Sleep and Muscle Growth Tip

You don't build muscles while you're exercising but when you're resting, that's a fact, and has been proven by many researchers in the past. Rest, rest, and rest again that is the key, at least 8 hours a night is essential. While all the muscles rest protein synthesis takes place, and it is able to concentrate and work more effectively on the muscles that were used to perform the highest load in that days workout, therefore allowing more growth and better recovery.

But the question is can muscle growth during the night be improved further? Yes it can, and I'm going to tell you how, why? Because I owe it to you.

If your muscles are not supplied with enought protein during the night they will start to consume themselves and much of your hard days work at the gym will have gone to waste. To stop this happening you need a protein called casein protein. Casein will slowly release amino acids into the blood stream as it is being digested, possibly over a full 7 hours. This slow release of amino acids can cause a very favourable anti-catabolic state (preventing muscle tissue from breaking down). Theoretically whey would be a better protein for muscle anabolism, however, arguably studies have shown that the fast influx of amino's from whey cause a high anabolic response very fast (muscle building) with no anti-catabolic properties and a high increase in oxidation rate creating a steady state metabolism and no overall increase in protein balance.

As a good basis for hypothesis combining both whey and casein in a sensible ratio would provide the positive benefits from both of these proteins. In all honesty many people are already doing this without actually realising. They mix 25 - 30g of good quality whey protein with about a glass to a pint of milk and have created a drink with an extra 8 - 16 g of slower acting casein. Where whey lacks the amino acid phenylalanine, casein is rich, and where casein lacks BCAA's, whey is rich, making a very good combination.

Vince Delmonte Interview

Vince is a well known bodybuilding author and his program No Nonsense Muscle Building is one of the best selling and most recommended ebooks on the internet today. I was lucky enough to be able to sit down with him and chat about his life and his renound love for fitness and bodybuilding. Here is sneak peek at the interview :

Hi Vince, thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come and talk to us, I am sure our readers appreciate it.

Q1. Can you give the readers some background information about yourself, like how and why did you get into bodybuilding, how long have you been into it etc.?

Vince: I got into bodybuiding for probably the same reasons every other guy does.
I was too skinny, wanted to feel and look better. Lots of superficial reasons! And of course I wanted to look better for the opposite sex. Basically I wanted to have a body that turned heads and I was tired of being called "Skinny Vinny" LOL
But aside from the superficial reasons, after 4 years of university and long distance running I decided to stop running and transfer all the energy I once put into the endurance training into the gym. I always had a fascination with how big I could get with the same work ethic, dedication and comittment that I once applied to my running.

Q2. I know you have taken part in many competitions and done well in them,could you share with our readers a bit of info on how and why you decidedto take your muscle building to another level.

Vince: Too be honest, I am one of those guys who likes to do things and then stroke it off my lifes 'to do' list. I still have to go bunjee jumping and sky diving this year!
Fitness modeling and dieting hardcore like a bodybuilder was one of the things I wanted to 'try' and see what could happen with a 100% effort. Doing well in the shows was just a bonus.
Too be honest, I really don't like dieting and putting my body to that extreme for just a few days to show it off. I had a poor experience at the shows I competed in. The shows were very poorly run, had a low attendance, high entry fees and virtually no prizes for the winners. You defintely have to compete for your own reasons but the organizers could have done a better job of enticing first timers to compete. I don't know if it was just me but I didn't feel a positive energy at the bodybuilding and fitness shows I attended, for the most part, everyone seemed very self absorbed and in their own little world. Personally I would rather train for fitness, testing my limits, compete in sports with others and focus on having a solid athletic physique all year round and not worry if my body fat is 5% or 7%. I do have to say that competing in the show helps me relate to the bodybuilders out there, my clients and customers who wish to compete. And I have a tremendous respect for the bodybuilding lifestyle, especially the dieting component. I believe that you should not preach something that you have never done yourself so I felt it was necessary to compete in a few shows so I could relate to a degree on how they push their bodies and go through.

Read the rest of the Vince Delmonte Interview