AMA FDA misrepresentation, weight training tempo, muscle weight gain

Q & A with Michael Furci - Lose more body fat and gain more muscle; design an effective workout; working your chest

By: Mike Furci (mike@bullz-eye.com)

09/29/2001

Furci Home / Fitness Channel / Bullz-Eye Home

Q: I do plenty of work for my front delts and still lack development in that area. I do at least four exercises that work that part of my shoulders. Barbell presses, dumbbell presses, dumbbell front raises and upright rows are usually my exercises of choice. I will do three to four sets per exercise and go to failure on most of them. I've been doing this program, or a variation of, for approximately two years. Any suggestions?

A frustrated John Santiago.


A: John, 
I can tell you right off the bat you're over-training that area. This is the most common mistake made by people in the weight room. Most people are grossly overdoing it. This is especially true when a lagging body part is involved. Most everyone comes to the conclusion that if a certain body part is not up to par with the others, it must be because they're not doing enough for that particular part. In almost every case the complete opposite is true.

My first recommendation to you, John, is to reduce the amount of exercises that hit the anterior delt by half. The two most effective exercises out of the four you mentioned are dumbbell front raises and dumbbell presses. Perform both of these exercises while seated. When performing front raises, work one arm at a time. 

My second recommendation is try this alternative way of performing dumbbell front raises. In this example, we'll be working the right deltoid. Sit toward the edge of a bench holding a pair of dumbbells. While holding the dumbbells assume a neutral or hammer grip. Then lean to the right approximately twenty degrees. Now raise the right dumbbell with a slight bend in your elbow until the dumbbell is level with your face. Slowly lower the dumbbell. Complete a set of 8-10 then work the left side.

Performing front raises in this manner optimizes the deltoids' line of pull. You should feel a significant difference in your delts almost immediately.

Optimize the recruitment of your delts by performing them seated with a lean.

 

Q: I just turned 40 and am starting to get discouraged. I don’t seem to be able to recover from my workouts like I used to. I’ve been reading a lot about supplements that work as well as anabolics. Is this really possible? It’s hard to tell if it’s a scam. Can you recommend any supplements that may be helpful to me? 

Jim

A: Jim,

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a supplement that will produce gains equivalent to anabolic steroids. Any ad that you've read claiming that their supplement has effects similar to steroids is literally lying to get people like yourself to buy the product. Read these ads very closely. Many of these idiots even give their products names, which closely resemble the names of steroids.

The fact of the matter is, no dietary supplement has ever been proven to have the equivalent effect of any steroid. If such a supplement existed, the FDA would be all over it. They would waste no time in banning the over-the-counter sale of such a product.

For example, in the recent past the FDA banned a product called Triarcanna. Many people used Triarcanna as a weight lose supplement. Its popularity was overwhelming for one reason…it worked. According to the FDA it worked too well. Now if you want Triarcanna you'll have to travel outside the U.S.

But before you lose hope, there are supplements that will help you. Below you will find a list of products that will help in your quest to feel and look better. You should also read, "More muscle, more sex" [create link here] in our B-E archives.

Product	Sold by	Rating 1-4 (4 being the best)
Tirbex 500	Biotest	4
Horny Goat Weed	Pinnacle	4
Methoxy 7	Biotest	3
Protein Plus	Met-Rx	4
APM 60	Met-Rx	4
Propeptide	Dorian Yates Approved	4
ProBlend 55	HTD	4

You can't go wrong with these products Jim, good luck.

Got a question for Mike? Send it to mike@bullz-eye.com.