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Low Calorie, High Protein Taffy! Vic,I am an advanced guy who competes in bodybuilding. I am looking for a change of pace going into my competitive off-season. I compete in a local drug-free federation and despite being able to come in ‘shredded’ (I usually step onstage carrying around 7% body fat) I always place out of the money. I have asked the judges what I need to up my placing and the collective answer seems to be I need size, particularly in my thighs. I was a high school gymnast and have that kind of build: good shoulders, arms and...

Ron Harris as Archer It’s funny how your attitude about certain things can change as you get older. When I was a kid, late August was a miserable time of year. It meant that the glorious summer vacation was almost over, and very soon life would return to the monotonous drudgery of waking up every day and going to school, doing homework, and counting the days until the next vacation – much the way prisoners mark the days until their release into freedom. I think I actually used to mark the days in hash marks on the wall of my...

Partner Up! It’s been proven time and time again: Sup­port for your fitness efforts is a very potent part of your motivation. In my Lean Bodies classes, I’ve always found that the most consistent participants are the ones who work out with a partner. Often, another person’s willpower may be just what you need when you are tempted to skip a workout or go off your program. How then do you find the best support? Here are some tips: You and your partner or exercise group should be “like-minded,” that is, be interested in exercise, nutrition, and good health –...

Rest and recuperation can work in conjunction with growth hormone (GH) if this relationship is properly understood. For background, growth hormone (GH) is a protein hormone made by the pituitary gland, a small secretory gland at the base of the brain. Hormones, chemical messengers secreted by endocrine glands into the bloodstream, are delivered to target tissues, where they exert their effects. (1) Although growth hormone is of interest to adults, its primary function is to promote growth during childhood. Actively growing children have the highest levels of growth hormone. Gradually, GH release decreases with age. The decline in GH levels...