By Leigh Penman

Vitamin B12 has earned the reputation of being an energy booster and an appetite stimulant and, it is for this reason that many bodybuilders and athletes choose to supplement their diet with this nutrient. It can also be a worthy addition to post cycle treatment (PCT) since it is on discontinuing the use of anabolic agents that most athletes are likely to find their energy and appetite levels falling.

However, aside from its use in PCT, vitamin B12 has many valuable functions in the body, particularly when it comes to the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B12 assists normal growth and development, helps with certain types of nerve damage and treats pernicious anemia. Another important role of B12 is in the maintenance of the myelin sheath, which provides insulation in nerve cells. It is the deterioration of this valuable protective cover which results in the neurological damage seen in such conditions as Multiple Sclerosis. Continue Reading »

Former Mr. America and Mr. World to Join Us on November 11

On this week’s episode of ‘MuscleSport Radio,’ we will be joined by none other than Bill Grant, the 1972 Mr. America and 1974 Mr. World. We will be covering the ‘Golden Age of Bodybuilding’ during the 1970s in California and what Bill is up to today. His ‘Old School Bodybuilding’ DVD series and his annual outdoor bodybuilding contest in Pennsylvania will be merely a sample of what will be discussed. Continue Reading »

Not falling for the ‘trap game’ mentality that has haunted so many teams over the years, the Jets totally dominated the hapless St. Louis Rams at the Meadowlands by a score of 47-3. After beating the Bills in Buffalo last week and having to go to New England this Thursday, it would have been easy to look past an out of conference 2-6 team.

That is not head coach Eric Mangini’s style. He prepares his team the same every week and was visibly happy after the convincing win. “With the completeness of the game, it’s something we’ve been stressing week in and week out,” he said. Continue Reading »

Rivalry Games Highlight Match-ups as Second Half of Season Kicks Off

As Week 10 had an early start with a Thursday night game in Cleveland, the full serving will take place on Sunday. The marquee contest will be played in the evening when the New York Giants face the Eagles for the first time as defending Super Bowl champions, with this one being played in Philadelphia.

A battle for supremacy in the AFC East will take place in New England, as two 5-3 teams (Pats and Bills) face off. What could either be great or disappointing games are the Colts visiting Pittsburgh and Tennessee at Chicago. Continue Reading »

Will Grunge Look and Muscles Also Make a Return?

The Yankees declining Jason Giambi’s 2009 option came as no surprise, but the fact that he may end up back in Oakland can be viewed as a mild one. The slugging first baseman’s former guru with the Athletics and Yanks, Bob Alejo, has been brought back by the A’s as director of strength and conditioning. Can this spell the return of the former American League MVP?

Giambi’s relationship with Alejo goes back to 1993 and after he was banned from the Bronx Bombers’ clubhouse in 2005, Giambi could not have been thrilled. Rekindling that relationship has to have some value to Giambi, who paid Alejo $125,000 (including a 401(k) plan) to leave his position as Oakland’s strength and conditioning coach in 2002 to become his personal trainer. Continue Reading »

Houston, We Have a Problem

For a man that had been given kudos for giving money to vagrants and preferring to be called by his first name, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison seems like a reasonable man. Maybe that is the problem why he has had such a difficult time coming to a decision in the infamous Roger Clemens - Brian McNamee civil lawsuit.

After hearing both sides argue about the case for two hours in a Houston courtroom, ‘Keith’ said, “I really have been agonizing over these claims.” Perhaps many of us would, but it would probably have more to do with the comedic team of Clemens and his band of merry men. Joe Roden - an attorney with the offices of good ol’ Rusty Hardin - is working on this case. Continue Reading »

Special Guest Leigh Penman Talks Steroids, Women’s Bodybuilding

Be sure to listen to ‘MuscleSport radio’ live every Tuesday from 3 to 4 pm (Eastern time) on www.blogtalkradio.com. This week’s show, our fourth episode, included MuscleSport Mag staff writer Leigh Penman, who spoke about some of the myths surrounding anabolic steroids, the Marion Jones saga and the state of women’s bodybuilding.

Episodes can be heard live or via download on Blog Talk Radio, iTunes or MuscleSport Mag. On next week’s show, our special guest will be Bill Grant. On 11/18/08, we will be joined by Boyer Coe, and on 11/25/08, Samir Bannout.

By Leigh Penman

And so it came to pass last week that Marion Jones decided to place herself in front of the talk show high priestess, Oprah Winfrey, and tell “all” about her brush with the law and imprisonment for anabolic steroid use during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

But did she really tell the truth this time around or was it simply a case of trying to crawl her way back into the publics’ hearts?

Well, during the interview Marion looked down a lot when formulating her answers to Oprah’s questions. Now, any student of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) would tell you that this was a sign of searching her feelings and emotions for the appropriate response. However, it could also just be a sign that she was avoiding too much eye contact with Winfrey as she considered her answers (and we don’t need to be students of body science to figure out why). Continue Reading »

MuscleSport Mag Staff Writer/Steroid Profile Writer to Take Gear Questions

If you ever had a question about anabolic steroids, this Tuesday’s episode of ‘MuscleSport Radio’ is your chance to get a straight answer. MuscleSport Mag staff writer Leigh Penman, who has contributed numerous steroid profiles to the publication, will be the special guest and the open forum is being encouraged.

Penman has over 20 years of writing and editing experience and has been training for 30 years in the United States and United Kingdom.

Feel free to call in and be heard live on the air. Our call-in number is (347) 884-8157.

Be sure to listen on Tuesday, November 4 from 3 to 4 pm (Eastern time) on Blog Talk Radio (www.blogtalkradio.com) .

On next week’s show (Tuesday, November 11), we will be joined by one of bodybuilding’s biggest names of all time, Bill Grant.

When Bodybuilders Turn Pro…

Recently, MuscleSport Mag had the pleasure of doing a one-on-one interview with Gregg Valentino, who is a top staff writer in ‘Muscular Development’ magazine. His ‘Ramblin’ Freak’ column is just one of his contributions each month to the famous publication and is known throughout the industry as the type of writer that pulls no punches and tells it like it is – if it pisses off some people or not. (Part Two of this interview also appears in the October issue of New York Sportscene magazine.)

Being around professional and amateur bodybuilders his entire adult life, Gregg Valentino has noticed one consistency during the progression of their careers. “A guy will win an amateur contest and then turn pro,” he said. “A year later, he’s a totally different bodybuilder.”

The difference, Valentino says, is usually 20 pounds bigger and ripped. “I think it takes a lot of money to be a pro bodybuilder with all the drugs.” While that may sound shocking to some, the obvious is blatant and to have a frank conversation about the subject, denying that there is steroid use in the sport of bodybuilding is detrimental. It is there and has been for a long time.

Continue Reading »