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If you are still waiting for a happiness pill to be invented by scientists, you might not have to wait long. It has been less than a decade since the launch of sildenafil citrate (Viagra) - the first oral drug to help men with erectile dysfunctions. While Viagra is not the first drug to address erectile dysfunction, it is the first drug to be taken orally. Before that, the drugs that were used were either injected directly into the penis, or were inserted into the urethra at the tip of the penis. After Viagra, new drugs from the same class - vardenafil hydrochloride (Levitra) and tadalafil (Cialis) – followed soon. What they have in common is that they are taken an hour before sexual activity, and the chemical reactions they cause lead to increased blood flow in the penis. They should not be taken more than once a day. They should not be taken at all if the patient takes other drugs, because they might combine to cause blood pressure problems or heart attacks. Other oral drugs for erectile dysfunction are said to deliver good results, but for now there is no indisputable evidence that the resulting erection is due to them, rather than to the placebo effect. Some of the oral medications (for instance, testosterone) may damage the liver, so erectile dysfunction drugs should not be taken unless prescribed by a doctor. Drugs which are injected into the penis or inserted into the urethra may lead to stronger and longer erections but they are known for their side effects, such as aching, priapism (persistent erection), bleeding, scarring, etc. And since research is advancing rapidly, it is much better to wait a little longer for a better drug. penile enlargment photo best pennis enlargement pills penis enlarement surgeries penis enlagement system guide to penile enlargment penis enargement technique guide to penile enlargment real penis enlargement
SEX AFTER PROSTATE DIAGNOSIS. If you are diagnosed with any form of prostate disease, you will experience some type of erectile dysfunction, even if it is a surgical procedure using the nerve sparing technique. There is no need to repeat the treatments we’ve already covered, but let’s take a moment to review some of the possibilities that are available to men AFTER being diagnosed with prostate disease who experience erectile dysfunction: • There are now numerous erectile dysfunction drugs (EDDs) available. These drugs promote erections by increasing blood flow to the penis. • There is a substance called Prostaglandin E1 that can produce erections. It is produced naturally and can be injected almost painlessly into the base of the penis before sex. • A penile implant or prostheses can restore an ability to achieve an erection. • There are vacuum devices that are designed especially to create an erection by placing around the entire penis before sex. While erectile dysfunction will most likely begin immediately following surgery for prostate removal, if the technique of nerve sparing is used there is a possibility of recovery within a year of the procedure. If non-nerve sparing is used the recovery of erectile function is highly unlikely. There are studies that report sparing nerves on both sides of a prostate have regained erectile function in 60 – 70% of men. Also, erectile dysfunction drugs appear to work for up to 43% of men whose prostate was removed surgically. This shows a promising trend. There is some difference when radiation therapy is used. The man will also experience erectile dysfunction but it usually doesn’t happen until six months after beginning treatment. However, there is also good news here showing that as many as 50-60% of men regain erections with the use of EDDs. When hormonal treatment is the route taken, erectile dysfunction will usually occur between two and four weeks after beginning treatment and is linked with decreasing sexual desire. Unfortunately the studies do not show the same results as the previous two treatments having little or no impact on erectile dysfunction. The good news, however, is that normal erectile function returns when the hormonal therapy is ended. real penis enhancement penis enhancement pic prosolution penis elargement pills pennis enlargement exercise penile enlargement surgeries penile enlargement surgery picture easy enlagement free penis surgery way vimax penis enlargement surgery cost vimax penis enlargement surgery
The collapse of socialistic block by the late 1990s gave rise to doubts as to timeliness of the North Treaty Alliance Organization that in fact had accomplished its mission and essential role. Realistic logic concerning military alliances, based on historic experience of the Cold War, gave reasons to believe in incapability of either military block to outlast the collapse of the other. American and European experts and politicians who shared these ideas, adhered to the opinion of necessity to disband NATO or at least limit this organization in its claims. For instance, Germany, represented by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Hans Ditrih Gensher and backed by the Czechoslovakia, pursued a policy towards "deeper institutionalization" of the CSCE, trying to transform this forum into decisive element of new European security system. Moscow in early 1990s gave rise to the idea of "European Security Council" which would consist of the largest European states. Nevertheless, drastic measures taken by the USA and its closest allies not desiring to turn down time-proved mechanisms of transatlantic ties in late 80s-early 90s ensured NATO's survival as defense alliance. Except NATO-centric project, all other rival projects of European security architecture were rejected. Paris Summit demonstrated reluctance of many influential states to give preference to the CSCE in ensuring European security, while the concept of "All-European Security Council" failed to succeed due to its contradiction with processes of international relations democratization after the end of Cold War. NATO's central role and American influence on European security could have been put into question only by development of integration processes in foreign policy and security within the framework of the European Communities converted into the European Union. Notwithstanding intense economic cooperation with the USA, Western Europe, along with South-Eastern Asia, in 1990s and especially in early 2000s wasn't very inspired by the prospect of unconditional support of the USA in carrying out their "global mission" which required huge resources and geographically broad interpretation of European countries. The United Stated in their relying on closest European allies needed, on the one hand, to back up European initiatives in security sphere, and on the other hand, to guide its partners in necessary direction evading degradation of American-European political-military connection. Understanding the directions of NATO reforming to maintain the organizations' vital activity emerged in American political circles quick enough. Already in 1992 Colin Powell, then chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, in his speech in London International Institute for Strategic Research mentioned NATO's new peacemaking tasks and switch of the alliance to more definite actions on spreading democracy and political liberalism throughout Europe. Then, the task of the American administration included elaboration of strategy for carrying out the actions proclaimed along with reaching consensus on necessity of those actions among the concerned international subjects - American allies in NATO and Central Eastern Europe as well as American domestic political forces. The next sections will reveal the evolution of the USA towards the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and include analysis of such issues as NATO enlargement to the East and shift of organization's purposes, tasks and functions. The particular attention will be attached to the American policy evolution towards NATO's purposes and functions as for now and place of this military alliance in the US foreign policy. penis enlarement exercise medical pnis enlargement truth about penile enlargment free pennis enlargement video guide to penile enlargement penis enlagement tip vimax male virility sexual enhancement medical pennis enlargement vimax penis enlargement surgery
Primates are a category of mammals that include humans, apes, lemurs and monkeys. Covering over 185 species, they range from lemurs -with hardly any resemblance to humans- to chimpanzees, which are clearly our own kin. In size, they range from the tiny 60 g bush baby to the huge 200 kg gorilla. Primates are characterized by a complex brain, good binocular vision and means of grasping. In addition, they experience long periods in the womb, followed by slow maturation and elongated lifespan. Africa has the privilege of hosting 51 primate species in habitats varying from forests to savannah woodlands. And new primate species are still being discovered. One of the latest additions is the highland mangabey monkey, whose domicile is the Udzungwa Mountains of southern Tanzania. Scientists were delighted, but nevertheless puzzled when they reported the finding in May 2005; "This exciting discovery demonstrates once again how little we know about our closest living relatives, the nonhuman primates. A large, striking monkey in a country of considerable wildlife research over the last century has been hidden right under our noses," said Russell Mittermeier of the IUCN-The World Conservation Union's Species Survival Commission. Sensing our fascination with nonhuman primates, artists have in response created fictional characters that have turned out to be immensely popular. The most successful of this genre is the story of "Tarzan of the Apes". This romance features an orphaned English lord who was adopted by a female ape and brought up in the African jungle. The writer Edgar Rice Burroughs brought Tarzan-one of the best-known literary characters, to life in 1921. Tarzan, an ape-man character has over the years generated over 40 movies, and numerous radio shows, television programmes and comic books. Primate characters reflect mans complex nature more closely than other animal characters in fiction and mythology. Come to think of it: in this respect, the naughty tree-swinging monkey is more deserving of our respect than haughty king lion. Non-human primates are confined to the tropics, where 80% of them live in rain forests as the dominant mammals. East Africa has few patches of tropical forests where you find the great apes, but the entire region supports many other primate species. Only a few species are not dependent on trees and can survive in savannah and sub desert areas. These include baboons, vervet monkeys and chimpanzees. Not surprisingly, travellers to east Africa are most likely to come across these three species. But most primates still depend on trees or cliffs for security. Only the two most intriguing primate species sleep on the ground-man and gorilla. We shall not discuss these two species in this article and shall cover them in separate features. For now, we shall only able to look at the four most common primates found in East Africa; bush babies, monkeys, baboons and chimpanzees. Primates have complex social organizations and the majority live in female-bonded groups. Scientists speculate that this works as an alliance against aggressive males. Females stay on in their natal group even after maturity, while males exit the group. Feminist fundamentalists may perhaps take a hint in this arrangement? Chimpanzees make an exception to this rule. Very much like humans, female chimps seek an alliance with a male protector, which is recognised and respected by other males. A common feature among primates is evolution of the "primate hand."This is a prehensile hand that is used for climbing and eating, and tool making in the case of apes. Some primates- especially baboons and apes, have such well-developed dexterity of the hand that the tips of the thumb and forefinger meet at right angles. In apes, the dexterity of the hands is very close that of humans -and chimps are a good example. Primates, just like humans, use social grooming as a form of contact communication. Travellers will witness this practice among baboons and vervet monkeys. Grooming is useful for social bonding and is effected by use of the mouth and hands. At a more practical level, it is also used to clean the body of parasites, such as ticks. Grooming underlines hierarchies; a junior member of a group will happily groom its betters. Reproduction in primates is quite varied, but there is much in common with humans. Monkeys and apes, for example, actually do menstruate. A key difference however, is that many primates have distinct breeding seasons. The young are dependent on the mother, but less so than human infants. They enjoy the protection of a fur coat and are able to climb and reach the mothers' teats and cling to her while being transported. Males generally play a marginal role in parental care. Bush babies are a big group of primates, comprising about 18 species found Africa, and of which 11 species live in East Africa. This is one of the smallest but most successful of the primates. There are two main types: the lesser bush baby and the greater bush baby. Both are widely distributed and found in the forested national parks of East Africa. During the day, they hide to avoid harm from eagles and large snakes. In lodges located close to dense forest, such as Shimba Hills in Kenya, bush babies are at night attracted to the dining rooms by sugar and sugary products. They otherwise feed mainly on tree gum and insects. Their technique of catching insects is either by leaping and grabbing or by creeping to within grabbing distance. They have distinct vocal sounds and the name bush baby originated from the piercing baby-like cries or advertising calls of the greater bush baby. Adult males advertise the most, especially in the mating season. Bush babies are easy to like-perhaps on account of their baby-like cries and small innocent looking faces. They are active only after sundown. Extremely agile and sprightly, they use their elongated hind limbs to execute spectacular leaps between trees. Distended finger and toe pads enable them to cling unerringly, leap after leap, to even the most slippery branches. The other small primates like bush babies are pottos. Being small and nocturnal, you will hardly ever see them. Only one species is found in East Africa -in south and west Uganda, far northwest Tanzania and western Kenya in the Mount Elgon and Kakamega forests. Pottos wear a woolly brown jacket and have large protuberant eyes, small rounded naked ears, short muzzles and short stubby tails. They weigh between 0.8 - 1.6kg. Monkeys are a category of dog-shaped primates. They stand and move horizontally on four legs, with head directed forwards and downwards. Consequently, the form and movement is also doglike, particularly for the more terrestrial ones like baboons. Their bottoms are padded with bare "scars" that may appear like wounds. These are called callosities, and their colouration varies with the reproductive season. The phenomenon is most prominent among baboons and is quite puzzling to many travellers. There is a clear distinction in form and structure of the genders in monkeys. This is especially so among baboons, in which females are clearly smaller in body size - by as much as 50% compared males. The posture and movement of monkeys is often a reflection of their social status. The confident monkey appears relaxed and walks with its limbs extended and back level. It surveys its realm casually and is at ease while resting. On the other hand, subordinates walk with back hunched, limbs rather bent and tail low or curved downwards. Dominant males are known to exaggerate their status by walking with a swagger and squatting with obvious ostentation. This behaviour is the subject of many metaphors in African folklore. Monkeys are generally social, though they exhibit occasional rivalry. When attempting to intimidate a rival, a monkey stands at its tallest, with the effect that it looks bigger than it realy is-, which of course is precisely the point. "Filling yourself like a male monkey" is a common teenage statement in Africa, and originates from this practice. Many travellers will have noticed that adult male monkeys like exposing their genitals to impress or maybe intimidate other males. Baboons are especially notorious for this rather unwholesome exhibitionist behaviour. Do not be offended when you find a dominant male, sitting apart on high vantage point, facing away from the troop as he scans the surrounding with legs spread apart to expose the penis. This is a particularly noticeable thing about baboons, or perhaps it is what humans cannot avoid noticing- being so well trained to look down upon such immodest displays. Among the monkeys species found in East Africa are the blue or syke monkey, the vervet monkey and the colobus monkey. Sykes are dark, stoutly built and have round facial disk and no beard. They weigh up to 12kg, with males larger and heavier than females. The body is covered by thick long fur with a brown patch of bristling hair. Sykes are quite widespread in East Africa and can generally be sighted in all forested national parks. But as they as not aware of park boundaries, you will also see them in thick forests and forest reserves outside the parks. They are however slowly being confined to national parks due continuing degradation of protected forests. Sykes mostly feed on fruits and leaves and occasionally insects and flowers. The vervet monkey is light coloured with a black face; males have a pale blue scrotum. This monkey weighs between 5 and 9kg. The vervet is adapted to practically all woodland habitats, outside equatorial rain forests. It does not venture very far from the safety of trees, on which it also depends for food. You will commonly find it on forest edges and is typically associated with riverine vegetation and acacia trees. These monkeys are very friendly to people and almost serve as de facto receptionists in most national parks. When a vertet hops onto your car as you arrive at park gate, it is looking after its own interests. Humans like to feed monkeys and it hopes to save the lots of energy and the risk involved in natural foraging in the bush. However, it is illegal to feed monkeys or any wildlife in all parks in East Africa. Also be warned- these monkeys can bite if scared. Their teeth and claws can inflict serious injuries and you should therefore avoid close bodily contact. Vervet monkeys are omnivorous and consume a wide range of plant materials like fruits, seeds, sap, and flowers. They also feed on invertebrates and have sometimes balance the vegetarian fare with vertebrates such as lizards and nestling birds and their eggs. They are often found in the same areas as baboons with which they share many foods, water holes and sleeping trees. The baboon is however not good company for vervets; it is without mercy for its smaller relative. When they compete for food, vervets are supplanted and baboons will occasionally feed on young vervets. Vervet monkeys are territorial and live in troops of between 8-50 members. Their troops are organized in a hierarchy of families whose members sleep, forage and rest together. Males move out as they reach maturity at about the age of 5 years, while females remain in a female-bonded society. They pass on hereditary privileges: a mother's rank predetermines that of the daughter. The baboon is the other very common primate in the savannahs of East Africa. It is a large, terrestrial monkey with a dog like head. Indeed its scientific name is, papio cynocephalus -here cynocephalus means "dog-headed." They weigh up to 50 kg, with males reaching up to twice the weight of females. Their limbs are sturdy, nearly equal in length while hands and feet are short and wide with stubby digits. The females have very prominent sexual swellings. Baboons in East Africa appear in two common species - olive and yellow baboons. Next to humans, baboons are the best adapted of the terrestrial primates. For this reason, they are the most widespread African primate- to be found from savannah to arid habitats, so long as there is water and trees or just cliffs. Most travellers will see baboons on the highways, in many places across the region. They live well enough outside protected areas, such as national parks. They are serious crop pests and are even classified as vermin -not wildlife- but in parts of Kenya. A baboons' menu include grasses, flowers, fruits, seeds and shoots. In the dry season, they uproot grasses and feed on the underground stems, a niche they share with no other mammal except warthogs. Beware that baboons are fierce fighters and with group work can confront and scare off a sharp predator such as leopard. Because of their well-developed taste for fruits and other foods humans are partial to, baboons tend to stalk visitors in national parks. In some cases they supplement their diet with vertebrate prey: fish, lizards and young of ground nesting birds, and bird or crocodile eggs. Baboons live in troops ranging from 8 to over 200 animals, but typically average about 40. Troops tend to avoid one another but may occasionally share resources. Their social organization is highly complex and variable; they are able to display emotion and can communicate motivation. Females remain in the troop, with a reproductive strategy grounded on male supremacy. The colobus monkey is another common primate that is the subject of many parables in Africa. The black and white colobus are especially priced for their beautiful coat, which has traditionally been used as ceremonial attire. The colobus is found only in Africa and has a long tail and hairs. The body weight reaches up to 23 kg. Both the black and white species are well adapted and have inherited many kinds of forest woodlands throughout East Africa. They live up at the trees and rarely descend to the ground. This rather shy animal is not easily sighted in the open and you are more likely to see or hear them in thick woodlands and forested parks. The apes are a category of primates represented in Africa by gorilla, chimpanzees and bonobo. Genetically, they are the closest primates to man. The apes have very advanced social and communication systems. They come close to humans in the use of facial expressions and body language; using both arms and hands. Apart from mother-infant contact, apes groom each other in the usual primate fashion- rank determines who grooms whom. Apes are particularly adept at tactile communications; that is use of touch. They seek and give reassurance by touching each other - just like we do -on the most sensitive areas like hands, face and genitals. Apes are slow to mature, with the young reaching adolescence at about the age of 8 years. Females bring forth their first fruits in their early teens, much earlier than males who rarely start procreating before reaching 15 years. All apes build nests- in this case, a platform on which to sleep securely at night: chimps up the trees and gorillas on the ground. Generally all the apes are endangered and vulnerable. The problem is that they occur naturally in very small densities and face immediate threat of habitat loss throughout their ranges. The situation is further compounded by the fact that they perpetuate themselves at a rather slow pace. The other risk is the bush meat trade that goes on in some parts of Africa, which takes them out in large numbers every year. The situation deteriorated after the 1980's, when many previously inaccessible tracts of rainforest were opened up for logging. Although apes are not known to eat humans, there are reports of their killing human babies in western Uganda - especially in Bwindi and Kibale forests. This phenomenon is as yet unexplained and is very puzzling to primate researchers Chimpanzees are large, hairy and tailless; females weigh between 30-40 kg, while males can reach 180 kg. They have big heads, flattened face with a small nose and forward facing eyes. They have same number and type of teeth as man. The chimp is indeed our closet living relative, sharing 98% of our genes and much of our behaviour. The chimp and mountain gorilla are the only great apes found naturally is East Africa. Seeing chimps in the wild is an exhilarating experience. And Uganda is the best country in the world to view chimps in their natural habitat. In Uganda, you encounter chimps at Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kibale and Budingo forest. In Tanzania, you see them at Gombe National Park, to the north west of the country. Kenya has no naturally occurring chimps population, but at Nanyuki in the central region, there is a sanctuary for chimps rescued from the illegal trade going on in parts of central and West Africa. Chimps are mainly found in rainforest and wet savannah. They are less robustly built than gorillas; their arms are shorter, reaching just below the knees and the hands and fingers are long with short thumbs. The feet are adapted for grasping, with long, stout opposable big toe. Chimpanzees feed mainly on fruits mostly gathered from trees and the young leaves of plants. They also feed on flowers, pith, and bark and also derive additional nutrients from insects and some meat too- young antelopes, goats, and other primates such as young baboons and colobus monkeys. Chimps are articulate tool users- a clear sign of a hard working brain. They can pick up small objects between thumbs and side of the index finger. They possess the acumen to prepare and use grass stems and sticks to fish for insects. A female on heat may mate with several males. It gives birth to a single off spring, which is independent after about 4 years. The chimps are individualistic and do not live in cohesive groups like gorillas or monkeys. They live in communities, with up to 100 animals sharing a common home range. But they never assemble in a single troop. Jane Goodall, in her book "The Chimpanzees of Gombe", has shown that chimps, in common with humans, engage in some very disagreeable behaviour. Males occasionally rape females and engage in internecine warfare. Dr. Goodall has reported that from early 1974, a brutal four-year war raged in Gombe between two chimp groups that resulted in the decimation of one group. The best way to see the primates of East Africa is by taking a combined Kenya and Uganda safari. On such as safari, you will of course see the other wildlife East Africa is famed for, but be sure that the locations where primates are found are covered. On safari, wear light cottons and linen. But also pack some warmer clothing, as the evenings and early mornings can be quite chilly. Some rainwear is advisable between March and June and October and December. You should bring along a decent pair of sunglasses and a pair of binoculars. They are very useful for spotting animals and you will be the envy of your less knowledgeable traveling companions Copyright © Africa Point best penis enlagement pills penis enlagement photo free natural penis elargement cheap penis elargement pills forum magna rx best penis enhancement surgery free penile enlargement exercise penis enhancement surgery picture vimax penis enlargement surgery
There are three different types of muscle tissue in the human body: cardiac muscle, which is only in the heart; smooth muscle, which is found in organs & blood vessels; and of course skeletal muscle, which is found all over the body and is responsible for movement. All three of these muscle types have distinctly different anatomical structure and function in the body. We know that muscles get bigger and stronger when put under stress, which is called adaption. Which simply means that the muscle is preparing itself in case it’s put under the same type of stress again. An analogy is calluses on your hand, if you rub your hand on a course surface causing enough friction eventually the skin adapts by building up calluses, thus protecting it self from future happenings. Muscle reacts much the same way, if you train them or put them under enough stress they will adapt to this stress by growing bigger and stronger. So the next time you train them they will be capable of handling this new level of stress. Now obviously that is a very basic explanation, but hang on to your dumbbells we’ll get more in depth! Inside a muscle there are groups of motor units separated by membranes. Each motor unit consists of a single neuron and all of the muscle fibers it stimulates. In muscles such as the hand where fine motor control is necessary the ratio of nerves to fibers will be much higher than that of a muscle such as the calf. Muscle fiber consists of myofibrils, a myofibril is a small bundle of myofilaments. Myofilaments are mainly comprised of two types of proteins called actin and myosin. The myofilament is the part of the muscle that actually shortens upon contraction where the actin and myosin filaments slide over each other, which is called the sliding filament theory. Basically by the way of chemical bonds and receptor sites located on the myofilaments the actin and myosin attract each other thereby causing a contraction. A contraction can be held until fatigue sets in, and the strength of a contraction is determined by the number of motor units that are recruited. Inevitably, the more force that is necessary for muscle contraction requires an increased number of motor units to allow the muscle to contract. Within skeletal muscle there are three types of muscle fibers: Type I, Type IIa and Type IIb. Everyone has their own unique distribution of these fibers, some people are predominately Type I, and some Type IIa, however the “average person” has an even amount of red and white fiber. Type I muscle fiber often referred to as slow-twitch or red fiber and is highly resistant to fatigue and has a high oxidative capacity, This muscle fiber is responsible for aerobic exercises and activities, such as running. Type IIa muscle fiber often referred to as fast-twitch or white fiber is an intermediate fiber and they’re larger in size and much stronger than Type I fibers. Type IIb muscle fiber, which are also fast twitch & white fiber, are capable of producing more force than Type IIa, but they’re low in oxidative capacity, and fatigue very quickly. Fast twitch fibers have thicker nerves that give them an increased contractile impulse, which is measured by the number of twitches per second, hence the name fast twitch fiber. Slow twitch fibers have smaller nerves, thereby twitch much slower, however they have a higher number of mitochondria, which increases their oxidative capacity. Mitochondria are the cells in a muscle that synthesize ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), often referred to as the cell’s “powerhouse”. Okay, so now you have a basic understanding of muscle physiology, let’s talk about how we make them grow! The enlargement of a muscle fiber is called hypertrophy. As I mentioned earlier muscle growth or hypertrophy is a result of adaption to a new stress placed upon the muscle. So, what is the best form of stress? Well, there really is no single best principle that will work for every person. This is where the muscle fiber type distribution that you posses becomes important. If you train using appropriate methods based on your individual body type you will ultimately get faster results. First I would like to define the 7 Laws (adapted from the writings of Fredrick C. Hatfield) that should be adhered to regardless of the type of training system you employ: Law I – The Principle Of Individual Differences We must recognize and accept that we are all different based on genetics. We all have different body types, often referred to as the somatotypes: ectomorph, mesomorph & endomorph (most people are a combination of all 3 body types). The somatotypes is a very general classification that can help you determine the best type of training for you, but it’s a very basic tool and there is much more involved in one’s genetic make-up and musculature. Somatotypes are defined as follows: - Ectomorph: Thin, light bone structure, difficult to gain mass. - Mesomorph: Muscular, lean, gains muscle mass relatively easy. - Endomorph: Heavy, large bone structure, propensity to weight gain. Law II – The Overcompensation Principle The body overcompensates in defense to the stress placed upon it. A muscle grows bigger and stronger when trained with heavy weights, just as your hand will develop calluses when friction is applied. If you do not change the form of stress the muscles will have no reason to further adapt. Law III – The Overload Principle Relates to Law II, in that to gain further size & strength, endurance, etc., you must use training that is greater than what the body would normally encounter. If you train with the same amount of weight and/or repetitions every workout your muscles will not continue to adapt. Thus, you must overload in some way to cause further adaption. Law IV – The SAID Principle Specific Adaption to Imposed Demands, basically this law states that in order to meet your training objectives, e.g. increase explosiveness, you must you use specific training methods that will increase explosiveness. Or, if your goal is to increase limit strength, you must train with heavy weights. Law V – The Use/Disuse Principle Very simply put: “use it, or lose it”! If you increase a muscle via weight training you must continue to place the same or more stress upon the muscle or it will inevitably return to it’s normal size, which is called atrophy. Law VI – The Specificity Principle This law states that you must progress from foundational training to specific training to meet your final objective, whether it be a competition or improving your game of golf. An example would be to increase your maximum squat you need to use squats in your training rather than leg presses. Law VII – The GAS Principle General Adaption Syndrome, there are three stages: the alarm stage (intense training), the resistance stage (adaption) and the exhaustion stage (over training). If one is not careful in their training regimen they will over train according to this law. To avoid over training you must use periods of high intensity training, followed by periods of low intensity training and/or rest. So, no matter what method of training you utilize, the 7 Laws should be adhered to as closely as possible to facilitate maximum gains and to avoid a state of over training. The two most common questions are how much weight and how many reps? Unfortunately there is no magic number; it will vary from individual to individual. An “ectomorph” who is predominantly red fiber will respond better to higher repetition training, whereas a “mesomorph” who is predominantly white fiber will respond better to lower repetitions and heavier weights. However, no one is any single somatotype, most of us are a combination of all three, so there is no canned program that will yield the best results. For overall size gains, the goal of a bodybuilder, using a multitude of rep ranges, poundage’s and varying intensity will be most beneficial as well as staying in your 55-85 percent maximum range. If your max on bench press were 200lbs, using varying weights of 110lbs up to 170lbs would be your “training zone”. That does not mean you should never go above or below those poundage’s, it just means that the majority of training you do should be within that range. Typically, for hypertrophy to take place your reps should be in the 4-8 range. There is no need to ever use a weight that you cannot perform at least 4 reps with, unless your goal is pure strength. There are a few reasons that I say this, one is that when you train at 90 percent or higher of your maximum weight Type IIb muscle fibers are doing the majority of the work, and this will not do much for hypertrophy. In fact, even power lifters and Olympic lifters do the majority of their training at around 85% of their max. You may be thinking that 55-85 percent is quite a difference in poundage, well it is. This is where periodization comes into play. Periodization is a concept where you use cycles to break up your training. Regardless of your ultimate goal you should have a plan, and this plan needs to be broken up into your daily, weekly, and monthly workouts. So, you may have a week of heavy intense training, then a maintenance week of lighter training, the light week allows the muscles to recuperate, yet because they’re still being trained atrophy will not occur from disuse. In order to avoid a state of over training, and continue to grow, we need to recover. Remember your muscles do not grow in the gym, they grow when at rest. Many factors contribute to over training, including inadequate rest, continued heavy training, and deficiencies in diet & nutrition. By using periodization to map out your training you will avoid over training and keep your muscles in a state of continued adaption. Principles that can be used when planning your training cycles: Cycle Training: this is where you break up your training into bulk cycles, strength cycles and cutting cycles; which will help keep your muscles in a responsive state. Split Training: this is breaking up your training into separate body parts each work-out which allows for shorter and more intense sessions. Muscle Confusion: your muscles adapt to stress, and ultimately you can reach a plateau. By constantly varying the exercises, weights, sets and reps you can ensure continued adaption. Progressive Overload: continue to increase different parameters in your training, whether it be more weight, increasing sets and reps, etc. Eclectic Training: using a variety of methods in your training, combining numerous techniques such as compound and isolation exercises. Principles that can assist you in arranging each workout: Supersets: alternating two opposing muscle groups with little rest in between sets. Giant Sets: performing several exercises for a single muscle group with little rest in between sets. Muscle Priority: training a weaker body part first in your work out. Pre-Exhaustion: this is where you perform an isolation exercise preceding a compound exercise, e.g. leg extensions before squats. Pyramiding: beginning with a lighter weight, gradually increasing weight and lowering reps, then work backwards, decreasing weight and increasing reps. Stripping: going from a heavy weight, and stripping off weight each set as fatigue sets in. Principles that can be used with each exercise: Forced reps: once failure has been reached on a set, your partner assists you in performing additional reps that could not be performed alone. Continuous tension: maintaining slow continuous tension thru out the rep, which will maximize red muscle fiber recruitment. Cheating: once failure is reached the weight is swung past your sticking point to complete the movement. (useful when you do not have a spotter) Partial reps: as the name implies only part of the full movement is performed, e.g. only curling a barbell half way up, which can be effective due to the varying points of leverage. Peak contraction: at the completion of a set holding the weight fully contracted for a few seconds. Super speed: using a lighter weight, reps are performed explosively yet controlled, called “compensatory acceleration”, which can help with white fiber recruitment. Another very important component of your training and growth is nutrition. Unfortunately, the scope of this article is not diet and nutrition, but I want to emphasize its importance. Since protein is required for anabolism, it’s crucial that your protein intake be adequate. The general rule of thumb for protein requirements is 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. This means that a 200lb bodybuilder should be consuming 200-300 grams of protein per day spread across 5-6 meals each day (33 to 50 grams per meal). You should consume protein from a variety of sources, including red meat, chicken, eggs, milk, fish, cheese and whey to name a few. Many times people will say they just cannot gain weight; well the answer is simple “eat more calories”. In order to gain weight, including muscle mass, you must be consuming more calories than you’re burning, period. So, if you feel that you’re doing everything correctly in regards to training, and you’re not gaining weight, try increasing your calories by 200-300 per day. I am not saying the answer is that simple, although often times it is, I am just making the point that you cannot gain weight without adequate calories. For more detailed information on diet and nutrition please see the section on this site where you will find several articles on the subject.