tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6478345895053557852024-02-08T02:33:32.924-08:00Personal fitness and training tipsA personal guide to getting fit and conditionedCyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-47581088069072876732009-08-30T11:57:00.000-07:002009-08-30T11:59:07.220-07:00When it is time to increase the weight?Without progression, the body has no reason to conform and that leads to stagnant coaching.<br /><br /><p> Which is commonly known as the scary PLEATEU. If you are not making gains with your present program, then you are not going to realize the results you would like. A gigantic mistake many of us make is finding a program and sticking with it whether or not the program isn't manufacturing results.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p> "If you keep on doing what you have always done, you can keep on getting what you have always got." -- W. L. Bateman a standard belief is if you just stick with the program, results are inescapable. Think about this...<br /></p><p><br /></p><p> If you are not seeing results on an once per month foundation in some capacity, it's time to switch the coaching custom.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p> 99% of success comes from having a well formulated plan. A good plan includes tracking your progress. By monitoring your nourishment, body composition, and keeping a coaching book, you'll be able to find out how you are progressing or if you're not making any progress. Keeping some kind of book will permit you to make educated choices on when and if it is time to change your coaching load ( the weight you are lifting ). Arnold Squatting Frankly... If you don't set particular goals, and if you don't monitor the own progress toward those goals, then how are you able to appraise if you're making progress? Your coaching program must be targeted on progression to meet your general goals. This is where having a particular goal and timetable is important.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>You do not need to just training the same way for an extended period and hope for results. But let me return to the start of your question and let's see if there's a straightforward way to work out when to extend the weight you are using in your coaching program. Graves and Baechle developed a dynamic formula to appraise when progression is required called the 2-for-2 Rule. They announced that "if you can successfully complete 2 or more repetitions in the last set in 2 successive workouts for any given exercise the load should be increased." as an example, three sets of eight repetitions might be prescribed for a selected exercise. When you can complete 2 more repetitions ( i.e. Ten reps ) on the last set for two uninterrupted sessions the weight should be increased. The Global Sports and Science organisation ( ISSA ) suggests a load increase of two percent to five percent p.c for sophisticated trainees and five pc to ten percent % for new and intermediate trainees. But first an alert : complicated sportsmen who are beyond these tenets will often need to adjust the ranges as required where an amateur might not. The cause of this is the noob has much more space from improvement than a seasoned sportsman.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Another excuse for this is a newbie has plenty of neural transformations occurring instead of muscle hypertrophy. Improved motor unit synchronization and the recruitment of new motor units account for this quicker rate of progression. This is one reason that new strength sportsmen will progress in strength quicker than muscle size.Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-17496954805100658052009-08-30T11:55:00.000-07:002009-08-30T11:57:23.627-07:00The real guide to proper pre-workout nutritionAs the old chestnut goes, "if you fail to prepare, you are getting ready to fail", and the same is still true for every one of your workout sessions. Each session in the gymnasium should be treated as a battle, and just like every other battle in life you have to enter it with correct psychological and physical readiness.<br /><br /><p>This paper will deal with the physical side and will teach you how to prime your body before struggling the weights with correct before workout nourishment. A carefully planned before workout meal will make sure that you usually enter the gymnasium at top strength and will supply your body with the obligatory tools to fight the weights as effectively as possible. The three main goals of the pre workout meal are :<br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> - Maximise your strength potential.<br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> - offer a powerful stream of balanced energy for your intelligence and muscles across the workout.<br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. </span>- Minimize muscle breakdown and supply the raw tools for your body to start the recovery process once the workout is over.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The very first thing to be sure of is that you are correctly hydrated before starting your workout. Water plays a vital role in keeping strength and energy levels topped, so always make sure that you have consumed a sufficient quantity of water in the few hours before you train. Around 30-45 mins before entering the gymnasium you must consume your before workout meal. The 1st element of this meal is, you know it, protein. This protein will keep your body in an anabolic state through your workout and will help to stop muscle breakdown as you train. I'd suggest that you consume 30-40 grams of top of the range protein, ideally coming from a mixture of whey protein and casein. This may best be achieved by mixing 25-30 grams of whey protein in 300-400ml of skim milk. Whey protein implies a great before workout choice as it is naturally high in BCAA's, which help to stop muscle catabolism during your workout. Mixing your whey with milk is a smart idea because this may slow down the release of the protein and supply your body with a regular stream of amino acids through your workout.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Together with your protein shake you must also consume 1-2 portions of low-glycemic carbs. Low glycemic carbs are excellent before the workout because they're broken down and soaked up steadily in the blood vessels, providing your body with a powerful stream of energy through your workout. When you consume high glycemic carbs that are fast released into your bloodstream, your body will release a surge of insulin to try to level out your blood sugar. This will end up in a fast rise in insulin levels followed by a big drop. The decline in insulin levels will leave you feeling feeble, exhausted and lethargic. This is the very last thing you need in the middle of a high power workout, so select carbs that will not cause this fast fluctuation in insulin levels. Pre workout carbohydrate choices like oatmeal, apples or brown rice will supply your body with a regular flow of sugars across the workout and will keep your energy levels topped at any time. This before workout meal should be reasonably little to make allowance for straightforward digestion and to stop you from feeling unwell when you train.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>You need to never workout without having a meal in you first. So, solely to sum up : 30-45 minutes before your workout : one. ) 25-30 grams of whey protein mixed with 300-400ml of milk two.<br /></p><p><br /></p> ) 1-2 portions of slow release carbs ( i.e. Oatmeal, brown rice, apple ) I also like to chuck in a cup or 2 of coffee before my workouts as I find this increases my energy and amplifies my focus nicely.Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-49124783663156127962009-08-28T04:21:00.000-07:002009-08-28T04:26:28.964-07:00Why cardio doesnt always work for weight lossI was at a gigantic event last week and was reminded how crucial it is to have techniques for this season of calorie-heavy parties and tight schedules. But I am getting ticked off by the knackered old proposals you find on the web or in mags like Lady's World. Regularly the proposals are lack any substance, as the writers don't need to imply you really have to make a sacrifice to be successful. They make fat loss sound easy, as if all you had to do was park at the far end of the carpark and you'd burn all of the calories from five shortbread cookies. Well it does not work that way...So here are my politically wrong, unique Turbulence Coaching techniques to help keep off the holiday pounds. BTW, I "borrowed" some concepts from competitors in my Turbulence Coaching Evolution Contest. The Alteration is rocking with social support and success stories at the moment, even while the remainder of the world struggles with weight gain, these TT users are losing fat over the vacations. <p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Strategy one</span> - Green Tea & Almonds One of the commonest tips you can hear is to "fill up" before you go to a party where there'll be plenty of goodies. Sadly , the majority I rap with have no luck with this tip. Most folk still go to a party and eat everything in sight. But lately TT users have let me know that having a cup of Green Tea and one oz. </p><p>of almonds has helped them avoid vacation longings better than anything ever before. </p><p> The fiber from the almonds decreases appetite while the little quantity of caffeine from the Green Tea appears to increase psychological application and keep you "energized" at the party. Hopefully that might work for you...<br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">System two</span> - do not squander your time on any fancy cardiovascular programs Listen, the final analysis over the vacation season is that your success depends virtually completely on your nutrition. You can not expect to hit the cardiovascular confessional and burn off yesterday evening's 2k calorie smorgasboard. That is a 4-hour workout. Instead, do not get into that situation in the 1st place. Here are way more nourishment tips : - concentrate on portion control ( and if you haven't any discipline, forget even making an attempt to eat only one ) - Nix all drinks mixed with calorie-containing drinks, or better yet, just stop getting drunk, period. - Write down everything you eat to spot your problem spots. Then do whatever you must do to dump your weaknesses. If you do not record your nourishment, probabilities are you can miss gigantic occasions to change your diet and lose fat.<br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Method three</span> - look after yourself first. So take a big breath. Ask as you are running around to delight everybody else, "Have you put aside time for yourself" Be self-occupied. </p><p>Ensure you have had a little exercise time, some good nourishment, and some rest before overextending yourself and doing too much for people when you have not looked after yourself and your goals first. </p><p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Methodology four</span> - Get on a roll This one comes out of a TT Alteration competitor who is too busy losing fat to get off track over the vacations. Don't waste time until Jan first. Start now. Many ladies and men are doing their Turbulence Training Transformations at this time - thru the center of the vacation season. They are not waiting for Jan. First to turn up. They're assuming control now, and getting on a roll, and not letting anything ( from work parties to peer pressure ) get in their way. Methodology five - Exercise in short bursts when you can Don't be scared to dance at your Xmas party. </p>Don't fret, there's certain to be 1 worse dancer than you out on the floor. Have a good time and get down! On a much more serious note, this is how to avoid falling off the fitness program in the busy vacation season. Get your butt out of bed fifteen mins early so you may have three mins to wake up and twelve mins to do the December 2007 Turbulence Coaching 12-Minute Workouts.Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-67071877047612263572009-08-27T08:10:00.000-07:002009-08-27T08:11:24.232-07:00More testosterone does not neccesarily mean more strength and muscle!How frequently have we heard the higher a person's testosterone level, the stronger and more muscle-bound he can be? Well, I am here to tell you this isn't the case. How do I know? From the BioHealth 205 adrenal profiles ( which test one's levels at the cellular level-where all metabolic activity originates-and not the blood level, like a blood draw would ) that I have run on me and my clients. Listen to me ; I was terribly stunned to see that one's hormone levels don't guarantee extra strength and lean muscle mass. In Apr of 2008 I posted a 1390 raw total at a body weight of 170 pounds in the game of powerlifting. <p> It is the highest one I have done to date, and it was done while I was in Stage one adrenal fatigue. My testosterone level was really on the high range of "normal", and my estradiol and estriol levels were low. As I observed formerly, my Cortisol pattern showed me to be in Stage one adrenal fatigue ; except for a strength sportsman that's not so bad-all hard coaching considered. </p><p> Fast forward to June 2009. I had my adrenals re-checked and the BioHealth 205 results proved that not only was I don't in Stage one adrenal fatigue ; but my hormone levels were awfully high. My testosterone and progesterone were so high the lab had to test twice for accuracy. It is fascinating to notice that in this time when I was bolstering for my adrenal fatigue and removing obstructing factors and poisonous load that I didn't hit an individual record on any of my individual lifts or total, and I didn't gain any lean muscle mass. </p><p> I have observed the very same thing in several clients now, and that has lead me to realize that though having a favorable hormone profile is naturally always in our best interest ; it doesn't mechanically mean that we are going to get stronger or gain lean muscle. </p>There's clearly so much more that goes into both these things , for example coaching, discipline, believing in yourself, getting over coaching, and so on. I'll say that more than some clients who improved their adrenal profiles did actually add lean muscle and did gain strength. my point of this post is to tell you that simply because you already have high testosterone levels or have improved your hormonal profile that you're going to get bigger and stronger in the gymnasium. You still need to get in there constantly, work out what does it for you, stay consistent, remain determined, and bust your ass.Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-49718305638281313122009-08-27T08:07:00.000-07:002009-08-27T08:09:47.965-07:00Is it possible to get fat from too much protein?A fortnight gone I was having dinner at our local Outback, when I overheard the following in the booth behind me : "My coach claims that if you eat too much protein, it will turn to fat." Did you catch that? And if somebody posed that suggestion to you, how would you respond? This is a great exercise in logic, so let's take a look at it for a 2nd : First, is it really possible to become fat by eating too much protein? Sure, in the same way it is of course possible to die by getting hit by lightning while you are being eaten alive by a shark. 2nd , is it likely that you will get too fat from eating too much protein? Well again, it's about as likely as getting hit by lightning while you are being eaten alive by a shark. To be barely more heavy, let's do a bit of thermodynamic arithmetic : If your caloric needs are say, 2500 calories every day, and you eat a high protein diet composed from 7500 calories per day, you can definitely get fat- that is my educated guess. let's inspect the unlikely mechanics of eating this much protein for a second. <p> If we are saying that your 7500-calorie diet is eighty % protein, this indicates that you are getting 6000 calories from protein per day, which equates to 1500 grams of protein. </p><p> Further, if a 6-ounce chicken escallop contains 40 grams of protein, you'll have to eat 37 chicken fillets a day to hit that number. Or to use another food source, you'd need to consume about 37 protein shakes each day ( presuming each shake contained forty grams of protein ) are you able to Get Fat By Eating too much Protein? OK that is clearly ludicrous so let's tweak the first example to a somewhat rather more likely eventuality : Using stern thermodynamics, you would have to consume about 3600 calories per week ( or about 5 hundred a day ) above and outside your normal caloric necessities, to gain a pound of excess bodyfat in that very same period. So if your caloric needs are 2500 per day, we are now assuming you are eating 3k calories every day, where eighty % of those calories come from protein. Now you are eating six hundred grams of protein every day, or fifteen chicken escallops or shakes a day. </p><p> Unlikely? Well OK, not as not likely as getting hit by lightning while you are being eaten alive by a shark, but have you eaten fifteen chicken fillets in 24 hours ( or equivalent to it ) ? I never have, not even once. </p><p> Now I have eaten the same caloric equivalent in fats and / or carbohydrates - in fact many times. And I bet you have too. In truth, 3k calories in non-protein form is surprisingly simple to consume. </p> Here are some possible options you could consider :<br /><br />* two & pints of Haagen Daz ice cream ( this would be my first choice )<br />* A 14-inch All Natural Pepperoni Pan Pizza<br />* ( six ) Starbucks Venti Caramel Frappuccino's with full milk<br />* Or you might mix & match. For instance :<br />* ( one ) Pint of Haagen Daz, ( two ) pieces of pizza, and ( two ) Starbucks<br /><br /> anyway, it should be clear that it's much more likely to become fat eating fats and / or carbohydrates than it is to get from eating too much protein. So with that under consideration, what is the concept for statements like the one I overheard at Outback? What incentivizes people to assert stuff like this, given how preposterously improbable they are? Is it straightforward ignorance? Or maybe many of us have some form of PETA-inspired loathing of protein? I would really like your thoughts on this, so please push the comments link below and share your experiences and insights!Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-41207937845732196872009-08-26T05:45:00.000-07:002009-08-27T02:53:39.722-07:005 Biggest weight lifting mythsYou may be working out in the gymnasium everyday for a considerable time, and yet have spotted no change in your body in any way. In truth you could still be that wimpy small nerd with no life. But why? I mean, you have been working out for months, or perhaps years, but you still cannot get the muscles, self worth or a life. It's either because you do anything wrong, or not working yourself hard enough. <p> Most likely, you do anything wrong. The majority do not work out the proper way. There are a large amount of misconceptions about bodybuilding out there. Maybe they're the fact that you are not gaining enough muscle. Here are the top 5 myths about bodybuilding :<br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 -</span> Eating more builds more muscle - This is one of the dirtiest lies out there. To the contrary, it makes you gain fat.Bodybuilders aren't the healthiest folk in the world. In truth they're in horrible health. Some have hypertension, some have heart issues, all as the eat way more than they require. You need to only eat whatever the body needs.<br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 -</span> Coaching like a body-builder makes you a bodybuilder - Another hideous lie. This is one of the most unsafe things you can do to oneself. You often likely will get wounded, or become unwell. A median person doesn't have the capacity to stuff like the pros. That is just how it is.<br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 -</span> Steroids Help - Steroids don't help. Regardless of how much you have had that feeling you need steroids, don't go there. Steroids are much too perilous to use. They have too many difficult complications such as coronary disease, stroke, unattractive features in both males and females, and steroid users are much more likely to use poisoned needles and giving themselves HIV.<br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">4 -</span> If you do not work out for a very long time, your muscles will change into fat- This is one of the most daft things I've heard. Muscle is made of single living cells. How would they transform into undesired organic matter? It is not possible. Rather than turning into fat, they'll simply shrink. That is all.<br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">5 -</span> You need steroids or additions to get lean muscle- This is one of the things the bodybuilding industry has lied to you about. If you lack some vitamins and minerals, then you do need additions, but if your body doesn't need any of this stuff, don't utilize them. You can still create muscle without any additions.<br /></p>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-52845554154215923772009-08-26T05:43:00.000-07:002009-08-26T05:44:53.257-07:00Preventing injuries when weight liftingBeginning a new weight lifting fitness plan can be motivating for somebody looking to build strength. However, an injury will speedily stop your workout while you have got to give your muscles extra recovery time. These are some steps to follow so you can avoid wounds while lifting weights. Step one in stopping wounds during your weight lifting fitness plan is to form a stretching routine. <p> For some reason, stretching is regarded as a time waster to several folk working on their fitness. Stretching should be done before and after a workout as it improves your body's flexibleness and decreases your chance of having muscle tenderness. The very next step in injury prevention is to be certain you are performing the workout in the right way. It could be profitable to hire an individual tutor for some sessions to show you the easiest way to properly lift weights. In the long-run, the price will be of use because you can know what you are intended to do and what to stay away from. Just remember that doing a workout inaccurate once may cause you years of agony accompanied by hospital bills. Rather than hopping into a weight lifting routine fit for the planet's strongest man competition, slowly increase the quantity of weight you are lifting in 5 pound increments. Ensure you always have someone there to identify you if you are lifting on a bench. If you are lifting in 5 pound increments, you are less certain to add so much weight that you are unable to lift the bar ; it's still always best to have a person there to help in case too much weight is incidentally added. Don't work the same muscle grouping a couple of days in a row because muscles have to be given time to repair . After you start your weight lifting routine, you will find that muscles are sometimes sore the following day after a workout. Eat protein inside a half hour of your workout to hurry up the time needed for recovery. </p> By following these steps, you're reducing your chance of wounding your body so you will not delay your weight lifting fitness results.Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-78317859707409536022009-06-01T06:26:00.002-07:002009-06-01T06:27:16.226-07:00You Aint Squat Till You SQUAT!<span class="content">Simply put, squats are the most difficult, intimidating and painful exercise you could possibly have in your arsenal. They require massive amounts of discipline and willpower to perform correctly.<br /><p>After you have performed a set of squats to failure, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. They are also a challenging exercise to master from a technical standpoint.</p> <p>All this aside, squats are one of, if not THE most effective, growth-producing exercises you could possibly include in your workout routine. They will pack more size and strength onto your lower body than any other exercise out there, and due to their high level of difficulty, they also force your body to release higher amounts of important anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone. This increased secretion of hormones will pack muscle size onto your entire upper body as well.</p> <p>In addition, squats cause what is known as a "spillover effect": a strength gain in almost all of your other exercises. When I started squatting to failure, my bench press virtually increased by 20 pounds overnight. If you're looking for serious muscle gains and you don't already squat, you'd better get started.</p> <p>Quite simply, they really, really work.</p> <p>Unfortunately, many people have yet to experience the benefits of heavy squatting. It seems that people will come up with just about any excuse they possibly can in order to steer clear form the squat rack.</p> <p>How many times have you heard the all too common "They're too hard on my knees", or "I heard they stunt your growth." What do I say to that? Nonsense!</p> <p>If you're in the gym with the goal of maximizing your total body muscle gains, squats are an absolute must.</p> <p><strong>Proper Squatting Technique</strong></p> <p>For safety reasons you should always perform your squats in a power rack or cage. This way you can adjust the height at which you clear the bar, and you can drop the bar on the safety pins if you need to bail. The safety pins should be set at just below the depth you are squatting and the J Hooks should be set at about the level of your nipples.</p> <p>At all times during the squat your head should be pulled back, your chest raised and you should have a slight arch in your lower back. You should always be looking straight ahead, and at no time should you be leaning too far forward, or be looking up or down.</p> <p>Step up to the bar, placing your hands at about the same width as a bench press. Before clearing the bar, make sure it is placed evenly along your traps. The bar should rest on the lower portion of your traps and across your rear delts. It should almost feel as if the bar is going to roll off your back.</p> <p>Now that you have cleared the bar, take only as many steps back as necessary. Most squat injuries occur when backing up, so make sure that you only back up as far as you need to. Your feet should be placed about shoulder width apart or slightly wider, and they should point out at a 45-degree angle.</p> <p>Take a big, deep breath, and make your descent. You should not lower yourself straight down, but rather as if you were sitting in a chair behind you. At all times your knee must remain in line with your feet, and they should never bow in. Lower yourself until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground.</p> <p>As soon as you have reached the bottom position, rise up immediately. Do not relax in the bottom position! Drive up with your heels and straighten your back as quickly as possible.</p> <p>Once you are in the upright position again, take another deep breath, and continue the lift until you have completed the desired number of reps.</p> <p><strong>Final Thoughts</strong></p> <p>You have all the reason in the world to get into the squat rack, so go ahead and do it. Treat this lift with respect and you'll be shocked at the resulting muscle gains. I would recommend performing your squats once per week, for 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps. Focus on pushing yourself hard on this exercise and continually strive for more weight and more reps.</p> <p>To learn about more highly effective, growth-producing exercises that you can include in your routine, visit my website by clicking the link below. Most trainees have no idea how to pick and choose the proper exercises and they dramatically limit their gains as a result...</p> </span>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-23489325082077094372009-06-01T06:26:00.001-07:002009-06-01T06:26:36.005-07:00Unconventional Leg Training Tactics<span class="content">It's sort of a joke in natural bodybuilding circles that drug-free bodybuilders "have no legs." I hate to admit it's true, but I've been to dozens of drug tested shows where nearly all of the competitors had thick chests, huge arms, wide lats and cannonball deltoids, but almost none of them had any lower body to speak of.<br /><br />In natural bodybuilding competitions, outstanding quad development can be the difference between winning and losing. Unfortunately, unless you are among the genetically gifted or you use growth-enhancing drugs, developing great quads does not come easy.<br /><br />If your quads aren't growing and your training consists of nothing but conventional straight sets - you know, the usual 3 - 4 sets of 8 - 12 reps, with a minute or two between sets - then you'd better try something completely unorthodox; something "unconventional." Unconventional training means doing things differently than usual and sometimes even doing the exact opposite of what is considered "normal" training. I'd like to share with you some of my favorite unconventional training techniques that that can help you develop huge, cut, freaky quads, without performance-enhancing drugs.<br /><br /><br /><b>UNCONVENTIONAL LEG TRAINING TECHNIQUES</b><br /><br /><b>Heavy - Light training</b><br /><br />Although most fitness experts agree that the ideal repetition range for developing muscle mass is between 6 and 10, the muscles of the lower body seem to respond very well to a combination of both high and low reps. Why not just train heavy all the time? Because the heavy - light system works every type of muscle fiber to the fullest. The result is not just strong, bulky legs like a powerlifter, but the polished, chiseled legs of a bodybuilder.<br /><br />Former professional bodybuilder Tom Platz, who is known for having the best leg development of all time and who is unconventional to say the least, used this approach to develop his monstrous thighs and win the Mr. Universe title. Platz has performed squats with 405 for 25 reps, 315 for 50 reps and 225 for 10 minutes nonstop! The king of quads was equally capable of pushing heavy iron as well with a max single of nearly 800 pounds.<br /><br />There are a variety of ways you can incorporate the heavy-light principle into your training program. One way is to designate a separate high rep and low rep day and alternate every other workout. Another method is to use high rep and low rep training in the same workout. If you choose the latter, you can perform exclusively high reps or low reps on one exercise or you can do both high reps and low reps on the same exercise.<br /><br />Don't get the mistaken idea that light day means easy day. High rep squats can be the most brutal workout you could ever subject yourself to. After a few high rep squat workouts, you'll probably even find your heavy days feel easier. After you've conquered sets of 30-40 reps in the squat with 225 lbs., then 405 lbs. for sets of 5-6 reps will seem like a piece of cake!<br /><br /><br /><b>Ascending Sets</b><br /><br />Ascending sets are a little known technique I learned from my trainer, former Mr. Eastern America, Richie Smyth of New Jersey. This is an incredibly effective means of quickly taking a muscle to total failure without having to use near-maximal weights. An ascending set is the opposite of a descending set (drop set). Here's how it works: Select a weight that you can perform 12 reps with on a particular exercise. Do just six reps, then add 10%-15% to the weight. Now continue with the heavier weight for six more reps. Increase the weight an additional 10%-15% and repeat for a final six reps (That's eighteen reps total.) Take as little rest as possible between the weight changes. If you've selected the amount of resistance properly, the second six will start to get difficult and the final six will take a supreme effort - you may need a spotter to assist with the last two or three. If you have a training partner, you can increase the intensity by reducing or eliminating the rest periods between weight changes completely; simply have your partner add the weight on the bar without you even racking it.<br /><br /><br /><b>Continuous tension & partial reps</b><br /><br />Conventional wisdom says that you must always perform your exercises through the full range of motion. If you were to cut out a third or a half of the movement that would only develop a half or two thirds of the muscle, right? Wrong! Of all the exercises in the bodybuilder's repertoire, slow, constant tension, non-locking squatting movements have got to be the most difficult - and the most result producing exercises of all<br /><br />The way to best utilize continuous tension in your quad training is to emphasize the lower range of motion and avoid locking out at the top. Squatting very deeply and coming only one-half or three-quarters of the way up not only increases the amount of time the quads are kept under tension, but also generates greater recruitment of the teardrop-shaped Medialis. There are several variations of the continuous tension - partial reps technique, including bottom half reps, one and a half's, one and a quarters and the popular twenty-one method. Bottom half reps are exactly what the name implies; only do the lower half of the range of motion. One and a half's and one and a quarter's are techniques where a single repetition consists of lowering yourself to the bottom position, coming up only one-half or one-quarter, lowering yourself back down to the bottom position and then coming up all the way (but never locking out completely). Shoot for sets of 8 -10 repetitions in this fashion. Twenty-one's are another popular variation on partial reps. One set consists of seven reps in the top range of motion, seven in the bottom range of motion and then seven in the full range of motion. To increase the intensity even further, do your continuous tension reps slowly with five seconds on the eccentric movement and five seconds on the concentric movement.<br /><br /><br /><b>High reps</b><br /><br />We've already touched on high reps in the heavy-light system, but high rep leg training is so result-producing that it bears mention on its own. First of all, let me clarify what I mean when I say high reps. I'm not talking about only 12 or 15 reps; I'm talking a minimum of 20-30 and occasionally upwards of 40, 50 and beyond.<br /><br />There are a lot of "old-school" lifters who adamantly insist that you must stay in the 4-8 rep range and that in order to develop mass and get stronger, you must always strive to increase the weight. If you are a powerlifter, football player or strength athlete then that's good advice. You'll get strong as an ox training with low reps, but if you want to look like a bodybuilder and not a lineman, then you must use different training systems that work every muscle fiber and engage every energy system: Enter high rep training. I'm not suggesting that you eliminate heavy leg training. What I'm suggesting is that you always include heavy low rep training and lighter high rep training.<br /><br />There's a trick to doing high rep quad workouts: The secret to hitting reps in the 30-50 range is your breathing. Unless you pause and breathe between reps, you'll find yourself quitting due to a searing lactic acid burn in the muscle at around the 12th - 15th rep. Breathing squats are a form of rest-pause training. Do the first ten reps in a continuous fashion as you normally would. On the second ten, take a breath between each rep. On the third ten, you'll probably need two or three deep breaths at the top to recover between each rep. On the fourth and fifth ten (if you get this far) you'll be gasping for air, taking several deep breaths between every rep. Breathing in this rest-pause fashion will allow you to complete a high number of reps with poundages that you never thought attainable.<br /><br />If you're used to training exclusively with low reps, you'll need to build up your endurance gradually. Start with 20 reps and work you way up to as many as 40 or even 50. When you hit 40 or 50, increase the weight, drop back to 20 reps and then start working your way up again.<br /><br />Keep an accurate training journal and try to beat your previous best at every workout. If you train with a partner, make a contest out of it and challenge each other to break your rep records. This type of training is incredibly effective, but brutal. If you're done it right, expect to be lying on your back for several minutes gasping for air after each set. Towards the end of the set, it becomes more a matter of mental toughness than anything.<br /><br /><br /><b>Regressive weight pattern</b><br /><br />A regressive weight pattern is the exact opposite of the conventional pyramid system. Pyramiding entails increasing the weight and decreasing the reps with each set. It is a good system for developing size and strength, especially if you are starting with basic exercises like squats or deadlifts and you are working up to very heavy weights.<br /><br />An unconventional system that may be even more effective is the regressive weight pattern. On your first set, begin with your heaviest weight when you are fresh and the strongest, then decrease the weight and increase the reps with each set. To use this system safely you'll need to warm up thoroughly beforehand.<br /><br />The rationale behind regressive sets is that all the "build-up" sets in a pyramid are wasted and nothing more than warm-ups. By the time you get to your heaviest set in a pyramid, all the warm-up sets have fatigued you so much you can't lift as much on your heavy sets. With the regressive weight pattern you don't tire yourself out before getting to your productive heavy sets, therefore all your sets are productive. Coincidentally, the regressive system was one of Tom Platz's favorite techniques.<br /><br /><br /><b>Post-Exhaust</b><br /><br />Post exhaust is an extension of the heavy-light principle. You select two exercises; a heavy compound movement supersetted with a lighter isolation movement. Post-exhaust allows you to take the basic compound exercise and work it heavy followed by an isolation movement to flush the muscle and produce a maximum pump. You get the benefits of training every type of muscle fiber and every energy system in the same workout. An example would be doing heavy leg presses for a 6-8 rep max followed by leg extensions for 20-30 reps.<br /><br /><br /><b>Pre-exhaust</b><br /><br />Pre-exhaust is also a variation of the heavy-light system. The difference from post exhaust is in the order of the exercises. Once again you select a heavy compound movement and a lighter isolation movement. This time you do the isolation movement first followed by the compound movement. Pre-exhaust is a great system if you'd like to perform heavy basic movements like squats, but have difficulty doing so due to lower back or knee problems. You can work the quads to total failure on the leg extensions, then at a point where most people quit, continue to blast the quads even further using the synergism of the powerful hip, lower back and hamstring muscles. Since you have pre-fatigued your quads you can use much lighter poundage in the squat and still receive the benefits of the exercise without subjecting yourself to injury. If you can squat 275-315 lbs. easily for reps, then 185-225 lbs. can seem just as heavy when your quads are pre-exhausted.<br /><br /><br /><b>Changing foot positions and stance width</b><br /><br />Here's an unconventional way to thoroughly work every section of the Quadriceps group: Change your foot position with each successive set on a particular exercise. On squatting movements you can vary your stance width from wide to medium to narrow. You can also vary the angle of the toes. For example, pointing the toes out 45 degrees and utilizing a wide stance will recruit the adductor muscles more. Using a narrow stance with toes forward will recruit the quads more while working the hips, glutes and adductors to a lesser degree. On leg presses you simply change your foot position on the platform. On leg extensions, you can point your toes in to work the lateral portion of the quad, out for the inner quad and straight ahead for overall quad.<br /><br /><br /><b>THE EXERCISES</b><br /><br /><b>Front squat</b><br /><br />Left to their own devices, few people will volunteer to do front squats on their own. The reason is simple: Front squats are probably the only exercise that is harder than regular squats. Front squats are difficult to execute because they require extra balance and coordination to hold the bar on the front of the shoulders.<br /><br />The rewards of front squatting are well worth the added effort. Front squats develop the quadriceps better than almost any other exercise. The reason is because placing the bar on the front of the shoulders allows you to maintain a more upright posture. This puts more emphasis on the frontal quads while at the same time reducing stress on the lower back, hips and glutes.<br /><br /><br /><b>Back squat</b><br /><br />Squats are unquestionably the most effective quad builder of all. For maximum quad development, do "bodybuilding" squats with the bar high on your traps and use a medium to narrow stance. Elevate your heels under a one-inch board or mat to help you maintain your balance if you lack flexibility. Most importantly, squat deep! Strength Coach Charles Poliquin is fond of saying, "squat down and don't come back up until you leave a mark on the floor."<br /><br />Do not fear deep squats. According to most strength training experts, the majority of injuries from squatting come from poor form. In his book "Weight Training, a Scientific Approach" Dr. Michael Stone, one of the nation's leading experts on weight training writes, "Squatting in which the top of the thighs goes below parallel, has been erroneously associated with damage to the meniscus and ligaments. Although bouncing and other improper techniques can cause knee damage, there is little evidence that squatting is harmful to a healthy knee." To avoid injury, use impeccable form and keep your torso rigid at all times. Lower yourself slowly and always maintain control. Keep the torso erect and push through with your legs, avoiding the tendency to lean forward and use the lower back.<br /><br /><br /><b>Hack machine squat</b><br /><br />Full range of motion is crucial on Hack Squats. Deep hack squats without locking out will give you the greatest quad development possible. You should squat deep enough so the backs of your calves touch your hamstrings. A common mistake is using too much weight and only working the top half of the movement. Lower yourself slowly and under control and do not bounce out of the bottom position. Drive through with your heels (not off the balls of your feet). As with regular back squats, you should have no fear of injury from doing your hack squats to below parallel provided that you are fully warmed up, you use good form and you have no pre-existing knee injuries.<br /><br /><br /><b>Leg Extensions</b><br /><br />While not the best mass builder, leg extensions are the most effective exercise for isolating the quadriceps. Leg extensions are a great way to help define and separate the quads and they are also an excellent finishing movement. Leg extensions can be particularly effective when used together with a compound exercise. Hold every rep for two seconds at the top of the movement and squeeze for a maximum contraction. Lower the weight slowly and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.<br /><br /><br /><b>Lunges</b><br /><br />Lunges are a good quad builder and a great way to develop the glute-hamstring tie-in and the separation between the quads and the hamstrings. Lunges are most effective as a quad builder when combined with a quad isolation movement such as the leg extension. There are many different ways to perform lunges. For the ultimate in quad development, lunge deep holding dumbbells, and step onto a block or step, emphasizing the bottom range of motion.<br /><br /><br /><b>Sissy Squats</b><br /><br />Why are they called sissy squats? Legendary trainer Vince Gironda once answered, "Because they make a sissy out of the strongest squatter!" When performed as described below, they are a super way to work the quad from the lower Medialis and Lateralis all the way to where the Rectus Femoris inserts into the hip area. To keep maximum isolation on the quadriceps without involving the glutes and hips, lean backward and maintain a straight line from the shoulders to the knees as you squat down (do not flex at the hips). Hold onto an upright support to maintain your balance. Sissy squats should preferably be done last in your routine when your knees are fully warmed up. Like the leg extensions, sissy squats are very effective when combined in a post-exhaust or pre-exhaust superset.<br /><br /><br /><b>THE ROUTINES</b><br /><br />The techniques I've described can be arranged in a countless number of different combinations. Note how a different technique can be used with each successive set of the same exercise. These two samples of unconventional leg-training workouts should give you some ideas of how to incorporate unconventional training tactics into your own routine. These are high-intensity training routines designed for advanced bodybuilders. The weights listed are just used as examples.<br /><br />If you're frustrated with your current level of quad development, don't resort to drugs; try these routines. You can develop amazing quads drug-free, you just have to be a little unconventional!<br /><br /><br /><b>Unconventional quad routine #1</b><br /><br /> 1. Front squats<br /> Warm up: 2 sets X 135 X 12<br /> Set 1: 185 lbs. X 6, 205 lbs. X 6, 225 lbs. X 6 (Ascending set: no rest between weight changes)<br /> Set 2: 225 lbs. X 6-8 reps, 185 lbs. X 6-8reps, 135 lbs. X 6-8 reps (Descending set: no rest between weight changes)<br />Set 3: 185 lbs. X 12-15 reps (Slow, non locking continuous tension set, go only 3/4 of the way up; 5 second positive, 5 second negative)<br /><br /> 2. Leg press ( regressive weight pattern)<br /> Set 1: 720 lbs X 8-10 reps<br /> Set 2: 630 lbs X 12-15 reps,<br /> Set 3: 540 lbs X 20+ reps<br /> Set 4: 540 lbs X 8-10 reps feet middle of platform<br /> 450 lbs X 8-10 reps feet bottom of platform close together<br /> 360 lbs X 8-10 reps feet middle of platform wide with toes 45 degrees<br /> 270 X as many reps as possible feet at top of platform six inches wide.<br /> (Descending set, change foot positions after each weight reduction, no rest between weight reductions)<br /><br /> 3. Leg extension (ascending sets)<br /> Set1: 90 lbs X 6 reps, 110 lbs X 6 reps, 130 lbs X 6 reps (toes in)<br /> Set 2: 90 lbs X 6 reps, 110 lbs X 6 reps, 130 lbs X 6 reps (toes out)<br /> Set 3: 90 lbs X 6 reps, 110 lbs X 6 reps, 130 lbs X 6 reps (toes straight ahead)<br /><br /> Superset to:<br /> 4. Lunges with dumbbells off step<br /> 3 sets X 35 lb. dumbbells X as many reps as possible (only bottom half of range of motion)<br /><br /><br /> <b>Unconventional quad routine #2</b><br /><br /> 1. Back Squats Alternate heavy - light every other week<br /><br /> Week 1:<br /><br /> Sets 1 & 2: 225 lbs. X 20-50 reps<br /> Set 3: 185 X 10-15 reps (one and a quarter reps)<br /><br /> Week 2:<br /><br /> 2 warm up sets, followed by 4 heavy sets (pyramid)<br /> set 1: 225 X 10<br /> set 2: 275 X 8<br /> set 3: 315 X 6<br /> set 4: 365 X 4-6<br /> set 5: 185 lbs X 10-15 (one and a quarter reps) <br /><br /> 2. Hack Machine Squats (Regressive weight pattern bottom 3/4 of the movement only; no locking out.)<br /> Set 1: 315 lbs. X 6-8 reps<br /> Set 2: 275lbs. X 12-15 reps<br /> Set 3: 225lbs. X 20-25 reps <br /><br /> 3. Smith machine Lunge (with rear foot elevated on bench bottom half of range of motion.)<br /> 2-3 sets X 115 X 12-15 reps<br /> superset to<br /> 4. Sissy squat. 2-3 sets X bodyweight X as many reps as possible<br /></span>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-68083933044139851042009-06-01T06:24:00.001-07:002009-06-01T06:24:46.360-07:00Cardio and Muscle Mass Gains<span class="content"> Among the numerous never-ending debates in the field is the question of whether or not cardio/aerobic type activity should be performed when the explicit goal is maximum gains in muscle mass. And as is usually the case, there are a variety of extreme standpoints in this debate.<br /><br />At one extreme is the idea that trainees should perform an hour of low intensity cardio daily during their mass gaining phase. This is usually suggested as a way of staying lean during the period of overfeeding needed to maximize muscle gain. At the other extreme is the idea that any activity outside of lifting weights, and especially cardio, will do nothing but harm gains in muscle mass (and strength).<br /><br />As usual, I think that the truth lies somewhere in the middle and I’d like to look at some of the various pros and cons of keeping some form of cardio in the overall program when the explicit goal is muscle mass gains. As usual, whether cardio is good, bad or neutral depends on the situation along with how it’s performed.<br /><br />For context, the main type of cardio activity I’ll be focusing on in this article is low to moderate intensity steady state cardio which is usually where the big arguments erupt. For the most part, unless dealing with an athlete who must be performing interval training for their sport, I don’t recommend interval training when the goals are maximal muscle mass gains.<br /><br />Yes, you can always find someone who makes it work (and there have been various theories thrown around how sprinting might enhance muscle gain which never seem to have really panned out) but for the most part I don’t think high intensity cardio training of any sort (interval or otherwise) is optimal when the goal is maximal muscle gain. So I’ll be focusing on low- to moderate-intensity steady state type cardio here.<br /><br /><br /><b>Benefits of Cardio During Mass Gaining Phases</b><br /><br />Among the pros of maintaining some amount of cardio during a mass gaining phase, I’d probably include the following:<br /><br /> 1. Improved recovery<br /> 2. Appetite<br /> 3. Maintaining some conditioning and work capacity<br /> 4. Improved Calorie Partitioning<br /> 5. Keeps the fat burning pathways active<br /><br />Let’s look at each.<br /><br /><b>Improved Recovery</b><br /><br /><br />Done at low to moderate intensities (I’ll come back to specifics at the end of the article) cardio can act as a form of active recovery. By pumping blood through worked muscles, recovery is often hastened (and for many, active recovery actually helps more than simple passive recovery: doing nothing).<br /><br />I’d note that most forms of cardio tend to be lower body dominant so most of this effect will be for the lower body. Trainees who want to achieve a similar effect for the upper body would need to perform rowing or use the EFX or a machine that also involves the upper body to some degree.<br /><br />Finally, it’s worth noting that, by sipping on a dilute carb/protein drink (perhaps 30 grams carbs and half as much protein per hour), the increased blood flow to the working muscles will enhance nutrient delivery; this should also help with overall muscular recovery.<br /><br /><br /><b>Appetite</b><br /><br />The impact of exercise on appetite can be exceedingly variable. For some people, activity, and this is especially true of high-intensity activity, can blunt appetite; for others it can stimulate it. In the context of mass gaining, trainees who have trouble consuming sufficient calories often find that including moderate amounts of cardio can be beneficial in terms of improving appetite.<br /><br /><br /><b>Maintaining Conditioning/Work Capacity</b><br /><br />Depending on the specifics of the training, it’s not uncommon for lifters and trainees to lose a lot of their metabolic conditioning when they move into pure mass gain phases (where all they are doing is weight training). Lower repetition/long rest interval types of training tends to have the greatest impact and individuals lose vast amounts of conditioning and work capacity during this type of training.<br /><br />For athletes this is clearly detrimental since it means they have to start building things back up from scratch. Even for non-athlete lifters (e.g. bodybuilders), losing work capacity can hurt overall recovery both during a workout and in-between workouts.<br /><br />The good thing is that it takes far less training to maintain some conditioning than it does to develop it and keeping at least some amount of cardio in the total training program goes a long way towards this goal.<br /><br /><br /><b>Improved Calorie Partitioning</b><br /><br />As an additional potential benefit, aerobic activity could potentially improve results during a mass gaining phase in another way and that has to do with overall calorie partitioning. As I discuss in Calorie Partitioning Part 1 and Calorie Partitioning Part 2, partitioning has to do with where calories ‘go’ or ‘come from’ when you over- or under-eat respectively.<br /><br />Probably the most potent partitioning tool we have is training. Regular activity increases nutrient uptake into skeletal muscle; practically that means less excess calories to get stored elsewhere (e.g. fat cells). While it’s debatable how much of an effect low- to moderate intensity cardio will have in this impact, it certainly won’t hurt done in reasonable amounts. And it may help in the long-term.<br /><br /><br /><b>Staying Lean/Keeping Fat Burning Pathways Active</b><br /><br />Finally, there is the issue of keeping fat burning pathways active and/or staying lean while mass gaining. Frankly, I’m not hugely convinced that doing cardio does a ton to keep folks lean; especially given that it’s relatively easy to eat more calories and overpower any slight caloric burn from the type of cardio that is usually advocated. Frankly, I suspect that it would be easier to just keep the caloric surplus under greater control (or time that surplus around training better).<br /><br />However, there is another related reason to keep it in and that has to do with the fact that eventually folks who are gaining muscle mass will want to lean out. As I discussed in General Philosophies of Muscle Mass Gains, most will get the fastest rate of muscle growth while allowing some fat gain to occur; this necessitates eventually dieting off the extra fat.<br /><br />Now, tangentially (and this is a topic I can’t discuss fully here), I think that one of the reasons that cardio has gotten a bad rap in terms of muscle loss on a diet is that people jump from doing basically zero cardio to fairly large amounts often overnight; this is often accompanied by a massive drop in calories and I suspect that it is this combination that tends to cause muscle loss.<br /><br />This is a problem as during the overfeeding that is needed to generate maximum gains in muscle mass, the body often loses some of its ability to use fat as a fuel and this can take a couple of weeks to get fully ramped back up when calories are restricted (I suspect this explains some of the odd delay that seems to occur in true fat loss when people start dieting again).<br /><br />And this seems to be even more pronounced if folks have been doing zero cardio while they are gaining muscle mass. By keeping in some amount of cardio during the mass gaining phase, at least some ability to use fat effectively for fuel is maintained. When the dieting phase eventually starts, the body will be a in better place to use fat for fuel.<br /><br /><br /><b>Drawbacks of Cardio During Mass Gaining Phases</b><br /><br />Having looked at the pros of keeping at least some cardio in during mass gaining phases, I now want to look at the two major cons, or at least the two that are usually brought up:<br /><br /> 1. Burns up calories that could go towards muscle growth<br /> 2. Might cut into recovery/Over-training<br /><br /><br /><b>Burning up Calories that could go to Muscle Growth</b><br /><br />This tends to be one of the major concerns of the ‘no cardio while gaining mass’ group, that valuable calories that might go towards muscle growth will be burned off by cardio. And certainly, taken to the extreme where excessive cardio is being done, there is much truth to this.<br /><br />As I mentioned above, the calorie burn of reasonable amounts of low to moderate intensity aerobic activity isn’t generally very high unless someone is exceedingly well trained (and can burn tremendous numbers of calories even at low intensities). The few hundred calories burned during activity is pretty easy to replace on a day to day basis and I’m not sure this is a huge concern in terms of preventing calories and protein from getting to the muscle to support growth.<br /><br />One exception to this are the perpetually skinny (e.g. the classic ‘hardgainer’ or ectomorphic type). These are the folks who have a hard enough time putting on weight in the first place, for a wide variety of reasons (that I’ve discussed elsewhere on the site). Since they rarely have to worry about getting lean in the first place, they probably should avoid much if any cardio so that all of their energies and food intake go towards training and gaining muscle mass.<br /><br />Of course, the exception to this exception relates to the appetite issue I mentioned above. The classic ectomorphic/hardgainer type often has trouble eating sufficient calories (one of the reasons they tend to stay so lean/skinny is that their appetite tends to shut off pretty readily when they overfeed). In that situation, if performing some cardio on off days helps them to eat more, then it might still be worth including.<br /><br /><br /><b>Cutting into Recovery/Over-training</b><br /><br />The final two issues I want to look at are extremely related so I’ll look at them together. The basic concern is that trying to combine both heavy weight training and cardio/endurance type training will impair results in the weight room. And there is certainly some truth to that idea.<br /><br />A great amount of early research (and practical experience) suggested that the combination of cardiovascular and strength training tended to cause an interference in terms of results. Interestingly (and this is beyond the scope of this article), while cardiovascular training tended to impair strength performance, the opposite often wasn’t seen; heavy strength training didn’t seem to impair the adaptations to endurance training.<br /><br />Now one factor to keep in mind is that most of the studies looking at this topic were using some fairly high intensity types of cardio; they were often examining the types of training that might be seen with American football or sports of that nature. Meaning that they don’t automatically have a ton of relevance to what’s being discussed in this article. The intensity is a key factor, for reasons that are beyond the scope of this article. When intensity is kept down and the volume and frequency is more moderate, the potential negative impact of cardiovascular training on adaptations in the weight room is massively reduced.<br /><br />In that vein, I would still note that excessive amounts of cardio can still cut into recovery, both systemically (whole-body) and locally (specific muscle groups). The legs are what typically what can take a beating since most cardio modes are lower body dominant. Excessive amounts of even low intensity cardio can cut into the overall recovery of the legs and rotating machines to alter the stress on the musculature may be a worthwhile consideration.<br /><br /><br /><b>So Cardio while Focusing on Mass Gains...Yes or No?</b><br /><br />In my opinion, with the potential exception of the extremely skinny/hardgainer type (who may still benefit from appetite stimulation), there is more benefit to be had from reasonable amounts of cardio than there are negatives.<br /><br />I simply feel that most of the problems with cardio training start to come into play when either the intensity or volume get excessive. As long as the amounts are kept moderate and the intensity is kept under control I think most of the concerns are mostly a non-issue.<br /><br /><br /><b>So what defines moderate, reasonable, etc.?</b><br /><br />At a bare minimum, 20-30 minutes of cardio performed three times per week will maintain some basic cardiovascular fitness, burn off a few calories, act as active recovery, and help to keep the fat burning pathways active so that the shift to dieting is a little bit easier; all of the good things that I mentioned. And it should do that without having any really major impact on progress in the weight room.<br /><br />A higher frequency can be used but I wouldn’t see much point to more than five per week unless the intensity is kept very low (e.g. you can do brisk walking daily if desired). Going longer than the bare minimum of 20-30 minutes will burn a few more calories but there are limits to time availability (and people start to get bored) and I might set a reasonable limit of 40 minutes of moderate intensity cardio at the maximum; if the intensity is kept way down (again, think brisk walking), an hour is acceptable.<br /><br />In terms of intensity, I think keeping things in the low to moderate range is going to be best. More specifically, a maximum intensity of 70% of maximum heart rate (140 beats per minute for someone with a maximum of 200 beats) or even lower should achieve some benefits without cutting into recovery or growth.<br /><br />As I referred to in the first part of this article, it’s damn near a bodybuilding tradition to walk on the treadmill for an hour every morning and, while I think that amount is overkill for most, the intensity is definitely going to be low with that type of activity. That bodybuilders have done this successfully for so many years would seem to be an important lesson, especially for those folks who think that the only type of metabolic work worth a damn is high intensity stuff.<br /><br />A final issue to examine is that of timing and when to perform the cardio. In an ideal universe, any cardio would probably be done completely separately from weight training. Cardio in the morning (fasted or not) and weights evening would probably be ideal but can’t always be realistically scheduled when people work full-time.<br /><br />A very common approach is to perform some type of cardio on off-days from the weight room and this is certainly workable if scheduling will allow it. Of course, not everyone can make it to the gym daily and the weather or what have you may preclude doing it outdoors or at home. As well, for a short 20-30 minute session, making the trip to the gym (driving time may take longer than that) may not be realistic.<br /><br />In practical terms, that means performing cardio in conjunction with the weight workout; this raises the question of whether or not it should be done before or after the workout.<br /><br />As long as the intensity is kept low, doing a short cardio workout before weights shouldn’t hurt intensity in the gym (just think of it as a prolonged general warm up). Doing it afterwards has less potential to impact on the weight room session itself but, for those compulsive about post-workout nutrition, does delay eating. A reasonable compromise would be to drink your post-workout drink while doing your cardio after the workout.<br /><br />I would note that, after heavy leg training, most probably won’t want to do much in the way of cardio. Keeping the session to the bare minimums (e.g. 20 minutes of pretty low intensity work) is probably best. Cardio done after upper body workouts can be a bit longer and/or more intensive if desired (within the guidelines I gave above).<br /><br /><br /><b>Summing Up</b><br /><br />So summing up, under most circumstances, I think keeping a reasonable amount of moderate intensity cardio in the training program, even when the goal is explicitly mass gaining can be beneficial for most trainees (the major exception being the extreme hardgainer types).<br /><br />Potential pros include improved recovery, improved work capacity, better calorie partitioning, improved appetite (sometimes), perhaps staying leaner and an easier time shifting back into dieting when the mass gaining phase is over. The cons, including hampered recovery and systematic overtraining only really become an issue when too much volume or too high of an intensity is performed.<br /><br />A minimum of three sessions per week (up to perhaps a maximum of 5) of reasonable duration (20-30 minutes minimum up to perhaps 40 minutes maximum) at a low to moderate intensity (70% of maximum heart rate or less) should achieve the benefits I talked about above without causing any of the problems that I also discussed.<br /></span>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-54466160636744687462009-06-01T06:23:00.003-07:002009-06-01T06:23:59.120-07:00No Pain No Gain: Fitness Myth or Ultimate Fitness Truth?<span class="content">No Pain, No Gain. Is this aphorism just a fitness myth and downright bad advice? A lot of people seem to think so. As a bodybuilder with 25 years of training experience and more than two dozen trophies on my shelf, I have another perspective to offer you..<br /><br /><b>The Ultimate Truth?</b><br /><br />Success with your body and in every area of your life is all about stepping outside of your comfort zone and that means embracing pain.<br /><br />To reach high levels of physical and personal success you must approach your training, and your entire life, as an endeavor in constant growth. The ultimate truth is, you are either moving forward or moving backward; growing or dying. There's no such thing as comfortably maintaining. To grow, you must step above past achievements; beyond your perceived boundaries and limits. That means stepping out of the known, into the unknown; out of the familiar and into the unfamiliar; out of the comfortable into the uncomfortable. You must get out of your comfort zone.<br /><br />The Late Cavett Robert, who was founder of the National Speakers Association, said something I'll never forget:<br /><br />"Most people are running around their whole lives with their umbilical cords in their hands and they're looking for some place to plug it back in."<br /><br />Most people are scared of the new, unknown and unfamiliar. They prefer to stay in that womb of comfort. When the going gets tough; when the effort gets painful, when the work gets hard, they always pull back into safety. But the extraordinary people do the opposite. They know they have to get out of the comfort zone, and into new territory or they'll stagnate and die.<br /><br />Walt Disney once said that he never wanted to repeat a past success. He was always creating something new. They called it "Imagineering." Disney's mission was to continuously dream up and create things they had never done before, and look at what Disney has become today.<br /><br />Here's a little quote that you should post on your bulletin board, your computer desktop or somewhere you will always see it:<br /><br /><i>"Do what you always did, get what you always got."</i><br /><br />You can't grow or change by doing what you've already done. You've got to train just to prevent yourself from going backwards. Maintenance doesn't occur when you do nothing, maintenance is working to fight entropy (the tendency for things to naturally deteriorate).<br /><br />Still, most people won't leave their comfort zones. They won't do it in business, they won't do it in their personal lives. They won't do it in their sport. They won't do it for personal health and fitness. Why? The answer is simple… It hurts.<br /><br />By definition, what's it like outside the comfort zone? It's UN-COMFORTABLE, right? Change is uncomfortable. Sometimes it's physically painful, but it's always mentally and emotionally painful, in the form of discipline, sacrifice, uncertainty and fear.<br /><br />The maxim, "no pain no gain" gets knocked all the time as if it were bad advice. The fact of life is that you don't grow unless you are constantly stepping outside the comfort zone, and outside the comfort zone is discomfort and pain.<br /><br /><br /><b>How Champions and Winners Think</b><br /><br />I find that it's mostly the non-achievers who make out "no pain, no gain" to be a bad thing. But the winners get it. The champions understand stepping outside the comfort zone in a healthy context, so they embrace it.<br /><br />When you're talking about the Olympics, or pro bodybuilding or the Super Bowl or a world championship, you'd better believe it's physical pain, it's discipline, it's sacrifice, it's blood, sweat, and tears - literally. But for most people who simply want to go from unfit to fit, from overweight to ideal weight, it's not so much about physical "pain"; it's more like stretching yourself.<br /><br />How do you develop flexibility? What does your trainer tell you? You stretch to the point of discomfort, but not to the point of pain, right? You get into a position of slight discomfort and you hold it just long enough, then what happens? The discomfort goes away, because the muscle becomes more pliable, and the range of motion is increased.<br /><br />Each time, you stretch a little further, just barely into the range you've never been in before, and eventually, you're doing the splits. And why do you approach it like that? Because you don't want to injure yourself. Stretch too far, too fast and your muscle tears.<br /><br />The elite athletes and high achievers really have to push themselves; they're going to push their boundaries and test their limits. But if you're not an elite athlete or seasoned bodybuilder, and you take the advice, "no pain, no gain" too literally, you're going to end up getting injured.<br /><br />I always say to my training partner when I watch him cringing during a set and he finishes up with that pained look on his face, "Are you injured, or just hurt?" He knows what I'm talking about. If he says he's hurt, I say, "OK, good. As long as you're not injured. Let's get on with it. Next set."<br /><br /><br /><b>Good Pain vs Bad Pain</b><br /><br />It's not about injury. That is bad pain. Pushing yourself through that is stupidity. But do stretch yourself. You can't improve unless you stretch yourself. If someone just wants too "stay fit" – OK fine. It actually doesn't take that much to stay fit, once you've already achieved it.<br /><br />But what if you want to improve? What if you want a new body? What if you want to change? If that's what you want, you've got to push yourself a little. You've got to break comfort zones. And if your body is not changing, then I don't care how hard you think you're working, whatever you're doing right now is inside your comfort zone.<br /><br />The statement "no pain, no gain" has been misinterpreted, criticized and labeled a fallacy by many. However, the people doing the criticizing are almost always comfort zoners who haven't achieved much. Don't listen to them. Instead, follow the small percentage of people who step out and achieve great things. If you don't like the sound of it, then say, "No effort, no gain." We're still talking about the same thing.<br /><br />Embrace the "good pain" of growth like the champions do. Soon it subsides, you enjoy the benefits of the change and the pain is forgotten. You've reached a new, higher plateau of achievement. Enjoy the view for a short while. But be on guard because it's not long before that higher level becomes your new comfort zone and then its time to press on again. </span>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-9662092214391848972009-06-01T06:23:00.001-07:002009-06-01T06:23:32.290-07:00The Real Secret To Achieving Your Bodybuilding & Fitness Goals<span class="content">Everyday my inbox gets filled with countless e-mail from bodybuilding and fitness enthusiasts from all over the world. Most of the e-mail questions ask things such as what are the best workouts to follow, what are the best foods to eat, and what are the best supplements to take. While there is nothing wrong with these questions, they are not necessarily going to move you closer to reaching your ultimate bodybuilding and physique goals. The real key to fitness success involves zooming out and looking at things from a higher level.<br /><br />If you could do a survey of the people who have the best built bodies across the globe you would find that they all have different theories and approaches with regards to their actual workouts, diets, and supplements. Some prefer higher volume workouts, some prefer higher intensity workouts, some prefer low carb diets, some prefer high carb diets, some are supplement "junkies", while others don't take any supplements at all.<br /><br />The actual techniques and strategies will vary from person to person. As the old saying goes there is more then one way to skin a cat. (Note: why anyone would want to skin a cat is beyond me.)<br /><br />But there is one thing that all successful people have in common and that is they set up the conditions of their life in such a way to ensure their success is inevitable over the long term. Inevitability thinking is a way of putting things in place so that what you want to achieve happens automatically.<br /><br />Before we can move forward and make progress in any area, we have to first accept the fact that everything in our life is at some level the way it is today because of conditions that were set up in our past. Whether these conditions where set up consciously, or unconsciously, by us directly, or by our environment.<br /><br />For example, if John is now working as an auto-mechanic then things happened in his life that made this career choice inevitable. Most likely there were people and situations in his past that peaked his interest in cars. Which then made John want to go to school and study auto-mechanics, and then this eventually lead him to working in that field. Bottom line, he didn't just some how magically become a mechanic. The conditions were set in his life, either consciously or unconsciously, that made it inevitable.<br /><br />The same thing applies to someone who is lean, athletic, and muscular. They just didn't get that way by accident. The conditions of their life were set in such a way as to make the outcome of a strong muscular body inevitable. In virtually all cases people who are in great shape have individuals in their life who they looked up to that are also in great shape. They are members of a gym that provides them with the tools they need to build their body. They spend time studying books, courses, and videos so they can learn how to maximize their results. They most likely participate in some form of sports or activities that give them extra drive and motivation to get in top physical shape, such as bodybuilding, powerlifting, fitness modeling, team sports or something that provides an outside competitive drive to succeed.<br /><br />We all live in set conditions that are affecting our daily lives whether we realize it or not. So if you are not happy with the results you have achieved thus far, then you need to change your conditions in order to change the results you are getting.<br /><br />Ask yourself what conditions do you need to put in place so the outcomes you want happen automatically? How do you make getting your desired goals a sure thing that is eventually going to happen no matter what?<br /><br />One of the most important conditions that you can set that will determine your level of success in any area of your life is choosing the people you associate with. If you look at the 5 people you associate with the most you will find that you are the average of those 5 people.<br /><br />For example, if you took the average income of the 5 people you associate with the most, chances are it would be very close to your income. If you took the average level of health and fitness of those 5 people, chances are it would be very close to your own level of health and fitness. Now of course there will be some rare exceptions to this rule. But for the most part any measurable area of your life can be related back to the average of the 5 people you associate with the most.<br /><br />So knowing that we are the average of the 5 people we hang around with the most. The quickest way to set the conditions of your life to help you move towards your desired outcomes is to get around people who are living life at a higher level. We imitate people around us whether we know it or not. So if you want to have a strong, lean, and athletic body, then you must associate with other people who are strong, lean, and athletic so their positive energy will help pull you up to that level.<br /><br />In my case some of the conditions from my past that helped set me on the path to bodybuilding success was the fact that my dad worked out himself and had an old weight set in our basement and I played around with it as a kid. I also remember watching the "Conan The Barbarian movies" and seeing Arnold in his prime with a big muscular physique. And at this time there was a show that came on TV called "Body Shaping" where they taught weight training workouts, and I used to watch every episode. All these things helped plant the seeds of bodybuilding success in my mind.<br /><br />Then when I was 17 years old I competed in my first bodybuilding competition and started hanging around and associating with other local bodybuilders. This created a huge burning desire for me to improve my physique just so I could "fit in" with these guys. Then with each bodybuilding competition I entered I was on a mission to show everyone how much improved since my previous show.<br /><br />During this time I also had a very supportive environment at home. My dad and I built our own home gym in our basement where we worked out together. My mom and dad would attend all of my bodybuilding competitions and cheer me on. They would proudly display all of my trophies and medals in our home. This made for great conversation starters when company visited and they were always there as constant visual reminders.<br /><br />All these things helped set the conditions for bodybuilding success in my life. Not only did I have internal drive and dream of building a muscular physique in my mind. But I also had the external driving factors of regularly competing in bodybuilding competitions and being judged on stage in front of hundreds of spectators. There was the "peer pressure" to keep up with the other local bodybuilders. And I had the support of my family and a good home environment that was conducive to bodybuilding success.<br /><br />Inevitability thinking is a habit used by successful people in all fields. Be it in business, academics, or bodybuilding. Consciously setting your life conditions will take the process of goal setting to a higher level. When you keep stacking the odds in your favor then success is inevitable. It is just a matter of time.<br /><br />So with that being said:<br /><br /><b>What are the conditions that you need to put in place in your life so that the goals you want to achieve become inevitable and will happen automatically?</b></span>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-35156882745558439512009-05-19T05:46:00.001-07:002009-05-19T05:46:20.971-07:004 Simple Keys To Developing A Wide & Muscular Back<span class="content">It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly misguided the vast majority of the population is in the gym. Everyone is desperate for that wide, powerful and muscular physique, yet very few understand how to properly channel their efforts to get there.<br /><br />For most aspiring lifters, it's all about building a huge chest and arms. Week after week they slave away on endless sets of bench presses and barbell curls in search of the rippling muscle gains they want so badly.<br /><br />Not surprisingly, those gains never appear in any significant form.<br /><br />While a well developed chest and arms is clearly an important part of any complete physique, the truth is that these muscles only play a small role when compared to a much larger, much more intricate muscle group that most people severely neglect in their training programs.<br /><br />I am, of course, talking about the major muscles of the back: the lats, traps, spinal erectors, rhomboids and lower back.<br /><br />It's obvious why most lifters neglect these all-too-important muscles…<br /><br />1) The back is not a “showy” muscle and you can't see it in the mirror.<br />2) Back training is far more stressful and taxing to the body than chest or arm training.<br />3) Most lifters are simply unaware of how important the development of these muscles really is.<br /><br />Allow me to let you in on a little secret…<br /><br />If you want to appear as wide, thick and powerful as you possibly can, nothing will allow you to achieve this goal faster than a well developed back.<br /><br />In fact, 70% of your upper body muscle mass resides in this area!<br /><br />Nothing can replace the upper body thickening effect of big, bulging lats and a set of wide, tall trapezius muscles.<br /><br />Please, get up off that bench press and put down that EZ-curl bar for just a moment and let me share a simple, step-by-step workout that you can use to build the muscular back you so desperately need.<br /><br />There are 4 major movements that you must perform to properly develop your back…<br /><br /><b>1) Deadlifts</b> – I cannot possibly stress the importance of this lift enough. There is not a single exercise out there that can even come close to matching the effectiveness of a basic, bent-legged barbell deadlift.<br /><br />The deadlift will work you from finger to neck to toe and is irreplaceable in developing strong, thick back muscles. The deadlift will stimulate growth throughout the entire back complex and should be the cornerstone of your routine.<br /><br /><b>2) A vertical pulling movement </b>– These exercises mainly target the lat muscles and will help you to attain that wide, v-tapered look from behind. Examples of vertical pulling movements are chin-ups (overhand or underhand), lat pulldowns and v-bar pulldowns.<br /><br />To get the most bang for your buck I recommend a basic overhand chin-up. This is the bread and butter of vertical pulling movements and will stimulate growth in the lats like no other exercise.<br /><br /><b>3) A horizontal pulling movement</b> – Otherwise referred to as “rows”, horizontal pulling movements place their emphasis on the upper/middle portion of the back and also stimulate the lats. There are a ton of different rowing movements to choose from: bent over barbell rows, dumbbell rows, seated machine rows and cable rows just to name a few.<br /><br />For maximum results, stick to a basic freeweight rowing movement. I usually recommend bent over barbell rows, but bent over dumbbell rows are an acceptable choice as well.<br /><br /><b>4) A shrugging movement</b> – While not quite as important as the above mentioned lifts, a shrugging movement should still be performed at the end of the workout to target the upper traps and develop that mountainous, diamond-shaped look from behind. A basic barbell or dumbbell shrug will do the trick.<br /><br />Okay, let's put it all together…<br /><br />Deadlifts – 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps<br />Overhand Chin-Ups – 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps<br />Bent Over Barbell Rows – 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps<br />Barbell Shrugs – 2 Sets of 10 to 12 reps<br /><br /><br />For optimal gains in back size and strength, the above routine is ideal.<br /><br />It may not seem like a lot, but as long as you take every set to muscular failure and focus on quality rather than quantity, this routine provides more than enough stimulation for maximum back growth. I've used this same routine for many years and continue to see steady progress in both back size and strength.<br /><br />Make sure to keep a written record of every workout that you perform, and focus each week on increasing either the weight that you lift or the number of reps that you perform within the given rep range.<br /><br />Perform this workout once per week with full effort and I guarantee that your upper body will appear thicker, wider and more muscular than ever before.<br /><br />What about specific routines for the chest? What about the biceps, triceps and shoulders? How about the thighs, calves and abs?<br /><br />For specific training information on each of these body parts make sure to visit my webpage below and find out how you can finally get the rock-solid muscle gains you deserve without spending endless hours in the gym. </span>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-21275373018746151752009-05-19T05:43:00.000-07:002009-05-19T05:45:12.694-07:00The 12 Steps to a Bigger Bench<table style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr> <td align="center"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:78%;"> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> <p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#a72900;"><b>1 Train the Triceps </b></span>Years ago, if you had asked Larry Pacifico how to get a big bench, he'd have told you to train the triceps. This same advice applies today. This doesn't mean doing set after set of pushdowns, kickbacks, and other so-called "shaping" exercises. Training your triceps for a big bench has to involve heavy extensions and close-grip pressing movements such as close-grip flat and incline bench presses, close-grip board presses, and JM presses.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Various barbell and dumbbell extensions should also be staples of your training program. Don't let anyone try to tell you the bench press is about pec strength. These people don't know the correct way to bench and are setting</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">you up for a short pressing career with sub-par weights. I just read an article in one of the major muscle magazines by one of these authors on how to increase your bench press. The advice given was to train your pecs with crossovers and flies and your bench will go up! This, along with many other points, made me wonder how this article ever got published or better yet, how much the author himself could bench.</span></p> <p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> I believe articles should go under a peer review board before they get printed. I'd like many of my peers to review these authors in the gym or better yet on the bench to see how much they really know. Bottom line: Train the triceps!</span></p> <p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#a72900;"><b>2 Keep your shoulder blades pulled together and tight. </b></span>This is a very important and often overlooked aspect of great bench pressing. While pressing you have to create the most stable environment possible. This can't be done if most of your shoulder blades are off the bench. The bench is only so wide and we can't change this, but we can change how we position ourselves on the bench.</span></p> <p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> When you pull your shoulder blades together you're creating a tighter, more stable surface from which to press. This is because more of your body is in contact with the bench. The tightness of your upper back also contributes. These techniques also change the distance the bar will have to travel. The key to pressing big weight is to press the shortest distance possible.</span></p> <p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#a72900;"><b>3 Keep the pressure on your upper back and traps. </b></span>This is another misunderstood aspect of pressing. You want the pressure around the supporting muscles. This is accomplished by driving your feet into the floor, thereby driving your body into the bench. Try this: Lie on the bench and line up so your eyes are four inches in front of the bar (toward your feet). Now using your legs, drive yourself into the bench to put pressure on the upper back and traps. Your eyes should now be even with the bar. This is the same pressure that needs to be applied while pushing the barbell.</span></p> <p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#a72900;"><b>4 Push the bar in a straight line. </b></span>Try to push the bar toward your feet. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, right? Then why in the world would some coaches advocate pressing in a "J" line toward the rack? If I were to bench the way most trainers are advocating (with my elbows out, bringing the bar down to the chest and pressing toward the rack) my barbell travel distance would be 16 inches. Now, if I pull my shoulder blades together, tuck my chin and elbows, and bring the bar to my upper abdominals or lower chest, then my pressing distance is only 6.5 inches. Now which would you prefer? If you want to push up a bar-bending load of plates, you'd choose the shorter distance.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Here's another important aspect of pressing in this style. By keeping your shoulder blades together and your chin and elbows tucked, you'll have less shoulder rotation when compared to the J-line method of pressing. This is easy to see by watching how low the elbows drop in the bottom part of the press when the barbell is on the chest. With the elbows out, most everyone's elbows are far lower than the bench. This creates a tremendous amount of shoulder rotation and strain.</span> </p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> Now try the same thing with the elbows tucked and shoulder blades together while bringing the barbell to your upper abdominals. For most people, the elbows are usually no lower than the bench. Less shoulder rotation equals less strain on the shoulder joint. This means pressing bigger weights for many more years. I've always been amazed at trainers that suggest only doing the top half of the bench press, i.e. stopping when the upper arms are parallel to the floor. This is done to avoid the excess shoulder rotation. All they have to do is teach their clients the proper way to bench in the first place!</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#a72900;"><b>5 Keep the elbows tucked and the bar directly over the wrists and elbows. </b></span>This is probably the most important aspect of great pressing technique. The elbows must remain tucked to keep the bar in a straight line as explained above. Keeping the elbows tucked will also allow lifters to use their lats to drive the bar off the chest. Football players are taught to drive their opponents with their elbows tucked, then explode through. This is the same for bench pressing. Bench pressing is all about generating force. You can generate far more force with your elbows in a tucked position compared to an "elbows out" position.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> The most important aspect of this is to keep the barbell in a direct line with the elbow. If the barbell is behind the elbow toward the head, then the arm position becomes similar to an extension, not a press.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#a72900;"><b>6 Bring the bar low on your chest or upper abdominals. </b></span>This is the only way you can maintain the "barbell to elbow" position as described above. You may have heard the advice, "Bring it low" at almost every powerlifting competition. This is the reason why. Once again, the barbell must travel in a straight line.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#a72900;"><b>7 Fill your belly with air and hold it. </b></span>For maximum attempts and sets under three reps, you must try to hold your air. Everyone must learn to breathe from their bellies and not their chests. If you stand in front of the mirror and take a deep breath, your shoulders shouldn't rise. If they do you're breathing the air into your chest, not your belly. Greater stability can be achieved in all the lifts when you learn how to pull air into the belly. Try to expand and fill the belly with as much air as possible and hold it. If you breathe out during a maximum attempt, the body structure will change slightly, thus changing the groove in which the barbell is traveling.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#a72900;"><b>8 Train with compensatory acceleration. </b></span>Push the bar with maximal force. Whatever weight you're trying to push, be it 40% or 100% of your max, you must learn to apply 100% of the force to the barbell. If you can bench 500 pounds and are training with 300 pounds, you must then apply 500 pounds of force to the 300-pound barbell. This is known as compensatory acceleration and it can help you break through sticking points.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> These sticking points are known as your "mini maxes," or the points at which you miss the lift or the barbell begins to slip out of the groove. Many times I'm asked what to do if the barbell gets stuck four to five inches off the chest. Everybody wants to know what exercise will help them strengthen this area or what body part is holding them back. Many times it isn't what you do to strengthen the area where it sticks, but what you can do to build more acceleration in the area before the mini max. If you can get the bar moving with more force then there won't be a sticking point. Instead, you'll blast right through it. Compensatory acceleration will help you do this.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#a72900;"><b>9 Squeeze the barbell and try to pull the bar apart! </b></span>Regardless of the lift, you have to keep your body as tight as Monica Brant's behind. You'll never lift big weights if you're in a relaxed physical state while under the barbell. The best way to get the body tight is by squeezing the bar. We've also found that if you try to pull the bar apart or "break the bar," the triceps seem to become more activated.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#a72900;"><b>10 Devote one day per week to dynamic-effort training. </b></span>According to Vladimir Zatsiorsinsky in his text Science and Practice of Strength Training, there are three ways to increase muscle tension. These three methods include the dynamic-effort method, the maximal-effort method, and the repetition method. Most training programs being practiced in the US today only utilize one or two of these methods. It's important, however, to use all three.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> The bench press should be trained using the dynamic-effort method. This method is best defined as training with sub-maximal weights (45 to 60%) at maximal velocities. The key to this method is bar speed. Percentage training can be very deceiving. The reason for this is because lifters at higher levels have better motor control and recruit more muscle than a less experienced lifter.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> For example, the maximal amount of muscle you could possibility recruit is 100%. Now, the advanced lifter - after years of teaching his nervous system to be efficient - may be able to recruit 70 to 80% of muscle fibers, while the intermediate might be able to recruit only 50%. Thus, the advanced lifter would need less percent weight than the intermediate. This is one of the reasons why an advanced lifter squatting 80% of his max for 10 reps would kill himself while a beginner could do it all day long.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> If you base the training on bar speed, then the percentages are no longer an issue, only a guideline. So how do you know where to start? If you're an intermediate lifter, I suggest you start at 50% of maximal and see how fast you can make it move for three reps. If you can move 20 more pounds with the same speed then use the heavier weight.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> Based on years of experience and Primlin's charts for optimal percent training, we've found the best range to be eight sets of three reps. Based on Primlin's research, the optimal range for 70% and less is 12 to 24 repetitions.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> We've also found it very beneficial to train the bench using three different grips, all of which are performed within the rings. This may break down into two sets with the pinky fingers on the rings, three sets with three fingers from the smooth area of the bar and three sets with one finger from the smooth area.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#a72900;"><b>11 Devote one day per week to maximal-effort training. </b></span>For the second bench day of the week (72 hours after the dynamic day) you should concentrate on the maximal-effort method. This is best defined as lifting maximal weights (90% to 100%) for one to three reps. This is one of the best methods to develop maximal strength. The key here is to strain. The downfall is you can't train above 90% for longer than three weeks without having adverse effects.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> Try performing a max bench press every week for four or five weeks. You'll see you may progress for the first two, maybe three weeks, then your progress will halt and begin to work its way backward. We've combated this by switching up the maximal-effort exercises. We rotate maximal-effort movements such as the close-grip incline press, board press, floor press, and close-grip flat press. These exercises are all specific to bench pressing and all have a very high carryover value.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#a72900;"><b>12 Train the lats on the same plane as the bench. </b></span> I'm talking about the horizontal plane here. In other words, you must perform rows, rows, and more rows. "If you want to bench big then you need to train the lats." I've heard both George Hilbert and Kenny Patterson say this for years when asked about increasing the bench press. When you bench you're on a horizontal plane. So would it make sense from a balance perspective to train the lats with pull downs, which are on a vertical plane? Nope. Stick to the barbell row if you want a big bench.</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-11714742859005259222009-05-19T02:59:00.000-07:002009-05-19T03:07:15.242-07:00So you want big arms?<span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> I get tired of seeing training articles every month in the muscle mags. I read some of them to keep up on what is happening in the weight world - not for the training articles. Iron man is almost all training articles; I don't read it anymore. Why? Because once you learn the exercises, these training articles aren't anything new because the authors just rehash and repackage the same exercises. The new thing these authors do that really pisses me off is to try and make training something complicated and one </span> <p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">author in one of the more popular muscle mags recently said "There is a science to training the arms, a science that will help you achieve the gains you want and should expect from your training". Bull puke! I suppose the guy has to make a living by writing articles. He even copyrighted tables of exercises in the article! HAH! I think I am going to try and patent the air we breath! I am going to give it to you straight and I am going to start with the most important aspects of arm training first.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> Let's start with genetics. You have to face facts, the size of your arms are going to be limited by the genes your ancestors blessed you with. You can't build peak if you don't have the genetics. Boyer Coe is an example. He has a split in his bicep. People actually ask him how he got it! The answer is that he got it from his dad who has the same split and doesn't even train! Look at Boyer's abs - he never had abs...and never will. Just like 7UP...Never Had It...Never Will!!</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> Next on the list is overall body size. You can't have 19 inch arms and have a bodyweight of 160 pounds. IF YOU WANT TO GET SIGNIFICANTLY BIGGER ARMS YOU MUST INCREASE YOUR OVERALL MUSCLE MASS. Notice I said muscle mass. Anyone could eat themselves into oblivion and get big arms - but they would be all fat! How do you gain more overall muscle mass? Squat, bench press, and deadlift are three good ways to more muscle mass. Do these exercises once a week and consistently hard, take in enough good food, and get at least 8 hours sleep a night, and I'll bet you that your arm size increases.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> So what exercises should you do for biceps? Well there are tons of curl variations for biceps. Don't expect me to list them in a table and try and copyright it! One of the bicep favorites is barbell curls. I personally did these for years and I think....they basically suck. Why? One big reason is that it is too easy to use other muscle groups to cheat. Plus you don't need any extra low back strain and most people end up doing curls that look more like power cleans. It wasn't until I made the preacher bench my biceps friend that I really got full development. You can do them either with a dumbbell or barbell or even use a cable. Full range should be used and you need to concentrate on squeezing the muscle at the top - do your reps like you are pumping up a tire - your biceps tire. Also, concentrate on using the biceps only and not use your upper back to assist the rep. How many sets? I say 2 to 3 sets and vary the reps schemes. You need to carry each set to positive failure. I can hear some people all ready..."What, only 3 sets!!!, but Mr. Joe Universe does 15 sets!". Forget the "other training articles" to; the ones by champion bodybuilders. You should question whether they even do the routines in the mags and remember that 99% of these bodybuilders are chemically assisted. Work your biceps and your back on different days. The biceps should get HIT pretty well on back days as well. Most of the "gurus" of training articles fail to mention the importance of doing heavy back exercises in biceps development. But, I won't - doing heavy back exercises will contribute greatly to your biceps development. So in essence, you will be Hitting your biceps twice a week.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">What about the triceps? If I read another training article that says - "The triceps are 2/3 of the muscle mass of the arm, don't neglect tricep training" I am going to puke! The fact is that the triceps get HIT in all your pressing movements. If you are working your chest hard with pressing movements, you can bet your weight belt that you don't need much direct triceps work. First off, stay away from elbow busters like lying triceps extensions a.k.a. skull crushers. Most people can't do these for years and not suffer some elbow pain. I like the close grip bench press for an overall tricep movement. How many sets? One or two is what I recommend. Vary your rep scheme. Concentrate on squeezing the triceps. The second exercise to finish with would be tricep pushdowns. Don't hump yourself over and turn it into a bench press! Stand erect and work the triceps! There is no need to let the weight come up to your forehead either!!!</span></p><p>Happy training!<br /></p>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-18067629300139661222009-05-19T02:53:00.000-07:002009-05-19T02:55:27.675-07:00The Ultimate Power of Protein<span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Adequate protein intake is essential for building muscle, gaining weight and maintaining your physique. Eating quality protein with each of your 4-6 meals daily will ensure your physique will reach it's potential.</span><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> Here are some guidelines on how much protein is optimal:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#a72900;"><b>For Muscle Building or Weight Gain:</b></span> approximately 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. (depending on how heavy you are training)</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#a72900;"><b>For Maintenance:</b></span> approximately 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#a72900;"><b>For Weight Loss:</b></span> approximately 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> <span style="color:#a72900;"><b>Good Protein Sources Include:</b></span> eggs, egg whites, fish (mostly any kind not fried), skinless chicken or turkey breasts, lean beef, cottage cheese, meal replacement shakes or bars and protein powders.</span></p> <p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Table 1. Approximate Protein in Selected Foods</span></p><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Foods Protein - Content</span></p><ul style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(167, 41, 0); font-weight: bold;"><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Ostrich:<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> 10 grams/ounce</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Beef:<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> 7 grams/ounce</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Poultry:<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color:#000000;"> 7 grams/ounce</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Fish:<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> 7 grams/ounce</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Large Egg:<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color:#000000;"> 7 grams/egg</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Milk:<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color:#000000;"> 8 grams/cup</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Cheese: <span style="font-weight: 400;"> <span style="color:#000000;">(Cheddar) 7 grams/ounce</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Bread:<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color:#000000;"> 4 grams/slice</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Cereal:<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color:#000000;"> 4 grams/½ cup</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Vegetables:<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color:#000000;"> 2 grams/½ cup</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Soybeans:<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color:#000000;"> (dry) 10 grams/ounce</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Peanuts:<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color:#000000;"> 7 grams/ounce</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Lentils:<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (dry) 6.5 grams/ounce</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Red Beans:<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> 6 grams/ounce</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Baked Potato:<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color:#000000;"> 9 grams/8 ounces</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Cashews:<span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color:#000000;"> 5 grams/ounce</span></span></span></li></ul><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;">Meal Replacement Shakes and Bars (MRP's) - MRP's are convenient nutrition meals that can be taken just about anywhere and provide your body with the essential nutrients it needs during your busy day. Take a box of shakes and bars to work for your 3pm snack and go. MRP's are easy and a great way to get in 4-6 high protein meals per day.</span><p> <span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"> Protein Powders - Protein powders can also help you reach your protein needs. Compared to MRP's that contain a ratio of protein, carbohydrate and fat; protein powders are almost pure protein. You can drink 'em straight, mix them with fruit or milk to make a shake, mix 'em in oatmeal, cereal, yogurt or anything else you want.</span></p>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-5366498922786792872009-05-19T02:39:00.000-07:002009-05-19T02:53:22.562-07:00Increasing training frequency may yield greater results<p>You've had it beaten into your head - at times, by us - that you only need to train bodyparts once or twice per week. But studies show that those who train each muscle group three times per week gain more strength than those who train each bodypart less frequently. </p> <p>New research from St. Francis Xavier University (Antigonish, Nova Scotia) may have you reconsidering how often you bombard a bodypart. The Canadian scientists had 29 untrained men and women follow a full-body weight-training program for six weeks. Each <a id="KonaLink0" target="undefined" class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;" href="http://www.flexonline.com/training_frequency_greater_gains/training/171#"><span style="color: rgb(255, 203, 5) ! important; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 12px; position: static;color:#ffcb05;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(255, 203, 5) ! important; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 12px; position: static;">workout</span></span></a> consisted of bench presses, squats, incline dumbbell presses, pulldowns, seated rows, dumbbell shoulder presses, leg extension/leg curl combos, overhead triceps extensions and barbell curls. </p> <p>Group A performed three sets per exercise and completed the workout twice each week, and group B did two sets per exercise and completed the workout three times each week. Therefore, the two groups performed the same total of sets per muscle group per week. </p> <p>Both groups increased their squat strength by about 28%; however, group B subjects increased their bench press by 30%, while those in group A increased theirs by only 22%. Group B participants increased their total lean muscle mass by about four pounds; for group A, the increase was only about one pound.</p> <p>We're not suggesting that if you currently train each bodypart once per week, you need to switch to three times. After all, these were untrained subjects. However, the fact that the higher frequency led to <a id="KonaLink1" target="undefined" class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;" href="http://www.flexonline.com/training_frequency_greater_gains/training/171#"><span style="color: rgb(255, 203, 5) ! important; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 12px; position: static;color:#ffcb05;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(255, 203, 5) ! important; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 12px; position: static;">more </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(255, 203, 5) ! important; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 12px; position: static;">muscle</span></span></a> mass despite the total sets per week remaining the same suggests you may want to reconsider how often you train. Note that in the '70s, when Arnold Schwarzenegger was at his peak, it was common for bodybuilders to hit each bodypart up to three times per week.</p> <p>We suggest that you alter your training frequency occasionally, boosting it to two and even three times per week for at least a month at a time. According to this study, you may be able to keep your total training volume (sets per muscle group) the same whether you're training once a week or three times. In other words, if you currently train each bodypart once per week with 18 total sets, you can go down to nine sets per workout when you bump your frequency to twice per week, and to six sets per workout if you bump the frequency to three times per week.</p>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-25169602141542147422009-05-03T12:04:00.000-07:002009-05-03T12:06:12.487-07:00Cardio timing and how to burn fat 300% fasterWhen is the proper time of day to do your aerobic exercise? The answer is any time! The most important thing is that you just do it. Continuous cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, jogging, stairclimbing, or cycling, sustained for at least 30 minutes, is able to burn body fat no matter when you do it.<br /><br />However, if you want to get the maximum benefits possible from most any minute you invest in your workouts, then you should consider getting up early and doing cardio before you eat your first meal - still if you are not a "morning person." Early afternoon aerobic exercise on an empty stomach has three major advantages within exercising later on in the day:<br /><br />Early in the Evening before you eat, your values of muscle and liver glycogen (stored carbohydrate) are low. If you eat dinner at 7 p.m and you eat breakfast at 7 a.m., that is 12 hours without food. During this 12-hour overnight fast, your levels of glycogen slowly decline to provide glucose for diverse bodily runs the present go on nonetheless additonally you sleep. As a result, you wake up in the afternoon amid depleted glycogen and impact blood sugar - the optimum locations for burning fat instead of carbohydrate.<br /><br />How much more fat you will burn is uncertain, but some studies suffer suggested that up to 300% more fat is burned when cardio is finished in a fasted, glycogen-depleted state. So how spot on does the present work? It's relatively simple, really. Carbohydrate (glycogen) is your body's chief and preferred energy source. When your number one fuel source is in short supply, this forces your body to tap into its secondary or reserve electricity source; body fat. If you do cardio immediately following eating a meal, you'll still burn fat, but you will burn less of it because you'll be burning off the carbohydrates you ate first.<br /><br />You always burn a combination of fat and carbohydrate for fuel, but depending on when you exercise, you can impact a greater proportion of fat relative to carbohydrate. If doing cardio first fact in the morning is not an option for you, then the second proper time to do it would be immediately after weight training. Lifting weights is anaerobic (carbohydrate-burning) by nature, and therefore depletes muscle glycogen. That's why a post lifting cardio session has a similar effect as morning cardio on an empty stomach.<br /><br />The second benefit you'll get from the first part of morning cardio sessions is how I call the "afterburn" effect. When you do a cardio session in the morning, you not only burn fat during the session, but you furthermore continue to harm fat at an accelerated rate after the workout. Why? Because an intense session of cardiovascular exercise can keep your metabolism elevated for hours after the session is over. If you do cardio at night, you will still burn fat during the session, so you definitely benefit from it. However, nighttime cardio fails to take advantage of the "afterburn" effect when your metabolism drops like a ton of bricks as fast as you go to sleep. While you sleep, your metabolic market worth is slower than any other time of the day.<br /><br />Burning more fat certainly isn't the merely grounds you should do your cardio early. The third benefit of morning workouts is the "rush" and feeling of accomplishment that stays with you all day long after an invigorating workout. Exercise can become a pleasant and enjoyable experience, but the a large amount of difficult or challenging it is for you, the more important it is to get it out of the way early. When you put off any job you consider unpleasant, it hangs over you all day long, leaving you with a feeling of guilt, anxiety and incompleteness (not to talk about that you are more likely to "blow off" an evening workout if you are tired from a for a long while day at work or if your pals try to persuade you to join them at the pub for happy hour.)<br /><br />You might find it hard to wake up the beginning of in the morning and get motivated to workout. But think going back for a moment to a tad in your life when you tackled a difficult task and you finished it. Didn't you feel great afterwards? Completing any task, especially a physically challenging one, gives you a "buzz." When the job is exercise, the buzz is physiological and psychological. Physiologically, exercise releases endorphins in your body.<br /><br />Endorphins are opiate-like hormones hundreds of times more powerful than the strongest morphine. Endorphins fashion a natural "high" that makes you feel positively euphoric! Endorphins reduce stress, enhance your mood, increase circulation and relieve pain. The "high" is partly psychological too. Getting up early and successfully achieving a small destination kick starts your day and gives you feelings of completion, satisfaction and accomplishment. For the rest of the day you feel content and you feel relatively low angst knowing that the many difficult part of the day is behind you.<br /><br />So, you say you are not a morning person? Take heart; neither am I. I can sleep in like you wouldn't believe! But I get up anyway while I know the struggle is worth the results. When I hold a bodybuilding task that I am clearly focused on, such as reaching 4% or 5% body fat for a competition, I'm on my Stairmaster for 45 seconds every morning at the crack of dawn without fail. Sure it is a challenge at first, but you know what? After a few very brief weeks, It's no longer a chore and I'm "in the groove" - and you will be too. Just try it.<br /><br />Make a commitment to yourself to do it for just 21 days. Once those 21 days have gone by, you'll already be leaner and you'll be on your way to making morning workouts a habit that is as inherent as brushing your teeth or bringing about a shower. Once you start getting used to feeling that buzz, you will become "positively addicted" to it. The more you do it, the more you will look for to do it. Before you understand it, the beginning of morning cardio will your new habit; you'll be leaner, your metabolism will be faster and you will feel fantastic all day long!Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-31564459691819965262009-05-03T12:01:00.000-07:002009-05-03T12:02:38.501-07:00So just why are we so fat? reasonings behind the obesity epidemicWhy Are We So Fat? That's the question asked in the cover story of a recent issue of National Geographic magazine. "Americans enjoy one of the several luxurious lives on Earth: Our food is plentiful. Our work is automated. Our leisure is effortless. And it's killing us," says Geographic senior writer Cathy Newman.<br /><br />Some of the latest actualities and statistics about obesity revealed in the article are chilling:<br /><br />* One out of 3 Americans is obese, twice as many as three decades ago<br /><br />* The Center for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) has declared obesity an "epidemic"<br /><br />* 15% of children and teens are overweight, a nearly three fold jump since 1980<br /><br />* Other countries are catching up to the United States, essentially newly industrialized nations. KFC opened a urge in restaurant in Beijing in 2002 with more on the way. UK snack food consumption shot up 25% in the last 5 years. Sales of processed food rose 20% in Latin America between 1980 and 2000.<br /><br />* Being overweight is now associated with through 400,000 deaths per year<br /><br />* Obesity is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, stroke, and colon, breast and endometrial cancers<br /><br />* Next year, Obesity is expected to surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in the United States<br /><br />* The Puget Sound Ferries increased their seat width for 18 to 20 inches to allow room for bigger bottoms<br /><br />* An ambulance organization in Colorado retrofitted its vehicles with a winch and a plus size compartment to accommodate patients up to a side a ton in weight<br /><br />* A casket maker in Indiana now offers double-sized models<br /><br />* One in four Americans gets ZERO exercise, one-third of Americans do not get the minimum amount the municipal suggests we need just to avoid chronic disease<br /><br />* The ordinary child will watch 10,000 commercials per year touting food or beverages, close to all of them for junk and fast food<br /><br /><br />So what's the answer to the question, "why are we so fat?" What performs this projection reveal? Are overweight households deficient in fat burning hormones? Was the obesity gene found and isolated, confirming that your genetics determine whether fat is fate? Does blood sugar and insulin go haywire in a little customers regardless of how properties eat or how they exercise? Has it in the end been demonstrated that carbohydrates make us fat? Is the appetite mechanism in the brains of obese people out of kilter?<br /><br />Although there may be a sliver of truth and scientific fact in every of the statements above, none of them are the real reason we are so fat. The conclusions earned in the National Geographic article on the other hand, are refreshing, because they are the better ones, and the many obvious ones: The reason we are so fat is because we eat too much and exercise too little. Surprise, surprise!<br /><br />"For all the Americans who've blamed bulging bellies on a ongoing metabolism, the jig is up," says Newman. "A report earlier this year by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) ultimately confirms what many of us did not want to admit: We're fat as we eat a lot - a whole lot more and more than we used to, and most of the substantiate comes based on refined carbohydrates (sugar)."<br /><br />Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University is quoted in the news story as saying, "How about some common sense? It's a child's matter of eating fewer calories. But there isn't anybody that wants to talk about calories because doing so performs not market books."<br /><br />Truer words hold never been heard spoken. Unfortunately, few people want to listen to that simple message, "Eat less, exercise more," because various people are too busy looking for the newly drafted breakthrough or the "next big truth in fat loss." Besides, fat loss couldn't be that simple, could it?<br /><br />Well, maybe fat loss certainly isn't "easy", and certainly "eat less, exercise more" is an OVER-simplification, but the fundamental cause of obesity really IS who simple and the realities confirming it are now in:<br /><br />According to the CDC report, we ate 1775 pounds of food per year per person in 2000, up of 1497 pounds in 1970.<br /><br />In the 70's, we ate 136 pounds of flour and cereal products and now it's up to 200 pounds per past customer - and the increase in value is just about all of processed, grey flour, high sugar foods. Not to mention, anything and everything has carried on Super-sized. Example: 1955 McDonald's French fries - 2.4 ounces, 210 calories. 2004 Super size Fries - 7 ounces, 610 calories.<br /><br />When you add this increased food intake (mostly refined food) on top of the lack of exercise encouraged by technology, cars, video games, television, washing machines, riding lawnmowers, elevators and supplementary current conveniences, you have the recipe for obesity on a foreign scale.<br /><br />In all our searching and waiting for the latest scientific discovery, the newest pill, or the next breakthrough supplement that am able to free us based on what i read in the shackles of person fat, most purchasers have continued to overlook or ignore that easy and obvious advice: "Eat less, exercise more."<br /><br />Is it really that simple? Isn't there a lot further to it? Well, yes, of course. There's how much a lower amount of do you eat, what do you eat, how much you exercise, what kind of exercise and so on. But those are just details. Often what we must do, in order to see the big picture clearly, is to reduce the problem to its most basic grade FIRST before worrying about any details.<br /><br />A principle referred to as Occam's Razor was proposed by English philosopher and theologian William Occam in the 14th century. It said, "Entities should not be multiplied beyond what is necessary." Plainly stated, it says, "The simplest and most obvious solution to a problem is usually the most ideal one and the correct one."<br /><br />Does accepting this clear answer to the obesity epidemic make the method of losing the weight any easier? Perhaps not, at least not physically. Permanent fat loss will continually make sweat, discipline and effort, and as with freedom and liberty, "eternal vigilance" will be the price that ought to be brought in to keep the fat off after it is lost. In addition, it can be naive not to admit that genetics do play a small role, so weight detriment will be a greater challenge for some than for others.<br /><br />However, if we would stop allowing ourselves to be so caught up and immobilized by the myriad of different weight decrease supplies and theories today and easily acknowledge, accept and practice the simple advice given to us in Newman's article - that we've all heard a thousand times before - "Eat less, exercise more," (especially "exercise more" to impact the fat, rather than starve the fat with strict diets), we would not only be rewarded with results, we can also see the fog of confusion that appears to shroud the whole "weight loss thing" commence to lift. Certainty would take its place, and that might at least give us the confidence to continue to forge ahead towards our goals.Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-7811640552618419542009-05-02T09:01:00.000-07:002009-05-02T09:03:23.332-07:00The Baseline Diet, Part 1: Meal Frequency, Caloric Intake and Water IntakeI'm going to begin this article with a few questions. How much mass suffer you gained in the last few months? If you are as if the common lifter, the solution is 'Not as much as I'd like'.<br /><br />Ok, next question: how still money undergo you spent on exotic supplements hoping they'd be the secret to freaky mass? Again, if you are the typical lifter the answer is probably 'Way a good deal more as opposed to I should have?’<br /><br />Next is a series of questions: How many meals are you eating per day? How many calories? How many grams of protein? Carbs? Fat? When's the last time you ate fruit or vegetables? How even water are you consuming on a daily basis. If you are an regular lifter (and look for to stay such), your answer is possibly 'Umm, I don't know.'<br /><br />Which brings us to the topic of the next two articles. I'm sure people are hoping that I'll discuss all manners of new nutritional strategies in this column in the upcoming months. While I might share a few, there's really not much new underneath the sun when it comes to bodybuilding nutrition. Sure, we recognize a lot more now than lifters did 30 years ago, but overall the same uncomplicated plan apply. In the forecast and the next, I want to gobbledygook throughout some of individuals uncomplicated rules.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A quick word on supplements</span><br /><br />I would say such a more than half of the questions I get for my Q&A column hold to do with supplements. Most deal with basic stuff: protein powders, the ECA stack, creatine but a total sum additionally purchase with the more esoteric stuff on the market. I will say this for the bodybuilding magazines, properties have many lifters (especially new lifters) convinced that one ought to spend a buttload of money on supplements to make gains. I'm tempted to rant about it, but I'll save that for a later article.<br /><br />It's time to deal with a simple fact: lifters got damn big and damn strong before any supplements existed. Another obvious fact: your diet (and of course your training) might determine 95% of your success in bodybuilding (or any sport). At most, supplements can add 5% to the level. Unless you're planning on competing, and that 5% may hint the difference between winning and losing, spending a small-fortune on supplements is a waste. As well, until you get the 95% of your training and diet in order, you're wasting your money and gas on supplements.<br /><br />Now, do not get me wrong, I'm not anti-supplements. To echo the words of a wise man, I'm anti-anything so detracts trainees from the stuff that in fact concerns (training and diet). Protein powders have their use, but one can easily fulfill a day's protein requirements without them. I think a multi-vitamin/mineral is not a bad idea either, because no-one eats perfectly each day. Creatine plans to make you stronger and you'll gain Other water weight, which might mean a little bit faster gains down the road.<br /><br />I'm torn on MRP's. On the one hand, food is cheaper, greater number of nutritious, and tastes better. On the other, if your schedule is very busy, MRP's may be an easy way to carry on up your nutrition. Then again, spending an hour on Sunday cooking up chicken breasts, eggs, pasta, rice, etc in preparation for the next week works well too. That's all I'm going to say nearly supplements for now. Maybe at some height I'll spit out an article on the ones that I think might have some benefit.<br /><br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What is the baseline diet?</span><br /><br />Most simply defined, the baseline diet is what every lifter needs to determine before they go mucking about with any supplements, or any goofy diet interpretations. That is, you may substantiate AND emulate a baseline for at least a few months, to track your body's response, before you try anything else. Along with this, it is necessary to own some technique of measuring changes in body composition (hint: get a cheap set of calipers and get into the habit of taking skinfold measurements).<br /><br />Much of how I'm ready to discuss has been stated multi times before. However, I get enough mail from people who are making mistakes in their clear nutrition to believe which it bears repeating again. The baseline diet can be divided into 7 categories: meal frequency, overall calories, water intake, protein, carbohydrate and fat intake. In such a article, I'll discuss the first 3 topics. In the next article, I'll discuss protein, carbs and fat.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Meal frequency</span><br /><br />Although discussed to death, serious bodybuilders should be eating 4-6 times per day, period. Three meals per day simply will not cut it for mass gains. The biggest half of this is because it's difficult to exhaust an adequate amount of calories for mass gains in only three meals. As well, numerous smaller meals keeps a steadier flow of nutrients to the body. Studies have also substantiated positive benefits of multiple, diminished meals on cholesterol and bodyfat levels (and I'm ensured larger number of indices of health). If nothing else, multiple meals typically makes it simpler to consume the type of high-calorie diets needed to sustain mass gains.<br /><br />In practice, lifters should be putting something in their mouths food-wise constantly 3 hours or so. While I've observed more frequent feedings suggested, I have trouble thinking that eating every 2 hours is going to be significantly better than eating every three. That's about how long you'll maintain blood glucose, insulin after a meal. Most proteins take 2-3 hours to fully digest (if not longer) so I see minimal trouble to eat protein more often than that.<br /><br />Beyond that, arguably the most sizeable meals are breakfast (to stop overnight catabolism) and post-workout. Post workout nutrition is a place I see lifters making major mistakes. I've watched guys at my gym finish their workouts and hang out operating (or flirting) for another 30-60'. There is a window of opportunity where nutrients are more effectively absorbed after a workout. By the hour mark, you have already lost some of the benefit. In my opinion, you is planning to take something with you (or buy it there) to drink best after your workout. As I'll discuss in a subsequent article, there may be certain benefit to consuming nutrients before or halfway for the duration of the workout as well. Although guidelines are sparse, typical recommendations for post-workout are 1-1.5 g/kg of carbs and about 1/3rd as much protein.<br /><br />A concluding place to consider meal frequency is right before bedtime and in the core of the night. Between your last meal and breakfast can be a long time to go without nutrients and anabolism might be better maintained if nutrients are consumed. There is additionally some information that the gut needs time to 'rest' itself and that round-the-clock eating may hamper that. Another contemplation is that sleep serves to not be compromised to get more nutrients into the body. Since I usually wake up in the middle of the night nonetheless (to go to the bathroom), I'll regularly hold some milk or something while I'm up. If you don't usually wake up in the middle of the night, a shake before bed (containing protein, carbs, fat and fiber) will aide to continue a continuous flow of nutrients to your bloodstream.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Total calories</span><br /><br />Although macronutrient composition surely plays a role in dietary deed or failure, caloric intake is arguably as important. Invariably the lifters I've met who wanted to gain mass (but couldn't) got either overtraining or easily not eating enough. A few years back, we saw the rise (and subsequent fall) of the lean mass gainer, a low calorie drink which magically lead to you to gain mass. In all cases, these products contained creatine that causes rapid water weight gain.<br /><br />On top of that, there is a pervading opinion (perhaps we should call it a desire) to gain mass additonally costing fat at the same time. While beginners can pull this off, as can those going back on a layoff, anyone past the beginner stage will earn this generally impossible without the use of repartitioning drugs. The strategy I regularly advocate is the alternation of mass gain (accepting fat gains) with fat loss (trying to minimize muscle loss). This avoids the buildup of extreme bodyfat levels, additonally allowing one to gain mass.<br /><br />So the subsequently question is "How a multitude of calories for mass gains?" to which the simplest key is "Enough." In principle, for mass gains calories ought to be high sufficient that a small fat raise is seen (as measured by calipers) every couple of weeks. This providing be additionally than sufficient to support muscle mass gains. In practice, a caloric level of 16-18 calories per pound is implied as a starting place for mass gains. I've known individuals who had to consume 25 cal/lb. to swell weight/mass.<br /><br />I suggest trainees implement at overly calorie level and make adjustments depending on biweekly body composition measures. So begin at say 18 cal/lb. and see how your caliper measurements (men should probably use abdominal, women thigh as these tend to be many representative of bodyfat levels) tweak after 2 weeks. If properties went up a little (maybe a couple of millimeters), you are fine. If not, add another couple of hundred calories per day to your diet. Eventually you'll find which calorie level that starts putting weight on you. Obviously, as you get bigger, you'll have to add more calories as well.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Water intake</span><br /><br />While it should be a no-brainer, water intake is another place at which trainees make uncomplicated mistakes (I am guilty of this myself). The effects of dehydration range from what i read in minimal (at 2% dehydration, strength and performance decrease) to painful (can anybody say kidney stones) to worse (at 10% dehydration, death can occur).<br /><br />While there are several generalized water intake equations (such as 8 glasses per day), these may not be correct for everyone. To poach a guideline out of a friend of mine, a good law of thumb is 5 clear urinations per day, and 2 of those should come after your workout. This provides trainees a way of individualizing water intake. Obviously one who property in a hot, humid environment (or trains in a non-air conditioned gym) will need more and more water than someone who lives in moderate temperatures and trains in a posh gym.<br /><br />Water intake if ideally come from water and water alone. However, other sources these kinds of as milk, fruit juice, or fruit and vegetables can count towards total water intake as well. Anything with caffeine in it doesn't count because the caffeine may act as a diuretic. As well, alcohol has a tendency to a greater amount of dehydrate you so beer after a workout sucker a good way to increase your fluid intake. Oh yeah, thirst is a poor indicator of hydration state. By the time you're thirsty, you are already a bit dehydrated.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Your assignment</span><br /><br />Your assignment between now and subsequently period is to determine (by keeping records) your the most recent meal frequency, caloric and water intakes. This means keeping a food log of everything you eat and drink within the day. You when keep such a log for a minimum of 3 days (including one weekend day, where most of us let dietary discipline lapse) up to a full-week. You'll too need a basic calorie counter to determine caloric intake.<br /><br />After you've kept your record, check it against my guidelines for the basic diet. Are you eating 4-6 meals per day, getting enough calories to support mass gains, getting a sufficient amount of water? If the answer is yes, you're ahead of the game. If the answer is no, spend the coming month correcting the deficiencies. Psychologists estimate the present it takes 3 weeks to develop a habit. So by the long time you read part 2, you should experience corrected any difficulties you were having.Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-81047266596642384202009-05-02T09:00:00.000-07:002009-05-02T09:01:56.073-07:00Four top secrets to a flat stomachPeople spend millions, if not billions of dollars, each year in the quest for a flat stomach. Right now there are about 200 or more ab exercise devices out there. There's the ab do-it, the ab rock-it, the ab roller, the ab dolly, and so many more. You would think that with all of these types of amazing new products that most people would be walking just about through that nice, lean mid-section they've always wanted. Unfortunately, that's not the case.<br /><br />Most, if not all of these types of products, will do little or nothing to flatten your stomach. And that's because these exercise contraptions cannot eliminate the layer of fat the present lies on top of your abs.<br /><br />In order to be top notch at thinning your waistline you must have a simple under standing of how the ab muscles function and how your body burns fat. The first fact that needs to be understood is the difference between fat and muscle. Fat is excess calories and is primarily stored in layers on top of muscle tissue. Muscle is created up of fibers that contract or shorten to produce movement. Fat cannot turn into muscle and muscle cannot turn into fat! However, you can lose muscle and you can gain fat. That's what happens to a good number of people.<br /><br />So if your goal is to thin your waist line and have a nice flat stomach, the first thing you need to do is decrease / eliminate the layers of fat that are on top of your abs. We all have a flat stomach; it's easily some of oar’s are dealt with by excess fat.<br /><br />The most effective way of flattening your stomach is a combination of strength training (with a extra focus on mid-section), cardiovascular exercise (short, hard workouts), and strong blood sugar (keeps you from adding additional fat and makes it straightforward for the body to use body fat for fuel).<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. You ought to do some create of progressive strength training</span><br /><br />The primary function of the ab muscle is to flex your torso forward. However, there are also muscles such a flex your torso to the side and muscles that rotate your torso. Often times you see people on their ab roller every day working at over a hundred dollars of crunches or sit-ups.<br /><br />If you want to effectively strengthen your stomach you need to incorporate the following types of exercises:<br /><br />• 1-2 provide flexion exercises (crunch, sit-up, etc.)<br /><br />• 1-2 portion flexion exercises (side bends, side crunches, etc.)<br /><br />• 1-2 rotational exercises (trunk rotations, standing twists, etc.)<br /><br /><br />The abs, are muscles just recently like any other and should be worked at most 3 times per week. You furthermore want to make sure you are training them progressively, struggling them more difficult each time.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Use short, hard cardio workouts to increase metabolism</span><br /><br />Cardio workouts are important when they CAN, if completed correctly, increase in value your metabolism for 4-24 hours or more! This means you are less prospective to store any excess calories as person fat because properties are more anticipated to be used by your above average metabolism. Plus, you are additional going to burn off some excess body fat.<br /><br />Below is a sample interval workout this can be done with just about any activity (walking, bicycling, swimming, stair climbing, etc.).<br /><br />Warm up at easy rate 2-5 seconds à Perform 30 seconds of hard work (almost as hard as possible) à perform 1 minute of fall off tedious work (recovery time-catch breath)à Repeat this process 6-10 times à Cool down at an easy pace for 2-5 minutes<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Stable blood sugar is the key</span><br /><br />And a multitude of importantly, you must stabilize your blood sugar! This is by far the most monumental factor when it comes to burning away that excess person fat and keeping it off! To effectively stabilize your blood sugar you must feed your body frequently; as every 2-3 hours. The key is to post your person only what it needs at that time. Your body burns calories 24 hours a day, so, why can you alone feed it once or twice a day? Give your body the fuel it needs: vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, whole grains, and lean proteins (chicken, fish, lean beef, eggs, etc.).<br /><br />Many customers are too hung up on how a good deal fat is in food, or how astronomical of a choice it is. Calories are calories and it doesn’t matter where they come from. If there’s extra… where’s it going? Yup, you guessed it… body fat!<br /><br />This is not to say too what you eat is not important as it is, it just recently doesn’t have that much of an affect when it comes to fat loss. Try to make the best choices whenever possible, but don’t feel like if you eat a cheeseburger it is sure to be stored as fat.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Get the help of a professional</span><br /><br />Unfortunately, most people don’t know a sufficient amount of virtually the human body, nutrition, or effective exercise to meet their health and fitness goals. Ask yourself this one question, “Am I happy with my current progress or condition?” If you’re not, you plans to consider buying the help of a qualified custom fitness professional. Don’t depend on the information you get based on what i read in magazines or out of your local gym/ health club. A qualified fitness professional can boost you carry out your health and fitness goals, and in fewer time as opposed to you should imagine.<br /><br />If you are serious up your health and fitness goals, and you are ready for that flat stomach, I recommend you craft implementing the 4 strategies listed in this article. These 4 strategies can help you take control of your metabolism and burn off such a excess body fat and having you looking and feeling great!Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-38526719476660051862009-05-02T08:58:00.000-07:002009-05-02T08:59:07.770-07:00What the new Low Carb study is really sayingA news media feeding frenzy erupted just when a new diet projection broke in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Almost all the reporters got it wrong, wrong WRONG! So did most of the gloating low carb forumites and bloggers. Come to imagine of it, almost everyone interpreted this study wrong. Some valuable insights came out of their study, but almost everyone missed them because they were too busy thinking what the news declared or defending their own cherished conviction systems...<br /><br />The new study, titled, "Weight Loss With a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet" was published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in issue 359, number 3.I quickly read the full text of the research paper the day it was published. Then, I shook my head in dismay as I scanned the surprise headlines. I at last found it amusing that the media turned this into a three ring circus, putting a misleading "low carb versus high carb," "Atkins vindicated" or "Diet wars" spin on the story. But that's mainstream journalism for you, right? Gotta turn over people papers!<br /><br /><br />Just look at some of these headlines:<br /><br />"Study Tips Scales in Atkins Diets Favor: Low Carb Regimen Better Than Low Fat Diet For Weight And Cholesterol, Major Study Shows. " "Low-Carb and Low-Fat Diets Face Off "<br /><br />"The Never-Ending Diet Wars"<br /><br />"Low Carb Beats Low Fat in Diet Duel."<br /><br />"Atkins Diet is Safe and Far More Effective Than a Low-Fat One, Study Says"<br /><br />"Unrestricted Low-Carb Diet Wins Hands Down"<br /><br />Some of these headlines are hilarious! I wonder if any of these kinds of reporters actually read the whole study. Geez. Is it too much issues to looked at 13 pages before you write a story that will be read by millions of already confused everyone suffering the pain and frustration of obesity?<br /><br />Here's a quick look at the study design.<br /><br />The low fat restricted calorie diet was based on American Heart Association guidelines. Calorie intake was set at 1500 for women, 1800 a day for men amongst 30% of calories from fat, and only 10% from saturated fat. Participants were instructed to eat low fat grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes and to limit their consumption of additional fats, sweets and great fat snacks.<br /><br />The Mediterranean diet group was placed on a gloomy fat, restricted calorie utility rich in vegetables and low in red meat, among poultry and fish replacing beef and lamb. Energy intake was restricted to 1500 calories per day for women and 1800 calories per day for men provided a goal of no more as opposed to 35% of calorie from fat. Added fat came mostly from nuts and olive oil.<br /><br />The low carb diet was a non-restricted calorie plan aimed at providing 20 grams of carbs per day for the 2 month induction cycle surrounded by a gradual increase in value to 120 grams per day to maintain the weight loss. Intakes of whole calories, protein and fat got not limited. However, the participants were counseled to select vegetarian methods of protein (more on that bizarre-twist shortly). The study subjects were for the most part male (86%), overweight (BMI 31) and middle age (mean age 52)<br /><br />Here were the article results: There were a little health improvements in cholesterol, blood pressure and other parameters in the Mediterranean and low carb team that bested the elevated carb group. That was the focus of many articles and discussions that appeared on the net this week. However, I'd like to focus on the weight deduction aspect as I'm not a medical doctor and fat loss is the number one subject issue of this website.<br /><br />All three groups lost weight. The low carb group lost 5.5 kilos, the Mediterranean committe lost 4.6 kilos and the low fat group lost 3.3 kilograms…. IN TWO YEARS! Whoopee!<br /><br />My destination would be that the results got similar and that none of the diets got the job done very well during the for a while now term! Amanda Gardner of the US News and World Report Health Day was one of the few reporters who got it right:<br /><br />"Diet plans produce similar results: Study finds Mediterranean and low-carb diets work just as well as low fat ones." Tara Parker-Pope of the New York things also came finishing surrounded by her headline:<br /><br />"Long managed diet study suggests feat is hard to turn up by: In a tightly controlled experiment, obese people lost an average of just 6 to 10 pounds over two years."<br /><br />Even this headline was not 100% accurate. The study was HARDLY tightly controlled. Tightly controlled means metabolic ward studies where the researchers actually count and control the calorie intake. The challenge is, you can't lock people in a hospital or research center ward for two years. So in this study, they used a food frequency questionnaire. Sure, like we agree what lendees news story about their eating habits at restaurants and at home behind closed doors! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!<br /><br />"No! I swear Dr. Schwarzfuchs! I swear I didn't eat people donuts over the weekend! I stayed on my Mediterranean diet. Honest!" One of the most firmly established facts in dietetics examination is the as good as everyone underreports such a food intake BADLY, sometimes by as still as 50%. I'm not saying everyone "lies," they only forget or don't know. In fact, this underreporting of calorie intake is this a huge problem that it causes obesity research very difficult to do and conclusions difficult to draw from free-living studies.<br /><br />Another blunder in the bombshell reports is such a this study didn't really follow Atkins diet parameters OR even the traditional low fat diet for that matter, so it's not an "Atkin's versus Ornish" showdown at all.<br /><br />If you actually take the age to looked at the broad text of the research paper it does not say ANYTHING like, "Atkins is the smartest after all." That's the spin that some of the news media cooked up (and what the Atkins foundation was hoping for).<br /><br />It says, "The diet was based on the Atkins diet." However, the sentence right before that says, "The participants were counseled to decide vegetarian methods of fat and protein." Vegetarian Atkins?<br /><br />The chart on page 236 argues the low carb diet provided 40% of calories from what i read in carbs at 6, 12 and 24 months. If I'm reading through that data properly, then the easily low carb period was a brief induction phase in the very beginning.<br /><br />Does that sound as Atkins? 40% carb sounds more like the Zone diet or my own Burn The Fat program to me.<br /><br />The Atkins Foundation, that partially supported this moment study, told reporters, "We feel vindicated." HA! They should have paid the reporters and told the researchers they felt ripped off and they wanted a refund for misuse of their researching grant!<br /><br />After thoroughly reading the full text of this study, there are many interesting findings we could talk about, from the differences in results between men and women to the improvements in health markers. Here's how the article really says that stood out to me. It's how I would hold talked about if the newspapers or TV stations had called me:<br /><br />1. "Mediterranean and low carb diets may be effective alternatives to low-fat diets." I can come to an agreement completely amongst the present statement. All three diets made a calorie deficit. All three groups lost weight. Low carb lost a little more, which is the regular finding due to the fact that low carb diets often control appetite and calorie intake automatically (you eat less even if you don't count calories). Also, if body composition is not indicated, there's an earliest water weight loss such a makes low carb diets look other effective in the very early stages.<br /><br />2. "Personal preferences and metabolic considerations could inform customized tailoring of dietary interventions." Absolutely! Nutrition should be custom founded on goals, well being status, body type, activity floor and numerous other factors. Different people have different phenotypes. Some people are more predisposed to thrive on a low carb approach. Others feel as if crap on low carbs and do better with more carbs or a middle of the road approach. Those who dogmatically follow and defend one type of diet or the other are only handcuffing themselves by limiting their options. Iris Shai, a researcher in the study said, "We can not rely on one diet fits all." Hmm, far cry from "Atkins wins hands down," wouldn't you say?<br /><br />3. "The rate of adherence to a study diet was 95.4% at 1 year and 84.6% at 2 years." THIS was the part of most interest to me. When I looked through this, immediately I could easily have cared less almost the silly low carb versus high carb wars that the news reporters were jumping on.<br /><br />I wanted to know WHY the subjects got able to stick with it so well. Of course, that's boring junk to journalists… adherence? What does that word mean anyway? Yawn - not interesting enough for prime time, I guess.<br /><br />But it was interesting to me, and I hope YOU pay attention to what I found. The authors of the study wrote:<br /><br />"This trial indicates a exemplary that are able to be applied more broadly in the workplace. Using the employer as a health coach could be an effective way to improve health. The model of group intervention amongst the use of dietary group sessions, spousal support, food labels, and monthly weighing in the workplace within the framework of a health promotion campaign ought to yield weight reduction and for a while now term quality of life benefits." Hmmmmm, lets see:<br /><br />* Dietician coaching<br />* Group meetings<br />* Motivational phone calls<br />* Spousal support<br />* Workplace monitoring (corporate health program)<br />* Food labels - calorie monitoring<br />* Weigh-ins (required and monitored)<br /><br />Wow, everything helpful to extensively term fat loss that sticks. Can you say, ACCOUNTABILITY? These factors help explain the higher adherence.<br /><br />By the way, the adherence interest rate for the low carb group was the lowest.<br /><br />90.4% in low fat group<br />85.3% in the Mediterranean group<br />78% in the low carb group<br /><br />Here's the bottom line, the way I see it:<br /><br />First, please, please, please learn how to find and read primary research and take the shock media stories surrounded by a grain of salt. If you want to know who died, what burned down or how hurricane is coming, tune in to the news – they do a GREAT job at that. If you covet to know how to exhaust weight or improve your health, watch up the original inspection papers in its place of taking second hand tips at have to handle value.<br /><br />Second, those who prefer a low carb approach; more power to them. Most studies, currently one included, show at the essentially least that low carb is an option and it's not necessarily an unhealthy one if done intelligently. I also experience no qualms amongst someone claiming the low carb diets are slightly more effective for weight loss, actually in the very brief term, cost free residence situations. Is low carb superior for fat loss in the for a while now haul? That's STILL highly debatable. It's likely superior for some people, but not for others.<br /><br />Third, low carb people, listen up! Even if low carb is superior, that doesn't mean calories don't count. Deny this at your own peril. In fact, this study informs the reverse. The low carb group was in a larger negative electricity balance as opposed to the high carb and Mediterranean assembly (according to the data published in this paper), that easily explains the greater weight loss. Posting the calories contained in foods in the cafeteria may have improved the results and helped with compliance in all groups. When energy intake is matched calorie for calorie, the advantage of a low carb diet shrinks or disappears. For the majority of people, low carb is a hunger management or calorie control weight loss advantage, not metabolic magic (sorry, no magic folks!)<br /><br />Fourth, choose the nutrition program that's most appropriate for your personal preferences, your current quality of life condition, your genetics (or phenotype) and most important of all… the one you can stick with. Then have a propensity your own garden instead of wasting instant criticizing how the other guy is eating. Your possible results will be able to speak for themselves in the end. Take your shirt off and prove us. If I got forced to choose just one approach (and thank god I'm not), I may recommend preventing the extremes of very low carb or basically low fat or very high fat or especially great carbs. Balance makes the most sense to me, and the research suggests that this helps produce the highest compliance rate. That's not rocket science either, it's widespread sense. If you have a serious fat loss goal, as when I fight in bodybuilding, later a further reduction in carbs and increase in protein makes exemplary sense to me as a peaking diet.<br /><br />If an badly low or appallingly extreme carb diet worked for you, great. But generalizing your experience to the whole rest of the world causes no sense. Arguing from extremes is the weakest form of argument.<br /><br />The reason I have THREE nutrition plans (three phases) in my own fat loss program is because programs with flexibility and room for individualization beat the others hands down in the long term. In fact, I wrote an entire chapter in my e-book about unique person types, how to determine yours and how to individualize your nutrition – it's THAT important.<br /><br />If you have a larger number of choices, you hold more power. The people who are shackled by dogma and narrow thinking are stuck. They also chance missing what's particularly important. Things like:<br /><br />Personalization<br />Adherence<br />Long-term Maintenance<br />Accountability<br />Social Support<br /><br />and...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES! </span>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-43470976288386015882009-05-01T05:22:00.001-07:002009-05-01T05:22:39.994-07:00How to stick to a diet or fitness planDo you easily stick with your nutrition plan or do you give in to unplanned cheating and frequent excesses? Do you have near-perfect gym attendance or do you often skip workouts? When you do workout, are your sessions a 10 out of 10, or do you have a lot of 6's and 7's (or lower)? Have you ever weighed the results of people missed or sub-par workouts?<br /><br />Did you ever add up the calories from all individual indulgences or see how one weekend can erase an overall week of work? Here’s a big question to ponder: What would happen to your consequences – the increased extent of fat you would burn, the muscle you would build, the strength you would gain - if you finally mastered this whole "fitness motivation" thing and at last STUCK WITH YOUR PROGRAM without falling off the wagon again...<br /><br />There are countless factors that increase motivation, but I experience a strong opinion in regards to what I believe is the most significant cog of alll – the final key to sticking in on it, all the way to a full-fledged physique transformation.<br /><br />After 20 years of using this method, I’m a believer<br /><br />I’ve used this motivational force with deed for many years. I’ve always taken it monumentally and built it into all my training and coaching programs. Here are some of the ways:<br /><br />When my clients knew they were being given to be weighed and measured most any week, they worked harder during the week in anticipation of the big Monday... weigh-in day!<br /><br />I also created a 12 week progress chart that kept in mind person weight, skinfolds, body fat percentage, lean person mass, fat body mass, waist measurement, and the change in each measurement from week to week. Naturally, of course, we took "before" photographs as well.<br /><br />My local coaching clients met in on me in past customer at which properties would step on the scale and I took their body fat measurement with calipers. We recorded these results on paper and next took a look at the progress and talked about the results. Based on results, we will decide whether any adjustments needed to be made and we set new goals for the following week... in writing. We wrote low the goal on a imitate of the progress chart in red ink – it was filled-in in advance as if it got already achieved. My clients could post this chart with the possible outcome up to date and the weekly objective on their refrigerator at which they would experience to seem at it at least few times a day. Many of them as well wrote a new intention card any week providing such a 12 week goal and such a 1 week aspiration written on it.<br /><br />For my web or phone clients, every Monday morning, my clients would email or fax me their progress chart and sometimes even their general eating and training diary for the previous 7 days. If they appreciated I was going to be becoming through their journal like a professor at a head out paper, I knew they would be sticking with the service better. The progress chart was had sacred. Seeing those levels on paper was incredibly enlightening due to the way you could see progress in a linear fashion over time. Everything became tangible too. You would hold the piece of paper. It was your report card. It was real. Did you constantly notice how if you had straight A’s on a report card it just drove you mad if you had a good deal a single B on it? Well, I always noticed how my clientele never wanted to have a "blemish" on this weekly progress chart. They something like always worked harder knowing such a measuring, charting and tracking was going to happen. On the occasions that people cancelled a session, I always probed into the reason why. Some were legit, a good number of were excuses, but one thing I continually noticed is that if someone had a bad week, properties wanted to "dodge me" and cancel the weekly measure & weigh-in meeting. Like I said, they hated having a blemish on that chart or a great deal worse, facing this coach in person without having results to show for the week’s efforts. This is why I liked to continue in touch with them by phone and email throughout the week and confirm my appointments in advance. This keeping tabs on them down cancellations and kept them motivated and on track during the week. Simple motivational concepts, yes, but the results were amazing and the power behind these kinds of psychological principles is undeniable.<br /><br />If you haven’t guessed already, the word for such motivational press I’ve been describing - the weighing, measuring, tracking, keeping tabs and so on - is of course, ACCOUNTABILITY.<br /><br />This maybe resonates in you because you ought to remember times when you put accountability to action in your life and you were highly successful and produced results at a high level.<br /><br />Now, I have two questions:<br /><br />1) Are you by now using accountability to windfall you stick with your program?<br />2) If you are currently using accountability, did you ever think about the power of experiencing a multi-level "accountability SYSTEM"?<br /><br />If you’re not using accountability right now in your nutrition, training and healthy lifestyle plan or if you are and you’d like to learn how to multiply accountability by a component of 4X, please read over on.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Level One: Self accountability</span><br /><br />Accountability is a MASSIVE leverage factor in achieving any kind of success, whether in business or in a fitness tool and here’s where it starts: with yourself. Self accountability, also renowned as internal accountability is very simple: It means you set a goal, map out a plan, make a commitment to it and then KEEP SCORE. You can become accountable to yourself by:<br /><br />1. setting written goals<br />2. weighing yourself<br />3. measuring body composition<br />4. taking body (circumference) measurements<br />5. making photographs<br />6. Creating menu plans or tracking nutritional intake in a journal<br />7. Creating workout schedules and tracking training performance in a journal<br /><br />Basically, anything you covet to improve if be measured and everything related to your nutrition, training and significantly lifestyle (hours and worthy of sleep, etc) should be tracked in writing (or electronically). If you aren’t keeping track and staying accountable by utilizing at lowest 6 out of 7 items in the list above, then such is where you begin.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Level Two: Accountability to another</span><br /><br />No one is originating to your rescue. Change starts with you. "If it is to be, it’s up to me." You have to make that important self commitment. But after you’ve accepted custom responsibility, you can literally double your motivation with currently second step. All you have to do is take those journals and written progress reports and show them to an accountability partner on a weekly or even daily basis.<br /><br />Your substantiation partners could be anyone – friends, family, siblings, neighbors, co-workers or even your internet friends from forums and social networking sites. You can too recruit a specialized – a coach, trainer or mentor of some kind. Get your partner’s agreement so he or she will hold you accountable for the daily action steps you must take and the weekly goals you need to achieve. They have to hold you to it or they’re not real accountability partners. No "Yes men" for this job.<br /><br />If you have access to your validation partner in person, you can substantiate the positive pressure a bit by suffering your partner take your picture, weight, body fat and measurements rather as opposed to you taking your own. Why is this moment so effective? Well, have you as of yet heard the saying, "Performance is improved when performance is measured?" It’s a popular maxim in arena management circles. Good managers suffer found that personal productivity can be increased many times through by measuring and tracking anything and everything, sometimes to the extent of having employees use numerous checklists, alleges and even a diary of how they spend their time.<br /><br />Rest assured, it functions in fitness even proper than in business.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Level three: Accountability to a group</span><br /><br />Social psychologists have studied group behavior for the right half of a century. Crowd behavior has some interesting dark sides, many of which are far worse than the problem of conformity. But I believe the bright sides of a positive commission are more steady and more powerful. Not clearly do all human beings own a deep seated seek to belong and to socialize amongst like-minded people, there’s a committe dynamic that creates a powerful positive pressure such a can be applied toward higher price level of achievement. You can take advantage of this positive pressure and social substantiation by joining the right groups. When discipline is imposed externally and exorbitant expectations are set over a group, conditions get wrapped up at a prohibative level. There is also an ego component involved, (or simply call it an extra "motivational factor"), that makes you want to push harder when others are watching. It’s even a greater number of powerful if there are real consequences, either emotional or physical, for not fulfilling the expectations. You could necessity it the "Drill sergeant" effect. Speaking of military metaphors, give the impression at how Boot camp classes and assembly personal training are more popular than ever before. Consider the leverage that’s created when you take home yourself accountable to a entire group instead of just one person. Not only is your "drill sergeant" instructor watching you, you furthermore know which your peers in your collection are watching you. What happens if you stop short or quit in front of everyone? Does the prospect of pushing your self harder seem more likely? Think around validation groups where participants gather around a table or in a circle and ought to share to the entire team how their week went. What are the emotional results of falling behind? Amazingly, this works as good as as well online in virtual groups as it does in person and ongoing research has been heard to confirm that. Accountability partners and support groups will always pull more out of you. A coach, partner or board will boost you raise your standards and see the potential in you that you didn’t even know you had. After endeavoring with any outstandingly effective coach or support group, you serves to realize that you have been thinking too compact and selling yourself short. A team will lift up such a positive pressure to a level you never imagined before you immersed yourself in that environment. But it’s achievable to take this that much further. How?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Level four: Public accountability</span><br /><br />GO PUBLIC! By announcing your intentions and posting your results for all the world to see, you add a fourth tier of accountability, that for some people, cinches the deal to the level of FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION. Why? Because check at the alternative. Losing face. The greatest ideal I own seen of going public has been Australian fitness blogger Adam Waters.<br /><br />After several frustrating attempts to thorough various physique transformation contests, Adam was sick and tired of being, sick and tired... and fat. He determined that as motivational as these transformation contests were, he knew there was another level.<br /><br />He decided to put the power of accountability to Hello How Are you? not only by using ALL uni levels of accountability, but moreover by taking his photograph every day and posting it on the web for all the world to see.<br /><br />The results formed him famous. His story has been featured on TV, in Men’s Fitness (Australian and US editions) and his real time physique time lapse video has had a larger number of as opposed to 4,000,000 views on you tube – along with the #1 you tube search ranking for "weight loss."<br /><br />To Adam though, all the attention was just a side benefit. The real godsend was which he beat body fat in the wake of and for all. He went based on (in his own words) sick, fat and stupid, to six pack abs, happy and successful. And now he’s helping other people do the same He credits his success to accountability. In his case, REAL TIME web 2.0 accountability.<br /><br />I hope you are now seeing the possibility in this force for helping you get the body you deserve and you could print out this report, saw and re-read it, soak in the information on the four levels of accountability and start to ask it in your life. I’ve given you a LOT of ideas for how to put these types of ideas to work, immdediately.Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-91041247671261073592009-05-01T05:16:00.000-07:002009-05-01T05:17:19.886-07:00Bodybuilding nutrition basics<span class="content">A key component of the formula for bodybuilding success is nutrition. Nutrition is what gives us the raw materials for recuperation, energy, and growth. Without a good diet, your dreams of achieving your ideal body will never be reached. In this article I'll discuss the characteristics of a good bodybuilding diet and also cover the macronutrients that we need on a daily basis, as well as how much, in order to gain muscle and lose fat.<br /><br /><b>Characteristics of a Good Nutrition Program</b> <p><b>1) It should favor smaller and frequent feedings throughout the day instead of large and infrequent ones.</b> Why? Because when you feed your body several times a day, your metabolism increases. Therefore, you burn more fat. Frequent feedings are of particular importance since after three to four hours of no food your body switches to a catabolic state (a state in which you lose muscle and gain fat!). </p> <p>The body believes that it is starving and it starts feeding itself on lean muscle tissue and it prepares to store calories as fat. Bad scenario! Therefore, in order for your program to work, you will eat between four to six meals (depending gender and goals) a day spaced out at 2 to 3 hour intervals.<br /><br /><b>2) Every meal should have carbohydrates, protein and fat in the correct ratios. </b>Having a meal that is not balanced (for example is all carbohydrates) won't yield the desired results. Every macronutrient has to be present in order for the body to absorb them and use them properly. Without boring you with the effect of food on the body's biochemistry, let's just say that if you only eat carbohydrates in one meal without anything else, your energy levels will crash in about 30 minutes and your body will be storing any carbohydrates that were not used into fat. Conversely, if you only eat protein, you will lack energy and your body will not be able to turn the protein into muscle because it is difficult for the body to absorb protein in the absence of carbohydrates. In addition, the ratios for each particular macronutrient have to be correct in order to get the results that you want. The ratio of our diet will look like the following:<br /><br />40% Carbohydrates<br />40% Protein<br />20% Fats<br /><br />Note that for every serving of carbohydrates, you get a serving of Protein. You can use Bill Phillips' Method of creating meals which is to count a portion of carbohydrates as the amount of food the size of your clenched fist and a portion of protein as the amount of food the size of your open palms.<br /><br /><b>3) The calories should be cycled.</b> I strongly believe in caloric cycling as this will not allow the metabolism to get used to a certain caloric level; something that leads to stagnant results.<br /><br />Therefore, bodybuilders in search of just muscle mass should follow 5 days of high calories (lean body mass x 15) with two days of lower caloric intake (lean body mass x12). Bodybuilders in search of losing fat while building muscle at the same time should follow 5 days of lower caloric intake (lean body mass x12) with 2 days of higher calories (lean body mass x 15). </p> <p><strong>Note:</strong> If you build muscle and lose fat at the same time you will not gain muscle as fast as you would if you just concentrated in muscle mass. However, you get to get both goals accomplished at the same time.<br /><br />People interested in body sculpting (which is moderate muscle building with enough fat loss to go down to 10% body fat for males and 12-13% for women) should alternate between two weeks of lower calories (around 2000 for men and 1200 for women) and two weeks of higher calories (around 2500 for men and 1500 for women). These caloric intakes assume a normal activity level that only includes body sculpting training. Those of you involved in activities like marathon running or heavy physical labor jobs need to adjust your calories upwards accordingly mainly in the form of carbohydrates in order to support your higher levels of activity. </p> <p><strong>What's a Diet?</strong><br />While the word "diet" brings these images of pain and starvation to most people's mind, a diet is simply the food choices that you make on a daily basis. So if you eat potato chips and sodas all day long, that is your diet. </p> <p>Regardless of which diet you follow, there are 3 macronutrients that are present in one way or the other in all of them. Understanding what role these nutrients play, how to obtain them, and how much to consume of them on a daily basis will lead you to the bodybuilding and fitness results you have been looking for.</p> <p><strong>Bodybuilding Nutrition Basics<br /></strong></p> <p>There are 3 macronutrients that the human body needs in order to function properly. These macronutrients make up your bodybuilding and/or fitness diet.<br /><br /><b>1) Carbohydrates:</b></p> <p>Carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy. When you ingest carbohydrates your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin is very important because:<br /><br />A) On a very simplistic level, it takes the carbohydrates and either stores them in the muscle or stores them as fat (assuming that the carbohydrates are not needed for energy at the moment and assuming that both the muscles and the liver stores are full).<br /><br />B) It takes the amino acids (protein) and delivers them inside the muscle cell for recovery and repair.<br /><br />Most people that are overweight and are in low fat/high carbohydrate diets got into that condition because they are eating an overabundance of carbohydrates. Too many carbohydrates cause a huge release of insulin. When there is too much insulin in the body, your body turns into a fat storing machine. </p> <p>Therefore, it is important that we eat no more carbohydrates than necessary and that we eat the right amount of carbohydrates.<br /><br />Now that we have talked about the importance of having just the right amount of carbohydrates, let's talk about which are the best sources of carbohydrates.<br /><br />Carbohydrates are divided into complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. The complex carbohydrates give you sustained energy ("timed release") while the simple carbohydrates gives you immediate energy. It is recommended that you eat mainly complex carbohydrates throughout the day except after the workout where your body needs simple carbohydrates in order to replenish its glycogen levels immediately, something that will aid faster recuperation and rebuild of the muscle. Below is a list of good sources of carbohydrates:<br /><br />Complex Carbohydrates:<br /><br />There are two types:<br /><br /><b>Complex Carbohydrates: </b><br /><br />1) Starchy: Oatmeal (1 cup dry), sweet potatoes (8 oz baked), potatoes (8 oz baked), rice (1 cup cooked), pasta (8oz cooked), corn (1 cup canned), peas (2 cups cooked). Each serving approximately equals 40-50 grams of carbohydrates.<br /><br />2) Fibrous: Broccoli (1/2 cup raw), carrots (1 cup raw), cauliflower (1/2 cup raw), green beans (1/2 cup raw), lettuce (5 cups raw), mushrooms (3/4 cups raw), pepper (1/2 cup raw), spinach (3-1/2 cups raw), zucchini (1 cup raw). Each serving approximately equals 6 grams of carbohydrates.<br /><br /><b>Simple Carbohydrates: </b><br /><br />Apples (1 apple), bananas (1 banana), grapefruit (1 grapefruit), grapes (22 grapes), oranges (1-1/2 orange), pears (1 pear), pineapple (3/4 of a cup).<br />Each serving approximately equals 20-25 grams of carbohydrates.<br /><br /><b>2) Protein </b><br /><br />Every tissue in your body is made up from protein (i.e., muscle, hair, skin, and nails). Proteins are the building blocks of muscle tissue. Without it, building muscle and burning fat efficiently would be impossible. Its importance is paramount. Protein also helps increase your metabolism every time you eat it by 20%! It also makes the carbohydrates timed release, so you get sustained energy throughout the day.<br /><br />Everybody that is involved in a weight training program should consume between 1 gram of protein to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass (meaning that if you are 100 lbs. And have 10% body fat, you should consume at least 90 g of protein since your lean body mass = 90 lbs.). Nobody should consume more than 1.5 grams per pound of lean body mass as this is unnecessary and the extra protein may get turned into fat.<br /><br />Good examples of protein are eggs (I use Egg Substitute: 1-1/2 cups liquid), chicken breast (cooked, skinless and boneless: 6 oz), turkey (cooked, skinless and boneless: 6 oz), lean (90% lean) red meats (6 oz), and tuna (6 oz). Each serving size equals approximately 35-40 grams of protein.<br /></p> <p><strong>3) Healthy Fats<br /></strong>All the cells in the body have some fat in them. Hormones are manufactured from fats. Also fats lubricate your joints. So if you eliminate the fat from your diet, then your hormonal production will go down and a whole array of chemical reactions will be interrupted. Your body will then start accumulating more body fat than usual so that it has enough fat to keep on functioning. Since testosterone production is halted, so is muscle building. Therefore, in order to have an efficient metabolism we need fat.<br /><br />There are three types of fats: Saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated.<br /><br /><b>a) Saturated Fats:</b> Saturated fats are associated with heart disease and high cholesterol levels. They are found to a large extent in products of animal origin. However, some vegetable fats are altered in a way that increases the amount of saturated fats in them by a chemical process known as hydrogenation. Hydrogenated vegetable oils are generally found in packaged foods. In addition, cocunut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil, which are also frequently used in packaged foods and non-dairy creamers are also highly saturated.<br /><br /><b>b) Polyunsaturated Fats: </b>Fats that do not have an effect in cholesterol levels. Most of the fats in vegetable oils, such as corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oil are polyunsaturated.<br /><br /><b>c) Monounsaturated Fats: </b>Fats that have a positive effect on the good cholesterol levels. These fats are usually high on the essential fatty acids and may have antioxidant properties. Sources of these fats are Fish Oils, Virgin Olive Oil, Canola Oil, and Flaxseed Oil. We like to refer to these type of fats as good fats.<br /><br />Twenty percent of your calories should come from good fats. Any less than 20% and your hormonal production goes down. Any more than 20% and you start accumulating plenty of fat. The way that I get my fats is by taking 1 teaspoon of Flaxseed Oil three times a day (I put them in my protein shakes).<br /><br />Good sources of fat are canola oil (1 tablespoon), natural peanut butter (2 tablespoons), olive oil (1 tablespoon), flaxseed oil (1 tablespoon), and fish oils (1 tablespoon). Each serving size contains approximately 14 grams of fat.<br /></p> <p><b>Water</b></p> <p>Water is by far the most abundant substance in our body. Without water, an organism would not survive very long. Most people that come to me for advice on how to get in shape, almost always underestimate the value of water.<br /><br />Water is good for the following reasons:<br /><br />1) Over 65% of your body is composed of water (most of the muscle cell is water).<br /><br />2) Water cleanses your body from toxins and pollutants that would get you sick.<br /><br />3) Water is needed for all of the complex chemical reactions that your body needs to perform on a daily basis. Processes such as energy production, muscle building, and fat burning require water. A lack of water would interrupt all of these processes.<br /><br />4) Water helps lubricate the joints.<br /><br />5) When the outside temperature is up, water serves as a coolant to bring the body temperature down to where it is supposed to be.<br /><br />6) Water helps control your appetite. Sometimes when you feel hungry after a good meal this sensation indicates a lack of water. Drinking water at that time would take the craving away.<br /><br />7) Cold water increases your metabolism.<br /><br />In order to know how much water your body needs a day, just multiply your lean body weight by .66. This would indicate how many ounces of water you need in a day. </p></span>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647834589505355785.post-84376297862017777072009-05-01T01:59:00.001-07:002009-05-01T01:59:17.953-07:00Changing the rules of good nutrition<span class="content">What are the rules of good nutrition? What types of things must you absolutely do to succeed - and what types of things must you avoid? Seriously, take a moment and think about it. What rules do you think you'll need to follow if you want to eat in a healthy way - a way that will improve the way your body looks and the way it feels.<br /><br />Come up with that list in your mind right now.<br /><br />Now that you’ve considered these rules, I want you to take a second and think about your list. Specifically, think about where you learned these rules.<br /><br />Certainly your rules have been influenced by how you were raised, no? Certainly they’ve been influenced by your experiences dining with friends and relatives – comfort foods, right? Of course, no set of nutrition rules is immune to media influences – you can’t help but be bombarded by those Got Milk ads! Your rules have probably also been influenced by what you’ve heard others say – heck, every 3rd episode of Dr. Phil is about food and dieting. And, no doubt, your nutrition rules have probably been influenced by your own past attempts at changing your body – whether you’ve been successful or unsuccessful.<br /><br />I could sit here all day and list potential nutritional influences. But I’ll stop here since there are probably hundreds of ‘em and to enumerate them all would bore your socks off.<br /><br />At this junction, I’d just like to go ahead and make my point. And the point is this - very few of your “Good Nutrition Rules” have been influenced by those who know anything about good nutrition – let alone about long-term success and about what it really means to eat in a healthy way! And worse yet, most of those rules have been hammered home without you even knowing it!<br /><br />It’s time to change the rules.<br /><br />The Triple S Criterion<br /><br />Now I’ll admit it. Changing the rules – just like changing your habits – is difficult. Not only does it take a desire to change – “want to” – but it takes a strategy for change – “how to”.<br /><br />The “want to” is all your own. But the “how to” is what I do best. I’ve committed my career to helping people do just this – to change their rules and change their habits – and have gotten pretty good at it. In changing these rules and habits, everything changes – the way clients eat, the way they sleep, they way they look, the way they feel when they wake up in the morning, and they way they perform in day-to-day activities or during athletic events.<br /><br />Today, I’m going to teach you a good part of that system – a system based on my Triple S Criterion.<br /><br />What’s the Triple S Criterion? Well, it represents a three step way of evaluating a strategy for its usefulness.<br /><br /> Step 1 – Simplicity:<br /> Are the rules easy to follow?<br /> Step 2 – Science<br /> Are the rules based on sound scientific principles?<br /> Step 3 – Success<br /> Have the rules produced success in past clients?<br /><br />Using this criterion, the systems developed for my clients always produce a positive result.<br /><br />Think again about your nutritional rules – rules that you might be quite attached to. Which criterion did you use when determining your rules? Are your rules based on Simplicity, Science, and Success? Have your rules produced the desired effect – a lean, healthy body that you’re able to maintain; a body that you’re happy with when looking in the mirror?<br /><br />If not, perhaps they could use a re-evaluation.<br /><br />Dr. Berardi’s Good Nutrition Rules<br /><br />Below, I’d like to present my 10 Good Nutrition Rules, rules based on the Triple S Criterion above. In doing so, I hope to accomplish 2 goals.<br /><br />• First, I want to help you rethink your whole nutrition approach – providing you with a new set of nutrition rules and habits – a set that swiftly moves you in the direction of your goals.<br /><br />• Secondly, I want to show specifically how the recipes, cooking tips, and strategies can integrate together to represent a complete success system, fully integrated into the basic habits of good nutrition.<br /><br /><b>So here are the 10 rules:</b><br /><br /><b>1.) Eat every 2-3 hours - no matter what.</b>Are you doing this – no matter what? Now, you don’t need to eat a full meal every 2-3 hours but you do need to eat 6-8 meals and snacks that conform to the other rules below.<br /><br /><b>2.) Ingest complete, lean protein each time you eat.</b>Are you eating something this is an animal or comes from an animal – every time you feed yourself? If not, make the change. Note: If you’re a vegetarian, this rule still applies – you need complete protein and need to find non-animal sources.<br /><br /><b>3.) Ingest vegetables every time you eat.</b>That’s right, every time you eat (every 2-3 hours, right), in addition to a complete, lean protein source, you need to eat some vegetables. You can toss in a piece of fruit here and there as well. But don’t skip the veggies.<br /><br /><b>4.) If want to eat a carbohydrate that’s not a fruit or a vegetable (this includes things like things rice, pasta, potatoes, quinoa, etc), you can – but you’ll need to save it until after you’ve exercised.</b> Although these often heavily processed grains are dietary staples in North America, heart disease, diabetes and cancer are North American medical staples – there’s a relationship between the two! To stop heading down the heart disease highway, reward yourself for a good workout with a good carbohydrate meal right after (your body best tolerates these carbohydrates after exercise). For the rest of the day, eat your lean protein and a delicious selection of fruits and veggies.<br /><br /><b>5.) A good percentage of your diet must come from fat. Just be sure it’s the right kind.</b>There are 3 types of fat – saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Eating all three kinds in a healthy balance can dramatically improve your health and even help you lose fat.<br /><br />Your saturated fat should come from your animal products and you can even toss in some butter or coconut oil for cooking. Your monounsaturated fat should come from mixed nuts, olives, and olive oil. And your polyunsaturated fat should from flaxseed oil, fish oil, and mixed nuts.<br /><br /><b>6.) Ditch the calorie containing drinks (including fruit juice).</b>In fact, all of your drinks should come from non-calorie containing beverages. Fruit juice, alcoholic drinks, and sodas – these are all to be removed from your daily fare. Your absolute best choices are water and green tea.<br /><br /><b>7.) Focus on whole foods.</b>Most of your dietary intake should come from whole foods. There are a few times where supplement drinks and shakes are useful. But most of the time, you’ll do best with whole, largely unprocessed foods.<br /><br /><b>8.) Have 10% foods.</b>I know you cringed at a few of the rules above – perhaps #6 in particular. But here’s a bit of a reprieve. 10% foods are foods that don’t necessarily follow the rules above – but food’s you’re still allowed to eat (or drink) 10% of the time.<br /><br />100% nutritional discipline is never required for optimal progress. The difference, in results, between 90% adherence to your nutrition program and 100% adherence is negligible.<br /><br />Just make sure you do the math and determine what 10% of the time really means. For example, if you’re eating 6 meals per day for 7 days of the week – that’s 42 meals. 10% of 42 is about 4. Therefore you’re allowed to “break the rules” 4 meals each week.<br /><br /><b>9.) Develop food preparation strategies.</b>The hardest part about eating well is making sure you can follow the 8 rules above consistently. And this is where preparation comes in. You might know what to eat, but if isn’t available, you’ll blow it when it’s time for a meal.<br /><br /><b>10.) Balance daily food choices with healthy variety.</b>Let’s face it; during the week –when you’re busy – you’re not going to be spending a ton of time whipping up gourmet meals. During these times you’re going to need a set of tasty, easy to make foods that you can eat day in and day out. However, once every day or a few times a week – you need to eat something different – something unique.<br /><br />So, what about calories, or macronutrient ratios, or any number of other things that I’ve covered in many other articles on my own web site and elsewhere? The short answer is that if you aren’t already practicing the above-mentioned habits, and by practicing them I mean putting them to use over 90% of the time (i.e., no more than 4 meals out of an average 42 meals per week violate any of those rules), everything else is pretty pointless. Moreover, many people can achieve the health and the body composition they desire using the habits alone. No kidding! In fact, with some of my paying clients I spend the first few months just supervising their adherence to these 7 rules—an effective but costly way to learn them.<br /><br />If you’ve reached the 90% threshold, you may need a bit more individualization beyond the habits. If so, visit my web site. Many of these little tricks can be found in my many articles published there. But before looking for them, before assuming you’re ready for individualization; make sure you’ve truly mastered the habits. Then, while keeping the habits as the consistent foundation, tweak away. </span>Cyrus Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048473201182253524noreply@blogger.com0