Thursday, 26 April 2012
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Muscle pumps
Bodybuilding - Maximum Muscle Pumps
In your body right now is
five liters of nutrient-rich blood. Your blood is the highway that carries vital
musclebuilding nutrients such as anabolic hormones, amino acids, glucose and
minerals to muscles for repair and growth. It makes sense that the more blood
you can flood your muscles with during a training session, the greater your
chances are to trigger fiber-splitting growth.
Sets in the range of 12 to 16 reps are an excellent way to squeeze as much blood into your muscles as possible. With every rep, more blood is forced into the muscle being trained, so that by the end of the set, blood hyper-saturates every fiber. If your nutrition program is on track and you’ve read some of the nutrition articles on our site, then your blood will be densely packed with all the vital compounds necessary to activate hypertrophy.
The pump is so much more than a euphoric rush of blood – it’s a powerful physiological process that can trigger rapid muscle growth. Heavy sets of one to eight reps are a great way to get some attention in the gym, but they won’t give you the same extreme pump you’ll get from a higher rep set with a moderate weight that forces rapid increases in muscle size.
Sets in the range of 12 to 16 reps are an excellent way to squeeze as much blood into your muscles as possible. With every rep, more blood is forced into the muscle being trained, so that by the end of the set, blood hyper-saturates every fiber. If your nutrition program is on track and you’ve read some of the nutrition articles on our site, then your blood will be densely packed with all the vital compounds necessary to activate hypertrophy.
The pump is so much more than a euphoric rush of blood – it’s a powerful physiological process that can trigger rapid muscle growth. Heavy sets of one to eight reps are a great way to get some attention in the gym, but they won’t give you the same extreme pump you’ll get from a higher rep set with a moderate weight that forces rapid increases in muscle size.
Friday, 20 April 2012
Hypertrhophy
Bodybuilding - Explosive Growth with Glycogen Supercompensation
Bodybuilders know that
muscles get bigger mostly from hypertrophy (an increase in muscle fiber
diameter) and, to a lesser extent, hyperplasia (an increase in muscle fiber
number). One of the most overlooked pathways to increasing muscle mass is to
increase your muscle glycogen content. The average person stores about 400 grams
of glycogen in muscle and about 100 grams in the liver. Factor in a
well-designed training program and a diet rich in complex carbohydrates, and the
average bodybuilder could accumulate up to 500 grams of muscle glycogen or more,
depending on the amount of muscle mass and level of training
experience.
Glycogen supercompensation occurs when muscle glycogen stores are emptied through a period of high-rep concentric training and a reduced carbohydrate diet, immediately followed by a period of increased carbohydrate intake and reduced training. During the glycogen depletion phase, insulin sensitivity is dramatically cranked up and your muscles are primed to receive a rapid influx of carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are cycled back into the diet, muscle glycogen tanks can be "supercompensated," or filled beyond the level they were at prior to the depletion. Accompanying every gram of glycogen that fills out your muscles is three grams of water. This super-hydrated intracellular environment means massive new gains in size and strength, all without changing the size or number of your muscle fibers!
Glycogen supercompensation occurs when muscle glycogen stores are emptied through a period of high-rep concentric training and a reduced carbohydrate diet, immediately followed by a period of increased carbohydrate intake and reduced training. During the glycogen depletion phase, insulin sensitivity is dramatically cranked up and your muscles are primed to receive a rapid influx of carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are cycled back into the diet, muscle glycogen tanks can be "supercompensated," or filled beyond the level they were at prior to the depletion. Accompanying every gram of glycogen that fills out your muscles is three grams of water. This super-hydrated intracellular environment means massive new gains in size and strength, all without changing the size or number of your muscle fibers!
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Tips for each Exercise
Bodybuilding Workout - Tips for each Exercise
Squats - Since this
is your first exercise, you may want to do 2 or 3 short and easy warm up sets to
get ready. This will be your hardest exercise most likely, so we put it at the
beginning so you can throw everything you can at it. Lifting to failure on
squats means almost falling down on your last rep. Be sure to go all the way
down and have a partner or rack there to help you if needed.
Leg Extensions - Use
a full range of motion. Go all the way up and all the way down.
Leg Curls - Use a
full range of motion and do not "jerk" the weight up.
Dumbbell Pullovers -
Your first upper body exercise. Be sure to do a good warm up set so you do not
injure yourself. Lift heavy and do not rest at the top of the
movement.
Barbell Overhead
Shoulder Press - Do these in front of your face, not behind the neck. You
can injure your rotator cuff when doing them behind the neck. Go down until the
bar is about at chin level, not lower. Slow, slow, slow reps!
Seated Rows - Keep
your back straight up and down. Do not move far forward or lean far backwards.
You want to be squeezing together your shoulder blades!
Bench Press -
Slowly, go down and touch your chest around your nipple area. Do not use
momentum to get the weight up. Use a spotter and get an extra rep with his help
to really blast the muscle.
Barbell Bicep Curls
- Do not sway! Keep your elbows at your side and do not move them. Squeeze your
biceps upward.
Tricep Extensions -
Keep your body straight up, do not lean over too much.
Weighted Pullups -
If you can't do pull-ups, do pulldowns. Do these slowly and go all the way up
and down. Use the wide-grip bent bar.
Weighted Dips -
Strap on the weight! Keep your body straight up and down, do not lean over too
much. You want to be working your triceps, not your lower chest.
Standing Calf Raises
- Go all the way down and up. Don't use too heavy of a weight where you can only
do partial reps. Feel the burn!
Abs - Choose a good
exercise that uses some resistance. Don't work your abs on any off days. Abs are
normal muscles just like your shoulders and chest!
Friday, 13 April 2012
Personal Home Gyms Guide
Personal Home Gyms Guide - Selecting the Best Home Gym Suited to your Needs
What Are The Best Personal Home Gyms
For You?
The biggest lure of buying home gyms is the convenience and privacy that a home workout station offers. When buying home gyms, everyone has different goals and purposes, and to buy home gym equipment that will best fit your needs, there are some key factors you need to consider:
The biggest lure of buying home gyms is the convenience and privacy that a home workout station offers. When buying home gyms, everyone has different goals and purposes, and to buy home gym equipment that will best fit your needs, there are some key factors you need to consider:
- What are your goals for this home gym,
and what you hope to achieve
- Do you have enough room to place it
- What's your budget for a home gym
- Consider free weights vs. machines - what's better for you
- Consider weights based machines vs band resistance based machines
- Buying a home gym vs. going to public gyms
- Do you have enough room to place it
- What's your budget for a home gym
- Consider free weights vs. machines - what's better for you
- Consider weights based machines vs band resistance based machines
- Buying a home gym vs. going to public gyms
The above are some of the key points I
considered while shopping for a home gym for myself.
Personal Home Gym Advantages & Disadvantages
Now lets take a quick look at some advantages and disadvantages of owning a home gym:
Personal Home Gym Advantages & Disadvantages
Now lets take a quick look at some advantages and disadvantages of owning a home gym:
Home Gym Advantages:
- easy access, right in your home, and
convenient
- you have the privacy of your home
- great for general fitness, but not for serious muscle building
- gives a decent overall body workout in a relatively small area
- relatively versatile
- does not require a spotter (in most cases)
Personal Gym Disadvantages:
- you have the privacy of your home
- great for general fitness, but not for serious muscle building
- gives a decent overall body workout in a relatively small area
- relatively versatile
- does not require a spotter (in most cases)
Personal Gym Disadvantages:
- can get very, very pricey (great
weight loss for your wallet
- can never replace the atmosphere and motivation a real gym provides (if you're after great muscle gains)
- you have much less room to move around
- you're severely limited for what power movements you can do (like squats, bench, dead lifts)
- it's a plain pain in the ass to assemble when you get it
- there's a much greater tendency to be lazy and slack off working out at home (I think most of you would agree on this with me
Please note, some of the advantages and disadvantages are coming from a point of view of gaining muscle mass - mainly my point of view. You could be in a very different situation, and some may not apply.
- can never replace the atmosphere and motivation a real gym provides (if you're after great muscle gains)
- you have much less room to move around
- you're severely limited for what power movements you can do (like squats, bench, dead lifts)
- it's a plain pain in the ass to assemble when you get it
- there's a much greater tendency to be lazy and slack off working out at home (I think most of you would agree on this with me
Please note, some of the advantages and disadvantages are coming from a point of view of gaining muscle mass - mainly my point of view. You could be in a very different situation, and some may not apply.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
No Weight Loss
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Wednesday, 11 April 2012
6 Weeks To Sick Arms
6 Weeks To Sick Arms
Grow like a pro with the ultimate science-based program for insane gains!
by Jim Stoppani, Ph.D.Apr 09, 2012
Big arms not only symbolize masculinity, but they're also the most visible body part you have. So it's no surprise that big arms seem to be what every guy, and even many women, want.
Regardless of where you're starting from, this 6-week program will heap a noticeable amount of size onto your arms. Some of you can expect to put on an inch or more on your arms by the end.
This 6-week program is a progression that ramps up the training frequency (how often you train arms each week) starting at once per week in week one; twice per week in week two; and three times per week in weeks three through five. Then you back way off in the final week, number six, to just once per week again.
Trust me, there's a method to this madness.
Week one is designed to annihilate your biceps and triceps. You'll pull out all the stops, using negative rep training to really destroy every single muscle fiber you can in your arms.
You'll need a good week to recover from this onslaught. The next week pops your guns with lighter weight and higher reps. Volume will be low in these workouts, by design. You'll still be recovering from the previous week.
These workouts will help you to better recover from the previous week and will get you ready for the crazy three weeks that are to come.
In weeks three, four, and five, you will be hitting arms three times per week. If you think that sounds like overtraining, you're precisely right. But overtraining does not happen immediately. It takes several weeks to actually become overtrained. The technical term for training that can lead to overtraining is called overreaching.
And what's interesting about overreaching is that research shows that if your diet is adequate in calories, protein and carbs, as well as the right supplements, then you can actually capitalize on overreaching and turn it into a way to grow bigger and stronger.
Several studies from the university of Connecticut have shown that when subjects overreach for several weeks, during the two weeks following, they grow significantly bigger and stronger while taking it easy. The key is to stop the overreaching just before it turns into overtraining.
That's why you'll be training arms three times per week in weeks three through five and then switch it up to just once per week in week six. I also suggest that the week after week six you take it fairly easy on your arms and train them just once that week before getting back into any serious training programs.
The 3-day a week arm training not only is designed to shock your muscles into growing with frequent and intense workouts that cause overreaching, but it also takes advantage of the staircase effect for building muscle.
This refers to the fact that training activates genes in muscle fibers that are responsible for the many of the adaptations that take place, such as muscle growth and strength increases.
For example, consistent training activates certain genes that result in building more muscle fiber protein, which means more muscle size and strength. These genes are typically activated over hours, with some remaining activated for days.
Repeated workouts, if timed appropriately, can build upon the activation of the genes to reach an even higher activity level and greater muscle growth. This is referred to as the staircase effect.
In other words, let's say a certain gene involved in muscle growth is activated by a workout to the point that its activity is boosted by 100% following the workout, then slowly declines in activity over the next few days so that the day after the workout it is still up by 75%, and the second day after the workout it is up by 50%, then the third day it is up by just 25%, and finally on the fourth day after the workout it is back to the original level.
If you performed the workout on the fourth day after the first workout or later, then that gene would be bumped back up to 100% of its originally activity.
However, if you worked out on the second day after the first workout, when the gene was still up by 50%, then you could potentially bump up its activity to 150%. This could lead to even greater muscle growth and strength gains than if you waited to train again after the fourth day or later, like one week later.
This is one reason why training a muscle group every 48 hours could lead to even greater muscle growth and strength gains than training every seven days.
Of course, this program is not all about training frequency. While moving to more frequent workouts can help you to build extra size on your arms, to really get them up there in size will require pulling out all the stops. So intensity techniques, like drop sets, forced reps, rest pause, negative reps and supersets will be key in forcing them to grow.
These techniques will not only put more stress on the muscle, but they are also known to boost growth hormone levels. In fact, one study from Finland reported that subjects doing forced reps increased GH levels 3 times higher than when they just stopped after reaching muscle failure.
That extra growth hormone will be put to good use initiating muscle recovery and growth that will get that tape measure stretching. Another study reported in the Journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise that subjects using negative rep training led to high GH levels.
Another key element to this program is the constant switching up of weight amd rep ranges every workout to keep your arms growing. This is known as periodization, and research confirms that using periodization, which is the continual cycling of weight and rep ranges, produces the greatest gains in muscle size and strength.
One form of periodization that appears to be superior to other forms is called undulating periodizaion, which is simply the constant switching up of weight and rep ranges every workout. Research studies from both Brazil and the University of Connecticut have supported this form of training for making continued gains.
Since you'll be training arms pretty much every other day during weeks three, four and five, you may be worried about your arms still being sore when you train them. Don't be.
Research from Japan shows that when subjects workout intensely to cause muscle pain and train that muscle again just two days later and again four days later when the muscle is still sore, it does not impede recovery. Plus this can actually help them grow.
One study found that when subjects trained the same muscle group just two days, the catabolic hormone cortisol was lower. Since cortisol competes with testosterone, having lower cortisol levels during and after workouts can make you more anabolic and allow your testosterone to better enhance muscle growth.
Training Splits
To properly hit your arms during these 6 weeks, you'll need to alternate your training split. Each week you will follow a four-day training split.However, based on the week and number of times you are training arms, you will be training on four different days of the week and pairing up different muscle groups each week.
Use the following training splits for each week of the Six Weeks to Sick Arms program.
Week 1
Use this training split during week one.
Monday: Triceps/Biceps
Tuesday: Legs/Calves
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Back/Abs
Friday: Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
Tuesday: Legs/Calves
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Back/Abs
Friday: Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
Week 2
Use this training split during week two.
Monday: Triceps/Biceps
Tuesday: Back/Legs/Calves
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Biceps/Tricep
Friday: Chest/Shoulders/Traps/Abs
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
Tuesday: Back/Legs/Calves
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Biceps/Tricep
Friday: Chest/Shoulders/Traps/Abs
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
Weeks 3-5
Use this split during weeks three, four and five.
Monday: Triceps/Biceps
Tuesday: Chest/Shoulders/Traps/Abs
Wednesday: Back/Biceps/Triceps
Thursday: Off
Friday: Biceps/Triceps
Saturday: Back/Legs/Calves
Sunday: Off
Tuesday: Chest/Shoulders/Traps/Abs
Wednesday: Back/Biceps/Triceps
Thursday: Off
Friday: Biceps/Triceps
Saturday: Back/Legs/Calves
Sunday: Off
Week 6
Use this training split during week six.
Monday: Chest, Abs
Tuesday: Back, Calves
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Shoulders/Traps/Legs
Friday: Triceps/Biceps
Tuesday: Back, Calves
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Shoulders/Traps/Legs
Friday: Triceps/Biceps
Six Weeks to Sick Arms Workouts
-
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
xxsetsrepsxx -
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
3 sets of 3-5 reps*
2-3 min rest -
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
3 sets of 6-8 reps#
2-3 min rest -
Seated Triceps Press
3 sets of 6-8 reps^
2-3 min rest -
Triceps Pushdown
3 sets of 6-8 reps^
2-3 min rest -
Barbell Curl
3 sets of 3-5 reps*
2-3 min rest -
Barbell Curl
3 sets of 6-8 reps#
2-3 min rest -
Incline Dumbbell Curl
3 sets of 6-8 reps^
2-3 min rest -
Preacher Curl
3 sets of 6-8 reps^
2-3 min rest
#Perform two rest-pauses on the last set by resting for 15 seconds after reaching muscle failure and continuing the set, then resting another 15 seconds after reaching muscle failure again, then continuing.
^Do two drop sets on the last set by immediately reducing the weight by 20-30% and continuing the set.
Week 2:
Monday: Triceps/Biceps
-
Triceps Pushdown
3 sets of 15-20 reps
1 min rest -
Lying Triceps Press
3 sets of 15-20 reps
1 min rest -
Seated Triceps Press
3 sets of 15-20 reps
1 min rest -
Incline Dumbbell Curl
3 sets of 15-20 reps
1 min rest -
Two-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl
3 sets of 15-20 reps
1 min rest -
Hammer Curls
3 sets of 15-20 reps
1 min rest
Thursday: Biceps/Triceps
-
Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl
3 sets of 20-25 reps
1 min rest -
High Cable Curls
3 sets of 20-25 reps
1 min rest -
Standing Biceps Cable Curl(behind the back)
3 sets of 20-25 reps
1 min rest Dips - Triceps Version
3 sets to failure
1 min rest-
Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension
3 sets of 20-25 reps
1 min rest -
Triceps Pushdown
3 sets of 20-25 reps
1 min rest
Week 3:
Monday: Triceps/Biceps
-
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
3 sets of 3-5 reps*
2-3 min rest -
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
3 sets of 4-6 reps#
2-3 min rest -
Seated Triceps Press
3 sets of 4-6 reps^
2-3 min rest -
Triceps Pushdown
3 sets of 4-6 reps^
2-3 min rest -
Barbell Curl
3 sets of 3-5 reps*
2-3 min rest -
Barbell Curl
3 sets of 4-6 reps#
2-3 min rest -
Incline Dumbbell Curl
3 sets of 4-6 reps^
2-3 min rest -
Preacher Curl
3 sets of 4-6 reps^
2-3 min rest
#Perform two rest-pauses on the last set by resting for 15 seconds after reaching muscle failure and continuing the set, then resting another 15 seconds after reaching muscle failure again, then continuing.
^Do a drop set on the last set by immediately reducing the weight by 20-30% and continuing the set.
Wednesday: Biceps/Triceps
-
Concentration Curls
3 sets of 10-12 reps
1-2 min rest -
Standing Biceps Cable Curl(behind the back)
3 sets of 20-25 reps*
1 min rest Machine Preacher Curls
3 sets of 10-12 reps
1-2 min rest-
Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension
3 sets of 10-12 reps
1-2 min rest -
Triceps Pushdown
3 sets of 10-12 reps
1-2 min rest -
Bench Dips
3 sets of 10-12 reps
1-2 min rest
Friday: Triceps/Biceps
Superset
-
Lying Triceps Press
4 sets of 8-10 reps -
Barbell Curl
4 sets of 8-10 reps
1-2 min rest
Superset
-
Triceps Pushdown
4 sets of 8-10 reps -
High Cable Curls
4 sets of 8-10 reps
1-2 min rest
Week 4:
Monday: Triceps/Biceps
-
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
3 sets of 3-5 reps*
2-3 min rest -
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
3 sets of 10-12 reps#
2-3 min rest -
Seated Triceps Press
3 sets of 10-12 reps^
2-3 min rest -
Triceps Pushdown
3 sets of 10-12 reps^
2-3 min rest -
Barbell Curl
3 sets of 3-5 reps*
2-3 min rest -
Barbell Curl
3 sets of 10-12 reps#
2-3 min rest -
Incline Dumbbell Curl
3 sets of 10-12 reps^
2-3 min rest -
Preacher Curl
3 sets of 10-12 reps^
2-3 min rest
#Perform two rest-pauses on the last set by resting for 15 seconds after reaching muscle failure and continuing the set, then resting another 15 seconds after reaching muscle failure again, then continuing.
^Do a drop set on the last set by immediately reducing the weight by 20-30% and continuing the set.
Wednesday: Biceps/Triceps
-
Standing Biceps Cable Curl (behind the back)
3 sets of 15-20 reps
1 min rest High Cable Curls
3 sets of 15-20 reps
1 min rest-
Rope Cable Curls
3 sets of 15-20 reps
1 min rest -
Triceps Pushdown
3 sets of 15-20 reps
1 min rest -
Cable Overhead Triceps Extension
3 sets of 15-20 reps
1 min rest -
Reverse-Grip Triceps Pressdowns
3 sets of 15-20 reps
1 min rest
Friday: Triceps/Biceps
Superset
-
Lying Triceps Press
3 sets of 25-30 reps -
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
3 sets of 25-30 reps
1-2 min rest
Superset
-
Triceps Pushdown - Rope Attachment
3 sets of 25-30 reps -
Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension
3 sets of 25-30 reps
1-2 min rest
Superset
-
Incline Dumbbell Curl
3 sets of 25-30 reps -
Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl
3 sets of 25-30 reps
1-2 min rest
Superset
-
Cable Hammer Curls - Rope Attachment
3 sets of 25-30 reps -
Standing Biceps Cable Curl
3 sets of 25-30 reps
1-2 min rest
Superset
-
Lying Triceps Press
4 sets of 8-10 reps -
Barbell Curl
4 sets of 8-10 reps
1-2 min rest
Superset
-
Triceps Pushdown
4 sets of 8-10 reps -
High Cable Curls
4 sets of 8-10 reps
1-2 min rest
Week 5:
Monday: Triceps/Biceps
-
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
3 sets of 3-5 reps*
2-3 min rest -
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
3 sets of 8-10 reps#
2-3 min rest -
Seated Triceps Press
3 sets of 8-10^
2-3 min rest -
Triceps Pushdown
3 sets of 8-10^
2-3 min rest -
Barbell Curl
3 sets of 3-5 reps*
2-3 min rest -
Barbell Curl
3 sets 8-10 reps#
2-3 min rest -
Incline Dumbbell Curl
3 sets of 8-10 reps^
2-3 min rest -
Preacher Curl
3 sets of 8-10 reps^
2-3 min rest
#Perform two rest-pauses on the last set by resting for 15 seconds after reaching muscle failure and continuing the set, then resting another 15 seconds after reaching muscle failure again, then continuing
^Do a drop set on the last set by immediately reducing the weight by 20-30% and continuing the set.
Wednesday: Biceps/Triceps
-
Preacher Curl
3 sets of 20-25 reps
1 min rest -
Incline Dumbbell Curl
3 sets of 20-25 reps
1 min rest -
Hammer Curls
3 sets of 20-25 reps
1 min rest -
Triceps Pushdown
3 sets of 20-25 reps
1 min rest -
Cable Lying Triceps Extension
3 sets of 20-25 reps
1 min rest -
Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension
3 sets of 20-25 reps
1 min rest
Friday: Triceps/Biceps
Giant Set
-
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
3 sets of 12-15 reps
no rest -
Lying Triceps Press
3 sets of 12-15 reps
no rest -
Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension
3 sets of 12-15 reps
no rest -
Bench Dips
3 sets of 12-15 reps
2-3 min rest
Giant Set
-
Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline
3 sets of 12-15 reps
no rest -
Incline Dumbbell Curl
3 sets of 12-15 reps
no rest -
EZ-Bar Curl
3 sets of 12-15 reps
no rest -
Hammer Curls
3 sets of 12-15 reps
2-3 min rest
Week 6:
Easy arm workout - higher reps or moderate reps
Friday: Triceps/Biceps
-
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
3 sets of 8-10 reps
1-2 min rest -
Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension
3 sets of 8-10 reps
1-2 min rest -
Triceps Pushdown
3 sets of 8-10 reps
1-2 min rest -
Barbell Curl
3 sets of 8-10 reps
1-2 min rest -
Incline Dumbbell Curl
3 sets of 8-10 reps
1-2 min rest -
Hammer Curls
3 sets of 8-10 reps
1-2 min rest
Discover the scientifically proven methods that will transform your arms, adding inches to your size in just 6 short weeks using "The Arm Annihilation Method" developed by Jim Stoppani Ph.D.
This ebook is jammed with the training, supplementation and nutrition plans needed for great results.
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