Think the only pre-workout that elite lifters take comes in a powder form? Think again. Years ago, there was a great topical cream that worked wonders for strength athletes. The product was called Zanagen Ignite. Speaking from experience, I can say this stuff brought a blast of heat to the muscles, significantly reduced pain, and produced a noticeable improvement in both muscle performance and size. All you needed to do was apply Ignite about 30 minutes before your workout and the results were amazing!

Unfortunately, Zanagen shut its doors, and Ignite was abruptly extinguished shortly after its inception. Other products promising the same effect, alas, were also short-lived.

Fear not, though, there's a natural topical remedy that you can use that works just as well. It was developed over 100 years ago, and it's probably sitting in your medicine cabinet right now. It's good old Tiger Balm.

Let the Tiger Attack Your Calves

Athletes from around the world have used Tiger Balm for ages during training to help them increasd blood flow and reduce cramping. What many people do not realize, however, is that Tiger Balm can also help with muscle growth, especially with stubborn body parts like calves.

Yes, the stuff that you rub on every once in a while to incinerate pain can actually help you train harder! All you have to do is rub it on the area that you plan to train. Do it right before your workout, or, for an even better effect, rub it on during your workout.

The main active ingredient of Tiger Balm is camphor, which brings blood (and thus heat) to the area like the creams I mentioned above. But, unlike those creams, Tiger Balm is relatively inexpensive, can be found at your local drugstore, and will likely not be pulled off the market anytime soon. Tiger Balm Ultra Strength uses only natural, herbal ingredients that are quite potent. This stuff is known as the "essence of the gods" for a reason. It works!

The late Anthony Ditillo, a long-respected expert in the field of muscle strength and size development, claimed that he gained an inch on his calves after rubbing Tiger Balm on them between sets of calf raises. You may not see anything that dramatic, but you'll probably be able to better withstand the pain and burning of a serious calf workout. 

Speaking of which, doing the 4-minute calf workout from my article "Sit Down to Grow", and rubbing some Tiger Balm on your calves right before and immediately after the extended set. I think you'll be quite impressed with the results after a few weeks.