefiting from the build quality and comfort of the smaller 552 dumbbells, however, the 1090 dumbbells are not a dumbbell set for couples. Most women will find the shaft (just shy of 18" long) a bit awkward for some gym exercises, plus the smaller increment settings of the 552 dumbbells are one of the reasons they're favored over other adjustable dumbbells. If you're a heavier home lifter and you can afford it, you'd love having the two pairs (552's and 1090's). If it's an "either/ or" choice you're making, I'd choose the smaller 552's in preference and incorporate more barbell work for your heavier exercises/ lifts, if required.

The Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells are featured in the forthcoming book Home Gym: Gym Ball & Dumbbell Workouts for Women, which features 15 gym workout routines and over 100 color exercise illustrations. So, for comprehensive gym workouts at home, you should consider the purchase of the SelectTech 552 Dumbbells and the aforementioned book. Remember, for gym workouts (in a commercial gym), please refer to the free gym workout routines featured on the Gym Professor database and consider the purchase of our acclaimed Gym Workouts: Maps to Success book.

We have dozens and dozens of more free articles/ newsletters in the coming weeks, including more free gym workouts, gym advice, cardio workouts, reviews, diet tips etc., so please look-out for your latest newsletter & consider becoming a fan on Facebook and following our Tweets and Twitter.

Enjoy your Easter festivities!

GP
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W: http://www.gymprofessor.com

Key Nutrients & Their Functions

I am always amazed that many people do not know the function/s that their food items (& nutrients within those food items) play. That said, many aren't too sure what nutrients are derived from those food items that they're eating, despite most being clearly labeled. 

Below is a list of our key nutrients and the main function that they perform. Please click on each for more info.

Protein – repair & growth of tissue (including MUSCLE!).
Carbohydrate – primary energy source.
Fat – secondary energy source.
Vitamins & Minerals – regulate metabolic processes.
Water – transportation of other nutrients.

For further information on nutrients, please visit www.GymProfessor.com .

Best regards,

GP

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