Yet, even to those who don’t consider bodybuilding a sport that warrants “competition,” there is something about a contest that strips away the rhetoric. Lots of guys talk. Lots of guys (and girls) are big. But entering a show proves you’re willing to put it all on the line – to step out there in front of 500 people in your underwear and say “Here it is! This is my best!” That takes guts. No excuses. No “I’m holding a little water right now.” No baggy pants. No tomorrow. It’s just you and your muscles. (Gulp!)

The hype surrounding competitive bodybuilding is riddled with misconceptions. Have you ever seen Pumping Iron? Of course you have. As great as that documentary is, it gives an inaccurate impression of what bodybuilding contests are all about. All that “working extra hard” and psyching out the opponent was pure theater (as was the scene where Arnold and Franco were working with a ballet teacher. Sorry folks, but that was staged by George Butler).

I think it’s hilarious when I hear contestants saying things like “I’ll kick his ass,” or “I had to reach down deep and show what I was made of.” What are these people talking about? They act as if they’re going to war. You’re posing for God’s sake! Let’s face it – it’s a beauty contest. And unless you have one-in-a-million genetics, you can forget about making any money by competing.

But Joe Blow won ten thousand dollars in a contest based on his improvement in two months using Mega Gro 2,000,000! Uh huh. Back to reality. Don’t depend on prescription drugs to be the answer either. They can quicken your long term progress but too many people think that they’ll get that “freaky” musculature if they take enough gear a couple of months before a show. It just doesn’t work that way.

The truth is, preparing for a competition is about fine tuning what you already have. The biggest mistake that can be made is thinking that training more and eating less will transform your body in a few months into something it isn’t even close to now. It won’t happen.

For most people, entering a show is a personal struggle. Something to conquer…because it’s there. It’s a challenge getting in the best shape possible, and anything less than complete commitment will not do.

If, after all this dissuading, you’re still intent on giving it a go, click here to read part two and learn about contest preparation, tips on posing, and what you can expect to encounter the night of the show.

Prednisone is a funny drug. It is a cortico-type steroid that does so much, both good and bad. It is prescribed for many things. The list could go on almost endlessly.

Some of the good news with prednisone is that you can take a few non-narcotic pills dailyand constant pain can be reduced drastically. Breathing will be much easier. Of course, thisis why prednisone is prescribed for conditions such as asthma and arthritis. Naturally Iwouldn’t recommend doing this without supervision from your doctor due to the side effects of prednisone.

Prednisone has been used with organ transplant patients as well. After a patient has the organ transplant surgery, prednisone is given in high doses and slowly tapered to a lowerdosage. Prednisone is like cortisol which is naturally produced in the body. When prednisone is taken, the patient’s body produces less cortisol which helps the body deal with stress such as infection and rejection. Prednisone doses are lowered slowly to allow the body adjust and produce more cortisol.

Prednisone is also prescribed for rare diseases as well as very painful conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. In my case it used for Sarcoidosis. It helps reduce inflammation that can cause pain or breathing difficulty.

Many positive uses have been found for prednisone. Under a doctor’s supervision it can be a fantastic treatment for many things.