Blog

5 Key Dietary Factors for Bodybuilders
Bodybuilding is as much about nutrition as it is about lifting weights. To achieve optimal results, bodybuilders need to pay close attention to their diet. Here are the top five dietary factors that can make or break your bodybuilding success:1. Protein IntakeProtein is the cornerstone of muscle growth and repair. Bodybuilders should aim for a higher protein intake than the average person, typically around 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Chris Johnson recommends 1.2 grams per pound of LEAN bodyweight (Weight - Fat % =... Read more...
5 Things You Need to Start Your Fitness Journey
Embarking on a fitness journey, particularly one focused on building muscle mass and getting lean, requires careful planning and dedication. Here are five essential elements to kickstart your bodybuilding journey... Read more...
5 Things That'll Change When You Lift
The landscape of the fitness and bodybuilding world has most certainly changed since I was introduced to it way back when. There are lots of amazing things happening in the... Read more...
3 Reasons You Aren't Growing!
Perpetual growth, by way of the training stimulus, is the daily goal of a bodybuilder. It is what propels us to do things that ‘regular’ people would deem ridiculous. Why... Read more...
3 Cardio Mistakes
A bodybuilder has in their possession a variety of tools and strategies which they can utilize to sculpt their version of a perfect physique. Of those tools, one of the... Read more...
3 Tips for Building Massive Quads
“You can’t build a house without a foundation” is a phrase that I heard repeatedly from one of my old training partners when I decided to enter the realm of... Read more...
Top 3 Ways to Reduce Muscle Loss as We Age
Maintaining our youthful appearance and all the wonderful capabilities that come along with being young, is something that pretty much everyone around the world has chased at one point or... Read more...
Not a morning person? It might be time for a wake-up call
Here's why you shouldn't sleep on your goals. Is the sound of the alarm clock in the morning enough to send you back under the covers? While you may be... Read more...
Advanced Genetics
When you first decided to enter the forum of bodybuilding, weight training or just having fun lifting weights, the last thing you probably had on your mind was your genetic... Read more...
3 Training Mistakes that are Stalling Your Gains
The basic premise behind going to the gym every day is to give yourself an opportunity to grow and become a better version of your current self. We train with... Read more...
5 Quick Reality Checks for Aspiring Bodybuilders
This has to be said; building muscle to the degree that will garner you the attention you are seeking or the trophies you are aiming to place on your mantel,... Read more...
4 Approaches to Ensuring Your Success
Quantitative and Qualitative Measures for Muscle: 4 Approaches to Ensuring Your Success Bodybuilding is all about the process and journey towards accruing new muscle mass, blended with aesthetics and size,... Read more...
Critical Considerations for Bulking Up
The colder weather is now beginning to creep up on us and for most bodybuilders, especially here in the north, that means we automatically go into our bulking mode. There’s... Read more...
4 Key Tips for Improving Back Development
If you are a bodybuilder (and chances are you’re here because you are one) then you understand the importance of symmetry as it pertains to the development of our physique.... Read more...
3 Strategies for Injury Prevention
Injury Prevention: 3 Strategies that will keep you Training Hard while Staying Safe Training hard has to be at the very core of every session you endure and put yourself... Read more...
Top 3 Nutritional Practices Conducive to Fulfilling Your Physique Goals
There are three main contributing factors at play when building and creating the physique you always imagined you’d have. Those factors are training, nutrition and rest. There are other facets... Read more...
5 Forgotten Benefits of Being a Bodybuilder
The bodybuilding lifestyle is certainly not for everyone. It takes a different type of commitment, dedication, consistency, and a level of patience, that most people do not possess. However, it... Read more...
Training Alert! Top 3 Tips for Building Bigger Arms
There isn’t a single person out there training in the gyms right now that doesn’t want bigger arms. Am I right in saying that or what? Of course I’m right... Read more...
Lifting Literacy: 3 Rules Every Bodybuilder Should Know
The days of being labelled as someone who is primitive in their thinking, just because they carry around a substantial amount of muscle, are long gone. That stereotype rarely fits... Read more...
3 Summer Shredding Tips You Need to Incorporate Now
The summer season is upon us and you should be in your best shape. Wait, you’re not? Well, fear not because there is still time and there’s lots of great... Read more...
6 Key Factors for Increasing Intensity
To reach the pinnacle of any endeavour, you have to submit to the fact that certain areas of your persona will need to change. A positive change is always the... Read more...
Advanced Training Series: 3 Strategies for Manipulating Nutrition to Reach Desired Results
The catalyst for growth takes into consideration a multitude of facets necessary for solving the equation of building muscle. The components for doing so are comprised of the following: the... Read more...
6 Movement Tips to Enhance the Training Stimulus
Training, working out, lifting weights, bodybuilding or whatever else you want to call what it is we are all doing, is probably one of the highlights of your day. That... Read more...
Top 5 Revelations with Respect to Rigorous Training
In order for significant growth to occur, you have to submit yourself to forms of resistance that force your body to adapt. The byproduct of that adaptation is a better... Read more...
Push/Pull/Lower Body- The Ultimate Training Split
The considerations you have for determining your training approach are significant and endless. Training styles, methodologies and every single intensifier known, are all at your fingertips ready for use. How... Read more...
The 10 Commandments of Muscle Building
Back in the late 1990’s, Muscle Media 2000 was one of the top muscle magazines. And for hardcore bodybuilders like me, it was our Bible! Bill Phillips led the pack... Read more...
Top 10 Tips to Conquer Meal Planning
Meal planning can be such a daunting and intimidating task when you’re getting started out. From watching your caloric intake, keeping an eye on your macros or even just trying... Read more...
How Much Protein Do I Need?
How much protein do you need to build muscle? It's a relatively easy calculation, but not as easy as 1 gram per pound of body weight. Read more...
Greens for Keto!
Are you trying one of the hottest nutrition and weight-loss crazes out there? The ketogenic diet is everywhere these days, particularly among athletes who want to slim down to get... Read more...
Top 11 Sources of Fiber For a Ketogenic Diet
In attempts to eat the high amounts of fats and moderate amounts of protein required on ketogenic diets while avoiding carbs as much as possible, many keto-dieters all but eliminate... Read more...
10 Tips for Safe Fat Loss
So you want to Cut Safely? There is increasing buzz on the internet and in medical studies that cutting weight is as simple as calories in vs. calories out. YouTubers... Read more...
6 Strategies for Sticking to Your New Years Resolutions
Hello AG Army! It’s that time of year again, New Year’s resolution time. Some of us choose to set New Year’s Resolutions and some of us think they are silly.... Read more...
More Nitric Oxide, More Protection Against Coronavirus?
The NO boosters used by fitness fanatics and bodybuilders may protect against the dreaded coronavirus. This is suggested by an in vitro study published by the Swedish microbiologist Dario Akaberi, affiliated with the University of Uppsala, in Redox Biology.StudyAkaberi released the coronavirus onto epithelial cells in his lab and then watched the virus multiply.The researcher also exposed some cells to S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine at the same time. S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine is a NO donor. Akabari did not experiment with the substances that you can find in NO boosters, but with a substance that does... Read more...
WIN a FREE Flash Bang and Mask!
WIN a FREE Flash Bang and Mask on Instagram! PRIZE GIVEAWAY ALERT!Did you know that Flash Bang is not only an amazing and convenient pre-workout but that it is also a powerful nootropic? Dosed with 1000mg of agmatine sulfate; research shows that agmatine plays a role in cognitive function, stress resiliency, mood, and athletic performance. With this easy to take capsule pre-workout you will experience explosive energy, epic pumps and targeted focus The AG Army loves Flashbang and we want you to try it!! This month we’re giving away a... Read more...
Burn Fat AND Protect Yourself from Viruses!
Quercetin, one of the ingredients in the popular fat burner F-10 has been shown to effectively burn fat by boosting metabolism and oxidizing fat. Quercetin has the ability to decrease the creation of new fat cells (adipogenesis), whilst increasing the rate of at which fat cells are destroyed (apoptosis). It is also thought to control the rate at which enzymes associated with fat storage go about their functions. Good for more than fat loss? Although fat loss is exciting enough, a 2007 human study shows that Quercetin also protects athletes... Read more...
Want a Super Immune System? Here's how...
Want to build a super immune system? Taking things like vitamin C, oil of oregano and echinacea can help, but there's one super way to improve your immune function and healing ability...and it's 100% free. SLEEP! Researches gave subjects a hepatitis vaccine and put them into two groups. One group was allowed to sleep the night after the injection, the other was kept awake with music and television. Throughout the course of the year, the subjects blood was monitored and guess what...the group that had gotten the sleep created significantly... Read more...
Take GP3 EVO - Become a DEADLY Weapon!
Beta-alanine is consumed in very small amounts in food or with supplementation. Histidine is consumed in much larger doses from our food. The combination of beta-alanine and histidine creates carnosine, which helps prevent lactic acid build-up. Less lactic acid allows you to train longer. 20 elite soldiers were given beta-alanine or a placebo and tested in various operations. These included a 4km run, countermovement jumps and shooting. In all three of these disciplines, the beta-alanine group showed better performance. Yes...even shooting! Scientists concluded, "This study demonstrated that beta-alanine ingestion for... Read more...
Do You Need More Fiber?
We all know it - dietary fiber is an essential component to a healthy diet. Do you get enough? If you're like me, chances are the answer is "no". It wasn't until I started using the fancy (and FREE) nutrition app, MyFitnessPal, that I realized I wasn't getting near enough fiber in my diet. And as a holistic nutritionist...that's downright shameful. I'm eating lots of vegetables and at least 1-2 pieces of fruit a day, but even so, only getting about 1/2 of my required 38 grams per day (women... Read more...
Caffeine Makes Workouts Wonderful!
Don't feel like working out - give caffeine a try! Psychologists at Leeds University discovered that taking caffeine prior to workouts makes it more pleasurable. Previous studies have shown that caffeine increases performance for both endurance and strength athletes and a new one shows that it's easier to take physical exercise to exertion. The scientists had 12 endurance athletes cycle for ninety minutes at 70 percent of their VO2max. On one occasion the subjects took a placebo an hour before the experiment started, and on the other occasion they took... Read more...
How Does Greg Doucette Eat to Get Lean?
Learn how Greg Doucette, IFBB Pro eats to get absolutely shredded!!! For coaching visit www.gregdoucette.com Greg's favourite fat burner - F-10!Greg Doucette's choice of sleep aid!Greg's favourite supplement to use while training or biking! Read more...
Greg Doucette Trains Back 2 Weeks out from the Toronto Pro Supershow!
Watch as Greg Doucette trains back two weeks out from the Toronto Pro Supershow. Visit us at booth 720 June 1&2, 2019! For coaching, visit www.gregdoucette.com Read more...
Low Zinc Linked to Dementia and Depression
Zinc and Mental Health A study out of Poland suggests that low zinc levels in the elderly can lead to dementia and depression. Researchers evaluated 100 people aged 60-102. They came to this conclusion after administering a 10 minute questionnaire (the the Abbreviated Mental Test Score) and by determining their serum Zn concentration using flame atomic absorption spectrometry on Z-2000 instrument (Hitachi, Japan) with Zeeman background correction. "In the present study we detected lowered serum zinc concentrations in subjects with cognitive impairment and signs of depression, and found that the... Read more...
Take F-10 on an Empty Stomach for Best Results
Want to lose fat and get healthier? Green tea extract works - and better when taken this way! Australian researchers wanted to find out if EGCG - the main bioactive substance in green tea - worked better if taken on an empty stomach or with food. They tried several different methods; empty stomach, with cereal, or in a shake, and the results conclusively showed that the first worked best. In fact, they found that the subjects' blood EGCG level were three to four times higher when they consumed the EGCG... Read more...
Glutamine Does Nothing For Muscle Growth
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in your body. Your body can synthesize it, so it is not an essential amino acid (EAA), but your requirements may at time outpace your rate of synthesis, making glutamine conditionally essential. Historically, however, glutamine has been considered conditionally essential only in the critically hurt or sick — burn victims and other people in whom physical stress is exceptionally high and catabolism (body-tissue breakdown) rampant. But can glutamine help build muscle? The answer is an almost certain "no". (See the table showing the... Read more...
Betaine Builds Muscle and Burns Fat!
Bodybuilders who take 2.5 grams of betaine per day will change their body composition - more muscle, less fat! Study Researchers experimented with two dozen experienced recreational bodybuilders – men aged between 18 and 35. All of the men followed the same intensive training schedule for six weeks. Half of them were given a placebo; the other half took 2.5 g betaine every day. Results At the end of the six weeks the bodybuilders who had taken betaine had lost a couple of percent fat mass. In addition, betaine supplementation... Read more...
Betaine Makes Dieting Strength Athletes Lose More Body Fat
Study Two groups of 12 female students, with no experience strength training, worked out with weights for 9 weeks. They followed the same training schedule: twice a week they trained their lower body, and once a week they trained their upper body. The workouts were based on basic multi-joint exercises. One group took 2.5 grams of betaine daily. The other took a placebo. Conclusion: "In summary, the major findings of the present study are that 9 weeks of betaine supplementation improved body composition by reducing fat mass and tended to... Read more...
Natural Nationals - IFBB Pro Qualifier
August 4, 2018 we'll be in Toronto, Ontario for the CPA Natural Nationals. This event will be awarding 13 IFBB Pro Cards!!! We'll have a booth at the Delta Marriott and be cheering on our athletes, Sonja Johnson (bikini) and Tanya Mah (bodybuilding). Hope to see you there! Read more...
Toronto Pro Supershow 2018
Visit us at booth #720 (across from the main expo stage) this June 2&3 at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre. More info: Toronto Pro SuperShow Read more...
5 Tips for Bigger Biceps
If you want to learn how to build your arms, ask a guy who had none and then got them to grow. 5 tips to building bigger biceps: 1. Use... Read more...
12 Weeks Out from the Naturals Classic - Supplements 101
IFBB Pro Chris Johnson is co-promoting the Naturals Classic (http://ift.tt/2ANOv9A). This drug-tested event is a qualifier for the CPA Natural Nationals and is open to all competitors across Canada. There is a Novice division for first time competitors. The day is April 7, 2018 and will be held at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In this video Chris goes over the supplements he recommends for athletes competing in a natural show. Military Grade Supplements for Building Muscle and Losing Fat! http://www.agarmy.com Use promo code AGTV at checkout. Website: http://www.agarmy.com... Read more...