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Building muscles during your bodybuilding sessions can become easier than you think. There is a formula which is quite obvious: creatine plus muscle workout equals muscle growth. Simple. Please don’t think that just taking bodybuilding supplements to give you muscle growth quickly, without putting the work-in, I am afraid they go hand in hand, for much greater results.
So what is creatine? Here’s the technical part: Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in vertebrates and helps to supply energy to all cells in the body, primarily muscle, by increasing the formation of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Creatine was identified in 1832 when Michel Eugène Chevreul discovered it as a component of skeletal muscle, which he later named creatine after the Greek word for meat, κρέας (kreas). In solution, creatine is in equilibrium with creatinine.
Pheeewww….well if that was hard to understand, for the simple people out there here is what it is: Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the body made up of the amino acids – argine, glycine and methionine. It’s produced in the liver, pancreas and kidneys and is used predominantly to provide energy to your muscles.
What can it do for me? Well creatine takes your body water and confines it to your muscles, allow them to rebuild faster and bigger! Quite straight forward and simple really. So what are you waiting for? Order your supplements now, to get building those muscles of yours looking ripped after a bodybuilding workout.
Could you teach me how to gain muscle fast? Could you teach me how to pack on an extra ten to fifteen pounds of muscle mass before my next vacation? Could you help me get ready for my first bodybuilding or fitness model competition? Could you help you look like someone who actually lifts weights? Could you help me build a body that turns heads and demands respect? Not a problem, need it now? Click here to find out more.
As a skinny guy muscle building expert, I get approached these questions daily in my office. Every single hard gainer I consult with wants to know how to gain muscle fast and how to do safely and effectively.
Hard gainers, please listen up! There is hope for you. I am happy to say that learning how to gain muscle fast is not as hard as some would make you believe but it also not as easy as you might think. But you must be prepared to train smarter and not harder. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about wimping out during your workouts. I am referring to the big picture of training more intelligently.
Here is some of the most popular advice I give to the hard gainer when he wishes to gain muscle fast.
1. Never Perform More Than 10 Reps. If you are lifting weights beyond 10 reps than you are emphasizing your slow-twitch muscle fibers which have the smallest opportunity for muscle growth. You are a hard gainer and you need recruit the maximal amount of muscle fibers in every set. Always choose your weights knowing that a 11th rep is forbidden and trespassing into ‘skinny land.’ If you really want to gain muscle fast than get your mind into heavy lifting mode. Every single set and every single exercise. Keep the weights heavy and never more than 10 reps. Approach every workout knowing that you are going to be venturing into new territory and waging war on your skinny genetics. I recommend these workouts with a workout partner so you can eliminate any safetey issues, not slack off and push your limits every inch of the way. 2. Reduce Your Workout Time Perform more work in less time and you have increased your work capacity. Work refers to the number of sets, reps and poundage within your workout. Who is fitter? The guy who can do 4 sets of 185 pounds bench press with 30 second rest or the guy who can do 4 sets of 185 pound bench press with 90 second rest? The one who can do the same amout of work in less time. Guess who is more muscular? The one who has a higher work capacity. Next time you enter the gym, try to complete your current workout in less time. Take shorter rests. Move from one exercise to the next much quicker. Don’t be surprised if you feel out of shape! This is one of the easiest tips you can take away to increase your muscle density and take your fitness to a new level. Be prepared to humble yourself and get out of your comfort zone. 3. Do Only One Exercise Per Muscle Group Only one? Yes, only one, unless you want to buy into the notion that you must mutilate a muscle for over an hour to get any growth out of it. Consider this typical day in the gym. Today is your chest day. Your first exercise is bench press. You perform your first set with 185 lbs, second set with 205 lbs, third set with 225 lbs and fourth set with 245 lbs. Assuming this is your max weight for the desired number of reps, is it not safe to say that you have used the maximal number of muscle fibers? Your goal is to simple spark your muscles into growth. Not exhaust them to death. Once they experience a unknown assalut (stimulus), your body will be forced to adapt and create new muscle to prevent future assaults! Therefore, your take home lesson is this: Once you have out performed your last workout, it is time to move onto the next exercise. 4. Do No More Than 3-5 Sets Per Muscle Group I question a hard gainers workout intensity if they must do more than 3-5 sets per muscle group. Now if you are using anabolic steroids or have muscle friendly genes than you can safely dismiss this advice. Remember, learning how to gain muscle fast for the hard gainer requires following a new set of rules. Consider the first 1-2 sets at 85% maximal effort. The third set at 95% maximal effort and the fourth (and sometimes fifth) set at 100% maximal effort. It is only this last all out set that contributes to the greatest muscle growth. Anything over and above this last go till you blow set simply exhausts the muscle beyond reason and delays your recovery ability to hit the muscle again. It is this last set that you should perform at least 1-2 extra reps or 5-10 extra pounds than last workout. Mission accomplished. You have sparked your muscles into growth. Time to move on. 5. Increase Your Strength 5% Every Two Weeks One of the biggest mistakes I see hard gainers make in the gym is not track there progress. They return week-after-week to simply reherse the same workouts with the absense of progress. How do you expect to gain muscle fast if you continue to lift the same weights each workout? Your body is designed to tolerate stress. Assault it and let it get bigger. Assault it and let it get bigger. It’s a simple concept. So your take home message is to aim for a minimum of 5% strength increase every two weeks. You might progress a little quicker with larger muscle groups like back and legs versus smaller muscles like biceps and triceps. Just think, in six months from now, you will be over twice as strong as you are now! I would actually recommend writing down your strength goals for six months from now and than work backwords. If you are currently dead lifting 135 lbs, aim to be deadlifting 270 lbs over the next few months!
1. Never Perform More Than 10 Reps.
If you are lifting weights beyond 10 reps than you are emphasizing your slow-twitch muscle fibers which have the smallest opportunity for muscle growth. You are a hard gainer and you need recruit the maximal amount of muscle fibers in every set. Always choose your weights knowing that a 11th rep is forbidden and trespassing into ‘skinny land.’
If you really want to gain muscle fast than get your mind into heavy lifting mode. Every single set and every single exercise. Keep the weights heavy and never more than 10 reps. Approach every workout knowing that you are going to be venturing into new territory and waging war on your skinny genetics. I recommend these workouts with a workout partner so you can eliminate any safetey issues, not slack off and push your limits every inch of the way.
2. Reduce Your Workout Time
Perform more work in less time and you have increased your work capacity. Work refers to the number of sets, reps and poundage within your workout. Who is fitter? The guy who can do 4 sets of 185 pounds bench press with 30 second rest or the guy who can do 4 sets of 185 pound bench press with 90 second rest? The one who can do the same amout of work in less time. Guess who is more muscular? The one who has a higher work capacity.
Next time you enter the gym, try to complete your current workout in less time. Take shorter rests. Move from one exercise to the next much quicker. Don’t be surprised if you feel out of shape! This is one of the easiest tips you can take away to increase your muscle density and take your fitness to a new level. Be prepared to humble yourself and get out of your comfort zone.
3. Do Only One Exercise Per Muscle Group
Only one? Yes, only one, unless you want to buy into the notion that you must mutilate a muscle for over an hour to get any growth out of it. Consider this typical day in the gym. Today is your chest day. Your first exercise is bench press. You perform your first set with 185 lbs, second set with 205 lbs, third set with 225 lbs and fourth set with 245 lbs.
Assuming this is your max weight for the desired number of reps, is it not safe to say that you have used the maximal number of muscle fibers? Your goal is to simple spark your muscles into growth. Not exhaust them to death. Once they experience a unknown assalut (stimulus), your body will be forced to adapt and create new muscle to prevent future assaults! Therefore, your take home lesson is this: Once you have out performed your last workout, it is time to move onto the next exercise.
4. Do No More Than 3-5 Sets Per Muscle Group
I question a hard gainers workout intensity if they must do more than 3-5 sets per muscle group. Now if you are using anabolic steroids or have muscle friendly genes than you can safely dismiss this advice. Remember, learning how to gain muscle fast for the hard gainer requires following a new set of rules.
Consider the first 1-2 sets at 85% maximal effort. The third set at 95% maximal effort and the fourth (and sometimes fifth) set at 100% maximal effort. It is only this last all out set that contributes to the greatest muscle growth. Anything over and above this last go till you blow set simply exhausts the muscle beyond reason and delays your recovery ability to hit the muscle again. It is this last set that you should perform at least 1-2 extra reps or 5-10 extra pounds than last workout. Mission accomplished. You have sparked your muscles into growth. Time to move on.
5. Increase Your Strength 5% Every Two Weeks
One of the biggest mistakes I see hard gainers make in the gym is not track there progress. They return week-after-week to simply reherse the same workouts with the absense of progress. How do you expect to gain muscle fast if you continue to lift the same weights each workout? Your body is designed to tolerate stress. Assault it and let it get bigger. Assault it and let it get bigger. It’s a simple concept.
So your take home message is to aim for a minimum of 5% strength increase every two weeks. You might progress a little quicker with larger muscle groups like back and legs versus smaller muscles like biceps and triceps. Just think, in six months from now, you will be over twice as strong as you are now! I would actually recommend writing down your strength goals for six months from now and than work backwords. If you are currently dead lifting 135 lbs, aim to be deadlifting 270 lbs over the next few months!
Conclusion
I know these five tips were not your typical Muscle and Fitness 101 advice and not your typical generic bodybuilding advice. I learned a long time ago to question everything you read and hear. Learn for yourself by doing and not by talking about it. As a skinny guy once myself, 149 lbs to be exact, I defeated my skinny genetics and learned how to gain muscle fast by not following the herd and training smarter and not harder Will you?
So, if you need to know how to build muscle and gain weight fast or muscle quickly, without drugs and supplements with training less, then vistit the here.
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Almost anyone that’s picked up a set of weights has or will experience symptoms of over-training at one point in there muscle building program. Over-training can lead to serious injury, chronic fatigue, and even muscle loss.
Over-training is very common amongst athletes and particularly bodybuilders, since they figure that training as much as possible is the fastest way to massive muscle gains.
This couldn’t be any further from the truth however…
Training too much, or at too high of an intensity will lead to over-training.
Now this doesn’t mean you don’t have to put plenty of effort in to see some decent results… Whether you are a bodybuilder, athlete, or just someone that wants to add some additional mass to your frame, you need to train hard and be consistent-that’s a given. In order to get the most out of your genetics, you have to progressively overload the muscles by increasing the weight and / or intensity of each weight training workout.
The problem is however, that many of us increase the intensity of our workouts or get insufficient amounts of rest, or even worse, a combination of both. The trick is finding the right balance between workout volume and intensity, and rest and recovery. And that is exactly what I’ll cover in this article. The Effects of Over-Training on Bodybuilders
First, let’s take a look at some of the effects of over-training and how one can prevent over-training from happening in the first place.
The Effects of Over-training on the Nervous System
Over-training effects both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the following negative ways:
If you are experiencing more than one of the symptoms outlined above, you may be in a state of over-training, and should evaluate your routine as soon as possible.
The Effects of Over-training on Hormone Levels
Many studies have indicated that over-training negatively effects the levels of hormones, as well as the hormone response in the body. Since hormones play such an important role in the muscle building process, this can have a detrimental effect on your training progress.
Over-training has been show to:
The Effects of Over-training on the Immune System
perhaps one of the most alarming repercussions of over-training is it’s negative impact on the immune system-you’re bodies first defense against harmful viruses and bacteria.
Over-training can drastically decrease the levels of antibodies and lymphocytes in your body, making you much more susceptible to illness. Simply put, this means that if you are in a state of over-training, you are much more likely to get sick. Since you will have to skip workouts while you are sick, your muscle building progress will slow considerably.
The Effects of Over-training on the Metabolic System
Here is a list of how over-training can effect the metabolic system. These symptoms are the ones that are most commonly discussed, and are ones we can’t ignore:
So you must get the point by now… Over-training effects the entire body, and can seriously impact the results of your muscle building program.
Now let’s take a look at the different types of over-training, and what we can do to prevent it.
Is it Worse to Over-Train With Cardio or Weight Training?
Any form of over-training is a bad thing, however, I’ve personally experienced both types of over-training and can honestly say that over-training in the weight room is much worse, and much more prevalent than over-training through cardiovascular training.
Here are some of the reasons why:
I personally believe that only competitive athletes such as swimmers, runners and bikers run a serious risk of reaching a state of cardiovascular over-training, since there are often training for two or more hours daily.
The bottom line is that it is much easier for the average person to over-train while weight training than while cardiovascular training, and I think the effects can be more serious.
How do I Determine if I’m Over-training?
Determining if you’re currently over-training is fairly simple. If you’re in tune with your body, you can often see the signs of over-training before they get serious. If you are losing interest in workouts, are having trouble sleeping, and feel weak and irritable, you may be in a state of over-training and should take a week or more off.
If you are experiencing two or more of the symptoms outlined earlier in the article, this should raise a red flag.
Another variable you can use to determine if you are over-training is by tracking the performance of your workouts.
Has your physical performance improved compared to your last workout?
For example, let’s say last workout you were able to perform 8 pull-ups using your body-weight, but were only able to perform 6 pull-ups the following week. This means that you have not “out done” your previous workout, have not fully recovered, and therefore are likely over-training. You nave to re-asses your program and make modifications so that you see progress every workout.
How Can I Prevent Over-training?
n order to avoid over-training, you need to take a multi-facited approach. Determining the correct training volume and intensity, eating the right foods, and getting the right amount of rest and recovery must all be taken in to consideration. Now let’s take a look at each of those factors in more detail.
Correct Training Volume
Determining the correct training volume can be difficult, especially when you are first starting out. You have to determine how much weight to lift, how many repetitions and set to perform for every single workout.
You need to use your own judgment in this case, based on your recovery ability and your recovery methods. Remember that the goal is that you improve every single workout, and if this isn’t happening, you have to decrease the intensity of your workouts.
This is where many people go wrong though. You begin your workout and realize that you have not fully recovered. You can either continue to train at a lower intensity than the previous workout, or skip the workout entirely.
As hard as it may be, skipping the workout is the right way to go. Just turn around and go home! Your body is telling you that it needs more rest, and you must listen to it!
There is no point in training at a lower intensity, further breaking down the muscle tissue. By doing this you will increase your risk of injury, and make it harder for your body to fully recovery for your next training session.
Proper Nutrition
Your diet plays a huge role in your muscle building program. It helps regulate hormone levels, provides energy, and provides the raw building blocks that are used to create new tissue.
Here are some dietary recommendations that will limit the chance of over-training:
Rest & Recovery
Rest and recovery is essential when it comes to avoiding over-training. Make sure that you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night, and that you are on a consistent schedule. As for recovery time, it’s important that you have days off between weight training workouts. Try to have one rest day between weight training workouts, and never train the same muscle groups on consecutive days.
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Vince Delmonteis a competitive fitness model and personal trainer, as well as the author of No-Nonsense Muscle Building, a complete guide to building muscle for the hardgainer.
Vince’s program includes extensive diet plans, complete weight training regimens, video tutorials, and full email personal training support.
Almost everyone wants to lose some excess fat on their body somewhere. For the vast majority, they’re looking to lose belly fat and they want to lose belly fat fast! Whether you want to admit it or not, most of us spend far too many months of the year overeating and then scramble at the first sign of warm weather in order to remove what’s accumulated over the time. Unfortunately, if you’re trying to learn how to lose belly fat, it’s not exactly a quick fix.
The problem most individuals run into is they overlook how difficult it can be to lose belly fat off their body. If the truth be told, a fat belly is probably one of the hardest areas to successfully remove because it’s made up what is known as ‘stubborn’ fat.
You’re body is actually physiologically slightly different when it comes to fat around the abdominal region. What’s the reason for this? Primarily, it’s the first place we tend to store fat and where body fat is needed for protection the most – to protect the organs and internal structures.
As such, your fat belly is going to do everything it can to hold onto it. Not a good situation in your quest to lose belly fat.
In order to outsmart this, you’re going to have to work really hard. That’s not to say it can’t be done – it most certainly can, you just have to have realistic expectations about the time line you will achieve this goal over and how much effort you’ll have to put in.
First things first, lets talk about exercise to lose belly fat. First, hit the weights. When lifting, be sure you are lifting as heavy as you possibly can, as this is what will ramp up your metabolism the highest. You want to shoot for the 6-10 rep range, as this is most appropriate for metabolic effects.
Second, get that cardio up there. Don’t do hours on end though, focus on doing sprints. In fact, better yet is to sprint first, then do more steady state cardio afterwards. This will help to release the fatty acids from the tissue (mobilize them) and then burn them off during the steady state cardio. This type of set-up can be far more effective at getting that stubborn fat off your body than doing a typical cardio session is.
Lastly, check over that belly fat diet. Too many fat or carbohydrates calories will slow your progress, while protein, generally speaking will help due to the fact the body burns more calories just digesting it.
This can be taken too far though – there is no need to exceed 1.5 grams per pound of body weight, but keeping it up around that level is your best approach. Then, fill in the remainder of your calories with carbohydrates around the workout period and fat during the other times.
As long as you are patient with the process and continually push yourself in the gym, there is no reason why within time, you can’t be sporting your own set of six-pack abs.
Want to get started? Why don’t you take a look and join the Vince Delmonte Fitness Program.
I found this great article, thought that I would share it with you.
Written by: Jim_Brewster
Lately, it seems like supplements are coming under attack from all sides. Just this morning, I listened to a video from an “expert” about ab training who made ridiculous comments about how dangerous thermogenics can be. I go to my Facebook page, where many of my friends are in the fitness industry and there’s a bunch of them bad mouthing supplements!
These are supposed to be “experts” that understand the proper place of supplements in your overall program! And we can’t forget the recent consumer reports test on popular protein powders. Now, let me say I understand that there are a lot of companies out there that do not make quality products. I do think there should be better quality control and testing to insure what is on the label is in the product. I do not, however, want to see complete FDA control because if that were to happen, your choices would be so severely limited it wouldn’t be worth it. The FDA has tried many times over the years to shut down the industry. One big reason is that the industry pulls money away from the big drug companies and hence, doctors. Politics. Just recently, McCain wanted to pass a bill that would have you only going to your doctor for only those supplements the FDA allowed. Here’s another scary thing about the viewpoint of government regarding supplements: many members of Congress believe creatine is a steroid. Sadly, many, many members of the public think the same. Creatine is a steroid? Think about that for a moment – steroids are illegal, yet supposedly you can walk into any mall, find one of the chain stores and buy some! Even Walmart sells creatine! Now is that ignorant, or what? What bothers me even more is when experts in the fitness/bodybuilding community bad mouth supplements, or when you read on some forum about how this or that member thinks they are “stupid”. Why does this bother me? It’s one thing to make an educated choice to rely on whole food – and here’s the thing, I do think most of your meals should be from whole food. But to deny the convenience and aid you can get from supplements doesn’t make any sense because many times, people are not making an educated choice, they are reacting to the media horror stories or simply reacting to the way the products come across and seeing advertising hype instead of the potential benefits. My attitude has always been – make your opinion known but is it educated? If you are going to use your fame to broadcast how terrible supplements are, or just simply badmouth them in general – what are you basing that on, have you done your research? I can tell, the “ab guy” did not. From consumer reports, I can gather that their test reinforces what I’ve always known – you want to buy from the best brands. Optimum tested out pretty good, they have always been a top brand. You have to understand what you are buying – what can you find about the product? What about customer feedback? Some product categories, such as thermogenics, have sound science behind them – have you read the research that backs them up? I have and I have believed in them ever since. Are they safe? As long as they are taken as directed, yes. That’s the thing, historically any problems have stemmed from user abuse, not the actual products.
The thing is, supplements provide a great service to anyone concerned about their health. Here’s an example – I work in a fast paced retail environment, often alone. I don’t get lunch. I can’t sit down to a whole food meal, which does require time to make and eat. I can, however, get in a quick shake or two. In fact, they are lifesavers. Your body does not care where your protein comes from – food or powder, as long as it gets what it needs. There are critical times of the day when a whole food meal just does not work – such as after the workout, or even during the workout. People miss the importance of the post workout shake, and the potential of an intra workout drink. Here, it’s the speed of digestion that matters, and whole food just takes longer,that’s the way it is. Now, don’t get me wrong, when I can choose whole food sources, I will and as I said, your diet should be based on them. But convenience is convenience.
Additionally, many supplements serve a benefit you just can’t get from food. Creatine is a prime example. It does occur naturally in meat and in our bodies but the benefit comes from “supplementing” extra to our diet. It’s results can’t be argued with. Here’s another thing – many products are trying to keep athletes away from steroids ( the real ones). The choice is yours but this is a noble cause. If you can get results you are happy with you may not use steroids. Yet, this point is missed by most people. For most of us, anything we can do to gain even a slight advantage in our quest to build muscle, we will do and for those that are natural, that slight edge may be enough to keep us that way. I, for one, am not going to dismiss an area that can, in many cases, give me a big advantage. As long as I do my research, I will use supplements. You see, I’m making an educated choice to do so and that’s the only thing I’m relying on.
Given all of that, what products do I usually suggest? Protein is, first and foremost the single most important macro- nutrient you can take. Make sure your whole food choices are low in fat, such as lean meats, low fat dairy and so on. Choose only quality brands when picking out your protein. As I’ve said many times and is generally suggested by all modern bodybuilding authorities, take in 1 to 1.5 grams per pound of body-weight divided up over 6 meals.
Next, I would suggest a good, natural multi vitamin/mineral. I like the packs because there is no compromise in potency as in the case of 1 or 2 tablet per day product. This is insurance. Unless you analyze everything you eat for every known nutrient level you cannot get all the vitamins/minerals you need from your food. Never mind the RDA’s or newer Daily Values, they are not designed with athletes in mind, they are meant to keep you borderline healthy. The amounts advised are just barely enough to keep you from avoiding various deficiency-related diseases. As a hard training athlete, don’t gamble with your health, take a good multi.
Next, I would go with creatine. It’s time tested and time proven. You have a lot of choices nowadays, most newer products require less total creatine, no sugar for absorption and no loading. If you are among the few that suffered from bloating from using monohydrate, the newer versions solve that problem. Now, creatine does two main things: it’s involved in the ATP process of cellular energy and it acts as a cell volumizer. This is tied into sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and is one of three ways we build muscle size. What is sarcoplasmic hypertrophy? This means you are increasing the volume of the sarcoplasm, the jelly-like substance that surrounds and baths the myofibrils in your muscle cells with nutrients such as water, amino acids, creatine and glycogen. There are several current theories of muscle growth, this is one of the more popular theories and explains why cell volumization is a very big thing today. With this concept you are causing the muscles to pump and swell causing the fibers to stretch beyond normal. In theory, to make a long story short,this translates into new muscle growth but there is still some question as to whether or not you’ll see any meaningful strength increases.
From here, I personally have always liked Nitric Oxide and always get great results from stacking this with creatine. This product, based on l-arginine ( an amino acid) was actually brought to market by the same individual that brought creatine to market. It works in a similar manner, enhancing blood flow to the muscles and tied into, again, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Next, I would use a good joint product, it’s never to soon to take care of those joints!
Many people use some type of healthy fat(Omega 3)product, I would do this only if you do not like fish, as most of these products are derived from fish or if your daily fat intake falls dramatically below the usually suggested 20% of total calories.
Pre workout – this is great for pre workout energy as long as you don’t mind the caffeine. I do because I work out later. I, instead, will use Gatorade with creatine and nitric oxide. When I can, I’ll add a bcaa powder to this. I drink this during, by the way, not before. After I’m done, I”ll make up a blender drink of protein and simple carbs. You can buy specific intra workout products but I want specific things in mine which I don’t always see in the pre made versions. To me, this intra workout concept is huge. If I can keep the nutrients I need and would normally use up during the workout in my system, then I’ve taken a big step as far as staying in an anabolic state despite the fact that training is a catabolic event. Thermogenics – as part of a fat loss program they can make a difference. The simply speed the metabolism allowing you to burn more calories. If you have a problem with caffeine, don’t take them but to disagree with Ab Guy, they won’t “kill” anybody. You do, however, have to use good common sense and take them as directed. I always tell people to just start out with one once a day and see how you react, adjusting your dosage from there. This list is by no means all-inclusive and there are many product types I did not talk about but these are the basics that most people would start with. So, despite the constant media barrage on our right to use supplements, we do have some great products and exciting new developments out there – don’t be fooled into believing the media hype attacking this industry.