Wanna Be Bigger, Leaner and Stronger

How to Start Muscle Building at Home

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

You know that you want to, and possible should, start working out and getting into shape. But maybe you don't like the gym or you want something to do when you're not going to the gym? Well then you need to learn muscle building at home techniques. Muscle building at home does not have to be difficult, it can even be fun, but you are going to need to have motivation and dedication to really get the results that you are looking for here.

Starting on a Diet Plan

If you want to start muscle building at home, the first step needs to be for you to create a proper diet plan. Many many people make the mistake of thinking that exercises come first and are the most important part, but this is actually not the case. Instead you are going to need to focus on your diet and what you are eating before being concerned with the exercises that you are doing.

Getting Equipment

Now before you can start muscle building at home, you are going to have to get the right equipment for yourself. You are going to need to get weights for one. Make sure that you are aware of what amount of weights you are getting, it might be best to get a dumbbell set where you can change the dumbbell weight. This is because although you do want to challenge yourself at the same time you do not want to overdo it and end up injuring yourself, this does not help you get into shape.

Make sure that you consult your physician before you start trying to muscle building at home. This is important so that you know how to safely use the weights at home but also it is important as it will ensure that you are going to lose the most body fat in the shortest amount of time. Also this will ensure that you don't have any health condition at play that you are going to have to be concerned with when working out.

You also want to keep in mind when you start muscle building at home that, unlike weight machines, free weights do not restrict movement, which personally I think makes them a lot better. Consider your exercise motivation for the quality and durability of the weights that you are thinking of buying, make sure they are fit for purpose for what you have in mind.

You also want to make sure that the weights you are going to be purchasing are going to be easy enough for you to store. Especially if your home is already cramped it is very easy to lose an entire room to a set of equipment for muscle building at home, which is why I would recommend a set of dumbbells.

I'm Joe Gore and I have created http://www.24hrbodybuildingfitness.com/ using information I have researched and put into practice through my own fitness routine. Take action now and visit my website at the above link.

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Weightlifting: The Bulgarian Blitz!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

So why do the Bulgarians have such a successful national weightlifting program? Do they use anabolics in excess? Do they need to use them? I will answer this question and more right here.

By: Critical BenchOct 18, 2005 Email More SHARE

This article was written for the single purpose of exploring Bulgarian training methods as they can and should be used by your run-of-the-mill American weightlifter.

Well, that and for the purpose of firing off a little rant. But, if you can get through the ranting, I promise there will be some training stuff somewhere in there ...

Begin Rant

As of late, it seems that an increasing number of people have taken to saying that the Bulgarians have lost their edge, and that Bulgaria is 'no longer dominant' in international weightlifting.

I am not altogether sure exactly what results these folks are looking at. The 2000 Olympics, for example, which was about the worst meet in 3 decades for the Bulgarians, still saw 4 Bulgarian-trained lifters on the medal stand.

Six students of the Bulgarian system medaled at the 2002 World Championships. As of March 2003, if one were to look at the IWF men's rankings one will find that the Bulgarians have a lifter ranked in the top 3 in ALL SIX classes that are 69 kilos and above. Not only that, but in 4 of those classes the Bulgarian is ranked number one.

So, it seems to me that in the 'ever-expanding world of the 21st century', the Bulgarians are continuing to more than hold their own in weightlifting. Especially when one considers that Bulgaria is a nation of about 8 million, while countries of half a billion sit and flounder with no lifters and no medals.

But I digress... the fact is that the Bulgarians are still good. They are better than good. And the single most important reason for their success is their training methods.

RELATED ARTICLE Bulgarian Leg Training Secrets Explained!
This is an extensive and thought-provoking article about the different leg training protocols that were popularized by the dominant Bulgarian weightlifting teams of the latter half of the Twentieth Century.
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Yes, after comments about how the Bulgarians are not that good anymore come out one side of the mouth, comments about how their training is worthless usually comes out of the other. The most common version of this old song and dance is a statement to the effect of "Oh, that routine would KILL you!"

Inherent in this excuse is one of two common premises.

First is that the Bulgarians succeed with their training solely because of enormous amounts of drugs.

Second is that only their hand-picked genetic freaks could handle that kind of workload.

Drug Offenders?

The problem with the first point is that the Bulgarians are not that high on the list of IOC drug offenders. Sure, there are Bulgarians that use banned anabolic substances. But, the same can be said for EVERY international team, and I do mean *EVERY* team.

The fact is that the Bulgarians dominate the middleweight classes, where excessive use of anabolics might just put a lifter over his class limit. Some countries which will remain nameless (*cough*Russia*cough*), always seem to have their best lifters drifting through the 94s and the 105s on their way to being 135 kilo heavyweights.

This type of situation seems much more indicative of drug use, but of course the whiners do not want to hear logical arguments. Additionally, the Bulgarian training system is not the type that would draw too heavily upon the benefits of using anabolics.

The Bulgarian-type workout consisting only of a moderate number of not-quite-maximum singles imposes a heavy burden on the CNS, but if one is looking for CNS stimulation or recovery there are better places than steroids to find it.

Central Nervous System:
The central nervous system along with the peripheral nervous system comprise a primary division of controls that command all physical activities of a vertebrate (a life form with a spine).

Neurons of the central nervous system affect consciousness and mental activity while spinal extensions of central nervous system neuron pathways affect skeletal muscles and organs in the body.

Again, contrast this with traditional training programs in the Russian regimen where athletes of high sports mastery would be training on up to 80 different lifts/exercises a year, with about 25% of these done for sets of 5 reps or more, and you can see a training protocol that drastically has its effectiveness increased by substances that will increase protein synthesis and help recovery at the cellular level.

Genetic Freaks?

The second point (that of genetics) has a grain of truth in it. The best Bulgarian lifters have been in the system for quite some time, and have risen to the top from among the best of the best.

However, one can look down the Bulgarian ranks to see if it is the 'system' or the 'individuals.' Bulgaria usually has a deep team of lifters, so much so that they can afford to sell half of them to foreign countries.

I somehow doubt that, again, in this nation of only 8 million people there are that many more 'perfect weightlifters' born than anywhere else. The other thing is these lifters have slowly worked up to what they are doing over that long time that they have been in the system.

Bulgaria does not throw its 14-year olds into a situation where they go from doing nothing to doing 27 workouts a week where they snatch to a heavy single.

In fact, many Eastern European nations that start lifters as young as 12-years old have them doing only about 30% of their training as specific preparation for as long as 3 years. It takes them a long time to ramp up to the volumes they are handling once they are competing at the world level.

A Brutal Training Program.

Finally, as an adjunct to both points, people need to realize that the training program, as the elite Bulgarian lifters follow it, IS brutal. However, drugs are not as big a piece of the pie as they are made out to be. Neither is genetics.

The Bulgarians have massages before, during, and after workouts. Do you?

RELATED ARTICLE The Benefits Of Swedish Massage Therapy For Athletes.
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The Bulgarians take all sorts of herbs and 'adaptogens' and are deeply involved in legal sports performance pharmacology. Are you?

The Bulgarians on the national team don't have to keep a 9-to-5, 40-hour a week job. Do you?

The point here is that there are many recovery factors that can come into play that make a Bulgarian routine more accessible to their lifters than to the average American.

That said, if you are willing to do some homework on herbs and learn a little bit about sports self-massage, etc., you also can reap the benefits of increased recovery.

The Bulgarian Blitz

All that having been said, I simply refuse to accept the idea that there is nothing to learn from their training.

In fact, I have arrived at what I believe is a way to work *anyone* into a system that at least draws upon the same principles as the Bulgarian training methods, and have been using it with myself and others.

You might never get to 'Full-on Bulgarian' status, but you can definitely make their type of workouts work for you ...

Step 1:
Basic Routine Template

Monday:

Snatch: 3 singles, using 'Maximum Training Resistance'Clean & Jerk: MTR matrix Front Squat: 3 singles, using MTR, then 2 doubles with MTR -15 kilos

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Monday "Matrix A."
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Monday "Matrix B."
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Monday "Matrix C."

[ See Below For An Explanation Of A, B, & C Progressions. ]

Wednesday:

Back Squat: 3 doubles with Monday CJ MTR + 20 kilos Power Snatch: 3 singles with MTR Power Clean and Push Jerk: 3 singles with MTR Romanian Deadlift: 3 triples with Mon CJ MTR + 20 kilos

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Wednesday.

Friday:

Snatch: work up to true 1RM CJ: work up to true 1RM Front Squat or Back Squat: work up to true 1RM

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Friday.

[Basically this is a 'Total Day' or a simulated competition. Again, you don't want to psyche up like this is the Olympics, but you do want to 'let loose' and push yourself to darn near what your absolute max for that day would be.]

Weight Lifted

Reps (1-10)

One-Rep Max

There you have it. Pretty simple, eh? And who could complain about that volume or frequency? If you cannot handle the above workout schedule, then you have some serious recovery issues. You may want to consider retiring from weightlifting and taking up cross-stitch, or something else less stressful.

Maximum Training Resistance.

Now, one of the important concepts here is that of "Maximum Training Resistance." This is what some of you may have heard referred to as a 'daily max' before.

The definition of the MTR is "the maximum resistance that can be overcome one time without a strong effort of will or emotional stress." This is key in this program; at least as I have it structured to work for the individual.

We want to use the MTR so as not to burn out the nervous system. Thus, on Mondays and Wednesday, the singles in the classical and power lifts must NOT be 'balls to the wall, my youngest son is hanging suspended over a Judas Cradle' type of lifts. They are 'I can walk up to the bar and pull this weight' lifts.

What Is A Judas Cradle?
The Judas Cradle, also known as the Judas Chair, was a torture device used in the Spanish Inquisition. The Judas Cradle was a pyramid-shaped seat. The victim was placed on top of it, with the point inserted into their anus or vagina, then very slowly lowered by ropes. The intended effect was to stretch the orifice over a long period of time. Saving a person from such a device would require the equivalent of a rather intense power lift.

Of course, you have to toe the line. Also, you have to learn whether you are missing lifts because you are actually working above your MTR, or because your form sucks.

For me, it is an issue of pulling in the snatch and clean and the drive in the jerk. If I am pulling the bar high enough to snatch it or clean it, and driving it high enough to jerk it, I don't feel that I have exceeded my MTR, whether I am making the lifts or not.

If I am missing my snatches out front, it is likely just because of my crappy first pull and lack of a full shrug, and not because I am going too heavy. As a lifter progresses, he will learn exactly where that line is.

At the start of the program, Mondays and Wednesdays only will be done using the 'MTR Matrix'. This matrix will appear at the end of the article, and I will place appropriate comments with it.

Step 2:
Adding A Session.

Alright, the first step beyond the basic workout on your way to becoming a Bulgarian. What is it?

On the middle day of the week, you are going to do 2 sessions. The session you have already been doing will be the a.m. session, and the following will be done in the p.m:

Middle Day PM

Snatch 80%/2 (3-4 sets) CJ 80%/2 (3-4 sets) Snatch Pulls; 3-4 sets of triples with a weight 10 kilos over what was used for the snatches.

The issue here becomes on what day of the week are you able to add a session. So, if you can do an a.m. and p.m. workout Thursday, that becomes your 'middle day', and you are now lifting Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday.

Though, if adding an a.m. (or basically just a session 2-3 hours earlier in the day) session is a big stumbling block, continuing on with the progression of the program might be next to impossible.

The other issue here is when to take these steps. That, I am afraid, is up to the individual lifter and/or his coach. I would say that once you have been 'through the matrix' a couple of times at each and are able to keep making progress, add the next step. Your body is ready for the challenge.

Step 3:
Adding A Day.

So, you have added a session. A few months later, you should be ready to add a fourth day. What previously would have been the M, W, F workouts, respectively, will now take place on Mon, Tues, and Sat. What do we add in?

On Thursday, you will do a workout that looks exactly like Monday's. That wasn't so hard, was it?

Step 4:
Adding A Session.

You have now been lifting 4 days a week, twice on Tuesdays. Your hair has gotten a little longer than is stylish, and you tend to wear T-shirts bearing '80s slogans that were not even cool in the '80s. It is time to move on ...

You will add an a.m. session to Monday (with the previously done Monday session moved to the p.m, or done second). What will that a.m. session look like?

Monday a.m. Session.

Snatch: 85%/2 (3-4 sets) CJ: 90%/2 (2-3 sets) Back Squat or RDL to MTR

Step 5:
Adding Two Sessions.

This is it. The final bump in the road. It may have taken you a year and a half to work through the prior steps. You now can answer your cell phone between the clean and the jerk portions of the lift, and you got a new driver's license that says "Boevski" instead of "Dave Smith". You are ready for the final step in truly becoming a Bulgarian ..

What is added? It's simple, really. On Thursday you add an a.m. workout that looks the same as Monday's a.m. workout, and on Saturday you do the following workout (though it is more of a CNS warm-up than a workout) in the a.m:

Saturday

Back Squat 80%/3 (3 sets) Power Snatches: 'light' Power Clean and Push Jerk: 'light'

Barbell Push Jerk

Conclusion

So, there you have it. You now do 8 workouts a week. Craziness? Hardly, if you have added the steps only once you were ready. Not quite as extreme as the Bulgarians?

Think again, because you are now using almost the exact same routine that the Bulgarian team has been doing since new Head Coach Plamen Asparukhov took over for Abadjiev in 2001 and reaffirmed the Bulgarian team's commitment to staying in line with IOC doping regulations.

You now train just like Boevski and Jeliazkov, so good luck and go lift like them ...

The MTR Matrix

This is basically a system of volume/intensity progression that was used by the old Bulgarian regime that has not fallen out of favor. You can play with and rearrange the weeks as you like, but my preference is to go A-B-B-C-A. Some people can handle A-B-B-C-C-A. Try different things and see what works for you.

Also, to start with a lifter is probably best off basing the entire mesocycle on the MTR that was used during the first week. So, the weeks will just build upon each other.

As the lifter becomes more comfortable with the system and his own capabilities, however, he will become more in tune with what his true MTR is on any given day, and during weeks B and C, respectively, will basically just do a second wave and a third wave back up to that weight irrespective of what MTR was used during week one.

"A" Week:

Predicted MTR -20kilos for 2 reps.Predicted MTR -10 kilos for a single.MTR for 3-4 singles.

"B" Week:

Perform A week progression.MTR -10 kilos for a double.MTR -5 kilos for a single.MTR +5 kilos for 2-4 singles.

"C" Week:

Entire B week progression performed.Double with MTR -20 kilos.Double with MTR -10 kilos.3-4 more singles with MTR plus 5 or 7.5 kilos.

So, if you were doing a simple A-B-B-C-A progression over 5 weeks, and you found that your snatch MTR was 100 on the first Monday, for the next 5 weeks your Monday snatch workouts might be as follows:

Week 1: 80/2, 90, 100 (3-4)
Week 2: 80/2, 90, 100 (3), 90/2, 95, 105 (2-4)
Week 3: 80/2, 90, 100 (3), 90/2, 95, 105 (2-4)
Week 4: 80/2, 90, 100 (3), 90/2, 95, 105 (3), 80/2, 90/2, 105 (2), 107.5 (2)
Week 5: 80/2, 90, 100 (3-4)

At this point, the lifter would start over, this time likely using 105 as the MTR for the first A week in the mesocycle.

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Muscle Building Advice

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

What I recommend

Multi-vitamin. I recommend an inexpensive multi-vitamin from your local drugstore. Do NOT go into places like GNC to get a multi-vitamin because it will not be cheap or tested for safety. If you want a safe, effective multi-vitamin, walk into your local drugstore and get one there. A multi-vitamin is good for filling any gaps in your diet and overall health.

Green Tea. I do not recommend the green tea extract pills, I only recommend drinking the good stuff. Green tea is high in antioxidants and is good for overall health. If you don't like green tea, don't worry about it. Green tea will NOT make or break your results.

Fish Oil. Fish oil is more of a "maybe" on my list. If your diet has a sufficient amount of fatty acids, then you won't need a fish oil supplement.

That's it! I don't recommend anything else because everything else is just a waste of money and totally not needed. People may argue that protein powder should be on the list however, protein powder is a food not a supplement. Anything that has calories is considered food, supplements do not.

I recommend you buy your supplements at bodybuilding.com since they will be the cheapest there, however don't get caught in the trap. When you visit bodybuilding.com, you will be overwhelmed on the amount of supplements available. Trust me, 90 percent of them do absolutely nothing!!!

SUPPLEMENT FAQ

What about Creatine? Creatine is a supplement that has very mixed opinions. In my opinion, Creatine is a waste of money. Trust me, I have tried almost every supplement out there. Creatine is a waste of money. It's more beneficial to use the money for healthy food. May work for others, but I'm skeptical.

What about pre-workouts? Pre-workouts are the biggest scam ever. I have tried twenty-three different pre-workouts and they all do the same thing... nothing! If you think they're doing something, then you are falling for the pre-workout trap. It's not the pre-workout, it's your mind. Companies that make pre-workouts want you to believe that they work, so they add caffeine to give you a jolt. Then they have you hooked into thinking that you can't workout without a pre-workout. Abracadabra... customer for life.

CLA? I took CLA for about 4 months and nothing happened. I can tell you that any results you get while taking CLA will be from your diet and exercise routine, not from CLA. CLA is a waste of money and who knows what it could be doing inside your body.

What about Fish Oil? Fish Oil is actually a decent supplement however, your diet should contain essential fatty acids, which means you don't need to waste your money on Fish Oil. If you feel that you don't have enough fatty acids in your diet, then you actually might want to supplement with a fish oil supplement.

Glutamine? Again, I really don't believe supplements like these are necessary. You shouldn't need a supplement to help you recover faster because the diet should do all the work. Diet is so important in bodybuilding no matter how many supplements you take, the diet will be the key factor in your success. From my experience, Glutamine does help a bit with recovery, but a lot of protein powder out their already has Glutamine in it, so therefore you don't have to spend any extra money on Glutamine.

Weight Gainers? The problem with weight gainers is that they are mostly empty calories. It is true that some weight gainers have a lot of vitamins and minerals, but it would be a thousand times better to eat actual food. The other thing is you have to drink this weight gainer, which means your body will not absorb all of the nutrients. You're body can only absorb nutrients so fast. It's almost like someone drinking three scoops of whey at one time, and another person drinking the whey slowly throughout the day. The one who is drinking the whey slowly throughout the day will absorb the most amount of nutrients. The one who drank the whey all at once will most likely crap it out.

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Deadstop Training Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

by Lee Boyce – 4/8/2013
Supramaximal holds
Extended sets
One-and-a-half reps
Ladders

The strength training industry has come up with some pretty cool and innovative ways to pack on muscle mass and increase strength, with the above methods serving as prime examples.

Sometimes, however, it doesn't need to be complicated to make progress. Something as simple as pulling or pushing "dead weight" can help you blast through even the most frustrating strength plateau and get you on track to building muscle again.

The primary benefit of deadstop training is that it shuts off the stretch reflex so that it doesn't offer any assistance during the hardest phases of the lift.

Some salty coaches will go so far as to say this is the best way to measure someone's "true" strength as it's just muscle against load – no assistance from the meddling stretch reflex or any other efficiency hack.

This is partly why powerlifting meets require a full stop during the bench, squat, and deadlift competition – to get an uncompromised assessment of true muscular strength in a given movement. No bounce off the sternum/hope I don't snap a rib technique allowed.

Another benefit of deadstop training is that it gives you a split second to re-establish your technique. On movements like the deadlift, you can physically readjust yourself between reps so that your pull happens from the best possible geometry.

Compare this to training with the stretch reflex where we typically see technique degrade with each successive rep. Better movement always yields better results.

Deadstop training means coming to a full stop at the bottom of a deadlift, squat, bench press, and the like. However, when most lifters think of "deadstop training," they think of deadlifts and maybe a bench press movement.

That's no fun! Not to mention that in sports like football or even sprinting, aggressive pushing movements (blocking from the chest, pushing off the ground for a start) are required, meaning performing dead stops with your pushing and squatting movements can have considerable application.

The truth is, you can apply it to a variety of exercises, and in many different ways. Let's start with the most common applications before touching on the more obscure.

Not only are deadlifts awesome for adding lower and mid-back thickness and size, they're also an awesome way to improve overall force production and develop max strength. Adding a deadstop to the mix makes a "no cheating" exercise even more of a challenge as you must treat every rep like its own set because you take the time to readjust your technique.

Check out the video of my much skinnier self performing deadstop deadlifts:

Yup, there is such thing as a deadstop squat. Cutting off the stretch shortening cycle doesn't have to be limited to only the pulling movements – applying this technique to "push" exercises can be a great stimulus for muscle development and strength gains.

This is the most common deadstop squat variation. Let's forget all the propaganda about lower back muscle and lumbar spine injury – if you stay tight and don't "relax" at the bottom of a box squat, and you don't have any pre-existing conditions or use a box that's too low (taking away ideal pelvic position during your seat), you should be fine.

Here's the bonus: Using box squats with a wide stance allows for a more vertical shin position, meaning lowered knee stress and more glute and hamstring activation.

If you do have issues with your lower back or are just neurotic regarding box squats, then try bottom-up squats. They have the same deadstop effect on the muscles, without the bottom-end compressive forces that a box squat creates.

Since you get to rest the bar right down on the pins, you have the chance to give your lower spine a bit of a break while making any needed adjustments to your technique.

As you'll see in the video below, pin squats are also great for taller lifters since depth issues often plague us. Sometimes boxes aren't high enough to work with to get the right form, but setting up the pins at a level that suits you can be beneficial.

The cool thing is, when you follow up these variations with sets that do incorporate the stretch reflex (like typical full range squats), you'll have amped up your nervous system to recruit its fast twitch muscle fibers much more efficiently and get a hell of a lot more out of your workout.

Using the power rack for deadstop training can work with upper-body work, too. Pin presses for both the shoulder press and bench press are fantastic options. As a tall guy, one reason I like pin presses is that it helps avoid the unwanted shoulder capsule stress that we long-armed lifters often must endure in the bottom range of a heavy bench press.

To mitigate this, setting up the pins a couple inches above chest level can be a huge benefit – not only will it be much more comfortable, but the slightly shortened range of motion usually means more weight can be lifted. Nothing wrong with that.

The same thing applies here. Focus on letting the bar settle on the pins before "bouncing" it up for another rep.

These are often used as a deadstop movement. The difference, however, between a pin press and a floor press (apart from the obvious) boils down to tension. During the "dead" part of the floor press, when your elbows are on the ground, you still need to maintain constant muscular tension. Otherwise, the dumbbells or barbell will fall down and crush your skull.

You don't get a break as you do in dead stop variations, so certain muscles (like the forearms and scapulae) will constantly be holding an isometric contraction – and as the set continues, your rate of fatigue will be faster than that of a pin press.

Long story short, if size and max strength is the goal, then these little things begin to matter. We want to get the most out of every rep.

Too many lifters perform their rowing and overhead pulling exercises with the stretch reflex. At times this can help increase muscle recruitment or rep performance, but often tapping into the absolute strength of the muscle fibers is what's needed.

Deadstopping your pull-ups offers a real indicator of your true pull-up strength and is more humbling than even performing weighted pull-ups.

As for rows, here's the Mountain Dog himself doing a set of deadstop single-arm rows:

The nervous system can take a beating with all this deadstop training, especially since deadstop training is typically paired with heavier lifting.

Knowing this, an easy way to incorporate this method without your neurotransmitters giving you the finger is to kill all your negative reps, where applicable.

In pressing exercises like pin presses and large lower body movements like bottom-up squats and deadlifts, almost "dropping" your negative rep can do your body plenty of good in terms of long term sustenance.

Just make sure you're not reckless about it – be in control when dropping the weight and ensure you still keep some tension on the bar or dumbbell.

Why is this helpful? The eccentric phase of a big lift is the part that's most taxing. One of the reasons Olympic lifters use bumper plates in training and competition is so that they can drop the weight and shirk the demanding (and dangerous) eccentric phase of repeatedly lowering heavy loads, saving themselves for the concentric movement.

By sparing our strongest muscle fibers the negative, we're keeping our nervous system at bay and can train with deadstops more frequently.

I'll concede there were no atoms split during the writing of this article, and I certainly didn't forge new ground in the strength and conditioning world.

Still, not everything you read needs to be the Newest And Greatest Information Ever. Sometimes all it takes is a proven old school trick that's been around for decades to break even the most stubborn plateau.

Try using these variations to shake up your routine and get your nervous system firing on all cylinders again. Let your weight settle to a dead stop so your gains don't have to.

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How To Improve Your Bench Press - Bench 300!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

If you have been stuck benching 250 lbs. and really want to get to 300 lbs. then reading this article will be the biggest step you take this year. Get ready to bench 250, 300, 400, or more!

Quick Tips & Questions

Tips To Keep In Mind Keep your elbows tucked in to your side and use your strong triceps to help the lift. The Bench Press Strength! manual contains the appropriate volume and intensity of triceps work to prepare your arms. Use your whole body in the lift. Push against the floor with your feet. Keep your upper back muscles tensed and keep the upper back on the bench for stability. Push the bar straight up to reduce the movement distance. Practice your technique! Heavy lifting is a combination of skill and muscular work, so you learn how to perform the movement most efficiently. Identify your weaknesses so that you can train appropriately.

Questions To Ask Yourself What are your weaknesses in the bench press? Liftoff? Lockout? What are your strengths in your lifts? What are your specific goals for the bench press? What is your training schedule? - Detail each workout day. Have you had any injuries? What training program has given you the best results in the past?

Bench Press Tips From The Experts

The first step to improving your bench (even before designing your program) is figuring out what the heck is stopping you from benching more weight.

What Is Your Weak Area In The Exercise?

If You Fail At The Bottom: If you just can't get the weight off your chest (but would have no problem with the lockout), you need to become more explosive in the start of the movement. Dave Tate recommends you incorporate explosive pressing. This is described later in this article as "Dynamic Effort" training.

If You Can't Complete The Lockout: If so, then your triceps strength (or lack of it) may limit your success. Use a combination of heavy close-grip presses and triceps extensions to build the necessary triceps strength.

Pick the weak spot in your bench and make it a priority in training.

Other Factors...
According to Sarah Clarke, gold medalist at the 2002 Canadian National Powerlifting Championships in the 75 kg weight class, "You can't let your legs dance around or tap your feet when things get tough. This reduces your power generation in the bench press. Instead, you must set a strong foundation with your legs.

Press your upper back into the bench and use this to aid in pressing the bar. Stability is a key in a heavy bench press, so putting your feet on the bench isn't going to help you out one bit. Tension throughout the entire body is mandatory in the bench press."

Review each rep afterward and use this feedback to improve each future rep. According to Tate, you should "stay tight, keep the elbows tucked, drive your heels into the floor and shove your body away from the bar as you press".

Practice your technique. Treat strength development like any skill development. Perfect practice makes perfect presses.

You have to do it over and over again to find your best method of benching.

Strengthen Your Upper Back.

Bench Press Strength Techniques

Maximal Effort Training
This type of training refers to the sessions where you lift as much weight as you possibly can for a specific number of repetitions.

For example, a 5 RM maximal effort session would require you to work up the best weight that you can lift for 5 repetitions with good form.

Dynamic Effort Training
Dave Tate recommends devoting one day per week to "dynamic effort" training. Dynamic effort training is designed to increase explosiveness. The foundation of a dynamic effort workout is opposite to a traditional workout.

Because the focus of a dynamic exercise is to move the weight as fast as possible, you will use much less weight. In addition, rather than performing a small number of sets and many repetitions, you will perform a larger number of sets with a smaller number of repetitions (i.e. 8 sets of 3 repetitions for the bench press).

It is extremely important to push the bar with maximal force on each rep. Don't take it easy just because it is a lighter weight. Adding chains and bands (see below) helps increase the resistance at the top of the movement. You must press with maximal force to overcome the added resistance at the top of the movement. Tate describes dynamic effort training as, "compensatory acceleration" and that "it can help you break through sticking points".

The key to getting through a sticking point as Tate describes it is to, "train to accelerate through the sticking point". If you explode the bar up, you can break through your sticking point. When training with the dynamic effort, focus on bar speed. If the bar slows down from rep to rep, it means the weight is too heavy. Use a resistance that is ~50% of your estimated 1 RM bench for 8 sets of 3.

The Use Of Bands & Chains in Bench Press Training
Adding a chain or band increases the resistance at the top of the movement. For example, if you have 225 lbs. on the bar plus a 10 lb. chain on each side, you will bench press 225 lbs. off your chest but you will lockout 245 lbs. The chains must be attached to "unload" onto the floor when the bar is lowered.

The same principle applies to the bands. The bands are looped around both a secure object at ground level and the ends of the barbell. The bands then provide less resistance at the bottom of the movement.

Bench Press Exercise Descriptions

Remember to always have a spotter for heavy bench pressing and for the lift-off. Your spotter will help you get the bar off the rack and out to the start position. You will also need them to make sure that you complete every repetition in your set.

Bench Press
Keep your feet flat on the floor, legs bent, and upper back flat against the bench. Grip the bar using a medium-width grip. Have your spotter help you take the bar from the rack. Keeping your elbows close to your sides, lower the bar straight down to the bottom of your chest. Pause briefly and then press the bar back up above the chest in a straight line.

Dynamic Bench Press
Attach the chains or bands to the ends of the bar as required. Make sure to anchor the bands under the rack or with very heavy dumbbells. Keep your feet flat on the floor, legs bent, and upper back flat against the bench. For the first 3 sets, grip the bar using a medium-width grip. Use a slightly wider grip for the next 3 sets, and a slightly narrower grip for the final 3 sets. Keeping your elbows close to your sides, lower the bar straight down to the bottom of your chest. Accelerate the bar up as quickly as possible. Perform all 3 reps as fast as you can.

DB Floor Press
Lie on the floor and hold the dumbbells above your chest with your palms turned toward your feet. Lower the dumbbells until your upper arms contact the floor. Pause briefly and then press the dumbbells straight up above the chest.

A floor press strengthens the mid-point of your bench and demands a strong grip. It also removes the leg drive from the exercise and makes you work harder while forcing you to keep your body tight.

Do 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps. Start with no more than 75 percent of what you use in a normal flat bench dumbbell press.

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Chest Workouts, What Are the Best Ones to Do?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

There are a few particular chest workouts that are really going to be great for you but you just don't yet know which ones they are. There are also some terrific chest workouts which you can try and that you can do if you are a female, however, most women don't tend to want an overly muscular and worked out chest. It is generally more for the men, who want to work out their pectoral muscles and who want to benefit from really good chest workout ideas.

Ideas

One of the great chest workouts to try, and is going to be a great starter for you, is the cable crossovers exercise which is performed as follows:

1. Hold the pulleys in each hand, after setting the resistance for the pulleys and positioning the pulleys above your head.

2. Step forward of an imaginary line between the two pulleys while having a slight lean forward in your posture from the waist up and pulling your two arms together in front of you. This is the starting position.

3. Slowly let your arms travel back in an arc until you feel a slight stretch in your chest, maintain a slight bend in the elbow to stop bicep stress and breathe in as you perform this movement. Note your shoulders should be moving but your body and arms should remain in the same positions.

4. Using the same arc motion return your arms to the starting position. Remembering to breathe out at the same time and to keep your body and arms in the same positions while moving the shoulders.

5. Continue until the desired reps are reached.

Another great chest workout exercise to try is the incline dumbbell press, my favorite one, which is very similar to the bench press exercise. The exercise is simple as follows:

1. Set-up by sitting down on the bench supporting the two dumbbells on your thighs, then once settled on the bench lift your dumbbells up to shoulder width apart in front of your chest. Finally twist your hands so your palms face away from you as if you are holding a bar between the two.

2. Keeping control of your dumbbells constantly push them up with your chest as you breathe out.

3. Once you reach the top hold and then lower your dumbbells back down to your chest.

4. Repeat the movement for the required repetitions.

A final exercise which I think is great is the press up. It is simple, effective, works more than just the chest, can be varied to increase or decrease difficulty and is easily done anywhere and without weights. It is performed as follows:

1. Lie flat on the floor and place your hands just above shoulder width apart, and holding yourself on them with straight arms.

2. Lower yourself down while inhaling until your chest almost touches the floor.

3. Hold and then return to the top while exhaling.

4. Repeat for the required repetitions.

These three exercises will be a great start to your chest workouts.

A little bonus advice an exercise rhythm that works great for me and others who I have researched is to do the following. The motion you breathe out on, i.e. the strenuous part, should take 1 second, then you hold at the top for 1 second, then the motion you breathe in on, i.e. the relaxation part, should take 2 seconds. This should help you to get the max out of your reps and you will certainly feel it.

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4-Week Radical Re-Inflation Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

by Dan Blewett – 4/1/2013

Every year in May I go off to chase a dying dream – pro baseball. Having suffered some major injuries at key moments in my career meant my path was going to have to be the one less traveled. Independent baseball has been great for my soul, but terrible on my body.

If you've ever taken 5 months off from your normal workout routine and replaced it with tons of overnight travel, long days in the August sun, gas station meals, and limited gym access, you'll know what a toll it takes on the physique.

I typically enter my season at 190 pounds and 8-9% body fat; I show visible abs, a reasonably wide back, and large thighs. By the time I get home in mid to late September, I'm 185 pounds and 12-13% body fat. By my own standards, I'm skinny-fat – and there's not much worse than skinny-fat. Sigh.

Rather than ease into things, I bum-rush the weights and push through the soreness. Three years running I've added 10 pounds while reducing my body fat by 2-3%, all in a month's time.

In this article I'm going to share my 4-week plan for the 15-pound swing – 10 pounds of lean mass while removing 5 pounds of fat. Be advised, however – it's not for the faint of heart.

This isn't a complicated plan. Rather, it's quite simple because the two key components are volume and hard work. When you have those two components, you're most of the way there, anyway. Here's how it breaks down:

Low-Technique Compound Lifts + Goal Rep Sets + High Overall Volume + High Overall Intensity

Following are the big players in this scheme, the ones I feel provide the best bang for the buck considering the formula above.

Front squats are a fantastic builder of the core, quads, and back, not to mention they're easy (relatively) to learn. Almost all of my young athlete clients start their barbell squatting careers with the front squat, and it pays major dividends later on as they learn the other variations.

On this plan we're going to be pushing through long sets, so having a low-technique squat variation is crucial. The weight placement won't allow a round back, so you have less to worry about as fatigue sets in.

I watched my back get bigger and wider than it's ever been doing almost nothing but front squats. If you have a big front squat, you have a solid back. Can't have one without the other.

This one is going to get some jeers, but some of my push-up sets are among the hardest tests of my training career. We have two in my facility that we especially like, which are employed a number of times during this month of hell.

The rules here are simple: take the number of continuous push-ups you can do in a set before failing and multiply this by 2.5. Then, complete this number without allowing the knees to touch the floor. You can hold plank or pike to the down dog position for rest, but that's it.

I've only had 10 or so athletes out of 100+ complete this test. It's 95% mental. Here's how it plays out:

The volleyball player in the video had a 50-rep set because of her 20-rep personal best. My personal best is 60 consecutive push-ups, give or take a few. So, my Horrible Hundred was 150.

On Day 1 last year just getting to 100 took me 10:25. Three weeks later, I'd cut 4 minutes off that initial time and started using 150 as my goal. On my personal best I reached 100 in 3:03 and finished all 150 in 6:08.

That means that last 50 push-ups took roughly 3.5 seconds apiece. The last 40 were basically 40 sets of 1. This is called grinding it out.

Oh, and core work is included in this test – don't forget that every minute of push-ups is a minute in plank, and thus a great core workout.

We also do a to-failure set wearing a 50-pound weighted vest. My personal record is 50 consecutive push-ups without allowing my knees to touch. This was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

Scoff at the push-up if you must, but my arms went from 14.5" on Day 1 to 16" on Day 28. Not bad for a month of bodyweight exercises.

The king of upper body exercises. Those who can do 4 sets of 12 are, in my book, deemed strong. Problem is, every year when I return from the season I can only get 4 or 5 in my best set.

I recall Chad Waterbury writing about total volume being the important factor in workouts, rather than the way they were chopped up. You can't get your chin-up numbers up fast enough if you only designate a handful of sets to them – 4 sets of 4 just won't be enough volume to see significant growth.

Enter: The Goal-Rep set.

The chin-up is the number one exercise in my gym that gets assigned goal-reps. Because most untrained clients can perform few, if any, we have to get volumes up.

Want to make moderate progress? Get in 30 reps, twice a week. Good progress? Fifty reps, twice a week. Want to pack 10 pounds onto that scrawny frame in just a few short weeks? Try 200 reps per week. We want to get close to that.

I know what you're thinking. Overtraining! To that, I say, go talk to John Broz, any elite gymnast, Olympic lifter, distance runner, baseball pitcher, or powerlifter. Your body will adapt.

Can you sustain 200 chins a week forever? I'm confident the answer is no. However, for a month it's doable, and I've done it numerous times.

Plus, we're not starting there – we're working up to it. You'll be sore, tired and mentally drained, but your back and forearms won't look like cigarillos anymore.

One tip, though – use freely rotating handles or rings. They'll keep the elbows happier. At the very least, use neutral grips if you don't have access to handles.

Glute-ham raises (GHRs) are the bomb. I love them for what they've done for my squat and for the size of my hamstrings. Yet, weak people don't love them, and for good reason – "It feels like my hamstrings are tearing."

Yes, this is the exact feeling an untrained person gets the first time they jump on the GHR. For this reason, it's not the best idea to start banging out mammoth sets of them if they're beyond your ability.

What I prefer to do is either start with sliding leg curls and build strength, and/or reduce the lever arm on the GHR and gradually lengthen it as we go.

This is also the same plan of action I use with some of my exceptionally tall pitchers who aren't quite there yet for full glute-ham raises.

The glute-ham raise is another exercise that's well suited for the goal-rep scheme in this plan, and we'll use it until proficiency increases to where we can then return to higher volume sets of 8-12. Sliding leg curls are great for sets of 12-20.

Face pulls are a great, simple rotator cuff and upper-back exercise. We prefer to use a 41" mini band and stretch it apart during the pull. This puts a little more emphasis on external rotation.

I like to mix the scapular retraction and external rotation we get from face pulls with Y raises that provide movement on the scaption plane. I'm not picky – do them prone, at an incline (shown) on a bench, or stability ball.

If you use a chain, as shown in the video below, you'll get the added benefit of dynamic stability. The faster you move with the chain and pause at the top, the more their erratic movement will force you to stabilize the joint.

During this program the arms get plenty of tension and stress from the high volume of overhead pulling. Because of this, it's not a great idea to be concurrently deadlifting heavy.

But the back and hamstring development of the Romanian deadlift is a great compromise – we use lighter weights for higher reps to build work capacity. The front squat stays as the main leg lift, with glute-hams and Romanian deadlifts as assistance work.

I'm not going to go into any sort of depth regarding the nutrition required of this program. However, there are three maxims:

Surrounding your workouts with a shake containing a 2-3:1 ratio of carbs-protein is ideal. For most, this is going to be somewhere in the 60-90 grams of carbs and 30-50 grams of protein range.

Don't worry – your body will use all of it. Check out the Plazma™ Reactive Pump™ Stack for a very effective approach with the math done for you.

If you aren't very carb tolerant, reduce the carbs slightly and stay where you think your body responds best – we're all different. But look at this shake as your saving grace to get you through to next week.

To get strong and big in a hurry you need calories, so don't expect to subsist on broccoli and green tea. All I tell my clients who want to gain good weight is to eat green things in each meal, choose whole foods first, and then pound as much of it as possible.

You'll need the oatmeal, rice, sweet potatoes, and quinoa to get enough calories to complete these workouts, but you need to start every meal with the veggies and fruits that are going to supply the micronutrients your cells need.

You've read enough about fish oil without me having to talk you down from the Omega-6 ledge yet again. I recommend a liquid fish oil or high-potency pill like Flameout™ that will keep your joints happy. The elbows especially may be stressed from all the overhead pulling; fish oil is going to keep them relatively calm.

These are all important aspects of any good program, but this isn't a typical program – it's a rush on size and strength. If you want to get more flexible, increase tissue quality and mobility, go ahead and add it at your discretion.

But all that good stuff is beyond the myopic scope of this program.

* if you're man enough to make it

Max Rep Set with 20-pound vest/chain added
Max rep set with 40-50 pound vest/chains added

We're using three different rep ranges on the squats – 10, 6, and 3. We need the 10-rep days to build volume and lactic acid tolerance – if you're deconditioned, you'll need to develop some stamina in a hurry to handle the rest of the week.

The 3-rep day is intended to get maximal strength up so that you can handle more weight on the 10 and 6 rep days. I like placing it after the 10-rep day because it's shorter and requires less mental energy, even though the actual bar weight used will be lower due to fatigue from the 10-rep day.

The 6-rep day should be the hardest, that magical mix of strength and hypertrophy where you can put a much more substantial load on the bar and still have relatively high time under tension and total work volume.

Jason Ferruggia is a big advocate of 6-8 rep ranges for hypertrophy, and I'm an absolute believer as well. With these three squat days you'll have three distinctly different bar weights that are all intended to push your strength and size back up to respectable heights in a hurry.

Hate front squats? Go with a back squat if you prefer. I favor the front squat, though, for it's simplicity, back-building properties and relative impunity to lower back roundness.

Further, if you can't handle GHRs I suggest the body curl or a higher volume of sliding leg curls, stability ball curls, or another hamstring flexion exercise.

Can't hack the overall volume? Don't have the guts to finish the Horrible Hundreds? Too sore at the start of the next workout? Well, I don't have much help for you there – you're going to have to tolerate a certain degree of fatigue, ache, and soreness.

You simply can't avoid it while declaring blitzkrieg on the iron. Getting good results in a short time comes with a price – it ain't easy and I assure you this won't be fun.

But if you can make it through the month, you'll laugh as you return to your 3-day split. Rest days? Only squatting once a week? That's chump talk.

See you in the gym. You'll be spending a lot of quality time there.

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Top 3 Reasons Why You Suffer From Pain In The Back Of The Knee!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

Here are some things you need to keep in mind if you ever experience pain behind the knee.

Possible Causes

1. Possible Arthritis This is one of the most common causes of pain in the knee. In fact, if you are over the age of 65 one in two of you has arthritis, with the knee being one of the most common joints involved.

The pain of arthritis is usually a dull tooth ache pain that is occasionally sharp with sudden movements. The pain is usually located over your joint line (where the tibia meets the femur) and in the front of the knee.

Mild and sometimes severe swelling is associated with this pain. The pain is worse when you exit a chair or car. It is also worse with any prolonged walking or standing. The pain is usually better with rest, heat (sometimes ice), wrapping the knee and pain medication.

Occasionally the knee may catch on the rough uneven surfaces of your cartilage. Patients often complain of grinding in the knee, and occasional popping.

Arthritis: The Six Most Frequently Asked Questions.
This article addresses the most frequently asked questions about exercise and arthritis. Find out about the six most common questions!

2. Minor Tear Of The Cartilage Surface

Rather than a cyst or fluid build-up, the causes of the pain behind the knee might simply be slight micro tears in the cartilage. This can be treated with the same solutions at the end of this article.

Tears, if minor, require no surgery and will heal on their own depending on the time allowed for healing and if the activity that aggravates it is avoided.

3. Baker's Cyst The cyst usually occurs due to some other problem in your knee such as arthritis or even a tear of your meniscus. The swelling from this problem causes fluid to build up in your knee. This fluid pushes out the weakest point of your joint capsule surrounding your knee.

This is usually to the back portion of your knee capsule, and a cyst forms. The cyst has a valve made out of your joint capsule tissue.

This valve can sometimes become clogged and the fluid becomes trapped in the cyst. Thus, even when the injury has resolved, you still have the swelling in the back of your knee. This is associated with pain and is usually described as dull and aching.

The pain is worse with prolonged walking or standing. It is sometimes improved with rest, elevation and taking pain medication.

Possible Remedies

Many people agree that when it comes to pain behind the knee, the best plan of action is Control, Avoid and Rehabilitate.

Control: Cryotheraphy, which involves putting ice on the area for 5 minutes at a time. This will help reduce the pain. Do not continue to apply ice if a burning sensation is felt.

Heat from a heating pad for 10-20 minutes on a lower setting may help reduce pain. Alternative methods include creams that create a heating sensation like Icy-Hot or AST BioFreeze gel.

Bracing from a comfortable knee brace can provide some needed relief and stability to the area, reducing the pressure on the area and thus reducing the pain. There are many knee braces available that can be worn during activity or at any time when the area becomes bothersome.

Ice Or Heat For Faster Healing?
One question many athletes ask when they get injured, is which is the best to use, ice or heat? To answer that question we must first look at the physiology behind the healing process.
Avoid:

Rehabilitate: Talk to a doctor and make a plan of action to rehabilitate the knee through controlled motions. Rehabilitation includes motivation to do the prescribed exercises. The correct exercises as prescribed and the proper equipment to keep the motions controlled.

Conclusion

Pain behind the knee is common in so many sports that you can suffer from this by doing almost anything from snowboarding to racquetball. Taking precautions in your sports and understanding what might cause this, will allow not only enjoyable sports activities, but a lifetime of activity.

About The Author:

Marc David is an innovative fitness enthusiast and the creator of the "The Beginner's Guide to Fitness And Bodybuilding" method on www.Beginning-Bodybuilding.com. He can show you how to reduce your body fat thru diet, how to gain weight or create more muscle through an abundance of workout tips by training LESS! Not more.

He dispels many "bodybuilding myths", tells you what most people never realize about nutrition, and what the drug companies DON'T WANT YOU to know. Go to: www.Beginning-Bodybuilding.com to find out more about The Beginner's Guide to Fitness And Bodybuilding.

Marc David

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The 411 On Losing Body Fat and Keeping It Off

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

Once we start a new weight loss program it is important for us to stay motivated. To continue to lose fat until we reach our goal. To create lean muscle, to be fit and healthy. Of course we also want it to be a permanent lifestyle not a temporary fix. So how come so many of us can't? You need the right information, the right tools and of course the right mindset.

The fact is burning fat is not as hard as most think. I am not talking about losing in pounds or even inches. I am talking about losing fat and creating the lean muscle we all want. There are reasons so many weight loss programs fail. People get discouraged either because they are not seeing the results fast enough or when they hit that magic number in pounds the are smaller but still what some may refer to as "skinny fat". Not losing the fat in the target areas for your body is also discouraging. So how can you be sure the weight loss program you are choosing is the one we won't fail with?

1. We all know proper nutrition is a key to burning fat. What foods speed up your metabolism? What foods help get rid of the belly fat? What foods should we stay away from? Is it always about calorie intake? What most do not take into consideration is that depending on your age and sex this is different information for all. What an 18 year old girl should eat, who is active, to maintain or build a healthy body is different from a 40 year old female who is just as active. As we get older our bodies require different types of fuel (food) to keep our metabolism going strong and our muscles lean. "Eat to live do not live to eat".

2. Exercise is another key to not only burning fat but in also creating muscle. Not every exercise plan gives the same results for all. It depending on your body type. So how do you know if you are doing the right exercises? How often should you weight train and what exercises will give you maximum fat burn while building muscle? How often do you need to do cardio in your routine? Your weight training, and cardio routine will be different than say your best friend who may also be your workout partner. If you are heavier in the legs and she is not, your routine needs to be different. If you want to lose belly fat and she wants leaner arms... different routines are needed. You have to customize your routine to you. Every exercise program needs to incorporate strength/weight training and cardio in order for you to see the physical changes you desire. Building muscle burns fat faster!

3. Finally attitude, motivation and will are just as important as the nutrition and exercise piece to being successful in the weight loss challenge. How do you keep the best attitude when you are not losing or seeing results? How do you stay motivated when you have eight million things in your life going on and can't seem to find the time? Its time to make the time. That's how! Make an appointment with yourself everyday. Set aside at least 30-45 min a day. You will easily spend that kind of time in front of your computer browsing or watching TV. So you have the time. Redirect it to your want to a healthier, leaner body. Find a workout partner. One who will motivate you and in return who you can motivate as well. Your girlfriend/ boyfriend, your spouse, your best friend, a co-worker. It works! Once you put all these things into place, you will see the results. You will feel good. You will look good and before you know it people will be asking YOU how? YOU will be their inspiration.

Its time to make a change. If you feel like what you are currently doing is not working, is not giving you the results you are wanting or if you are almost at your goal and just need that added push this program is for you! Customized Fat Loss does exactly what is says. Customized to fit you and no one else! No gimmicks just real tools that work! To make this change NOW!! go to http://www.burnfatfastandnaturally.com/ and see for yourself! It works!

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Fascinating Facts About Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 11 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

by TC – 4/12/2013

I bet my Hello Kitty sleep mask that you sleep abnormally.

It's not your fault, though. Blame it on James Watt, Jean Lenoir, Henry Ford, or any one or all of the guys responsible for the industrial revolution. Blame it on Tommy Edison, or if you need a more current scapegoat, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, or those Nick at Nite people who run those delightful reruns that beckon to your sleep-deprived spirit like some bare-breasted Siren hopped up on No Doze.

Roger Ekirch, a professor of history at Virginia Tech, had it all figured out years ago but he was afraid to tell the country.

This is how it started:

One of Ekirch's areas of study was the history of the night. As he haunted the library stacks, looking for clues to how people in the past spent the hours between dusk and dawn, he kept stumbling on peculiar references to "first sleep" and "second sleep."

There they were in The Canterbury Tales. And then again in relatively ancient medical textbooks that recommended people sleep on one side during first sleep and the other side during second sleep. He even found stories about how a naked Benjamin Franklin would read between first sleep and second sleep, no doubt being careful not to slam shut a heavy political tome on his schlong of a bookmarker.

Ekirch had rediscovered a normal part of human life. After sunset, people used to go to sleep and then reawaken some time after midnight. They'd then get up, eat, socialize, read, screw, whatever, and go back to bed.

He was freaked out. He didn't know if he should tell the world that it sleeps unnaturally; that it sleeps wrong, that consolidated, or all-at-once-sleep, isn't the norm and it shouldn't be the object of heroic physical, psychological, or pharmaceutical efforts.

So he fretted away, wondering what to do. That is until, serendipitously, he read about research conducted by Thomas Wehr, a psychiatrist at the National Institute of Health.

Wehr did experiments where he kept humans away from artificial light of any kind. After a couple of weeks, they started to fall asleep early – right after the sun went down – and then wake up after midnight. They'd lie awake for an hour or so and then fall back asleep.

Deprived of light, the subjects resorted to historical norms, dividing up their sleep into two distinct periods!

Wehr also found that this period between the first sleep and the second sleep was the most relaxing time of the day, almost akin to some yogi-like meditation. He confirmed this observation biochemically as he found that subjects were pumping out large amounts of prolactin, the post-orgasm hormone, during this mid-sleep period.

Roger Ekirch, the guy who had been studying the history of the night, read about Wehr's experiments and contacted him, whereupon they compared notes.

What they realized was that it was perfectly normal for humans to sleep in two stages; in fact, it's what they were designed to do. It was only the industrial revolution and its requirement that workers show up to work every day at a predetermined unholy hour, along with the invention of the light bulb, that screwed up the first sleep/second sleep behavior.

People no longer went to bed when it got dark. Instead, people put on a gingham dress and played Mother Nature themselves by turning light into darkness by the pull of a light cord any time they chose.

[Of course, complete darkness is hard to achieve even when you turn your light off, as the modern nighttime sky positively glows with the scattered light of millions of streetlights, traffic lights, movie theater marquees, and neon signs. Consider that after the 1994 Los Angeles earthquake and subsequent power outage, hundreds of alarmed Angelinos called the police department to report an ominous "silvery cloud" in the sky. What they were seeing, presumably for the very first time, was the Milky Way.]

As time went by, people forgot this ancient part of themselves. The first sleep/second sleep thing was cast aside. (Beyond that, the very act of sleep itself was derided by figures such as Edison himself, who felt that it was a sign of laziness.)

Wehr released a subsequent study, augmented with the historical background supplied by Ekirch, and waited for the tsunami of public wonder and gratitude. But nothing happened. Nobody cared.

But people kept on waking up at night, of course. As much as they tried, their genetic memory wouldn't let them forget about first sleep and second sleep. Still, millions of people wale and gnash their teeth because they can't sleep through the night, and doctors continue to write hundreds of thousands of sleep prescriptions for a condition that is, physiologically speaking, perfectly normal.

The anxiety over perceived poor sleeping patterns isn't new. Joseph von Meering and Emil Fisher invented the very first sleeping pill, Veronal, in 1903 to combat sleep abnormalities. It was a barbiturate, which meant that patients developed a tolerance to it and needed larger and larger doses.

That might not have been so bad had the recommended dosage not been so close to the fatal one, especially when mixed with alcohol.

The benzodiazepines, like Valium, heralded the next generation of sleep drugs in the 70's. They too had problems, though, in that they were highly addictive because they made users high. Enter Ambien in 1993. It, and its more recent competitor, Lunesta, caused far fewer side effects, which led to the FDA approving them for long-term use.

But here's the rub: a number of studies have shown that Ambien and Lunesta offer no significant improvement in sleep quality. One National Institute of Health study showed that the pills only make people fall asleep 12 minutes faster than placebo, along with only extending sleep an average of 11 minutes.

Add to that the fact these drugs cause anterograde amnesia. That means they make it harder for the brain to form short-term memories. So it's quite possible you'll still fight for sleep after taking Ambien or Lunesta, but you'll think you slept great because you won't remember being awake!

Aside from disruptions of the first sleep and second sleep pattern, there are plenty of other sleep problems that plague humans.

There's sleep apnea, of course, which, depending on who you talk to, is caused by overdeveloped neck muscles, being a fat bastard, possessing a large cow-like tongue or big tonsils, or even having a funny shaped head.

The apnea is characterized by waking up gasping for air several times at night (which you may or may not remember when you wake up). Sufferers usually wake up with a headache, dry mouth, gummy teeth, and feel tired all the time.

The gold standard treatment (aside from exercise and losing weight if you're one of the aforementioned fat bastards) is a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) unit like the one Junior Soprano wore that caused Tony to ask him how many MIGs he shot down last week.

Then there's the far more common occurrence of "sleep maintenance" problems, of which the first-sleep/second-sleep phenomenon has mistakenly been included. The term simply refers to being able to fall asleep and stay asleep and poor sleep maintenance is a far bigger problem than realized, with conservative estimates of sufferers ranging from 50 to 70 million Americans (around 2 out of 5 adults). Poor sleepers may actually wake up hundreds of times a night for only a few seconds each time but not realize it.

They only know that they never feel rested.

The body is designed to cycle through 5 stages of sleep every 90 minutes. The 5th stage is the much-ballyhooed REM stage that's thought to be the most restful stage. It's also where most vivid dreams occur. During this stage the body sends out hormones that pretty much paralyze your arms and legs so they don't act out what you're dreaming. Obviously, as sleepwalkers or night thrashers will attest, it doesn't always work that way.

And if you repeatedly wake up before you get into REM sleep, you'll begin to suffer detrimental effects to memory, motor skills, and performance in general.

Then there's the problem of not being able to fall asleep in the first place. This type of insomnia is often self-inflicted, the result of the brain's refusal to stop thinking about itself.

Sleeping itself is actually contradictory. As sleep professor Emily Martin of NYU stated, "It [sleep] is precious good...but it is a good like none other, because to obtain it one must seemingly give up the imperative to have it."

And have it we must, but no one really knows why. Allan Rechtschaffen and Bernard Bergman of the University of Chicago performed the now classic sleep experiment where they deprived rats of sleep for two weeks.

The rodents began to self-destruct. They developed weird spots and festering sores and their hair fell out. They couldn't shuffle while filming cute Kia commercials and were replaced by hamsters. Then they dropped dead. The researchers couldn't figure out why, though, but their best guess was that just staying awake drained their body systems and made them lose their ability to regulate body temperature.

We don't subject humans to such extreme studies, but we know that even limited sleep deprivation leads to increased blood pressure, incredible cravings for carbs, a drop in body temp, and a weakening of the immune system.

Add all that up and you've got lousy body comp, poor performance, limpdick, and practically any other physical and psychological shortcoming you can come up with.

But when it comes down to specifics, no one really knows why sleep is so important, prompting Rechtschaffen to observe that, "if sleep doesn't serve an absolutely vital function, it is the greatest mistake evolution has ever made."

Perhaps a couple of better questions are why, if it's so important, is it so hard to achieve, and what can be done to make it easier to get to sleep and stay asleep?

Of all the obstacles to sleep, perhaps the most daunting is the person sleeping next to you.

People who share their bed are about 50% more likely to be disturbed at night by their bedmate's punching, snoring, farting, or getting up to go to the bathroom or quaff a MAG-10. Then there are the age-old points of contention like temperature and blanket dominance.

When asked to rate their quality of sleep, people almost always said that they slept better when someone was next to them, but brain wave studies suggest otherwise. Test subjects who slept by themselves were less likely to wake up at night and they usually slept 30 minutes longer on nights they spent by themselves.

Contrast that with the effects of Ambien or Lunesta, which caused people to sleep only 11 minutes longer. Examined that way, it seems that sleeping alone is a more effective sleep aid than pharmaceuticals!

Architects and housing developers are aware of the advantages of sleeping alone and they predict that by 2016, half of all custom-built homes will have separate master bedrooms. Somewhere, sleep researcher Neil Stanley, who said that that "there's only one good reason to share a mattress," is nodding his head in approval.

Unfortunately, given hectic modern lifestyles, couples lament that sleeping together in the same bed was the only time they got to spend time together.

So what conclusions have we come to so far?

First, it's clear that sleep is paramount to both mental and physical performance. Whether you want to get stronger, bigger, have better body comp, or get ejicated, getting enough sleep is as crucial or more crucial than anything else you might do to further those ends.

Secondly, we know that waking up at night is probably a vestige of your genetically programmed first sleep/second sleep pattern and that rather than lie awake and curse the sleep gods, you might get up briefly and do something productive or pleasurable.

And thirdly, most prescription sleep aids might not help that much and that any supposed benefit might merely be the cause of a faulty, lyin' memory.

(A better option might be BIOTEST's Z-12, whose primary ingredient is beta-phenyl-gamma-aminobutyric acid HCL, a chemical that acts as both an anxiety reducer and a nootropic. It brings a lasting sleep more quickly and true to its nootropic nature, doesn't impair memory.)

What might be more conducive to a good night's sleep than most pills is sleeping alone, but whether couples will make this choice is doubtful given that sharing the same bed has long been the barometer of connubial bliss; i.e., if couples don't share a bed, neighbors think the Schwarzeneggerian husband must have been schtupping der maid and he's been relegated to the couch.

(An alternative to sleeping alone might be to buy a Tempurpedic bed or something similar. I know from personal experience that I could be sleeping on one side of the bed while three naked coeds were having a pillow fight on the other and not feel the slightest disturbance because the bed's design keeps the movements localized.)

At best, I've provided some understanding of the problem, but none of it might be of much help to the textbook insomniac who lies awake much of the night trying to force sleep as if it were just another heavy weight that needed to be lifted. That is, cruelly, where the paradox rears its drowsy head again – the more you try to sleep, the less likely it is to happen.

There are a few other things you can do to help, some of which are well known, and others not so much. You've probably heard these before, but they bear repeating:

Don't go to bed until you're tired.Eliminate alcohol, or at least excess alcohol.Avoid caffeine after noon.Do gentle stretching before bed.Practice meditation every day to the point where you can achieve "quiet mind," the state where your mind stops galloping all over your psychic terrain and instead stops to graze thoughtlessly on a whole lot of stress-free nothin'. It's an incredibly valuable skill to have and you can find plenty of instructions on how to do that if you've got yourself some of that-there Internet.And as mentioned repeatedly in this article, don't stay in bed when you can't sleep.

You might also consider that thyroid problems might be the cause of the problem. And, unbeknownst to many, both hypo- and hyper-active thyroids can interfere with sleepy time.

Lastly, nutrition might be a cause or a contributing factor to poor sleep. Magnesium plays a role in regulating sleep patterns, and the typical American diet is often deficient in this vital mineral. Four or five hundred milligrams before bedtime can often give immediate benefits.

We spend one out of every three hours of our existence sleeping. Given its importance, it seems like a good idea to understand it better. Maybe then we can stop chasing it so that like a beautiful woman, it'll miss the attention and end up granting us the ultimate gift, which in this case is restful, virtually uninterrupted, sleep.

Kolbert, Elizabeth, "Up All Night: The Science of Sleeplessness," The New Yorker, March 11, 2013, pp. 24 – 27.

Luoma, TC, "Luoma's Big Damn Big of Knowledge," Penguin Classics, 10th printing, 2013.

Randall, David K., "Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep," W.W. Norton and Company, 2012.

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Calf Exercise Specialization

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

by Critical Bench Jan 07, 2005

As with biceps, triceps, chest, back, abs, delts, thighs; every body part there is, there are numerous programs and techniques for developing them. This is true also for calves.

Same old line I always use; "what works for one, may not work for another." Well, here is a calf specialization program worth trying if you need to add an inch or so to your lower legs. I've had some good results from this program and you might also.

You will need to give it four weeks in order to determine if you are going to get results and in any event, your efforts will not go un-rewarded. If after that length of time you feel you are making progress, then naturally, keep going.

Big Calves & Genetics

Many times I have stated, and some agree while others do not; "you are either blessed with good calf muscles or you are not." "There is not a great deal you can do about it." I have seen some people who have never lifted a weight in their lives walk around with some of the largest and well shaped calf muscles you could find on any Mr. Olympia. At the same time, I have seen seasoned professional bodybuilders that are weak in the calf department.

Genetics plays a major role here and although you can improve on any situation, there are limits. Just don't be quick to blame poor calf development on your genetics. I have seen some who have done just that when in reality, their weak calf development was more a result from being lazy than genetics.

I have never been a big supporter of doing weighted 20-or-30 reps for calf development.

I have always been, and even written many times, about keeping the reps in the 10-to-15 range, sometimes even less. This of course is with heavy weights. Now here is a twist but it must be followed as outlined and you cannot make any changes to the routine. You will work your claves four days per week. Two heavy days and two light days and you must leave sufficient time between the days for recovery. This is why I say you cannot alter this program, either exercises or days prescribed.

Start each movement by standing on a block of wood or weight plate at least as high as a 2 x 4. Place your feet so that only your toes and the ball of your feet are on the block. Point your toes slightly outward. Your feet should be spaced about 10-to-12 inches from center of big toe to center of big toe. It is best if you do not wear any shoes. Bare foot is the preferred method.

If you do wear shoes, make certain they have very flexible soles. Stiff shoes have to go. You must stretch all the way down on each rep and you must come all the way up on your toes. Concentrate on placing your weight on your big toe and the toe next to your big toe, contract fully at the top. Do this on each rep of every set for every exercise outlined. THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE A MUST!

Use one 25-pound plate to hit the inner calves.

Roll your feet down to the outsides to work the ankles fully.

On Monday and Thursday you will use heavy weights and on Tuesdays and Fridays you will use bodyweight only. No weights at all. On Tuesdays and Fridays with body weight only, you will perform standing calf raise in the same position, on the same block, using the same technique as you apply on Mondays. Only on Tuesdays and Fridays, using bodyweight only, you are to perform 100 reps of standing calf raises. This will be extremely difficult to do at the beginning so I suggest the following method.

Start by performing four sets of twenty-five reps with not more than 30 seconds rest between sets. Work up to doing two sets of fifty reps. Finally try for one set of 100 reps.

If you can do two sets of 50 reps you can be proud. It is essential that you perform these reps properly. That means no "bouncing" up and down. Do not perform them ultra fast nor ultra slow. You must get a full stretch at the bottom and a full contraction at the top.

I also suggest you massage your calves well after each workout. This will not only help with the soreness that is sure to come, it will help invigorate the calf muscle with blood and help produce gains. If you do not have access to a massage therapist, use a hand held massager. If you do not have one you can use a rough towel and rub your calves briskly for several minutes after each session.

Use these 5 techniques to develop your calves to the very fullest, including the hard-to-reach inner and outer areas.

Find out more right here!

The Program

Standing Calf Raise. Use either a regular standing calf machine or a Smith machine. Perform five sets using the maximum weight you can use to perform the sets and reps correctly. 1 x 15, 1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6.

Bodyweight only standing calf raises. 100 reps.

Seated Calf Raises. Perform five sets using the maximum weight you can use in performing the movement correctly. If you do not have access to a seated calf machine, perform standing calf raises as performed on Mondays. 1 x 15, 1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6.

Bodyweight only standing calf raises. 100 reps.

Conclusion

This is an extremely difficult exercise routine for the calves and will produce a great amount of soreness at the start regardless of how advanced you are in your training. Be prepared, I warned you!

About The AuthorWe offer quite a few programs but we're known across the Web for The Critical Bench Program. Learn how to add 50 lbs to your bench in 10 weeks!

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Nutrition to Get Mass Muscle

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

I have people ask me all the time "I live in the gym and I am not getting bigger. Why? Another one I get is "what supplement can I take to get bigger?" Also "what is the best workout to do to get big"? That is just few of many questions I get all the time to get mass muscle. When asked these questions my first response is "how is your diet"? Usually I get a strange look back and then I get asked, "Why"? Here is the truth people you can take all the supplements in the world, you can lift all day and night but it going to help until you eat right. In does not matter whether you are trying to lose weight or gain muscle, 70 to 80 percent of that is done in the kitchen. Sorry everyone there is no magic pill or secret workout.

The truth is that in order to gain muscle you really have monitor what you put into your body. The basic rule of thumb that I use for myself and other people that I think works is 40/40/20 method. What I mean by this is 40 percent of your daily in take of food should be protein. Than the second 40 percent should be carbohydrates, and lastly 20 percent should be good fats. There are variations of this if you are one carb sensitive or a hard gainer than I change this up, but to start off with this is a good mix.

Let's start with the protein everyone is going to tell you that this the most important part of putting on muscle, and in some aspects they are right. We also have to have the carbs and fat though. Right now we are talking about protein. Yes, protein is the building blocks for muscle, and where we get our branch chain amino acids from. So with that being said how much protein do we need to get mass muscle. If we use the mathematic equation goal weight times 19 times.40 divided by 4 that should tell us. The 19 are the calories per pound of body weight that we need,.40 gives us the 40 percent we need, and 4 is how many calories per gram of protein. So our example would be 200 lb man times 19 give us 3800 total calories per day. Now we take 3800 and multiply it by.40 that gives us 1520 calories from protein every day. Finally we take 1520 and divide that by 4 and that tells us we need 380 grams of protein every day. This is almost 2 grams of protein per pound of our goal weight.

The second part of meal plan needs to be carbs. Earlier I said that protein is important, but there are other factors, and here is why I said that. Carbohydrates help get the protein into the muscle. It does this by elevating the hormone insulin. This in return puts glycogen into the muscle to help in repair and energy for the muscle. Secondly carbs are what give use energy through out the day. The mathematical equation for carbs is simple because it is exactly the same as protein. That means we need 380 grams of carbohydrates everyday also.

Now for the third part of the puzzle "fats". Now when I say fats I mean good fats like avocado, nuts, olive oil, and so on. Now don't get scared when I say fat we actually need it. One of the main reason is it helps in brain function. Fats have other functions for the body, but that is a whole other discussion. The formula for this is body weight times.20 divided by 11. So we know our ideal body weight calories are 3800 so let's multiply that by.20 to give us 760 calories from fat every day. Now there 11 calories in every gram of fat, so if we take 760 and divide that by 11 we get roughly 69 grams of fats per day.

Now with all this being said we need to try to spread all this out over 6 meals. The next thing you are going to say is I can not eat that much in a day. I will admit the first week is hard, but after that you will be hungry all the time. If you start with this 4 to 5 weeks, and then tweak it as needed you will see results. Remember getting mass muscle starts in the kitchen and ends in the gym.

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New Uses For Creatine

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

by Sol Orwell and Kurtis Frank – 4/5/2013

Creatine? We can hear the comments already.

"I go to T Nation to read about the latest and greatest in building muscle and losing fat, and you want to tell me about creatine? What is this, 1997?"

Hold your water, tough guy. While discussions on creatine might not be burning up the bodybuilding message boards, creatine research has been on fire.

Searching on PubMed (a clearinghouse of almost all scientific studies) yields nearly 200 studies for creatine in 2012, and over 20 for the first month of 2013 alone. So while people like us may not be talking about creatine, researchers are still studying its many benefits – and what they're finding is very interesting.

In fact, some of this new research could potentially move creatine from being considered a "muscle building" supplement to an important "general well-being" supplement. Imagine that, recommending that your mother take creatine!

Before we get to the new research, let's address some of the misinformation on exactly what creatine is and what it does.

Creatine is stored in your body as high-energy phosphate groups in the form of phosphocreatine. For those that remember high school biology, your body's primary source of energy (at the cellular level) is adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Your body also has adenosine diphosphate (ADP) circulating in its cells. ATP is basically ADP plus a phosphate group. When your body is under stress or doing work (i.e., when you're lifting weights), it needs immediate energy. Phosphocreatine gives ADP a phosphate group to become ATP, thus giving you energy, fast.

Stated simply, creatine is a stored form of energy that can be accessed quickly by your body.

The beauty of this is that creatine also aids in cellular function. Most of us only think about creatine helping our musculoskeletal cells, but it can also help the cells in your brain, bones, liver, and more!

What if you don't want to supplement? Is it possible to get enough creatine from your diet? The answer is, yes, it can be done, but it's not easy. To get to 5 grams of creatine (the recommended daily dosage), you'd need to eat roughly 2 pounds of beef or pig, or 3 pounds of chicken or rabbit.

Herring is arguably the richest dietary source of creatine, but you'd still need to eat 1.5 pounds of it – every single day. And we doubt that even the most creative chef could make a herring smoothie taste good.

It's even harder for vegetarians. It's commonly cited that cranberries are a rich source for creatine. The unfortunate reality is that it's a rich source relative to other plant products. You'd still need to eat 500 pounds of cranberries to get 5 grams of creatine. Good luck with that.

Somewhere along the line, creatine got a bad rep in that it somehow damages your kidneys. The likely cause of this patently false accusation is failing to distinguish between creatine (the supplement) and creatinine, the diagnostic measurement for kidney problems.

If serum creatinine levels are high, your kidneys could be malfunctioning. Creatinine is also the waste product of creatine, and since creatine consumption increases your creatinine levels, this creates a false positive. Over half a dozen studies have been conducted that checked kidney function after creatine consumption – and no problems were found.

There was even a study in which a young man with a single, damaged kidney took creatine for a month, along with almost 3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (another widespread myth is "protein damages your kidneys.")

The end result? No problems whatsoever.

Now you know (or remember) what creatine does, why it works, that it's hard to get through your diet, and that it's safe. So what new benefits has research been finding?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used as antidepressants, and according to their name, they inhibit reuptake of serotonin. Neurons pass molecules known as neurotransmitters from one to another, and reuptake occurs when the neurotransmitters don't pass through and instead just end up back at the originating neuron. Preventing this from happening encourages signaling of the neurotransmitter to the target neuron.

Although creatine is not inherently an SSRI, a double blind study in which one group was given creatine alongside SSRIs found that creatine supplementation greatly improved the anti-depressive effects of the SSRI medication.

A few other studies have been conducted showing anti-depressive effects of creatine supplementation (mostly in women), but the above trial was the first well-conducted and statistically powerful study to support its anti-depressive effects.

Several studies conducted on isolated neurons note that toxin-induced death seems to be related to a depletion of cellular energy. Neurons are able to resist being destroyed by toxins as long as they have energy (ATP) and, as discussed earlier, creatine can act as an extra source of ATP, thus enabling neurons with larger creatine storage to last a little bit longer by buffering energy stores.

That means that in some cases, creatine's buffering effect could potentially save a cell from toxins.

Currently, the cells that are most investigated are those implicated in Parkinson's Disease – dopamine producing cells in a region of the brain called the Substantia Nigra. That, obviously, could be a big deal.

You might've heard creatine bashers say "you gain nothing but water weight," or that your cells "inflate like little water balloons" while on creatine. While this certainly isn't all that happens with creatine, creatine does have a fluid retention effect.

Interestingly, the creatine molecule may attach itself to a cell wall. Paired with the increased water retention in a cell, these two mechanisms suggest that creatine may protect cells from membrane damage.

Interestingly, the phenomenon of cell swelling is also linked to anti-cancer effects, although this has yet to be linked to oral creatine intake.

A main concern for people with diabetes (type II) is to reduce their fasting blood glucose, as high levels of blood glucose are associated with the ill effects of diabetes (nerve damage, eye damage, and kidney damage are reliably tied with high glucose and its downstream effects).

Creatine by itself has not yet been shown to reduce fasting blood glucose in diabetics, but similar to its augmentative anti-depressive effects, it appears creatine can augment the effects of exercise on reducing circulating blood glucose. Exercise tends to reduce blood glucose, and creatine seems to make the muscle draw more glucose into it when stimulated by exercise.

It appears to be related to a mechanism called AMPK, and activation of this protein is associated with a cell increasing the rate of uptake for both glucose and fatty acids. AMPK is also the target molecule of anti-diabetic therapies such as Metformin and Berberine, although creatine is much less potent than those two.

Cognitive benefits of creatine, beyond possible neuroprotection, are mostly related to memory formation and retention. These memory-enhancing effects of creatine are actually well established in vegetarians and vegans.

Creatine follows many vitamin-like motifs in the body, and those who don't eat meat products seem to be in a state of relative deficiency. (As an aside, if you were completely deficient, it would be a genetic disorder that results in mental retardation.) This relative deficiency seems to be a prerequisite for the cognitive enhancing properties of creatine.

I'm not saying that not having creatine makes you dumb, but the studies seem to indicate that an optimal cognitive state requires sufficient creatine intake.

Although creatine doesn't reliably increase cognition in omnivores, it has been implicated in increasing reaction speed and improving an omnivore's cognition overall when they were otherwise sleep deprived.

The above is but a sample of the research being conducted on creatine. Now well beyond its original fame as an effective muscle builder, creatine seems to help in many facets of healthy living.

Bottom line, creatine works and is safe. Considering how cheap it is, doesn't it make sense to take it every day?

Alves CR, et al. Creatine-induced glucose uptake in type 2 diabetes: a role for AMPK-a? Amino Acids. (2012)

Andres RH, et al. Effects of creatine treatment on the survival of dopaminergic neurons in cultured fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue. Neuroscience. (2005)

Brustovetsky N, Brustovetsky T, Dubinsky JM. On the mechanisms of neuroprotection by creatine and phosphocreatine. J Neurochem. (2001)

Dahl O. Estimating protein quality of meat products from the content of typical amino-acids and creatine. J Sci Food Agric. (1965)

Genius J, et al. Creatine protects against excitoxicity in an in vitro model of neurodegeneration. PLoS One. (2012)

Groeneveld GJ, et al. Few adverse effects of long-term creatine supplementation in a placebo-controlled trial. Int J Sports Med. (2005)

Gualano B, et al. Effects of creatine supplementation on renal function: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Eur J Appl Physiol. (2008)

Gualano B, et al. Effect of short-term high-dose creatine supplementation on measured GFR in a young man with a single kidney. Am J Kidney Dis. (2010)

Harris RC, et al. The concentration of creatine in meat, offal and commercial dog food. Res Vet Sci. (1997)

Hosamani R, Ramesh SR, Muralidhara. Attenuation of rotenone-induced mitochondrial oxidative damage and neurotoxicty in Drosophila melanogaster supplemented with creatine. Neurochem Res. (2010)

Klivenyi P, et al. Additive neuroprotective effects of creatine and a cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor against dopamine depletion in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of Parkinson's disease. J Mol Neurosci. (2003)

Lyoo IK, et al. A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of oral creatine monohydrate augmentation for enhanced response to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in women with major depressive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. (2012)

Matthews RT, et al. Creatine and cyclocreatine attenuate MPTP neurotoxicity. Exp Neurol. (1999)

Schiffenbauer YS, et al. Cyclocreatine transport and cytotoxicity in rat glioma and human ovarian carcinoma cells: 31P-NMR spectroscopy. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. (1996)

Schiffenbauer YS, et al. Cyclocreatine Accumulation Leads to Cellular Swelling in C6 Glioma Multicellular Spheroids: Diffusion and One-Dimensional Chemical Shift Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Microscopy1. Cancer Res (1995)

Tokarska-Schlattner M, et al. Phosphocreatine interacts with phospholipids, affects membrane properties and exerts membrane-protective effects. PLoS One. (2012)

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How To Squat - 7 Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

1. Head Up & Eyes

Looking up will keep your head up during the entire squat and allow you to keep your extension and arch keeping the weight centrally balanced. When you keep the natural arch in your back it allows the weight to be centrally balanced and will prevent you from falling forwards and putting more load onto your quads. If you're using a low bar style technique keeping your head and eyes up will help distribute the load more onto your hamstrings. By doing this you will lift heavier, better and share the burden of the load between your hamstrings, glutes and quads more effectively.

2. Tight Bar

Getting good bar tightness is a massive thing overlooked by personal trainers, coaches and gym goers. Pull the bar tight into your back and don't allow the bar to become loose until you have finished set. This will create tension throughout your entire body and will allow more muscles to become activated. Keeping the bar tight will also help you to stay tight and stable throughout the squat.

3. Get Your Chest up

The tendency is often to raise the hips and let the chest come too far forward when going down into a squat. Losing the arch puts more load onto the quads. By keeping your chest up and out you'll keep a better extension and arch. Keeping the chest up will allow you to drive up and out of the whole better.

4. Get Your Elbows Forward

Ensuring your elbows are pushed forward creates the same benefits as keeping your chest and head up. It allows you to maintain your arch and drive through the entire squat. If you drive the elbows forward you automatically bring your chest up and out. Letting your elbows come back has the reverse effect.

5. Tight Abs

Keeping your abs tight during the squat will work wonders, especially when performing your heavy reps. Take a deep breath in and push your stomach out. This will create a more stable base by keeping you tight and solid throughout the squat. A belt will enhance it even more, but isn't necessary to benefit from this technique. Just because a belt helps with this technique doesn't mean you should wear it at every squatting session and for every exercise you perform. I never use a belt unless I'm doing very heavy singles and doubles or coming close to a competition and want to get used to wearing it.

6. Pushing Your Knees Out

This is a very basic technique of the squat, but I see it ignored all the time. Keep your knees pushed out when coming down into and coming up out of the squat. Allowing your knees to cave inwards at any time will result in losing drive and power.

7. Feet position

You can choose many different feet positions to squat with. The wider you go, the more hamstrings / hip muscles will be contracted. The closer your feet, the more quad dominant the movement becomes. Either way you want to push out on the outside of your feet/shoes. This will activate more hip muscles and give you something to drive against and prevent your knees from caving inwards.

Next time you squat try including some of these tips if you aren't doing them already. When you become comfortable with one, add another until you're incorporating all of them.

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Bodybuilding, Weightlifting And Powerlifting - What's The Difference?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

Building muscles, getting stronger, losing weight, toning your body - all are common and valid reasons to start working out with weights as part of your exercise program. But while weight training should always improve your general fitness levels, different types of workout routines are better for different fitness goals.

At it's most basic level, these different styles of working out with weights can be divided into three basic areas - bodybuilding, powerlifting and weightlifting. It can get confusing to those first starting to work out, both because of the vast array of workout routines and because even the mainstream fitness magazines tend to use the category names interchangeably. So before you start working out with weights, it's important to know the differences between these three and when each style is best for you and your fitness goals.

Bodybuilding Workouts

While often used generically to refer to any exercise using weights, bodybuilding is specifically aimed at building the biggest lean muscle mass possible given that athlete's genetic makeup. While some strength gains and body fat weight loss will usually occur, especially at first, these are neither the main goal nor the primary function.

Exercise repetitions for this goal usually range in the 8 - 15 reps range, repeated for 3 - 5 or more sets of reps. Time between sets should be kept short, in the 30 - 45 seconds range. This style of training focuses mostly on increasing sarcoplasm, the liquid component of each muscle. Latest research indicates time-under-tension is emerging as the most important part of this process, hence the short breaks between sets. Also, some bodybuilding style variations include moving the weights more slowly, either in both directions or just on the negative(lowering) half of the exercise in order to increase the total time under tension.

Symmetry is very important in bodybuilding, so bodybuilding routines are designed to work the entire body with an eye to correcting any imbalances in size or appearance. While some muscle size imbalances are due to genetics, focusing more on the smaller, undersized muscles while going a little easier on those that develop quickly for you can help you achieve a more symmetrical appearance. Generally speaking, bodybuilders use a mix of compound exercises and isolation exercises to keep their muscles working constantly to adapt, forcing them to grow in the process.

Powerlifting Workouts

Unlike bodybuilding, powerlifting workouts are less concerned with building muscle mass and focus much more on building strength. Getting stronger requires lifting heavier weights - growing to lifting MUCH heavier weights as a powerlifter's abilities and strength progress. Lifting very heavy weights for fewer reps builds the myofibrils, or 'strength cords' that run through your muscles.

If you've ever watched a strongman competition you already know of the incredible poundages these people are lifting, and the powerlifting sport is not limited to men - more and more women are enjoying the sport as well! But along with the much heavier weights comes a lot more responsibility to yourself to ensure your form is perfect and that you use every safety precaution available. No matter what your level, it is never advisable to do a powerlifting workout by yourself - if your training partner and spotter doesn't show up, use higher reps and lower weights for that day's workout.

Powerlifting routines also require more rest between reps, sets and workouts due in large part to the effect of that extreme exertion on your central nervous system. That applies to nutrition and sleep as well - you'll need a lot more calories and at least 8-10 hours of sleep a night while on a powerlifting cycle to avoid overtraining and overtaxing your system.

Powerlifters do as many or more sets than bodybuilders, but due to the heavier weights, by necessity the reps are limited. Normal powerlifting rep ranges are in the 3 - 6 rep range, and it's not unusual to see a powerlifter doing 1-rep-max sets, or single reps using as much weight as they can manage while being too heavy to allow them a second rep in that set. Leave the 1RM sets to the experienced powerlifters though - they hold far too great a risk of serious damage or death for even an intermediate athlete to make it worth doing them.

You may well see some muscle size increase and burn some body fat, especially at first, but don't expect lean muscle mass gains to keep pace with your strength increases - powerlifting is all about strength and any other benefits are ancillary.

Weightlifting Workouts

Weightlifting is the most generic of the three titles, and can also be applied to powerlifting and bodybuilding routines, especially when either is just part of an overall long-term weighlifting plan. But for the purposes of this article, we'll use weightlifting as the type of routine aimed mostly at achieving a better overall fitness level - getting somewhat stronger, building some lean muscle mass, toning your body and burning some body fat.

As such, general weightlifting plans help reach the fitness goals of a much wider slice of the general population - those not looking to become professional and/or competitive athletes. While all workout plans should start with light weights, general weightlifting routines should never hit the weights used in powerlifting and usually doesn't require drastic adherence to specific sleep and nutrition plans required of serious bodybuilders and powerlifters.

Since your goals are less extreme and cover a broader scope, it should be easy to see the weight used will usually remain below the other two types of routines, and the rep range will be between the two. Using moderate weights for 8 - 12 reps per set with 3-4 sets for each exercise will keep you evolving to be closer to your goals. Pay strict attention to proper exercise form and only increase the weight you're lifting on any exercise when you can complete all your reps for every set in perfect form.

D. Champigny is a certified personal trainer and the publisher of FlirtingWithFitness.com. Be sure to follow him as @FlirtingFitness on Twitter.

For up-to-date information on building muscle, burning fat, proper nutrition and other fitness and exercise information, surf the thousands of articles on those topics available at FlirtingWithFitness.com starting right now!

Bodybuilding Workout Routines - Some Guidelines

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000

Many bodybuilding workout routines are very rich in techniques and principles such as doing slow negatives to increase hypertrophy or doing supersets which help work opposing muscle groups more thoroughly and at the same time decrease workout time. Unlike powerlifting and Olympic weight lifting, bodybuilding training's goal is not to develop strength in movements but rather muscle size. There is much to learn. Here are some simple guidelines.

Don't Change Your Bodybuilding Workout Routine if it is Working

Because of the volume of exercises that bodybuilders sometimes end up doing, it's easy to get frustrated with your current workout when you've been doing it for awhile. You may be just plain bored with it. Boredom however should not be the reason why you change it. If the routine is working for you in that you are beating the logbook most of the time by getting more reps per exercise or lifting more weight then there's no reason to change. There are only two reasons to switch:

1) You injured a major body part and have to adjust by changing exercises.

2) You're stagnating and not beating the log book.

If You stall, Swap Exercises

Sometimes when training, you will plateau. An exercise will stall. Sometimes in order to see results again the best thing is to stop doing that exercise and swap it out with a similar one. For instance, you can switch the incline press for the decline bench press.

Patience and Good Nutrition Will Get You There Faster

You will not be getting an amazing physique transformation overnight. In fact, it may be months before you see any great results. Improve your nutrition and you'll see even more results. If you are too skinny, then add more protein and calories to your diet. If you are too fat, then decrease the amount of calories you are consuming but still be sure to get a lot of protein. The amount of lean mass can usually be increased by eating more protein. You may want to consider spending some money on whey protein for extra protein supplementation.

Know Your Exercises and the Definition of Power

There are two types of exercises: Compound and isolation. An example of a compound exercise is the bench press in which body parts (lower arms, upper arms, and torso) turn around more than one joint (elbow and shoulder). An example of an isolation exercise would be the barbell curl in which only one joint (elbow) is employed in the lift. You can usually lift more weight with a compound exercise than with an isolation exercise. Compound exercises also require more recovery in between workouts.

It is hard to define the difference between an intermediate and advanced workout. The simplest definition is that your body performs more work in an advanced workout. The physics definition of work is probably the best. It is the distance a weight travels given a certain amount of time (weight x distance x time). If you are doing repetitions with the same cadence but are lifting more weight or you are lifting the same amount of weight but are lifting it faster or moving it farther, then your muscles are doing more work. You should perform full reps for maximum results. Partial reps will only give partial results. Train hard with intensity and be patient. If you are a beginner you cannot expect to train with an advanced workout let alone compete in a strongman competition.

Length of Workouts and Cortisol

You don't have to be spending hours in the gym. For maximum results, keep the period of your bodybuilding workout routine down to less than one hour. After a certain period of training, the amount of testosterone in your blood goes lower and the hormone cortisol starts being released in greater amounts. There is much written about how cortisol is bad for muscle building but cortisol, however is useful in the process of super-compensation. It is used to decrease muscle inflammation and aid in the process of breaking down amino acids for protein synthesis after strenuous exercise. Too much of it, however can stop muscle gains.

Don't be dogmatic. Sometimes it's advantageous when feeling under the weather to seriously consider taking more rest days. It is common to feel sluggish after having a particular grueling workout. Remember, workouts break down muscle tissue. It is rest and proper nourishment that makes you grow stronger. Don't be so dogmatic with your training schedule that you can't take a rest when you really need one. You are a being made out of living tissue. A bodybuilding workout routine is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

It's Okay to Avoid Harmful Lifts

Some exercises are considered to be bad for the joints. Lifts such as upright barbell rows, pull-downs behind the neck or shoulder presses behind the neck, have been known to cause shoulder impingement. This can happen anytime when you raise your arms going backwards. A shoulder bone called the acromion can rub against a tendon or the bursa sac causing pain. If you don't have this, problem then don't sweat it. If you do feel pain, don't be a hero. There may be nothing you can do except for discontinuing the exercise that gives you problems. Other than being painful, an injury is nothing but a waste of time. If, however, you are hell bent on still doing press or pull downs then don't move the bar down past your ears.

Ballistic training is also the cause of many injuries. Never jerk the weight up in the lifts. This is known as ballistic training. It will not increase your power. If you blast and pump the only thing it will increase is the amount of injuries you accrue by adopting this way of training.

A Few Words about Cardio

Many times lifters wonder if they should do cardio before or after a workout. Many pro bodybuilders do not do cardio at all because for them it takes the strength out of their legs. They say that lifting already works the heart and that a low carb diet is the best method for fat loss. You may want to experiment with your workouts to see whether or not cardio is for you. If you do decide to do cardio, walking is advisable. It is recommended to not walk longer than 45 minutes and not to walk on the same day that you train the legs.

Motivation is the Key Element to Success

The best bodybuilding workout routine is one in which you understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. It is also a routine for which you can see regular results so you can stay motivated.

There are so many different workout routines for bodybuilding. The main things to remember are consistency of training, knowing your limits and good eating habits. For other topics related to bodybuilding such as high intensity training go to http://weighttrainingforever.com

Wrestling Workouts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000

One of the keys for a wrestlers success begins in the weight room. Studies have shown that athletes who participate in a strength training program are faster, quicker, and more explosive, and they have fewer injuries. Knowing the specifics of what should go into a wrestling workout to maximize potential on the mat is the first step to achieving your strength training goals. The first part of this wrestling workout article will go into some of the major components that must be considered when you are putting together a strength training focused program. Then I will detail the three different types of wrestling workouts I use depending upon what the wrestler I'm working with and I decide will be the best avenue for him. Finally, this article will finish with a number of different wrestling workouts that I've used with some of the top wrestlers in the country including three D1 National Champions (D1 Champs and All-Americans I've worked with cannot be mentioned until graduation due to NCAA compliance regulations).

Wrestling Workout Design Step 1:

Step 1 in designing your wrestling workout is to know your goals. Think about some of your past losses. Believe me, I know it's not a fun thing, but really think back. Did you lose because you were slower? Did you lose because you were weaker? Did you lose because you weren't explosive enough? Did you lose because you ran out of gas? These are all questions you need to ask yourself when designing a wrestling workout. If you're not winning because you're getting outmuscled then you're going to need a much different wrestling workout than if you're simply not in good enough shape. A great way to assess yourself is to think about your ultimate goal. In order to achieve your ultimate goal you're going to need to be as close to perfect as possible. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, you'll need your strength, power, and conditioning to all be 10s in order to win. Now, knowing where you need to be, rate yourself with where you are now. Whichever is the lowest number should be the number one focus of your wrestling workout. Training all of the necessary components is important, but learning how to balance all of the components of a wrestling workout so that you can progress throughout the year is what's going to help get you to your goals quicker.

Wrestling Workout Design Step 2:

Step 2 in designing your wrestling workout plan is to know how to train. For instance, when developing a conditioning focused wrestling workout think to yourself when the last time you were involved in a match against a quality opponent where you've cruised at the same pace much like you would during a 3-5 mile jog? Never! As you already know, there are times during a match when you're fighting all out for a position or takedown and then there are times when you're able to catch your breath like when you're going back to the center to reset. To condition as functionally as possible for this type of action want to train in intervals. My personal favorite for wrestlers is the Airdyne bike. I have my wrestlers sprint for anywhere between 10 and 20 seconds and jog for anywhere between 10 and 40 seconds. Start with a higher rest to work ratio, say 5:1-3:1 and work down to a 2:1-1:1 over the course of training for a competition.

Just as you would for the conditioning aspect of your wrestling workout, you'll need to make some considerations for the strength/power portion of the plan. While I do some conditioning with my wrestlers, it's completely done by their request. Most of the conditioning is done in practice, but every now and again a few of my wrestlers will have me put them through some conditioning for a few weeks before a major competition just to give them that last little boost. Because of this, I have really become most experienced with strength and power development for wrestlers. Even the research specifically regarding wrestling workouts suggests that strength training plans should focus on maximal strength and power development because the conditioning aspect is sufficiently covered in practice.

When I first started to design strength and power wrestling workouts I simply looked to the strongest and most powerful athletes on the planet- Olympic lifters, Powerlifters, and Strongmen. Without getting into a big analysis over who's the strongest, I figured I would just take parts of all three types of training and mesh it into a wrestling workout, that way my wrestlers could get the best of all three types of training; which leads us to the next step.

Wrestling Workout Design Step 3:

Step 3 in designing your wrestling workout is to select your exercises. Within Step 3 there are three sub-steps.

Wrestling Workout Sub-Step 1- Select your core exercises. These are the exercises you want to build during your strength training. There should be a variety and each one should be used to measure a certain quality. For example, I have my wrestlers Box Squat to measure lower body strength. I also have them perform Weighted Chinups to indicated upper body pulling strength. The Log Clean has been a favorite of mine to measure power. Wrestling Workout Sub-Step 2- Select your derivatives. The derivatives should mimic, but be slightly different from your core exercise. For example, I use a High Box Squat (usually 2" higher than parallel) and a Reverse Band Box Squat as two derivatives for my wrestlers. This step needs constant reevaluation. What I mean by that is, if your derivatives are going up, but your core lift is not, then switch them for something new because they are not having a positive carryover to the lift that you've determined to be most important. Wrestling Workout Sub-Step 3- Select your accessories. Accessories are the exercises that will help target weak points as well as strengthen specific areas of your body. Common accessories I use to build the Box Squat include various weighted abdominal movements, split squats, lunges, power squats, glute ham raises, reverse hypers, back extensions, and core and lower body focused exercises. Again, constant assessment is needed to determine which accessories are paying off in making you a stronger wrestler and which are not paying dividends.

Wrestling Workout Design Step 4:

Step 4 in designing your wrestling workout is to put together your plan. Below are a number of wrestling specific workouts that I've used with some of my wrestlers.

Wrestling Workout 1- Standard Commercial Gym

This wrestling workout is for those of you that don't have access to a lot of the specialized equipment I use to train my wrestlers. Obviously having some or all of the specialized equipment will help, but the fact of the matter is that most of you reading this do not have access to things like Strongman Logs, Tires, Sandbags, Bands, Chains, and other specialty bars. As a result, I tend to favor making programs that the average wrestler can actually do rather than release programs filled with tons of equipment that most wrestlers do not have access to. In a nutshell though, the fact of the matter is whether you have the specialized equipment or not, if you train hard and smart you can still make great gains even in a standard gym with soft rock playing in the background.

Day 1 Workout:

Superset - Straight Bar Box Squat (5x5) and Dumbbell Side Bend (4x10)
Superset - Trap Bar Deadlift (4x5) and Weighted Decline Situp (4x8)
Superset - Dumbbell Lunge (4x6ea) and Straight Bar Good Morning (4x8)
Superset - Hanging Leg Raise (3x15) and Back Extension (3x15)

Day 2 Workout:

Superset - Floor Press (5x5) and Weighted Chinup (5x5)
Superset - Alternate Dumbbell Incline Press (4x6ea) and Chest Supported Row (4x8)
Superset - Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Press (3x10) and Cable Face Pull (3x15)
Superset - Dumbbell Hammer Curl (3x8) and Lying Dumbbell Extension (3x10)

Day 3 Workout:

Superset - Lunge Jump (5x4ea) and Cable Lift (4x8)
Superset - Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch (4x3) and Ab Wheel (4x10)
Superset - Dips (4x max reps) and Towel Chinups (4x max reps)
Superset - Dumbbell RDL (3x10) and Pulldown Abs (3x12)

Wrestling Workout 2 - "Hardcore" Gym

Day 1 Workout:

Superset - Safety Squat Bar Box Squat (5x5) and Kettlebell Windmill (4x8)
Superset - Deadlift w/ Chains (4x5) and Weighted Glute Ham Raise Situp (4x8)
Superset - Split Squat (4x6ea) and Glute Ham Raise (4x8)
Superset - Band Twist (3x10) and Band Resisted Back Extension (3x10)

Day 2 Workout:

Superset - Reverse Band Bench Press (5x5) and Reverse Band Weighted Neutral Grip Chinup (5x5)
Superset - Dumbbell Bench Press (4x6) and Fat Grip Cable Row (4x8)
Superset - Log Press (3x8) and Band Pullapart (3x12)
Superset - Rope Cable Curl (3x8) and Lying Chain Extension (3x10)

Day 3 Workout:

Superset - Keg Toss (5x4) and Sledge Hammer Tire Strike (5x6ea)
Superset - Log Clean (4x3) and Standing Ab Wheel (4x6)
Superset - Blast Strap Pushups (4x max reps) and Battling Ropes (4x20)
Superset - Sandbag Clean and Press (3x8) and Stone Trainer Lift (3x8)

For more wrestling workouts, wrestler-specific strength training exercises, and top weight training training mistakes made by wrestlers visit my blog below and sign up for my free newsletter.

Dickie White is the co-founder of Shamrock Strength and Conditioning, one of the nation's top systems for training champion wrestlers. Dickie is a 2006 graduate of the Ithaca College Clinical Exercise Science program and holds a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). For more information on how you can improve your performance on the mat through his strength training system please visit his blog and sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.wrestler-power.com

Tire Training

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000

Everybody wants to train with tires. Why? It looks impressive, it's extremely effective, and who doesn't like saying that they can flip an 800+ pound tire!! There are a few comonly asked questions about tire training though: A. how do I go about getting a large tire and how much will it cost? B. How do I train with a tire so that its effective to work my entire body? Keep reading and pay attention grasshoppers because these answers may surprise you.

First off how to you go about getting a tire and how much is it going to cost?

Here's what you're going to have to do, go to Google and look for tire shops and junkyards around you. Once you find one call them up and ask if they have some large tires, usually they'll have a bunch on hand, but if they don't they should be able to tell you where to go or who to call about getting one for yourself. Here's the key though, once you have found a place to pick up a tire you have to pick up a tire that fits you! Don't be afraid to dig through their tires they wont care if you throw them about and flip them. You're going to need on the minimum two tire for you training. A large heavy one for flipping and then a slightly lighter one for pulls and other miscellaneous training techniques.

OK so now you've gone off on the road of "this guy wants me to pay for two massive tires? What is his problem?" Here's the best bit about training tires, they're free. Yeah you heard me FREE! What's better then free gym equipment! They have to pay to dispose of those tires, so if your taking them they'll be more then happy to give it because you'll be saving them a ton of money. They may even be willing to help you pick a tire and load them up onto your vehicle! What a good deal right?

Now, how to train with a tire so that it's effective in working your entire body.

This is key if you're training with tires. It is always best to have your tire day as your full body day, but you can separate different tire workouts to different days including legs, chest, shoulders, etc. You can also work them into strongman days or however you have your training set up.

OK so the most basic and well known of all the tire exercises is the flip. All you do is get down and flip the tire, not very hard right? Wrong if you flip the tire wrong you run the risk of tearing the muscles in your biceps so be sure to check your form. Next is hammer hits: you get yourself a big heavy hammer and you go at that tire with all you've got, the key is to swing the tire as if you were chopping wood. Once the hammer is on the down ward swing push it harder using your lower back. You can also do tire pulls. What you do for these is hook a rope up to your tire so that you can climb inside of the rope, then you go for a sprint with the tire dragging behind you. A good variation of this pull is to do the same motion except to go backwards. Alright this next one takes two people and what you're going to do is lift the tire up so that it is at chest height and then push it towards your partner, they're going to squat down and catch it on their chest. Keep going back and forth catching the tire and giving it back. Use the same potion you use in your bench press to make it most effective.

These two exercises are main muscle exercises and for both you're going to need to be able to climb under the tire, so make sure its not to heavy but is heavy enough to push down on you. The first one is a high leg press, so what you do in get the tire up and have a partner lower it down onto your legs, from there you just press the tire up extending your legs upwards. If its to light you can have a partner carefully climb onto the tire and add their weight to it. The next is a tire style bench press: in the same way as the last get under the tire but this time put your feet up into the middle of the tire so that they hang free and the weight is resting on your chest. Then you simply press the tire!

These are the last exercises I have for the tire and they focus solely on your ab muscles. Sit on the side of the tire and place your feet inside the rim area (you may need someone to sit on the edge so that you don't flip over) then grip a medicine ball in your hands resting on your chest. Let your body extend backwards over the edge of the tire (like a sit up except you'll be able to extend your back much farther) then as you sit up extend the ball into the air and lower it down as you extend down again. Next is the same motion except you're going to use your hammer and when you come up instead of extending it out switch the shoulder it's resting on, then come up switch to the other shoulder and go back down again. The last of these is simply to hold a plate on your chest and do short quick extended sit ups.

That's that then!! Get a tire and learn how to work with it!! You'll never regret it!!

Hiyah, so my name is Seth Marcotte, My blog is http://www.fitnessbossflorida.com I first started lifting weights when I was eleven and since them I havn't stopped training or learning about weights, health, and fitness. I have dabbled in all different forms of training ranging from powerlifting, HIIT, MMA, and most recently strongman style training. I have a fairly indepth knowledge of how the human body works while training, how it reacts to different forms of training, creatines, basicly I have a sizable amount of knowledge in all things related to the fitness world. This has helped me alot in my training and even in my daily life. Hopefully right now it will help me to help you understand how to progress on the road of a healthy fit life. http://www.fitnessbossflorida.com

Wrestling Workout - Core Training

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000

If there's one word that's gotten all the attention in the fitness/strength and conditioning industry over the last few years, it's "core." Different trainers and coaches have different definitions of it; I use the term to encompass the muscles of your waist (ab muscles and low back/spinal erectors). This new term that, in my opinion, is just an all encompassing word for abs and low back, has led to "miraculous" workout discoveries in new ways to functionally train your body. I used quotes around miraculous because most recent research is suggesting that new age functional core training methods (like putting athletes on unstable surfaces forcing them to balance and stabilize while performing an exercise) are not any more effective at activating and firing the abs/low back than simply putting them under a heavy squat, deadlift, barbell overhead press, or other exercise where the athlete has to stabilize their core to maximize efficiency and safety of the exercise. In fact, a 2009 study performed by Jeffrey Willardson at Eastern Illinois University and published in the International Journal Sports Physiology Performance concluded that during whole body, intense weight training, one must stabilize the core muscles to perform the exercises and the capacity for maximal core muscle activation actually decreases when people exercise on unstable surfaces! This is just the opposite of what these "functional core trainers" have been telling you!!

So what's a wrestler to do? When looking for new training methods and principles, I like to stick to a phrase one of my best professors always reiterated to me- don't reinvent the wheel. If you want a super strong, bulletproof core, just look to see what people with what you want are doing. Without getting into a big debate on who has a stronger core let's just assume that Professional Strongmen and Powerlifters have the strongest cores in the world. Both athletes put hundreds, if not 1000+ pounds on their backs regularly and either walk with it (various walking events in Strongman including the Yoke and Farmer's Walk) or squat it (car squat for Strongman, competition squat for Powerlifter). Not to mention the stress on their cores during deadlifts, Atlas Stone Lifts, etc. Needless to say, Strongmen and Powerlifters undoubtedly have the strongest cores on the planet.

Because I've had the pleasure of knowing and training with some Professional Strongmen and Powerlifters, I've been able to pick their brains over time. Not only has their knowledge and input helped me improve my competition lifts (to the tune of 500+ pounds added to my 3 lift total in just over 3 years), but it has greatly improved the training and performance of the wrestlers I train. So what's the big secret for an unbreakable core? Heavy duty exercises for 6-15 reps. Think about it- if your goal was to strengthen your biceps, would you go to the gym and do 4 sets of 50 curls? No, you'd pick up a heavy weight and lift it for lower reps. Your abs are no different than the other muscles in your body, so don't train them any differently. Pick a few exercises each time you go to the gym, train them hard, and move on just like you would with any other muscle group or workout. Here are some of my favorite core exercises for wrestling.

Wrestling Workout Core Exercise 1- Ab Wheel

Setup: Kneel on the ground or on a pad and grab the handles on the ab wheel.

Execution: Move the ab wheel away from your body as you lower your hips and shoulders simultaneously toward the ground keeping your core parallel to the ground throughout. Although you should shoot to be fully extended at the bottom (your body from your knees to your hands just hovering over the ground), go as low as you can while maintaining this position before returning to the start by squeezing your abs to pull yourself back up.

Wrestling Workout Core Exercise 2- Pulldown Abs

Setup: Attach a pulldown ab strap or rope to the top pulley of a cable machine or anchor a band on the top bar of a power rack. Position yourself accordingly with whatever device you're using (arms through the straps, or grap the rope or band with your head in between).

Execution: Pull straight down by contracting your abs. Avoid driving your hips back in order to pull the weight down. This will take stress off your abs and the exercise will lose its effectiveness. If, for whatever reason, your gym doesn't have a tricep rope, a towel will work just as well.

Wrestling Workout Core Exercise 3- Suitcase Deadlift

Setup: Load a Hammer Curl bar with your desired starting weight and stand next to it so that it to either side of you (whichever side you want to start with). Squat down and grab the middle of the handle. Arch your back and drive your chest up.

Execution: Begin the exercise by performing a deadlift. Continue to drive up until you are fully standing upright. When you've reached the top of the exercise, return to the starting position, reset your arch and repeat for reps. Make sure to keep your chest tall and back flat throughout the movement and also be sure to take the time to pause in between each rep so you can reset your back arch. We use a hammer curl barbell at my gym because it's shorter and therefore cuts down on the potential for the having balance issues you may have with a standard seven foot bar. If you do not have access to one, an EZ curl bar works ok, or you can just use a dumbbell if need be.

Wrestling Workout Exercise 4- Kettlebell Windmill

Setup: Position a Kettlebell overhead by cleaning and then pressing it so that your arm is locked out and the Kettlebell is directly over your shoulder. Rotate both of your feet so that your toes are pointing away from the Kettlebell (ie if it is in your right hand, point your toes to the left).

Execution: Begin to lower your upper body to the ground by driving your hip in the opposite direction of where your toes are pointing while simultaneously sliding your free hand down the inside of your lead leg. Keep your legs straight as you continue to lower yourself under control until you can touch the ground. Obviously, if you are not flexible enough to touch the ground, don't force yourself to do so which will cause a break in your form. As your flexibility improves work toward lowering your hand so that it is flat on the floor before returning to the start. To maximize your flexibility, it is recommended by most Kettlebell experts to focus on driving your hip as far back as possible. Also, be sure to look up at the Kettlebell throughout this exercise. It may sound like a silly rule to follow, but believe me, this trick helps you to stabilize it overhead and greatly reduces your risk of injury.

Wrestling Workout Exercise 5- Cable Ball Lift

Setup: Position a single handle attachment in the lowest position on a Functional Trainer or an adjustable cable column. Stand alongside the machine while holding a stability ball. Grab the handle with the hand opposite the handle (so if the handle is on your left side grab it with your right hand).

Execution: Begin in a quarter squat position. Squat up while simultaneously rotating back and away from the machine until you are fully extended. Lower the weight back to the starting position and repeat for reps. Maintain a flat back throughout this exercise by focusing on keeping your core tight throughout.

For more wrestling workouts, wrestler-specific strength training exercises, and top weight training training mistakes made by wrestlers visit my blog below and sign up for my free newsletter.

MMA Workout Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000

There are a number of ideas to keep in mind when developing your MMA workout plan. Obviously, changes must be made if you don't have certain pieces of equipment listed in the MMA workout plan you've decided to use. As a result, lots of times people just skip the exercise all together or trash the program in search of a new one. Unfortunately, because most of the common workout facilities are standard commercial gyms, MMA fighters end up missing out by trashing a program all together, and as a result, their performance suffers. For instance, I have all of my fighters squat with a Safety Squat Bar for a number of reasons (less stress on shoulder, design of bar teaches user to arch more, easier to learn how to use, etc.). However, most commercial gyms won't have this type of bar.

Before I get into substitutions that may need to be made I want you to first visit a website to see if you can't find a more suitable gym for the type of training you're going to be doing. Go to Powerliftingwatch.com. On the left side of the homepage you'll see a "Navigation" tool bar. About halfway down from the top you'll see a link for "Powerlifting Gyms." Click on that and begin your search for gyms around your area. This is about the only place you're going to have any luck finding a gym that will have a lot of the equipment written about in good MMA workout plans. As these types of gyms generally cater to a small, select, niche crowd they tend to be tucked away in strange areas and not on prime time roads with big glowing signs out front. For instance, before I moved my gym, it used to be behind a Meineke Muffler and we didn't have a sign out front. Everything was word of mouth among the serious lifters throughout the Binghamton area. Even now in the new location, my gym still isn't in a high profile area. Instead, it's in a small, local plaza with a bar, a Honda motorcycle shop, and of all things, a church! If you can't find anything on Powerliftingwatch.com go to Elitefts.com and post a Q&A asking if anyone knows of a hardcore gym in your area. As I've mentioned before, Elite is also where you can buy any of the equipment that I use with the fighters I train.

Anyway, on to the MMA workout plan. Because I want to give you the tools to develop a personalized plan that won't have you guessing as to how to replace and switch out certain exercises, I'm going to introduce to you the basic templates that I use with my MMA fighters when planning their workouts. From there, you'll be able to see the skeleton from which I worked to get a better understanding of how you put together your own MMA workout plan.

Day 1

Superset 1: Box Squat Variation and DB Side Bend
Superset 2: Deadlift Variation and Flexion Abdominal Movement
Superset 3: Single Leg Movement and Hamstring, Glute, Low Back Movement

Day 2

Superset 1: Bench Press Variation and Weighted Chinup Variation
Superset 2: DB Press Variation and Row Variation
Superset 3: Overhead Press Variation and Upper Back (Rear Delt, Trap) Movement

Day 3

Superset 1: Lower Body Plyometric Variation and Rotational Power Variation
Superset 2: Clean Variation and Ab Wheel Variation
Superset 3: DB Olympic Variation and Hamstring, Glute, Low Back Movement

1-2 Strongman/Odd Object Exercises

Basically what I did for this is look at Week 1-3 of the Base Building MMA workout plan I have my MMA fighters perform. By categorizing the exercises you're able to identify the true function within the program. For instance, I always start my MMA fighters with a bench press, but after a few weeks I rotate it out usually with a reverse band bench press. It's still working the same movement, but the reverse bands provide a different stimulus thereby preventing a plateau from occurring. Once you are able to categorize MMA workout programs like this, you can then make substitutions as needed based on the equipment you have access to and/or what you know will have a positive carryover to your performance in the cage. Obviously, following a program to the letter is going to give you the best results. However, when you don't have the option to, understanding how to make the necessary adjustments will do nothing but enhance your MMA workout plan and performance.

Below is the actual MMA workout plan I used from the template I introduced above. Compare the template to the actual workout to get a better understanding of how to categorize exercises so you can better understand the thought behind a good MMA workout plan.

Day 1

Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5

a. SSB Box Squat (4x5)
a. DB Side Bend (4x10)
b. #3 Pin Pull (4x5)
b. GHR Situp (4x10)
c. Split Squat (3x10)

Day 2

Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5

a. Bench Press (5x5)
a. Weighted Chinup (5x5)
b. DB Bench (3x10)
b. Chest Supported Row (3x10)
c. Single Arm DB Overhead (3x10)
c. DB Upright Row (3x12)

Day 3

Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5

a. Med Ball b/w Leg Toss (4x4)
a. Sledge Hammer (4x4)
b. Log Clean (4x3)
b. Ab Wheel (4x10)
c. DB Push Press (4x3)
c. GHR (4x5)

Tire Flip (4x8) Sandbag Shouldering (3x3ea)

Dickie White is a 2006 graduate of the Clinical Exercise Science BS program at Ithaca College. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Most recently (Fall 2009) he completed his MBA at Binghamton University. He is the co-owner of Ironworks Gym in Binghamton, New York where he trains a number of MMA fighters including former UFC Welterweight Tamdan "The Barn Cat" McCrory. For more information on how to improve your MMA performance with strength and power training visit his blog at Wrestler-Power.com.

Which Is Better: Bodyweight Training, Weightlifting or Kettlebells?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000

I know this is a popular discussion on the internet and many other people have shared their opinion on the subject so I thought I'd share mine. The funny thing about this topic is that to some extent it can really be answered in one sentence - It depends on what your training goals are.

If you are a powerlifter or training for the Strongman competition then doing push ups isn't really going to help you much. On the other hand, if you are training for a military physical fitness test, doing heavy squats won't do much to improve your scores. Of the three methods, kettlebell training is probably the most versatile in that both a powerlifter and a military guy could use them and get really good results in their respective fitness tests. The reason for this is that weightlefting and bodyweight training generally fall on opposite ends of the muscle usage spectrum, while kettlebell training falls somewhere in the healthy middle.

Weightlifting will train maximum strength more, while bodyweight training will train muscular endurance more. You can of course do high rep weightlifting to develop muscular endurance or handstand push ups (for example) to increase maximum strength, but most people don't use these types of training for those reasons. As mentioned, kettlebells are definitely the most versatile because they do a great job at developing both sides of the muscle usage spectrum.

If you don't have very specific muscle usage requirements like the powerlifting or military examples, I would honestly say that the best thing to do is to incorporate all 3 types of training into your workouts. It'll keep your training fresh so you won't get bored and you'll train your muscles (and your nervous system) to respond to a wide variety of stimuli.

Personally, from the age of 15 to about 21 I swore by the iron. Back then we hadn't even heard of kettlebells and bodyweight training was limited to plyometrics. I was all about squatting, benching, deadlifts, etc. My senior year of high school I was able to leg press over a ton, could do 10 dips with two 45lb plates attached to me, and I used 120lb dumbbells in each hand to do chest presses. I loved it but looking back I realize that it left me open to injury and created a lot of muscle imbalances.

These days, though I still hit the weights, it is primarily to increase my strength in the main compound lifts - bench, squat, clean and press and deadlift. I always stay under 7 reps on bench and I rarely find myself doing cleans with the barbell anymore because I get enough clean work in with kettlebells - same goes for squats.

I would say my workouts now are 75% bodyweight, 15% kettlebell and 10% weightlifting. I love bodyweight training because it makes me physically feel better. I feel strong, fit, and most important to me personally - balanced. I think by nature, bodyweight training makes it very hard to have muscle imbalances because almost no bodyweight exercise is an isolated movement. Your nervous system has to recruit a wide variety of muscles to get you to move your body around in all kinds of ways. I also don't feel like a heavy, inflated balloon all the time. Some people love that feeling - I know because I used to love it - but now feeling like that would make me feel slow, less agile and out of shape.

Like I said, I used to be able to leg press over a ton but I also would have struggled with running 3 miles. Now I can do that with ease. I also think that the strength from bodyweight training translates over to weightlifting much better than the other way around. A guy that can do 10 free standing, handstand push ups will be able to put up some good weight on the military press but a guy with a strong military press won't necessarily be able to do even one handstand push up. Another advantage to bodyweight training is that I can get a workout in anytime, anywhere. I don't need any equipment and I can progress the difficulty of the movement simply by changing angles.

I love kettlebells too but I feel like overall I have the most fun with bodyweight training and that is perhaps the best answer of all to the question in the title - the best form of training is the one that you personally enjoy doing the most. If you don't like doing something then it becomes a task. Your training should be fun so pick one of the methods or pick all three and get to it!

I am a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). I have approximately 15 years of fitness / exercise experience with a wide range of knowledge on different types of training.

Situps Are Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000

“Isometrically training the rectus is consistent with its architecture and stabilizing function to enhance performance and power development in the hips and extremities.” – Dr. Stuart McGill

As a member of SWCC, a Naval Special Operations Force specializing in maritime warfare on small boats, I spent a substantial amount of time on a craft known as an 11-meter RIB. The RIB is an eight-ton, thousand-horsepower jet boat with a steeply angled Kevlar hull capable of speeds around fifty miles per hour.

This is all peachy when you’re on a nice flat bay, but when the boat is going airborne over open ocean waves while you’re wearing body armor, small weapons, ammunition, and a helmet with night-vision goggles, it’s pretty damn rough on the body.

This is going to hurt!

The best analogy I can come up with to describe it would be if you were to ride in the bed of a dump truck while racing down a bumpy road, partially blindfolded with a toaster strapped to the top of your head and an extra fifty pounds or so of awkward gear on your body. Every three to eight seconds, the bed of the dump truck is going to lift completely up and then violently and unexpectedly slam back down while rolling 45 degrees to either side. It’s like being in a car crash several hundred times in a night.

These impacts can reach 20 g’s and literally break bones. They’re rough on every joint in the body and the spine is particularly vulnerable. Shattered vertebrae were not unheard of.

This meant that when it came to physical training, optimal joint alignment and function was crucial, particularly for the spine. Nothing we did was for solely cosmetic reasons, although we developed lean and muscular bodies as a byproduct. We wanted to make it through deployments without broken backs and be able to do our jobs.

Abs trained for spinal stability look as strong as they function

This required a different approach than what most of the civilian world (and the military as well) did when it came to training the anterior core, which you probably refer to as your abs. As it turns out, this approach also works tremendously well for athletes and civilians who train primarily to look good naked.

When it comes to training the abs and the body as whole for visual appearance, it’s important that one develop the entire anterior core and not just the rectus abdominis, which is the primary muscle involved in situps, planks, and crunches. This approach will create a tight, well-balanced midsection with visually striking obliques, along with the sought after six pack.

The other consideration when it comes to visual appearance (as well as spinal stability) is posture. It’s been well established by researchers such as Harvard’s Dr. Dana Carney that an open, upright posture is crucial to creating the appearance of social dominance, also known as “the guy girls want to sleep with.”

For this to happen, the spine must be as erect (no pun intended) as possible, the chest held high, and the shoulders pulled confidently back.

The downside to movements like crunches is that they repeatedly flex the spine forward and pull the ribcage closer to the pelvis. This reinforces the exact opposite of open, tall posture. Movements like situps can also have a negative effect by tightening the hip flexors and pulling the pelvis into anterior tilt, which leads to excessive spinal curvature and a visually shortened, hunched over spine. Not many people think of hunchbacks when they’re trying to imagine a sexy body.

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame did sit-ups and he wasn’t so popular with the girls!

The joints of the body function along a continuum. Much like a bullwhip, a mobile section is anchored to a stable section that is capable of transmitting force without absorbing it.

The small sonic boom produced by cracking a bullwhip is possible because the handle is completely rigid and the whip becomes increasingly mobile down its length, all the way to a soft, pliable tip.

The spine functions similarly. The lower facets of the lumbar spine are meant for rigidity; they allow only a small range of motion.

As you move up from the lumbars into the thoracic section of the spine, the facets become increasingly mobile, just as a bullwhip becomes more mobile the further away from the handle you go:

Training the abs with spinal flexion movements such as crunches reverses this continuum. These movements loosen the lumbar spine and diminish the mobility of the upper spine. Therefore, we stay away from any kind of movement involving spinal flexion, and the majority of our ab work also avoids hip flexion.

As Dr. Stuart McGill has famously illustrated in his books and lectures, the role of the anterior core is to provide stability to the lumbar spine and transmit force. It serves to prevent undesirable motion, be it rotational, extension, or lateral flexion-based. To paraphrase Dr. McGill, if the rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscle) was primarily intended to flex the spine, it would look like a giant hamstring muscle.

Hip flexion, the action of drawing the knee towards the chest, is a crucial part of athletic movement, and many people in particular need to strengthen hip flexion with the knee above 90 degrees of flexion.

In many athletes, a combination of immobility in the hips and lack of strength in certain hip flexors causes the lumbar spine to buckle (posterior pelvic tilt) during activities like sprinting or exercises like hanging leg raises. This leads to impaired stride mechanics and a weak spine.

With this in mind, we do specifically train hip flexion, primarily with exercises like wall march iso drills, mountain climbers, or dead bugs, which train ab/glute co-contraction and unilateral hip flexion. In this way, the athlete learns to separate hip flexion from spinal flexion and maintain the structural integrity of the spine.

These are well known by now in most circles and we still use them quite a bit. When in the plank, ensure that the spine is in a neutral, straight line. You should be able to set a broomstick on the athlete’s back and have it touch their upper back, sacrum, and head. Do not allow the lumbar spine to sag into extension.

A common variation is the “RKC Plank” in which you actively contract the glutes and place the elbows close together and further out in front of you than normal.

With the side plank, pay attention to the hips to ensure that they are not flexed during the hold. Firing of the glutes will help to ensure that the hips are extended.

This movement (and most like it) is generally attributed to the physical therapist named John Pallof who popularized them. I often drop the Pallof part out of the name, mostly because I can never remember how to spell it right.

Most of these movements are held for isometrics of between five and thirty seconds. We do them with a partner pulling on a band, although a cable machine works fine if you’re training by yourself. Rather than talking and destabilizing your spine by exhaling too much, just nod your head to indicate to your partner that he is pulling with enough tension.

The tall kneeling press can also be performed with a split stance to help train ab/glute co-contraction and stretch the hip flexor and is advisable for people who have a hard time keeping their lumber spine from extending with both knees down.

These are also often done as a press in which the hands are drawn towards the chest and then pressed fully away at intervals. By changing the leverage in this way, you get less resistance with the hands close to the chest and can break a 30-second iso into smaller segments. Try a 30-second bout, with three 10-second holds at the fully extended position and the hands brought briefly back to the chest in between.

We generally only perform this one with a split stance. The potential benefits of performing it with both knees down seldom outweigh the chances of hyperextending the lumbar spine and promoting poor movement patterns. Ensure that the spine is neutral at all times and pay attention to the shoulders. They should be positioned overhead, tucked slightly forward, and the scapulae should be retracted and depressed the entire time.

This is performed with the resistance coming from the same side as the forward leg and with a split stance only. The scapulae need to be set down and back with the sternum high. Grip the band with the hand opposite to the resistance side and set the hands directly on top of the skull. Ensure that the lumbar spine is neutral. Many people who lack mobility in their thoracic spines and shoulders will arch their lower backs in order to maintain upright posture, so pay attention to the lumbar curve.

This variation adds an anti-rotation component to the traditional plank, which normally is solely an anti-extension movement. The hips must be kept flat and the glutes should be braced throughout the movement. We typically switch arms every five seconds for 20-second bouts, although we have worked up to switches every twenty seconds for 80-second bouts.

Years ago, I was talking with Pavel Tsatsouline about drills specifically for military guys working on small boats, and he showed me this drill. It’s a highly effective method for training spinal stabilization and the ability to mitigate impact. Pick your partner up by the feet, shake them slightly so that he can’t predict which foot will be dropping, and let go of one foot. Your partner should be able to maintain a neutral, tightly braced spine and keep both feet at least close to level. Pay attention to the shoulder blades. You’ll find greater stiffness and strength if the scaps are locked down and in, and the lats are tightly braced.

This exercise can also be performed from the pushup position, in which case the glutes must be solidly braced and the abs functioning to prevent extension at the spine. Tension in the lats plays a crucial role here as well.

These can be performed from rings or a pullup bar. A neutral grip bar allows for the best leverage. Here, the ability to generate full body tension is crucial, and the abs must brace powerfully to prevent extension at the lumbar spine. You can ease your way into it by bending one leg in order to decrease the resistance. If you do so, make sure that you contract the glute on the extended leg and keep your spine neutral.

Plate slides require both an anti-extension and anti-rotation effect from the abs. The glutes should be locked out in order to keep the pelvis from tilting in the anterior direction. We use 2.5 pound plates and move them every five seconds in order to allow the athlete to reset into the pushup position between each slide.

This drill places substantial demand on the gluteus medius while the core musculature must work to prevent lateral flexion. Keep the heel of the top foot at least as high as the toes in order to ensure that the athlete isn’t externally rotating the hip and moving from the hip flexors instead of using the gluteus medius to abduct the hip.

By understanding the function of the anterior core and spine, you’ve got a wide variety of options for training your abs to improve both appearance and performance. You have no reason to do situps or crunches ever again….and your spine will thank you.

Written by Craig Weller

Discuss, comment or ask a question

If you have a comment, question or would like to discuss anything raised in this article, please do so in the following discussion thread on the Wannabebig Forums - Situps Are Dead discussion thread.

About Craig Weller

Craig spent six years as a member of a Naval Special Operations Force known as SWCC, the Special Warfare Combatant Crewmen.

The methods which result from this training philosophy are designed to deliver maximal results with improvised or non-existent equipment in as little time as possible for men whose lives depend on their physical abilities.

This passion for showing others the path to a stronger, healthier body stayed with Craig and led to the founding of Barefoot Fitness with facilities in South Dakota and Denver.

You can keep up with his training methods on Facebook.

View the original article here

Five Keys to Getting and Staying Big and Strong

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000

I was there once - a skinny teenager with dreams of being the next Arnold. Actually, all I wanted was twenty pounds of muscle so I could stand up to high school bullies and gain confidence to talk to girls. If I got better at sports in the process, then that would be icing on the cake.

Now, as a wise old lifter with almost twenty years of weight training experience, I’ve learned a thing or two. I’ve gained a ton of knowledge “in the trenches”, I’ve gleaned considerable insight from fellow gym rats, and I’ve learned from all the reading I’ve done.

When you’ve been in the game long enough, you are able to see the big picture as it pertains to strength and conditioning. You realize that the best lifters vary their workouts, but not by much. You discover that consistency might be the most critical component of your results. Finally, you figure out how to spend your time and energy wisely and focus your attention in the right direction.

These are the things that I wish someone had told me many years ago, when I first ventured into the weight room. Here are the five keys to getting and staying big and strong.

We don’t talk about this particular topic much in the strength and conditioning industry. Although anabolic steroid use is seen as a faux pas in the outside world, I personally don’t judge others if they choose to go down this path. However, I believe that lifters should make educated decisions on the topic, so I’m here to address some practical considerations.

If you decide to take anabolic steroids, there is no doubt that you’ll gain size and strength at a much more rapid pace than if you go the natural route. However, what many lifters fail to realize is that anabolic steroids can interfere with blood pressure, temperament, libido, and self-confidence.

The question that you need to ask yourself up front is, “For how long do I expect to take steroids?” Many people assume they’ll do a couple of cycles, gain some decent levels of size and strength, call it quits, and “fast-forward” their progress by a couple of years. I can assure you that this is rarely the case in practice.

Many individuals find that after experimenting with steroids, they just don’t feel right when they’re not on a cycle. They lose “the edge”, they aren’t as aggressive, their sexual performance drastically diminishes, they aren’t able to recover as quickly from workouts, and they struggle to hold onto their size, strength, and power. The temptation to keep using is just too hard to resist.

Here’s another important thing to consider: Do you really want to be that lifter who reaches his all-time greatest strength levels while using steroids at age 21 and then never returns to those levels? Would you rather get stronger year in and year out for a couple of decades? Would you prefer to always be at or near your best strength levels? Or would you rather be the guy who lives in the past and says, “Ten years ago I could bench press 365 and squat 500?? Many lifters simply can’t stand these feelings of past glory so they keep using or quit lifting altogether — because they never had to work hard and consistently for their gains.

My advice? Do it naturally. Although the training methods are similar between natural and drug-assisted lifters, there are also differences. Basically, you just can’t do quite as much volume, intensity, and/or frequency if you’re a natural trainee. Weigh the potential costs and benefits and make an informed decision.

The most important aspect of gaining muscular size is to make sure that your weight gains are always accompanied by strength gains in the big compound lifts.

How you look is largely dependent on your strength in:

1. Squats

2. Deadlifts

3. Bench press

4. Bent-over rows

5. Military press

6. Weighted dips

7. Weighted chin-ups

Of course it’s fine to substitute variations such as front squats, sumo deadlifts, incline presses, t-bar rows, push presses, close grip bench, and wide grip pull-ups. It’s also okay to perform other great exercises such as hip thrusts, glute-ham raises, lunges, one-arm rows, barbell shrugs, and barbell curls.

However, you need to make sure that you’re consistently getting stronger at the big lifts over time to ensure that the weight that you pack on consists of muscle and not fat. Furthermore, you need to gain weight steadily over the years. Beginner lifters can pack on 20 pounds of muscle in a year rather easily, but gains slow down after that, and you’ll need to gradually manipulate caloric intake to make sure your bodyfat levels never get out of control.

You can eat several pizzas each day, get up to 300 lbs, and squat and deadlift the house, but no one will envy your physique, and you won’t be proud to take your shirt off in public. I recommend that you keep your bodyfat levels under 15% and strive for the athletic look.

I have yet to meet a lifter who could squat 405, deadlift 495, bench press 315, bent-over row 275, military press 225, weighted dip 180, and weighted chin 115 and didn’t possess an amazing physique. These are some good goals to shoot for, and if you’re there already, then you can work on repping out with those weights!

How you look is largely dependent on your strength in the big, compound movements

A younger lifter rarely thinks about joint health when getting started with lifting. A large percentage of lifters are forced to stop performing certain exercises, work around pain, or quit training altogether because they never paid attention to joint health from the get-go. If they had the foresight to take good care of their joints, they could have trained pain-free for life and gotten much more results.

Joints require mobility, stability, and motor control. In other words, joints need flexible muscles and soft-tissue to surround them, strong and stabilizing musculature to prevent wasted movement, and coordination to move properly. Joints also need balanced levels of strength in the surrounding musculature in order to track properly.

Joint health is highly correlated with good habits and good form. Perform dynamic warm-ups before you start lifting, such as foam rolling/SMR, mobility drills, and activation drills. Conduct a more specific warm-up consisting of several progressively heavier sets prior to your first compound lift of the day. Use a full range of motion when you lift weights, and make sure you use perfect form. For the upper body, perform an equal amount of horizontal pushing and pulling as well as vertical pushing and pulling. For the lower body, perform an equal amount of quad-dominant and hip-dominant exercises. Better yet, skew the ratios in favor of pulling, as you can never go wrong by doing more pulling than pushing for the upper and lower body. Stretch at the end of your workouts.

Safe and unsafe ways to perform movements do exist; therefore, you need to learn ideal exercise mechanics, which means knowing how to optimally distribute stress throughout the body’s joints while lifting.

Due to variable genetics and training status, every individual responds best to his or her own personal program. Exercise selection, volume, intensity, and frequency are some of the variables that should be tinkered with by all lifters in an attempt to fine-tune their programming.

It is wise to experiment with high frequency training, high volume training, and high intensity training. All lifters should give bodypart splits, lower/upper splits, and total body training a try. Only after 8-12 weeks of strict adherence to each of these can a lifter truly understand how his or her body responds to various types of training stimuli.

However, you should never stray too far from what works. There are tried and true programs and templates that have stood the test of time, and when you get too radical or venture too far off the beaten path, you run the risk of not seeing results and possibly injuring yourself.

A good program always focuses on the big basics, and there are many ways to do them. In a bodypart split routine, big compound lifts should be placed first in each day’s workout.

Most important, it’s critical to find a routine that you enjoy. The best routine for you is the one you love to perform and the one with which you’ll be most consistent. If you hate 20-rep squats to the point where you dread going to the gym, then they’re just not worth performing regularly.

The greatest thing about meatheads is that they always have their gym memberships and whey protein powder. They can be in debt, in danger of getting their vehicle repossessed, and in dire straits otherwise, but they will always make time to train.

The single most important factor in getting and staying big and strong is consistency…not consistency for an entire year, but consistency for a couple of decades. It takes years to form those “mind-muscle connections” and to learn how to properly coordinate the activation of your muscles. Powerlifters and Olympic lifters never stop working on their technique. Each year, you get a little bit better, a little bit stronger, and a little bit bigger. Average lifters just don’t get this. They make excuses, they take time off from the gym, and they justify and rationalize missed workouts.

Big and strong lifters see lifting as their job. It doesn’t matter if a holiday comes around, if they start dating someone new, or if they start a new job, you can count on seeing them in the gym regularly performing their scheduled workouts. Big and strong lifters prioritize training and eating, which makes it nearly impossible to fail in their goals. Success is inevitable with this kind of motivation and determination.

Big and strong lifters see lifting as their job

So there you have it: the five keys to getting and staying big and strong. I hope this article has focused your attention on what really matters.

Small lifters who sporadically attend the gym for a quick bicep- and tricep-blasting workout are a dime a dozen. It takes some serious juevos to buckle down and put a couple hundred pounds on your squats, deadlifts, and bench press over a multiyear period. You can do it!

Written by Bret Contreras

Discuss, comment or ask a question

If you have a comment, question or would like to discuss anything raised in this article, please do so in the following discussion thread on the Wannabebig Forums - Five Keys to Getting and Staying Big and Strong discussion thread.

About Bret Contreras

Bret Contreras received his Master’s degree from ASU and his CSCS certificate from the NSCA.

He trains individuals out of his badass garage gym in Scottsdale, Arizona and maintains a popular blog at www.BretContreras.com.

View the original article here

The Dirt on Clean Eating

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000

Introduction

Everyone knows the difference between dirty and clean foods, so I don’t have to explain the obvious…or do I? My favorite response to questions about how to eat clean is, “Wash your food.” The biggest problem with discussing foods in these terms is that there’s no clear definition of clean or dirty. The difference might seem obvious, but a closer look shows that it’s far from clear-cut. The confusion is compounded when clean eating is preached as the best way to optimal health and body composition. In this article, I’ll use research and field experience to shed some light on these muddy issues.

The Fickle Nature of Clean

To illustrate the inconsistency of clean through decades, I’ll begin with the 1980’s, widely regarded as the start of the fitness revolution. Through much of the decade, fat (regardless of type) was portrayed by both the academic and lay press as the bad guy. Eating clean in the 80’s was largely characterized by avoiding fat, whether through the plethora of fat-free products, or the vigilant avoidance of all forms of added and naturally occurring fats within foods. Toward the end of the decade, whole grain products were regarded as the foundation of optimal health.

The 1990’s was a decade that dichotomized unsaturated fats as good, and saturated fats as bad. Red meat, egg yolks, and pretty much all sources of dietary cholesterol were to be avoided. Abundant grain consumption was still encouraged, and even more so if the grain product had a low glycemic index (GI). High insulin elevations were considered harmful to health and body composition. Therefore, multiple small meals around the clock was recommended not only to control insulin levels, but also to supposedly raise metabolism.

Moderation is the key. Gorging on fast foods is most certainly not the way…

Clean in the 2000’s was characterized by the beginnings of amnesty toward saturated fat and cholesterol. They no longer were considered as dirty as previously thought; now hydrogenated vegetable oil was the poison. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish and flaxseed were placed on a heavenly pedestal, receiving the more-is-better stamp. Carbohydrate was now seen as a potentially greater threat to dieters than fat. Sugar was particularly unclean, as evidenced by the boom of artificially sweetened, low-carb products.

The present decade has just begun, and eating clean has taken some interesting directions. One is an appeal to imagination about Paleolithic eating habits, which eliminates the consumption of grains, legumes, dairy, added salt, sugar, alcohol, and even certain vegetables. This definition of clean is perhaps the most logically inconsistent one. It emphasizes a prehistoric model, yet many of its proponents take an array of cutting-edge nutritional supplements, and use satellite technology to navigate their drive to the closest parking spot at the gym. Fruits and vegetables have always been a mainstay of clean eating, but pesticide-free produce is now somehow cleaner, pests and all. Another twist in the carbohydrate saga has snowballed as well. Insulin spikes from high-GI carbs were the bane of the 90’s. But now, fructose, a low-GI carbohydrate with minimal effects on insulin response, is now one of the top public enemies.

As you can see, the definition of clean is an elusive target. Are there any common threads among the decades with respect to eating clean? Is there any way to objectively label foods as clean or dirty? Before I get to that, let’s take a look at the concept as it’s been traditionally applied to bodybuilding.

Bodybuilding Clean

Clean eating in the bodybuilding sense deserves its own discussion. Much of its ‘rules’ are adaptations of dogma from the 80’s and 90’s with a healthy dose of contradiction. Many bodybuilders who consider themselves hardcore will avoid (among other things) dairy and fruit, regardless of training season. Why? Nobody really knows, but I’d speculate that fruit & dairy phobia among bodybuilders originated from the pre-contest leaning-out process, which typically involves the reduction of carbohydrate. Milk and fruit are both carb-dominant foods, and are thus prime candidates for reduction or elimination.

But still, my example above is speculative. This dogma could just as easily have come about by someone cutting milk and/or fruit out of the diet and experiencing further fat loss from the re-creation of an energy deficit, and declaring those foods barriers to fat loss. Nevertheless, in some pre-contest cases, carbohydrate restriction to extreme degrees is called for, and this nullifies the possibility of including milk & fruit (or any carb source, for that matter), at least cyclically. So, milk and fruit got blamed as bad for all occasions, when their omission only potentially applies to certain aggressively carb-restricted dieting phases. Bodybuilders often pride themselves on having nutrient-rich diets, yet many of them opt for a significant portion of their day’s carbohydrate allotment as dextrose (or some other empty-calorie carb source) instead of fruit.

Fruits should not be avoided

Attempts at Objectively Defining Clean

Scientific investigations of the nutritional status of bodybuilders have shown some interesting results, and here are some of the highlights. Kleiner and colleagues examined the pre-contest dietary habits of male & female junior national & national-level competitors,15-40% of whom admitted to using various drugs [1]. Despite consuming adequate total calories, women were “remarkably deficient” in calcium intake, which is not surprising given the widespread milk-phobia among bodybuilders. In subsequent work led by Kleiner on female & male competitors at the first drug-tested USA Championship, men consumed only 46% of the RDA for vitamin D. Women consumed 0% of the RDA for vitamin D, and 52% of the RDA for calcium [2]. Zinc, copper, and chromium were also underconsumed by the women. Despite dietary magnesium intakes above the RDA, serum magnesium levels in females were low. Serum zinc levels were high in men and women. It’s notable that not all research on bodybuilders has found nutrient deficiencies. Intakes in significant excess of the RDA in both offseason and pre-contest conditions have also been seen [3,4]. Still, the potential for nutrient deficiencies in this population is strong due to the elimination of food groups combined with a high training volume and lowered caloric intake overall.

The two most commonly cited characteristics of foods considered clean are a lack of processing and a high nutrient density. Let’s look at processing first. Foods in their whole, naturally occurring state are often deemed clean. In contrast, foods that are altered or removed from their original state are stripped of the clean stamp. Is this demerit warranted? As we’ll see, this is not a reliable method of judgment for all foods. By this definition, most supplements are dirty, since they often undergo extensive processing and are far-removed from their original source.

To use a common example, whey is doubly processed in the sense that it’s not only a powdered form of milk protein, but it’s a separated fraction of milk protein. Yet, when combining the results of standard ranking methods (biological value, protein efficiency ratio, net protein utilization, and protein digestibility corrected amino acid score), whey has a higher total than all other proteins tested, including beef, egg, milk, and soy [5]. Furthermore, research has shown not only its benefits for training applications [6], but whey has a surprisingly wide range of potential for clinical applications as well [7-10]. Therefore, despite whey being a refined/processed food, it has multiple benefits and minimal downsides.

The next commonly proposed qualifier for a food to be considered clean is its nutrient density. A little-known fact is that there is no scientific consensus on what nutrient density actually means. To quote Miller and colleagues [11],

“There is currently no science-based definition for either nutrient density or nutrient-dense foods. Without a definition that has been developed using an objective, scientific approach, the concept of what is a “nutritious” food is subjective and, therefore, inconsistent.”

The existence of multiple methods of measuring diet quality illustrates the point expressed in the quote above. Nutrient profiling systems include the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), Diet Quality Index, and Alternative HEI. The most recent profiling method is the Nutrient Rich Foods Index (NRFI). The NRFI attempts to consolidate principles from previous methods to establish a more comprehensive definition of nutrient density. It judges individual foods based on the presence of selected important nutrients and absence of problematic ones [12]. Still, the NRFI has its bugs and biases, particularly against saturated fat (& fat in general).

Nitrean+’s combination of 3 whey fractions, casein, and egg proteins affords multiple proven benefits despite being a highly processed foodstuff product.

Attempts at Objectively Defining Clean

A simplistic learning tool called the “Go, Slow, and Whoa” (GSW) food classification system was designed to help children and families make better food choices [13]. GSW was recently compared with the more sophisticated NRFI, and despite some differences, both methods closely corresponded with each other in terms of distinguishing energy-dense and nutrient-rich foods [14]. Although the two methods aligned fairly well, they also share similar out-dated ideologies. For example, sports drinks have a “Slow” designation, and whole milk is nailed as a “Whoa” food – brilliant, huh? Tuna canned in water is in the most favorable “Go” column, while fatty fish like salmon is not even listed. A final example is the listing of egg whites in the “Go” column, and whole eggs in the “Slow” column. Unsurprisingly, the government-issued guidelines are still stuck in the fat-phobic era.

Perils of Judging the Parts & Not the Whole

In the process of classifying foods based on nutrient density, the context of the foods within the diet as a whole is often lost. Attempts at defining nutrient density of foods on an individual basis, for the most part, have failed. Much of the classifications are out-dated at best, and counterproductive at worst. It would seem to be a simple matter of labeling foods with a high ratio of micronutrients to calories as nutrient-dense, and foods with a high ratio of calories to micronutrients as energy-dense. However, this simply is not the case. An energy-dense food can still contain more essential macronutrition and/or bioavailable micronutrition than a nutrient-dense, energy-sparse food. Another thing that tends to get ignored is that athletes with high endurance demands or high overall training volume would compromise their performance if energy density was neglected. Ultimately, it’s impossible to judge a food in isolation from the rest of the diet. Furthermore, it’s impossible to judge a diet without considering the training protocol, goals, preferences, and tolerances of the individual.

Dirty Fat Loss

Clean diets are commonly touted to produce more favorable body composition changes than unclean diets. In fact, some even claim that dirty dieting will not allow fat loss to occur. For weight or fat loss, concerns of a dirty diet used to be centered on fat intake. That’s no longer the case; carbohydrate has been receiving the brunt of the contempt lately. In light of the current sugar-phobic climate with an emphasis on fructose, the following studies deserve special attention.

First up, Surwit and colleagues compared the 6-week effects of 2 hypocaloric diets - one with 43% of the total calories as sucrose (table sugar), and one with 4% of the total calories as sucrose [15]. No significant differences were seen in the loss of bodyweight or bodyfat between the high and low-sucrose groups. Strengthening these results was the use of dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure body composition. Furthermore, no differences in blood lipids or metabolism were seen between the groups. It looks like a more sugary intake still cannot override a calorie deficit.

Janeil knows a thing or two about eating right.

Next up is a recent study by Madero and colleagues, comparing the 6-week effects of a low-fructose diet (less than 20 g/day) or a moderate-fructose diet (50-70 g/day) mostly from whole fruit [16]. The moderate-fructose group lost significantly more weight than the low-fructose group (4.19 kg versus 2.83 kg, respectively). Notably, the moderate-fructose group lost slightly more fat, but not to a statistically significant degree. Unfortunately, body composition was measured with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) instead of something more reliable like DXA. Nevertheless, bodybuilders afraid of fruit would have to admit that the dirtier diet prevailed in this case.

Trans fatty acids (TFA) have earned a lot of bad press for their adverse effects on biomarkers of cardiovascular health [17,18]. However, some research indicates that not all TFA are harmful. A distinction should be made between industrially produced TFA via hydrogenation of vegetable oils, and naturally occurring TFA in dairy and meat [19]. Vaccenic acid, the main form of TFA in ruminant fats, might actually lower the risk for coronary heart disease [20]. Currently, there’s no controlled human research specifically comparing the effects of TFA with other types of fats on body composition. In any case, the fitness-conscious population has nothing to worry about unless they start indiscriminately gorging on fast food, cooking with vegetable shortening, and pounding loads of processed/packaged pastries and desserts.

All-or-Nothing Dieting & Eating Disorder Risk

In 1997, a general physician named Steven Bratman coined the term orthorexia nervosa [21], which he defines as, “an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy food.” It reminds me of the counterproductive dietary perfectionism I’ve seen among many athletes, trainers, and coaches. One of the fundamental pitfalls of dichotomizing foods as good or bad, or clean or dirty, is that it can form a destructive relationship with food. This isn’t just an empty claim; it’s been seen in research. Smith and colleagues found that flexible dieting was associated with the absence of overeating, lower bodyweight, and the absence of depression and anxiety [22]. They also found that a strict all-or-nothing approach to dieting was associated with overeating and increased bodyweight. Similarly, Stewart and colleagues found that rigid dieting was associated with symptoms of an eating disorder, mood disturbances, and anxiety [23]. Flexible dieting was not highly correlated with these qualities. Although these are observational study designs with self-reported data, anyone who spends enough time among fitness buffs knows that these findings are not off the mark.

Applying Moderation: The 10-20% Guideline

For those hoping that I’ll tell you to have fun eating whatever you want, you’re in luck. But, like everything in life, you’ll have to moderate your indulgence, and the 10-20% guideline is the best way I’ve found to do this. There currently is no compelling evidence suggesting that a diet whose calories are 80-90% from whole & minimally processed foods is not prudent enough for maximizing health, longevity, body composition, or training performance. As a matter of fact, research I just discussed points to the possibility that it’s more psychologically sound to allow a certain amount of flexibility for indulgences rather than none at all. And just to reiterate, processed does not always mean devoid of nutritional value. Whey and whey/casein blends are prime examples of nutritional powerhouses that happen to be removed from their original food matrix.

Use the 10-20% discretionary intake rule and enjoy life a bit.

The 10-20% guideline isn’t only something I’ve used successfully with clients; it’s also within the bounds of research. Aside from field observations, there are three lines of evidence that happen to concur with this guideline. I’ll start with the most liberal one and work my way down. The current Dietary Reference Intakes report by Food & Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine lists the upper limit of added sugars as 25% of total calories [24]. Similarly, an exhaustive literature review by Gibson and colleagues found that 20% of total calories from added sugars is roughly the maximum amount that won’t adversely dilute the diet’s concentration of essential micronutrition [25]. Keep in mind that both of these figures are in reference to refined, extrinsic sugars, not naturally occurring sugars within whole foods like fruit or milk. Finally, the USDA has attempted to teach moderation with their concept of the discretionary calorie allotment, defined as follows [26]:

“…the difference between total energy requirements and the energy consumed to meet recommended nutrient intakes.”

Basically, discretionary calories comprise the margin of leftover calories that can be used flexibly once essential nutrient needs are met. Coincidentally, the USDA’s discretionary calorie allotment averages at approximately 10-20% of total calories [27]. Take note that discretionary calories are not just confined to added sugars. Any food or beverage is fair game. The USDA’s system is still far from perfect, since it includes naturally-occurring fats in certain foods as part of the discretionary calorie allotment. This is an obvious holdover from the fat-phobic era that the USDA clings to, despite substantial evidence to the contrary [28].

It’s important to keep in mind that protein and fat intake should not be compromised for the sake of fitting discretionary foods into the diet. In other words, make sure discretionary intake doesn’t consistently displace essential micro- & macronutrient needs, and this includes minimum daily protein and fat targets, which vary individually. This may be tough to accept, but alcohol is not an essential nutrient. Its risks can swiftly trump its benefits if it’s consumed in excess, so it falls into the discretionary category.

10% Versus 20%

Another legitimate question is why I’ve listed the discretionary range as 10-20% rather than just listing it as a maximum of 20%. This is because energy balance matters. In bulking scenarios, maintaining a 20% limit could potentially pose health risks that are already elevated by the process of weight gain, which in some cases involves a certain amount of fat gain. Conversely, weight loss tends to be an inherently cardioprotective process, independent of diet composition [29]. So, the 20% limit is more appropriate for those either losing or maintaining weight. Those who are gaining weight but want to play it safe should hover towards the lower & middle of the range (10-15%). Another factor that can influence the upper safe threshold is physical activity level. I’ll quote Johnson & Murray in a recent review [30]:

“Obesity and metabolic syndrome are rare among athletes, even though dietary fructose intake is often high, underscoring the robust protective role of regular exercise.”

In the above quote, you can substitute any controversial food or nutrient in place of the word fructose, and the same principle would apply. A greater range of dietary flexibility is one of the luxuries of regular training. Sedentary individuals do not have the same level of safeguarding from the potentially adverse effects of a higher proportion of indulgence foods. And just in case it wasn’t made clear enough, 10-20% indicates the maximum, not minimum discretionary allotment. If someone strives to consume 0% of calories from any food that’s been processed or refined from its original state, then that’s perfectly fine – as long as this is the person’s genuine preference, and not a painful battle of will. I’d also like to make it clear that there is still plenty of grey area in the study of dietary effects on health. As such, the nature and extent of the miscellaneous or rule-free food allotment is a delicate judgment call. In this case, it’s wise to keep scientific research at the head of the judging panel, but don’t ignore personal experience & individual feedback.

Final Note: Linear Versus Nonlinear Distribution

A legitimate question is, what’s the best way to distribute discretionary calories? Should they be confined to a daily limit, or can it be a weekly limit? The best answer is to let personal preference decide. If we use a 2000 kcal diet as an example, a flat/linear approach would mean that 200-400 kcal per day can come from whatever you want, while meeting essential needs otherwise in the diet. Weekly, this translates to 1400-2800 kcal, depending on the factors I previously discussed. One nonlinear option would be to break the weekly allotment in half, where 2 days per week you indulge in 700-1400 kcal of whatever you want, keeping the remaining 5 days relatively Spartan. Again, there is no universally superior method of distributing the discretionary allotment. The same principle applies to the choice of foods to fulfill it. Honoring personal preference is one of the most powerful yet underrated tactics for achieving optimal health and body composition. And that’s the nitty-gritty as I see it.

References

1. Kleiner SM, et al. Metabolic profiles, diet, and health practices of championship male and female bodybuilders. J Am Diet Assoc. 1990 Jul;90(7):962-7.
2. Kleiner SM, et al. Nutritional status of nationally ranked elite bodybuilders. Int J Sport Nutr. 1994 Mar;4(1):54-69.
3. Keith RE, et al. Nutritional status and lipid profiles of trained steroid-using bodybuilders. Int J Sport Nutr. 1996 Sep;6(3):247-54.Hoffman JR, Falvo MJ. Protein-which is best? J Sport Sci Med 2004; 3: 118-30.
4. Bamman MM, et al. Changes in body composition, diet, and strength of bodybuilders during the 12 weeks prior to competition. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 1993 Dec;33(4):383-91.
5. Hoffman JR, Falvo MJ. Protein-which is best? J Sport Sci Med 2004; 3: 118-30.
6. Hulmi JJ, et al. Effect of protein/essential amino acids and resistance training on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A case for whey protein. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010 Jun 17;7:51.
7. Xu R. Effect of whey protein on the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts. J Dairy Sci. 2009 Jul;92(7):3014-8.
8. Krissansen GW. Emerging health properties of whey proteins and their clinical implications. J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Dec;26(6):713S-23S.
9. Parodi PW. A role for milk proteins and their peptides in cancer prevention. Curr Pharm Des. 2007;13(8):813-28.
10. Marshall K. Therapeutic applications of whey protein. Altern Med Rev. 2004 Jun;9(2):136-56.
11. Miller GD, et al. It is time for a positive approach to dietary guidance using nutrient density as a basic principle. J Nutr. 2009 Jun;139(6):1198-202.
12. Fulgoni VL 3rd, et al. Development and validation of the nutrient-rich foods index: a tool to measure nutritional quality of foods. J Nutr. 2009 Aug;139(8):1549-54.
13. US Department of Health and Human Services, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. We can! Go, Slow and Whoa foods. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/downloads/gswtips.pdf
14. Drewnowski A, Fulgoni V 3rd. Comparing the nutrient rich foods index with “Go,” “Slow,” and “Whoa,” foods. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011 Feb;111(2):280-4.
15. Surwit RS, et al. Metabolic and behavioral effects of a high-sucrose diet during weight loss. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Apr;65(4):908-15.
16. Madero M, et al. The effect of two energy-restricted diets, a low-fructose diet versus a moderate natural fructose diet, on weight loss and metabolic syndrome parameters: a randomized controlled trial. Metabolism. 2011 May 27. [Epub ahead of print]
17. Mozaffarian D, Clarke R. Quantitative effects on cardiovascular risk factors and coronary heart disease risk of replacing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils with other fats and oils. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 May;63 Suppl 2:S22-33.
18. Wallace SK, Mozaffarian D. Trans-fatty acids and nonlipid risk factors. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2009 Nov;11(6):423-33.
19. Chardingny JM, et al. Do trans fatty acids from industrially produced sources and from natural sources have the same effect on cardiovascular disease risk factors in healthy subjects? Results of the trans Fatty Acids Collaboration (TRANSFACT) study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Mar;87(3):558-66.
20. Field CJ, et al. Human health benefits of vaccenic acid. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2009 Oct;34(5):979-91.
21. Bratman S. What is orthorexia? Accessed August 2011. http://www.orthorexia.com/index.php?page=katef
22. Smith CF, et al. Flexible vs. Rigid dieting strategies: relationship with adverse behavioral outcomes. Appetite. 1999 Jun;32(3):295-305.
23. Stewart TM, et al. Rigid vs. flexible dieting: association with eating disorder symptoms in nonobese women. Appetite. 2002 Feb;38(1):39-44.
24. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. 2005.
25. Gibson SA. Dietary sugars intake and micronutrient adequacy: a systematic review of the evidence. Nutr Res Rev. 2007 Dec;20(2):121-31.
26. DGAC Advisory Committee, USDA. Part D, Section 3: Discretionary Calories. The Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005.
27. Center for Nutrition Policy & Promotion. My Pyramid: Food intake patterns, 2005. http://www.choosemyplate.gov/downloads/MyPyramid_Food_Intake_Patterns.pdf
28. Hession M, et al. Systematic review of randomized controlled trials of low-carbohydrate vs. low-fat/low-calorie diets in the management of obesity and its comorbidities. Obes Rev. 2009 Jan;10(1):36-50.
29. Leenen R, et al. Relative effects of weight loss and dietary fat modification on serum lipid levels in the dietary treatment of obesity. J Lipid Res. 1993 Dec;34(12):2183-91.
30. Johnson RJ, Murray R. Fructose, exercise, and health. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2010 Jul-Aug;9(4):253-8.

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Linear Versus Concurrent Periodization

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000

The Soviets were determined to beat the West at just about anything they could, including proving that their athletes were superior to ours in every possible way. To achieve that goal, the Soviets invested a lot of time and effort developing new training techniques to help their athletes build bigger, more powerful muscles. Some of them were kind of crazy and fell by the wayside but a few of them have stuck around and actually spread to the West. Periodization - particularly Linear Periodization - is one of the Soviet weight training techniques that did have staying power and was adopted by Western bodybuilders.

The premise of Linear Periodization is that training is broken down into blocks of time (periods) that focus on a specific goal or developing a particular skill set. The periods of Linear Periodization include: hypertrophy (size); strength, power and transition (restoration). In its basic form the model begins with a fairly high volume of low intensity lifting, gradually shifting towards a lower volume of high intensity lifting.

Linear Periodization is among the most popular weight training techniques in the United States. Unfortunately-thanks to some inherent shortcomings in its Western implementation-it's just not all that effective. The biggest issue with it is that while you are focusing on achieving a particular goal like size or strength, the other elements are being ignored. Essentially you have a situation where you are training to develop one particular capacity, but in the mean time, other capacities are being 'detrained.'

For example, one phase centers on building muscle size (hypertrophy). During this stage, your training is focused on developing bigger muscles. However, in the subsequent two phases you focus on building strength and then power. Here, you lose all the size you just gained, leaving many guys to wonder, "What's the point of working to build size if I'm only going to lose it in later phases?" That's a good point and a valid question.

Fortunately, there is a better way - and it's known as Concurrent Periodization. The key difference between the two is that with Concurrent Periodization, you train to achieve different goals simultaneously, rather than one after the other. A key benefit of this approach is that while training to develop one capacity you're not de-training another. In other words, you won't be investing a lot of time training for bigger muscles only to see those gains disappear after a couple of weeks when you start training for strength or power.

With Concurrent Periodization you are simultaneously training to achieve four specific goals:

1) hypertrophy (size);
2) strength;
3) power; and
4) endurance.

This strategy forms the underlying foundation of the Lean Hybrid Muscle program. The biggest benefit of this approach is that it allows you to not only build a foundation of general fitness, muscle size and strength, but it also facilitates the burning of excess body fat without the loss of muscle mass.

With most other training approaches, fat loss strategies also result in the loss of precious lean muscle mass that you've worked so hard to gain. But that doesn't happen with Lean Hybrid Muscle/Concurrent Periodization because you are linking multiple qualities (size, strength and endurance) but training them in the context of achieving an over-arching goal-simultaneously getting bigger, stronger and leaner.

Achieving these seemingly divergent goals simultaneously is possible because this training approach facilitates the development of a hybrid muscle fiber that is not only good for strength, but for endurance as well. Normal muscle fibers (type I or type II) are either built for strength or endurance - not really both. With Concurrent Periodization, instead of training for an extended time period to achieve a particular goal, the 'phases' are incorporated into a single workout or short time frames such as a day or two.

And to achieve the goal of burning body fat without losing muscle mass, strength or power, you incorporate resistance cardio, rather than just straight cardio such as jogging or biking-activities that not only burn fat, but muscle cells as well.

I want to make it clear that I'm not entirely dismissing the benefits of Linear Periodization. In fact, for specialized athletes with particular goals in mind, it can be ideal. But for those of us who want to develop multiple skill sets while simultaneously achieving different goals, Concurrent Periodization is the way to go. And if your goal is to build bigger and stronger muscles while also shedding excess body fat, then you ought to check out Lean Hybrid Muscle RELOADED.

Get my free report entitled, The Warrior Physique - Building The Super Hybrid Muscle. Click to learn how you can rapidly build muscle and burn fat at the same time.

Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc. A free online weight training magazine.

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