| Author | Message | ||
     Ralph A. Ciffaretto |
Hi Tom, I had posted in the “scalp exercises” forum that I was doing the scalp exercises for 1 hr. per day, and getting great results. I have since scaled this back to 30 min. per day, and continued getting the same results. If you recall, my reason for scaling this back was headaches possibly due to the dilation of the blood vessels in the temporal areas. Anyway, I mentioned that I was a competitive bodybuilder, and 100% drug free. I have won two amateur titles, and have and opportunity to go pro next year. Let me tell you, even though these shows are drug tested, I suspect some guys are using some forms of steroids, and at the least, I know some guys are using “pro-hormones”, i.e. Andro, 19-Nor, exe. These substances have been banned, and are now illegal. I have never used steroids or pro-hormones in my life. I recognize that the dangerous side effects of these products are far worse than the amount of muscle mass/fat loss that can be achieved with them. With that said Tom, I do take a substantial amount of natural supplements. Every single one of these supplements are 100% legal, and (to my knowledge) have minimal side effects. However, I respect a man of your intelligence and the wealth of knowledge in so many areas that you posses, so I would like your evaluation on my supplement routine. Please be honest with me, and let me know if you think I’m going overboard in any particular area. Keep in mind; I’m using a lot of this stuff to compete against guys on steroids. Anyway, here is my supplement regimen: General Heath • Brewer’s Yeast-498 mg • B-12-500 mg • C Ester-500 mg • C w/ rose hips-500 mg • L Carnitine-500mg • Biotin-900 mcg • Coenzyme Q10-100 mg • Linseed Oil(flaxseed)-3750 mg • Borage Oil-600 mg • Grape Seed Extract-90 mg • St. Johns Wart-500 mg • Saw Palmetto-320 mg • PABA-500 mg • Alpha Lipoic Acid-300 mg • Chondroitin-900 mg Bodybuilding • L Glutamine-20 g • L Arginine (Nitric Oxide)- 9000 mg • Whey Protien-140 g • Creatine Malate-20,500 mg(1 scoop) • GABA-5 g • NO Explode(creatine ethyl ester malate/Arginine alpha-ketogluterate)-9000 mg Also, I drink 2 gallons of purified water per day due to the amount of supplements I’m taking. Could you please provide your feedback on this supplement regimen? To date, I have yet to notice any side effects, but I want to ensure that I don’t do any damage in the long run. Thank you, Ralph A. Ciffaretto | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Ralph: You've made an in-depth study of supplements. I can of course tell that from the list you compiled. My thoughts on your supplement regimen would not be relevant to your life's direction - competitive bodybuilding. Our dietary philosophies are different. I believe in getting most of my nutrients from real foods. There are several reasons for this: (1) the nutrients in real foods are easily assimilated, (2) there are unidentified nutritional factors in real food that have not been synthesized yet, (3) you cannot get toxic levels of nutrients from real foods, although there are a few exceptions to this. Some of the "supplements" I take are real foods - brewer's yeast, cod liver oil (only a teaspoon), and flax seed powder. But I also take Ester C (even though this is probably no better than regular ascorbic acid), natural vitamin E (but not too much), and evening primrose oil. But if I were young and entering bodybuilding contests, I'd be taking many more supplements. I don't think I'd be drinking two gallons of water each day though. This might flush out too many water-soluble vitamins. Still you might need this if you're taking all these supplements. You obviously know your body and how it responds to different products. You have to trust your body because you certainly can't trust the hype put out by the supplement companies. The ingredient list has to be accurate, but everything else is mostly promotional with no supervision by any authority. I'm sure I'm not telling you anything here that you don't know already though. You're taking a gram of vitamin C each day - 500 mg Ester C and 500 mg rose hips (mostly ascorbic acid). If you feel any pain when you urinate, perhaps you should cut back on the vitamin C. All this ascorbic acid can irritate your urinary canal. You wrote an interesting message. | ||
| E.B. |
Thumbs up for never taken drugs! I am also a natural bodybuilder, but I probably don't have as big arms as you. I am actually just lifting for the fun of it, and to keep in shape. Although I can do a "one-hand-pullup". Not many can hehe. Since your are around a lot of big guys, have you noticed that many of these bodybuilders tend to go bald in an early age? Good luck going pro! E.B. | ||
| Ralph A. Ciffaretto |
Thanks for your response Tom. I'm still going just as strong with the scalp exercise and making steady progress(some additional regrowth). E.B., I started lifting the same way you did, just to stay in shape. It took me 10 years to attempt a contest. It was one of the turning points in my life because it took more discipline than anything I'd have ever done up until that point. Just the diet alone was brutal, but that discipline helped me with everything else in my life. That discipline gave me the confidence to achieve so many more milestones in my life. Simply put, if you can do a natural bodybuilding contest(and win) you can just about do anything(really!). It's hard work but builds character. BTW, you can pretty much tell what guys are using drugs based on the condition of their hair, which in most cases is gone. Thanks |
