All About Creatine Monohydrate as a Supplement
April 29, 2012 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
Creatine is a substance that is processed by the liver from three amino acids called methionine, arginine, and glycine. Creatine then becomes the main source of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) that is considered to be the fuel source of muscles.
Ninety-five percent of all creatine in the body is stored in the muscles, while the rest goes to other body parts. In normal living and work out conditions, the creatine supplied by the human body and diet would be enough. In exceptional cases of people who wish to see the results of their workout faster and to enjoy a more intensive workout, creatine supplements are necessary.
What Is Creatine Monohydrate?
Creatine supplements are manufactured in different chemical formulations. The resultant products are combined formulas of creatine molecules and other molecules such as water, phosphates, citrate, and even malic acid. Creatine monohydrate is a combination of water and creatine with a high percentage of creatine, almost 88% in average products.
Benefits of Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate has the advantage of containing high amounts of creatine. In combination with water, it allows the substance to increase the intensity of workouts, to provide more energy and thus make workouts stronger, allows muscles to be built up looking fuller and larger, and to allow the muscles to recover faster from high performance workouts.
Creatine Monohydrate Myths
Although creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the body, people often associate it with negative effects or even steroids. Creatine supplements are only providing more energy to the muscles to be consumed during training sessions.
Creatine cannot build muscles unless it is processed into ATP and used to fuel muscles in workouts. Therefore, there is no point in taking creatine unless you intend to work out. Naturally, if you do not work out, creatine monohydrate will simply be eliminated from the body, possibly putting a strain on your liver.
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STAY-FIT BUGS BEST OF: SEPTEMBER 2009
April 27, 2012 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
I hope you are all enjoying your weekend, but before we start rocking and rolling for the next few weeks of October, I thought I’d update you on the most talked about posts of September. And they are…
The Art of Building a Bigger Butt
How To Build Lats (Wings) Like These
Building Muscles for Tall Men vs Building Muscles for Short Men
Not Happy With Your Muscle Building Results? Then Workout Like A Barbarian!
You may even have your own favorites. If so check out all of the posts in the archives tab above and feel free to post and tell me about them in the comments. Until next month… Bugs out!
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BUGS BEST OF: February 2010
April 10, 2012 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
It’s been a while since I’ve done a bugs best of. The time where I rap up the most popular posts for the month. Well… like this classic song from Moloko I’m bringing it back, sing it back to me….
BUGS BEST OF: February 2010
Shock Body Exercise Variations
Shock Bodybuilding Preparation
The Most Important Bodybuilding Supplement… EVER!
The Only Exercise That Will Truly Test Your Strength
Why You Should Get Your Girl To Be A ‘Sexy’ Bodybuilder
15 Things Successful Bodybuilders And Successful Entrepreneurs Have In Common
Until next month… Bugs out!
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Cardio for fat loss
March 27, 2012 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
Hi Fitbuggers
Today I’ve created another video post for you. I would post it here, but in this case it’s better to view it on our partner site where we have the full post. Also feel free to check out last weeks video interview that I did with Kandace Hudspeth, here.
Since we’re on the topic of fitness for women, make sure to keep a close eye on your overall health, Fitness and Well-being. Pay attention to any signs of hair loss in women, what is causing it and how you can overcome it.
Because remember, fitness in Fit Buf world is a lifestyle, and there’s more to it than cardio and dieting.
P.S.
I’ll be including a full muscle building video on the site in a few days. So stay tuned.
Shaun and Team Fit Bug
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Stay-Fit Bug Best Of October 2010
March 17, 2012 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
Ok, this isn’t really a ‘best of’ post for October. What this post really is, is a re-post of the Stay-Fit Bug 1 year anniversary post.
Why?
Because this week has been an interesting one, with all the attention that Mondays post has received.
The 20 Most Influential Fitness People On The Web
Which has of course lead to some new readers here at Stay-Fit Bug. Which means a whole year of content that has been missed. Now If I was a new reader here, I know for sure that I wouldn’t find the time to go through all of those old posts. So to make things a little easier for all those that are new here, I’ve decided to give you the link for the anniversay post, which contains a list of the best posts for each of the past 14 months. So without further a do…
Stay-Fit Bug Anniversary Year In Review
Enjoy
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Up the Ante and Move Out of Your Comfort Zone!
March 17, 2012 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
Just like in everyday life situations whether it be a job, change of lifestyle or whatever it is you are trying to improve… if you stay in your comfort zone, it’s not likely that you’ll achieve anything greater than which you already have.
If you do take yourself out of your comfort zone, you’ll probably make many mistakes in trying to improve or change whatever the goal is, but those mistakes will improve ‘you’ as a person and in the long run will lead you to achieve greater things!
The same can be said with weightlifting and exercise. If you lift the same weights or keep to that same treadmill routine for to long with out changing it, you will get used to it and you won’t achieve much more than that until you ANTE UP!
It’s all a part of the ‘no pain, no gain’ game, but the question is, when do you ante up?
I know for sure that this question affects everyone in a big way when working out, as it has certainly affected me in the past, and I’m quite a big enthusiast on ‘change’.
Quite simply, you need to ante up once that exercise starts to become too easy. But even then it is to late. You need to ante up before ‘easy’ sets in… push yourself a little. If everyone in this world pushed themselves to their utmost capabilities, I think the world really would be an amazing place.
If you are doing arm curls for example, and your routine is:
- 8 reps
- 3 sets
- At 15 kg
Ante up!
Aim for failure and start:
- 5 reps
- 3 sets
- 20kg
You might feel like you aren’t achieving much initially, but give it 2-3 weeks, muscle memory will start to set in and it will begin to feel like the norm. Now where would you be if you stuck with the original plan and didn’t ante up?
The bottom line is that in your workouts or in any activity where you are trying to progress and achieve, you need to step things up a gear. You will surprise yourself, and when you do, don’t forget to drop me a comment here and thank me for it. 
How do you get motivated and ANTE UP!
See you in the comments.
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Stay-Fit Bugs Best Of 2011 (So Far)
March 7, 2012 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
Hello all
Mr Head Fit-Bug is back on the posts!
Where did I go?
Oh, I didn’t go anywhere. I’ve been here. But as you may have noticed, the last few posts have been guest posts from other writers. Afer reading what they had to share, I thought it was only right that I publish it for you to read. And it was a good thing that I did, because the response I got back was a good one.
Any how…
In between that time, I have received a lot of questions about building muscle and all things related. But a lot of the same questions keep coming up. Questions that I have answered in quite some detail in most of 2011′s posts. With that being said, I think it’s time to back track slightly and enlighten you on these posts. Hopefully that will answer a lot of these questions that I have been asked.
Without further ado…
Stay-Fit Bugs Best Of 2011 (So Far)
4 of The Best Ways To Treat ‘Big’ Calluses
10 Reasons Why This Is The Best Post Workout Food Source Ever!
Build 14lbs of Muscle Every Single Month?
A Meal Plan For Hard-Strugglers (My New Phrase For Hardgainers)
Real Tweaks Happen After The Explosion
The No B.S Method To Building Abs (Real abs!)
Bang For Your Buck Weight Training
The Hardgainers Guide To Building 3D Arms
Of course, there were other posts. But I consider these the gems of the year so far that will best answer a lot of questions in regards to building muscle. Others which you may find here.
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5 Reasons Why You Need to Build a Strong Bodybuilding Network
February 29, 2012 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
What’s a bodybuilding network?
Well, a short while back, I wrote a popular article called ’15 things Bodybuilders and Entrepreneurs Have in Common’… It turned out to be quite controversial (Wasn’t intended… maybe I’m one big controversy), but one thing I didn’t talk about was the importance of having a strong network. A network of people that you choose to associate with, who just happen to be just as good or even better than you are at what ever game you are trying to succeed in.
Why do you want to build a strong network?
Simple…
# 1 Because you are only as good as the company that you keep!
So if you decide to associate with fat lazy bastards in your spare time, then their habits will likely rub off on you and you too will become a fat lazy bastard. If your current friends ARE fat lazy bastards, then ditch them and find some real muscle heads to ‘knock heads’ with. Doing so will have a serious positive impact on your bodybuilding lifestyle and achievements.
Troubles finding serious people?
Then feel free to join my network over on Bodyspace.
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Shaunus
At least one person there will inspire you, other than myself of course
# 2 We Naturally Compare With Others Close To Us
I’m not quite sure why this is, but us humans tend to have a habit of comparing ourselves with others, when in fact, we should only be comparing with ourselves. We are all individually unique in our own way.
Nevertheless, comparing is what we do. If you are going to compare yourself with anyone, then it might as well be against other great people. At least that way you can improve and develop the traits and mind set to be great throughout your body building life. Comparing yourself to crap will make you… well… crapper!
# 3 Find A Motivational Partner With Ease
Once you have a great network at your disposal, finding motivation and inspiration from others will be a breeze. No more searching around for someone to go to the gym with, or to seek sound advice from. Just jump on Google talk, Skype or what ever it is you use to communicate and shout! Its your trusted network. People will listen.
# 4 Rapid Learning
Mistakes will be made in almost anything that you pursue in this life. That includes bodybuilding too. Lack of knowledge is a key reason why you haven’t got the body that you wish you had. But the fact is, you can only learn so much by yourself. Your best bet is to learn from others. Learn how they,
- Avoided injury
- Overcame hurdles (Mental and Physical)
- Busted through plateaus
- Made the bodybuilding lifestyle work for them.
I mentioned earlier that we are all unique in our own special way, so the information you take away from your network should be used and incorporated into your own bodybuilding lifestyle plans. Only you can make something well work for you. No one else.
# 5 Be Introduced To Even More Powerful Peers
This is that whole 6 degrees of separation thing. It just takes ONE great connection in your network to be able to be introduced to the people that you would like to meet. And once you become connected with these folks, you too will be perceived as great by their peers. It’s a case of being guilty by association.
However, perception of greatness isn’t what’s important here. It’s all about the doors this can open up for you, inside and outside of bodybuilding. We are all human beings and we mostly do and want the same things.
- Good Health
- Good fun
- Build families
- Find happiness
Amongst that sea of needs and wants is a network (6 degrees of separation). A network where each and every person has the power to give someone one of the above, and the ability to receive one of the above too. There WILL be something that you can give to someone in that network. No doubt about that! But it’s all about what you can give. You have to give to receive. The more you give, the more you get back. That’s just the way the world works.
Once you do begin to receive, your lifestyle inside of bodybuilding will change for the better. But even more important than that is how your lifestyle will change outside of bodybuilding. None of us are bodybuilding robots. We don’t turn off our personal on-goings the moment we enter the bodybuilding zone. Life and bodybuilding merges as one, just like everything else, such as the relationships with colleagues you work with in your profession.
Once your bodybuilding life does merge with your personal life, you’ll find that good health, good fun, good family and happiness just happens. When it does, just remember who told you to go out there’ and build a strong network.
See you in the comments.
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The Stay-Fit Bug Christmas Time BONUS Finale
February 24, 2012 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
That’s right folks, Christmas is here!
And it definitely feels that way here in London, heavy snowfall and all. In fact, if you do have snow in your region as of this post, then read this post…
8 Tips For An Effective Winter Weightlifting Workout
And
Build Muscle With White Powder
That will cause some plateau busting muscle gains. I’m sure of it
Any how, if you have been following the recent emails, you will know that I gave away a few bonuses over the past several weeks. If you missed out on what those were, then you can back track and view those emails here in the email archive.
===> The email archive
However, today will be the final bonus of the year, and I’ll be leaving it up until the 31st of December.
That is…
But for you newer readers to the site, let me tell you the story behind the creation of both of those ebooks.
#1 The Unique Bodyweight Exercise ebook (Now version 3.0)
Now, if you have read the about us page, you would know that I started Stay-Fit Bug in July of 2009. A time which I can now mark as my resurgence into the bodybuilding and fitness world after an unexpected 2 year hiatus.
Several posts in and 2 months of posting, I started to notice a trend and some strong attention to certain topics. The first was the need to want to build a 6 pac. The 2nd was bodyweight exercises. Which actually inspired me to write two ebooks, both of which you will now be familiar with.
Build a 6 pac: From flab to flat
And
The Unique Bodyweight Exercise ebook
The first I gave away for FREE and the 2nd I put a price on.
Why ‘Unique’ exercises?
Well, first of all, bodyweight exercises are the undisputed king of realizing your ‘true’ strength. And secondly, Stay-Fit Bug is all about teaching you how to take your gains to the next level. And the best way to do that is to train insane, switch things up and make your muscles scream at a pitch that they did not think possible. Therefore, the introduction to exercises that will help you do just that.
Fast forward to version 3.0 (released September 2010) and the ebook has indeed been upgraded (At no cost to existing ebook owners). And fast forwarding to Q1 2011 will see an even bigger update in version 4.0. That will indeed be existing. Sheesh, I’m even getting excited about creating it (Let’s just say,lights, camera, action! Stepping out of my comfort zone – Something you should all be doing on a regular basis).
Nevertheless, the current version of this ebook (And it’s own current bonuses) is now 1 of 2 Christmas bonuses. Oh, and did I mention that version 4.0 will be completely FREE to those who snatch this up now!
Q1 2011 might seem like a long time away, but I must inform you that those who end up on the Unique Bodyweight exercise mailing list receive ‘different’ ‘FREE’ bonuses to those on the regular mailing list. So you won’t have to worry about being left dry for the next few months.
Either way, that’s the story of how the Unique Bodyweight Exercise ebook came to existence.
#2 The Guide To Necessary Supplementation
As of May 2010, I decided to get active with my personal Facebook account (Add me here if you haven’t done so already) and invite everyone to my profile. Shortly after, my profile became a page for everything Stay-Fit Bugg/Fitness/ Bodybuilding/Network related.
Does that bother me?
No!
Because I’m an open book, I don’t have much to hide. Go on… dive into my past photos already.
Any how, it wasn’t long until I started to get bombarded with fitness related questions, and one of the questions I got asked daily is…
‘Shaun, which supplements should I take’???
Now, I’m not one to force bodybuilding supplements down someones throat just to earn a quick buck. That’s just not my style.
So I decided to write the guide to necessary supplementation, which is just a No B.S guide to what you should be supplementing your body with. That is, natural foods AND bodybuilding supplements. That’s all there is too it. Nothing more, nothing less!
Now, that’s the story telling out of the way.
However, I think you need to have a little taste of what these ebooks have to offer. Something extra than just me babbling along here on this post. Actions do indeed speak louder than words, so here is…
#1 (a) The Unique Bodyweight Exercise FREE report
Download it here ===> FREE REPORT
(b) The Unique bodyweight Exercise video
#2 (a) The Guide To Necessary Supplementation video (Hosted by yours truly)
(b) Some inside ebook snapshots
Picture Preview #2
Picture preview #3
Picture preview #4
Picture preview #5
Remember, this bonus page will stay live and active until 31st of December, so you should at least be able to stay fit at home for the several days of festive Christmas activity. But I’d say grab it now, because you’ll probably forget by then, as you’ll be completely zoned out in Xmas and New years eve-ism.
And remember, binge, but don’t OVERRRR binge. That… is something you will regret come January (At you Abdominal builders).
Train insane, train safe and Merry Christmas.
To all our Bodybuilding successes in 2011
See you in the comments.
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No Nonsense Butt Building
February 24, 2012 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
Hello Hello Fitbuzzers,
Last week, while on our Facebook page, we asked everyone if they would like us to build a butt building guide for Fitbuzzers.
The overall response via all of our communication channels was quite positive. So, that’s what we decided to do. To build an E-course on how to build a solid, firm and tight rounded butt! So without further ado, introducing….
No Nonsense Butt Building
You can check out the full program HERE
Below is a sample taken from the program, which teaches you how to squat properly. However, there is more to building a truly great butt than simply trying to standard squat your way to one. However, it’s very important to know how to squat properly, as the squat is one of the only moves that works up to 75% of your muscles in just one movement.
The Squat
Most people will associate the squat exercise as primary muscle builders for the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps. Which is entirely correct. However, the squat exercise is also the king of all exercises, working a massive 250+ muscles throughout the movement. Which is why the phrase squats and milk is all you need’ became such a popular term. As milk is one of the best combo food sources around (high in proteins and carbs). Combo food sources are the king foods of any diet. And if you’ve ready any of the Stay Fit Buzz Lifestyle diet, you will know, that we encourage all Lifestyle dieters to consume both proteins and carbs in every meal.
Back to squats…
The main thing you need to know is
-
How to perform squats properly
-
The common mistakes to avoid
-
The tweaks
Remember, getting the basic movement correct will force all of your muscles to grow when you learn how to hit them hard in stage 2. The tweaks are the icing on the cake.
The squat
The first thing you need to know about the squat is that it’s an entirely safe exercises to do. In fact, most exercises are. The only reason that you should face an injury due to exercise would be from performing it incorrectly for a long period of time. Squats have been criticized for the damage they could cause to your knees. Again, only if you perform them incorrectly.
No half squats (A butt targeting tweak)
However, properly performed deep free squats are actually essential for your knee joints’ health and mobility. When people hear that squats are bad, what they really are referring to (whether they know it or not) is that full squats on your toes, (the knee extending way in front of the toes) is bad, as most peoples bodies can’t handle that kind of pressure. But it is a totally different if you bring your shins back to a vertical position where the weight is shifted to your heels. We’ll talk more about this is stage 2. But first, let’s discuss how to go about performing a squat properly and in a way that targets your butt.
Preparation
First of all, avoid doing squats on a machine. Always do perform them free form from a power rack.
The power rack
-
Step backwards before un-racking the bar
-
Keep the bar at shoulder level on the rack. This way you won’t have to use to much energy lifting the bar from the rack in the stationary position.
-
Position your feet under the bar and squat under it with the bar on your back
-
Just like every other exercise, tense up for the first lift and un-racking of the bar.
-
Take 2 steps back with the bar on your back. First the left leg and then the right or vice versa.
Getting ready to squat
The first thing you need to do is focus on rule #1 of any exercise. Practice form first and master it, even before trying to add any heavier weight. Because you’ll get much better results from performing an exercise with a lower weight and good form than you will from performing an exercise with a heavier weight and bad form. Which for many will lead to injury. So go back to the preparation stage and ensure that your bar is empty, with no weight plates present on either side, at this time.
Gripping the bar
The main goal is to get the best bang for your buck when doing an exercise. One of the ways to do that is to tighten your muscles up. The bar will be resting on your upper back, so you’ll want to keep those upper back muscles as tight as possible. You can do this by focusing on a narrow ‘thumbless’ grip and bringing your shoulder blades as close together as you can. It may feel odd at first. But keep everything as tight as you can and you shouldn’t notice it too much.
Keep your eyes focused
Different exercises will require you to keep your eyes focused in a certain direction to get the most out of the exercise. For example. In the, Fit Buzz pull ups program, we teach you to always look up. Because looking up psychologically makes you want to move more into that direction, resulting in more pull ups. Looking down would have the same, yet negative effect. Which is why you are told to never look down when in a higher place than ground level.
The same rule apples to the squat
The best place to keep your eyes focused when squatting is directly in front of you and parallel to torso and thighs. Looking down may throw you off your balance. And looking up may result in neck pain. So look forward.
How to position your wrists
One part of good exercise form is to ensure you are placing a strong emphasis on the muscles that you are supposed to be working with that said exercise. In regards to the squat and the bar, it is your back that is supposed to support the weight. Not your wrists. Keep your wrists inline with your for arms and use them for gripping the bar. The thumbless grip with your thumbs on top of the bar will help you with this.
Positioning the bar
This part is critical, especially if you’re going to start increasing the weights. Which is why you need to focus on slow progression and good firm FIRST. Now, make sure you rest the bar at the top of your tight shoulder blades, near the low end of the bone where your spine is. But NEVER on your spine!
Positioning your feet
The key to avoiding injuries (especially in your knees) when squatting is by getting your feet positioned correctly. Will you blow your knees when squatting? Yes, but only by not doing the following
-
Keep your heels shoulder width apart
-
Keep your toes pointed outwards by around 30 degrees
-
Make sure your toes are always inline with your knees
That last point is important. Get that wrong by not making it a habit in the early days of squatting and you WILL blow your knees when squatting with a heavier weight.
Performing a squat (A butt targeting tweak)
Squatting is all about going low, low enough that your thighs are parallel to the ground and low enough that your hips pass your knee joint, but without your back rounding out at the bottom of the movement. If that starts to happen, just position your feet wider apart. When you reach the bottom of the squat you should have built up tension in your hips and hamstrings. At this point you will be ready to squat up. And you’ll do that more effectively by using that tension as bouncing up power.
On the way up…
Squeeze your glutes (A butt targeting tweak)
This is a technique where you let your mind target and activate your muscles. You must squeeze,
- Every time you push up from a squat
- Every time you stretch with your bodyweight
- Every time you do any leg exercises
Doing this will make your butt work harder.
In fact, do this with EVERY lower body lift. Tighten your abs, glutes and the bar. Doing so will allow you do get stronger by increasing the weight. An increase in strength will help you tone up your butt, which is what we cover in the ‘get it tight’ section of stage 2.
Also, just like when you bench press, use the floor as leverage by digging your feet into the ground, flat footed, heels all the way in.
Push with your heels (A butt targeting tweak)
Instead of doing your exercises flat footed, stand on your heels. What this will do is send more tension towards your butt, making it work harder. Do be careful when doing this, as there will be a decrease in balance. Practice this with the lighter weights. You will feel the difference when you awake the next day.
And last but not least. Always keep your knees out and inline with your toes throughout the entire movement.
Adding the squat exercise to your workout
Most would associate the squat exercise with being a leg exercise. But as you know, being the king of all exercises, it is more of a full body exercise.
In general, it would be a good idea to perform just one compound exercise for each day that you workout. Stay tuned for stage 2 where we cover the entire plan.
You can check out the full program HERE
