Looking through the magazines and other literature on the subject of gaining muscle, you may often be surprised at pictures of champion bodybuilders that have abdominal distension (‘bloated gut’ or ‘roid gut) even though they have extremely low body fat levels. The causes of this condition are debatable and one possible cause often quoted can be ‘abuse’, (note not ‘use’) of highly androgenic anabolic steroids and / or large doses in total of anabolic steroids regardless of androgenicity (androgenic means ‘masculinizing’ and highly androgenic steroids tend to be the most anabolic but cause more problems than steroids of low androgenicity in terms of side-effects).

However, there are some very effective anabolic steroids of low androgenicity such as Anavar (oxandrolone) that may be all that some people need and avoid ‘bloated gut’ at the same time (Anavar is quite often amazing in terms of results without androgenicity in the women).

Another possible reason for ‘bloated gut’ in bodybuilders and powerlifters is the use of very heavy weights in movements such as the squat and deadlift that cause the athlete to gain a great deal of muscle in the midsection i.e. in the ‘six pack’ and obloquies etc due to the fact that these muscles in the abdominal area are required to support the body in the performance of such heavy lifts and are greatly stimulated to grow in many cases due to the forces that they generate in stabilizing the body during heavy lifts.

Again, this is a problem that is difficult to avoid since in order to build the foundations of a great physique, heavy / very heavy weights are usually required in basic exercises such as the squat, deadlift, bench press, and so on. However, having said this, for most people who train ‘heavy’ the abdominal region does not become too big, and also, the abs will not become ‘overgrown’ virtually overnight, and so there is plenty of time for the athlete to modify their training, diet, supplements etc. before the issue becomes a problem.

However, there may be another very important reason for the abdominal bloat, and this reason may be lack of protein, and this may not be obvious because a person may be eating more than enough to cover their need for protein, but if it is not being digested and absorbed once it has been eaten, then the body stands a chance of becoming protein deficient (negative nitrogen balance in the body), especially when there is a greater demand for amino acids during steroid therapy and hard training.

What does this have to do with ‘roid gut’? Well, as you can see, a person can become protein deficient just by being unable to use and process enough amino acids from each meal. Kwashiorkor’ is a condition seen in Third World countries, and it is caused by lack of protein in the diet, and / or inability to absorb the amount of protein to keep them healthy. This is speculation to some extent, but many of today’s professionals have such incredible muscle mass that it may be true that their digestive systems cannot digest and absorb enough amino acids from protein, even when eating six or more meals per day.

The major symptom of Kwashiorkor is a bloated, or very bloated, midsection, and this is mainly caused by lack of protein intake, either in terms of gram amounts or in terms of inability to digest protein properly. Note that the cause of the bloated gut in kwashiorkor appears to be swelling of internal abdominal organs and tissues, and not any involvement with muscle tissue. Therefore, some of the abdominal bloat seen in some of today’s pro bodybuilders may be due to internal non-muscle tissue that has caused swelling and so pushing the abdominal muscles outward, giving a bloated appearance to the midsection.

I don’t think that it’s the way to go for professionals to eat more protein, because intake can only go so high, and then above that amount, more protein may simply be unusable in the time available each day.

So, the options are:
1. More meals per day each with a usable amount of protein at one / each sitting (too much protein at each sitting cannot be digested properly). It is considered that around 30g of protein can be efficiently used at each meal, although this can vary greatly for the individual.

2. For professionals, the use of intravenous drip-feed solutions of amino acids and other nutrients could be used to overcome the limitations of the digestive system. Since it would be awkward to carry an IV-bag around on it’s stand, then exploration of methods to use IV solutions could be tried in the p.m / a.m. whilst you are asleep. Alternatively, pro bodybuilders take naps during the day, and so this could be a good time to do it i.e. hook up to the IV-bag during a nap.

NOTE: The use of such an IV system to potentially supply more amino acids per day than would be possible from food could potentially be of enormous advantage to the athlete attempting to create a world-class physique, and to those more advanced, such as competitors in the Mr. Olympia. It is also very important to note that food should be eaten as usual during such IV-nutrient therapy, or else the potential to deliver the enormous amount of usable nutrients is negated by the loss of protein etc. from the avenue of the diet via the digestive system from food eaten.

Train Hard, Learn And Be strong,
Mick Hart.

WARNING: Don’t read this unless you are ready to GAIN Serious Lean Muscle> “Layman’s Guides to Steroids 3.0″

Balancing Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids

Natural Sources of EFA’s The most common source of essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Other sources include certain nuts, legume’s, fatty fishes, and some fruits and veggies such as avocado. Even the egg yolk, once cursed for its evil effect on cholesterol, has now been given due credit for its ability to lower LDL and raise HDL (the good cholesterol).

LINOLENIC ACID (Omega 3) Flax seed Soybean Rapeseed (canola) Pumpkin Walnut Sesame

LINOLEIC ACID (Omega 6) Soybean Safflower Sunflower Corn Wheat germ

Although there are three “essential” fatty acids (linolenic acid, linolenic acid and arachidonic acid), the latter one (arachidonic) can be synthesized in the body if there’s enough linolenic acid (an omega-6).

Getting the Correct Ratios The old school of thought suggested a 1:1 ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6. Scientific technology has advanced in this area by leaps and bounds in the 21st Century and it is now believed that an ideal ratio between Linolenic acid (Omega 3) and linoleic acid (Omega 6) is 2:1 respectively. Speaking in actual dosages, some research suggests ingesting 10% of the daily caloric intake in EFA’s. For a 2000-calorie diet, this breaks down to about 133 calories from Omega 3 and about 66 calories from Omega 6, or around 15 grams of Omega 3 fat to about 7.5 grams of Omega 6 fat. Unfortunately in our saturated fat rich diet, often this ratio is imbalanced by a 10 to 1 ratio favoring Omega 6.

Getting the correctly balanced intake of essential fatty acids is important as they compete for conversion into powerful hormone like substances (prostaglandins) that govern nearly every biologic function. There are friendly prostaglandins that enhance health and not so friendly prostaglandins that, when not in check, degrade health. In reality, the proper balance of prostaglandins achieved through healthy consumption of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids is what leads to optimal health through so many ways that they could not possibly be included in this one article.

Suggested Supplementation Practical recommendations would include limiting your intake of refined and processed foods, grocery store vegetable oils, and domestic animal meats, all of these being dominant in Omega 6. It is also recommended that we eat more Omega 3 rich fish (or fish oil) and supplement your diet with a teaspoon of Omega 3 rich flax seed oil daily. This will help to compensate for the overabundance of Omega 6, while ensuring that we get ample supply of Omega 3 fatty acids in our diet.

The more saturated or trans fat we consume, the more Omega 3 we need to compensate. I tell all my personal training clients, “Never, EVER eat fried food (French fries, onion rings, etc.) from a fast food restaurant.” These trans fats turn into sticky fats that cling to the walls of our blood vessels and lead to disaster. These are valuable lessons that our parents didn’t know to teach us and, therefore, we must teach our children better.

For those who want to be certain to get it right, most high-quality health food stores offer EFA’s in easy to take supplemental form. One of these, which I personally use and recommend, is Vitamin World’s Triple Omega 3-6-9. This supplement is made from fish, flax and borage oils and is relatively inexpensive. In summary, here’s a list of some of the body systems and functions that are dependent upon EFA’s:

Steroid production and hormone synthesis Regulation of pressure in the eye, joints and blood vessels Regulation and response to pain inflammation and swelling Mediation of immune response Regulation of bodily secretions and their viscosity Dilation or constriction of blood vessels Regulation of collateral circulation Direction of endocrine hormones to their target cells Regulation of smooth muscle autonomic reflexes Are primary constituents of cellular membranes Regulation of rate at which cells divide (mitosis) Maintenance of the fluidity and rigidity of cellular membranes.

Regulation of in-flow and out-flux of substances into and out of the cells Important for transport of oxygen from red blood cells to bodily tissues Regulation of kidney function and fluid balance Important in keeping saturated fats mobile in the blood stream Prevention of blood cells clumping together (the cause of arteriolosclerotic plaque and blood clots – a cause of stroke) Mediation of the release of pro-inflammatory substances from cells that may trigger allergic conditions Serve as the primary energy source for heart muscle Regulation of nerve transmission Stimulation of steroid production.

As you can see, the benefits are nearly too many to mention in a single article. By keeping the primary goal in mind – keeping saturated and trans fat consumption to a minimum, while ingesting ample amounts of the essential fatty acids – we can reduce the risk of numerous diseases and facilitate so many bodily functions that can increase our longevity and quality of life. Not only is this one of the MOST important supplements people can take for longevity, weight loss and most of all (in my opinion), muscle building, they are also one of the cheapest of all the important supplements out there.

There you have it – the skinny on fats. Pass it on and help others (and yourself) live a long, healthy, prosperous life. Arm yourself with knowledge of nutrition and you’ll be making better choices, ensuring long and vibrant health.

Train hard and be strong,
Mick Hart.

“For anyone considering steroid use” This is a MUST READ…
Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Do not read this unless you are ready to gain some serious lean muscle…
Layman’s Guides to Steroids III (new)

Balancing Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids 
Living in the 21st Century comes with many advantages, like speedy computer connectivity, marvelous medical technology and greater educational potential for those who seek to better themselves. As long as there are seekers of knowledge, there will be new discoveries and advances; therefore many of our old ways will inevitably be replaced by new ones.

One aspect of our life that is greatly influenced by these changing of the times is our eating habits. Many ideas about nutrition have changed radically in the past twenty years and they will most likely continue to evolve until the end of time. People love their life and most of us wish for it to continue for as long as possible. Eating healthy and clean not only prolongs our life, but also improves the quality of life while we are here.

As we first became a high-tech society (at least in developed countries), the fast food industry cashed in on the impatient overachievers of this increasingly fast-paced world by offering a time-efficient solution to modern day nutrition. Unfortunately this convenience did not come without consequence as saturated trans-fats became ever increasingly prevalent in our diet.

Don’t let all the big scientific terminology intimidate you, intelligent human beings need to know what foods to stay away from (as much as possible) and what foods are “essential,” meaning your body needs them in order to function properly and cannot make them on its own.

If learning about saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fats seems too overwhelming, then trying to grasp the concept of Omega 3, Omega 6, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and so on, should really be a treat. I will attempt to give you the lowdown on essential fatty acids (EFA’s) – the skinny on fats if you will. You don’t have to understand all of it to start making better, healthier choices when it comes to your nutrition.

For starters it’s necessary to realize the importance of essential fatty acids and the benefits of getting these “good fats” in your diet. The good fats can reduce cholesterol (by raising HDL and lowering LDL), improve heart and cardiovascular function, improve joint function and relieve arthritic pain, help maintain healthy cell structure (fats are an integral part of cell membranes), are necessary for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K (therefore, due to increased absorption of vitamin D, help get calcium into the body for healthier bones and teeth), support the immune system, and fats are very important to our nervous system and in the production of steroid and sex hormones.

EFA’s are also vitally important for healthy skin and hair. Probably one of the greatest benefits of essential fatty acids are their ability to assist in most any weight loss and/or muscle building program.
Hydrogenation (From Butter to Margarine – A Bad Trip)

With the advent of hydrogenation, came a severe reduction of available Omega 3 fatty acids and a gross surplus of Omega 6 in our diets. The food industry made a critical error by modifying vegetable oils with heat and hydrogen in order to increase the shelf life of oils. With this modification came the introduction of margarine. At one time it was believed that margarine was superior to butter in that it lasted longer and possessed less calories. The problem is that when you heat raw vegetable oils beyond their flash point and introduce hydrogen into the equation, these oils change molecularly, rendering them unfit to be metabolized by the human body.

When the body cannot metabolize these sticky trans fatty acids, it is left with only one choice, which is to store them in the body, such as on the walls of the veins and arteries. This plaque buildup eventually results in the need for bypass surgery or angioplasty. That was the bad news; the good news is that much of this plaque buildup and arteriosclerosis can be reversed through the ingestion of the good fats, such as Omega 3 (Alpha linolenic acid) from fish oils, flaxseed oil and borage oils. These “good fats” can literally dissolve away the plaque that has built up over the years. This fact alone tells us that it’s never too late to begin a healthy lifestyle.

Another culprit in our modern-day nutrition is the abundance of farm raised livestock and fish. These captive, mass produced animals are fed a diet lacking many of the naturally occurring essential fatty acids, resulting in produce that lacks these vital nutrients as well. One solution to this is to purchase organically grown meats, fruits and vegetables whenever possible.

Train hard and be strong,
Mick Hart

“For anyone considering steroid use” This is a MUST READ…
Layman’s Guides to Steroids I and II

WARNING: Do not read this unless you are ready to gain some serious lean muscle…
Layman’s Guides to Steroids III (new)

If you answer yes to either then you should definitely read on:

1) When you work lats and upper back do your biceps and brachialis pump more than your target (lats) muscle group?

2) Do you have good or superior lat development but have not been able to add thickness and width in this area for a long time?

It has been both my observation and experience that there are way too many bodybuilders, competitive and backyard variety included that sport good looking arm and delt development, but lack equal lat and or pec mass. The problem should be obvious to any thinking individual. Most lat and pec work revolves around chins, rows, pulldowns, bench work, and dips, etc. This relegates the lats or pecs to secondary stimulation, the ARMS being the primary movers and subsequently they reap most of the benefit of these valuable but imperfect exercises, at least imperfect for what they are intended.

This is not to say that some awesome lattissimus has not been spawned from heavy rows and good old wide grip chins, but these same impressive backs usually belong to the genetically “very gifted” who probably would have gotten a wide back from chopping down trees or digging graves.

In fact I knew of one lucky bastard that didn’t even work his back and it was great, I mean it actually responded from doing benches and curls. Unfortunately most of us are not so lucky and upper back work can be both tiresome and frustrating and many a lad has given up on doing any serious training for this area, which is always a great mistake since the lats are potentially the largest muscles in the upper body and will always cause an indirect growth stimulus to the entire upper body muscle assembly.

In fact, the v taper and chest to waist differential acquired from fully developed lats is synonymous with “bodybuilder”. Even those of you reading this who has fine lat development occasionally need something new to “shock these powerful muscles to new levels of size.

I have experimented for many years on myself and on countless pupils utilizing “pre-exhaustion” methods for working lats, in as much as this method is ideally suited for lat training. I hesitate to bore the more understanding readers here with further explanation as to why this is so.

Most advanced and even intermediate trainees understand the basic shortcomings of most conventional lat exercises and why some form of pre-exhaust type methods are invaluable for this muscle group. There are many ways to utilize pre-exhaustion for lat work, both general and specific, (if you want a complete rundown on this you will have to contact me via Mick), time and space does not allow for it here.

I am going to share with you readers one of three or four of the most productive, time efficient and “somewhat” comfortable pre-exhaust lat “hammer” routines ever devised. I say “comfortable” in that this should not make a reasonably conditioned athlete vomit on first try.

Before attempting this particular “sledgehammer” pre-exhaust tri-set (yes, tri as in three consecutive movements) it is strongly recommended to include some moderate intensity upper back work beforehand in your general back workout. A couple “work” sets of a general type back movement such as medium-wide grip pulldowns or chins or even pulley row done to about 90-95% failure or even some moderately heavy standard dead lifts if you are also doing some lower body work that day will work nicely.

Just do a minimum of warm-up and 1-3 work sets at most, so you will be relatively fresh for the lat “hammering” (remember we are attacking these powerful muscles with a nine pound hammer, so to speak), save the “chisel” for later when you have more mass to work with.

As with all truly effective pre-exhaust routines, only ONE set is necessary, or even desirable, more is not better here boys and girls (unless you train it like a girl, excuse me please, all you serious female athletes).

Some of you will still progress with two cycles since you may not have the focus or guts to get it right with one attempt but for those who do this fairly simple routine correctly more than one tri-set will retard your progress and cut your gaining cycle in half. That said I must regress as to the reference – “fairly simple” in as much as the first two movements do take some explaining.

The key exercise and first movement done is the stiff-arm decline dumbbell pullover, many of you reading this are familiar with the similar exercise done across an exercise bench, with a single heavy dumbbell as well. While this is a good exercise, it does not hold a candle to it being done on a DECLINE bench, the effect being 50-100% stronger on the lats, not to mention the powerful effect on the upper pecs. The amount of decline used should be no more than the standard decline bench found in most modern fitness emporiums or heavy-duty sweatshops.

If training at home all you need to do is prop up one end of an exercise bench by 8-10 inches with a cbs block, wood or even phone books. Even though a fairly heavy dumbbell can be utilized rather quickly during the course of this program a spotter is really not necessary, if you do find this too uncomfortable then I suggest you stop reading any further and continue with your half assed pulley rows (don’t forget the gloves Mary), just kidding – NOT!

The second movement in this sequence is the 70% close grip barbell row. This is the movement made popular by the great Dorian Yates. If you are not familiar with him or this exercise then I suggest you purchase his excellent books for further education. DO NOT attempt this exercise with an underhand grip, for two reasons, one, it is very hard on the biceps tendons, and two, you want your bi’s to be fresh for the final exercise of the tri-st.

Back to the close grip row, this movement is done similar to a regular row except instead of bending over to where the back is parallel to the floor, bend only to h1/3 to 1/2 that angle (30 degrees) keeping a tight arch in the back, use a grip with thumbs about6-8 inches apart and pull the bar into the lower abdomen. It is important to keep a tight back throughout the movement, the range of pull being short but powerful.

If done correctly the lower-mid lats should be felt in a strongly isolated awareness. Speaking of short range movements, I must digress here to the primary and most important of the three exercises, that being the decline d.b. Pullover. The dumbbell should not be brought all the way up over the face since this will take the lats out of the movement and remove the tension from the intended muscle.

The movement should be short and some what restricted, only 2/3 of the way down (back) and 2/3 of the way up so as to isolate and exhaust the lats to their fullest extent. This will also allow you to utilize somewhat heavier poundage and will tax the cardiovascular system a bit less than doing an unnecessarily elongated movement.

One should attempt to keep the arms as straight as possible but with elbows unlocked (of course!) maintaining a consistent form from workout to workout. This is a powerful movement and since the lats are a large and responsive muscle one should see an appreciable increase in strength from workout to workout for about 6-8 workouts.

The final exercise employed in the tri-set is the simple close grip pulldowns or chin (palms facing body), once again, the movement can be shortened by not fully extending the arm at the top of the movement, thereby utilizing max poundage, isolating the lats better and saving the rotator cuff needless wear and tear.

Many of you attempting this lat tri-set may find it to be too taxing on the old cardio-vascular system at first (if done properly) and either get discouraged or cut corners on the intensity, which is a monumental mistake as you will be busting your balls for very little return, even if you turn down the volume just 10-15%. Forced reps are neither desirable nor necessary; just max concentration and intensity since you MUST strive to smash your lats to smithereens on this course.

These are large, powerful muscles and can take a very high degree of tension, even though the lats can respond to more volume than some other muscle groups, too much work here will overtax your general recovery system and lead to an over trained condition. If you’re general conditioning is not up to par then I suggest the following approaches, you can start out by doing the first two movements only, i.e., pullover-row (and do two sequences if you honestly cant put out 100%, but only for the first 2-3 workouts).

Remember only 2-3 seconds between movements. Then after the third or fourth workout add the final movement, the close (hand no more than 6 inches apart) pulldown or chin. If you don’t have a pulley available and cant do regular chins then a partial mid range movement will suffice, if you do this workout only once per week you can do negative only chins, lowering yourself on a 4-8 second at the beginning of the set, do not attempt negatives more than once every 6 or 7 days since they are harder to recover from.

Another option would be to take a 20-30 second break after the pullovers, and then do the rows and close grips in super set fashion with the 1-3 second turnaround. The amount of reps done on each set are quite important here as well, from a standpoint of lung capacity as well as stimulation of the target area.

The pullover movement is best worked in a range of 12-18 reps as this will allow for a strict concentrated movement and a thorough congestion of the lat mass without too much strain on the joints, (you will still be able to handle a surprisingly heavy poundage). The rows will best be worked in the 10-14-rep range, too heavy and you will not be able to “feel” the exercise properly. Since this is a short and somewhat “quick” movement it will not be too arduous for high reps.

The pulldown can and should be done for low reps, 4-8, since by this point any reps will stimulate further growth and the arms will be somewhat “shot” anyway and a lot of reps here will turn the exercise into a biceps movement, since you will precede the pulldown-chins with an overhand movement (rows) your brachialis will be worked hard but the biceps will be relatively fresh for the close grips, they will however exhaust quickly because of the brachi work, so low reps are a must here and you will have trouble keeping your head into the movement by this point anyway.

For those of you who can see the big picture here, it is obvious that your biceps are getting a hell of a blast as well, not to mention the triceps. Of course the preferred course would be decline d.b. Pullover-close grip 70%, b.b. Row-close grip pulldown, all done with no more than a 3 second pause between sets.

This routine can be worked in any kind of workout schedule, 2 day a week, 3 day, 4 day split, 5 or 6 day once per week bodypart, anything really. As with any high intensity specialization you will want to limit the duration of the course several weeks at most depending on how often you train back, some leg work should be done at least once per week and limit the amount and intensity of your other bodypart work so as to maximize growth in the specialized area. This being just common sense. If you intend to enhance your protein synthesis and recovery with the aid of some “gear”, I might suggest either a quick acting mass enhancer like d-bol, propienate etc. or perhaps kick this routine in midway through cycle of something milder. Of course this is up to you.

In any event a lot of good eating and some solid supplements including creatine, glutamine, whey, or other high profile protein supps, meal replacements etc. should be included. Lat specialization should best be done on a bulk or mass cycle since a body weight increase is desirable here. That’s it.

I hope I’ve been clear enough on how it works. If not, I can be available to answer questions on any of my workout regimens in a highly detailed and specific manner at a future time. For now, just challenge yourself and give it an honest go. Don’t be constrained by “conventional wisdom”, and if you have any balls you wont worry about what your gym buds think is strange, better yet set yourself up to train at home since you will find that it will almost be impossible to do some of these routines in a commercial gym.

I once ran a gym in the 70′s that was mostly a “nautilus” machine setup and observed hundreds of trainees use the “cam” isolated, direct lat machines and was less than impressed by the results. In fact, most intermediate and advanced trainees lost lat size no matter how they used the apparatus, one set to failure, multiple sets, pre-exhaust, etc. In theory they seemed great, in practice a total flop.

I can’t say I knew of anyone using any gear while training on them since this was a fitness oriented establishment, so it is possible gains could have been had at that. While I’m on the subject of nautilus I also did not observe much in the way of results from the direct compound shoulder machine and I definitely did not observe any appreciable size gains in the quad or ham areas unless the person incorporated squats and dead lifts into the routine with the machines. In fact the only machines I observed results in, both myself and other subjects were the hip & back machine and the special dipping and chinning machine nautilus manufactured back then.

As I previously mentioned I observed Casey Viator train for the MR., (a contest) and while he used some of the prototype nautilus machines in his workouts, fully half his workout was with other conventional exercises incorporated in a low volume pre-exhaust system. He did the full compliment of lat machines, but also did stiff legged dead lifts. he used only free weights for shoulders and chest (there were no machines for those parts).

He did use the original bicep-tricep machine for arms, but also heavy barbell (205 for 8-10 very strict reps) curls superseded with the nautilus pulldown machine. He also used the row machine which was actually more of a direst rear deltoid raise. This is how the “pec deck” came into practice since many bodybuilders used the machine in the opposite direction for pecs and got some “modest” results.

As you know the elbow should come down and across the chest at an angle for maximum pectoral activation, most pec decks are crap. Casey’s leg routine was done on a universal leg extension -leg press machine, followed by a set of full squats to failure. I do not recommend this routine for anyone, as it is just too aerobic in nature and will take all the “fun” out of training.

Two large trainers; Kim Woods was one, would literally drag Casey to the squat rack and yell at him during the entire set. How they got him to do this routine twice a week is a strong testament to will power, both Casey’s and Art Jones. Along with the machines Casey did squats, benches, inclines, dips, b.b. curls and dead lifts, and behind the neck presses. Sound familiar, the main difference back then was the fact he used only two work sets and did pre-exhaust on most, along with some forced reps. He trained the entire body on a 3-day format, Mon, Wed, Fri, although he did legs only on Mon-Fri.

Train Hard and be strong.
Mick Hart.