Darnell Collins - Road To The Nationals Vlog - 11 Weeks out

Goodbye DOMS?

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a bodybuilder’s worst enemy. Some bodybuilders call it a “silent killer” because it takes several days after your workout to release the full extent of its damage – water retention, pain, swollen joints, restricted range of motion and more. No doubt about it: DOMS sucks!

New research aimed to investigate the effects of physical treatments on DOMS onset. Study participants were divided into three random groups: a control group, a group receiving physical treatments before working out, and a group receiving physical treatments after working out.

The researchers found that pre- and post-exercise physical therapy partially prevents and treats DOMS respectively, by reducing the effects of reactive oxygen species produced by training.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: DOMS sucks, and while you can’t guarantee that it will never set in after a hard workout, you can tilt the odds in your favor by going for a pre-workout massage or by massaging your sore and tired muscles afterward. Not only will this help prevent and/or relieve DOMS, but it may also break up any tight muscle fascia, thereby opening up new areas for growth.

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: Xiong Y, Wu YC, Jin HZ, Gu YH. [Randomized controlled trials on the influence and mechanism of manipulation on delayed onset muscle soreness after eccentric exercise][Article in Chinese]. Zhongguo Gu Shang. 2009 Sep;22(9):669-73.

CONGRATS CHIDI!

FUSION friend and natural pro bodybuilder, Chidi Ekebere, had an amazing showing at the IFPA Natural North American Pro Championships in Minnesota this past weekend. He was in phenomenal shape and managed to snag the overall weight class title. When speaking with Chidi you can tell he is very humble, hard working and an inspiration to others. He embodies what being a bodybuilder is all about.

You can learn more about Chidi here: http://tinyurl.com/26kax2x

FUSION Athlete Dominates.

FUSION Athlete, Brian Graf, made an impressive showing at the 2010 INBF Central USA Natural Bodybuilding Challenge. He won the light-heavy weight class, the men’s open overall and the best poser award! What an amazing outcome for this dedicated bodybuilder. Congratulations Brian!

Here is his posing routine:

IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Dennis Tinerino Passes Away.

Dennis Tinerino, a four-time Mr. Universe, Mr. America, and Hall of Fame Bodybuilder who went on to become a Christian evangelist with a worldwide ministry, has dies. He was 64.

Tinerino died Friday morning May 7 at Northridge Community Hospital in Northridge, California after an 18-month battle with stomach cancer.

Dennis Tinerino was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York on December 23, 1945, the second son of third-generation Italian-American parents. His family moved to Brownsville, Brooklyn when Dennis was eight years old. His father Carmine was a dockworker and Golden Gloves boxer who took Dennis to his first workouts at the Brooklyn Central YMCA when Dennis was 12 years old.

The legendary bodybuilder won his first title as Mr. Brooklyn in 1964. He followed that up with 11 additional titles, including Mr. New York City, and Mr. America in 1967. After winning Mr. America, he competed in the 1967 Mr. Universe, finishing in second place to an up and coming Arnold Schwarzenegger. He came back to win the NABBA Mr. Universe title in England in 1968. Three more Mr. Universe titles followed in 1975, 1980 and 1981. Tinerino also won the title of Pro Mr. Natural America in 1978.

A regular competitor in the Mr. Olympia contests from 1977 through 1982, his highest finish was second in the heavyweight division in 1979. Throughout his career, Tinerino graced the cover of dozens of bodybuilding and fitness magazines, including Muscle & Fitness, Muscular Development, Iron Man, and Strength & Health. He was also featured in many fitness and training ads, and authored his own weight training manuals.

Tinerino was mentored by bodybuilding legends Bill Pearl and Joe Abbenda. He competed against some of the top name bodybuilders in the golden age of the sport, including Reg Park, Dave Draper, Sergio Oliva, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbu and Frank Zane. Best known for his door wide shoulders and washboard abs, “Dennis was one of the best bodybuilders of his era. His blend of size and shape was a classic combination that took him to Mr. America, Mr. World and Mr. Universe” according to Joe Weider, the “Father of Bodybuilding” and founder of the IFBB (International Federation of Body Building.)

Among other career accomplishments, Tinerino was named to several Halls of Fame, including the AAU Hall of Fame, the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, the Oldetime Barbell & Strongmen Hall of Fame, the National Fitness Hall of Fame, and in 2006, the IFBB Body Building Hall of Fame.

In 1970 Dennis met and married the love of his life, Anita Conti and together they appeared on the December 1971 cover of Strength & Health Magazine. They moved from Queens, New York to California in 1974 and had three children, Tara, Marissa and Dennis-John.

A SAG actor, Tinerino had several roles in TV commercials and movies, including “Hercules in New York,” with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

After undergoing a spiritual conversion in 1979, Dennis became an ordained Christian minister and founded Dennis Tinerino Ministries. He traveled the world and preached in dozens of countries including England, Italy, Greece, Japan and Australia, as well as throughout the United States.

He was associated with such well-known evangelists as Dr. Jerry Savelle, Pastor Ray McCauley, and Rodney Howard-Browne. Dennis often humorously referred to himself as “The Sermonator” a reference to his long time rival and friend, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was known as “The Terminator” and most recently “The Governator.”
Tinerino’s life and spiritual journey are documented in his autobiography, “Super Size Your Faith,” which was published in 2006.

Along the way Tinerino’s testimony and preaching touched millions of lives around the world. He was loved and respected throughout the Christian community. A big man with a big heart, he was known for his larger-than-life, joyous and fun personality.
Tinerino is survived by his wife Anita, two daughters, Tara and Marissa, son Dennis-John, son-in-law Eli Flora, parents Carmine and Mary, brothers Salvatore and Laurence, nieces Andrea Tinerino McMahon and Ilona Tinerino-Allen, and nephews Vincent and Jared.

Source: Los Angeles Times via http://insidebodybuilding.blogspot.com/

Vitamin D: Think about it ...

Nutrition and training experts constantly lecture bodybuilders about the importance of vitamins and minerals. The good news is that most bodybuilders take a daily multivitamin. The bad news is that many bodybuilders are still deficient in vitamins. Vitamin D is an important vitamin that many bodybuilders lack despite taking a multivitamin daily.

A new study presented at the American Academy of Neurology showed that low vitamin D levels are, in some cases, related to brain shrinkage and dramatic declines in cognition (thinking ability).

For bodybuilders, the mind-muscle connection is everything. To grow, you have to feel your muscles through every phase of the repetition. If you’re deficient in vitamin D, not only will you fail to build muscle because of a loss of mind-muscle connection, but another important organ will shrink: your brain.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: Make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D of all types from all sources. (Sunlight is a great natural vitamin D source!) Examine your multivitamin supplement, and check this against your needs as a bodybuilder. Make up the difference through supplementation. Failure to do so can cripple your muscle gains and make your brain stupid in the long run.

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: University at Buffalo. Low vitamin D levels are related to MS brain atrophy, cognitive function, studies show. Apr 30, 2010

Congratulations Robin!

We wanted to send a big shout-out to Robin Strand who won his second straight junior title. He definetly has a passion for the sport and you can expect him to start working on building lean mass, fixing weak points and getting the most out of his off-season as he get's ready to compete at the Ontario's. Our video team followed Robin during his first show, so keep your eyes peeled for an episode of Being A Bodybuilder.com featuring this seventeen year old! http://www.beingabodybuilder.com/

FOLLOW DARNELL.

Follow FUSION BODYBUILDING Athlete Darnell Collins as he get's set to battle out for his IFBB Pro Card. www.fusionbodybuilding.com/darnell-vlog

From a FUSION user.

We recieved this great email and pic from Kyle Fairhurst who was competing at the 2010 UFE Spring Bash:

"Hey Fusion, competition went well and I took home second place! Everyone I talked to said first should have been mine, but judges make the call. I used Sub Q to help me dry up for that last week since it has the dandelion root in it and it worked great! Once again, thanks alot for all of your help!"

Congratulations on bringing home some hardware Kyle!

Your Prostate...Ground Zero

Your prostate is ground zero for all things bodybuilding; without a healthy prostate, you won’t build an ounce of new muscle. New research sheds light on a common pre-workout drink (coffee) and your prostate health, and the findings are interesting for bodybuilders.

A study presented at a conference held by the American Association for Cancer Research looked at the coffee intake of 50,000 men over 20 years and also measured their prostate health. The researchers found that coffee affected insulin function, glucose metabolism and sex hormone levels. They also determined that coffee’s effects were dose-dependent; that is, men who consumed the most coffee had a 60 percent lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer than men who drank no coffee. However, they noted that it wasn’t caffeine that was responsible for the effects. It was the antioxidants and minerals in coffee itself that provided the benefit.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: While it’s not clear that drinking coffee prevents prostate cancer, there’s a strong inverse correlation between the two, and that’s good enough for us! So next time you’re about to hit the gym, skip the energy drink and do your prostate and your energy levels a favor – down a cup of coffee instead!

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source:
Wilson KM, Kasperzyk JL, Stark JR et al. Coffee consumption and risk of lethal and advanced prostate cancer. Cancer Prev Res. 2010;3(1 Suppl):A106. Presented at AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. Dec 6-9, 2009; Houston, TX

Female Bodybuilder Renee O'Neill Passes Away.

This comes via the Inside Bodybuilding Blog: http://tinyurl.com/26prg4g

From Steve Wennerstrom:

http://forums.rxmuscle.com/showthread.php?t=33328

It is with great sorrow and regret that I report the passing of former national-class heavyweight competitor Renee O'Neill.
Diagnosed with cancerous melanoma on January 12th, O'Neill died on March 31st from complications stemming from the cancer. A memorial service was held on April 7th at the Berryhill Funeral Home Chapel in her Athens, Alabama home. She was 47. Born in Massachusetts and raised in Southern California where she graduated from Pacifica High School in Garden Grove in 1980, O'Neill transferred from Orange Coast College to the University of Alabama in Huntsville where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1985 and a Master of Science in computer science in 1992. An accomplished bodybuilder, O'Neill began competing in 1991 winning the NPC Tennessee Valley heavyweight class. In 1992 she placed third at the NPC Alabama as a MW. After winning the overall NPC Alabama in 1993 O'Neill moved to bigger regional and national-level events. In 1995 she won the HW & overall NPC Southern States. She was also the HW & Overall winner at the 1997 NPC Ironmaiden in California. O'Neill's highest national placing came in 1999 when she placed second in the HW class at the NPC Nationals. Over her competitive career she entered the Nationals six times, and the IFBB North American, NPC USA, NPC Junior USA, and NPC Junior Nationals once each. Her competitive career lasted 10 ten years from 1991 to 2000. O'Neill was also a noteworthy powerlifter who totaled 1,150 pounds in the 165-pound class lifting 450 in the squat, 250 in the bench, and 450 in the deadlift. She was also a skilled ice hockey player, and also had a love of horseback riding. Outside of bodybuilding, O'Neill carried on an impressive career working for The Boeing Company working as an associate technical fellow in 2003 and as an executive in 2008. Her last position was as director, Sensors Systems Integrated Product Team for the Ground Based Midcourse Defense Missile program. On one of the biographical sheets she filled out at one of her many competitions - under occupation - she simply wrote "software engineer working on the space station project". In addition, O'Neill received notable commendations for her work including the 1996 NASA Space Flight Awareness award and the 2007 Air, Space, and Missile Defense Association's Space and Missile Defense Technical Achievement award. We extend our sincerest condolences to her husband Don Gold, her daughter Caroline, and her entire family. Rest assured she will always be remembered warmly in the sport of women's bodybuilding.

Bobby's Transformation.

We've been following Bobby Rupcich as he prepared for the Can/Am Natural Pro Qualifier in Buffalo, New York. He worked very hard and stayed dedicated to his program and ultimately took home some hardware. Great work Bobby...congratulations! To see his full transformation profile go to: http://www.fusionbodybuilding.com/transformations/

2010 WBFF BC Championships.

We had the chance to talk to Paul Dillett about the 2010 BC Championships that are happening this weekend. He was humble, but it looks like he’s on pace to surpass the number of athletes he had last year. This of course is little surprise considering the attention to detail his team pays. If you are in the area please try to take in the show, it’s always a blast.

Good luck to all the competitors and congratulations Paul!

Pain No More?

For bodybuilders, goal #1 is muscle growth. To achieve this, you have to lift heavy, hard and often. Unfortunately, the great amount of forces borne by your joints over time can have side effects such as joint and cartilage injuries. This damage can manifest as arthritis, knee pain and other symptoms.

But did you also know that adding muscle to your physique can place additional stress on your joints? It’s true.

Researchers at the University of Sydney had 111 high-body mass index (BMI) subjects take tests to assess their range of knee motion, quadriceps strength and alignment between thighs and shins. Subjects then underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing.

The scientists found that high-BMI subjects had higher rates of knee cartilage defects and that the degree of defects correlated to increasing BMI scores. That is, as BMI scores increased, so too did frequency and severity of reported and imaged cartilage problems.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: The science is clear that the higher your BMI, the more wear and tear your joints will bear. Over time, this will show up in chronic conditions such as arthritis. To combat this, take joint supplements and consume plenty of fish oil. This study further highlights the need for bodybuilders to stay lean, because if your joints are going to bear weight, it had better be muscle!

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: Anandacoomarasamy A, Smith G, Leibman S, et al. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2009 Oct;48(10):1290-3. Epub 2009 Aug 18.

Bobby Rupcich - 2 Weeks Out.

We've watched the progression FUSION athlete Bobby Rupcich has made this year and the transformation has been incedible. He is a seasoned natural bodybuilder and is set to step onstage in Buffalo, New York, for the NGA CamAm in search of his pro card. This is how he looks two weeks out.

GNC Canada to carry FUSION’s OMEGA•OIL

GUELPH, Canada – March 22, 2010 – If you visit your local GNC store today, you’ll discover something different on the shelves. Today is the first day that GNC stores in Canada will carry OMEGA•OIL, FUSION BODYBUILDING’s essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement. A recent addition to FUSION’s exceptional line of bodybuilding products, OMEGA•OIL is the first EFA supplement formulated exclusively for bodybuilders.

Research clearly shows the benefits of including more EFAs such as omega-3s in our diets. OMEGA•OIL was scientifically developed to help bodybuilders protect muscle, burn fat, reduce joint inflammation and pain, improve insulin response, improve cardiovascular health, increase mood quality and promote brain cell growth. However, unlike other EFA supplements, OMEGA•OIL is made exclusively of fish oil, which is more bioavailable than other sources. It uses an exclusive three-fish blend because fish oils have been scientifically shown to trigger the most rapid increase of key EFA components in the blood, much faster than sources such as flaxseed oil. This gets EFAs into bodybuilders’ systems sooner so they see results sooner.

“We’re very happy that even more bodybuilders will have access to OMEGA•OIL,” says Adrian Burke, co-founder of FUSION BODYBUILDING. “We created OMEGA•OIL because we knew that most bodybuilders aren’t getting enough EFAs in their strict and unique diets. That’s why we created an omega-3 supplement made just for bodybuilders. OMEGA•OIL can help them stay healthy and reach their goals. OMEGA•OIL should definitely be a staple in any bodybuilder’s on-season and off-season diet.”

Founded in 1998 by Ryan Herniman and Adrian Burke, FUSION BODYBUILDING is a top nutraceutical company dedicated to providing bodybuilding supplements to true followers of the sport. All of FUSION’s products start in the gym and are perfected in the lab by its innovative research and development team. FUSION products are sold worldwide.

FUSION BODYBUILDING MEDIA
http://www.fusionbodybuilding.com/

Hard Workout = Long Life?

It’s been known for a while that protecting DNA from damage slows the aging process. And working out is often said to be good for our DNA, but it hasn’t been clear exactly why – until now.

To answer this, researchers from Saarland University in Germany wanted to examine the effects of a hard workout on telomeres, the regions of DNA that sit at the ends of your chromosomes and protect them from damage, like the plastic pieces that prevent your shoelaces’ ends from fraying. The shortening of telomeres is thought to lead to the aging of cells and to limit longevity. These researchers took blood tests from two groups of elite professional athletes and two groups of healthy, nonsmoking nonexercisers. The findings were astonishing.

According to the study’s lead researcher, “The most significant finding of this study is that physical exercise of the professional athletes leads to activation of the important enzyme telomerase and stabilizes the telomere.”

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: A hard workout works and slows aging because it stabilizes telomere length and stops telomeric shortening. Thus, a workout protects your DNA from damage and literally stops cellular aging. So, if you want to add years to your career in the gym and pounds of muscle to your physique, get in the gym and work like a pro! Your telomeres will thank you for it now and for years to come.

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: Werner C, Fürster T, Widmann T, et al. Physical exercise prevents cellular senescence in circulating leukocytes and in the vessel wall. Circulation. 2009 Dec 15;120(24):2438-47.

A Nod to Arnold.

As a tribute to Arnold, amateur competitor Charles Montreuil took this pic of himself. It's amazing the influence Mr. Schwarzenegger still has on young bodybuilders. Great shot!

Charles is an up and coming bodybuilder from Quebec City. He has recently secured a spot on the FUSION BODYBUILDING roster and we are proud to have him on-board. If you want to learn more about Charles visit his BodySpace profile: http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/charley33/

From A FUSION Fan.

"To whom it may concern,

My name is David Hurley and I am a Physical Education student at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton. I 21 years old and have recently competed in my first bodybuilding show, placing 1st in the Juniors category and 2nd in the Middleweight category. I am now training blood and guts style for Provincials in June 2011. I weighed in at 163 pounds bone dry at Muscle Beach, so I have quite a bit of weight to grow into to blow everyone away in about a year and a bit.

Although I am a student, I am currently employed at GNC Londonderry, and have been for the past 2 years. That is where I first learned about your guy's products. I can honestly say that Purple-K was the first supplement I ever used and with enough calories in my diet, I saw the lean mass pile on. Also, without Sub-Q I would have died will dieting towards the end of my show prep for Muscle Beach.

So I thought I would write you guys just to say thanks for everything and that your products truly do make a difference. I plan to continue to using Fusion Bodybuilding supplements until my competing days are over - and as I see it, I am just getting started!

Thanks again!

David Hurley

p.s. I have attached a couple of pictures for you guys!"

LAmuscle.tv interviews Julie Bonnett at the FUSION Booth - 2009 Olympia Expo