Ask The Expert - February 2008

Welcome to the Ask the Expert Archive for February 2008. Please feel free to browse through all the questions that have been asked by our customers and answered within this month. Remember if you have a question, click here and ask the Team. We welcome any questions related to Mens health and Supplements, and you can be sure that if we don’t know the answer we will research it for you and e-mail over as soon as we can.

Q. I joined the gym this year and for the past seven months I have been eating a lot of protein in the form of natural foods and protein supplements. Why is it that I do not seem to be able to gain a lot of muscle even after reducing my carbohydrates and increasing my proteins?

A. You do not gain muscle mass merely by eating more proteins. You gain muscle mass by stressing your muscles. Stressing your muscles causes them to tear and with good proteins in your system, the amino acids rebuild your muscles. Excess protein does not automatically translate into extra muscle. You should continually work your muscle and also not forget that other food groups are important to your health.

Q. I am about to go into competition and wish to reduce my weight. I wish to add Creatine to my diet so that I can decrease my weight. Would this work?

A. Miracles for Men have found that taking Creatine actually increases your weight in the form of fat free mass. It should be used more for those wishing to increase their strength and for short intense activities. Taking Creatine is not a weight loss measure but a strength gaining measure.

Q. I have a very serious problem with muscle cramping that can sometimes make fear training. What can I do to stop muscle cramping?

A. We are sorry to hear that your muscle cramps can be so bad. Muscle cramping occurs when your muscle continues to contract without letting go. A number of things seem to be involved in muscle cramps including hydration levels, electrolyte imbalance and chronically tight muscles. Think about increasing your water intake, add sports drinks in your training and never forget to stretch your muscles before and after each work out.

Q. I am thinking about using my weight belt in all my lifts since I am feeling a bit weak in my abdominal muscles. Should I use a weight belt or not?

A. Miracles for Men think that there is still a place for the weight belt in extreme maximal lifts and that is all. If you are doing a challenging lift that involves all out effort, a weight belt might be useful. However, if it is done for each and every weight lift, you would be strengthening your leg muscles while leaving your back, abdomen, lower back muscles weaker. In the long run this might lead to an injury due to poor form. Try using a spotter instead of weight belts all the time.

Q. What are better, free weights or machine weights?

A. We at Miracles for Men recommend that new weight trainers go with machine weights in order to get the body used to weight training. However, it has been shown that free weights in the long run are the best alternative. Free weights lead o strengthening of muscles that is applicable to every day muscle activity. It also helps in building balance and skill in the weight trainer leading to better form.

Q. I get severe muscle soreness after training exercises and I was thinking of adding pain killers to my training program if only to reduce the pain. Do you think that aspirin would help with that?

A. You body already goes through too much in a day to add on painkillers after every training schedule. Muscle soreness is common especially if you do not have repeated training lessons, no active rest between training sessions, poor diet, not stretching before and after exercises etc. It is not an evil thing but if it forces you to use painkillers, they you need to change your training routines and consult a physician. It is the intensity of the pain not necessarily the pain that should be a concern.

Q. I am going to have surgery in a few months and was wondering if I should reduce my training before and or after the surgery.

A. Unless you are expressly advised to do so by a doctor, reducing your training before surgery is not necessary. It can actually be a good thing to train before surgery just to keep your psychological outlook better. However, after surgery, it is a good idea to follow the recommendations of your physician, as your body will need to heal after any surgery.

Q. I love watching bodybuilding championships and especially love the big vein, which goes down the length of the biceps. I have tried in vain to get one. What can I do?

A. The big vein you are talking about is the Cephalic Vein. There is no particular exercise that we know of at Miracles for Men that will get you one. It seems to be a genetic variation with some people getting it and others not. It does not serve any other purpose in your weight lifting program other than looking good, so if you really want it, you can always get a vein graft otherwise you can train harder and just forget about it.

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