This month we're going to look at how the sun can play a dramatic role in your ability to build muscle. It is a free "supplement" that is often overlooked by bodybuilders and one that is often inappropriately villanized.

A quick thanks to those who were good enough to take a minute and notify me of the errors they found on the site redesign. Undoubtedly there are many more errors, so please keep it coming.

In This Issue...

Site New Stuff

• 2 new video articles from Jeff Anderson - What are video articles? Basically a chance for you to rest your eyes a bit and instead listen and learn. Like I always say, no one spends more time considering how to put more and more muscle mass on the genetically average, so if you are listening to Jeff you are going to learn something. In fact, it was him who inspired this newsletter's testosterone/sun theme.

• How To Skyrocket Your Testosterone Levels Using A Simple Little Diet Trick - This video talks about the dramatic role that fat plays in helping the body increase testosterone production and helps you put a balanced diet together for maximum testosterone output. If you are holding on to the "The more protein I eat, the more muscle I build" mentality, check this video out and get over it - A balanced diet will produce maximum muscle.
• Protein, The Basics... And Beyond - Speaking of protein, this video is a protein primer, taking you through the various types, their value to muscle building and when to use each type for best results.

• 3 new articles from Sean Nalewanyj

• How To Get Big Shoulder Muscles - A nice little article on how to get some bulk up top complete with a couple of suggested routines.
  
  My favorite line in this article? It is just before Sean hands down his second sample routine and he says... "If you insist on performing isolation exercises..." I believe I know how he feels, it is very difficult to get trainers to completely trust in compound exercises. It is the compound exercises that produce the greatest growth and, for most muscle groups, they sufficiently cover all your wants and needs.

  But no matter how many times you say this, no matter how many others also say this, you will get trainers who absolutely insist on adding in isolated exercises, trying to target each and every muscle fiber with the thinking this will benefit them. Truthfully, most times it is just as likely to hinder as help.

• Muscle Pumps and Muscle Building - Many people falsely believe that the pump you receive in the gym is directly correlated to the muscle you build. Many supplement companies add to this belief by advertising the great pumps their products can help you attain. Truthfully, while pumps aren't a bad thing, they really have little to do with muscle building as Sean tells you in this article.
• Muscle Building Vitamins - Speaking of facts that it is sometimes difficult to convince trainers of - the importance of taking a quality multi-vitamin. Not as sexy as taking NitroFreakMaker but more valuable. Sean runs down the roles of some of the vitamins and minerals and outlines their importance to muscle gain.

• New Weight Gain Tips - Very disappointed in the lack of participation in this section... But a big thanks to Rob M. and Jim P. for throwing out some solid advice to their fellow muscle builders this month.

• Over at the Muscle Building Blog, a couple of new Q&As... "Making Multiple Sets Work" and "Bodybuilding Magazine Mischief".

Interesting Off-Site Reads

Some Good Forums...

I'm generally not a fan of bodybuilding forums - a great idea but, when put into practice, the lack of accountability generally turns them into a mess of silly debates and bad advice. Its like watching the US Congress on C-span, a bunch of yahoos posturing for the cameras, trying to make themselves look smart first and foremost while rarely getting around to making any valuable contributions to society.

There are, of course, some forums which are better than others, where ego-feeding isn't so much the hidden agenda. Worth checking out are the Gaining Mass Forums. Some well-intentioned regulars and a seasoned webmaster makes this a nice place to get some support and learn a thing or two.

Metabolism Myths

"My metabolism is so fast that I can't gain weight"

Blah, blah, blah. If you are intending to bulk up, the first thing you must do is let go of this crutch. The fast metabolism crap is largely a myth. In fact, studies have shown overweight individuals to have faster metabolisms than the thin.

The difference between the two? HOW MUCH THEY EAT. The overweight underestimate their intake, the underweight overestimate theirs.

Don't believe me? A couple of quick reads which say the exact same thing are below. As those of you who have been subscribed to this ezine for awhile can attest, I've been saying this forever and I am going to keep on saying it until I can safely open my email without the fear of yet another query from someone claiming an "impossibly fast metabolism."

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/healthy_living/your_weight/whatis_gain.shtml
• http://www.saga.co.uk/health_news/pages/article.asp?lss=diet_and_weight_loss&bhcp=1 (this is on obesity but skip down to the metabolism headline)

Bodybuilding Tip of the Month

The Sun and Testosterone

This tip comes from Jeff Anderson, author of Optimum Anabolics (highly recommended training program). Jeff is simply a fountain of knowledge on how to gain maximum muscle mass. In a recent members only chat, he challenged his members to name a potent but absolutely free testosterone boosting supplement. He did not get any correct answers.

The answer? The sun.

Yep, the most effective testosterone boosting supplement in the universe isn't being created by the "elite scieintific team" of some obscure supplement company but rather by a star 93,000,000 miles away. The sun's ultraviolet rays stimulate the production of luteinizing hormone which in turn stimulates the production of testosterone.

How much so? Well, more than most of the hyped up and overpriced testosterone boosting pills would ever even dare to claim. Some studies have shown it as much as doubling testosterone output.

This isn't new news, however. It is more like forgotten news in the bodybuilding world. I witnessed a recent message board discussion on a popular bodybuilding forum that begin with a poster inquiring about getting a tan. The thread broke down into a crazy debate of the positives and negatives of the sun (I know, I know, I was also shocked to see a thread move quickly away from any relevancy and turn into a useless debate where the two sides tried to out-google one another).

What I found strange about that thread? Of the 15 or so people who posted on it, not one brought up the potential of the sun to help with their muscle building goals.

I first saw the advice to do a little ray catching 15 years ago from a Cybergenics Training Program. Cybergenics was the latest, greatest supplement system being advertised in the muscle mags and it was flying off GNC shelves thanks to suckers like myself (it still exists today in some form - just over-priced, over-hyped supplements that won't do much for you. The only valuable advice in it I've just given you).

But the Cybergenics people weren't giving away any secrets. You can find studies from the 30s and 40s that demonstrate that moderate ultraviolet radiation can have a very positive impact on testosterone production and physical conditioning. And it wasn't even news then, ancient athletic training regimens (Roman gladiators, Greek Olympians) often included sunbathing with the belief that the sun fed the muscles. Turns out that they were onto something.

So why don't you hear of it? Two reasons: One, there is no profit in it. And two, the reason that you're undoubtedly thinking of, the sun has been villanized by the medical community. We've been told to avoid it at all costs, wear protective clothing or at least slop on excessive sun protection lotion.

All of this to protect ourselves against skin cancer. Skin cancer, however, has continued to increase right along with the sales of sunscreens. Greater increases have been noted in urban areas where people spend more time indoors than in rural areas where people are outside much more often.

And recent studies have shown that moderate sun exposure can actually decrease your risk of developing many cancers. Vitamin D, a vitamin our bodies produce through sun exposure, and its role in maintaining health has become a very hot issue. Many researchers and doctors are now suggesting that some sun exposure and its many noted benefits far outweigh risk factors.

• Health Checkup: Sunshine
• Sunarc.org

No one is suggesting you get excessive sun. You don't want to burn. But coming out of your cave for a bit each day may just prove a positive for your general health and provide a testosterone boost for your muscle building goals. In terms of testosterone, getting some sun on your back has been shown to have the greatest effect.

More on Maximizing Testosterone Production? Your diet has a huge influence on testosterone production. Be sure and check out Jeff Anderson's video article on the subject as discussed above - How To Skyrocket Your Testosterone Levels Using A Simple Little Diet Trick .

From the In-Box - Q&A

Daytime Appetite

I mow lawns... I just don't have any appetite during the daytime. I eat fine at night but I just can't get food down during the day... can I just eat 3 big meals a day or is that going to really limit me? (from Nathan)

The most important thing is your total daily caloric intake. Eating frequent meals is a plus for a variety of reasons but you always keep your eye on the big picture - how many overall calories you consume.

Your lack of appetite during the day likely has a lot to do with your body trying to keep cool. The body will naturally try and reduce caloric intake when it is hot. Digestion takes energy and energy produces heat. You can help the body keep cool and therefore increase your appetite by making sure you are getting enough fluids. You can also seek a cool place and let your body cool down a bit before meals.

Future Plans

In the near future, I hope to get some reviews done for the program reviews section of the site. To date I have only gotten up the reviews for the programs that I find truly exceptional. Outside of that, there are certainly all sorts of areas at the site that need work so I am not at a loss for things to do.

Until next time, get just a little sun and keep growing big.