Although this is a bodybuilding blog, many bodybuilders, don’t know that much about strongman training.

What are strongman?

Strongman first had its origins in the 1800’s. These people displayed strength feats in the public such as holding weight over their head, bending steel, bench press, and sometimes it was done at the circus.

In the 1900’s it developed into modern competitions. The Worlds most strongest man competition is the top competition. There is dozens of competition meets around the U.S for amateurs in the North American Strongman, Inc. (NAS)

Difference between strongman and powerlifters:

Powerlifting is only for the purpose of becoming more strong in the big 3, squat, benchpress, and deadlift. Strongman do many different excercises that require “real world strength”, A.K.A functional strength. Both unlike bodybuilders, train for the purpose of strength and not for size or aesthetics, although size and strength go hand in hand.

Typical training excercises of a Strongman:

These are just some of the typical excercises you may see in a strongman event.

- Log Press - Lifting a large piece of wood(log) over their head for one rep or multiple reps.

- Farmers walk - Hold in each hand very large cylinder weights and walk.

- Tire flip - Flipping a very large tire over and over.

- Crucifix - Hold a heavy object with your arms out perpendicular to the ground. Judged based on how long you can hold it.

- Loading Events - Pick up a heavy object and carry it from one place to the other.

- Medley - A combination of strength events at once. Usually involves running back and

- Atlas/McGlashen Stones - Carrying five large round stones and putting them on a wall.

-Truck Pulling - Attach a harness to the person and have them try to pull a semi-truck or other type of large vehicle.

-Deadlift - Traditional weight lifting deadlift. However, it is not lifting the barbell and weight plates. For example, it may be the end of a truck attached to bars you deadlift.

- Car walk - The strongman is put inside a stripped car. He must walk as far as he can “carrying” the car.

HMB was a very popular supplement among bodybuilders years ago. Why is it no longer that popular? And are bodybuilders overlooking one of the best non-hormonal supplements on the market?

What is HMB:

HMB is short for Beta-Hydroxy Beta-Methyl Butyrate. It is derived from the amino acid leucine. The body already naturally produces about a half of gram a day from the conversion of leucine. It is also found in small amounts in many foods.

Why do most bodybuilders call it junk?

Bodybuilders often reported no significant muscle gains(or retention) during dieting. It quickly was discounted by most experienced bodybuilders. Once something is labeled junk by a few bodybuilding gurus, it is hard for it to make a comeback.

What does research say?

There is actual valid scientific research studies showing HMB can work in the body. These are not research studies sponsored by the supplement companies either.

In one study done by the department of education in East Tennessee State University 39 men and 36 women were put randomly in a placebo or HMB group for 4 weeks of resistance training. The HMB group took 3 grams daily. After the 4 weeks the HMB group had a 7.5KG strength gain over 5.2kg in the placebo group(5 lb difference). The HMB group increase lean mass by 1.4 kg and reduced bodyfat % by 1.1. The placebo had a .9kg lean mass increase and 0.8% reduction in bodyfat.

If it works in research why don’t bodybuilders take it?

The problem with HMB, is most bodybuilders underdose it. This is due to the supplements having low amounts of HMB and recommending low amounts. You won’t notice significant results without a high dose. Even then it still won’t be “steroid like” gains. Unfortunately, HMB is very expensive inherently due to the manafacturing process.

Most of the studies show significant gains in the range of 3 grams. Most HMB supplements sell for about 25 dollars and offer 200-250mg of HMB per serving. It would cost you 25 dollars in 10 days to get 3 grams a day in these supplements.

How does HMB work?

HMB is able to increase protein synthesis. Due to the repartioning effect of protein, this ultimately leads to more muscle gain and fat loss. HMB also helps against protein catabolism(muscle breakdown). This makes HMB perfect for both, low calorie dieting and bulking.

Is HMB really worth taking?

HMB is unrealistic option for most regular bodybuilders, to take year around. Despite it showing significant results at 3 grams daily, the cost is still high for the actual gains it produces. It would be a good supplement to take if you have a lot of money to spend, or just want to take it for short cycles to break plateaus or during dieting. It is certainly cheaper than a steroid cycle, and it won’t have all the nasty side effects either.

Can I take leucine instead to have it convert to HMB?

Leucine only converts at a very low percentage. You would have to take many grams of it to get it to convert to HMB. It would wind up being just as costly, inconvenient, and probably cause digestion problems.

Carnitine comes in 4 different forms but only L-carnitine and Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) should be used by bodybuilders. Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) passes through the blood brain barrier better than L-carnitine, because it is acetylated. Therefore, it is the preferred form of carnitine. Carnitine is classified as an amino acid only because it is similiar in structure. In the body it is very different. Carnitine is not used as a pre cursor to making skeletal muscle in the body, like with regular amino acids. This makes it more useful, since supplementation won’t lead to it being used for protein synthesis instead of fat burning. If there is a deficiency of carnitine in the body, it will be synthesized from the amino acids methionione and lysine.

Does carnitine help burn fat?

One study was done on 20 rats published J Nutr 2000 Feb;130(2 :152-7. Both groups of rats excercised and ate similiar amount of calories. One group had carnitine, caffeine and choline and the other just had excercise. The results of the study showed no statistically significant difference between the groups.Keep in mind this study was done on rats.

Another study was done on humans, Metabolism. 2004 Aug;53(8 :1002-6. Twelve volunteers took 3grams of carnitine for 10 days on a regular diet. l-carnitine led to a dramatic increase in fat oxidation( Fat burning) while maintaining muscle (no decrease in protein catabolism). Another study was done on elderly men and they had a reduction in bodyfat, increased muscle and lower blood lip levels.

How does carnitine work on fat loss?

Carnitine helps shuttle free fatty acids into the mitochondria where they are burned off for energy. This is important because normally it is hard for the fatty acids to enter the mitochondria. This ultimately means more fat and less carbohydrates and protein, will be burned for energy in the mitochondria.

Any other uses for carnitine?

Carnitine also has been shown to have positive effects on mood and health in studies. Some of the results of the study showed improvement in ADHD, increasing fertilitiy, reducing recovery from excercise, reducing fatigue, curing depression, reversing hyperthyroidism, healing cirrhosis of the liver, sexual enhancement, increased cardiovascular health, removing toxins from the body, and many other conditions.

When to take Carnitine:

Many protein rich foods already contain carnitine. Carnitine is probably most effective when on a low calorie or low meat diet, where you won’t be getting as much carnitine in your diet. Bodybuilders may choose to take it year around, but just like with the case of glutamine, it may not prove to be very beneficial while bulking and already getting high amounts in your diet. Carnitine has been shown in studies to help reduce recovery and fatigue after excercise, which may be another reason to take it year around.

Carnitine side effects:

Doses beyond 100 to 500mg per day may cause insomnia and hyperactivity.

Bodybuilders hear people asking this question sometimes from bodybuilding newbies and it annoys them. What If I told you, that it actually was possible to overdose on protein? Believe it or not, too much protein in the diet could cause you to die. How is this possible?

I’m sure you heard of the artificial sweetener aspartame and all the warnings about it’s health effects on the brain and body. Aspartame is actually aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Phenylalanine isregular amino acid found in all protein at various ratios. It is also lethal at high doses.

Ok, now that I’ve got you worried, you don’t have to be. It actually would take about 1000 grams of protein in order for it to kill you. That would be a eating feat on it’s own(but doable). Sometimes you have to lure a person into a topic, in order for them to learn about a “boring” amino acid such as phenylalanine. Really too much of anything could kill you, even drinking too much water!

Phenylalanine benefits:

Phenylalanine is beneficial in healthy ranges. It helps keep us feeling good and our nervous system working at optimum. This is mainly due to phenylalanine conversion to amino acid tyrosine. Tyrosine is a pre-cursor to dopamine. epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, and dopamine in the pituitary gland in the brain. These are important neurotransmitters for the nervous system. Phenylalanine and tyrosine are sometimes supplemented just for their anti-depressant effects.

Bodybuilders today are now starting to inject growth hormone at an increased rate. The media also is reporting sports athletes using it as a way to get beyond steroid tests. Most bodybuilders know that growth hormone, isn’t so much of a mass builder as it is for burning fat. But they do believe it has some performance and muscle gaining benefit or else they wouldn’t be spending thousands of dollars for it. But Does growth hormone really help gain muscle and strength for bodybuilders? And is it really the holy grail for middle aged people looking for the fountain of youth?

Growth Hormone increase skeletal muscle or organ weight?

The most recent study was done in March of 2008, where they analyzed 27 studies previous studies together. When they analyzed them, there was a increase in lean muscle mass, but usually no increase in strength in the legs and arms. There was even an increase in fatigue. This is contradiction to the commony belief that HGH not only builds lean muscle, but it increases performance.

In many past studies where growth hormone shows a positive benefit on lean muscle in older individuals, what the researchers don’t tell you is that lean muscle can be anything other than fat, such as bones, water, and organs. Everyone is aware that growth hormone causes organ growth (GH gut for example). Is it possible that this growth is purely organ growth and not actual muscle growth? I think the research points to that idea.

Two studies published by fitforlife not only showed no performance benefit, but no gains in muscle. Two seperate studies done on HIV patients(note: not AIDS) took 9 and 12mgs of growth hormone per day for 12 weeks. They had no gain in skeletal muscle. If it can’t help HIV individuals, who could growth hormone help?

Another study was done on a younger group of healthy experienced athletes only aged 22-23. They took 2.87 mgs of Growth hormone a day. They actually did gain about a 4% in lean muscle weight. So is this proof it works? Of course not, 4% could easily be explained as organ growth, especially considering all the studies showing there is no positive effect on performance or muscle increase.

Does Growth Hormone work for anti-aging?

There is no scientific evidence that growth hormone injections cause a longer life. In fact there are studies that show that people with higher levels of HGH in the body tend to live shorter lives.

Growth hormone may increase the quality of your life however, in making you look and feel younger. Growth hormone replacement therapy doesn’t seem to have a beneficial effect on increasing actual skeletal muscle or strength either in older individuals. There have been many studies, where there was no noticeable strength increase in older individuals supplementing with GH.

Does growth hormone help lose fat?

There seems to be more evidence that growth hormone promotes fat loss than there is for it increasing muscle or athletic performance. Research results vary and some studies find no fat burning effects. The fat loss results are often within the scope of statistical significance and may even be explained(my theory), as a result of organ growth increasing the metabolism of the body. No scientific authority has yet to say as a result of all the studies done over the years, whether growth hormone in fact does definitely help lose significant amounts of fat.

Growth hormone injections a waste of money?

I cannot say definitely that HGH doesn’t work because most of the studies use smaller doses than many bodybuilders would use. However, there is no real evidence that HGH helps increase real muscle or strength at this time. Some bodybuilders believe that supplementing testosterone with growth hormone, will have a synergistic effect that increases growth hormones anabolic and performance benefit. However, there is no research at this time studies this combination. I’m sure it is something that will be researched soon, since HGH is now getting under more scrutiny in congress.

In older individuals looking for the fountain of youth, growth hormone may have positive effects on your appearance and mood. Users of growth hormone often appear younger also, due to it’s effect on tissue growth. However, there may be long term health effects to growth hormone replacement therapy, so I don’t recommend it for that purpose.

You may want to read a older article I wrote on the Effects of HGH on the Body

Transdermals are commonly used among the more hardcore group of bodybuilders. What are they and how did they get started for use among bodybuilders?

Transdermal history:

Transdermals first started with the use of liquid DMSO. While it is used as a solvent in wood production, it was discovered for use in helping to absorb compounds through the skin than when taken orally. DMSO was commonly used years back, mostly for users of the veterinary steroid trenbolone who didn’t want to inject. DMSO has a distinct garlic odor and long term use can lead to you smelling like fish/garlic through your skin pores. It is for this reason and possible health effects, companies looked for creating better transdermal formulas.

In 2002 Avant Labs rocked the bodybuilding community, when it developed a transdermal formula specifically for over the counter steroid use, at the time mainly their 1-test and 4-ad over the counter products. 1-test was found to be very painful to inject. Avants transdermal technology was considered more efficient, safer, and had a better odor for absorbing compounds into the skin. Other companies since then starting come out with their own transdermal technology.

Transdermals go beyond their original intentions of just for the fringe steroid users. They are now used to help absorb fat loss products that warrant a topical need, such as Lipo-6 and the herbal fat loss stimulant Yohimbe.

Why use transdermals?

Transdermals are used by bodybuilders who want increased absorption or targeting of a supplement or drug. Transdermals have about a 30-50% absorption into the blood stream whereas they normally would have in un-methylated form around a 10% absorption rate.

Some bodybuilders use transdermals for over the counter or illegal steroids because they don’t want to have to inject or take dangerous methylated oral steroids(which are hard on the liver). Injection has 100% absorption rate and methylated oral steroids have 50%. Transdermals are also used for fat loss supplements because a transdermal allows them to target areas better at a higher dose.

Legality of Transdermals

Transdermals are in a legal grey area. According to FDA, They are legal over the counter, as long as they are not marketed for the purpose of drug delivery.

Bodybuilders have been using spironolactone as a topical to help prevent hair loss for a few years now. I decided to do some more research to find out more about spironolactone.

What is Spironolactone?

Spironolactone (also known as Aldactone) is in fact a steroid. So how can a steroid actually help prevent hair loss? Well it is a steroid in the sense of being a testosterone derivative, but is not a anabolic androgenic steroid like testosterone.

How does Spironolactone work?

Spiro’s main use orally for bodybuilders has been for it’s diuretic effects during contest time. It has an effect on of aldosterone, which is the body hormone that regulates sodium retention(and hence water retention). Spiro doesn’t seem to work in the same mechanisms as for example propecia. Propecia works by blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT which is the main contributor to hair loss. There is research that points to the idea that spiro competes with DHT in the hair follicle androgen receptor. In other words, it replaces a stronger androgen(DHT), with Spironolactone.

Spironolactone topicals:

As an anti-androgen it obviously would cause serious problems for bodybuilders to take it orally. Some have developed topicals to use spiro so it goes to where it is only needed, on the top of your head. There will be some leakage into the body, but most of it will stay in the scalp only.

Bodybuilders throw the term around “pro-hormone” and “legal steroids” as a term for over the counter steroid supplements. But is this really proper terminology and what is the difference between the two terms? And how close to illegal steroids are they really?

What are Pro-Hormones?

Pro-hormones are pre-cursors to anabolic steroids. In other words an enzyme in the body will convert the pro-hormone supplement to an active anabolic steroid. There is no inherent difference between the steroids that pro-hormones convert to and the traditional illegal ones such as Tren and Testosterone. Every steroid has different properties and potencies. Illegality has nothing to do with their potency. Many illegal steroids are weak such as anavar and primobolan, while methyl-1-testosterone which used to be over the counter before the pro-hormone ban in 05, was more potent and toxic than them.

How Pro-hormones work:

Pro-hormones need a body enzyme to convert to the active steroid. As a result there is an “upper limit” on how much can be converted at any given time. Usually the bodies upper limit is fairly high causing significant gains with only a few grams of pro hormones. However, there is research that points to the idea, while not as potent, that pro-hormones themselves also have inherent activity on the androgen receptors. This would make them have dual activity, part pro-hormone and part steroid.

Difference between Legal steroids & Pro-Hormones?

Pro-hormones and Legal steroids are often used interchangeably for these group of compounds. Why is this? Legal steroids are usually used to best describe the over the counter hormones that don’t need to convert. Pro-hormones is the term for the ones that need to convert to the active hormone. Since some pro-hormones may have inherent activity and to make it easy to group them under one name, often legal steroids or pro-hormones term is used by bodybuilders to describe the entire group.

History of Pro-Hormone use:

Androstenidione was the first pro-hormone to hit the market back in 96. It was the supplement infamously found in Mark McGwire’s locker. Androstenidione was marketed as a pre-cursor to testosterone, but bodybuilders found it to be a poor prohormone. Studies showed it didn’t help muscle gain, but converted to high levels of estrogen instead of mainly testosterone.

Eventually some stronger pro-hormones came out that were better such as 4-AD. Another called 1-AD by ergopharm, became an overnight success for providing significant muscle gains. While it had some negative side effects it was the most potent mass builder available at the time. Eventually this led to research into modern transdermal formulas using the active hormone (dubbed 1-testosterone) that 1-AD converted to. 1-testosterone was not on the steroid controlled list(passed originally in 89) at the time and therefore was able to legally stay on the market. Through some weak scientific evidence, they argued it was found in nature and therefore could be sold as a supplement over the counter.

In 2003 Legal Gear(Now called legal sciences) first marketed methylated orals for 1-testosterone called Methyl 1-testosterone (M-1T). Methylated orals allowed the hormones to be taken orally and to bypass the livers breakdown, just like traditional methylated illegal steroids such as d-bol and anadrol.

Pro-Hormone ban:

With supplement companies pushing the envelop and letting everything on the market, in 2005 Bush signed the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 outlawing dozens of these prohormones and active steroids(including 1-testosterone and m-1t and 4-ad). The legislation made them controlled substances and punishable by law. It made it also possible for the attorney general to have an easy time banning new hormones sold over the counter.

Did the pro-hormone ban work?

Not really. While some of the more milder “pro-hormones” are coming out such as 11-oxo, many of the “legal steroids” today are highly toxic methylated steroids. Many are even more dangerous than most of the ones from a few years ago that are now banned. One of these post-ban compounds is “superdrol”. I wrote up a scientific analysis and my opinions of Superdrol, in a article here.

Many of these companies producing these new compounds, are operating in a legal grey area with the risk of it being added to a ban list. A lot of these companies making these compounds, are “shell companies” so they can dissolve quickly, when necessary.

Legal steroids scams:

Many online pharmacy and supplement stores use the term “legal steroids” to try and trick newbies. They often use names close to traditional illegal steroids. Don’t fall for these online scams. These are different from the group we have been talking about in this article. These sites purposely give the impression of selling illegal steroids by using similiar names and by the design and word choice of the website.

To keep up to date on this everchanging group of supplements, one must ask questions in a bodybuilding Forum to get the latest on pro-hormones, pro-hormone scams, and any possible side effects.

Bodybuilders have used Trenbolone and have found themselves developing gyno even though it doesn’t convert to estrogen. Gyno, also known as gynecomastia ( male breast growth), is often considered to be the result of estrogen. However, Tren has the unique ability to cause gyno without actually producing estrogen.

Role of Progesterone in causing gyno:

Progesterone is found in both males and females. It is a precursor to many important hormones in men and women. In women it plays a role in pregnancy and in breast growth. In men, excessive progesterone can stimulate breast growth, like it does with women. While Estrogen is normally the cause of gynecomastia under normal physiological conditions, Tren and other similiar steroids stimulate the progesterone receptors because they are not only anabolic steroids, but also of a class called progestins. Progestins are the synthetic forms of steroids structurally similiar to progesterone, that have the ability to bind to the progesterone receptor too. Deca and Anadrol also are progestins, but they also aromotize to estrogen, unlike Tren. Some bodybuilders coin the term “progesterone gyno”, to explain gyno from progestin steroids.

Progesterone Gyno Controversy:

There is a major debate among bodybuilders on this entire topic. Some believe that progesterone causes the gyno in Tren users. Others believe it is actually prolactin, the hormone responsible for lactation and breast growth during a women’s pregnancy. This may explain why some experience lactating on tren cycles. Others believe it is a combination of estrogens and either prolactin or progesterone, working all synergistically to develop gyno.

Who is right?

Many Research studies I’ve seen, show that estrogen plays a synergistic role with progesterone, prolactin, and in gynecomastia. Although some bodybuilders say it’s the prolactin or progesterone directly causing it, there is no studies to show gyno can develop without high levels of estrogen. Even IGF-1 and Growth hormone has been shown in studies to play a crucial synergistic role in the development of breast tissue. So I believe no matter what kind of steroid you take, lowering estrogen with anti-estrogens and avoiding stacking Tren with aromatizing steroids, is how you really prevent “Progesterone gyno”. With very low levels of circulating estrogen, it appears impossible or very difficult for progesterone gyno to develop.

Most people know that testosterone is responsible for muscle gains and for sexual health. Testosterone is also a potent fat burner (anti-lipolytic). This is the reason why women and men with low testosterone levels have an easy time gaining fat.

How does testosterone reduce fat gain?

Testosterone, like all androgens, leads to higher density of adrenoreceptors in the fat cells causing fat loss. Testosterone like all steroids, also helps block the cortiscosteroid receptors for the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone which promotes muscle wasting. Testosterone has many other complex actions on the body on the cellular level. It also works synergistically with other hormones in the body, such as growth hormone, to help promote fat loss. Testosterone also converts to estrogen and DHT, both of which also have anti-lipolytic properties to them.

Testosterone causes fat loss or just prevent fat gain?

We have used the term “fat loss” liberally. Testosterone doesn’t inherently cause fat burning, nor does any steroid for that matter. What really happens is it helps protect against fat synthesis( fat gain). Either way of looking at it, they both give the same ultimate result in the end, which is loss of fat.