Tyron Piteau's Blog

What to Eat Right After Your Workout

2014-11-10T22:41:00.000-08:00

The Skinny on Fats: Benefits of Coconut Oil

2014-10-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Guest blog by Michael Fuhrman, D.C.

Coconut oil may be one of the most misunderstood of the more readily available dietary fats/oils.
As it is predominantly over 90% saturated fat, consumers assume it is bad for you and look for other seemingly less offensive alternatives.

The distinguishing feature between coconut oil and other forms of saturated fats and triglycerides is the much shorter length of the fatty acid. Coconut oil is actually a medium chain triglyceride (MCT), 6 to 12 carbon lengths long, as opposed to long chain triglycerides which are over 12 carbon lengths long and is the principal form of fat found in western diets. This smaller chain length makes it much easier for the body to absorb, digest and process as its breakdown requires less energy and less enzymatic action than what is usually needed for the longer chain triglycerides. Once broken down into medium chain fatty acids and absorbed in the body, they are then delivered to the liver where they are used as a primary source of energy. This leads to an increase in metabolism, ultimately resulting in an improvement in blood lipid profiles. Indeed, in eastern Asian cultures where coconut oil is a significant source of fat, rates of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease are lower than their western counterparts.

Wide array of clinical uses

Clinically and therapeutically, coconut oil appears to possess a variety of useful properties that may make it, when used appropriately, a no-brainer as a food item to be consumed on a daily basis for many people.

As part of a weight loss protocol, coconut oil has been shown to help improve anthropomorphic profiles in overweight and obese men and women.

Researchers have discovered that Alzheimer’s sufferers have pathological brain glucose metabolism possibly due to glucose transporter dysfunction and insulin resistance.

Alzheimer’s patients, therefore, find that their brain’s ability to use glucose (the brain’s preferred form of fuel) is impaired. Fortunately, the brain can use ketone bodies, which are by-products of fatty acid metabolism, as an alternative fuel source. MCTs are an excellent source of ketone bodies and it is this property that those with Alzheimer’s find beneficial, as they experience improvements in cognition and memory.

Coconut oil is chock full of antioxidative compounds which helps protect it from oxidation and degradation. This quality was evaluated in an interesting study which looked at the antioxidative properties of various oils and their effects on rodent testes. The rodents who were fed coconut oil had higher levels of testicular antioxidants, thus suggesting a protective role in reproductive health. Of particular significance, the coconut oil-fed rats also showed increased levels of testosterone as well. Furthermore, components of coconut oil contain fatty acids such as lauric and myristic acids which also act as 5α-reductase inhibitors, which help block testosterone from metabolizing to the more potent and possibly proliferative dihydrotestosterone.

Who would have thought that coconut oil could have a positive effect on osteoporosis? Supplementation of the oil in mouse models of osteoporosis demonstrated a significant improvement in bone density, volume, and bone microarchitecture, structure and trabecular number as well.

Finally, lauric acid is a powerful antimicrobial and antifungal compound and has been shown to be active against a variety of candida strains, including albicans. It has also, as well as medium chain triglycerides in general, shown activity against oral pathogens and skin pathogens that are associated with acne development.

Coconut oil, with its medium chain triglycerides and plethora of therapeutic benefits, may make it a sensible choice use in a variety of clinical applications.

Tyron here, check out some of the comments we've been receiving about our gym.

This one is from a lady new to our gym who's currently in our Foundations program. She says, "The Maker's Body CrossFit: for sure you will love it..very motivating, invigorating and fun! I love our coach and owner Tyron not only good looking fella, well verse on what his coaching and very supportive. "No pain no gain" it's true but once you have it you don't wanna slip it away. Everybody can do it...not too late for every one to have a healthy physique and brain...I highly recommend this gym. For all fitness level... You won't regret it!"

Received this recently from one of our members, "Ya it's great, I enjoy being back! Definitely a fun atmosphere. I tried crossfit somewhere else, and was not even close to how much fun Maker's Body is, and the classes are instructed way better with you guys "

I have a great team of coaches and staff that help me immensely run an awesome program for our amazing members!

Everything You Need To Know About Creatine

2014-10-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Everything You Need To Know About Creatine
Written by Calvin Sun

Creatine is easily one of the most popular supplements in the fitness industry. It’s been around for over 20 years and has become one of the most studied supplements in exercise science. However, there seems to be a fair amount of misinformation and mystery that still surrounds the supplement. Recently, I’ve received a lot of questions about the function of creatine, it’s safety and efficacy, as well as proper dosages for athletes. The purpose of today’s article is to answer some of these common questions and provide you with enough information to decide whether or not creatine should be part of your supplement regimen.

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is an organic compound that is produced from three amino acids: glycine, arginine, and methionine.

Creatine serves as an essential part of the ATP-CP energy system, also known as the phosphagen system. This system is responsible for powering short duration, high-intensity movements such as weightlifting, sprinting, and jumping. Adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) is broken down to release energy resulting in adenosine di-phosphate (ADP). At the cellular level, creatine is used to regenerate ADP into ATP resulting in delayed fatigue and improved exercise performance [2,3,4].

Why Should I Take It?

Creatine is produced by your body in small amounts [1,2]. It is also found in some animal-based protein sources such as red meat. The amount produced by your body and obtainable through food is quite low, which is why supplementation can be effective. Some research suggests that vegetarian and vegan athletes can greatly benefit from creatine supplementation because of dietary deficiencies [1].

Numerous studies have found that creatine supplementation results in improved body composition, increased strength, and faster sprint performance [2,3,4]. As a result, creatine tends to be popular with football players, bodybuilders, strength athletes, as well as track and field athletes. Creatine has also been found to attenuate core temperature and heart rate in trained endurance athletes [5].

Does Creatine Cause Muscle Cramps?

One of the common myths surrounding creatine is the idea that it increases risk of muscle cramps or injuries. Multiple studies have found that this is not true [10, 11]. In fact, a study on Division I football players found that creatine may actually reduce cramping and injuries [12]. Other research has also found that creatine can be useful for reducing muscle cramps in medical applications [13]

Is Creatine Bad For Your Kidneys?

You may have heard that creatine is bad for your kidneys. This is likely due to confusion between creatine and creatinine, a metabolic byproduct. Multiple studies have found that creatine is perfectly safe with no negative changes in renal biomarkers, such as blood urea nitrogen and glomerular filtration rate [7,8]. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that creatine had no negative impact on markers of kidney function [9]. Long-term studies on athletes have also found that creatine does not cause any harm to the liver or kidneys [14,15].

Is Creatine A Steroid?

While creatine is capable of improving athletic performance, it is not a performance-enhancing drug or anabolic steroid.

Is Creatine Recommended For Female Athletes?

Creatine has been found to have positive effects in both male and female athletes. Deciding whether or not you should take creatine has less to do with your gender and more to do with your goals. If you are trying to improve your strength, power, and body composition, creatine is certainly worth considering.

Which Form of Creatine Is The Best (Monohydrate, Ethyl Ester, HCL, etc.)?

Creatine monohydrate still appears to be the best for results. It also happens to be the least expensive version as well. Some research has found that some of the fancy, buffered forms of creatine actually don’t result in any increase of creatine content in muscle tissue [6].

How Do I Take Creatine?

Most research suggests 3-5 grams a day, though some studies uses doses as high as 20 grams a day with positive results. Research has also found that taking creatine post-workout appears to produce better results [16]. Some experts suggest a “loading phase” of 20 grams a day for 5-10 days and then reducing the dosage to 5 grams daily. My advice would be to add 5 grams of creatine monohydrate to your post-workout drinks without the loading phase.

Is There A Brand You Recommend?

I like Optimum Nutrition’s Unflavored Creatine. It mixes well and doesn’t cause any GI distress. Also, it’s very affordable at 15 cents per 5 gram serving. Click here to purchase from Amazon.

Based on current research and my own experience as a coach, creatine is a safe and effective supplement for athletes. If your goals involve increasing strength, improving body composition, or sprinting faster, creatine is certainly worth considering. It also has the added benefits of reducing muscle cramps and attenuating core temperature which can be especially beneficial for CrossFit athletes.

Still have a question about creatine? Feel free to post it here on the blog or on our Facebook page. I’ll either answer your question directly or in a future post.

Cavlin
Article from http://www.crossfitinvictus.com/blog/creatine/

References
1. Burke DG, Chilibeck PD, Parise G, Candow DG, Mahoney D, Tarnopolsky M. Effect of creatine and weight training on muscle creatine and performance in vegetarians. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003 Nov;35(11):1946-55.

2. Kreider RB, Ferreira M, Wilson M, Grindstaff P, Plisk S, Reinardy J, Cantler E, Almada AL. Effects of creatine supplementation on body composition, strength, and sprint performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc., 1998, 30(1):73-82.

3. Becque MD, Lochmann JD, Melrose DR. Effects of oral creatine supplementation on muscular strength and body composition. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Mar;32(3):654-8.

4. Souza-Junior et al. Strength and hypertrophy responses to constant

and decreasing rest intervals in trained men using creatine supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

2011, 8:17.

5. Beis, Lukas Y., et al. The effects of creatine and glycerol hyperhydration on running economy in well trained endurance runners. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 8.1 (2011): 24.

6. Jagim A R, et al. A buffered form of creatine does not promote greater changes in muscle creatine content, body composition, or training adaptations than creatine monohydrate. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2012, 9:43.

7. Groeneveld GJ, et al. Few adverse effects of long-term creatine supplementation in a placebo-controlled trial. Int J Sports Med. 2005 May;26(4):307-13.

8. Gualano B, Ferreira DC, Sapienza MT, Seguro AC, Lancha AH Jr. Effect of short-term high-dose creatine supplementation on measured GFR in a young man with a single kidney. Am J Kidney Dis. 2010 Mar;55(3):e7-9. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2009.10.053. Epub 2010 Jan 8.

9. Gualano B, Ugrinowitsch C, Novaes RB, Artioli GG, Shimizu MH, Seguro AC, Harris RC, Lancha AH Jr. Effects of creatine supplementation on renal function: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2008 May;103(1):33-40. doi: 10.1007/s00421-007-0669-3. Epub 2008 Jan 11.

10. Greenwood, Michael, et al. Creatine supplementation during college football training does not increase the incidence of cramping or injury. Molecular and cellular biochemistry 244.1-2 (2003): 83-88.

11. Dalbo, Vincent James, et al. Putting the myth of creatine supplementation leading to muscle cramps and dehydration to rest. British journal of sports medicine (2008).

12. Greenwood, Michael, et al. Cramping and injury incidence in collegiate football players are reduced by creatine supplementation. Journal of athletic training 38.3 (2003): 216.

13. Chang, Chiz‐Tzung, et al. Creatine monohydrate treatment alleviates muscle cramps associated with haemodialysis. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation 17.11 (2002): 1978-1981.

14. Poortmans JR, Francaux M. Long-term oral creatine supplementation does not impair renal function in healthy athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999 Aug;31(8):1108-10.

15. Mayhew DL, Mayhew JL, Ware JS. Effects of long-term creatine supplementation on liver and kidney functions in American college football players. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2002 Dec;12(4):453-60.

16. Antonio J, Ciccone V. The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2013,10:36.

The 8 Supplements I Highly Recommend

2014-10-24T16:27:00.003-07:00

I hope you are having a great day. Proper nutrition and supplementation is vital in my mind so I've detailed below my top 8 supplements I recommend.

But before that I just wanted to remind you about our Christmas Party that's coming happening on Saturday Nov. 22, 2014 at 6pm at the gym. All members and their guests are welcome. I have created a Facebook invite for it so please RSVP through that or email me back letting me know you are coming. I've copy the link below. The cost is $10 per person (kids 10 years old and under come free). No need to bring anything other than your beautiful self as the event is being catered by Michelle Kirk and her catering company, MK caterin. Friends and family are more than welcome to join you as well. Please do not wear your workout gear. It'll be nice to see everyone dressed up and looking sharp. No need to worry as there will be no WOD scheduled ;)

Christmas Party Event link:
https://www.facebook.com/events/305547786319255/

1) Krill Oil/Omega-3s

Years ago, the ratio of pro-inflammatory (bad) Omega 6 to anti-inflammatory (good and healthful) Omega 3 was close to 1:1 in one's diet. Unfortunately, most of us with a SAD (Standard American Diet) get way too much Omega 6 and way too little Omega 3, and that unhealthy ratio tends to keep many of us in a constant state of systemic inflammation. Since Omega 3 oils are found in fewer and fewer modern foods (fish being one of the few, but fresh fish also being impractical to eat regularly due to heavy-metal content) the single easiest way to overcome this serious deficit and rebalance your Omegas is to take highly purified Omega 3 supplements, preferably krill oil.

Click this link and check out the infographic that compares fish oil vs. krill oil. http://www.mercola.com/infographics/fish-oil-vs-krill-oil.htm

Benefits include: boosts heart health, a powerful antioxidant, a strong anti-inflammatory, boots immune system, improves joint lubrication, encourages a healthy liver, eases PMS symptoms, maintains healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels, improves brain health and much more.

Suggested Use: Take 1000-2000 mg per day.

2) Multivitamin
The way I look at a multivitamin is it fills in the holes in your diet where you are missing things. It's like an insurance policy, it has your back just in case something happens, i.e. your diet sucks. Look for one that is whole foods based.

Suggested Use: Take 1 capsule per day (depending on brand)

3) Vitamin D3
Research suggests that up to 85% of people could be deficient in vitamin D without knowing it...leaving them with less-than-optimal health. Because current scientific research suggests that all cells and tissues in your body have vitamin D receptors - and further concludes that every cell and tissue needs vitamin D for its well-being. Not only that, but vitamin D is responsible for the regulation of over 2,000 genes in your body!

Suggested Use: Take 4-5000 IU per day.

4) Magnesium Bisglycinate
Magnesium bisglycinate is an essential mineral needed for more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. This mineral is required for the formation of healthy bones and teeth, protein and fatty acid formation, activating B vitamins, supporting muscle activity, nerve transmission, relaxing blood vessels, clotting blood, temperature regulation and ensuring intestinal mobility also called bowel movements. Magnesium bisglycinate is the only magnesium shown to cross the blood brain barrier which makes it an excellent choice for aiding those with depression and/or anxiety, or migraine headaches.

Suggested Use: Take 350-500 mg per day.

5) Vitamin K2
Benefits include: helps move calcium into the proper areas in the body, such as your bones and teeth and removes calcium from areas where it shouldn't be, such as your arteries and soft tissues. It's essential to take when taking vitamin D3.

Suggested Use: Take 120-240 mcg per day.

6) Protandim
Protandim, the Nrf2 Synergizer, has been shown to reduce Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances or TBARS value, by an average of 40% in 30 days. TBARS are used to measure free radical activity and oxidative lipid peroxidation, which measures cell damage caused by free radicals. When Nrf2 is activated, it induces the body's natural antioxidant defenses to help repel free radicals a million times better than vitamin C. In fact our own natural antioxidants that our bodies produce neutralize free radicals at a ratio of 1 million to 1 antioxidant every second whereas other antioxidants such as Vitamin C and E for instance do so at a ratio of 1 to 1.

Check out this video to learn more: http://planplanb.com/

Suggested Use: 1 tablet per day.
Available from us directly or at http://www.mylifevantagecanada.com/MakersBody

7) Post Workout Shake
After every workout I recommend taking a shake of whey protein powder and a fast acting carb that's low in fructose such as apricots, figs, kiwis, pineapples, rice cakes, white rice, maple syrup to help build muscle, reglycogenate (replenish glycogen stores) and recover. You may also want to add BCAAs and glutamine to enhance muscle recovery and protein synthesis.

The reason for taking a post workout shake is your muscles are starving for nutrition and your body is in a catabolic state (tissue breakdown state) so you want to get it into an anabolic state (tissue building state) as fast as you can and with the right post workout shake, you can do this.

Suggested Use: Consume within one hour after your workout.
The protein powder I use is available at http://MakersBody.Isagenix.com/en-CA/products/categories/individual-items/isa-pro

8) Probiotics

Probiotics are living, direct-fed microbials that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestines. They work by colonizing the intestinal tract and crowding out disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and yeasts. Several trillion bacteria live symbiotically in our gut today albeit not all are good and depending on which of the two is winning the flora war, your health will be determined.

Being stressed, getting sick, taking antibiotics, eating certain processed foods all support the growth of unhealthy bacteria and yeast forms while choking out the healthy flora. Many people whose diets include daily doses of yogurt or acidophilus are able to maintain healthy gut flora, but these sources aren’t always reliable (pasteurizing and added sugars can reduce their effectiveness), and not everyone can tolerate dairy that well. For that reason, I think it’s wise to take probiotic supplements on occasion. Not necessarily every day, since once these “seeds” have been planted in a healthy gut, they tend to multiply and flourish easily on their own. I’d certainly take extra probiotics under times of great stress or when you’ve been sick or are taking (or have just taken) a course of antibiotics.

Dramatic changes can be seen in people suffering from Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, Candida, asthma, and other allergies when probiotics are taken.

I hope these tips helped :)

Tyron

Reference for #1 and 8:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-to-primal-supplementation/#axzz3FWlfx2v5

The Best Pancake Ever!...OK Maybe Not Ever But It Sure Is Good ;)

2014-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Paleo Pancakes
Ingredients    2-3 eggs
    1 banana
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    1 tsp cinnamon
sea salt to taste

Instructions    Pre-heat skillet with butter or coconut oil.
    In a bowl, mix the eggs, vanilla and cinnamon and beat.
    On a plate, mash the banana thoroughly.
    Combine banana in bowl with eggs and mix together.
    Once cooked, serve with almond butter or maple syrup on top if desired.

Notes
Can be made as an omelete instead if you like. This is my preference.

Enjoy!

Tyron

Six Incredibly Simple Nutrition Rules To Be Lean and Muscular For Life

2014-01-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

The year 2013 was marked by new heights of nutrition insanity. You’re not alone if you found yourself more confused than ever about what to eat in light of the obscure nutrition recommendations from the government and outrageous claims from food marketers.

What’s the solution to all this nutrition madness?

You need an individualized nutrition approach that speaks to your energy needs and genetics, but that is based on science. This article will give you six nutrition rules for a sane and simple way of eating.

Before we get to the rules, let’s look a bit closer at why good nutrition has become such a demanding endeavor. In fact, nutrition never has been especially simple.

We often get nostalgic, thinking that nutrition was easier in another era. For example, a lot of people are turning to the Paleo diet for leanness and health as seen with the fact that it was the most searched nutrition term on Google in 2013.

With present-day understanding of how our genes are affected by diet and a “paleo-template,” here are six nutrition rules to be lean and muscular life.

#1: Understand Why High-Protein Diets Promote Leanness
Do you have to eat a high-protein diet to lose fat?

There are other fat-reducing methods, but high-protein, lower carb whole food diets consistently work well for the majority of people who try them. You should be familiar with the four primary reasons higher protein diets improve body composition:

•    If your goal is fat loss, preserving lean muscle mass should be a primary focus of nutrition because it is critical for maintaining your metabolism. If you lose muscle, your body burns fewer calories daily, which is a main contributor to rebound weight gain on the typical calorie-restricted diet.

For example, a recent study that compared the effect of three different protein intakes (the RDA of 0.8 g/kg, double the RDA of 1.6 g/kg, and triple the RDA of 2.4 g/kg for protein) as part of a calorie-restricted diet illustrates this.

All groups lost about the same amount of weight. The double the RDA dose of 1.6 g/kg of protein effectively protected lean muscle mass. The higher triple RDA dose of 2.4 kg didn’t have any additive effect, whereas the RDA dose of 0.8 kg led to muscle loss over the 3 week study.

•    It costs the body more calories to process protein than carbs or fat, which is referred to as thermogenesis. Quality is paramount here: A study showed that when subjects ate animal protein (meat) they had 17 percent higher increase in resting energy expenditure than a group who ate vegetable protein (beans and plant sources).

•    Protein is filling. When people eat a greater percentage of their diet from protein, they feel more satisfied and eat fewer calories overall. A review of the issue found that for every 1 percent increase in protein intake, people naturally decrease calorie intake by between 32 and 51 calories daily.

•    High-quality protein helps manage blood sugar and insulin, decreasing cravings for sugar.

The easiest way to lose fat is to eat a fairly high-protein diet. The ratios of protein, carbs, and fat are variable and based on all those unique traits that make you different from your peers: genetics, current body composition, fitness, goals, stress level, preferences, and so on.

Take Away: Increasing your protein intake is the best place to start if your goal is leanness because it protects muscle muss, increases energy use, and is sustainable because it reduces hunger.

#2: Focus On Protein Quality For Fat Loss: Get 10 Grams of EAAs Per Meal
High-quality protein is defined as a protein source that provides at least 10 grams of essential amino acids (EAAs) at every meal. The EAAs must be present in the body for muscle tissue repair to occur, and they can’t be stored in the body, which is the reason you need a steady supply of these building blocks.

Research shows that eating the 10-gram-threshold of EAAs per meal is associated with having less body fat and more muscle mass in people of all ages. For example, over the course of a 5-year study, individuals who had higher quality protein intake had the greatest reductions in waist circumference.

In another study, scientists found that those who ate the EAA “threshold” of 10 grams per meal in a 24-hour period had significantly less visceral belly fat.

In another approach, a German study identified metabolic markers that were associated with body fat percentage and found that the higher the serum level of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), the less body fat subjects had. BCAAs include three of the most important EAAs, leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

The association between higher BCAA levels and less body fat was consistent for both men and women and was independent of exercise participation. BCAA levels were also associated with greater lean muscle mass.

Eating high-quality protein is so effective at optimizing body composition because providing a consistent stream of 10 grams of EAAs will maximally stimulates protein synthesis to keep you body repairing tissue and building muscle.

Of interest, researchers believe that overweight, sedentary people have dysfunctional BCAA metabolism and an inability to stimulate fat burning. They experience a “derangement in muscle metabolism that favor the development of obesity and metabolic diseases.”

This is one reason that, although we often say “fat loss starts in the kitchen,” exercise is absolutely essential to achieve it because it optimizes metabolism for protein synthesis and the burning of fat for energy.

Take Away: For leanness, plan your diet so that you achieve the threshold 10 grams of EAAs per meal. Eggs, fish, beef, milk (preferably unpasteurized), and whey protein are the highest EAA containing foods.

#3: Enhance Fat Metabolism With Balanced Macros & Whole Food
In order to lose fat or simply maintain your body composition, your body must be capable of metabolizing the dietary fat you eat and the fat you’ve got stored.

First, you need your body to effectively metabolize the fat you eat so that it can be used to make hormones, optimize brain health, and absorb essential vitamins. Something as simple as a stressed out liver or chronically poor sleep will impede metabolism of dietary fat.

Second, your body must be “metabolically flexible” so that it is able to readily mobilize and burn stored body fat as well as glucose (carbs). A failure in metabolic flexibility leads to fat gain and insulin resistance.

How do you ensure healthy metabolism of the fat you eat and the ability to burn the fat you’ve got stored?

Two methods of improving fat metabolism are exercise and replacing carb intake with fat. When you reduce the percentage of your calories that come from carbs, you decrease insulin and shift the body to burn fat rather than blood sugar. However, obese people don’t respond to this strategy as effectively as lean people.

In one study, 12 lean and 10 obese men were given a high-fat diet (70 percent fat, 15 percent protein, 15 percent carb) for three days. The lean subjects increased the amount of fat their bodies burned for energy, whereas the obese subjects did not. Researchers think that over the longer term, obese people would respond to the shift in macronutrients, but the process is uncomfortable because energy levels are compromised.

Using exercise to teach the body to burn fat is more effective for obese people. In the study just mentioned, the same two groups of men went through a washout period, then did 10 days of aerobic exercise (1 hour a day at 70 percent of maximal). This time, both the lean and obese subjects increased fat burning, indicating that exercise is a catalyst for the overweight to become more metabolically flexible.

A contributing factor to optimal fat metabolism is the amino acid carnitine. Carnitine is a potent fat burner because it is responsible for the transport of fats into the cells to be used for energy in the body.

In the German study mentioned in #1, along with BCAAs, subjects with higher free carnitine levels had significantly less body fat. The researchers interpret this link between carnitine and lower body fat to be evidence that people with more muscle mass will have an enhanced ability to burn fat.

Take Away: If you’re overweight, you must exercise because this is the most effective tool you have to improve their body’s ability to burn fat for energy. Eat a higher fat, lower carb diet with high-quality protein to supply carnitine and EAAs.

#4: Don’t Get Confused By Protein Backlash
In a high-carb culture, protein backlash is understandable. Nutrition, medical professionals and the media incorrectly warn us that a high-protein diet will tax kidney function, cause kidney stones, and leech bones of calcium, increasing the risk of osteoporosis.

In fact, protein intake up to 2 g/kg/bodyweight a day is completely safe for healthy kidneys and appears to improve bone health. A study of competitive athletes concluded that daily protein intake, as high 2.8 g/kg won’t damage the kidneys in healthy athletes. The National Kidney Foundation recommends that the one group that should not eat a high-protein diet is those who have clinical kidney dysfunction or who are on dialysis.

Meanwhile, a large-scale analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition of 31 studies found a small but significant benefit from greater protein intake on bone strength at several skeletal sites including the lumbar spine in every category of the population, from children to elderly men and women.

In addition to observational evidence that higher dietary protein benefits bone strength, we know that bone building requires a steady pool of amino acids in the body and over 50 percent of bone is made of protein. Eating more protein increases levels of insulin-like growth factor-I, which is a major regulator of bone building.

So you fully understand how it works, higher protein diets do tend to increase acid formation in the body, which leads to a loss of calcium (this is calcium that’s already been absorbed). However, calcium absorption during digestion is increased with diets higher in animal protein, which may offset that loss.

In addition, there’s a wealth of evidence that other factors such as lean mass percentage and muscle strength are more important for bone health than the calcium issue.

For example, sports scientists are well aware that the most effective way to strengthen bone is with activities that load the spine with heavy weights such as all those weight lifting exercises we do in class :). Weight-bearing exercises that produce a large ground reaction force such as jumping also build bone.

Take Away: Don’t get confused by the misinformation about protein intake in a high-carb culture. Higher protein diets are safe for healthy people and they convey benefits for bone strength, muscle maintenance, and fat loss.

#5: Improve Gut Health to Optimize Protein’s Benefits For Muscularity
Do you remember the media storm that reported that carnitine and red meat were associated with heart disease? Although these reports completely missed the boat, there are some dangers to a high-protein intake that have to do with gut health.

Gut bacteria will live off of what you eat. People who eat more animal protein tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables and consume less fiber, though this tendency may not be typical in people who follow a Paleo-type diet. Low-fiber, higher animal protein diets have been found to increase inflammatory gut bacteria.

For example, a recent study from Tufts University of young (ages 18-35), normal-weight healthy people found that those who had more lean muscle mass had higher levels of biomarkers of inflammatory gut metabolism. These markers are considered metabolic toxins that have been linked with adverse health conditions, including gastric cancer, obesity, and type II diabetes.

The Tufts researchers suggest that although a high dietary protein intake is important for the optimization of muscle mass, an overconsumption of dietary protein that leads to the growth of inflammatory gut bacteria is dangerous.

A possible solution is to support the growth of beneficial anti-inflammatory gut bacteria with a diet high in vegetables, fruit, and something called resistant starch, which is found in foods such as bananas, oats, peas, maize, and potatoes. According to Mark Sisson, one of the easiest ways to improve gut flora is to consume raw unmodified potato starch.

This approach is supported by what we know about present day hunger-gatherers such as the Kitavan Islanders in Oceania who eat an ancestral diet that is high in resistant starch and other fibers that stimulate the production of anti-inflammatory bacteria in the gut. The Kitavans eat no Western foods (grains, flour, sugar, oil) and are lean and virtually free of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Take Away: Don’t let a blind spot such as lack of fiber in your higher protein diet compromise health. Support gut health with a variety of vegetables, fruit, probiotic foods, and resistant starches.

#6: Balance High-Quality Protein With Fruits and Veggies
You won’t be surprised to learn that the Tufts University study also found that higher metabolic markers of BCAAs were associated with greater lean mass and insulin sensitivity. However, the news was not consistently positive for subjects who had better body compositions.

There was strong evidence that subjects with more lean mass had more oxidative stress and inflammation. Scientists were concerned with this association and suggest that people who eat diets rich in protein should increase fruits and vegetables because they are well documented to increase blood antioxidant capacity and reduce inflammation.

A related benefit of phytonutrient-rich foods is that they support mitochondrial health, which is suppressed on a high-protein diet. You may recall from elementary biology that mitochondria turn energy from food into ATP to provide energy for cells to fuel activity. The byproduct of this process is free radicals, which bounce around, damaging everything in sight, and accelerating aging.

The best way to avoid free radical production is to not eat. No joke! This is the reason calorie restriction and fasting are beneficial for longevity since they improve mitochondrial health and prevent aging.

A more practical method is to get your carbs from plants, and eat the rest of your energy from high-quality protein and beneficial fats. The nutrients in plants eliminate free radicals that cause inflammation. Favoring fat at the expense of carbs provides a “cleaner” burning energy source, generating fewer free radicals than carbs.

Or better yet add Protandim to your daily supplements and allow your own natural antioxidants to flourish. One study showed that Protandim increases glutithian and super oxide dismutase by 40% in 30 days (these are two of our own natural antioxidants are body's produce). Watch this ABC News investigative report on Protandim: www.ABCliveit.com.

Also, if you have any additional questions on Protandim check out this video by Dr. Alice Reed, an internal medicine doctor: http://youtu.be/x2_DqTZcI90

Take Away: Get your carbs from protective phytonutrient-rich foods such as blueberries, grapes, kiwi, tart cherries, raspberries, blackberries, leafy greens, peppers, pomegranates, and some starches. Avocado, olives, coconut oil, whey protein are other antioxidant-rich foods to include as you go high in fat and protein. Add 1 tablet of Protandim per day (to get it feel free to contact Tyron at (604) 626-2342 or email Info@MakersBody.com).

Tyron

Adapted from an article written by Charles Poliquin at www.PoliquinGroup.com.

PS. To try out our CrossFit program in North Vancouver for a free intro session visit www.MakersBody.com.

References

Battaglia, G., et al Effect of Exercise Training on Metabolic Flexibility in Response to a High-Fat Diet in Obese Individuals. American Journal of Physiology. 2012. 303(12), E1440-1445.

Pasiakos, S., et al. Effects of high-protein diets on fat-free mass and muscle protein synthesis following weight loss: a randomized controlled trial. The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 2013. 9, 3837-3844.

Paoli, A., et al. High-Intensity Interval Resistance Training Influences Resting Energy Expenditure and Respiratory Ratio in Non-Dieting Individuals. Journal of Translational Medicine. 2012. 10(1), 237.

Tipton, K., Wolfe, R. Protein and Amino Acids For Athletes. Journal of Sports Science. 2004. 22(1), 65-79/.

Storlien, L., et al. Metabolic Flexibility: Adipose tissue–liver–muscle interactions leading to insulin resistance. Proceedings for the Nutrition Society. 2004. 63(2), 363-368.

Spreadbury, I., et al. Comparison with Ancestral Diets Suggests Dense Acellular Carbohydrates Promote Inflammatory Microbiota, and May Be The Primary Dietary Cause of Leptin Resistance and Obesity. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and Obesity: Targets and Therapy. 2012.5, 175-189.

Johnston, K., et al. Resistant starch improves insulin sensitivity in metabolic syndrome. Diabetes Medicine. 2010. 27(4), 391-397.

Carstens, M., et al. Fasting substrate oxidation in relation to habitual dietary fat intake and insulin resistance in non-diabetic women: a case for metabolic flexibility? Nutrition and Metabolism. 2013. 10 (8).

Sisson, Mark. Dear Mark: Resistant Starch, Zinc Deficiency, and Something New. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/resistant-starch-zinc-deficiency/#more-45672

Calvez, J., Poupin, N., et al. Protein Intake, Calcium Balance and Health Consequences. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2012. 66, 281-295.

Martin, W., Armstrong, L., et al. Dietary Protein Intake and Renal Function. Nutrition and Metabolism. 2005. 2(25).

Friedman, A., Ogden, L., et al. Comparative Effects of Low-Carbohydrate High-Protein Versus Low-Fat Diets on the Kidney. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. July 2012. 7.

Kerstetter, Jane. Dietary Protein and Bone: A New Approach to an Old Question. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009. 90, 1451-1452.

Darling, A., Millward, J., et al. Dietary Protein and Bone Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1009. 90, 1674-1692.

Lustgarten, M., et al. Serum Predictors of Percent Lean Mass in Young Adults. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2013. Published Ahead of Print.

Jourdan, C., et al. Body Fat Free Mass is Associated with the Serum Metabolite Profile in a Population-Based Study. PLoS One. 2012. 7, e40009.

Robertson, M., et al. Insulin-sensitizing effects on muscle and adipose tissue after dietary fiber intake in men and women with metabolic syndrome. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.

Loennek, J., Wilson, J., et al. Quality of Protein Intake is Inversely Related with Abdominal Fat. Nutrition and Metabolism. 2012. 9(5).

Why Women Should Not Be Afraid of Gaining Muscle - Part 2

2014-01-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

Despite the images of strong, lean women that are everywhere from popular culture to politics to athletics, there is an alarmingly large number of women who are afraid to gain muscle. Every trainer has heard the question from female clients of all ages: Will this give me big muscles? Or, the statement, I build muscle really easily and don’t want to get bulky. Can you just help me get toned?

Instead of using this article to argue that strong is attractive and that women should embrace strength and muscle, the point is that women need to train smart. Women need to identify their health and body composition goals and train in order to meet those goals.

If you missed part 1 of this topic, I mentioned that according to world renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin that in thirty-four years of being a strength coach, for every kilo of lean tissue his female clients gained, there was an equal loss of weight in body fat. With these body composition changes, not only will every woman feel more empowered, but her body will look fantastic!

If losing body fat is anywhere on your list of goals, then gaining muscle must be a priority. Otherwise, the only weapons you have against body fat are an extremely clean diet and interval training. If you choose that route, it will be necessary to cut back on energy intake to offset the drop in metabolism that comes with aging. Even so, low muscle mass is linked to accelerated aging and a variety of serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, greater risk of breaking a bone, having poor posture, getting regular colds, having a low mood, or being depressed. This list goes on, and I provide more details below with Ten More Reasons Women Should Not Be Afraid of Gaining Muscle.

Body Composition and Hormone Response to Training
First, let’s address a few of the misconceptions regarding training, muscles, and women. Lets review the key factor in changing body composition: hormone response to training. It’s physiologically impossible for women to gain muscle in the same way as a man because women don’t have enough testosterone unless they ingest it on purpose.

If men train hard and lift heavy loads, they will experience a large boost in testosterone post-workout. This doesn’t happen to women. Women have 15 to 20 times less testosterone than men, and studies have failed to demonstrate any significant change in testosterone response in women from training.

The good thing about resistance training for females of all ages is that if you train hard, you will elevate the hormone Growth Hormone (GH), which burns fat in the body. GH will also help you build muscle, but it has a much greater effect on fat burning.

What a lot of women don’t realize is that if they resistance train, they will build a little bit of muscle, get stronger, and most gratifying, lose the fat that covers up the muscles they have. This will make them look strong and fit—and those muscles are great ammunition against the fat gain that happens with age.

Muscle Won’t Turn to Fat
Resistance training will not “turn fat into muscle,” nor will muscle that has been built turn into fat. If you train intelligently hard, fat will be lost and muscle will be gained. You will increase your metabolism and with proper nutrition, you will keep that fat off. If you quit training, muscle will be lost, and fat will probably be gained depending on your energy intake.

Also, a pound of muscle doesn’t “weigh less” than a pound of fat. They both weigh a pound, but if you have 10 pounds of muscle you will look a lot leaner than if that same 10 pounds was all fat.

How to Get Stronger
The only way to get stronger is to progressively increase the amount of weight you lift. It is possible to build muscle with moderate loads, but the definition of moderate is not 5 pounds. Rather, a standard fat loss training program would use anywhere between 60 and 85 percent loads (that refers to a weight that is 60 to 85 percent of the maximal amount you can lift for 1 rep for a given exercise). Where a lot of women go wrong is that they take “moderate” to mean “light” and then they drop that weight in half. Loads of 10 or 20 percent are a waste of time. They won’t help you be able to pick a child up off the floor or put a heavy box up on a shelf overhead.

In fact, high rep, light load training won’t do anything for you, except it may lead you to lose the small amount of muscle you already have! High rep, light load training is a variation of aerobic exercise and it may raise cortisol. One study found that embarking on a light load aerobic-style resistance program led to the loss of 5 pounds of muscle and a reduction in resting metabolic rate of 3 percent over a 10 year period!. You’ll be left with less muscle and possibly more fat—sounds like a Fat Trap to me!

The belief that high repetition, light load training will help women develop muscle tone is a misconception. The scientific definition of muscle “tone” has nothing to do with the popular definition, which seems to be the level of visibility of muscles. To achieve better muscle tone by the popular definition, all you need to do is lose fat, and high rep, light load training will not help you do this.

The better solution is to a “periodized” program focused on body composition such as the German Body Comp program by Charles Poliquin or our CrossFit programming at MBCF, which will progressively allow you to reach your goals.

Ten More Reasons Women Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Gaining Muscle

1.    You’ll Have Less Body Fat
Muscle mass is the best defense against getting fat. For example, one study compared a 12-week periodized resistance training protocol using loads ranging from 60 to 80 percent of maximal with a muscular endurance protocol using light loads with 15 to 30 reps on body composition in women. The women that did the periodized program lost nearly 5 kg of body fat, gained about 3 kg of muscle, and had dramatic increases in strength. The women who did the high rep, light load muscular endurance program lost NO fat and gained no muscle. They didn’t get stronger either!

It’s okay to start getting strong at a young age. Studies show that girls from age 7 on up can develop equal strength as boys of the same age. Plus, in young girls, having a stronger handgrip, and more lower and upper body strength are all associated with better body composition, lower BMI, and greater functional ability as measured by vertical jump. By developing strength at a young age, you’ll set yourself or your kids up for a lean and strong future!

2.    You’ll Look Better in Clothes…and Without Them
Strong, developed muscles can give women curves—glutes and abs with muscle development are much more aesthetically pleasing to the male eye—and you’ll look better in clothes. Perhaps more important than conforming to the male gaze is research that suggests that building strength by training is an effective way for women to take control of their body image.

Once you have a tool to help you get the body you desire, you’ll feel empowered. I guarantee that achieving personal records and squatting or deadlifting more than you weigh will make you feel and look awesome.

3.    You’ll Have a Healthier Baby and A Leaner Pregnancy
A recent study found that pregnant women who participated in an aquatic resistance training program for 6 months until the start of the third trimester had healthier babies than a control group. The offspring had better insulin sensitivity over the first year, and less chance of being big or small at birth (both markers of poorer health and risk of disease development).

The women in the training group gained significantly less weight and had much better glucose tolerance throughout the study. There were no cases of gestational diabetes in the training group, whereas half of the women in the control group developed gestational diabetes.

4.    You’ll Have Less Disease Risk: Cancer, Diabetes, etc.
As mentioned in part 1, the more muscle and bone you have, the greater the acid buffering power your body has, which correlates with a better immune system and higher levels of the endogenous antioxidant, glutathione. Lower glutathione is a primary predictor of fatal disease risk, especially cancer.

A new study has linked lower handgrip strength, which is correlated with low muscle mass in women, with poor health and a much greater risk of developing a number of chronic diseases. In women, stroke, poor posture (kyphosis), history of a fall, hyperthyroidism, and anemia were associated with a weak handgrip.

5.    You’ll Have Better Posture
If you lift smart, you will develop structural balance, which basically means your muscles will be coordinated to help you move well and have better posture. A strong lower back and core will help you stand up tall, keep your abdomen tight, and avoid back pain. A stronger upper back will give you the ability to roll your shoulders back by retracting your shoulder blades.

More strength will help you develop better body awareness so that you keep you head in line with your spine (not sticking forward), and your movement patterns will be smoother. You’ll look and feel more confident, and people will have more respect for you!

6.    You’ll Have Better Balance and Flexibility
A study of untrained women who participated in a 10-week resistance training program showed that they improved their balance by doubling the amount of time they could stand on one foot with outstretched arms from 43 seconds to 85 seconds. These women increased lower body strength by 32 percent and gained an average of 20 kilos on their leg press 1RM. The also decreased body fat by 2.2 percent!

Better flexibility isn’t a given because it depends on a variety of factors including whether you stretch or get body work on a regular basis. But, studies do indicate that women who perform better on tests of lower body strength have better flexibility. Naturally, a more active lifestyle will help you maintain flexibility and avoid immobilizing injuries, such as injury to the rotator cuff, hip, or knee.

7.    You’ll Have A Better Mental Outlook
The 10-week study of women mentioned in #6 also found positive changes in the participants’ mental outlook from strength training. These women demonstrated greater physical confidence, much fewer mood disturbances and feelings of depression, and they had less fatigue by the end of the study.

8.    You’ll Have a Stronger Immune System
Lifting weights improves gene activity and enhances the body’s natural antioxidant system so that it is ready to launch an assault when exposed to viruses. Research shows that people who do moderate to vigorous training get sick much less often than those who are inactive—one study found a 43 percent lower incidence of getting a cold during the winter months.

9.    You’ll Age Better
Greater muscle mass percentage in older women is strongly associated with better mobility, faster gait speed, lower body weight, and lower fat mass. Gaining muscle now will help you stay leaner, maintain stronger bones, and avoid pain as you age.

10.    You’ll Live Longer
At least six studies have shown that women who have more muscle mass will live longer. Being stronger means you’ll have better mobility and muscle power as you get older, which is another primary indicator of longevity.

A related bonus is that by getting strong, lean, and muscular at a young age, you’ll avoid what is being called sarcopenic-obesity, or being fat and having low muscle mass when you are old. Although it’s unclear whether older people gain fat first or lose muscle first, these two physiological actions go hand in hand. Once you start losing muscle, you are just about guaranteed to get fat if you don’t take action by lifting some iron!

Tyron

Adapted from an article written by Charles Poliquin at www.PoliquinGroup.com.

References

Cheung, C., Nguyen, U., et al. Association of Handgrip Strength with Chronic Diseases and Multimorbidity. Age. 2012. Published ahead of Print.

Van Geel, T., Geusens, P., et al. Measures of Bioavailable Serum Testosterone and Estradiol and their Relationships with Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength and Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women. European Journal of Endocrinology. 2009. 160, 681-687.

Scafoglieri, A., Porovyn, S., et al. Direct Relationship of Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference with Body Tissue Distribution in Elderly Persons. The Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging. 2011. 15(10), 924-931.

FitzGerald, S., Barlow, C., et al. Muscular Fitness and all-Cause Mortality. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2004. 1, 7-18.

Westcott, W., Winett, R., et al. Prescribing Physical Activity: Applying the ACSM Protocols for Exercise Type, Intensity, and Duration across Three Training Frequencies. Physician and Sportsmedicine. 2009. 37(2), 51-58.

Patil, R., Uusi-Rasi, K., et al. Sarcopenia and Osteopenia Among 70-80-year-old Home-Dwelling Finnish Women. Osteoporosis International. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.

Annesi, J., Gann, S., et al. Preliminary Evaluation of a 10-Week Resistance and Cardiovascular Exercise Protocol on Physiological and Psychological Measures for a sample of Older Women. Perceptual Motor Skills. 2004. 98(1), 163-170.

Milliken, L., Faigenbaum, A., et al. Correlates of Upper and Lower Body Muscular Strength in Children. Journal of Strength and conditioning Research. 2008. 22(4), 1339-1346.

Andreoli, A., Celi, M., et al. Lon-Term Effect of Exercise on Bone Mineral Density and body Composition in Post-Menopausal Ex-Elite Athletes. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2012. 66(1), 69-74.

Beavers, K., Lyles, M., et al. Is Lost Lean Mass from Intentional Weight Loss Recovered during Weight Regain in Postmenopausal Women? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2011. 94(3), 767-774.

Cussler, E., Lohman, T., et al. Weight Lifted in Strength Training Predicts Bone Change in Postmenopausal Women. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2003. 35(1), 10-17.

Consitt, L., Copeland, J., et al. Endogenous Anabolic Hormone Responses to Endurance Versus Resistance Exercise and training in Women. Sports Medicine. 2002. 32(1), 1-22.

Chen, B., Shih, T., et al. Thigh Muscle Volume Predicted by Anthropometric Measurements and Correlated with Physical Function in the Older Adults. Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging. 2011. 15(6), 433-438.

Enea, C., Boisseau, N., et al. Circulating Androgens in Women: Exercise-Induced Changes. Sports Medicine. 2011. 41(1), 1-15.

For All the Ladies Out There: Want To Look More Feminine? Gain Muscle!

2014-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

The whole point of weight training is to get some muscle...isn't it?! It would be like saying you are scared of getting too flexible when you start doing yoga! Ridiculous right?

The goal of lifting weights is to sculpt the body. It's the muscles that give shape to the body; the only shape fat gives is round! Therefore, the muscles need to grow in order to get that shape that is so esthetically pleasing.

There are some women who gain muscle more easily than others, just like there are women who are more flexible than others. It's a genetic thing; but no woman will look like a female bodybuilder from simply doing weight training, even if she is genetically prone to being muscular. Female bodybuilders work extremely hard, spend hours a week training, and typically supplement with nutrients that help them build that muscle.

Would you rather be skinny fat and flabby or more lean and muscular? The skinny fat women are the ones who look good in size 2 jeans, but horrible in a bikini. The typical lean, muscular woman will fit in a size 6 or 8 because it is the only size her quads will fit into, but she will have to get the waist taken in. To whoever invented stretchy jeans, all the women who train said, "THANK YOU!!!"

The point I am trying to make is that even if you do gain muscle, it is not a bad thing. Muscle always looks better than fat. Plus, women with more muscle tend to live longer, be healthier, have stronger bones, and less risk of disease.

Muscle and Genetics
Your genetics will dictate how much muscle you will gain under certain conditions. Here's how it works: Everyone has a gene that controls a substance called myostatin in the body. When myostatin is low, we develop more muscle, but when it is high, we develop very little muscle even if we lift weights.

This means that lifting weights is not going to significantly change your body type. Yes, you'll get stronger and build some muscle, but whatever body type you have naturally will stay. You will just get rid of the flab that covers up your muscles.

For example, look at all the different body types at the Olympics. Most Olympians train with weights in addition to training for their sport. They all train hard and heavy and a lot. They all have muscle but none of the female athletes have too much muscle so that they start to look like men.

The Muscle/Fat Relationship

Remember this: You must first build more muscle in order to burn more fat. When you first start training, your intramuscular fat - that's fat that is stored in muscle - will get pushed out of the muscle, which may, for a short period of time, make it seem like you have actually gained fat! Stay the course, and you will eventually start burning off the fat. Your muscles will also get harder, or, as many women like to say, "more toned."

Well, guess what? To be more toned, you must have more muscle, and you must train them hard, and train them heavy! A trained muscle at rest has more tone, that is, it retains its shape more than an untrained muscle.

Let's visualize this: When you sit down, the more untrained you are, the more your leg muscles will spread out. On the other hand, a well-trained leg will not spread out. Rather, it will retain its shape and tone.

Now the other problem I would like to deal with is the misconception that if you lift heavy weights, you will get bigger. That is definitely not true. Typically, you will do fewer reps with heavy weights, which will work strength not hypertrophy, or muscle building.

So, if you can press 30 pounds, but you choose to do only 20 pounds for fear of getting bigger, then you just wasted your time. You're not overloading your muscles and they won't grow or get stronger.

You must train to failure! Those are the only sets worth doing! In my experience, this is the number one reason many women don't get results from weight training...they consistently undertrain. Think of all the poor guys out there who train 5 to 6 times per week, who eat 400 grams of protein per day and still struggle to put on a measly 5 to 10 pounds of muscle. To all the women out there, no need to worry!

Yes, your muscles may get a teeny bit bigger, but overall, you will get smaller, feel stronger, and look better in, or out, of clothes!

Enjoy!

Tyron

Adapted from an article written by Alexandra Bernardin at www.LifestyleByPoliquin.com.

PS. To try out our CrossFit program in North Vancouver for a free intro session visit www.MakersBody.com.

Why Women Should Not Run...Long Distances

2013-04-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

I know this is probably going to step on some toes but lets dive right into it as its for your good :)

Lets take for instance our friend Jill who runs on the treadmill—day after day, year after year—like she's on a mission. Her body seems to get softer with every mile, and the softer she gets, the more she runs. For her, I feel sympathy, because the world has convinced her that running is the way to stay “slim and toned.”

There’s a Jill in every gym. Spotting them is easy. They’re the women who run for an hour or more every day on the treadmill, setting new distance and/or time goals every week and month. Maybe they’re just interested in their treadmill workouts, maybe they’re training for their fifth fund-raising marathon, or maybe they’re even competing against runners in Finland via some Nike device. Years of running like this has exposed the results, which I’m not going to sugarcoat:

She’s still fat. Actually, she’s gotten fatter.

I’ve tried to rescue her from the clutches of cardio in the past, but my efforts didn’t work until a month ago, when she called to tell me that a blood test had confirmed her doctor’s suspicion: She had hypothyroidism, meaning her body no longer made enough thyroid hormone.

Her metabolism had slowed to a snail’s pace, and the fat was accumulating. This was her body rebelling. When Jill asked for my advice, I told her to do two things: To schedule a second test for two weeks later, and to stop all running until then.

Running with Everything in You

I’m not here to pick on women or make fun of them. There are men out there who do the same thing, thinking cardio will wipe away the effects of their regular weekend beer binges. It’s more of a problem with women, though, and I’m targeting them for three very good reasons:

1. They’re often intensely recruited for fund-raisers like Team-In-Training, lured by the promises of slim, trim bodies and good health resulting from the months of cardio training leading to marathons—in addition to doing something for charity.

2. Some physique coaches prescribe 20-plus hours per week of pre-contest cardio for women, which essentially amounts to a part-time job.

3. Steady-state activities like this devastate the female metabolism. This happens with men, too, but in different ways.

One of the things that the fitness industry is doing wrong is over-prescribing cardio. I’m not talking about walking here, nor am I referring to appropriate HIIT cardio. This is about running, cycling, stair-climbing, or elliptical cardio done for hours at or above 65 percent of your max heart rate. The anaerobic threshold factors into this, but I’m painting gym cardio in very broad strokes here so everyone will understand what I mean.

Science Wants You to Stop Running

Studies—both clinical and observational—make a compelling case that too much cardio can impair the production of the thyroid hormone T3, its effectiveness and metabolism[1-11], particularly when accompanied by caloric restriction, an all too common practice. This is why many first or second-time figure and bikini competitors explode in weight when they return to their normal diets, and it’s why the Jills of the world can run for hours every week with negative results.
T3 is the body’s preeminent regulator of metabolism, by the way it throttles the efficiency of cells[12-19]. It also acts in various ways to increase heat production[20-21]. As I pointed out in previous articles, this is one reason why using static equations to perform calories-in, calories-out weight loss calculations doesn’t work.

When T3 levels are normal, the body burns enough energy to stay warm, and muscles function at moderate efficiency. When there’s too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism), the body goes into a state where weight gain is almost impossible. Too little T3 (hypothyroidism), and the body accumulates body fat with ease, almost regardless of physical activity level. Women inadvertently put themselves into a hypothyroid condition when they perform so much steady-state cardio.

In the quest to lose body fat, T3 levels can offer both success and miserable failure because of the way it influences other fat-regulating hormones[22-31]. Women additionally get all the other negative effects of this, which I’ll cover below. Don’t be surprised here. This is a simple, sensible adaptation of a body that’s equipped to bear the full brunt of reproduction.

We Were Not Designed For This

Think about it this way: Your body is a responsive, adaptive machine that has evolved for survival. If you’re running on a regular basis, your body senses this excessive energy expenditure, and adjusts to compensate. Remember, no matter which way we hope the body works, its endgame is always survival. If you waste energy running, your body will react by slowing your metabolism to conserve energy. Decreasing energy output is biologically savvy for your body. Your body wants to survive longer while you do what it views as a stressful, useless activity. Decreasing T3 production increases efficiency and adjusts your metabolism to preserve energy immediately.

Nothing exemplifies this increasing efficiency better than the way the body starts burning fuel. Training consistently at 65 percent or more of your max heart rate adapts your body to save as much body fat as possible. After regular training, fat cells stop releasing fat the way they once did during moderate-intensity activities[32-33]. Energy from body fat stores also decreases by 30 percent[34-35]. To this end, your body sets into motion a series of reactions that make it difficult for muscle to burn fat at all[36-41]. Instead of burning body fat, your body takes extraordinary measures to retain it.

Still believe cardio is the fast track to fat loss?

That’s not all. You can still lose muscle mass. Too much steady-state cardio actually triggers the loss of muscle[42-45]. This seems to be a twofold mechanism, with heightened and sustained cortisol levels triggering muscle loss[46-56], which upregulates myostatin, a potent destroyer of muscle tissue[57]. Say goodbye to bone density, too, because it declines with that decreasing muscle mass and strength[58-64].

And long term health? Out the window, as well. Your percentage of muscle mass is an independent indicator of health[65]. You’ll lose muscle, lose bone, and lose health. Awesome, right?

When sewn together, these phenomena coordinate a symphony of fat gain for most female competitors after figure contests. After a month—or three—of 20-plus hours of cardio per week, fat burning hits astonishing lows, and fat cells await an onslaught of calories to store[66-72]. The worst thing imaginable in this state would be to eat whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. The combination of elevated insulin and cortisol would make you fat, and it would also create new fat cells so you could become even fatter[73-80].

Seriously, Lets Cut Out the Long Distance Cardio

I won’t name names, but I’ve seen amazing displays of gluttony from some small, trim women. Entire pizzas disappear, leaving only the flotsam of toppings that fell during the feeding frenzy. Appetizers, meals, cocktails and desserts—4000 calories worth—vanish at the Cheesecake Factory. There are no leftovers, and there are no crumbs. Some women catch this in time and stop the devastation, but others quickly swell, realizing that this supposed off-season look has become their every-season look.

And guess what they do to fix it? Double sessions of cardio.

The right way to train

This “cardio craze” is a form of insanity. There are better ways to lose fat, and there are better ways to look good. Your beach body is not at the end of a marathon, and you won’t find it on a treadmill. In fact, it’s quite the opposite if you’re using steady-state cardio to get there. The show may be over, and the finish line crossed, but the damage to your metabolism has just begun.

Don’t want to stop running? It's OK. Just keep in mind though that the fat won’t come off your hips, thighs, etc. following that approach. You’re keeping it there.

And as for Jill, my friend whose dilemma sparked this article? She took my suggestion and cut out the cardio. Two weeks later, her T3 count was normal ;).

DH Kiefer
After graduating magna cum laude in three years with degrees in mathematics and physics, then becoming a Ph.D. candidate in physics at the University of Florida in just one year, Kiefer knows the value of academic research. These credentials, however, aren’t some fitness industry gimmick designed to hook you in. Kiefer’s been researching, testing, and verifying what hard science proves as fact for over two decades. And as his clients and readers of The Carb Nite Solution and Carb Back-Loading will attest, his results are the absolute best in the business.

References

1.     Baylor LS, Hackney AC. Resting thyroid and leptin hormone changes in women following intense, prolonged exercise training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2003 Jan;88(4-5):480-4.

2.     Boyden TW, Pamenter RW, Rotkis TC, Stanforth P, Wilmore JH. Thyroidal changes associated with endurance training in women. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1984 Jun;16(3):243-6.

3.     Wesche MF, Wiersinga WM. Relation between lean body mass and thyroid volume in competition rowers before and during intensive physical training. Horm Metab Res. 2001 Jul;33(7):423-7.

4.     Tremblay A, Poehlman ET, Despres JP, Theriault G, Danforth E, Bouchard C. Endurance training with constant energy intake in identical twins: changes over time in energy expenditure and related hormones. Metabolism. 1997 May;46(5):499-503.

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Girl Power: Why Lifting Heavier Can Be a Life Changer

2013-04-12T21:56:00.001-07:00

I want to give you real, relatable rationale as to why women should be training big movements with relatively heavy weights.

Reason 1: It's Empowering.
There is nothing that can compare to deadlifting 200-pounds, bench pressing your bodyweight, or reaching any other strength goal you set for yourself. Not only will you feel stronger in the gym, you'll be stronger in every other aspect of your life. It may be hard to imagine how a heavy squat can translate over to a happier relationship or better performance at work, but I've seen it happen time and time again. There is something transformative about being able to do something that seemed impossible a few short weeks before. And once you realize achieving those milestones is possible, everything else in life seems possible. And I guarantee you that belief is much more appealing to women than having to train with pink dumbbells in the "Women's Only" section of their gym because they're afraid of getting stared at on the main floor.

Reason 2: It Will Improve Body Composition.
Katlyn was probably the best female lifter (and maybe the best lifter, period) I have ever had the pleasure of training. She was also the sweetest person you could ever meet. She would bop into the gym, a huge smile on her face, and ask me about my weekend. But when it was time to lift, she would get pretty darn intense. One second she'd be asking me if I'd seen such-and-such a movie, and the next second, she'd step up to the bar and totally transform. But once the barbell hit the ground she would go back to being all sunshine and rainbows. It was something to watch.

In our time together Katlyn worked up to a 296-pound deadlift and set a PR of 23 pull-ups. When she would bang out reps, jaws would drop to the floor - not only because she had the strength to move that type of weight, but because she had the toned, lean look female clients were sweating their butts off on the treadmill trying to attain.

The fact Katlyn took her strength training seriously and also had the best body composition of any female client I have trained is not a coincidence. In fact, I would say there is a direct correlation between the number of pounds my clients can squat, pull, and press, and what they look like in a strapless dress. And since so many female clients are training to improve body composition, I always like to mention that.

Reason 3: It's Not the Same Old, Same Old
It stands to reason that if you do the same thing over and over (and over) again, you will probably get very, very good at that thing. And that's great if you want to become a chess master or play the clarinet. When it comes to fitness, repeating the same exercise protocols ad nauseam also leads to getting very efficient at those programs. Unfortunately, exercise efficiency is the enemy of adaptation and body composition improvements. To put it simply, if you get very comfortable with your workout routine, you are not challenging your body to produce change. There is a famous saying that the definition of the term "crazy" is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So if you've been banging out 20 reps of incline press with 7-pound dumbbells for the past six months, chances are your body's not responding to that anymore.

Plus, lifting heavy and challenging yourself every time you step in the gym will get you excited (and maybe even a little nervous) for your training sessions. And, truthfully, when was the last time you were really psyched to work out?

Reason 4: You'll Be Part of a Community.
When anyone in our gym goes for a personal best lift (meaning they are trying to lift a weight that is greater than they've ever lifted before) something amazing happens. Rather spontaneously, a group will form around that person, trying to psych her up for the lift. Words of encouragement will be shouted. Cheers will be heard. It's as if everyone in the gym is part of the effort. And whether she hits the deadlift or locks out the bench press is almost irrelevant. She will be applauded for the effort and congratulated for the attempt. Discussions will occur as to what she did right, or how to nail it next time. Maybe someone grabbed a quick video on their iPhone so she can now relive and celebrate her success. Interestingly enough, when I've gone to other gyms, I've seen this same type of camaraderie.

Now, I know what you're thinking. You probably don't want all eyes on you when working out. You might prefer to anonymously sweat out your 40 minutes on the elliptical trainer while reading about the latest escapades of your favorite reality television stars. But I cannot encourage you enough to break out of your fortress of solitude and become part of your gym's community. Having people root for you and celebrate with you when you've achieved something you've never done before, something that may have not even seemed possible a few short weeks before, is not only awesome, it's addictive.

Reason 5: You Can Use It.
Whether you want to pick your nieces up off the floor or carry a couple of bottles of apple juice home from the store, getting stronger will help you in more ways than you realize throughout your day. Obviously women hold big positions of power in today's society, and yet on my morning commute I see women who can't generate enough power to hoist their computer bags up to their shoulders.

Last time I checked, no one really had to go to train at the gym to pick up a small stack of paper, yet if that's the amount of weight you are training with, that's about all you'll be able to do.

Reason 6: It's Healthy.
The loss of bone density, specifically in post-menopausal women, is a growing concern in the population. By lifting heavier loads you can reduce this risk and make it less likely that you'll crack in half when you reach your "golden years." Also, the ability to generate power and strength (and this is true for men and women) are the fitness qualities that decline most rapidly when we age. This is why we see more 55-year-olds competing in the marathon and not at a local power lifting meet. So think of adding serious strength training now - kind of like you think of your 401K. Even if you don't plan on using it for the next 20 years, you'll be glad it's there down the road.

So break out of your comfort zone and discover the true benefits of lifting heavier weight and you'll see body transforms. And, I promise, you won't end up looking anything like me :)

This guest post was written by Dan Trink, CSCS and Director of Personal Training Operations at Peak Performance in NYC. To learn more about Dan, follow him on Facebook and Twitter, or at his website www.trinkfitness.com.

Tyron

PS. On a side note, we have a Pre-Warm-up Board installed at the gym so we encourage all members to arrive 10-15 minutes early to go through the key pre-warm-up items listed on it. Here's what it is:

CrossFit Pre-Warm-up
Foam Roll Tight Spots: Quads, Hip Flexors, Glutes, Calves, Lats, etc.
10 Shoulder Pass-through
60 sec Couch Stretch with 10 Mobilizations
25 Squats
3 min Skip, Run or Row
25 KB Swings
10 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
Work On Weaknesses

PPS. Just a friendly reminder about our 10 Burpee Penalty at the gym for those that don't know. For each piece of equipment you leave out, there's a 10 burpee penalty next time you come to the gym :) It's all in good fun. We just want to prevent our coaches from having to clean up after everyone. You all rock! Thanks for being the greatest group to coach!

How to Counter The Many Negatives of Aerobic Training

2013-01-11T09:27:00.000-08:00

Aerobic training has many negative health effects, and being as more than 45,000 people ran the 2011 New York City Marathon, this topic is more important than ever. Aerobic training stresses the adrenals, chronically raises cortisol, may lower testosterone, may hinder reproduction, can shrink reproductive organs, causes oxidative stress, and results in persistent inflammation. It lowers peak power output, makes you slower, and leads to a catabolic state in the body if you perform it regularly without any resistance training.

Research scientists and athletic coaches have begun to express concern about the negative health effects of aerobic training, particularly for aerobic endurance athletes who put themselves under high daily physiological stress for prolonged periods. In fact, they’ve started to look for strategies to minimize the many negatives of aerobic training, and luckily there are some things that work! Adding strength training to an aerobic program, practicing martial arts, and supplementing with specific antioxidants and nutrients can actually do wonders to counteract the negatives of aerobic exercise.
Of course, it would be easier to just stop the aerobic exercise and substitute it with strength and anaerobic system training for better results and fewer negative health effects. But, since doctors and health professionals continue to recommend aerobic exercise, and even Apolo Ohno has taken up endurance running and competed in the New York City Marathon, this trend towards aerobic exercise doesn’t seem to be diminishing. And there are still some common misconceptions about aerobic exercise about why aerobic training is bad.

In this article, I will address the confusing aspects of the negatives of aerobic training, and provide some simple things aerobic endurance trainees can do to minimize the negative health effects and improve performance. Coaches and trainers who work with elite aerobic athletes should take note because these are research-proven ways to better performance and wellness for your athletes.

Short Review of the Bad News About Aerobic Training
Long-term aerobic training, both at an elite level and at a recreational intensity, has been shown to lead to chronic inflammation and elevated cortisol. Chronic inflammation is bad because it results in premature aging of tissues and has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. For the recreational population that may perform anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes of aerobic training a few days a week, aerobic training typically leads to elevated cortisol, lower androgen hormones, increased inflammation, and does little to help with fat or weight loss. “The effect of regular aerobic exercise on body fat is negligible,” writes researcher Stephen H. Boutcher in his article “High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss.” ?

Aerobic training doesn’t help with fat loss because it creates a hormonal environment that degrades muscle, spikes cortisol, and even though you’re burning calories, the deficit is rarely enough to offset the catabolic hormonal environment. Plus, if you’re doing aerobic training on exercise machines, you may suffer from lower insulin sensitivity from exposure to “dirty electricity” or the electromagnetic frequency bands that are generated by cardio machines and other forms of electrical power.

The situation is slightly different for elite or long distance aerobic endurance athletes. Research shows they suffer from an even greater catabolic hormonal state with significantly high cortisol levels from the intense physiological stress of training. They also have lower testosterone and androgens. High cortisol and exposure to inflammatory biomarkers has researchers and coaches concerned about the residual health effects for endurance athletes and they have started to look for ways to counter the negatives.

Body Fat and Elite Aerobic Athletes
Elite aerobic athletes do tend to have lower body fat compared to the rest of the population, but research shows that anaerobic athletes such as sprinters have even lower body fat than long distance runners. This is because they have more muscle, which helps burn fat, and because they do sprints that also burn fat. Also, studies show endurance athletes who perform strength training as part of the program have lower body fat than those who don’t.

Benefits of Aerobic Training for Sedentary People
There are some benefits of aerobic exercise for sedentary people and specific populations, but there are also negatives that can be avoided if you just choose a different mode of exercise—strength and anaerobic system training. The key here is that it is better to do aerobic training than to do absolutely nothing and be sedentary. So, if you only have two options, of being sedentary and not moving, or doing 30 minutes of aerobic training, by all means, do the aerobic training. But, you’ll get better results if you do strength training instead, or in addition to the aerobic training.

To review, the bad news about aerobic training is that it doesn’t help the everyday person lose fat; it elevates cortisol, lowers androgens, degrades muscle, lowers power, and increases inflammation if done for a prolonged period. Now for the good news!

Take Antioxidants to Reduce Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
Get as many antioxidants in your diet as possible to fight inflammation and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when the body produces free radicals in response to the oxygen-rich environment created by increased respiration that goes with aerobic training. The free radicals need to be neutralized; otherwise, they damage cells and cause premature aging, which leads to chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation has been termed “the silent killer” and is caused by a lot of “unhealthy” behaviors, such as having a diet high in trans fats or gluten, and being sedentary. People are often surprised to hear that a “healthy” behavior such as aerobic exercise can cause chronic inflammation, but it does.

Research performed on rats has shown that the negative effects of intense aerobic training can be mitigated by taking antioxidants, specifically vitamin E, selenium, and zinc. A study in the journal Free Radical Research found that vitamin E has a protective effect against oxidative stress in rats that performed intense aerobic swimming. In contrast, the control group rats that did not receive the vitamin E supplement had decreased size of the reproductive organs (testes and accessory sex organs), lower testosterone and related androgen markers, and inflammation and dysfunction of the reproductive organs. Researchers suggest that vitamin E elevates scavenger enzyme activity and gets rid of free radicals, effectively detoxifying the reproductive system of oxidative chemicals.

Take note that the rats performed intense amounts of aerobic swimming—three hours a day, five days a week for four weeks, which is in line with what someone might perform running-wise to prepare for a marathon. And, elite aerobic athletes do this quantity of exercise regularly for many years.

A second study using zinc and selenium for the antioxidants supports these findings. The same intense aerobic exercise protocol was used and the rats who received no supplement had the same harmful effects on their reproductive systems, and they were also found to be significantly less fertile due to the low testosterone and fewer fertile sperm. Their cortisol was also very high. Researchers suggest the antioxidants had a strong stimulatory effect on production of sperm and the androgen hormones, supporting fertility. Zinc and selenium also fought the free radical attack, effectively lowering the inflammatory response.

A 2001 Sports Medicine review of antioxidant use to counter oxidative stress from aerobic training supports the use of antioxidants, of which vitamin E is most commonly tested and most effective. Antioxidant mixtures of beta carotene and the vitamins C and E also appear to be protective. Results from human studies haven’t been as conclusive as those performed on rats because with animal studies the experiment can be more closely controlled and the animals are forced to complete very intense long duration aerobic exercise, whereas with humans there are more unknown factors. Also, diet, genetic disposition, and exercise history can result in a significant variation in the inflammatory effects of aerobic exercise.

For aerobic athletes, the potential for protection from antioxidant supplementation is “tremendous” and “consumption of a diet rich in different antioxidants is a prudent course of action,” conclude researchers from the 2001 Sports Medicine review. In addition to the nutrients already mentioned, it is possible magnesium, probiotics, gotu kola, and vitamin D will also help counter oxidative stress from training. Eating fruits high in antioxidants, such as berries, particularly raspberries, strawberries, and tart cherries is recommended because they have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects in athletes.

Perform Strength Training
Everybody should perform strength training. Naturally, the type and protocol of the training will vary according to goals, age, and health complications, but everyone will benefit from exercises that improve strength, especially endurance athletes and aerobic devotees. Researchers have suggested that because strength training lowers chronic inflammation and provides protection against oxidative stress, it is an ideal solution for coaches and athletes who are concerned about free radical-mediated damage from exercise. This means that simply adding strength training to an aerobic exercise program may counter many of the negatives of aerobics

One recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared the inflammatory response of two resistance training protocols after six weeks. Both a hypertrophy and strength protocol were effective at reducing oxidative stress and lowering inflammatory biomarkers over pre-training levels. Researchers found that both protocols resulted in lower inflammation, and they suggest that endurance athletes perform resistance training rather than supplement with antioxidants to decrease oxidative stress.

Aerobic Athletes Will Lose Body Fat & Improve Performance by Strength Training
Another new study in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports shows how adding a strength protocol into aerobic training programs will improve performance and lead to a better body composition for elite aerobic athletes. The study didn’t directly test for oxidative stress or cortisol but it measured body fat, muscle cross sectional area, and short- and long-term endurance capacity in two groups of elite aerobic cyclists: an aerobic-only group that just performed their normal training and an aerobic/strength group that performed normal training with a strength program for 16 weeks.

Researchers found that the aerobic/strength group decreased body fat significantly by an average of two percent from 12 to 10 percent, while body fat remained unchanged in the aerobic-only group.

Other significant improvements in the aerobics/strength group that weren’t seen in the aerobics-only group were increased quadriceps strengths by 12 percent, better performance in a 45-minute time trial, and slightly better performance in a 5-minute time trial. There were no negative effects of strength training for the aerobic/strength group, such as increased body weight or hypertrophy—both common concerns because elite aerobic athletes mistakenly believe that gaining strength will make them slower.

A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research provides potent evidence for never doing aerobic training without also performing strength training. The article is a review of all previously published evidence on the effects of combining aerobic and strength training. The study found that adding strength training to aerobic programs increased performance, strength, and power.

In contrast, the main negative was that aerobic training alone compromised power output. It’s especially critical that athletes in sports such as basketball, football, tennis, ice hockey, and volleyball be able to produce peak power, meaning they should never do aerobic training. Rather, interval sprints are ideal for conditioning and will produce less oxidative stress and a better hormonal response. Sprints have been shown to raise growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1, and produce a favorable testosterone to cortisol ratio.

Obviously, if you plan to run 26 miles in a marathon, sprint training alone will not be effective. Instead, add strength training to your regular aerobic training and you’ll have a better hormonal response, and less body fat, according to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research review mentioned above. Aerobic athletes who added strength training to their programs lost body fat, while aerobic training alone did not lead to fat loss.

Practice Judo or Martial Arts
Start practicing judo or a similar martial art to increase antioxidant capacity and decrease oxidative stress. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that practicing judo can increase resting antioxidant levels that counteract the oxidative stress produced during strenuous exercise. Researchers compared the effects of a mixed exercise protocol that included an all-out sprint Wingate test followed by 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at 60 percent of maximal aerobic power in judokas and sedentary subjects.

Both groups had similarly elevated free radical levels after the exercise test, but the judokas had much greater total antioxidant status at all time points before and after the test than the sedentary group. The judokas’ elevated antioxidant levels indicate a protective effect against the oxidative stress of aerobic exercise. This is the same positive health effect that strength training provides for aerobic trainees, and it’s likely that yoga or other martial arts, such as tae kwon do, will also elevate antioxidants to counteract the many negatives of aerobic training. Such practices may also lower cortisol if they have a calming effect on the body

Take Creatine to Lower Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
Take creatine to lower inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress from aerobic training. There are all kinds of benefits from supplementing with creatine because it is the first energy source called on by the body—it’s been shown to increase work capacity and power, elevate protein synthesis after strength training, improve skill execution when tired, and lower oxidative stress from aerobic training.

Recent research shows creatine can inhibit oxidative stress markers following acute aerobic exercise in rats. A study in Amino Acids found that giving creatine to rats that performed moderate aerobic exercise raised antioxidant levels in the blood, which resulted in lower oxidative stress and less lipid peroxidation than a control group that got no creatine. A second study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology tested different inflammatory biomarkers and found similarly protective effects from creatine supplementation after aerobic exercise. In both cases, researchers think that creatine increased antioxidant capacity that was able to scavenge the free radicals.

Although these studies showed creatine to be effective to counter the inflammatory response of acute training, it is applicable to the longer term negative effects of aerobic training as well. Evidence into the role of creatine on chronic inflammation without aerobic training supports this. One study in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that adding creatine to the diet of rats resulted in greater blood antioxidant content and lower inflammatory biomarkers than a control group that did not consume additional creatine.

Supplement With Omega-3s to Reduce Inflammation
Omega-3s are a well accepted supplement to fight inflammation from many sources, and they have been shown to significantly lower oxidative stress markers from aerobic endurance exercise. There are at least 40 studies in the last two years supporting the protective effect of omega-3s on oxidative stress. In fact, the New York City Marathon organizers should give all runners a bottle of omega-3s to combat the damage they are doing to their bodies by running 26 miles.

A 2009 study in Lipids in Health and Disease measured the effect of omega-3 supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers in men with a history of performing aerobic training. Researchers note that the oxidative stress caused by training can overwhelm the body’s available antioxidant defenses and damage tissues—especially reproductive organs. The subjects in this study were males who exercised at least three days a week for 30 minutes. They were given a total of 4000 mg of omega-3s daily for six weeks, while continuing to perform their regular aerobic exercise.

The group that took the omega-3s had lower resting levels of inflammation after six weeks than a control group that did not supplement. Researchers suggest the protective effects of the omega-3s may have been greater if participants had regularly done more intense aerobic training—in this study their training wasn’t monitored, it just had to be three days a week for thirty minutes.

[A product that I use that provides high quality omega-3 fats is IsaOmega Supreme by Isagenix. I take 2 capules per day that come in their Ageless Essentials with Product B packs (you can also get IsaOmega seperately on its own). For more info on Ageless Essentials with Product B click here and for info on IsaOmega Supreme click here].

Top Five Ways To Protect Yourself From the Negatives of Aerobic Training
1)    Do strength and anaerobic training instead.
2)    Do strength training in addition to your aerobic training.
3)    Get lots of antioxidants: vitamin E, selenium, zinc, red raspberries, tart cherries, etc.
4)    Take creatine.
5)    Take omega-3s.

PS. Come join us at The Maker's Body CrossFit for a free class tryout by visiting www.MakersBody.com.

Charles Poliquin is one of the most accomplished strength coaches in the world. He has designed workouts for Olympic medalists in 17 different sports, world record holders in 10 different sports, and professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and UK Premier League. He has lectured or consulted for a variety of high-profile organizations such as the US Secret Service, Walt Disney Corporation and the World Swimming Congress. More info visit his website at http://www.charlespoliquin.com.

References:
Sen, Chandan. Antioxidants in Exercise Nutrition. Sports Medicine. 2001. 31(13), 891-908.

Michigan, A., Johnson, T., et al. Review of the Relationship between C-Reactive Protein and Exercise. Molecular Diagnosis and Therapy. October 2011. 15(5), 265-275.

Manna, I., Jana, K., Samanta, P. Intensive Swimming Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress and Reproductive Dysfunction in Male Wistar Rats: Protective Role of Alpha-Tocopherol Succinate. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology. April 2004. 29(2), 172-185.

Cakir-Atabek, H., Demir, S., Pinarbassili, R., Bunduz, N. Effects of Different Resistance Training Intensity on Indices of Oxidative Stress. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. September 2010. 24(9), 2491-2498.

Walsh, N., Gleeson, M., et al. Position Statement. Part One: Immune Function and Exercise. Exercise Immunology Review. 2011. 17, 6-63

Wilson, J., Marin, P., et al. Concurrent Training: A Meta Analysis Examining Interference of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. October 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Boutcher, Stephen H. High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss. Journal of Obesity. 2011. http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jobes/2011/868305/

Shojaei, E., Farajoy, A., et al. Effect of Moderate Aerobic Cycling on Some Systemic Inflammatory Markers in Healthy Active Collegiate Men. International Journal of General Medicine. January 2011. 24(2), 79-84.

Jana, K., Samanta, P., Manna, I., Ghosh, P., Singh, N., Khetan, R., Ray, B. Protective Effect of Sodium Selenite and Zinc Sulfate on Intensive Swimming-Induced Testicular Gamatogenic and Steroidogenic Disorders in Mature Male Rats. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. October 2008. 33(5), 903-914.

Marzatico, F., Pansarasa, O., et al. Blood Free Radical Antioxidant Enzymes and Lipid Peroxides Following Long-Distance and Lactacidemic Performances in Highly Trained and Aerobic and Sprint athletes. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 1997. 37, 235-239.

Packer, L. Oxidants, Antioxidant Nutrients, and the Athlete. Journal of Sports Science. June 1997. 15(3), 353-363.

Martarelli, D., Verdenelli, M., et al. Effect of a Probiotic Intake on Oxidant and Antioxidant Parameters in Plasma of Athletes During Intense Exercise Training. Current Microbiology. June 2011. 62(6), 1689-1696.

Skoluda, N., Dettenborn, L., et al. Elevated Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Endurance Athletes. Psychoneuroendocrinology. September 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Gleeson, Michael. Immune Function in Sport and Exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology. February 2007. 103(2), 693-699.

Bloomer, R., Larson, D., et al. Effect of Eicosapentaenoic and Docosahexaenoic Acid on Resting and Exercise-Induced Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers: A Randomized, Placebo Controlled, Cross-Over Study. Lipids in Health and Disease. August 2009. 8(36).

Oostenbrug, G., Mensink, R., et al. Exercise Performance, Red Blood Cell Deformability, and Lipid Peroxidation: Effects of Fish Oil and Vitamin E. Journal of Applied Physiology. 1997. 83(3), 746-752.

Deminice, R., Portari, V., et al. Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Homocysteine Levels and Lipid Peroxidation in Rats. The British Journal of Nutrition. 2009. 102, 110-116.

Deminice, R., Vannucchi, H., et al. Creatine Supplementation Reduces Increased Homocysteine Concentration Induced by Acute Exercise in Rats. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2011. 111, 2663-2670.

Deminice, R., Jordao, A. Creatine Supplementation Reduces Oxidative Stress Biomarkers After Acute Exercise in Rats. Amino Acids. October 2011. Published ahead of Print.

Abed, K., Rebai, H., Bloomer, R., Trabelsi, K., Masmoudi, L., Zbidi, A., Sahnoun, Z., Hakim, A., Tabka, Z. Antioxidant Status and Oxidative Stress at Rest and in Response to Acute Exercise in Judokas and Sedentary Men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. August 2011. 25(9), 2400-2409.

Taixeira, V., Valente, H., Casal, S., Marques, F., Moreira, P. Antioxidant Status, Oxidative Stress and Damage in Elite Trained Kayakers and Canoeists and Sedentary Controls. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. October 2009. 19(5), 443-456.

Ghosh, D., Das, U., et al. Protective Effect of Provitamin D in Cyclophosphamide Induced Testicular Gametogenic and Steroidogenic Disorders: a Correlative Approach to Oxidative Stress. Free Radical Research. 2002. 36(11), 1209-1218.

Aagaard, P., Andersen, J., et al. Effects of Resistance Training on Endurance Capacity and Muscle Fiber Composition in Young Top-Level Cyclists. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. March 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Martarelli, D., Verdenelli, M., et al. Effect of a Probiotic Intake on Oxidant and Antioxidant Parameters in Plasma of Athletes During Intense Exercise Training. Current Microbiology. June 2011. 62(

Want to Get Fit, Strong and Lose More Body Fat? Log Your Workouts

2012-12-04T22:29:00.001-08:00

“I’m supposed to go 5 lbs heavier than last Friday? I can’t remember what I did last Friday!”

“Well I know I used 75 lbs in the last workout with front squats in it, but I can’t remember if that was hard or easy…”

“How long has my shoulder been bothering me? I don't know…forever?”

“I feel like I’m never adding any weight to the bar!”

“I ate pretty healthy today…I think.”

Be like Linda and Deanna and log your workouts...look how happy they are :)

Have you ever heard one version or another of those above sentences during a CrossFit class or your own workouts? I know I have. Logging your workouts for most of you may be like keeping in touch with that awkward relative – you don’t really want to do it, you aren’t sure you see the value in it, it sort of annoys you, but once you get in the habit of it, it’s kind of fun and helpful.

I know a lot of you aren’t logging your workouts because I have to hear some variation or another of the above sentences in class ;), and there is NO reason why you SHOULDN'T be logging! It’s a simple action that can really help you to keep an overall picture of your fitness. Let’s talk about ways to improve how you log, what to log, and why it matters:

1) Record Your Weights – Logging Helps You Scale
By logging your workouts, you are recording the workout, what weights you used for exercises requiring weights, and your time (if applicable). But that’s not ALL you should write. Leaving notes for yourself like “Felt like I could have added more” or “Presses started burning around rep 15” can help you learn where you should start scaling wise for the next workout.

For example, let’s say you did 5-5-5-5-5 RM Front Squat (5 sets of 5 reps max each set) on a Friday at 115 lbs, you made a note that said “Front squats felt good – tight hips at first – last set was hard!” Lets say the next time you do front squats, its 3-3-3 RM (3 sets of 3 reps max each set)! Oh no, how do you ever figure out what weight to use? Check your log – there it is – you previously did 115 lbs for 5 reps so even though the rep range is different, you have at least an idea of where it should be. In this case since you'll only be performing 3 reps, you can lift heavier than 115 lbs.

After adding in some extra mobility to release your tight hips (remember those from Friday? Now you do!), you know that you can go heavier than your previous 5-5-5-5-5 RM as mentioned above, so maybe you pick 135 to see how that feels (this is of course after a few warm-up sets, don't just go to that weight from the start). You may not get the answer right on the first try, and of course your coaches are always there to help you scale, but checking your log book is ALWAYS a great starting point to learning to set yourself up for success.

When recording your weights for the strength section of each workout, remember to record what weight you lifted for each set as you see in the below picture. This is a critical step even if its a workout where its for instance, 5-5-5-5-5 RM Deadlift (5 sets of 5 reps max (RM) each set) and you did the same weight for all 5 sets, still write out each individual set. Note: for warm-ups sets, you don't need to record the weight you did for each warm-up set though.

This is my WOD book for today's workout. You can see on the right side the notes I wrote concerning the WOD.

2) Record Your PRs – Logging Helps You See Improvements
When you’re not keeping track of your workouts, it’s easy to forget how far you’ve come in CrossFit – overall, or a specific movement. It can been encouraging to you if you are annoyed with yourself or think you aren't improving, to look at workouts just 3 or 4 months prior and see the weights you lifted and your conditioning times. It will remind you that you're definitely making progress. In our log books, you can see in the picture above that thare is a box to check off if you got a PR (personal record), and in the pictures below there's a section for specific benchmark workouts such as Grace (as I did today) and the weightlifting movements such as Front Squats so you always have those numbers handy for quick reference and you KNOW when you’re going for a personal best.

3) Record the Bad Stuff with the Good – Logging Helps Keep You Accountable
In business, there is a saying that if it’s not written down, it didn’t happen and in regards to eating there is a similar saying that if you didn't actually cut a piece of cake and put it on a plate, there aren't any calories in it ;) We use this justification secretly in our minds a lot.

If we don’t write down that workout time that we aren't happy with, maybe we can just forget about it. If I’m logging my food and just happen to “skip” writing down the piece of cheesecake I ate (which I will most definitely consume over Christmas :), then maybe there’s a slim chance that it really didn’t happen!! Keeping a detailed log helps you get an overall picture of how you are performing – it is a true look at how many days you’re in the gym (oops, only 2 days last week?!), how many days a week you’re really giving your max effort (why is my conditioning not as good?), an idea of how well you ate (weird, all my days I felt lethargic at the gym were bad nutrition days!) and how you slept that day, etc, forces us to take a true examination of how committed we are being to our goals. So, the more detailed the better. You don’t have to log EVERYTHING you ate, but just rate on a scale of either clean, 80% good/20% bad, or off (meaning it wasn't so good). Same with your sleep, stress levels and mood. Start to discover patterns and what affects your workouts.

I placed an F beside the strength sets that I failed or missed that lift and didn't get it up so I can know for next time I do this same movement.

4) Record Your Injuries – Logging Helps Keep Track of Injury Timelines
We’ve all had nagging injuries that seem to appear out of nowhere, and before you know it you can’t remember if that right wrist has been bugging you for weeks or months. Putting a note to yourself that says “Wrist started hurting with overhead squats – maybe more mobility next time?” or “Hips felt tight today” can help you track when injuries start and when they start to feel better. You can also start to see patterns or factors that might be affecting those injuries – wrist always bothering you on overhead days? Knees always bothering you on days with squats? Time to examine how you move with those tasks and how you’re mobilizing those areas.

5) Record Your Weaknesses – Logging Nags Reminds You to Practice
After you’ve identified the two or three skills you want to work on, maybe write in your log book reminders to practice. For me the movement I work on and that I consider my "goats" is: pistols. When you flip to a new sheet, it already says “Go do 10 pistols!” Again, it’s easy to let practice slip by the wayside…too tired…too sore…in a rush – but having a written reminder can help you stay on track AND help you understand how many hours you have actually put into a skill before mastering it.

6) Record Helpful Tips and Cues from Coaches – Logging Helps You Retain Coaching Cues
For the Hang Squat Clean and Hang Power Clean that we are working on this month at CrossFit, writing things down like “Keep the bar close”, “Narrower stance”, "Shrug the bar then fast with the elbows to get under the bar" are simple reminders than can help you reinforce what you learned that day and give you a jumping off point for the next time you see that movement.

Those are just a FEW reasons why logging your workouts is so important. Furthermore, it is probably the easiest thing to do in the world. You can buy one of our log books for $20 plus tax, or you can bring your own spiral notebook in. Let’s ALL get in this great habit and it will lead to streamlined classes, better chosen scaling, recognizing improvements, and keeping a good overall picture of your fitness.

If Emily from CrossFit does it, you know we should do it too :)

Tyron

Article has been based off an article written by CF South Bay.

What's Best for Losing Belly Fat: Aerobic or Anaerobic Training?

2012-11-27T13:32:00.001-08:00

Lose belly fat fast and improve your health by doing strength training and high-intensity intervals. Compelling research shows that the BEST way to get rid of the belly fat is to train with hard but short bursts of exercise, a style that taps into the anaerobic energy system more than the aerobic.

There is overwhelming evidence that belly fat loss is best achieved when exercise is with a high, but varied intensity, and a relatively large volume. However, this does not mean you have to spend hours and hours a day killing yourself in the gym. Less than an hour a few days a week can produce dramatic fat loss if you do it right.

This article will tell you why you burn more fat when you favor anaerobic-style training and gives you eight reasons to favor this style of training by lifting weights and doing sprints rather than spending hours on aerobic exercise. This is what we incorporate at our boot camp in North Vancouver.

#1: Burn More Belly Fat with Sprint Intervals

D cranking out Shoulder to Overhead in an interval couplet

A large number of convincing studies show that high-intensity interval training is the best conditioning strategy for losing belly fat. In contrast, one research group that has conducted a number of experiments comparing aerobic and anaerobic training for belly fat loss write, “Disappointingly, aerobic exercise protocols have led to negligible fat loss.”

The reason anaerobic interval training works so much better is that it requires the body to adapt metabolically—your body is forced to burn fat to sustain the level of intensity being asked of it. It also elevates energy use for more than 24 hours post-workout, which has a dramatic effect on belly fat loss.

For example, a 2008 showed that a 6-week program increased the amount of fat burned during exercise by 12 percent and decreased the oxidation of carbohydrates—obviously, a favorable result for losing fat. More impressive, a 2007 study showed that in as little as 2 weeks, active women who performed interval training experienced a 36 percent increase in the use of fat for fuel during exercise.

Interval training is so effective for fat loss because it taps into different energy pathways than aerobic exercise. Simply, aerobic exercise tends to burn carbohydrates first and activates pathways that are degrading to muscle, whereas high-intensity exercise such as weight lifting and sprinting will burn a greater percentage of fat, enhance the body’s production of enzymes involved in fat breakdown, and activate pathways that lead to muscle development.

The other reason anaerobic intervals are superior for belly fat loss is that they increase excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) a huge amount. A 2006 review showed that protocols that are more anaerobic in nature produce higher EPOC values than steady-state aerobic training because the trained muscle cells must rest and restore physiological factors in the cells, which translates to a lot of energy expenditure.

#2: Lose Belly Fat With Sprint Intervals: The Proof

Kate doing a great job on the Overhead Squat...a great core and fat loss exercise.

The following are examples of the superiority of anaerobic interval training for belly fat loss from the research:
•    A 12-week high-intensity interval training program produced a 17 percent decrease in belly fat in overweight young men. Subjects lost 1.5 kg of belly fat and 2 kg of total fat, while building 1 kg of muscle. Fat burning was increased by 13 percent due to the 3-day a week program of 20-minutes of cycling in which the subjects sprinted for 8 seconds and then did 12 seconds of recovery, repeating these intervals for a total of 60 sprints.
•    The same 20-minute cycling interval program produced 2.5 kg of fat loss in young women in 15 weeks, and the majority of the fat loss come from the legs and abdominal area. The sprint intervals were compared to a steady-state aerobic program that produced no fat loss.
•    A 16-week study had trained athletes perform either a sprint interval protocol or steady-state running four days a week. The sprint interval protocol varied each day, but an example of one of the workouts used was 10 intervals of 30-sec sprints with 90 seconds rest. The sprint interval group lost 16 percent or 1 kg of visceral fat as well as 2 kg of total fat, compared to the endurance group that lost no belly fat, but did lose 1.4 kg of lean mass. The belly fat loss appears to be small, but be aware that subjects were lean, trained athletes to begin with and had less belly fat to lose than overweight subjects.
•    An 8-week interval program using both high- and moderate-intensity intervals decreased belly fat by 44 percent in middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes. Subjects increased quad muscle size by 24 percent and improved insulin sensitivity by 58 percent—a dramatic improvement that highlights the other mechanisms involved in belly fat loss (muscle building, insulin health & blood sugar management).

#3: Sprints Take Less Time than Aerobic Exercise

Ardy doing an awesome job on the Front Squat...good form Ardy!

Not only do sprints help you lose MORE belly fat, they help you lose it FASTER and with LESS training time. Repeatedly, studies show that more fat loss is achieved in high-intensity programs that use 20 to 25 minutes of training time than those that use 45 or 50 minutes of aerobic training time.

Scientists write that anaerobic intervals are overwhelmingly preferable to aerobics for producing belly fat loss, and that the estimated optimal dose of aerobic exercise necessary to lose belly fat appears to be 3,780 calories expended per week. This is an enormous volume of exercise that would require 1 hour of moderate intensity aerobic cycling 7 days a week to burn 550 calories a day so that you could lose even a pound a week!

In less than half the time you can get better results with anaerobic training. A 1994 study is indicative of this: Participants did either 20 weeks of aerobic training or 15 weeks of intervals (15 sprints for 30 seconds each) and lost nine times more body fat and 12 percent more visceral belly fat than the aerobic group.

What is so interesting about this study is that the energy cost of the aerobic program over the whole study period was 28,661 calories, whereas for intervals it was less than half, at 13,614 calories. In less time, the interval group lost much more weight—nine times more weight. How do researchers explain it?

Aside from greater fat oxidation and higher EPOC, hormone response plays a major role…

#4: Sprints Improve Hormone Response for More Belly Fat Loss

All smiles from Kate on the Floor Wipers...gotta like the core work on this exercise.

Sprint intervals and anaerobic exercise in general improve your entire endocrine system. Both training modes enhance the cells’ sensitivity to insulin, making anaerobic training a successful treatment for diabetes.

Perhaps most important, anaerobic exercise also elevates growth hormone (GH) —a powerful fat burning hormone that helps restore tissue and build muscle—much more than aerobic training. GH is released by the body in greater quantities in response to physical stress above the lactate threshold, which is the reason heavy, sprints are so effective.

Another hormone called adiponectin that is released from fat tissue during exercise also helps burn fat. Emerging scientific evidence shows that any time you perform forceful muscle contractions, adiponectin is released, and then your body produces a substance called PGC1 that is like a “master switch” that enhances muscle and metabolic functions, thereby burning belly fat. Naturally, anaerobic training is most effective for increasing adiponectin and PGC1 to burn fat since sprints and especially weight lifting require extremely forceful muscle contractions.

#5: Strength Train to Lose Belly Fat

D doing a smashin' job on the Front Squat! Good job D.

To get a lean, trim your midsection and lose belly fat, you need to strength train with a high volume, using large muscle groups, and short rest periods. This metabolically intense type of training is fantastic for increasing GH and aiding belly fat loss. This doesn’t mean you have to spend hours and hours a day killing yourself in the gym!

You will get results from a resistance training program that includes the following components:
•    Multi-joint lifts such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, split squats, step-ups, chin-ups, and chest presses in every training session. Add isolation exercises only if you have extra time.
•    Train with a higher volume—work up to more than 4 sets per exercise. Shoot for 24 to 32 total sets per training session.
•    Train with a higher intensity—include some training in the 70 to 85 percent of the 1RM range.
•    Include short rest periods (30 to 60 seconds) and always train a “finisher” that requires near maximal effort for more GH response (25 reps of squats or 2 minutes of leg presses, for example).
•    Count tempo for every lift so that you apply a specific amount of tension to the muscles. In general, opt for longer (4 second) eccentric tempos and short or explosive concentric tempos.
•    Shoot for 3 to 4 hours of total training time per week, which includes resistance training and a few short sprint sessions.

#6: Anaerobic Training Produces Less Cortisol For More Belly Fat Loss

Alain doesn't like high cortisol levels so he strength trains ;)

Cortisol is the stress hormone that is elevated when you are under both physical and psychological stress. Research shows cortisol is chronically higher in endurance athletes—one study found that aerobic athletes had significantly higher evidence of cumulative cortisol secretion in their hair than controls.

In addition, cortisol is generally elevated more following aerobic training than anaerobic training. Part of this has to do with the fact that strength training and intervals do elevate cortisol, but they also elevate anabolic hormones such as GH and testosterone that counter the negative effects of cortisol.

If GH and testosterone are not elevated, cortisol overwhelms tissue, having a catabolic effect that leads to gradual muscle loss and fat gain. By doing aerobic training without strength training, you will lose muscle, lower your metabolic rate and gain fat. Worst of all, high cortisol causes chronic inflammation, which lead to belly fat gain over time—all-around bad news!

#7: Anaerobic Training Is More Fun & Less Boring than Aerobic Exercise

All smiles after a good workout at The Maker's Body Boot Camp

Intervals and strength training take less time and provide much more variety than aerobic training. Not only are you doing many different exercises in a strength training session, but you are pushing yourself to reach new personal bests. When you see how it can transform a fat belly into a lean, cut midsection, you will be that much more motivated to continue!

In addition, although sprint interval training can be mentally challenging, it only requires a short workout and many trainees find intervals less boring than endurance exercise. Plus, most people enjoy feeling powerful and fast from going all out. Get a training partner to help push you through the hard parts and know that by working hard but smart, you will reach your fat loss goal.

#8: Mix It Up with Modified Strongman, Varied Strength Protocols & Sprints

Martine mixes it up by using Misty as additional load...good job Martine!

A few more anaerobic training suggestions include the following:
•    Try modified strongman training: Do sled training, tire flips, and a heavy farmer’s walk to lose belly fat fast.
•    Mix up strength training protocols with circuit training and supersets that use very short rest periods. For example, do supersets with 10 seconds rest when switching from the agonist to the antagonist exercise and 60 seconds between sets. Or, do a “death circuit” of heavy, high volume deadlifts followed by split squats followed by lighter high volume squats with 10 seconds rest between exercises.
•    Try a sprint training workout in which you do 20 second all-out sprints with 10 seconds rest in 4 sets of 4 intervals. Rest 3 to 4 minutes between sets.
•    Try hill or stair running in which you sprint up as fast as possible and jog down—repeat immediately. Do 8 to 16 reps.
•    Try a sprint-endurance workout with six to eight 200-meter sprints (about 30 seconds each) with a 3 to 4 minute recovery.

Charles Poliquin is one of the most accomplished strength coaches in the world. He has designed workouts for Olympic medalists in 17 different sports, world record holders in 10 different sports, and professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and UK Premier League. He has lectured or consulted for a variety of high-profile organizations such as the US Secret Service, Walt Disney Corporation and the World Swimming Congress. More info visit his website at http://www.charlespoliquin.com.

References
Irving, B., Davis, C., et al. Effect of Exercise Training Intensity on Abdominal Visceral Fat and Body Composition. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2008. 40(11), 1863-1872.

Boudou, P., Sobnngwi, E., et al. Absence of Exercise-Induced Variations in Adiponectin Levels Despite Decreased abdominal Adiposity and Improved Insulin sensitivity in Type 2 Diabetic Men. European Journal of Endocrinology. 2003. 149(5), 421-424.

Macpherson, R., Hazell, T., et al. Run Sprint Interval Training Improves Aerobic Performance but Not Maximal Cardiac Output. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2011. 43(1), 115-121.

Strasser, B., Arvandi, M., et al. Resistance training, Visceral Obesity and Inflammatory Response: A Review of the Evidence. Obesity Reviews. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.

Ismail, I., Keating, S., et al. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Aerobic Vs. Resistance Exercise Training on Visceral Fat. Obesity Reviews. 2012. 13, 68-91.

Heydari, M., Freud, J., et al. The Effect of High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise on Body Composition of Overweight Young Males. Journal of Obesity. 2012. Published Ahead of Print. Boutcher, Stephen. High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss. Journal of Obesity. 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Kraemer, W., Volek, J., et al. Influence of Exercise Training on Physiological and Performance Changes with Weight Loss in Men. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 1999. 31(9), 1320-1329.

Schuenke, M., Mikat, R., et al. Effect of an Acute Period of Resistance Exercise on EPOC Implications for Body Mass Management. 2002. 86, 411-417.

Hottenrott, K., Sebastian, L., et al. Effects of High-Intensity Training and Continuous Endurance Training on Aerobic Capacity and Body Composition in Recreationally Active Runners. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2012. 11, 483-488.

Tremblay, A., Simoneau, J., et al. Impact of Exercise Intensity on Body Fatness and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism. Metabolism. 1994. 43(7), 814-818.

Trapp, E., Chisholm, D., et al. The Effects of High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise Training on Fat Loss and Fasting Insulin Levels of Young Women. International Journal of Obesity. 2008. 32(4), 684-691.

Top Ten Foods for Fat Loss & Body Composition - North Vancouver Boot Camp

2012-11-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

Use these ten foods in your diet to support fat loss and get the physique you desire. Assuming you are training regularly, including these foods in a high-protein, relatively low-carb whole food diet will help you get and stay lean, while feeling energized and motivated throughout the day.

These ten foods will help you lose fat because they support your body to do one or more of these five things:
•    Increase the body’s use of fat for energy, shifting it to burn fat instead of carbohydrates.
•    Decrease chronic inflammation and improve the sensitivity of cells to insulin so that blood sugar from carbohydrates is used for energy or stored as muscle glycogen and doesn’t turn into fat.
•    Improve the body’s internal detoxification system to enhance elimination of waste products and toxins that slow the metabolism.
•    Support tissue repair and increase the body’s resting metabolic rate so that more energy is burned when food is broken down.
•    Improve the endocrine response to food—there are many effects of this, including lower insulin and cortisol, better elimination of excess estrogen, and higher leptin, which blunts feelings of hunger.

#1: Cold Water Fish: Salmon, Whitefish, Mackerel, Sardines & Anchovies
These cold water fish are high in the omega-3 fats that improve insulin sensitivity and decrease inflammation. The effect is of getting the majority of dietary fat from omega-3 fats is fat loss and improved body composition. For instance, a recent study of healthy adults showed that taking 4 grams of omega-3s a day for 6 weeks significantly increased lean mass and decreased body fat. Other studies have shown an association of a better body composition in people who eat more than 5 servings of cold water fish a week.

Take Away: Get the majority of your dietary fats from foods that are high in omega-3 fats. Cold water fish is a great place to start, and grass-fed and wild meats can increase your intake. Eat a serving of one of these high-protein sources at every meal.

[A product that I use that provides high quality omega-3 fats is IsaOmega Supreme by Isagenix. I take 2 capules per day that come in their Ageless Essentials with Product B packs (you can also get IsaOmega seperately on its own). For more info on Ageless Essentials with Product B click here and for info on IsaOmega Supreme click here.]

#2: Nuts: Walnuts & Almonds
Nuts are high in antioxidants, protein, fiber, and healthy fats, and research shows that supplementing the diet with them can significantly improve body composition. They not only increase the metabolic response to eating, but they increase feelings of satiety and blunt hunger—the hormone leptin has been found to be higher in people who eat nuts daily.

Walnuts may be the healthiest nuts because they are typically eaten raw with the skin on, which increases their antioxidant content. Almonds also top the list of fat burning nuts because of their high protein and fiber content, and they contain a lot of vitamin E that supports detoxification.

Take Away: Eating a serving of nuts a day in conjunction with a high-protein, low-carb diet can produce significant fat loss and help you feel satisfied.

#3: Whey Protein
Whey protein, which can be found in dairy products and taken as a supplement [as in a meal replacement], is a super food for body composition because it enables the body to repair tissue and burn fat. It also enhances the body’s internal antioxidant system by increasing something called glutathione.

Research shows that exercise performance and fat loss are enhanced when the body’s glutathione levels are higher during strength training. For example, in one study that had men take 22 grams of whey protein daily in conjunction with a strength training program had them lose more body fat than a group that only strength trained and didn’t supplement with whey.

Take Away: Supplement with whey protein daily to increase your metabolic rate, antioxidant status, and support tissue repair.

[The whey protein that I use is IsaPro by Isagenix. I will either take it plain with water or add a scoop of it to my IsaLean Meal Replacement to increase the protein content. For more info on IsaPro click here. For more info on IsaLean Shakes click here.]

#4: Berries: Blueberries, Strawberries & Raspberries
Besides being delicious, berries are great for fat loss because they contain fiber, antioxidants, and have been shown to blunt the amount of insulin the body produces in response to eating them with high-carbohydrate foods. Raspberries, in particular, contain a unique antioxidant called ellagitannins that have been shown to improve the brain’s sensitivity to leptin, making you feel less hungry.

Take Away: Get multiple servings of berries daily. Throw in a serving of the superfruits mango, pomegranate, and tart cherries for variety—all three convey similar benefits as berries and food scientists have called them all “anti-obesity” fruits.

#5: Avocados
A recent review of foods that can treat obesity and prevent diabetes wrote that the “avocado has tremendous antioxidant capacity,” and has been shown to completely eradicate chronic inflammation related to high body fat in mice. Adding avocados and pomegranates to the diet of the mice allowed for them to lose fat and have better insulin sensitivity over time.

Take Away: Selectively include avocados in your diet. Depending on other fat intake, eat them a few days a week. One avocado contains 250 calories, 10 g of fiber, 15 g of monounsaturated fat, 4 g of protein, and 20 essential nutrients.

#6: Broccoli & Cruciferous Vegetables
The cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower help the body clear excess estrogen—both naturally occurring and chemical estrogens such as BPA. By a variety of mechanisms, compounds in these veggies can interact with the genes involved in estrogen binding, while clearing estrogen from the body.

In addition, research shows that the high fiber content of these veggies will delay carbohydrate absorption, favorably modifying the glucose response. Their inherent high fiber brings about a very moderate insulin response, thus making them an ideal fat loss food. Dark green vegetables usually have a large antioxidant content as well such as chard, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, etc.

Take Away: Shoot for multiple servings of cruciferous vegetables daily. Broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, collards, arugula, radish can be eaten raw, added to salads, or steamed. Raw food are better for fat loss, but the key is to eat them daily, so if cooked is more palatable, go for it.

#7: Eggs
Eggs are an excellent protein source and they also provide a nice dose of choline, which protects the liver from accumulating fat and is the precursor to the energizing neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Increasing acetylcholine levels can increase growth hormone, which is a potent fat burner. Plus, eggs are very filling, and you get a nice boost in metabolism on account of the thermic effect of their high protein content.

Incorrectly feared due to their cholesterol content, eggs haven’t been found to elevate serum cholesterol. The body actually uses the cholesterol to produce testosterone and other androgenic hormones, and it improves the integrity of muscle cell membranes. One study showed that eating 12 eggs a week didn’t increase LDL cholesterol at all, and when exercise was done, the high egg intake improved the participants’ ratio of good to bad cholesterol to the same degree as a group that ate no eggs.

Take Away: Eat eggs a few days a week to increase your protein and choline intake. Avoid eating them daily because this has been shown to cause intolerances to eggs.

#8: Coffee & Green Coffee Extract
There is compelling evidence that coffee increases your metabolic rate so that you burn more calories, and it can help shift the body to burn fat rather than glucose for energy. In addition, we know coffee enhances the body’s defenses against reactive oxygen species, can help modulate blood sugar, and may even reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

The fat loss effect of coffee drinking hasn’t been studied extensively, but one study showed drinking 500 ml of coffee daily for 4 weeks produced 2.5 kg weight loss in overweight subjects. Perhaps more effective, green coffee extract, which comes from the bean before roasting and can be added to any beverage, has been shown to produce significant fat loss: One study compared the effect of giving participants a high-dose green coffee extract (1050 mg), a low-dose (700 mg), or a placebo for 6 weeks and found that the large dose resulted in an average 8 kg loss in body weight and a 4.4 percent drop in body fat—very impressive. The low dose and placebo produced no changes in body composition.

Take Away: Using green coffee extract and drinking coffee can help you lose fat in conjunction with a healthy diet. They aren’t a weight loss solution, but a nice addition to a complete fat loss diet. Green tea provides similar benefits as coffee if it is your beverage of choice.

#9: Kimchi
Kimchi, a fermented Korean food made from napa cabbage, onions, garlic, and fiber, has been shown to aid digestion, improve insulin sensitivity, and produce fat loss. A recent study showed that overweight subjects who ate 100 grams of kimchi at every meal for 4 weeks produced significant fat loss and decreased body fat by 1.5 percent. Blood pressure and blood sugar control were both lower by the end of the study.

Take Away: Include kimchi and other fermented foods [sauerkraut, pickles, olives, kombucha tea, kvass, etc.] in your diet daily for better health and fat loss. Get kimchi at an Asian food store or Whole Foods. Make sure there is no MSG in the ingredients though.

#10: Vinegar
Vinegar aids the body in storing carbohydrates as muscle glycogen rather than storing them as fat. In addition, studies show eating vinegar as a seasoning with meals can improve pancreatic function, and lower the insulin response to carbs. Even if you just add vinegar to your salad or cruciferous vegetables, it can lower the insulin response to your whole meal, leading to a more moderate elevation in blood sugar.

Take Away: Balsamic and white wine vinegar are some of the most delicious vinegars, but you can add any kind to your meal daily and get the fat loss benefits.

Charles Poliquin is one of the most accomplished strength coaches in the world. He has designed workouts for Olympic medalists in 17 different sports, world record holders in 10 different sports, and professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and UK Premier League. He has lectured or consulted for a variety of high-profile organizations such as the US Secret Service, Walt Disney Corporation and the World Swimming Congress. More info visit his website at http://www.charlespoliquin.com.

My additions in brackets.

References

Vinson, J., Burnham, B., et al. Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Linear Dose, Crossover Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of a Green Coffee Bean Extract in Overweight Subjects. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and Obesity. 2012. 5, 21-27.

Onakpova, I., Terry, R., et al. The Use of Green Coffee Extract as a Weight Loss Supplement: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Gastroenterology Research and Practice. 2011.

Kotyczky, C., Boettler, U., et al. Dark Roast Coffee is More Effective than Light Roast Coffee in Reducing Body Weight and Restoring Red Blood Cell Vitamin E and Glutathione Concentrations in Healthy Volunteers. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. 2011. 55 (10), 1582-1586.

Noreen, E., Sass, M., Crowe, M., Pabon, V., Branauer, J., Averill, L. Effects of Supplemental Fish Oil on Resting Metabolic Rate, Body Composition, and Salivary Cortisol in Healthy Adults. 2010. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 7(31).

Smith, G., Atherton, P., Reeds, D., Mohammed, B., Rankin, D., Rennie, M., Mittendorfer, B. Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Increases the Rate of Muscle Protein Synthesis in Older Adults: a Randomized Controlled Trial. 2010. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 93(2), 402-412.

Sheikholeslami Vatani, D., Golzar, F. Changes in Antioxidant Status and Cardiovascular Risk Factors of Overweight Young Men after Six Weeks Supplementation of Whey Protein Isolate and Resistance Training. Appetite. 2012. 59, 673-678.

Devalaraja, S., Jain, S., Yaday, H. Exotic Fruits as Therapeutic Complements for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolic Syndrome. Food Research International. August 2011. 44(7), 1856-1865.

Johnston, C., Steplewska, I., et al. Examination of the Antiglycemic Properties of Vinegar in Healthy Adults. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2010. 56(1), 74-79.

Vislocky, L., Pikosky, M., et al. Habitual Consumption of Eggs Does not Alter the Beneficial Effect of Endurance Training on Plasma Lipids and Lipoprotein Metabolism in Untrained Men and Women. Journal of Nutrition and Biochemistry. 2009. 20(1), 26-34.

Vadivel, V., Kunyanga, C., et al. Health Benefits of Nut Consumption with Special Reference to Body Weight Control. Nutrition.

Ten Reasons Why Runners Should Include Weight Training

2012-10-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

If you like to run and have been struggling to increase your mile pace or need a boost in short sprint speed for the final kick, strength training is the answer. Athletes in endurance sports such as swimming, cycling, rowing, or skiing cross-country will also benefit from strength training.

The right strength training program will also help you lose fat—lightness is always a benefit for runners—and prevent injury. It will also improve your endurance and can help prevent injuries. Strength training also provides protective health benefits such as better insulin sensitivity and higher antioxidant status, making it essential for all runners.

If you’re already strength training and not seeing results, it may be because you’re not doing the right kind of training—that is, there may be something wrong with your protocol such that you’re not triggering adaptations. Luckily, the research tells us what you need to do whether you run 5Ks, marathons, triathlons, or just run for fun.

Take note of a few things before we get into the ten greatest benefits of strength training:

If you’re running to lose weight, strength training is a must. You’ll see results much faster. Strength training will boost your metabolism and improve your insulin health and blood sugar levels in addition to supporting hormone response for fat burning.

Don’t be scared by the idea of heavy lifting. If you are an elite runner and you do not want to increase body weight by gaining lean mass, don’t worry. You won’t gain muscle mass from lifting. The science behind this is revealed in #4.

Recreational runners probably won’t increase body weight from training either, assuming you do a decent volume of running. With the right weight lifting program, you will lose fat. If you want to gain muscle mass, and “get big,” endurance running is probably not a good choice.

Older individuals benefit just as much as young runners from strength training. Lifting weights has been shown to lessen the gap between young and old in terms of strength and speed endurance.

This article is for runners but will apply to most endurance athletes. In some cases I present research using athletes from sports other than running such as rowers and cyclists. These are general conclusions that can be drawn from these studies and applied to most endurance sports because they are based on physiology.

Top Ten Reasons Runners Should Strength Train

1)    Get Faster
Strength training will make you faster. Whether you are a short distance runner (800 meters to a mile) or a longer distance runner (mile on up), you’ll find your pace increasing when you start strength training. Strength training will increase leg strength and improve your body’s efficiency to use energy and oxygen.

Increasing the body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently is a primary goal of endurance training, and it is measured by VO 2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake. Simply, if you can decrease the amount of oxygen needed to run at a certain speed, you’ll be able to sustain a fast pace for a longer time and likely be able to run faster overall.

A study that tested the effect of a maximal lower body strength training program on elite runners found that they improved running economy by 5 percent. Even more impressive, they increased the amount of time they could run at their maximal aerobic speed by 21.3 percent. The weight training group also did regular endurance running during the eight week training program, and researchers compared their gains in running speed and work capacity with a control group that only performed regular endurance training. The control group showed no improvements indicating that for elite endurance athletes, strength training may be the magic component to allow them to improve.

Similar studies of elite cyclists show similar performance results. In a study using Danish national team cyclists, half of the team performed a strength training program and half the team served as a control group. The maximal strength program resulted in improved performance in both a 5-minute sprint trial and a 45-minute endurance trial. The strength training group went 5 percent further in the short 5-minute time trial and 8 percent further in the 45-minute trial.

Researchers suggest increased coordination, neural drive, and strength gains all play a role in making these endurance athletes faster since none of there’s no evidence of hypertrophy, or an increase in muscle size or body weight.

Take away: Strength training will improve your pace and make you faster overall. A maximal (heavy) strength program for the lower body will produce best results.

2)    Have A Better Final Kick
A heavy lower body strength training program will make you faster because you’ll be able to generate more force when you kick off the ground. Combined with better running economy and the ability to use energy more efficiently, you’ll have a better final kick.

One reason strength training will increase your speed is that you’ll increase your proportion of type IIA muscle fibers that fatigue slowly and are able to produce speed and power. The type II fibers are the “fast-twitch” fibers and sprinters have a large concentration of them because their training triggers the development of these fibers.

Muscle fiber research is still emerging but we know that the type I and II fibers are on a continuum that include at least seven different “types,” of which type I fibers are the most aerobic and least powerful. Type IIX are the most powerful and most quickly exhausted. The interesting thing is that with training, you can shift the proportion of these fibers based on the type of training you are doing. Combining endurance exercise with strength training provides the best stimulus for the muscles and yields the most impressive results for speed and endurance.

In the study of Danish national team cyclists, researchers found that the athletes who strength trained increased the proportion of type IIA muscle fibers in the quadriceps from 26 to 35 percent and decreased type IIX fibers from 5 to 0.6 percent, a favorable shift for endurance performance.

There’s limited research into muscle fiber shifts in recreational athletes, but studies suggest that strength training will produce more favorable fiber types for speed endurance in non-elite runners as well. There is some evidence of a small increase in muscle size, particularly type II fibers in recreational runners, but this occurs with a decrease in body fat and has not produced a substantial increase in overall body mass.

Take away: Strength training will increase your speed. You’ll have a better final kick with more fast, fatigue-resistant muscle fibers.

3)    Decrease Body Fat
Strength training will help you lose fat. The bulk of energy that is burned in the body comes from your resting metabolic rate, which is a function of the proportion of lean muscle to body fat. Body fat slows that metabolic rate and produces various substances that make you fatter, including aromatase (turns testosterone into estrogen) and adipokines (slow metabolism). Muscle and lean tissue improve metabolism instead of hurting it, meaning to be a better runner (and have a better looking body), you want more muscle and less fat.

Experienced and elite runners will know that it is hard to lose fat unless you do large amounts of high-intensity training. People often point out that elite runners are “thin” and have a low body fat percentage. This is true, and they tend to do a very large volume of running at a high intensity. For those of you who are interested in getting lean without increasing your distance or intensity, strength training can help.

For instance, in the study of Danish national team cyclists, the strength training group decreased body fat by nearly two percent and had no change in body mass after the 16-week training program. The group that only did their regular endurance training decreased body fat by 0.5 percent. Other studies have elicited more dramatic results.

A study of collegiate female soccer and volleyball players found that an intense circuit training strength program produced a decrease in body fat of an average of 5.7 percent, which is substantial for a group of elite athletes. This study was interesting because it based the intensity on heart rate rather than the amount of weight lifted. Participants in the high intensity group maintained heart rate at an average of 151 beats per minute by performing vigorous intervals in between sets. The weight lifted was 50 percent of maximal, and participants performed an average of ten repetitions per exercise. This protocol also produced increases in strength. Speed, running economy, and endurance were not tested.

Take away: Strength training will burn fat and decrease your body fat percentage making you lighter and faster.

4)    Have Better Body Composition
Strength training will enhance your overall body composition. Research shows that if you program properly, you don’t have to gain muscle mass. It’s possible to develop a protocol to get you in shape for endurance exercise and gain muscle with the right nutrition and supplementation, but that is another article for another day.

A common concern for competitive endurance athletes is gaining body mass with strength training. Even lean muscle gains have been a concern because elevated muscle mass is thought to be detrimental for optimal endurance sports where muscle forces are generated to support the body mass against gravity. This issue could be debated since gaining strength and muscle mass in the legs will certainly make you faster if your training protocol is for relative strength. But, for simplicity, I will assume that you are doing a large volume of endurance training, which means that the most you can hope to get out of your strength training program is increased speed and endurance with decreased body fat.

It’s well established that endurance exercise creates a catabolic environment that degrades muscle and bone and shifts the proportion of muscle fibers to type I. Strength training will counter this muscle degrading process and result in strength gains but the anabolic environment will be blunted. In a review of the effect of maximal strength training in elite endurance athletes, researchers Aagaard and Andersen write that “concurrent training can diminish the muscle hypertrophy that normal occurs with strength training,” but increases in performance and strength are still observed.

This is due to the increased proportion of type IIA muscle fibers, but also to an increase in different gene signaling pathways involved in muscle growth and loss, which appear to cancel each other out. Despite no growth in the cross sectional area of muscle, concurrent strength and endurance training increases the ratio of capillaries to muscle fiber area, which improves oxygen delivery and free fatty acid uptake. Greater free fatty acid uptake results in a reduced rate of glycogen breakdown, meaning that endurance athletes are using energy more efficiently, which improves performance.

Take away: Strength training is safe for athletes who don’t want to gain muscle mass. The catabolic/anabolic processes “cancel” each other out. Strength training increase fiber type proportion, neuromuscular function, and fuel utilization for better performance.

5)    Prevent Injury
Strength training will help you get rid of nagging injuries or chronic pain and help prevent future injuries. It will also help you correct structural imbalances that increase injury risk and lead to improper motor patterns. For example, the non-dominant side of the body is often weaker, which will throw your stride off, as will problems with your feet such plantar fasciitis or bunions.

Equally, muscle imbalances within each limb can cause problems for runners. For instance, the vastus medialis obliquus is a common weak link in the quad, and weak calves are thought to contribute to shin pain. Include both unilateral and bilateral leg exercises to avoid imbalances and prevent injury. Single-side training has also been shown to improve sprinters’ speed, and endurance athletes can benefit too

A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed how single-leg “pitcher” squat, also called rear-foot elevated squats or bulgarian split squats, produced significant strength gains that rival those made from regular back squats. Including a training cycle of “pitcher” squats placed extra stabilization demands on the neuromuscular system since the athletes’ weight distribution was biased to one side of the body.

Additionally, forward lunges and step-ups are excellent lower body exercises that will help equalize strength and power between the legs and are excellent for runners. Take note that strength training can also decrease chronic pain and minimize aches and joint discomfort from continually pounding the pavement. Heavy strength training triggers protein synthesis in the connective tissues and will also increase bone strength.

Take away: Strength training improves structural balance and can help prevent injury and chronic pain. Feel better when you run!

6)    Strengthen Your Core With Traditional Lifts
Strength training with traditional lifts such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, and chin-ups will increase your core strength. Better core strength will help you avoid back pain and make you faster. Research shows that multi-joint movements are best to train the core musculature and improve the transfer of power from the arms to the legs.

One group of researchers recently found that core strength for running is best trained with squats and Olympic lifts, but if you don’t perform the snatch and clean and jerk; squats, chin-ups, deadlifts, and push-ups will strengthen your core. Additionally, if the lower back, gluteals, or hamstrings are weak or imbalanced, glute-ham raises and back extensions are ideal.

Take away: The best way to build core strength for runners is to perform traditional lifts.

7)    Increase Antioxidant Levels and Decrease Oxidative Stress
Endurance training has been shown to produce a high level of oxidative stress that can lead to chronic inflammation. Strength training will counter both acute oxidative stress, and help you avoid the long-term debilitating impact of this stress.

Scientists and athletic coaches have become concerned about the negative health effects of endurance training because of the daily physical stress that it causes. The inflammatory response to intense endurance training is well documented and some coaches and athletes have attempted to counteract it by taking antioxidants. This is a good strategy since we are inundated by free radicals from our environment and poor dietary choices, but throw strength training into the mix, and you will be much better off.

A moderate to heavy strength training program has been shown to increase antioxidant status and counter oxidative stress. In #4 we looked at how strength training can counter the muscle degrading effect of endurance training, and it can minimize the inflammatory response of intense, repeated physical stress. The stress hormone cortisol is the culprit and it damages cells and tissue in the body and accelerates aging. Strength training will offset this, making you healthier, stronger, and faster.

Take away: Strength training protects runners from the repeated damage of oxidative stress by raising antioxidant levels.

8)    Better Reproductive Health
There is evidence that reproductive health suffers for both men and women from endurance training. Strength training is one strategy to prevent this. A recent study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that intense endurance exercise provokes low testosterone and diminished sex hormone levels in men, which translates into poor reproductive health and low fertility. Previous studies have found similar impaired fertility in women who perform endurance exercise, a common symptom of which is dysmenorrhea or impaired menstrual cycles.

Strength training can help because it will improve hormone levels and counter the oxidative stress from cortisol and related catabolic hormones that cause inflammation and damage to the reproductive organs. Researchers suggest there is a happy medium to reproductive health such that individuals who like to run can improve their endocrine profiles and support fertility and health with strength training. On the flip side, a sedentary lifestyle will also impair fertility, and poor health.

Take away: Strength training will improve reproductive health and fertility in men and women who run.

9)    Better Insulin Health
Insulin health refers to how sensitive your cell receptors are to the hormone insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas in response to glucose in the blood stream. Glucose comes from carbohydrates, a large portion of many runners’ diet, making the maintenance of insulin health a high priority for runners.

You want to improve your insulin sensitivity because doing so will support a faster metabolism and better energy levels. Insulin health is a component of performance because it is involved with helping your body process energy along with speeding recovery from intense endurance training by aiding in the replenishment of glycogen stores.

If your cells are insulin resistant, you will have a slower metabolism, have poor performance, and be at risk of developing diabetes. You will also have greater amounts of oxidative stress, which damages cells, cause inflammation and accelerates aging. As mentioned in #8, oxidative stress is already a problem for runners and endurance athletes, meaning you don’t want to exacerbate the problem by causing more with high levels of insulin.

Strength training is a well known strategy for diabetes prevention and for improving insulin. A recent study in the journal Nature showed how during exercise—any time you perform muscle contractions—the body produces a hormone called irisin that will improve insulin health. With strength training, you intensely and repeatedly contract the muscles producing extreme force, thereby producing even more irisin, which in turn greatly promotes insulin sensitivity.

Take away: Strength training improves insulin health and helps you recover from running by aiding in replenishment of energy stores.

10)    Best Results With Heavy Lifts and Varied Tempo
Perform a strength training program that includes heavy lower body lifts for best results. Runners often make the mistake of performing resistance training programs that are geared toward increasing muscular endurance instead of strength. This will not make you faster.

Naturally, if you are new to strength training, you will need to develop base levels of strength, and a muscular endurance program may be appropriate. It’s necessary to achieve basic strength and flexibility in the hips and ankles so that you can properly do squats and deadlifts with good technique.

Once you’ve got the basics down, you will get the most out of your strength workouts by lifting heavy—above 80 percent of the maximal amount you can lift. The only research studies that haven’t produced gains in running pace and speed are those that used too light of a load or were for too short of a time period—less than eight weeks.

To get the most out of your strength program, perform multi-joint, ground-based lifts such as squats and deadlifts. Step-ups and lunges are also essential. Although, a more advanced technique, lifting with a varied or slow tempo will also provide benefits to runners. Tempo training, or the variation of the amount of time spent on the up and down phase of a lift, is a great way to provide a new and different stimulus to the muscles. If you feel you’ve hit a plateau or want to try something new, consider varying your tempo—it will challenge your weaknesses and make you faster and stronger.

Take away: Runners new to lifting should develop base levels of strength and flexibility. Then, it’s time to lift heavy and vary tempo to turn weaknesses into strengths.

Charles Poliquin is one of the most accomplished strength coaches in the world. He has designed workouts for Olympic medalists in 17 different sports, world record holders in 10 different sports, and professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and UK Premier League. He has lectured or consulted for a variety of high-profile organizations such as the US Secret Service, Walt Disney Corporation and the World Swimming Congress. More info visit his website at http://www.charlespoliquin.com.

References:
Aagaard, P., Andersen J., et al. Effects of Resistance Training on Endurance Capacity and Muscle Fiber Composition in Young Top-Level Cyclists. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Vaamonde, D., Silva-Grigoletto, M., et al. Physically Active Men Show Better Semen Parameters and Hormone Values than Sedentary Men. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.

Skoluda, N., Dettenborn, L., et al. Elevated Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Endurance Athletes. Psychoneuroendocrinology. September 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Sunde, A., Storen, O., et al. Maximal Strength Training Improves Cycling Economy in Competitive Cyclists. Journal of strength and Conditioning Research.2010. 24(8), 2157-2165.

Phillips, S., Das, E., et al. Resistance and Aerobic Exercise Protects Against Acute Endothelial Impairment Induced by a Single Exposure to Hypertension During Exertion. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2011. 110(4), 1013-1020.

Storen, O., Helgerud, J., et al. Maximal Strength Training Improves Running Economy in Distance Runners. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2008. 8(6), 1087-1095.

Davis, W., Wood, D., et al. Concurrent Training Enhances Athletes’ Strength, Muscle Endurance, and Other Measures. Journal of strength and Conditioning Research. 2008. 22(5), 1487-1495.

Deus, A., Oliveira, C., et al. Metabolic and Cardiac Autonomic Effects of High-Intensity Resistance Training Protocol in Wistar Rats. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. November 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Bostrom, P., Wu, J., et al. A PGC1-Dependent Myokine that Drives Brown-Fat-Like Development of White Fat and Thermogenesis. Nature. January 2012. Published Ahead of Print.

Reynolds, Gretchen. Exercise Hormone May Fight Obesity and Diabetes. The New York Times. 11 January 2012.

Shinkle, J., Nesser, T., et al. Effect of Core Strength on the Measure of Power in the Extremities. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. January 2012. Published Ahead of Print.

Okada, T., Huxel. K., Nesser, T. Relationship Between Core Stability, Functional Movement, and Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. January 2011. 25(1), 252-261.

Wilson, J., Marin, P., et al. Concurrent Training: A Meta Analysis Examining Interference of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. October 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Baker, Daniel. The Effects of an In-Season of Concurrent training on the Maintenance of Maximal strength and Power in Professional and College-Aged Rugby League Football Players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2001. 15(2), 172-177.

Bell, G., Syrotuik, D., et al. Effect of Concurrent Strength and Endurance Training on Skeletal Muscle Properties and Hormone Concentrations. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2000. 81, 418-427.

Aagaard, P., Andersen, J., et al. Effects of Strength Training on endurance Capacity in Top-Level Endurance Athletes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2010. 20(Suppl 2), 39-47.

Sharrock, C., Cropper, J., Mostad, J., Johnson, M., Malone, T. A Pilot Study of Core Stability and Athletic Performance: Is There a Relationship? International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. June 2011. 6(2), 63-74.

Jones, M., Ambegoankar, J., et al. Effects of Unilateral and Bilateral Lower-Body Heavy Resistance Exercise on Muscle Activity and Testosterone Response. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.

Cakir-Atabek, H., Demir, S., Pinarbassili, R., Bunduz, N. Effects of Different Resistance Training Intensity on Indices of Oxidative Stress. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. September 2010. 24(9), 2491-2498.

Strength Train To Live Longer - North Vancouver Boot Camp

2012-10-16T23:02:00.000-07:00

Perform a strength training program to live longer and lower your risk of disease. Numerous studies have linked physical activity levels with less risk of developing a serious disease. A new study in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that intense physical activity such as strength training can help us live longer because it has protective effects on body.

The study was a meta-analysis of all previous studies on the connection between physical activity and mortality rates as classified by cause of death and age at death. The analysis included more than 1.3 million individuals and identified a very strong relationship between performing regular intense vigorous exercise for a duration greater than 150 minutes a week and longevity.

The study came to a clear finding on longevity, intensity, and frequency of exercise. People live longer if they train hard four or five days a week. They appear to live longest and be healthiest if they train for at least 300 minutes a week at an intense level.

The study classified physical activity in multiple ways. For example, researchers looked at death rates in relation to how much “daily living and occupational activity” people did and found a very small health benefit from activities people did in their jobs or around the house such as gardening or cleaning. The benefit of performing daily living physical activity was greatest for women, but showed no benefit for men. Scientists don’t hypothesize why women benefited from cleaning the house and gardening, but it may be due to a lack of data on men who performed this sort of physical activity.

Moderate physical activity for at least 150 minutes a week resulted in a lower mortality risk of 10 percent over not exercising at all, while intense exercise produced a 22 percent drop in death rate. When people exercised hard for the longest time (300 minutes a week) they lived the healthiest longest lives and had a 39 percent lower risk of morality than those who did not exercise.

The takeaway from this study is that more exercise at a higher intensity is better. Be aware that “intense” or “vigorous” exercise as classified by this study as greater than 6 METs (some of the studies classified it as much higher but 6 METs was the cutoff), which is not a level that most serious strength trainees or athletes would consider very intense. For best results, perform a periodized strength training program that speaks to your goals and helps your body adapt. Training more than four days a week for at least 50 minutes is a good goal to shoot for that will provide longevity benefits.

Strength training is preferred over steady-state aerobic training (very important) because it will build muscle, may strengthen bones and connective tissue, and fights inflammation that is linked to greater disease risk. Everyone should strength train (side note: I even got my mom into it :) and in only a short time she already notices she's stronger and her left hip doesn't bother her...maybe she'll be at boot camp one day ;), but performing exercise you enjoy and will continue to do is the priority. If you prefer vigorous walking, running, cycling, swimming, or some other physical activity, do that, and you’ll live longer.

Charles Poliquin is one of the most accomplished strength coaches in the world. He has designed workouts for Olympic medalists in 17 different sports, world record holders in 10 different sports, and professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and UK Premier League. He has lectured or consulted for a variety of high-profile organizations such as the US Secret Service, Walt Disney Corporation and the World Swimming Congress. More info visit his website at http://www.charlespoliquin.com.

Reference:
Samitz, G., Egger, M., et al. Domains of Physical Activity and All-Cause Mortality: Systematic Review and Dose—Response Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2011. 40, 1382-1390.

Lose Weight This Fall: Top Five Supplementation Tips For Optimal Body Composition

2012-10-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

Lose fat fast by supplementing with nutrients that will help your body be a fat burning machine. Best body composition results will come if you strength train, are active on a regular basis, and round out smart eating with key supplementation. Although the supplements covered in this article will help anyone and everyone with body composition, you really need to focus fat loss around a training program and clean eating as well.

This article is the last part in a three part series of fat loss tips. Just as I mentioned in the previous articles, it’s very difficult to out-train a poor diet, and it’s impossible to out-supplement a poor diet if you don’t train.

There is no magic pill that will melt fat from your body without causing serious damage to health, but you will definitely have better fat loss results by supplementing with key nutrients. Yes, there are all kinds of unique nutrients that you may want to cycle into a well-planned diet and strength training program to cut fat, but those are not the point of this article either. This article will give you my top five supplement strategies for optimal body composition and fat loss.

The Run Down on Supplementation for Fat Loss
The point of supplementation is to help you avoid deficiencies that may arise from even the best, well planned diet. Supplementation to support fat loss is based on the desire to assist the body in the following physiological mechanisms:
1)    Help the body use the fat stores you have for fuel
2)    Increase insulin sensitivity and glucose health
3)    Elevate protein synthesis
4)    Detoxify and remove toxins
5)    Support optimal hormone levels for fat loss

Tip #1: Take Omega-3 Fish Oil
If you only take one supplement, it should probably be omega-3 fish oil unless the majority of your dietary fat intake is from omega-3 fats. Yes, you must supplement with fat to lose fat! There’s evidence that omega-3s are anabolic and will build muscle too.

Omega-3 fats are so important because all the cells in the body are made up of a double layer of fats, and the fat that makes up those layers dictates how well your metabolism will work. If the cell layers are made up of healthy omega-3 fats, they will be more sensitive to insulin. This allows the cell receptors to bind more easily, which improves energy use and fat burning. If your cells are made up of unhealthy fat, they will not bind with insulin easily, which leads to fat gain and elevated cortisol—the stress hormone.

Studies show that supplementing with omega-3s significantly increases lean mass, while decreasing body fat at the same time. Omega-3 fish oil improves the body’s testosterone-to-cortisol ratio by lowering cortisol and it turns on the fat burning genes, while turning off the lipogenic or fat storing genes. For example, one of the reasons people lose muscle mass and have poorer brain function as they age is that the gene signaling pathways that tell the body to start protein synthesis or make connections in the brain no longer “turn on” unless certain nutrients are present. Two of the most important nutrients are omega-3 fats and high-quality protein.

Research studies into omega-3 intake are few but there is evidence that even a small dose of 1.8 grams of fish oil a day for three months can increase fat burning by 22 percent, which suggests that long-term fat loss would be significant. Other studies have shown 2 to 4 kg drops in body fat from taking 3 grams a day of fish oil for three months, which although not huge, would certainly be more dramatic if paired with exercise and a careful diet.

I typically recommend taking 1 to 1.5 grams of omega-3s per percent of body fat for quick weight loss. This means that if you have 20 percent body fat, you would take at least 20 grams of omega-3s a day. If you want to take a conservative approach, start with 1 to 2 grams and gradually increase. Let it be said, that I have seen the most dramatic fat loss with larger doses.

(A product that I use is IsaOmega Supreme by Isagenix. I take 2 capules per day that come in their Ageless Essentials with Product B packs (you can also get IsaOmega seperately on its own). For more info on Ageless Essentials with Product B click here and for info on IsaOmega Supreme click here.)

Tip #2: Take a Probiotic
Take a probiotic to lose fat fast. Probiotics aid digestion and support gastrointestinal health so that the body detoxifies better. A probiotic will help you lose fat, have more energy and feel better. Probiotics are the tiny bacteria that naturally occur in the gut, but they can be easily overwhelmed by unhealthy bacteria like E. coli, chemical pollution such as heavy metals, oxidative stress, or high cortisol.

It’s very difficult to lose weight if you don’t have a healthy gut for two interrelated reasons. First, more than half of the neurotransmitters that send messages from the brain to cells and hormone receptors throughout the body are made in the gastrointestinal lining. If you have unhealthy bacteria in the gut, it will negatively influence the production of neurotransmitters, leading to poor cognitive function, low mood, and low motivation. Lack of motivation and poor energy will leave you with a lack of drive to exercise and eat well. Low mood and depression can also frustrate your fat loss goals.

The second reason gut health is essential is that it will improve digestion and help you feel better. You will feel more energetic because your neurotransmitters will be firing at optimal levels, and your metabolism will be supported so that nutrients get absorbed and used by the body in an effective manner.

Probiotics are very effective at aiding the body to detoxify because increasing the amount of good microflora in your gut will significantly increase glutathione, which is the number one internal antioxidant in the body. When you have more glutathione you will be healthier, leaner, and much more resistant to chronic disease.

(A product that I personally use is HMF Forte and HMF Intensive by Genestra brand. Forte provides 10 billion colony forming units per capsule and Intensive provides 25 billion. If someone has gut issues I would recommend 2-4 weeks on Intensive, taking 2 capsules per day and then transition to Forte, taking 1-2 capsules per day indefinitely.)

Tip #3: Take BCAAs and Whey Protein
Boost protein intake throughout the day by taking branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and whey protein. Research shows that eating a large dose of high-quality protein multiple times throughout the day is associated with lower body fat percentage. For example, a recent study found that people who reached a high-quality protein “threshold” that was defined as at least 10 grams of essential amino acids (EAAs) more often during the day, had less visceral belly fat and less total fat.

High-quality protein is necessary because you get more bang for your calorie buck by eating this kind of protein since it contains more EAAs per gram of protein. Greater EAA and protein intake helps maximally stimulate protein synthesis, raise metabolic rate, and make the cells more sensitive to insulin.

For the fastest, healthiest fat loss, it’s best to approach protein intake from a number of angles. First, you should eat high-quality (grass-fed) animal protein at meals because this will provide omega-3 fats and other nutrients like carnitine, creatine, and carnosine that support body composition and performance. Second, supplement with a protein such as whey after training and if your protein is lacking at meals. Third, take BCAAs during and after training to boost total amino acid intake and lose fat. Research shows that in a large study of 4429 people, those with higher BCAAs in their diets were leaner and had much less chance of being overweight than those with lower BCAA intake.

(The whey protein that I use is IsaPro by Isagenix. I will either take it plain with water or add a scoop of it to my IsaLean meal replacement to increase the protein content. For more info on IsaPro click here. For info on Brached-Chain Amino Acids click here.)

Tip #4 Get Enough of the Big Three: Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamin D
Get enough zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D—these nutrients are extremely important for fat loss and metabolism. If you are low in any one of these three, which you probably are unless you make an effort to supplement with them, your fat loss attempts will be blunted.

Adequate vitamin D in the body will increase fat burning directly, but it also suppresses the production of enzymes that cause the body to store fat. There’s evidence that higher vitamin D suppresses hunger and increases insulin sensitivity, leading people to eat less. Magnesium also makes the cell receptors more sensitive to insulin, and this mineral has been shown to be inversely linked to body fat—higher magnesium means you’ll be leaner. But the real benefit of raising your magnesium levels is on physical performance, sleep, and cardiovascular health.

Magnesium calms the nervous system and helps regulate heart function, which is why raising magnesium will help you sleep better. Research shows that raising daily magnesium intake to 500 mg can lead to less anxiety in subjects who suffer from insomnia, thereby allowing them to sleep better. An added benefit of less anxiety and better rest is less of the stress hormone cortisol, which hinders fat loss when elevated.

Zinc also plays a primary role in insulin health by improving the production of enzymes that protect the cells, and it helps detoxify inflammatory biomarkers that get in the way of metabolic function. Low zinc can cause numerous other health problems including poor brain function, cancer, and heart disease.

To ensure you get enough of the Big Three, it’s best to supplement with each nutrient separately for the following reasons:
•    Most people need to take 2,000 to 5,000 IUs of vitamin D a day to ensure their levels are above 30 ng/ml, which is a minimal healthy level. Some people will benefit more from a higher dose taken twice weekly. For best results, get your level tested and supplement accordingly.
•    It’s best to take a blend of different magnesium forms such as magnesium bound with fumarate, glycinate, taurate, and ororate. These forms are better metabolized and more effective in the body than cheaper forms such as magnesium oxide.
•    Depending on how low your zinc level is, you may be able to rely on a multi-vitamin for it, but those with abysmally low levels should supplement with zinc for a few months, and then get their levels tested because this is a nutrient that can build up to toxic levels.

Tip #5: Support Detoxification with B Vitamins and Methylated Folate
Support detoxification and fat burning by ensuring you have adequate B vitamins. Although there are a bunch of fat-burning nutrients I could recommend for the last tip—carnitine, taurine, alpha lipoic acid, green tea, coffee, fenugreek—none of those will be as beneficial if you don’t get enough B vitamins.

B vitamins are necessary to detoxify environmental toxins and excess hormones such as estrogen. People who eat a high protein-diet or take extra BCAAs increase their demand for B vitamins, which takes away from the pool needed for detox and may inhibit weight loss. Vitamin B6 is necessary for proper protein metabolism, the use of muscle glycogen for energy (critical for athletes), and the detoxification of hormones such as cortisol.

Additionally, a majority of the population is genetically predisposed to be unable to process folic acid or B9 effectively. If you have this genetic variation, you will need a methylated form of folic acid that can bypass the problem. Low B9 can lead to poor detoxification and high levels of homocysteine, which put you at risk for cardiovascular disease.

B6, B12, and B9 also promote the removal of estrogen down a pathway that is less likely to cause cancer. Effective removal of estrogen will help with fat loss because higher estrogen levels correlate with higher body fat. Plus, the enzyme aromatase, which turns testosterone to estrogen in the body, is higher if you have more body fat.

Once you have the B vitamins covered, research shows that other nutrients such as green tea, magnesium, and alpha lipoic acid are that much more effective for fat loss because the building blocks for detox are in place. Start with a B complex that includes a methylated B9 for best results.

Charles Poliquin

Charles Poliquin is one of the most accomplished strength coaches in the world. He has designed workouts for Olympic medalists in 17 different sports, world record holders in 10 different sports, and professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and UK Premier League. He has lectured or consulted for a variety of high-profile organizations such as the US Secret Service, Walt Disney Corporation and the World Swimming Congress. More info visit his website at http://www.charlespoliquin.com.

Information in brackets added by myself, Tyron.

References
Loenneke, J., Wilson, J., et al. Quality of Protein Intake is Inversely Related with Abdominal Fat. Nutrition and Metabolism. 2012. 9(5).

Qin, L., Xun, P., Bujnowski, D., Daviglus, M., Van Horn, L., Stamler, J., He, K. Higher Branched-Chain amino Acid Intake is Associated with a Lower Prevalence of Being Overweight or Obese in Middle-Aged East Asian and Western Adults. The Journal of Nutrition. 2010. 141(2), 249-254.

Soares, M., Murhadi, L., et al. Mechanistic Roles of Calcium and Vitamin D in the Regulation of Body Weight. Obesity Review. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.

Prasad, Ananda. Zinc Deficiency. British Medical Journal. 2003. 326, 409-410.

Ortega, R., Rodriguez, E., et al. Poor Zinc Status is Associated with Increased Risk of Insulin Resistance in Spanish Children. British Journal of Nutrition. 2012. 107, 398-404.

Nielsen, F.H. Magnesium, Inflammation, and Obesity in Chronic Disease. Nutrition Review. 2010. 68(6), 333-340.

Andreasen, A., Larsen, N., et al. Effects of Lactobacillus Acidophilus NCFM on Insulin Sensitivity and the Systemic Inflammatory Response in Human Subjects. British Journal of Nutrition. December 2010. 104(12), 1831-1838.

Kadooka, Y., Sato, M., et al. Regulation of Abdominal Adiposity by Probiotics (Lactobacillus Gasseri SBT2055) in Adults with Obese Tendencies in a Randomized Controlled Trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010. 64, 636-643.

Noreen, E., Sass, M., Crowe, M., Pabon, V., Branauer, J., Averill, L. Effects of Supplemental Fish Oil on Resting Metabolic Rate, Body Composition, and Salivary Cortisol in Healthy Adults. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2010. 7(31).

Smith, G., Atherton, P., Reeds, D., Mohammed, B., Rankin, D., Rennie, M., Mittendorfer, B. Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Increases the Rate of Muscle Protein Synthesis in Older Adults: a Randomized Controlled Trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010. 93(2), 402-412.

Why Women (and Men) Should Strength Train

2012-10-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

You Won't Get Bulky.

Remember: your bodyweight depends on the amount of calories you eat & expend. Strength training will make you gain muscle & lose fat. But you'll stay at the same bodyweight unless you start eating more.

Women have lower testosterone levels than men, roughly 10 times less than men. Muscle mass & strength depend on your testosterone levels. The only way women can get as muscular as man is by using steroids or pro-hormones. Men generally do produce enough natural testosterone (the ultimate muscle-building hormone) to get big, and most of us still have trouble building a significant amount of muscle. Just imagine how difficult it is to bulk up for a woman.

Check out this woman bodybuilder:

Brenda Smith’s killer leg workout: The closest she gets to a real movement is the lunge, but even her squats are assisted. She’s obviously not interested in learning actual athletic movements or developing real strength; she only cares about stoking that PUMP coursing through her veins.

Look at the bodybuilders’ bodies, their workouts, and their focus. Notice anything? They’re solely focusing on individual muscles to the detriment of the whole. There’s no catlike athleticism, nothing that indicates actual functional strength. Leg extension machines don’t exist in nature.

By doing strength training you will NOT look like this, do not worry:

Strength Training Benefits for Women.

Less Fat. More muscles results in decreased body fat at the same bodyweight.
Balanced Physique. Many women are skinny in the upper body & bulky in their legs. Strength training will balance your physique.
Increased Bone Density. Lifting weights prevents osteoporosis.
Blood Circulation. Helps combat cellulites on thighs & glutes.
More strength. Pregnancy, holding baby, householdery,... gets easier.
Fun. Women really like sports, especially when they have fun while getting results.
Physical Activity. Whether it is strength training or something else: you need physical activity to stay "sane".

How Women Should Train.

Same as men. Same exercises. Same sets & reps. Same programs. If your goal is toning up & losing fat, strength is your tool.

Focus on getting stronger on the Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Overhead Press & Pull-up such as we're doing in our classes.

Women's Results.

The difference in testosterone levels will influence the results you'll achieve as a woman. In general:

Increased muscle mass. But less than a man.
Decreased body fat. 16% for women is the same as 10% for men.
Increased strength. But again less than a man.

In terms of physique, look at these women. They're athletic, in shape & not bulky. Their secret is simple: training hard, consistently & eating healthy.

10 Benefits Women Can Gain from Training with Functional Movements at High Intensity, i.e. Strength Training are:

You Will Be Physically Stronger.
Increasing your strength will make you far less dependent upon others for assistance in daily living. Chores will be easier, lifting kids, groceries and laundry will no longer push you to the max. If your maximum strength is increased, daily tasks and routine exercise will be far less likely to cause injury. Research studies conclude that even moderate weight training can increase a woman’s strength by 30 to 50 percent. Research also shows that women can develop their strength at the same rate as men.
You Will Lose Body Fat.
Studies found that the average woman who strength trains two to three times a week for two months will gain nearly two pounds of muscle and will lose 3.5 pounds of fat. As your lean muscle increases so does your resting metabolism, and you burn more calories all day long. Generally speaking, for each pound of muscle you gain, you burn 35 to 50 more calories each day. That can really add up.
You Will Gain Strength Without Bulk.
Researchers also found that unlike men, women typically don’t gain size from strength training, because compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy. You will, however, develop muscle tone and definition. This is a bonus.
You Decrease Your Risk Of Osteoporosis.
Research has found that weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density (and enhance bone modeling) by 13 percent in six months. This, coupled with an adequate amount of dietary calcium, can be a women’s best defense against osteoporosis.
You Will Improve Your Athletic Performance.
Over and over research concludes that strength training improves athletic ability in all but the very elite athletes. Golfers can significantly increase their driving power. Cyclists are able to continue for longer periods of time with less fatigue. Skiers improve technique and reduce injury. Whatever sport you play, strength training has been shown to improve overall performance as well as decrease the risk of injury.
You Will Reduce Your Risk Of Injury, Back Pain and Arthritis.
Strength training not only builds stronger muscles, but also builds stronger connective tissues and increases joint stability. This acts as reinforcement for the joints and helps prevent injury. A recent 12-year study showed that strengthening the low-back muscles had an 80 percent success rate in eliminating or alleviating low-back pain. Other studies have indicated that weight training can ease the pain of osteoarthritis and strengthen joints.
You Will Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease.
Weight training can improve cardiovascular health in several ways, including lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. When cardiovascular exercise is added (like in Boot Camp!), these benefits are maximized.
You Will Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes.In addition, weight training may improve the way the body processes sugar, which may reduce the risk of diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is a growing problem for women and men. Research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months.
It Is Never Too Late To Benefit.
Women in their 70s and 80s have built up significant strength through weight training and studies show that strength improvements are possible at any age. Note, however, that a strength training professional should always supervise older participants.
You Will Improve Your Attitude And Fight Depression.
A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did. Women who strength train commonly report feeling more confident and capable as a result of their program, all important factors in fighting depression.

PS. Check out our program at www.MakersBody.com and receive $50 off your first month.

References:

Mark's Daily Apple: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/strength-training-women/#axzz28Ayftcsf

Stronglifts.com: http://stronglifts.com/strength-training-for-women/

CrossFit816: http://www.crossfit816.com/of-particular-interest-to-women

Top 10 Pitfalls to Weight Loss: Don't Make These Common Mistakes

2012-08-06T21:25:00.001-07:00

A lack of discipline may be the most harmful trait if you are trying to lose weight. But, even if you are motivated and disciplined, you need to ensure you aren’t getting sidetracked by making common errors that will halt your progress and are easy to avoid.

There are hundreds of lists on the internet of common errors people make when trying to lose weight. They are all similar, most include ten things to avoid, and you might be surprised to find out that they are mostly right on. These lists provide a useful basic guide to use when trying to lose weight, but what they don’t do is get at the harder to solve mistakes that keep you from seeing results in improving your body composition.

For example, did you know that for weight loss and health it’s must better to choose the “whole fat” version of dairy products than the “fat free” option? Almost all foods that have had the fat removed from them and are labeled “fat free” are going to be more contaminated, contain fewer nutrients, and discourage fat loss to a much greater degree than the whole fat option. This is especially true with dairy products because the whole milk version of yogurt or milk will naturally provide conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which protects against prostate and breast cancer. In contrast, fat free dairy products have what I often call a “cancer inducing” effect.

I’ve had many a client with the best of intentions for weight loss make critical but common errors, that when solved, allow them to achieve amazing results. This is my top ten list of things you can do to avoid common pitfalls that get in the way of you achieving a lean body composition. This list assumes that you aren’t doing any of the following things that are obviously going to impede weight loss and cause poor health: smoking, drinking large amounts of alcohol, taking diet pills, drinking your calories (soda, juice, sports drinks), or trying to lose weight without exercising. If you are doing any of these things, stop now, and then start making the changes on this list.

Tip 1: Don’t Eliminate Fat
Eliminating fat or eating a very low fat diet is a common error that people are encouraged to make by food marketing. Eliminating fat intake to get rid of fat from the body may seem like a good idea at first glance, but when you understand the role of fat in the body, you realize getting too little of it is a bad idea. Of course, removing “very bad” fats, also known as trans fats, from the diet is essential because they will make you fat and then they will kill you.

You need a decent amount of good fat in the diet because all the cells in the body are made up of two layers of lipids or fats, which will be composed of good fats or bad fats depending on the type you eat. If the cell lipid layers are made up of healthy fats, it will make them more sensitive to insulin and allow the receptors to bind more easily, which is necessary for good metabolism and energy production.

Increasing the sensitivity of your cells to insulin is important because it will allow the glucose to enter the cell and get burned as fuel. But, if you eat large amounts of trans-fats or have a severe imbalance between the omega-6 and -3 fats in your diet, your cell lipid layers will be made up of those fats. Lipid layers made of unhealthy fats lead to unhealthy cells and greater insulin resistance, which produces fat gain and puts you at risk for diabetes.

Tip 2: Do Get A Balanced Fat Intake
To get a balanced fat intake you want to get a large quantity of omega-3 fats that are balanced with omega-6 fats. Ideally, you’ll get a near equal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats. Most people get way to many omega-6 fats because they are abundantly found in our diets in the form of the most commonly used vegetable oils (corn, sesame, safflower, peanut, etc.). Omega-3 fatty acids are those that commonly come from fish oil [and krill oil] (often referred to as DHA, EPA and ALA), but they also can be gotten from grass-fed beef and wild meats. This is why I suggest two things you can do for better insulin health and body composition are to take a high dose of omega-3s and eat meats and fish that have a high concentration of these fats.

I recommend a fish oil dose in the range of 1 to 1.5 grams of omega-3s per percent of body fat, meaning if you have 20 percent body fat you would take 20 grams. Many people like to start taking a more conservative dose, which is fine, but think of it as if you are replacing your daily fat intake goal with fish oil. For example, if it is 50 grams, replacing 20 of those grams with an omega-3 supplement is an easy thing to do.

Tip 3: Get Rid of Stress and Lower Cortisol Levels
To lose fat, it’s essential that you minimize stress to lower your cortisol levels. It is well established that chronically high cortisol results in fat gain, particularly around the middle. This means that no matter how much you exercise or eat healthy, you won’t lose weight if your cortisol is elevated because of how cortisol makes the body insensitive to insulin.

One recent study looked at the relationship between cortisol levels, insulin sensitivity, and visceral belly fat in men. Men with more belly fat produced far more cortisol throughout the day and had decreased insulin sensitivity than those with less belly fat. Interestingly, subcutaneous fat—the jiggly kind that’s right below the skin—was not related to insulin or cortisol levels. Researchers suggest both external stress and internal physiological stress (in the form of chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract) are the cause of the elevated cortisol.

Problems with the gastrointestinal tract result in altered neurotransmitter production, which makes you feel tired, unmotivated, and depressed. It can also elevate anxiety, making you over-responsive to stress. At the same time, poor gut health will produce chronic inflammation in the intestines, putting stress on them and raising cortisol. The combination means chronically high cortisol and persistent strain on the body from multiple sources. If you have any experience with fat loss, you know that the body is most agreeable about giving up its fat stores when it is calm and not stressed or overly stimulated.

A product that loaded antioxidants and helps reduce stress is Ionix Supreme by Isagenix. I take at least 1 scoop per day and somedays 2. For more info on Ionix Supreme click here.

Tip 4: Fix Your Gut With a Probiotic
Fix your gut health and support digestion by taking a probiotic to lose fat, have more energy, and feel better. Probiotics are the tiny bacteria that naturally occur in the gastrointestinal tract and are commonly found in dairy products such as yogurt.

It’s very difficult to lose weight if you don’t have a healthy gut for two interrelated reasons. First, more than half of the neurotransmitters that send messages from the brain to cells and hormone receptors throughout the body are made in the gastrointestinal lining. If your gut is not healthy, it will negatively affect the production of the neurotransmitters, leading to poor cognitive function, low mood, feelings of depression, and low motivation. A bad outlook and lack of drive will make you less motivated to exercise and take the action necessary for you to make progress toward reaching your goals.

The second reason gut health is essential is that it will improve digestion and help you feel better. You will actually feel more energetic because your neurotransmitters will be firing at optimal levels, and your metabolism will be supported so that nutrients and energy sources are getting broken down, absorbed, and used by the body in the most effective manner. Additionally, research shows probiotic supplementation helps lower anxiety and stress levels, which leads to less secretion of cortisol.

Several studies have shown that poor gut health makes the body produce more cortisol, directly affecting insulin health and resulting in visceral belly fat gain. For example, in the study mentioned in Tip #3, the overweight men in the study were put on a high-protein diet with a probiotic supplement for six months, and then had their body fat, cortisol levels, and insulin sensitivity retested. The men significantly lost belly fat, improved insulin sensitivity, and had lower cortisol levels. Researchers suggest that poor gut health had caused chronic inflammation in the intestines, which led to the elevated cortisol and the belly fat gain. The probiotic supplement treated the inflammation in the intestines, helped to lower cortisol, and in conjunction with the high-protein diet, helped induce weight loss.

A product that I personally use is HMF Forte and HMF Intensive by Genestra brand. Forte provides 10 billion colony forming units per capsule and Intensive provides 25 billion. If someone has gut issues I would recommend 2-4 weeks on Intensive, taking 2 capsules per day and then transition to Forte, taking 1-2 capsules per day indefinitely.

Tip 5: Support Digestion With HCL: Prevent Nutrient Deficiencies
Another trick for supporting digestion and fat loss is to make sure you have adequate stomach acid to break down food. Take a hydrochloric acid (HCL) supplement to improve acid levels in the stomach and allow your body to completely break down food. The increased acid levels in the stomach will improve the absorption of protein, calcium, vitamin B, magnesium, zinc, iron, and other basic nutrients.

Better digestion and absorption of protein and nutrients will support protein synthesis and the development of lean body mass, while helping you avoid deficiencies that can cause poor health and hinder weight loss attempts. For example, one study in the journal Clinical and Experimental Allergy found that low stomach acid hindered the digestion of codfish protein in mice. Along with less protein absorption, there was evidence of the development of protein allergies in the mice population over time.

Researchers suggest that the Western population’s overuse of antacid medications—to counter acid reflux, which is typically produced by a poor diet—results in chronically low stomach acid, which in turn hampers digestion, and the absorption of protein. They caution against the use of antacids and encourage the population to modify diet and raise stomach acid levels for better protein absorption.

I use an HCL supplement in which the HCL comes from betaine because betaine is known to stimulate protein synthesis and support athletic performance. Additionally, for a digestive aid you may want to try Multi-Enzyme Complex, which are digestive enzymes. Click here for more info.

Tip 6: Eat Breakfast With Protein In It: No Cereal Allowed
Eating breakfast is one of the simplest, healthiest things you can do to feel better and have more energy, but there’s one catch. You have to eat protein at breakfast. Eating cereal for breakfast is a common pitfall that is often not addressed by the media or mainstream health professionals.

Cereal is bad for breakfast because it’s typically packed with sugar and additives. In the rare case that you can find a cereal that doesn’t have added sugar, cereal tends to be low in protein. Even if you find an organic cereal that appears to contain a nice dose of protein, these high-protein cereals contain natural preservatives that wreck havoc on neurotransmitter production.

Remember, in Tip #4, I mentioned the importance of gut health and the neurotransmitters for brain function. Setting the neurotransmitters up for the day is the reason a high-quality protein breakfast is essential. The macronutrient content of the food you eat for breakfast will prime the chemicals that send messages from the brain to all your muscles and tissue throughout the whole day.

If you set your neurotransmitters up with a high-carb cereal, orange juice, and a banana, you’ll trigger a big insulin response, elevate serotonin and end up feeling low energy and foggy in the brain soon after. It’s very difficult to reverse the poor brain function and sluggishness that goes with a high-carb breakfast, and people tend to counter these feelings of tiredness and with caffeine, which raises cortisol and causes a new round of problems such as anxiety, an excited sympathetic nervous system, and poor energy production.

The answer is to get a high-quality protein that is slowly digested. A breakfast that includes meat [or another complete protein such as eggs or a shake such as the IsaLean Shake] and nuts is my favorite because it will provide a nice dose of protein and “good” fats to start the engine and keep you going throughout the day. Plus, the nuts contain almost no carbs, meaning that with the meat [or other complete protein source], you will have a very moderate insulin response, which will allow for a constant blood sugar level.

Tip #7: Take A Very Cautious Approach To The Science and Health Media
Be very cautious about what you learn from the science and health media. Health, fitness, and diet information from the media is commonly misrepresented with the facts being presented in a way that feed on our desire for intrigue and quick, easy solutions. Equally concerning, media is fueled by business interests, meaning that the information presented is influenced by those interests.

If you look back over how a number of important scientific studies were presented by the media in 2011, it becomes apparent that you have to be very cautious about what you believe. For example, in November a study about vitamin D was presented at the annual conference of the American Heart Association that showed that taking too much vitamin D produced risk of atrial fibrillation. The study provided useful information about how to achieve the ideal vitamin D status for health as well as how to avoid overdosing and reaching a possibly toxic level.

For example, you want to ensure your vitamin D levels are between 41 and 80 ng/ml and avoid going over 100 ng/ml. The only cases of individuals achieving levels over 100 ng/ml are when there has been a dispensing error such that they were taking more than ten times the recommended dose of 5,000 IUs a day.

This study was reported by many mainstream news companies including MSN, USA Today, and NBC. In the vast majority of the stories about the study, no context for the information was provided, such as details about what “excess vitamin D” means, or how an individual might achieve such levels. Rather, they tended to alarm readers with insufficient information and suggest that individuals should discontinue vitamin D supplements, or that they should only use a very low dose of vitamin D (a common recommendation is 400 IUs a day).

Another example of media misrepresentation is the issue of whether aerobic or strength training is preferred for fat loss. One study this year compared the effects of aerobic training with strength training on visceral belly fat loss. It was widely reported in the media with headlines such as “Jogging Beats Strength Training for Losing Belly Fat,” or “Aerobic Exercise the Most Effective Way to Lose Belly Fat.”

The problem is that the study design had a major flaw—the amount of volume of exercise was not equivalent or even comparable between the aerobic and strength training programs tested. Not one article that I read reported the fact that the aerobic training was performed at 80 percent of maximal for 45 minutes, while the strength training program consisted of exercises on Cybex machines and did not include a 1RM. This means the study design did not account for the amount of weight lifted in the program—a major error that makes it impossible to compare programs that are not matched for the amount of work performed.

Additionally, the media reports failed to differentiate between visceral fat and subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat is the fat that resides deep inside the body in the abdominal trunk and surrounds the organs. It is a primary indicator of diabetes and heart disease risk. Subcutaneous fat is the jiggly fat that is right below the skin, which you can pinch with your fingers. This difference is an important element that the public should understand if they want to gain information about how to improve their health, fitness, and body composition.

To avoid having the media hamper your weight loss progress, find a source of information that you trust. It’s not that you should ignore science and health reporting, but it’s necessary to be skeptical, and occasionally you will have to do your own research, or find a source you trust that will review the research for you!

Tip 8: Do Not Trust The U.S. RDV or Nutrition Labels
The U.S. Recommended Daily Value, or what is now called Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI), is the amount of a given nutrient that the U.S. Department of Agriculture thinks you need each day. If you want to lose weight, the value is useless.

Even if you don’t want to lose weight, it is not ideal for health, and the new DRI is confusing because it gives no suggestion for fat intake, aside from suggesting that adults consume between 12 and 17 grams of omega-6 fats and 1.1 to 1.6 grams of omega-3s a day. This is an example of the skewed ratio I referred to in Tip #2. A number of research studies have shown that the skewed ratio of omega-6 to omega-3s is linked to higher rates of obesity, cancer, inflammatory and immune disorders, and cardiovascular disease. Apparently the USDA wasn’t aware of this data.

One positive thing about the new U.S. DRI is that it has lowered the carb recommendations from 300 grams per day for adults to 130 grams per day. That’s a vast amount, but it is more in line with what I would suggest for weight loss. The problem is that the DRI only increased protein recommendations by three grams a day from 53 to 56, which will likely leave most people hungry and confused.

Take note that in the U.S., nutrition labels include nutrition suggestions based on old recommendations from the USDA that assume the average American needs either 2,000 or 2,500 calories a day. Within the calorie-based framework, macronutrient suggestions are made such that for the 2,000 calorie diet, you are supposed to get 300 grams of carbs, 53 grams of protein, and 65 grams of fat. This is a whopping amount of carbs for the average person, even if they are doing large amounts of endurance or high-intensity exercise daily. The point is that nutrition labels can tell you the macronutrient content of foods, but don’t become more confused by the dietary suggestions included on the label.

Naturally, you do need a plan for what you are going to eat if you intend to lose weight. The key is to identify the macronutrient content that supports your body and does not include foods that you are intolerant of. An intolerance is a food that you are allergic to and your body is not able to digest completely. There are severe allergic reactions such as in the case of a nut allergy that is very dangerous, and there are less severe allergies that cause fat gain and poor insulin health.

For example, some people are allergic to gluten and need to avoid it, whereas others are intolerant of gluten and will feel much better and have a leaner body composition if they avoid it [a number of people in my opinion fall into this category.] Similarly, most people will be healthier and leaner if they limit carbs and avoid all wheat-based carbs, but this does not mean that everyone is intolerant to wheat-based carbs.

The best way I can suggest to identify food intolerances is to get a BioSignature Modulation. This is the method I have developed to identify the best foods for each person and determine individual detoxification and supplement needs. If you are unable to have BioSignature done, the key is to identify a dietary lifestyle that will support your weight loss goals. Research shows that generally, a high-protein, low-carb diet that is gluten and wheat free will produce the best fat loss results.

Tip 9: Focus On Detoxification
Detoxification is critical for weight loss because there are so many pollutants and endocrine-altering substances in our food and water. You want to focus on detoxifying your body on a regular basis because you are exposed to dangerous substances daily.

The two simplest things you can do to detoxify the body are to drink a lot water daily (at the very least two liters a day) and to eat an adequate amount of fiber. In addition, there are many nutrients you can take to help the body continually eliminate heavy metals and toxins that cause oxidative stress and alter hormones such as Cleanse for Life, for info click here. For example, green tea can help detoxify liver and it is known for preventing liver damage from alcohol. Carnitine is a powerful brain nutrient that not only supports fat burning by helping fat enter the cell to be burned for energy, but also helps detoxify the brain of heavy metals.

A little gem I’ll throw out there for you is that if you pair carnitine with adequate omega-3 fat intake, you’ll raise levels of the hormone dopamine, which will make you feel more motivated and have more self-initiative—essential for trying to lose weight.

The ginkgo plant is another excellent detoxifier and it has a great track record, having been used in traditional medicine for over 4,000 years. Ginkgo resists pollution, meaning that it will help you to detoxify contaminants from the body and resist the stress that is caused by toxins. Other potent detoxifiers include omega-3 fish/krill oils, probiotics, and performing high levels of physical activity and exercise. The key is to focus on flushing the body regularly by doing the little things such as drinking lots of water, eating fiber and supplementing with nutrients that provide multiple benefits including detoxification.

Tip #10: Don’t Forget To Strength Train. Be As Active As Possible
There’s no reason you should not be doing some sort of strength training if you are trying to lose weight. In fact, there’s no reason that anyone should not be doing strength training. Even people who are confined to a bed in a nursing home can perform some form of resistance training. There’s nothing bad about training as long as you learn proper form and have a reasonable plan of progression.

Strength training is essential for weight loss because it will burn fat, burn calories, improve insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake, and make you stronger. Strength training is preferred over aerobic training that is done on cardio machines such as a treadmill because it will produce a more favorable muscle building response and burn more fat.

Additionally, there’s evidence that aerobic training done on cardio machines blunts insulin sensitivity and glucose delivery into the cell, meaning that if you perform it, you may actually be putting yourself at greater risk of diabetes and inducing less fat burning. This is because the electromagnetic frequency that is produced by electrical power, as in the case of with an electrical treadmill or bike, has been found to increase plasma glucose and decrease insulin sensitivity, causing fat gain, poor metabolism, and accelerating nerve damage and cellular aging. Actually, any time you are exposed to dirty electricity or the electromagnetic field from electrical power (from TVs, appliances, cell and cordless phones, wireless routers, cell phone towers), you put yourself at risk for decreased insulin health. The point is to minimize exposure, particularly when you are exercising and need to maximize energy production.

Another reason to perform strength training instead of aerobic exercise is that research shows “the effect of regular aerobic exercise on body fat is negligible,” according to one research review. Even though aerobic exercise doesn’t cause much fat loss, anaerobic interval training at a higher intensity than steady-state aerobic training is well proven to induce significant fat loss. Similarly, strength training targets the anaerobic energy system and will help you lose fat. Plus, strength training improves lean mass and builds muscle, which in turn raises your metabolism to support a leaner body composition.

For best results, perform a periodized strength training program that changes regularly so you are not doing the same thing for longer than two months. Include anaerobic intervals and you’ll improve your conditioning, burn fat, lose weight, and improve cardiovascular and pulmonary health. Try to be as active as possible throughout the day because regular physical activity is shown to maintain insulin health, while being sedentary even if you workout once a day, causes “robust negative changes” in post-meal glucose uptake, according to one study. Less glucose uptake means that glucose or sugar that is in your blood is not getting into the cell to be used for energy. Rather, the glucose is hanging out in the blood and will be turned into fat in the body. In the meantime it will cause nerve damage and aging.

Charles Poliquin

Information in brackets added by myself, Tyron.

References:

Tip #1 and #2

Bourre, J.M. Where to Find Omega-3 Fatty Acids and How Feeding Animals with Diet Enriched in Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Increase Nutritional Value of Derived Products for Human: What is Actually Useful? The Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging. 2005. 9(4), 232-242.

Simopoulos, A., Norman, H., Gillespie, J. Purslane in Human Nutrition and its Potential for World Agriculture. World Review for Nutrition and Dietetics. 1995. 77, 47–74.

Simopoulos, A., Salem, N. Purslane: A Terrestrial Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. New England Journal of Medicine. 1986. 315, 833-837.

Ros, E., Mataix, J. Fatty Acid Composition of Nuts: Implications for Cardiovascular Health. British Journal of Nutrition. 2006. 96(Suppl 2), 29-35.

Tip #3

Burcelin, R., Serino, M., et al. Gut Microbiota and Diabetes: From Pathogenesis to Therapeutic Perspective. Acta Diabetologia. 2011. 48(4), 257-273.

Messaoudi, M., Lalonde, R., et al. Assessment of Psychotropic-Like Properties of a Probiotic Formulation (Lactobacillus Helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 in Rats and Human Subjects. British Journal of Nutrition. 2011. 105, 755-764.

Andreasen, A., Larsen, N., et al. Effects of Lactobacillus Acidophilus NCFM on Insulin Sensitivity and the Systemic Inflammatory Response in Human Subjects. British Journal of Nutrition. December 2010. 104(12), 1831-1838.

Tip # 4

Kadooka, Y., Sato, M., et al. Regulation of Abdominal Adiposity by Probiotics (Lactobacillus Gasseri SBT2055) in Adults with Obese Tendencies in a Randomized Controlled Trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010. 64, 636-643.

Chen, J., Wang, R., et al. Bifidobacterium Adolescentis Supplementation Ameliorates Visceral Fat Accumulation and Insulin Sensitivity in an Experimental Model of the Metabolic Syndrome. British Journal of Nutrition. September 2011. 14, 1-6.

Penha, L., Pardo, P., et al. Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Liveweight Gain and Serum Cortisol Concentration in Cattle. Veterinary Record. May 2011. 168(20), 538. Published Ahead of Print.

Hayasaka, S., Kodama, T., Ohira, A. Retinal Risks of High-Dose Ornithine Supplements: A Review. British Journal of Nutrition. September 2011. 106(6), 801-811.

Rishi, P., Bharrhan, S., et al. Effect of Lactobacillus Plantarum and L-Arginine Against Endotoxin-Induced Liver Injury in a Rat Model. Life Sciences. September 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Sohail, M., Liaz, A., et al. Alleviation of Cyclic Heat Stress in Broilers by Dietary Supplementation of Mannan-Oligossaccharide and Lactobacillus-Based Probiotic: Dynamics of Cortisol, Thyroid hormones, Cholesterol, C-Reactive Protein, and Humoral Immunity. Poultry Science. September 2010. 89(9), 1934-1938.

Tip #5

Pali-Scholl, I., Herzog, R., et al. Antacids and Dietary Supplements with an Influence on the Gastric pH Increase the Risk for Food Sensitization. Clinical and Experimental Allergy. July 2010. 40(7), 1091-1098.

Tip #6

Jakobsen, L., Kondrup, J., Zellner, M., Tetens, I., Roth, E. Effect of a High Protein Meat Diet on Muscle and Cognitive Functions: A Randomized Controlled Dietary Intervention Trial in Healthy Men. Clinical Nutrition. 2011. 30(3), 303-311.

Tip #8

Smith, M., May, H., et al. Vitamin D Excess is Significantly Associated with Risk of Atrial Fibrillation. Circulation. November 2011. Special Supplement from Annual American Heart Association Conference. http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/meeting_abstract/124/21_MeetingAbstracts/A14699?sid=d8af4ab7-eb16-4360-8e52-179868c1e439

Schwalfenberg, G., Genuis, S. Vitamin D Supplementation in a Nursing Home Population. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. August 2010. 54(8), 1072-1076.

Slentz, C., Batean, L., et al. Effects of Aerobic Vs. Resistance Training on Visceral and Liver Fat Stores, Liver Enzymes, and Insulin Resistance by HOMA in Overweight Adults. American Journal of Physiology. November 2011. 301(5), E1033-1039.

Koul, P., Ahmad, S., et al. Vitamin D Toxicity in Adults: A Case Series from an Area with Endemic Hypovitaminosis D. Oman Medical Journal. 2011. 26(3), 201-204.

Carlton, S., Clopton, D., et al. Vitamin D Deficiency: Appropriate Replenishment Therapies and the Effects of Vitamin D Toxicity. Consult Pharm. March 2010. 25(3), 171-177.

Jacobsen, R., Hronek, B., et al. Hypervitaminosis D Associated with a Vitamin D Dispensing Error. Annals of Pharmacotherapy. October 2011. 45(1), e52.

Tip #9

Rayssiguier, R., Libako, P., Nowacki, W., Rock, E. Magnesium Deficiency and Metabolic Syndrome: Stress and Inflammation May Reflect Calcium Activation. Magnesium Research. 2010. 23(2), 73-80

Ahmed, H. Modulatory Effects of Vitamin E., Acetyl-L-Carnitine and A-Lipoic acid on New Potential Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease in Rat Model. Experimental and Toxicological Pathology. December 2010. 23.

Tip #10

Boutcher, Stephen. High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss. Journal of Obesity. 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Trapp, E., Chisholm, D., et al. The Effects of High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise Training and Fat Loss and Fasting Insulin Levels of Young Women. International Journal of Obesity. 2008. 32(4), 684-691.

Havas, Magda. Dirty Electricity Elevates Blood Sugar among Electrically Sensitive Diabetics and May Explain Brittle Diabetes. Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine. 2008. 27, 135-146.

De Vocht, Frank. “Dirty Electricity”: What, Where, and Should We Care? Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. 2010. 20, 399-405.

Milham, Samuel. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Dirty Electricity. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. September 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Mikus, C., Oberlin, D., Libla, J., Taylor, A., Booth, F., Thyfault, J. Lowering Physical Activity Impairs Glycemic Control in Healthy Volunteers. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. June 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Thyfault J., Booth, F., Lack of Regular Physical Exercise or too Much Inactivity. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. July 2011. 14(4), 374-378.

Boot Camp in North Vancouver Shares Tips for Lasting Fat Loss Success

2012-05-29T21:12:00.001-07:00

See below for our upcoming 30 Day Body Transformation Challenge.

You are invited to our FREE Information Session for our upcoming
30-Day Body Transformation Challenge. Join with 2 friends and
receive $150! Already enjoying Isagenix? Perfect! Join in or refer
2 friends even if you can't join and receive $150 as well!

INFO NIGHT: Tuesday June 12th, 6:30 PM
START DATE: week of June 18, 2012
CONTACT INFO: Tyron Piteau at 604-626-2342 or
by email at Tyron@MakersBody.com.

30-Day Challenge begins the week of June 18th (not obligatory, come
get the info, then decide to start when works for you!)

Begin taking control of your health and wellness through
nutritional cleansing, exercise, healthy eating and group support.
Health changes made with support are 30% more successful!

The 30-Day Challenge Includes:
- 1-week for $1 tryout at The Maker's Body Boot Camp (only for
new participants to the boot camp. All current boot campers will
receive 25% off for each person they refer that join the challenge
and 50% off for each one that joins boot camp after their tryout week.)
- Personal coaching and support with Kinesiologists and
Personal Trainers
- Personal Health Assessment
- Before-and-after weight and measurements
- 30 day money back guarantee
- Guidance to easily maintain your results and renewed health
after the 30 day challenge!

About the Program:

Our program will help you to easily reach your ideal weight and
health goals by using a complete nutritional support system with
superior quality nutrients that cleanse the body of impurities
while replenishing nutrients for optimum health in
combination with a supervised exercise program designed by
registered trainers. And the most important feature -- support!
Health changes implemented within a supportive community are
generally more successful than efforts that are made alone.

This meet-up is great for men too! Bring your favourite man and
receive a discount on the program while you work together towards
better health and well-being!

*Note: If you do not live locally within the Vancouver area, no problem!
THIS PROGRAM IS OFFERED VIRTUALLY AS WELL!

To reserve your seat, or for more information, please contact
Tyron Piteau at 604-626-2342 or by email at Tyron@MakersBody.com.

Helping you reach your health and fitness goals in 2012,

Tyron

North Vancouver Boot Camp Shares 50 Fat Loss Tips

2012-05-10T15:51:00.002-07:00

1. Train using the most “bang for your buck,” multi-joint lifts like squats, deadlifts, bench press, chin-ups, and Olympic lifts as we do at our bootcamp in north vancouver called The Maker's Body Boot Camp.

2. Use very short rest periods (10 to 60 seconds) to trigger the greatest growth hormone response (another strategy we implement at boot camp). See point below why increasing growth hormone is so important for fat loss.

3. Vary the tempo of lifting phases and rest periods to provide new stimulus for the body to adapt.

4. To get lean fast, use a rep range between 8 to 12 reps over multiple sets/cycles with a load that limits you to between 8 to 12 reps maximum.

5. Train to create an anabolic response. Increasing growth hormone is the priority because of its significant lipolytic (fat burning) effects.

6. Perform circuit training with little rest between sets for maximal growth hormone response.

7. For gradual fat loss over a longer period, include strength cycles that favor testosterone release with heavier loads (up to 95 percent 1RM), slightly longer rest (2 to 3 minutes), and lots of sets.

8. Work harder. If you’re not getting results, you’re not working hard enough. I knew you would love that one ;)

9. Give priority to training the anaerobic energy system over the aerobic system when strength training and conditioning. This is the metabolic conditioning workouts we do in our north vancouver boot camp where we combine strength, cardio and core training all in one workout for the ultimate 3-in-1 workout.

10. Do high-intensity sprint intervals for conditioning, i.e. Peak 8 sprints. Peak 8 sprints are where you go all-out for 30 seconds either on a stationary bike, elliptical machine, rower, treadmill or outdoors on a hill and then rest 90 seconds, then repeat. Start with two sprints and add one sprint per week until you reach 8. I encourage clients to perform these on off boot camp days.

11. Be as active as possible in daily life. Move more: Take regular brisk walks during the day, always take the stairs, park far away in any parking lot, or do your own yard work.

12. Do relaxing physical activity instead of sitting in front of a screen: stretching, foam rolling, martial arts, or walking.

13. Eliminate all processed foods from your diet—don’t eat them ever.

14. Eliminate all trans-fats from your diet such as margarine and shortening—they MUST be removed from the diet.

15. Don’t avoid fat. Research shows that people with diets with 30 to 50 percent coming from smart fats have higher androgens (fat burning hormones) and lower body fat. Yes you read that right: fats are good to help you lose fat :). See list below.

Good Fats (only use these in your diet)
Fish Oil/Krill Oil
Avocadoes
Extra-virgin olive oil (excellent oil but DO NOT use for cooking, use it raw on salads and after a meal is cooked)
Virgin coconut oil (also use for cooking and frying)
Butter (also use for cooking and frying, preferably organic and raw if you can find it)
Nuts (and nut butters) and seeds (except peanuts)
Egg yolks (from organic, free-range, omega-3 eggs)
Cream (preferably from organic, grass-fed sources)

Bad Fats (avoid all these in your diet)
All vegetable oils (corn, canola, safflower, sunflower, soy, etc.)
All trans fat

16. Eat smart fat, favoring the omega-3 fats that come from fish, krill oil and wild meats.

17. Take fish oil to boost omega-3 fat intake and ensure your omega-3 to omega-6 fat intake is balanced.

18. Eat a diet with high-quality protein—organic meats will provide the largest “bang for your buck” protein. For high-quality, undenatured whey protein made from grass-fed cows without hormones, antibiotics or pesticides use Isagenix supplements such as: IsaPro (vanilla protein powder), IsaLean Shakes and/or Bars (meal replacement shakes and bars) and IsaLean Pro (meal replacement shake similar to the IsaLean Shake but with more protein).

Good Proteins (only use these in your diet)
Beef (ground or steak)
Bison (Buffalo)
Cheese (cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, etc.)
Deer/Venison
Egg (fresh organic, free-range, omega-3, DO NOT use processed, dried egg powders)
Beef Jerky (read the label as some contain high carbs and preservatives such as nitrites and nitrates)
Pork Tenderloin
Fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, shrimp, tuna, halibut, cod, sea bass, flounder, lobster, crab)
Protein Powder (preferably from a source where the cows have been grass-fed and where no pesticides, herbicides or hormones have been used as in Isagenix IsaPro)
Chicken Breast or Thigh
Turkey Breast or Thigh
Yogurt (preferably organic and non-homogenized)
Tofu (important: must be from fermented soybeans)

19. Be consistent each and every week. Don't do the "flash in the pan" approach to weight loss. Find the right program and be committed and stick with it.

20. Have someone coach/monitor you and your progress. Just like in sports, business, school, etc. we have coaches, mentors and teachers to help us along in reaching our goals, its the same with weight loss and your health and fitness goals.

21. Eliminate wheat and avoid grains in favor of vegetables. See list below.

Good Starches/Carbs (only use these in your diet)
White rice
Quinoa
Tubers: white and sweet potatoes, yams

Starches/Carbs to Avoid (avoid all these in your diet)
All grains including wheat and wheat based products (i.e. bread, wheat flour, pastries, pies, biscuits, pasta, etc.), oats, spelt, kamut, granola, etc.
Beans and legumes

22. Raise resting metabolic rate (the amount of calories the body burns at rest) by eating a higher protein diet with 15 to 25 percent of the diet coming from high-quality protein.

23. Eliminate all high-glycemic carbs and eat only low-glycemic vegetables and berries.

24. Eat an antioxidant-rich diet to prevent inflammation, which leads to fat gain. Try kale, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, berries, pomegranates, and cherries.

25. Non-green veggies that help you lose fat are colored peppers, eggplant, garlic, onions, mushrooms, hearts of palm, spaghetti squash, and water chestnuts.

26. Drink a lot of water (at LEAST 3 liters a day) to stay hydrated and help detox the body. Recommended water to drink is Kangen Water (8.5-9.5 pH). This is the water we use at boot camp. This water is ionized, alkalized and high in antioxidants for optimal health and wellness. If you would like a free 2 week supply to try it out to see the difference it makes in your body compared to regular acidic, chlorinated tap, filtered or bottled water, don't hesitate to let me know but please do let me know first, don't just take it. Important note: Cancer and disease thrive in an acidic environment so drinking high-quality Kangen alkalized water will optimize your health and help your body become more alkaline and an unsuitable environment for disease. For more info email me or call me at 604.626.2342.

27. Avoid alcohol, juice, soda, and sports drinks. Stick to water, tea, and coffee.

28. For a radical approach, eliminate all alcohol. If alcohol can’t be eliminated, Sardinian and Spanish red wines are the best worst option.

29. Try acupuncture—studies have shown it can aid in treating obesity.

30. Make sure your vitamin D level is over 40 ng/ml. Take vitamin D if not. Recommended dose is 8000 IU per day.

31. Take a probiotic (Genestra Brand's HMF Intensive or Forte) to improve your gut health and your overall health for that matter. Also, add fermented foods to your diet as it's key for digestive and gut health. Have 2-3 servings per day. Ex. kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut (unpasteurized), kvass, kombucha tea, kimchi, miso, natto, tempeh, pickles, olives, etc. (these are important for improved digestion, gut health and a strong immune system). Start small (1-2 tsp. per day) and increase in amount as well as number of times per day over a few days/weeks as the good probiotic bacteria in fermented food will be killing off the pathegenic bacteria and yeasts but we want to do it slowly as if you kill them too fast you can experience the "die off" effect where you will feel worse as the bad bacteria and yeasts release toxins into your bloodstream when they die.

32. Make sure your magnesium level is up to par. Scientists suggest 500 mg of magnesium a day.

33. Take a liquid zinc test to see if you can taste zinc. If not, you are deficient and should take zinc to speed fat loss.

34. Don’t buy cheap, poor quality supplements because they will do more harm than good if they are tainted with heavy metals or pollutants. For high-quality supplements free of artifical sweeteners, stimulants, etc. choose Isagenix. For more info click here: Isagenix.

35. Take B vitamins, especially if you eat a high-protein diet or take BCAAs because the extra amino acids take away from the pool of available B vitamins needed for detox.

36. Drink coffee or take caffeine before workouts to increase fat burning and work capacity—research shows we will self-select heavier loads if we take caffeine before training.

37. Drink organic green tea to elevate fat burning and aid in detoxifying the body.

38. Take carnitine to help the body use fat for fuel and increase time to exhaustion when training hard.

39. Take the amino acid taurine because it lowers the stress hormone cortisol and helps the body digest fat.

40. Take R-form alpha lipoic acid because it supports detox and recovery from training.

41. Use the herb fenugreek with meals to improve insulin sensitivity and energy use.

43. Limit fructose (especially high fructose corn syrup) in the diet because it gets in the way of losing belly fat.

44. Never eat fructose before workouts because it blunts fat burning and lowers metabolic rate.

45. Avoid milk before workouts because it is very “insulinotropic,” meaning it causes persistently high insulin levels that make you burn less energy.

46. Don’t drink caffeine after workouts because it may raise cortisol at the point where you need to clear it for the best fat-burning and recovery effect.

47. Eat high-quality protein for breakfast. Avoid cereal and all processed foods.

48. Eliminate all sugar from your diet. It’s way more trouble than it’s worth if you want to lose fat.

49. Make an effort to get enough sleep. An early-to-bed, early-to-rise sleep pattern has been shown to improve body composition.

50. Know that you have complete control over what you put in your mouth. No one ever ate anything by accident.

Below is the interview with Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. Please listen to it and if you can, I HIGHLY recommend implementing what she teaches.

I hope that helped.

Tyron

PS. Thanks to fellow fitness professional below for what was shared in this blog.

Charles Poliquin is one of the most accomplished strength coaches in the world. He has designed workouts for Olympic medalists in 17 different sports, world record holders in 10 different sports, and professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and UK Premier League. He has lectured or consulted for a variety of high-profile organizations such as the US Secret Service, Walt Disney Corporation and the World Swimming Congress. More info about him and the info shared in this blog post visit his website at http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/1174/Fifty-Fat-Loss-Tips.aspx.

Boot Camp in North Vancouver Shares a Fat Loss Cardio Tip

2012-04-11T02:48:00.011-07:00

Give that a try in your training program and you'll see much faster weight loss. For those in our boot camp or personal training programs, you would want to do this in between your sessions, i.e. if you are doing boot camp Monday, Wednesday and Friday or Saturday then you'd want to do this Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday or Sunday for a total of 6 workouts per week.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to let me know by emailing me or leaving a comment below.

Helping you get physically and financally fit,

Tyron

PS. If you live in North or West Vancouver, BC and want to experience the boot camp in North Vancouver that GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 28 days or your money back AND will help you get fast results like this girl in the video below who no longer has to take diabetes medication as her diabetes is gone and on top of that has so far lost 10 pounds, 3% body fat, 1-2 clothing sizes and 4 inches, then click the link below:

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

North Vancouver Bootcamp Discusses Muscle Building and Protein

2012-04-06T00:12:00.000-07:00

Below I've listed a protein powder and two meal replacements I use and that include the highest quality protein from cows that are grass-fed without pesticides or herbicies and are not given any antibiotics or hormones.

IsaPro Protein - available in vanilla
The highest-quality whey protein from dairy cows that are pasture-fed on small New Zealand family farms, milked according to season, and not treated with hormones or antibiotics.

Suggested Use: Add 1 scoop to water, milk or almond milk to make a protein shake/smoothie.

Available from us directly or at http://MakersBody.Isagenix.com/ca/en/isapro.dhtml

IsaLean Shakes (meal replacement) - 2 flavours include creamy vanilla and creamy chocolate – available in powder or individual packets

Suggested Use: Mix 2 scoops in water in place of a meal.

Available from us directly or at http://MakersBody.Isagenix.com/ca/en/isaleanshake_new.dhtml

IsaLean Bars (meal replacement) - 4 flavours include chocolate peanut crunch, chocolate cream crisp, lemon passion crunch and chocolate decadence

Suggested Use: Take in place of a meal.

Available from us directly or at http://MakersBody.Isagenix.com/ca/en/isaleanbars.dhtml

North Vancouver Boot Camp Talks Sleep, Lightheadedness and Muscle Soreness and Recovery

2012-03-21T22:18:00.003-07:00

Why Don't I Sleep Well?

Many people find that as they get older (and busier!) their quality of sleep suffers. The two most common complaints that we hear all the time are:

1. I cannot get to sleep.

2. I can get to sleep but I wake up after a few hours and cannot get back to sleep.

Sleep problems like these are often due to a combination of higher than desirable cortisol (a hormone produced by your adrenal glands) and lower than desirable melatonin (a hormone produced by your pineal gland).

So what are we to do about this problem? Firstly, stop doing things that make the problem worse! Exercising after 6pm will often cause cortisol levels to rise...in some people this behaviour contributes directly to a sleep problem. Drinking coffee (or consuming things that contain caffeine) after 12 noon can also cause the same type of problem. Another common culprit is working late into the evening (I am guilty of this). This does two unhelpful things...it gets your brain going at a million miles per hour and the white light from the computer screen can contribute to the delayed release of melatonin i.e. that computer screen makes your body think the sun is still up!

Here are some other things you can do to help improve your sleep quality:

1. Eat protein and fat at dinner. It's a bad idea to eat a carbohydrate dominant meal in the evening e.g. soup and salad. This will result in elevated blood sugar then a rebound hypoglycemia a few hours later. The rebound hypoglycemia requires cortisol secretion to release glucose from the liver. This process is called gluconeogenesis and is a recipe for a bad night's sleep. Better dinner choices are fish with vegetables and avocado or steak with vegetables and cheese. These meals should result in stable blood sugar and thus nice low cortisol levels.

That's a good meal...and healthy too!

2. Exercise early in the morning within 60 minutes of rising. This will stimulate your adrenals to secrete cortisol. Cortisol makes you feel alert and alive...you want that feeling in the morning (but not at night!) Vigorous exercise every morning creates a level of physical fatigue that makes it much more likely that you will feel tired and sleepy by 10pm.

3. Taking a 30 minute Epsom salt bath around 8-9pm has a very sedating effect on the central nervous system. The sedating effect is due to magnesium. Through trial and error my friends Chris and Janet have found in their practice that 6lbs of Epsom salts is needed in order to get a noticeable effect. They have also tried shorter baths but it seems that a full 30 minutes is required in order to get the effect they are looking for.

Now doesn't she look relaxed and ready for a good night's sleep?

Try these ideas and get your sleep back on track. Think how much more productive you could be during the day if you slept like a baby every night...

Why Do I Get Lightheaded When I Stand Up?

This is quite common and in the abscence of any serious health problem is usually a sign of adrenal fatigue and depleted mineral status. The medical term for this condition is benign postural hypotension (BPH). If you exercise vigorously every day you are more likely to develop BPH because you lose lots of minerals in sweat. Competitive endurance athletes almost always suffer from BPH at some point each year, usually when they train harder or more frequently than normal. What can be done? BPH is merely your body telling you that you need to add minerals to your diet. Add sea salt liberally to all meals and start taking a good quality electrolyte capsule 3 times a day. Use Energenix from Isagenix to the water you drink throughout the day as well as in the water you drink while working out. Available from us directly at The Maker's Body Boot Camp or at http://MakersBody.Isagenix.com/ca/en/wantmoreenergy.dhtml).

Reduce Muscle Soreness And Speed Recovery

Most of us get sore muscles from time to time. Anybody who lifts weights regularly expects to feel sore from time to time. Post workout soreness is your confirmation that you did something worthwhile. If you NEVER got sore from strength training it's probably time to make some changes to your routine as we do in boot camp on a regular basis such as increase the weights you are lifting, decrease the rest period or flat out push yourself harder ;). Making a radical change like this to your strength training routine will make you sore. What can be done to mitigate this and speed up the recovery process?

There are a number of supplements that can help. Try this combo: 1 scoop or 2 ounces of Ionix Supreme (http://MakersBody.Isagenix.com/ca/en/ionixsupreme.dhtml) before you workout and another 1 scoop or 2 ounces immediately afterward mixed with 1 scoop of IsaPro (http://MakersBody.Isagenix.com/ca/en/isapro.dhtml). IsaPro is the highest-quality whey protein from dairy cows that are pasture-fed on small New Zealand family farms, milked according to season, and not treated with hormones or antibiotics. Ionix Supreme is a nutrient-rich, rejuvenating drink that restores and protects the body and helps increase your ability to perform mentally and physically. One of the neat parts about it is it contains specialized adaptogens and over 100 specially sources ingredients that energize your cells and adapt your body to any form of stress. IsaPro and Ionix Supreme are available from us directly at The Maker's Body Boot Camp or at http://MakersBody.Isagenix.com/ca/en/isapro.dhtml and http://MakersBody.Isagenix.com/ca/en/ionixsupreme.dhtml.


You will NOT look like this guy...

However you may look like one of these.

If you want an added kick to your workouts, add 1-2 scoops or 1/2-1 stick of Energenix into the water you drink while working out. Energenix is a refreshing drink powder containing Vitamins A, C and B complex, electrolytes and nutrients that are lost during stress and exercise. It's natural fuel for the body, it gives you endurance and sustains your energy without caffeine or stimulants. Available from us directly at The Maker's Body Boot Camp or at http://MakersBody.Isagenix.com/ca/en/wantmoreenergy.dhtml).

Another good way to speed up your recovery from strenuous exercise is hot/cold contrast. Think Russian or Finnish sauna with a hole cut in the ice for the cold plunge. Most of us don't live in that kind of weather so a compromise has to be made. If you have access to a sauna then use it. Put water on the heater/coals to create steam and humidity...the goal is to SWEAT profusely. After a few minutes (or whenever you start to get a little too hot for comfort) get out of the sauna and get in the coldest water you can find. This might be the cold water in the shower or a cold bath or a large tub of icy water in your back garden. Spend 30s-60s in the cold water then go back into the heat and repeat the process. Go from hot to cold at least 3 times. Always start in the heat and finish in the cold. If you do this several times a week you will quickly build a tolerance for both the cold and the hot temperatures. You may in fact sleep like a baby after experiencing this! You're probably wondering what this does. There are 3 main benefits:

1. It causes rapid/massive vasodilation and vasoconstriction of blood vessels. This creates an effective pumping mechanism which removes metabolic waste from tight/ischemic tissue.

2. The profuse sweating in the sauna helps to get rid of toxins - that's why a dry sauna won't work well. You need significant thermal stress (i.e. humidity and heat) to cause profuse sweating. Your skin acts as an organ of elimination. Make it work for you by exercising daily and getting in a wet sauna regularly.

3. Most of us live in very tightly controlled environments. We have the temperature in our houses set just so, then we climb into our climate controlled cars and drive to work where the temperature is again maintained in a very narrow range by a computer. Our ancestors did not live like this...in the summer they got HOT and in the winter they got COLD. In the day time they were warmer than at night. It is not healthy or desirable to live in an environment that never goes below 15 Celsius or above 24 Celsius. Part of knowing you are alive is physical interaction with the outdoors. Hot/cold contrast will make you feel more alive than you have in a long time.

We're here to help you get healthy!

Tyron

PPS. Thanks to my friends Chris Maund and Janet Alexander for what was shared in this blog.

Janet Alexander

A 25-year veteran of the Health and Fitness Industry and commited endurance athlete, Janet draws her experience from a varied career base, including teaching, sales and marketing, advertising and design as well as working with clients requiring sports performance and orthopedic rehabilitation. Janet is one of the Senior Faculty at the C.H.E.K Institute, co-owner of The CHEK Studio, Inc. in Encinitas, CA where she works predominantly with golfing athletes and their coaches including PGA and LPGA professionals. https://www.chekconnect.com/Page/ConnectProfile?member=janetalexander1

Chris Maund

Chris Maund is a member of the C.H.E.K Faculty and has been teaching for the C.H.E.K Institute since 1998. Chris has a bachelor's degree in Physical Education and Sports Science from Loughborough University in England. He has written a thesis to satisfy part of the requirements for C.H.E.K Practitioner Program entitled "Sleep, Biological Rhythms and Electromagnetic Fields". Chris is a strong believer in the value of massage therapy and studied Paul St John's Neuro Muscular Therapy program. An experienced triathlete, he was a member of the British National Squad from 1989-1992 before emigrating to New Zealand in 1993. Chris has a wealth of experience working in a wide variety of rehabilitation and sports conditioning scenarios. https://www.chekconnect.com/Page/ConnectProfile?member=chrismaund

Boot Camp in North Vancouver Shares 10 Ways to Boost Your Immune System

2012-03-15T16:20:00.001-07:00

1. Take 1000-2000 mg of vitamin C every hour until your bowels become loose that's when you know you are capped with vitamin C and have hit the saturation point. C-Lyte: This formula contains three types of energizing Vitamin C that are gentle on the stomach while supporting antioxidant protection to keep your body in peak health. Available from us directly or at http://MakersBody.Isagenix.com/ca/en/clyte.dhtml

2. Drink warm water with 1/2 or a whole lemon squeezed into it as many times during the day as you want.

3. Drink LOTS of water.

4. Keep warm.

5. Take 5-10 drops of oil of oregano under your tongue every 2-3 hrs.

6. Take 8 capsules of vitamin D per day (usually 8 capsules but just check the serving size on your bottle). Vitamin D by Now brand. Available from us directly.

7. Take a high quality probiotic supplement for your gut flora to aid in digestion, boost your immune system and combat disease. Take either: HMF Forte (each capsule contains 10 billion CFU) or HMF Intensive (each capsule contains 25 billion CFU). Available from us directly.
Recommended use for HMF Forte: Take one capsule two times daily with meals.
Recommended use for HMF Intensive: Take one capsule daily with a meal.

Human MicroFlora (HMF) probiotic strains are research-driven and clinically proven in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trials at 25 billion CFU. Proprietary non-pathogenic human-sourced microflora bacterial strains are utilized as they have strong epithelial adherence and a naturally high tolerance to stomach acid.

HMF Forte provides two strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, along with fructooligosaccharides to specifically assist in re-establishing and maintaining a normal intestinal microflora. Studies show that an overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens leads to a compromised immune system, resulting from immuno-suppressive and toxic influences such as impure water supply, antibiotics, processed foods, pesticides and stress. Stress upsets the delicate balance of the intestinal flora and imbalances of friendly bacteria, leading to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. HMF Forte is a moderate-level maintenance probiotic formula indicated for individuals who use antibiotics, oral contraceptives, steroids and hormonal replacement therapy, and for extreme fatigue, allergies, yeast overgrowth, stress, hypercholesterolemia and indigestion.

HMF Intensive contains a highly concentrated amount of the two strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis in a single daily-dose capsule, specifically formulated as a medium term immunomodulator to prevent opportunistic bacteria from proliferating the gastrointestinal tract. Many factors compromise the immune system’s defenses such as the overuse of antibiotics and prescription drugs, environmental pollutants, and stress, resulting in impaired healing ability and lowered defense against infection. Supplementation of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria will crowd out unwanted bacteria by repopulating the gastro-intestinal tract. HMF Intensive is a high-level therapeutic formula indicated for acute or chronic allergies, dysbiosis, yeast infections, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and hyper-cholesterolemia. HMF Intensive is highly recommended after completion of the HMF Replete program. The capsules are 100% pure vegetable-sourced. Product ideal for vegetarians.

8. Eat a few raw garlic cloves per day. If you can't stomach it by itself, chop it up and combine it with a meal or add it to a shake/smoothie.

9. Berberis Formula by Genestra Brands. Adults: Take two capsules two times daily away from meals. Risk Information: If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, do not use. If you have a kidney disorder or blood pressure problems, consult your healthcare practitioner prior to use. Available from us directly.

10. Homeopathic remedies
Belladonna (homeopathic)
Used for inflammations, fever, congestion, headaches.
Take 5 pellets 3x/day if you feel like you're getting sick or are sick already.
Available from us directly.

Mercurius Solubilis (homeopathic)
Used for sore throats, tonsilitis, coughs.
Take 5 pellets 3x/day if you feel like you're getting sick or are sick already.
Available from us directly.

Drosera Plex Syrup (homeopathic)
Used for Coughs, Catarrh (inflammation of the mucous membranes in one of the airways or cavities of the body).
Take 1 tablespoon (15ml) 3 to 5 times daily.
Available from us directly.