Christmas Props.

Leigh Mollison, a national-level bodybuilder, sent us some props over Christmas.

"Hi FUSION,
I hope the holidays treated you and your families well. Just sending you a quick note to let you know, I REALLY enjoy FUBAR!! I am the current Ms. Manitoba women's bodybuilding champ and I used your product for my provincials and nationals prep. Thanks and all the best in 2010!!"

- Leigh Mollison

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Haven't Got the Heart for Cardio?

Do you hate cardio? Do you have problems doing it? If you’ve always disliked cardio for unknown reasons or because it got you overtrained in a hurry, you may have an underlying cardiovascular problem. It’s sad but true: Some bodybuilders will eventually develop cardiovascular trouble, possibly even including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

We know a lot about exercise’s effects on muscle; eat and train right, and you grow. But exercise’s effects on the cardiovascular system have been less understood – until now.

Researchers examined how much muscular oxidative stress and pulmonary oxidative stress was occurring during exercise for people with prior cardiovascular problems. They used people known to have no cardiovascular problems as a control group.

They had participants work out for 20 minutes at 40 percent of their calculated 1RM and studied their blood and urine before and after exercise. Those with preexisting cardiovascular problems experienced increased pulmonary oxidative stress and overall systemic inflammation after exercise, while healthy subjects didn’t.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: Hating cardio because it’s boring isn’t the same as hating it because it gets you overtrained quickly. If you hate it for the latter reason, get a cardiovascular stress test from your doctor. After all, your heart and lungs pump oxygen and nutrients to your muscles so they can grow, so if you’re having cardio trouble, it’s a sure bet that you’re not growing as much as you should either.

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: Mercken EM, Gosker HR, Rutten EP, Wouters EF, Bast A, Hageman GJ, Schols AM. Systemic and pulmonary oxidative stress after single-leg exercise in COPD. Chest. 2009 August 20. [Epub ahead of print]

FUSION Awards Supplement Contract.

We’d like to send a huge shout-out to Zaid Adamo for claiming the overall title at this year’s NLABBA Championships. He was able to come in super ripped and edged out a very competitive field. As a result he was awarded at one year supplement contract with FUSION BODYBUILDING. Great work Zaid…see you on the national stage!

V.I.P. Update.

We have been getting a lot of great feedback on our V.I.P. site. The how-to posing and training sections have received a lot of praise. However, here at FUSION BODYBUILDING we are more concerned with what you don't like, what we're doing wrong...because that makes us better. One point of mention was the fact it required between 8 and 10 proof-of-purchases to receive FUSION gear. The feeling was that's way too many...that we were expecting too much. So...after some quick decision making, we've decided to chop that number in half. You'll now only need to submit 4-5proof-of-purchases for your choice of hat, skully or t-shirt.

FUSION users know what's right and from time to time we need to be told. So, please keep your feedback coming and we'll be sure to keep getting better.

A cool letter and a great testimonial!

This was a cool letter we recieved from powerlifter Serge Leduc looking for sponsorship. I thought I'd share it with you as it's a great testimonial for FUSION. It's also great when someone takes the time to actually send us a letter in the mail; it made me smile:-)

Injuries: In Your Genes?

As bodybuilders, we spend a lot of time talking about genetics, especially when talking about our ultimate potential and maximum natural (and chemically assisted) limits. Talking about genetics has almost become cliché. Now, however, scientists have made a remarkable discovery: Your risk of injury may be genetically determined.

Using recent advances in genetics and tendon and ligament research, scientists in Cape Town, South Africa, have implicated the COL1A1 gene in soft tissue and ligament injuries. This has been confirmed as an explanation for why some people are predisposed to injuring their Achilles tendons, knees, and rotator cuffs and shoulders.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: You should continue to train all-out, but you have to train your body. That means knowing your genetic risk factors and changing your training to accommodate them. Let’s face it: You can’t grow when you’re injured. Injuries suck! So train hard and smart, and you’ll stay injury-free on your one-way trip to Muscletown.

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: Collins M, Raleigh SM. Genetic risk factors for musculoskeletal soft tissue injuries.
Med Sport Sci. 2009;54:136-149. Epub 2009 Aug 17.

We really don't have any excuses.