Varying Foot stance in the Squat. By Vic Goyaram

Squat narrow or wide:

Can this help you target specific muscles?

Researched and composed by Veeraj Goyaram

with inputs from Bodybuilding Mauritius members

Squat narrow for sweep?

It is a long-held belief that by changing squat stance you can target specific muscles in the legs. For example, bodybuilders willing to emphasize and develop their vastus lateralismuscle (a great contributor to the much sought-after outer leg sweep) have always been advised to squat with a close stance, as in the picture above.  Sometimes they are advised to squat with feet together and for reasons of stability these are often advised to be performed in a Smith machine. Furthermore, it is not uncommon to see people leg pressing while keeping feet together. I have myself believed in such a practice for a long time and dedicated countless sets of squats and presses with a close stance in the hope of improving my quadriceps sweep.

 

What does the lab say? 

EMG studies disprove narrow stance squats for "outer sweep"

EMG stands for Electromyography and is a technique used to measure electrical activity in muscles when become activated by nerve impulses. When a muscle is contracting there is an electric signal going into it which can be captured by the EMG machine. When you perform a barbell curl there will be higher EMG activity in your biceps than in your triceps, for example. EMG analysis has revolutionised exercise science because muscle activation patterns can be detected in order to analyse muscle recruitment during human movement and exercises. EMG analysis has told us for example how the glutes and hamstrings become more active as you put your feet higher on the leg pressing platform (Click for our leg press article). Therefore, EMG data to tell you how muscles are differentially activated during certain exercises or when variations of exercises are performed.  

Yours truly in the EMG testing laboratory at my university institute. 
Shown here is a Biodex machine which is also used along with the EMG especially when measuring muscle recruitment in knee extension

Several studies using the EMG have shown that squatting with a narrow stance alas does not recruit the outer leg (vastus lateralis) to a greater degree. The good news is that close stance squats stresses all the muscles making up the quadriceps to more or less the same extent. Mr. Doug Brignole, renowned Biomechanics of resistance exercise expert, writer for Ironman Magazine USA and my trusted source of no-nonsense exercise information states that:

“The knee is a single movement joint - very similar to a hinge. Like a hinge, the knee only does one thing - bend and straighten. This movement is caused by the quadriceps, in its entirety. There is no way to activate one part of the quadriceps more than another part, without being able change what the knee does - and one can't. All parts of the quadriceps become activated, if the knee extends at all - either by way of leg extension, squat, leg press, etc.”

Mr Doug Brignole at age 22. Now at 53 he is still going strong. 

http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/blogs/dougbrignole/

Our Strength and Conditioning specialist, Omar Patel, quoted a study in which “the EMG analysis showed that the percentages of IEMG max for the vastus medialis wide stance and close stance is not significantly different at 75.3 and 73.8, respectively; and those for the vastus lateralis wide stance and close stance, at 75.8 and 78.4, is also not dramatically”. This means again that the close stance does not work the vastus medialis (teardrop) nor the quad sweep more than when you would perform squats with a normal stance.

  

The merits of wide stance squats 

However, when squats are performed using a wide foot stance, there are other muscles which also come into play, namely the adductors (inner legs) and the glutes. When you rotate your hips externally, that is, bringing your legs out in a wide stance squat you work the glutes, adductors as well as the quadriceps muscle. For example, in a study conducted at the University of Rio de Janeiro (Pereira et al., 2010) muscle activity of the hip adductors was significantly greater with the rotation of the hips from neutral to 30° and from 30° and to 50°. Similar results were obtained with stance widths of 40% wider or even twice than shoulder width (Paoli et al., 2009).  

Adductors contribute massively to overall leg mass and bodybuilders known for outstanding leg mass like Tom Platz and Kai Greene always have well developed adductor muscles. Adductors also contribute to knee stability which is very important in preventing tears in your knee ligaments like the common ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) tear. Finally, weak adductors are also an important cause of groin strain. So make sure you perform your wide stance (sumo) squats as per the guidelines below. I forgot to mention that a sign of weak adductors is when your knees rotate slightly inwards when you are squatting.

Tom Platz shows stellar adductor development. How many of you
have legs that touch in the middle?

Yours truly shows that he has and must continue to pay his dues to adductor training
Other good adductor exercises are straddle lifts (aka Jefferson's squats) and adductor machine (aka the "yes-no" machine)

How to develop the quad sweep then?

We leave this to Charles Glass to explain. Please see the video below. Briefly, he advises going deep in squats and leg presses, feet slightly pointed outwards and doing reps slowly  in the 12-15 range. 

Other considerations

a. Be careful when performing wide stance squats. After reading this don’t rush to the gym and start pumping countless heavy sets of wide stance squats. Proceed with caution and experiment with the degree of outward hip rotation which is more comfortable for you. Seek help from someone knowledgeable if necessary.

b. Studies have shown that activation of quadriceps muscles is highest in the last phase of the descent to parallel and the first phase of the ascent. This means that partial or quarter squats will result in reduced muscle activation of the quads therefore may be inferior compared to parallel or full squats. So beware those who like to load the bar with more than they can squat one full unassisted rep with and perform quarter or “millimetre” squats.

c. I have also seen that it is important to make sure that during squats the vertical path of the bar should be kept close to a perpendicular line emanating from the middle of the foot throughout the range of movement (see picture below). That is why we don’t advocate Smith machine squats with both feet below the body or forward.

More proof to squat with a free barbell:

The vertical path of the bar should be as close to the red line

References:

1. Pereira GR, Leporace G, Chagas DV, Furtado LF, Praxedes J, Batista LA. Influence of hip external rotation on hip adductor and rectus femoris myoelectric activity during a dynamic parallel squat. J Strength Cond Res 24: 2749–2754, 2010

2. Paoli A, Marcolin G, Petrone N. The effect of stance width on the electromyographical activity of eight superficial thigh muscles during back squat with different bar loads. J Strength Cond Res 23: 246–250, 2009

3. Schwanbeck S, Chilibeck PD, Binsted G. A comparison of free weight squat to Smith machine squat using electromyography. J Strength Cond Res 23: 2588–2591, 2009.

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©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.

Disclaimer:

The Content on this site is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties.  Qualifications of author of article: Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biology (Department of Biosciences, University of Mauritius) and Master of Science in Medicine by research in Exercise Molecular Biology (Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, University of Cape Town). Correspondence: vicgoyaram@gmail.com

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Beefing the Traps. By Vic Goyaram

Beefing the traps: Mistakes and techniques

Researched and composed by Vic Goyaram

Denis Ayen shows perfect balance between delts and traps

Warning: balance between delts and traps is essential!

Having massive trapezius development is indeed the mark of a bodybuilder. It shows that you have paid your dues with the iron. However, many people are overzealous in having it developed without looking at balance in the shoulder musculature. Muscular balance in the shoulder region is as much important as balance between your quads and your calves. It is important to maintain balance between your trap and deltoid development so the first thing I would advise you to do is to look in the mirror and see whether these two body parts are in balance. Then you work out a plan of attack for your shoulders taking into consideration your strengths and weaknesses. 

Big Brock Lesnar's traps are massive
But they dominate his deltoids
Even when standing relaxed!

Jack Madanamoothoo shows perfect balance
between his deltoids and trapezius

The anatomy of the Trapezius muscle

Trapezius anatomy: more than meets the eye!

When asked to show your traps you will most likely hit a most muscular pose and not a rear double biceps, right? Why not? Because in the rear double bi you are showing more of your traps than in the most muscular.  The traps are made up of the upper, middle and lower regions and having all these three regions developed are an absolute must. What is visible from the front when you do a most muscular pose is the upper trap. Having balanced development will greatly enhance your rear poses (see picture below).  The traps indeed make up a large portion of your back musculature. Future articles will focus on training the middle and lower traps. This article focuses on trap training as a whole. 

Note the contribution of your traps to overall back musculature

Trap training Mistakes

1. Rolling the shoulders while shrugging

Many bodybuilders roll the shoulders while shrugging.  Some roll the shoulders to the back and some to the front. I have also seen people alternate between forward and rear rotations while shrugging. This is a waste of energy and you potentially risk injury while doing this. The shrugging movement is simple, straight up and down.  The direction of resistance in the standing barbell or dumbbell shrug is straight down, meaning the direction of the pull is straight down. Therefore to derive maximum benefit from the shrug you must pull opposite resistance, which is straight up (no rolling). By rolling the shoulders you are assuming that the direction of resistance is coming from the front, which is not correct. I invite you to check the video below of Bio-mechanics expert Doug Brignole (a former NABBA Mr. Universe and Mr. America and who placed 7th at the 2012 NABBA Mr. Universe +50 masters)

2. The narrow grip Upright Rows

The upright row is a traditional movement for the traps but it's not the best exercise that you can do for your this muscle. It is not a good trap exercise as there are definitely better exercises. The majority of the movement is done by the arms and forearm and the remaining 10% is an incidental shrugging movement. So why not put the effort in a 100% shrugging movement? Additionally, upright rowing with a narrow grip puts the shoulder joint under a lot of stress. While I've never had shoulder issues with narrow upright rowing (they actually consist 25% of my trap training, for variety purposes) I know many others who have injured their shoulders with it (a lot having to do with use of excessive weight as well).

Extra tip: A much safer version of the upright row is the wide grip upright row. This is more of a side deltoid movement rather than a trap movement.  There will still be some trap involvement due to an incidental shrugging motion in the movement. Use a shoulder grip width and pull up to the sternum (middle chest) area. Superset with side laterals for developing the side deltoid (great for width). You can learn more about this upright row variation in the Gironda Series article on shoulder training (Click here).

Wide grip upright rows: a great way of cooking the side deltoids 
for width. Works great with a superset with side laterals

Up-and-coming top bodybuilder Jimmy Raynald also has a
complete and full shoulder package.

3. Shrugging for traps (not ego).

Many bodybuilders shrug with excessive weight, causing them to move only a few millimetres.  Sometimes if you watch them you don't really see any movement in their shoulder and you wonder what they are working. Please don't do this. It does a lot to your ego to show people you are holding 150+kg in your hands in the rack but you don't realise that you are cheating on yourself. It is useless showing people that you are shrugging so much weight when your trap development looks as if you don't do any trap training at all. Bodybuilding Mauritius recommends performing shrugs according to the guidelines below:

The Bodybuilding Mauritius Shrug Guidelines
Design courtesy of Premanand Maniam, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Additional shrug tips

Sometimes your private parts may get in the way when doing shrugs. To eliminate this problem you can maintain a slight forward bend in your torso while you shrug.  Dumbbells as well as a trap bar (if your gym has it) can be used as well. More articles in the future will cover trap training.

Olivier Malherbe (far left) dominated this pose at the 2011 Mr. Mauritius
Courtesy of balanced trap development that tied well to his back
Photo Courtesy of: Pascal Quirin (Body FX Ltd)

©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.

Disclaimer:

The Content on this site is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties.

The proper Bent-over lateral raise technique. By Vic Goyaram

Exercise Technique: Bent over lateral raises

Researched and Composed by Vic Goyaram

Doug Brignole shows how it's done. He supinates his wrists instead 
of palms down in order to get a better contraction
Photo Courtesy: Doug Brignole (Click to visit website)

It is not difficult to spot people improperly performing the bent-over lateral raise. A lot of wasted effort can be seen and this is indeed a pity because the bent over dumbbell lateral raise is one of the best exercises to “toast” the posterior (rear) deltoid muscles. It goes without saying that developed rear deltoid is a very important for balanced shoulder development and is a great contributor to your rear and side view musculature.

The rear deltoid is a small muscle but yet very important for
your back and side poses. Pictured is Gilbert Gerard of Mauritius.
Photo courtesy: Mrs. C. Sonah (Click to visit Universal page)

Secondly, the bent over lateral is also a getting increasingly rare as people prefer to work rear deltoids on the cable crossover low pulley or on the reverse of the pec-deck machine.  This is fine for advanced lifters but beginners are advised to perform the bent over dumbbell laterals. Furthermore, I have many times seen beginners perform cable movements very incorrectly and in the process engage other muscles rather than rear deltoids, for example, the triceps. When it comes to bent over dumbbell laterals very often the form goes through the window. I have seen all sorts of improper versions of this exercise which sometimes resemble two arm bent over dumbbell rows and even partial deadlifts.

Too many beginners make cable movements a staple their rear delt routine.

In this article I will elaborate on the common mistakes that trainees often commit on this exercise and recommendations to improve your form in order to derive the maximum benefits.

Common mistakes in bent-over laterals:

•  Not bending the torso enough to isolate the rear deltoids. 

It is recommended to keep your torso nearly parallel to the floor or at a slight incline as you would do on bent-over barbell rows. I know that this may not be practical for some people with lower-back problems. This may be addressed by lying on a flat or low incline bench. In this case, keeping the chest constantly on the pad of the bench also helps eliminate the tendency of moving up the torso as the dumbbells move up. You probably already know that a slight upward swing of your torso as you raise the dumbbells up makes the movement a lot easier. You must not do that. Only the arms must move.

Keep chest against bench at all times

I have also tried keeping my forehead against a stationary object like the edge of a bench throughout the set as an indicator that I am not swinging my body up. Sometimes I sit at the end of a bench, bend my torso and keep it firmly against my legs. This variation, however, impedes my breathing so I don’t use it. I prefer the standing variation or leaning against a bench.

This variation minimises cheating 

• Using too much weight

I blame the use of excessive weight for the reason why people get this exercise wrong. When doing an exercise it definitely helps to always remember its purpose. In the case of the bent over dumbbell laterals the aim is to isolate and work the rear deltoid head which is indeed a small muscle. It does not need excessive weight to grow. You don’t need to take massive dumbbells and perform bent over laterals. 

•  Bringing up the dumbbells in an incorrect plane.

As illustrated in the picture below, the dumbbells and the deltoids should be in a straight line. Lifting the dumbbells too far to the rear is the most common mistake. Use a weight that will allow you to raise the dumbbells in the correct plane. Imagine you are a bird flapping your wings.

CORRECT FORM. This is the proper angle for working the rear deltoids. Remember torso is to be kept more of less parallel to the floor. Palms face the ground and can also be pronated for a better contraction.

INCORRECT FORM. This is the improper angle for working the rear deltoids. 

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©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.

Disclaimer:

The Content on this site is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties.  Author correspondence: vicgoyaram@gmail.com

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BEEFING The Upper forearms. By Vic Goyaram

BEEFING THE UPPER FOREARM (BRACHIORADIALIS)

Researched and composed by Vic Goyaram

Phil Heath is undeniably the king of brachioradialis 

Functional anatomy

The brachioradialis is located at the upper outer region of the forearm. It should not be confused with the brachialis, the latter being an upper arm muscle located between the biceps and triceps. Perhaps the best bodybuilder to use as anatomy chart to display the brachioradialis is Mr. Olympia Phil Heath who is "gifted" with one of the most impressive pairs in pro bodybuilding today.  Of course, those of the two-time Mr. Olympia has a lot to do with genetics but yours can go a long way by using some of the exercises that will be described in this article.

Heath's brachioradialis looks like from another planet
Darrem Charles' biceps are excellent and peaked

The brachioradialis is an elbow flexor muscle and is used when using a palms down or overhand (pronated) grip on pulling and curling exercises. Therefore, exercises that flex the elbow while using an overhand grip will stimulate the brachioradialis. It is interesting to note that the brachioradialis has more or less the same muscle fibre composition as the biceps, meaning a good amount of type II (fast) fibres compared to other muscles of the forearms which have more type I (slow) fibres. This allowance of type II fibres in the brachioradialis has important implications for understanding the function and what repetition range to use to effectively train this muscle.

Muscular anatomy of the forearm. Top and bottom pictures show

the inner and outer forearm respectively

Flexing the elbows using an overhand grip puts the biceps in a mechanically weak position. Just imagine how stronger you are in an underhand grip barbell row or lat pulldown compared to when an overhand grip is used. Therefore, elbow flexion movements using an overhand grip bring the brachioradialis into play to assist the biceps. This may explain why the brachioradialis has a good percentage of type II muscle fibres just like the biceps.

Lat pulldowns involve the brachioradialis to some extent
(when using the pronated grip)

Exercises and repetition ranges

As mentioned above, exercises that involve elbow flexion with a palms down grip work the brachioradialis as a secondary muscle. These include overhand grip rowing and pull-up movements. Good exercises are T-bar rows, rows and chinups/ pullups. Recommended repetition range for hypertrophy is 6-12. I personally like to follow my back workouts with a forearm workout comprising of an isolation movement for the brachialis like reverse barbell curls.

Rowing movements with an overhand grip indirectly work the brachioradialis.

Brachioradialis is also recruited in overhand 

grip chin-ups and pull-downs

Other exercises
1. Reverse barbell curls

Reverse barbell curls can be done standing and seated on a preacher curl bench.  Some trainees find that using an overhand grip with a straight bar can be uncomfortable on the wrists and therefore use a cambered (EZ) barbell.  Generally a shoulder width grip is recommended.  As a personal tip for this exercise I recommend keeping the wrists fixed throughout the movement instead of moving them. I find that this taxes the brachioradialis muscle even more.  Elbows should also be fixed and the weight should be appropriate in order to avoid recruiting assisting muscles excessively. The reverse barbell curl is not only a forearm/ brachioradialis exercise. It is also a very good overall arm exercise as it recruits the brachialis and biceps as synergists. Give this exercise a fair shot for adding mass to your arms. 

 Reverse barbell curls can be done standing or on a preacher curl 

bench with a straight or an EZ bar

2. Hammer curls

Use of a hammer grip also works the brachioradialis and involve a lot of brachialis at the same time.  Hammer curls can be performed using a preacher bench, using rope or dumbbells. In the latter case, there are two variations, namely the conventional hammer curls and the cross body or "pinwheel" variation pictured below. Because this exercise also works the brachialis I recommend doing it on biceps day but can be included as best fits your program.

I prefer using the cross-body variation
for my hammer curl exercise

3. Zottman Curls

This is an old school exercise which is hardly ever used nowadays. In this curl you start with a biceps curl with palms facing up. At the top of the movement rotate your wrists so that the palms are now facing downwards (pronated). Perform the negative part of the curl using a pronated grip. This exercise therefore works both the biceps and the brachioradialis. Elbows should be kept stationary at all times and not depart from the sides of your body. The exercise can be done in an alternate manner as well.

Zottmann curls can be done in both an alternate or simultaneous
manner. This is a great movement to beef up the arm

4. Close grip pronated grip pullups

This exercise will leave you in serious pain but can produce dramatic results. Go under a smith machine bar set at about waist height and using a close and pronated grip (elbows tucked to the side) bring your body up towards the bar. Hold it there.  

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©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.

Disclaimer:

The Content on this site is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties.  Qualifications of author of article: Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biology (Department of Biosciences, University of Mauritius) and Master of Science in Medicine by research in Exercise Molecular Biology (Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, University of Cape Town). Correspondence: vicgoyaram@gmail.com

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The protein drink of Golden Era bodybuilders. By John Bubb, former NABBA Pro Bodybuilder

The protein drink of Golden Era bodybuilders

By John Bubb, former NABBA Pro Bodybuilder

Introduction by Vic Goyaram

The big and confusing world of modern-day powders

I am sure many of you have been confused by the multitude of protein supplements available on the market today, each claiming to be more scientifically advanced than the other. Furthermore, by the use of excessive scientific jargon in labels in an attempt to impress (or confuse), supplement companies nowadays assume that all consumers have a Bachelor's degree in physiology. You hear about or read the terms everyday, "ultra-filtered whey hydrolysates", "bio-engineered peptides" and stuff like that. The result is that consumers often believe that they are at a disadvantage if they don't ingest these "cutting-edge" supplements. Many youngsters even before they begin training are already thinking about the stuff he would like to drink. This is not to say that modern protein supplements don't have any value as a lot of progress has been made in protein technology but sometimes we must go back to the roots and realise that what the body needs is protein!

How many of you ever wondered how the old-school bodybuilders got their protein in an era when even chalk-like protein powders, free-form amino acids, and other fancy supplements were not available? Physiques were still impressive. To get an answer to this question we picked the brain of our guru himself, Mr. John Bubb. John had a recipe with a rather strange name: "gunge", as you will soon find out why.

"Gunge": Gunge as it is known in the British Isles, or slime as it is known in America and other parts of the world, is a thick, gooey, runny substance similar in consistency to paint

INTRODUCING

"GUNGE": The Bubb old-school Protein Recipe

John Bubb at the Mr. Universe with Zane, Park and Pearl

My take on modern-day protein supplements

Firstly, I think a lot of the modern protein supplements are very overrated. I'm not saying that they are not good and some of the scientific claims are probably correct, but the difference in results between them and good old fashioned protein shakes is so small that it's not worth the extra money. In other words, A LOT OF WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD IS BETTER THAN A LITTLE OF WHAT YOU CANNOT AFFORD. If that makes sense

The "Gunge" Protein recipe

Ingredients for Gunge

1. Pour a pint of milk into a two pint container (1 pint: 473ml)

2. Add 4 or 5 heaped dessert spoons of skimmed milk powder, 3 heaped desert-spoonfuls of Soya flour, 2 teaspoons of honey. 

3. Whisk using a blender or some sort of electric whisk until there are no lumps. If you try just shaking or whisking with a fork you will end up with a very lumpy mixture which is difficult to drink.

4. Raw egg whites

Personally I haven't been able to eat eggs since I was a child. It's nothing to do with the taste. I once cracked open a boiled egg that was fertile and was totally revolted. Ever since then I feel revolted at the very thought of eating such a thing. Having said that, I did occasionally ADD TWO OR THREE RAW EGGS TO MY GUNGE. But I was always aware that they were in there and it did take away the enjoyment, even though I couldn't taste them. I would recommend that you DO ADD RAW EGGS to your shakes if you don't share my objection. In fact, for the bodybuilder, eggs are one of the best sources of easily assimilable protein available. The Amino structure of eggs is the nearest to human tissue make-up of any other food. SO EAT LOTS. But beware. Don't eat too many WHOLE eggs. Up to six or eight is probably O.K., but after that separate the yolks from the whites and only eat the whites. And you can eat as many of those as you can "Get Down You."

Back to the GUNGE. It's a good idea to vary the proportion of the ingredients slightly until you find a taste that you enjoy. Or, if you don't enjoy it as set out above, try adding some sort of flavouring. One gym I used to work at offered a whole range of flavours using COMMERCIAL MILK SHAKE FLAVOURINGS, which are easily obtainable

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT YOU MUST ENJOY YOUR SHAKES - WHETHER YOU ARE USING A HOME MADE RECIPE OR ONE OF THE VERY EXPENSIVE ONES. IF YOU DON'T ENJOY THEM YOU WILL SOON GET FED UP WITH DRINKING THEM AND THAT SHOULD NOT BE AN OPTION. IF YOU GET THE FLAVOUR RIGHT, AND YOU START TO GROW, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE. This is how it should be and consistency is the bodybuilding recipe for success. They say there is NO SECRET. I WOULD SAY THAT IF THERE IS JUST ONE SECRET IT IS CONSISTENCY. Muscles are only as big and strong as they are called upon to be. STOP CALLING AND THEY WILL STOP GROWING!!!!!

The contribution of "gunge" to my overall protein intake

"Bacon for breakfast, lots of it, and on its own"
I'm not really sure about my protein intake proportions, but I would say that the gunge was probably more than half my daily intake. A lot of the things that I used to eat in those days I wouldn't eat now. In some ways I think I grew and stayed healthy IN SPITE of what I ate rather than BECAUSE of what I ate. For instance, most mornings I ate bacon for breakfast - and lots of it. And on it's own. If melon was in season I would start off with half a melon, then the bacon and then start sipping my first pint of GUNGE. I lived above the gym and used to take my gunge to work with me and sip it over the next hour or so. I should emphasise that this was when I was running the ladies and mens keep fit gym and not when I was training. I used to do my training before breakfast after a small plate of cornflakes.

"No bread in the diet"

"Another point of interest is that for most of the time throughout my bodybuilding years I never ate bread of any sort. As you say, I used to eat quite a bit of liver and I was also very partial to roast ox hearts. Otherwise my main meals were fairly conventional. Roast beef, roast lamb, roast pork, lamb or pork chops and quite a lot of chicken of course. 

Gunge version 2.0 with Amino acids and other added ingredients

At one point I got involved with an amateur bio-chemist who was really into what we should and should not eat. He added extra amino acids to the gunge to improve the balance. Although already quite good, he felt it could be perfected. He also got a yoghurt culture and started mass producing huge containers of High Protein yoghurt  which I consumed on a daily basis . He also came up with PROTEIN CAKES. These were made with the same ingredients as the gunge, but with added wheat germ. Actually they were quite delicious. 

Gunge on the go!
Going back to the GUNGE. It's a good idea to whisk up a bulk lot in the mornings and put it in the fridge. Say two lots of my original recipe, which should give you between three and four pints. Whenever you are in the vicinity  of the fridge, pour yourself a glass. Or, if you are out and about all day (I realise some people go to work!) take it with you in a thermos. Try not to eat only three meals a day with long periods of hunger in between. GRAZE all day, even if it's only sipping GUNGE. Try to never let your body get really hungry or it will start living off your muscles. Another good thing to remember is that if you eat a lot of protein you won't have room for (or the desire for) snacks and junk food.
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About the Author

John Bubb is a former NABBA professional bodybuilder with more than half a century of experience in the iron game.  John has six top four finishes at the NABBA Pro Mr. Universe from 1967 to 1971, including a runner-up placing to Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1968. 

John has trained several bodybuilders from many countries and has remained very active in the bodybuilding arena decades after hanging his posing trunks. He is one of our most prized contributors at Bodybuilding Mauritius and we feel very honoured to have someone of the calibre of John dispensing advice to all of us with such enthusiasm. 

We at Bodybuilding Mauritius are very keen about old-school bodybuilding as we believe that in order for bodybuilding to have a future it must look back at its past. We couldn't ask for a better guru of Golden era bodybuilding than "Iron Grandpa Bubb". You are welcome to check other articles by John Bubb on this website.

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