I enjoy reading your informative articles in M&B. My question is: What are the best exercises for building “cannonball” deltoids? I do straight, solid sets of 8–12 reps and have worked them hard and heavy, but nothing consistently works. A: You may have to retool your workout as well as look at your supplement regimen.… read more
My 19-year-old son is a heavyweight wrestler in school. He works out daily with weights and has been using some type of creatine that helps increase his strength and size. He now wants to take a product called Xpand 2x, which is intended to increase nitric-oxide levels. Why would he want to boost these levels?… read more
[Citrulline 101] You’ve mentioned citrulline and its effects before. Someone at GNC told me to try Myo-Blitz as a preworkout, and I noticed that it contains citrulline. Does it really help you train when you take it preworkout? A: Today’s preworkout products are far superior to those of five years ago, and one of the… read more
I just purchased Cellucor’s C4 and noticed it includes beta-alanine. A friend warned me against taking beta-alanine because it causes a reaction of tingling and feeling flushed. Is this a safe ingredient? What does it do? A: Beta-alanine is a very safe and effective ingredient. The tingling or flushed feeling your friend experiences is called… read more
Q: I’m 24 years old and following the ‘New Year, No Fear’ transformation. Is it really important to take a multivitamin when trying to gain muscle? What about CLA? A: CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is an effective supplement that helps to enhance weight loss. It helps improve the lean-mass-to-body-fat ratio, and decreases fat deposition, especially… read more
Q: I started your “New Year, No Fear” transformation last month. Before I train, I eat oatmeal with half of a banana and drink a Dymatize protein shake mixed with BarnDad Ultra Fiber DX. I don’t get a good pump in my morning workouts like I do in the afternoon. Could the fiber be affecting… read more
Q: I play college football, and between practices, games and my weight training, I’m always sore and a little rundown. Can you suggest a supplement that may help me recover so I’m not so sore all the time? A: There could be a few reasons why you’re always experiencing soreness. Two of the most common… read more
Q: My triceps are not responding to my workouts and I want to get them growing. I’ve been doing pyramid sets with close-grip bench presses and close-grip triceps pushdowns. Do you have suggestions of new triceps exercises I can try for thickness and shape? A: If your triceps muscles do not respond to a program… read more
EXPERT TRAINER AND CHAMPION BODYBUILDER DAVE HAWK ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS ON TRAINING AND NUTRITION. LISTEN TO HIM. Q: I’ve read in your column about the benefits of supplementing with arginine for boosting nitric oxide. At GNC, the salesperson sold me MRI’s NO2 Black and said it contains arginine-AKG. Is this the same thing you were… read more
EXPERT TRAINER AND CHAMPION BODYBUILDER DAVE HAWK ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS ON TRAINING AND NUTRITION. LISTEN TO HIM. Q: I want to start taking BCAAs but I’m confused as to which is best for me. Some brands have a 2:1:1 ratio and others provide a higher amount of leucine. What is the difference, and is there… read more
