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Benefits of Creatine

2010-05-06T20:37:00.001-07:00

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is a nitrogen-containing compound naturally found in fish and meat. Our bodies also contain creatine with the majority stored as phosphocreatine in muscle tissue and the rest as free creatine. Every day the body breaks down about 1-2% of the creatine pool, approximately 2 grams, into creatinine, which is excreted in urine.

How Does The Body Get Creatine?

We eat it in fish and meat. A pound of uncooked beef contains approximately 1-2 grams of creatine. And we can also make it from the amino acids glycine, arginine and methionine. Because dietary sources of creatine are found in animal flesh, some reports indicate that vegetarians have lower creatine stores in their muscle tissue than non-vegetarians.

If you want to supplement with creatine, take 0.3 grams creatine per kilogram bodyweight for 5-7 days (5 grams four times per day for instance) to saturate creatine stores. After this period, take 3-5 grams per day to maintain stores.

Creatine Fuels Explosive Activity: Your body uses ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to fuel activity. It does this by breaking down a chemical bond between phosphate groups turning ATP to ADP (adenosine diphosphate).

The phosphate in ADP must be replenished to form ATP to continue fueling muscular contraction. And the body has different systems in place to add that phosphate back.

To replenish ATP quickly, muscle cells rely on creatine phosphate. This system rapidly replenishes ATP to fuel working muscle but only lasts about 10 seconds. And, it is dependent on the amount of phosphocreatine stored in muscle. As phosphocreatine stores are used, ATP cannot be resynthesized at the rate required and maximum physical effort declines.

Creatine works by increasing phosphocreatine stores thereby accelerating the rate of ATP resynthesis during short duration, intense exercise (sprinting, explosive moves, bench press etc.).

Creatine Improves Performance: Training studies show that creatine supplementation can improve maximum power and strength, work load performed during sets of maximal effort, sprint performance.

Creatine Is Safe: The only true side effect of creatine supplementation is weight gain. During the loading phase, study subjects have typically gained 1 to 2 kilograms. Over 4 to 12 weeks of training, study participants have gained an average of 2 - 4 lbs of fat free mass in comparison to subjects taking a placebo.

There are now over 1,000 published studies on creatine with creatine monohydrate the most studied form. Anecdotal reports in the literature indicating that creatine causes cramps and dehydration did not control for other supplements used or training conditions (heat, humidity).

A review article examining the safety of creatine found that it may actually decrease risk of dehydration by increasing total body water and intracellular water while having no effect on extracellular water.

In addition, creatine has no untoward effects on kidney functioning in healthy males. However, it is not completely clear if supplementation is safe for every individual who is at risk of or has kidney disease. However, in one study, scientists in Brazil supplemented a young man with a single kidney and a mildly decreased glomerular filtration rate with 20 grams of creatine per day for 5 days followed by 5 grams per day for 30 days while the young man was consuming a diet containing 2.8 grams of protein per kg bodyweight per day. No negative effects were noted on kidney functioning.

Though creatine has a good safety record, there are few studies in kids under the age of 18. Therefore, it makes prudent sense to ensure all other dietary factors are executed (high calorie diet, quality and quantity of protein intake, nutrient timing) and the child/teen is training properly prior to recommending creatine for kids. In addition, discuss this with your physician first prior to giving a child under the age 18 creatine.

The efficacy and safety of creatine supplementation is being used in a number of clinical trials to examine how it may help people with Huntington's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, statin related myopathy, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and more. See www.clinicaltrials.gov for more information on populations supplemented with creatine.

Creatine monohydrate is safe and it's effective. If you've done everything else to maximize your performance on the bench press, what are you waiting for? Creatine can help you take your 1 RM bench press to a whole new level.

THE U.S. SENATE WILL BE VOTING ON THE FOOD “SAFETY” BILL

2010-04-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

THE U.S. SENATE WILL BE VOTING ON THE FOOD “SAFETY” BILL

By Lee Bechtel
NHF Lobbyist

April 20, 2010

Because of several U.S. Administration nominations that have taken priority, the U.S. Senate, which was expected to take up U.S. Senator Dick Durbin’s Food Safety Act (S.510) as early as next week, will instead consider the bill in two to three weeks. When it does, there are several issues likely to be addressed with amendments to the bill. As readers will recall, this bill is more trash on a stick, intended not to address any food-safety problems but simply to expand government control over the food economy.
What’s at Stake
S.510 is nothing more than the House bill H.R.2749 in Senate clothing. It requires registration of all food facilities, including manufacturers, processors, packers and storage facilities. Any such facility that introduces food into interstate commerce without being registered and having paid the mandatory registration fee would be subject to penalties for marketing misbranded food.
But there’s more – registered facilities must implement hazard analysis, risk-based preventive controls, and food safety plans. For large commercial operations and Agribusiness with their retained professional staffs of attorneys and accountants, these additional costs will be barely noticed, and certainly passed on to us consumers; but for small farms and small operations, these regulatory requirements will be oppressively burdensome, even fatal. Just as ominously, and in typical Washington, D.C. fashion, the proposed law would cause supplement manufacturers who are already subject to intensive Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), to scrap their just-implemented GMPs and implement instead another set of costly GMPs! Fortunately, Senators Hatch and Harkin are taking action to ensure that supplement companies are exempted.
In essence, though, this bill proposes total Federal government control over and tracking of food production, distribution, and sales – supposedly to ensure “food safety” but which powers in fact would be unconstitutional and unnecessary. Under S.510/H.R.2749, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would empower the government to regulate food production at all levels, up and down the chain of production. This seems quite laughable seeing that for some time now mainstream media headlines have reported that the FDA is unable to keep up with food-safety regulation at any level, so, why add to their already unattainable workload?
Then, as a kicker, the bill provides for criminal prosecution of those producers, manufacturers, and distributors who fail to comply with the new laws, and punitive property seizures and large fines for each offense upon conviction. And for those who have been following Codex, you have almost certainly not missed the fact that S.510/H.R.2749’s “science-based” approach tracks that found in Codex food guidelines.
The Latest News on S.510
The latest from Senate staff insiders is that Senators Hatch, Harkin, and Enzi will be offering a Manager’s Amendment to clean up details not clearly addressed when the Senate HELP committee unanimously approved S.510 last Fall.
In particular, they will offer clearer language on the FDA's involvement with Codex and dietary supplements. In the original Harkin bill reported from committee, language was included asking the FDA to report to Congress on whether and how to harmonize foreign food-processing standards with U.S. law, but stating that Codex does not apply to the US regulation of supplements. The revised language directs the FDA to report to Congress on any Codex activities related to conventional food and/or supplement standards under consideration, before taking any regulatory action in the future. This is almost precisely what the NHF, the Sunshine Health Freedom Foundation, and the National Health Freedom Coalition were supporting and pushing last Fall (see http://www.thenhf.com/press_releases/pr_20_nov_2009.html), even though other groups were oblivious to the need to do this at that time. Some have changed their tune since then.
Recently-Claimed Victory?
In fact, recently, there was an announced “victory” concerning supplements having been exempted from Codex language in the "Food Safety" bill, which sounded quite nice as consumers definitely need more victories in any food-related legislation. Unfortunately, though, as anyone following this bill closely would know, this was not a recently-won victory. The actual exemption language had already been in this particular bill for some time now, due to the efforts of several organizations and many individuals; so, sadly, no real victory should have been claimed. To trot out an old victory and proclaim it as one’s own would be like George Bush claiming credit for winning World War II.
Regardless, despite this “non-recent” improvement in the statutory bill language, the NHF still opposes passage of S.510. The Federal legislative process is like making sausage, as everyone knows, that is, the bill at issue gets stuffed with everyone’s favorite pork. That does not make the bill any better – that’s just political logrolling. And we should not stand for it.
The Latest on S.3002
A second issue is that while the NHF and other health-freedom groups and their memberships lobbied and were somewhat successful in getting Senator McCain to back off of his so-called Dietary Supplement Safety Act (S.3002), the latest is that Senator Arlen Spector (D-PA) is expected to offer a “Son of McCain” bill amendment to S.510. The health-freedom Senators and their staffs are working on how to prevent this, but Harry Reid and Dick Durbin are the two in charge of the Senate schedule. To be fair and balanced, the exact language of a Spector amendment has not been released to members or their staff, preventing us from knowing whether it will attempt to do the same as the original McCain bill proposed, which was to repeal the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), or something else of lesser harm. The sausage is still in the making.
Take Action Now
Despite the NHF’s, and other health-freedom groups’, successful lobbying efforts and grassroots letter writing campaign to protect the intent and letter of the DSHEA law, the so-called Food Safety Act (S.510) is still a threat to our health and health freedoms. To block the FDA from its goal of harmonizing U.S. food law to international food standards, via use of the Codex mechanisms, the NHF still opposes the intent and purposes of S.510. The bill fundamentally only addresses conventional foods, and not supplements; but it is still a bill that will adversely affect all of our health, unnecessarily raise food costs, put chains upon domestic food producers, and increase yet again our costly, parasitic Federal bureaucracy. It must be stopped.
Take action now by writing your Senators stating your firm opposition to S.510. The time for registering your opinion is short, but continued action is necessary for us to be successful. Go to www.thenhf.com/government_affairs/federal/s510_sample_letter.doc for a sample letter to send to your Senator to register your opposition.
Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Dick Durbin, and Henry Waxman have so far been successful in their quest for a complete government takeover of health care, despite the opposition of the vast majority of Americans, who are not being listened to. In the current political and legislative atmosphere, every crack in the door for the anti-supplement, pro-Federal control and anti-individual responsibility Congressional leadership is being used to spend, tax, and hire an ever-growing mob of Federal bureaucrats.

http://www.thenhf.com/press_releases/pr_20_apr_2010.html

Cutting: Setting Up Calories

2010-04-18T22:47:00.001-07:00

Cutting: Setting Up Calories

I want to outline some guidelines as to how to setup calories when cutting. First, what is cutting? Cutting means shedding bodyfat while minimizing muscle loss. Many like to use the words 'weight loss', however I prefer the words 'fat loss'. One can lose bodyfat while gaining muscle and on the scale, a net weight loss of zero occurs, because while they lost fat, they gained muscle. Nobody wants to lose muscle, they want to shed body fat. So how do we setup calories for losing bodyfat?

How Do I Setup My Maintainance Calories?

There are many ways to approach this, I will go through the more complicated methods and then with finally, what I usually use and see as the simplest.

First off, we need to determine maintainance calories. What are maintainance calories? They are the calorie amount you can eat, and not gain or lose weight. For example, if I eat at maintainance calories and I weigh 180lbs, in a week when I step on the scale, I will not see a gain or loss, I will still weigh 180lbs. Now, how do I setup these maintainance calories? Well, there are a few ways to go about this.

To estimate maintainance calories, you can calculate and add Resting Energy Expenditure (REE), the Thermic Effect of Activity (TEA) and the Thermic Effect of Feeding (TEF). I really do not want to get into those calculations, as I see them overly complex for most people, if you want to setup your maintainance calories that way, do the calculations.

I like rough estimating maintainance*calories from this method:

Females - Multiply bodyweight x 15
Males - Multiply bodyweight x 16

Example:

Female 120lbs x 15 = 1800 calories per day
Male 190lbs x 16 = 3040 calories per day

Ok, now that we have maintainance calories setup, lets move on to setting up calories for fat loss. First off, lets set some ideal expectations of fat loss for a given time period. It is not realistic to expect 20lbs of fat loss in a month. Generally speaking, a good range to expect to lose in a week is about 1-2lbs. If you are losing more than that, you are most likely losing muscle mass. Be aware that INITIALLY, you may experience a more profound weight loss on the scale, this can be in part due to water loss, glycogen loss, alongside fat loss, so if this initially occurs, don't wig out. Keep track of the weight change on the scale to make sure that after this initial drop in weight, that a weight loss of around 1-2lbs a week is occurring. Also, make sure you do not just use the scale as a sole indicator of progress.

What are some ways to monitor progress?

-Scale progression (lbs lost on scale)
-Mirror
-How your clothes fit
-Bodyfat % (I only recommend skin calipers, DEXA, hydrostatic tank, and bodpod)
-Body Measurements (Chest, thighs, waist, arms, etc.)

How Do I Setup My Cutting Calories?

To cut you will need a calorie deficit. This means calories subtracted from your maintainance calories. Lyle Mcdonald recommends a good starting point of decreasing your calories by 20% below maintainance. This number however will vary person to person. Some may find this number to be perfect in terms of losing 1-2lbs a week, some may find it not enough, some may find it too much. In this case, calories adjustment upwards or downwards can be used. We will use the examples from above:

For Females:

In the example above we used a 120lb female with a maintainance calorie amount of 1800 calories per day. So:

120lb Female - 1800 calories (maintainance calories) x .20 = 360 calories
1800 calories - 360 calories = 1440 calories per day for cutting

For Males:

In the example above we used a 190lbs male with a maintainance calorie amount of 3040 calories per day. So:

190lbs Male - 3040 calories (maintainance calories) x .20 = 608 calories
3040 - 608 calories = 2432 calories per day for cutting

So, here we have how to setup your calories for cutting. Please remember these numbers are rough estimates, and while perfect for some, may need adjustment based on your individual status. Also remember that there is more to your progress than simply what the scale says weekly, use bodyfat % changes, body measurements, etc. If you have any questions feel free to ask.*

-transX

References:
-The Ketogenic Diet - Lyle Mcdonald
-Bodyrecomposition.com

Water, why its important

2010-04-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

Why Water Is Important

About 65% of your body is water:
- 92% of your blood is water.
- bones are 22% water
- Muscles are 75% water
- Brain is 75% water
What water does in your body:
- flush out waste
- regulates the body temperature
- carries nutrients and oxygen through your body
- Moistens the air you breathe out
- Protects and cushions vital organs
- Helps you swallow and digest
- Cushions joints

What are signs of dehydration?
- dizziness
- headaches
- thirst (you should never be thirsty)
- dark pee
- irregular peeing habits
- dry throat/mouth
- dry/itchy skin

What are signs of good hydration?
- energy-full
- peeing about every 4 hours (when awake)
- light yellow pee
- never thirsty

Ins and Outs of Water

How do I lose water?
- Urine (and stool), essential to remove waste from the body
- Sweating, to maintain body temperature under extreme stress
- Breathing
You're always "sweating" to a certain level, maybe you won't
have sweat beads or feel wet, but your skin is moist, and as
you know, water evaporates.

How do I take water in?
Just as humans, animals and plants are made up largely of water.
Which means aside from the fluids you take in, you also get
significant amounts of water from foods. For example, meat on
average contains 30%-40% water after cooking.
Vegetables 85%-98% on average
fruits 85-90% on average

On top of that good sources of water are:
- bottled water
- Fresh squeezed juices
- milk
- caffeine free soft drinks
- soups

Bad (or poor) water sources are:
- coffee
- tea
- caffeine containing soft drinks
- alcoholic drinks

Why are these bad? Because the caffeine and alcohol in the
beverages are diuretic, causing the body to lose more water
than it takes in from the beverage.

Fast and Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers

2010-02-18T16:11:00.001-08:00

Fast and Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers
Does muscle type determine sports ability?

By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com Guide
Created: October 30, 2007

Are you a better sprinter or distance runner? Many people believe that having more fast and slow twitch muscle fibers may determine what sports athletes excel at and how they respond to training. Skeletal muscle is made up of bundles of individual muscle fibers called myocytes. Each myocyte contains many myofibrils, which are strands of proteins (actin and myosin) that can grab on to each other and pull. This shortens the muscle and causes muscle contraction.
It is generally accepted that muscle fiber types can be broken down into two main types: slow twitch (Type I) muscle fibers and fast twitch (Type II) muscle fibers. Fast twitch fibers can be further categorized into Type IIa and Type IIb fibers.
These distinctions seem to influence how muscles respond to training and physical activity, and each fiber type is unique in its ability to contract in a certain way. Human muscles contain a genetically determined mixture of both slow and fast fiber types. On average, we have about 50 percent slow twitch and 50 percent fast twitch fibers in most of the muscles used for movement.

Slow Twitch (Type I)
The slow muscles are more efficient at using oxygen to generate more fuel (known as ATP) for continuous, extended muscle contractions over a long time. They fire more slowly than fast twitch fibers and can go for a long time before they fatigue. Therefore, slow twitch fibers are great at helping athletes run marathons and bicycle for hours.
What Causes Muscle Fatigue?
Fast Twitch (Type II)
Because fast twitch fibers use anaerobic metabolism to create fuel, they are much better at generating short bursts of strength or speed than slow muscles. However, they fatigue more quickly. Fast twitch fibers generally produce the same amount of force per contraction as slow muscles, but they get their name because they are able to fire more rapidly. Having more fast twitch fibers can be an asset to a sprinter since she needs to quickly generate a lot of force.
Type IIa Fibers
These fast twitch muscle fibers are also known as intermediate fast-twitch fibers. They can use both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism almost equally to create energy. In this way, they are a combination of Type I and Type II muscle fibers.
Type IIb Fibers
These fast twitch fibers use anaerobic metabolism to create energy and are the "classic" fast twitch muscle fibers that excel at producing quick, powerful bursts of speed. This muscle fiber has the highest rate of contraction (rapid firing) of all the muscle fiber types, but it also has a much faster rate of fatigue and can't last as long before it needs rest.
Fiber Type and Performance
Our muscle fiber type may influence what sports we are naturally good at or whether we are fast or strong. Olympic athletes tend to fall into sports that match their genetic makeup. Olympic sprinters have been shown to possess about 80 percent fast twitch fibers, while those who excel in marathons tend to have 80 percent slow twitch fibers.
Are Athletes Born or Built?
Can Training Change Fiber Type?
This is not entirely understood, and research is still looking at that question. There is some evidence showing that human skeletal muscle may switch fiber types from "fast" to "slow" due to training.
These studies and journal articles offer more insight on muscle fiber research:
High-Intensity Training and Changes in Muscle Fiber
Nature vs. Nurture: Can Exercise Really Alter Fiber Type Composition?
Effects of Endurance Training on Muscle Fiber
What can I do to improve my performance?
Keep in mind that genetic differences may be dramatic at the elite levels of athletic competition. But following the principles of conditioning can dramatically improve personal performance of a typical athlete.
With consistent endurance training, muscle fibers can develop more and improve their ability to cope with and adapt to the stress of exercise.

Is fiber type the number one factor that makes an elite athlete elite?

Fiber type is part of a great athlete's success, but it alone is a poor predictor of performance. There are many other factors that go into determining athleticism, including mental preparedness, proper nutrition and hydration, getting enough rest, and having appropriate equipment and conditioning.
_{Sources:
Andersen, JL; Schjerling, P; Saltin, B. Scientific American. "Muscle, Genes and Athletic Performance" 9/2000. Page 49

McArdle, W.D., Katch, F.I. & Katch,V.L. (1996). Exercise physiology : Energy, nutrition and human performance

Lieber, R.L. (1992). Skeletal muscle structure and function : Implications for rehabilitation and sports medicine. Baltimore : Williams & Wilkins.

Andersen, JL; Schjerling, P; Saltin, B. Muscle, Genes and Athletic Performance. Scientific American. 9/2000

Thayer R, Collins J, Noble EG, Taylor AW. A decade of aerobic endurance training: histological evidence for fibre type transformation. Journal of Sports Medicine & Phys Fitness. 2000 Dec;40(4).}

Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

2010-02-18T16:08:00.001-08:00

Sunday, Aug. 09, 2009

Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

By John Cloud

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.html

As I write this, tomorrow is Tuesday, which is a cardio day. I'll spend five minutes warming up on the VersaClimber, a towering machine that requires you to move your arms and legs simultaneously. Then I'll do 30 minutes on a stair mill. On Wednesday a personal trainer will work me like a farm animal for an hour, sometimes to the point that I am dizzy — an abuse for which I pay as much as I spend on groceries in a week. Thursday is "body wedge" class, which involves another exercise contraption, this one a large foam wedge from which I will push myself up in various hateful ways for an hour. Friday will bring a 5.5-mile run, the extra half-mile my grueling expiation of any gastronomical indulgences during the week.

I have exercised like this — obsessively, a bit grimly — for years, but recently I began to wonder: Why am I doing this? Except for a two-year period at the end of an unhappy relationship — a period when I self-medicated with lots of Italian desserts — I have never been overweight. One of the most widely accepted, commonly repeated assumptions in our culture is that if you exercise, you will lose weight. But I exercise all the time, and since I ended that relationship and cut most of those desserts, my weight has returned to the same 163 lb. it has been most of my adult life. I still have gut fat that hangs over my belt when I sit. Why isn't all the exercise wiping it out? (Read "The Year in Medicine 2008: From A to Z.")

It's a question many of us could ask. More than 45 million Americans now belong to a health club, up from 23 million in 1993. We spend some $19 billion a year on gym memberships. Of course, some people join and never go. Still, as one major study — the Minnesota Heart Survey — found, more of us at least say we exercise regularly. The survey ran from 1980, when only 47% of respondents said they engaged in regular exercise, to 2000, when the figure had grown to 57%.

And yet obesity figures have risen dramatically in the same period: a third of Americans are obese, and another third count as overweight by the Federal Government's definition. Yes, it's entirely possible that those of us who regularly go to the gym would weigh even more if we exercised less. But like many other people, I get hungry after I exercise, so I often eat more on the days I work out than on the days I don't. Could exercise actually be keeping me from losing weight? (Watch TIME's video "How to Lose Hundreds of Pounds.")

The conventional wisdom that exercise is essential for shedding pounds is actually fairly new. As recently as the 1960s, doctors routinely advised against rigorous exercise, particularly for older adults who could injure themselves. Today doctors encourage even their oldest patients to exercise, which is sound advice for many reasons: People who regularly exercise are at significantly lower risk for all manner of diseases — those of the heart in particular. They less often develop cancer, diabetes and many other illnesses. But the past few years of obesity research show that the role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly overstated. (Read "Losing Weight: Can Exercise Trump Genes?")

"In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless," says Eric Ravussin, chair in diabetes and metabolism at Louisiana State University and a prominent exercise researcher. Many recent studies have found that exercise isn't as important in helping people lose weight as you hear so regularly in gym advertisements or on shows like The Biggest Loser — or, for that matter, from magazines like this one.

The basic problem is that while it's true that exercise burns calories and that you must burn calories to lose weight, exercise has another effect: it can stimulate hunger. That causes us to eat more, which in turn can negate the weight-loss benefits we just accrued. Exercise, in other words, isn't necessarily helping us lose weight. It may even be making it harder.

The Compensation Problem
Earlier this year, the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE — PLoS is the nonprofit Public Library of Science — published a remarkable study supervised by a colleague of Ravussin's, Dr. Timothy Church, who holds the rather grand title of chair in health wisdom at LSU. Church's team randomly assigned into four groups 464 overweight women who didn't regularly exercise. Women in three of the groups were asked to work out with a personal trainer for 72 min., 136 min., and 194 min. per week, respectively, for six months. Women in the fourth cluster, the control group, were told to maintain their usual physical-activity routines. All the women were asked not to change their dietary habits and to fill out monthly medical-symptom questionnaires.

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The findings were surprising. On average, the women in all the groups, even the control group, lost weight, but the women who exercised — sweating it out with a trainer several days a week for six months — did not lose significantly more weight than the control subjects did. (The control-group women may have lost weight because they were filling out those regular health forms, which may have prompted them to consume fewer doughnuts.) Some of the women in each of the four groups actually gained weight, some more than 10 lb. each.

What's going on here? Church calls it compensation, but you and I might know it as the lip-licking anticipation of perfectly salted, golden-brown French fries after a hard trip to the gym. Whether because exercise made them hungry or because they wanted to reward themselves (or both), most of the women who exercised ate more than they did before they started the experiment. Or they compensated in another way, by moving around a lot less than usual after they got home. (Read "Run For Your Lives.")

The findings are important because the government and various medical organizations routinely prescribe more and more exercise for those who want to lose weight. In 2007 the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association issued new guidelines stating that "to lose weight ... 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary." That's 60 to 90 minutes on most days of the week, a level that not only is unrealistic for those of us trying to keep or find a job but also could easily produce, on the basis of Church's data, ravenous compensatory eating.

It's true that after six months of working out, most of the exercisers in Church's study were able to trim their waistlines slightly — by about an inch. Even so, they lost no more overall body fat than the control group did. Why not?

Church, who is 41 and has lived in Baton Rouge for nearly three years, has a theory. "I see this anecdotally amongst, like, my wife's friends," he says. "They're like, 'Ah, I'm running an hour a day, and I'm not losing any weight.'" He asks them, "What are you doing after you run?" It turns out one group of friends was stopping at Starbucks for muffins afterward. Says Church: "I don't think most people would appreciate that, wow, you only burned 200 or 300 calories, which you're going to neutralize with just half that muffin." (Read "Too Fat? Read Your E-mail.")

You might think half a muffin over an entire day wouldn't matter much, particularly if you exercise regularly. After all, doesn't exercise turn fat to muscle, and doesn't muscle process excess calories more efficiently than fat does?

Yes, although the muscle-fat relationship is often misunderstood. According to calculations published in the journal Obesity Research by a Columbia University team in 2001, a pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day in a resting body, compared with the two calories that a pound of fat burns. Which means that after you work out hard enough to convert, say, 10 lb. of fat to muscle — a major achievement — you would be able to eat only an extra 40 calories per day, about the amount in a teaspoon of butter, before beginning to gain weight. Good luck with that.

Fundamentally, humans are not a species that evolved to dispose of many extra calories beyond what we need to live. Rats, among other species, have a far greater capacity to cope with excess calories than we do because they have more of a dark-colored tissue called brown fat. Brown fat helps produce a protein that switches off little cellular units called mitochondria, which are the cells' power plants: they help turn nutrients into energy. When they're switched off, animals don't get an energy boost. Instead, the animals literally get warmer. And as their temperature rises, calories burn effortlessly. (See TIME's health and medicine covers.)

Because rodents have a lot of brown fat, it's very difficult to make them obese, even when you force-feed them in labs. But humans — we're pathetic. We have so little brown fat that researchers didn't even report its existence in adults until earlier this year. That's one reason humans can gain weight with just an extra half-muffin a day: we almost instantly store most of the calories we don't need in our regular ("white") fat cells.

All this helps explain why our herculean exercise over the past 30 years — all the personal trainers, StairMasters and VersaClimbers; all the Pilates classes and yoga retreats and fat camps — hasn't made us thinner. After we exercise, we often crave sugary calories like those in muffins or in "sports" drinks like Gatorade. A standard 20-oz. bottle of Gatorade contains 130 calories. If you're hot and thirsty after a 20-minute run in summer heat, it's easy to guzzle that bottle in 20 seconds, in which case the caloric expenditure and the caloric intake are probably a wash. From a weight-loss perspective, you would have been better off sitting on the sofa knitting.

See pictures of what makes you eat more food.

Watch a video about fitness gadgets.

Self-Control Is like a Muscle
Many people assume that weight is mostly a matter of willpower — that we can learn both to exercise and to avoid muffins and Gatorade. A few of us can, but evolution did not build us to do this for very long. In 2000 the journal Psychological Bulletinpublished a paper by psychologists Mark Muraven and Roy Baumeister in which they observed that self-control is like a muscle: it weakens each day after you use it. If you force yourself to jog for an hour, your self-regulatory capacity is proportionately enfeebled. Rather than lunching on a salad, you'll be more likely to opt for pizza.

Some of us can will ourselves to overcome our basic psychology, but most of us won't be very successful. "The most powerful determinant of your dietary intake is your energy expenditure," says Steven Gortmaker, who heads Harvard's Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity. "If you're more physically active, you're going to get hungry and eat more." Gortmaker, who has studied childhood obesity, is even suspicious of the playgrounds at fast-food restaurants. "Why would they build those?" he asks. "I know it sounds kind of like conspiracy theory, but you have to think, if a kid plays five minutes and burns 50 calories, he might then go inside and consume 500 calories or even 1,000." (Read "Why Kids' Exercise Matters Less Than We Think.")

Last year the International Journal of Obesity published a paper by Gortmaker and Kendrin Sonneville of Children's Hospital Boston noting that "there is a widespread assumption that increasing activity will result in a net reduction in any energy gap" — energy gap being the term scientists use for the difference between the number of calories you use and the number you consume. But Gortmaker and Sonneville found in their 18-month study of 538 students that when kids start to exercise, they end up eating more — not just a little more, but an average of 100 calories more than they had just burned.

If evolution didn't program us to lose weight through exercise, what did it program us to do? Doesn't exercise do anything?

Sure. It does plenty. In addition to enhancing heart health and helping prevent disease, exercise improves your mental health and cognitive ability. A study published in June in the journal Neurology found that older people who exercise at least once a week are 30% more likely to maintain cognitive function than those who exercise less. Another study, released by the University of Alberta a few weeks ago, found that people with chronic back pain who exercise four days a week have 36% less disability than those who exercise only two or three days a week.

But there's some confusion about whether it is exercise — sweaty, exhausting, hunger-producing bursts of activity done exclusively to benefit our health — that leads to all these benefits or something far simpler: regularly moving during our waking hours. We all need to move more — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says our leisure-time physical activity (including things like golfing, gardening and walking) has decreased since the late 1980s, right around the time the gym boom really exploded. But do we need to stress our bodies at the gym?

Look at kids. In May a team of researchers at Peninsula Medical School in the U.K. traveled to Amsterdam to present some surprising findings to the European Congress on Obesity. The Peninsula scientists had studied 206 kids, ages 7 to 11, at three schools in and around Plymouth, a city of 250,000 on the southern coast of England. Kids at the first school, an expensive private academy, got an average of 9.2 hours per week of scheduled, usually rigorous physical education. Kids at the two other schools — one in a village near Plymouth and the other an urban school — got just 2.4 hours and 1.7 hours of PE per week, respectively.

To understand just how much physical activity the kids were getting, the Peninsula team had them wear ActiGraphs, light but sophisticated devices that measure not only the amount of physical movement the body engages in but also its intensity. During four one-week periods over consecutive school terms, the kids wore the ActiGraphs nearly every waking moment.

And no matter how much PE they got during school hours, when you look at the whole day, the kids from the three schools moved the same amount, at about the same intensity. The kids at the fancy private school underwent significantly more physical activity before 3 p.m., but overall they didn't move more. "Once they get home, if they are very active in school, they are probably staying still a bit more because they've already expended so much energy," says Alissa Frémeaux, a biostatistician who helped conduct the study. "The others are more likely to grab a bike and run around after school."

Another British study, this one from the University of Exeter, found that kids who regularly move in short bursts — running to catch a ball, racing up and down stairs to collect toys — are just as healthy as kids who participate in sports that require vigorous, sustained exercise.

See nine kid foods to avoid.

Read "Our Super-Sized Kids."

Could pushing people to exercise more actually be contributing to our obesity problem? In some respects, yes. Because exercise depletes not just the body's muscles but the brain's self-control "muscle" as well, many of us will feel greater entitlement to eat a bag of chips during that lazy time after we get back from the gym. This explains why exercise could make you heavier — or at least why even my wretched four hours of exercise a week aren't eliminating all my fat. It's likely that I am more sedentary during my nonexercise hours than I would be if I didn't exercise with such Puritan fury. If I exercised less, I might feel like walking more instead of hopping into a cab; I might have enough energy to shop for food, cook and then clean instead of ordering a satisfyingly greasy burrito.

Closing the Energy Gap
The problem ultimately is about not exercise itself but the way we've come to define it. Many obesity researchers now believe that very frequent, low-level physical activity — the kind humans did for tens of thousands of years before the leaf blower was invented — may actually work better for us than the occasional bouts of exercise you get as a gym rat. "You cannot sit still all day long and then have 30 minutes of exercise without producing stress on the muscles," says Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, a neurobiologist at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center who has studied nutrition for 20 years. "The muscles will ache, and you may not want to move after. But to burn calories, the muscle movements don't have to be extreme. It would be better to distribute the movements throughout the day."

For his part, Berthoud rises at 5 a.m. to walk around his neighborhood several times. He also takes the stairs when possible. "Even if people can get out of their offices, out from in front of their computers, they go someplace like the mall and then take the elevator," he says. "This is the real problem, not that we don't go to the gym enough." (Read "Is There a Laziness Gene?")

I was skeptical when Berthoud said this. Don't you need to raise your heart rate and sweat in order to strengthen your cardiovascular system? Don't you need to push your muscles to the max in order to build them?

Actually, it's not clear that vigorous exercise like running carries more benefits than a moderately strenuous activity like walking while carrying groceries. You regularly hear about the benefits of exercise in news stories, but if you read the academic papers on which these stories are based, you frequently see that the research subjects who were studied didn't clobber themselves on the elliptical machine. A routine example: in June the Association for Psychological Science issued a news release saying that "physical exercise ... may indeed preserve or enhance various aspects of cognitive functioning." But in fact, those who had better cognitive function merely walked more and climbed more stairs. They didn't even walk faster; walking speed wasn't correlated with cognitive ability.

There's also growing evidence that when it comes to preventing certain diseases, losing weight may be more important than improving cardiovascular health. In June, Northwestern University researchers released the results of the longest observational study ever to investigate the relationship between aerobic fitness and the development of diabetes. The results? Being aerobically fit was far less important than having a normal body mass index in preventing the disease. And as we have seen, exercise often does little to help heavy people reach a normal weight. (Read "Physical Fitness — How Not to Get Sick.")

So why does the belief persist that exercise leads to weight loss, given all the scientific evidence to the contrary? Interestingly, until the 1970s, few obesity researchers promoted exercise as critical for weight reduction. As recently as 1992, when a stout Bill Clinton became famous for his jogging and McDonald's habits, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published an article that began, "Recently, the interest in the potential of adding exercise to the treatment of obesity has increased." The article went on to note that incorporating exercise training into obesity treatment had led to "inconsistent" results. "The increased energy expenditure obtained by training may be compensated by a decrease in non-training physical activities," the authors wrote.

Then how did the exercise-to-lose-weight mantra become so ingrained? Public-health officials have been reluctant to downplay exercise because those who are more physically active are, overall, healthier. Plus, it's hard even for experts to renounce the notion that exercise is essential for weight loss. For years, psychologist Kelly Brownell ran a lab at Yale that treated obese patients with the standard, drilled-into-your-head combination of more exercise and less food. "What we found was that the treatment of obesity was very frustrating," he says. Only about 5% of participants could keep the weight off, and although those 5% were more likely to exercise than those who got fat again, Brownell says if he were running the program today, "I would probably reorient toward food and away from exercise." In 2005, Brownell co-founded Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, which focuses on food marketing and public policy — not on encouraging more exercise.

Some research has found that the obese already "exercise" more than most of the rest of us. In May, Dr. Arn Eliasson of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center reported the results of a small study that found that overweight people actually expend significantly more calories every day than people of normal weight — 3,064 vs. 2,080. He isn't the first researcher to reach this conclusion. As science writer Gary Taubes noted in his 2007 book Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health, "The obese tend to expend more energy than lean people of comparable height, sex, and bone structure, which means their metabolism is typically burning off more calories rather than less."

In short, it's what you eat, not how hard you try to work it off, that matters more in losing weight. You should exercise to improve your health, but be warned: fiery spurts of vigorous exercise could lead to weight gain. I love how exercise makes me feel, but tomorrow I might skip the VersaClimber — and skip the blueberry bar that is my usual postexercise reward.

See the top 10 food trends of 2008.

See a special report on the science of appetite.

======================================================

The latest health news is a surprise: “Exercise won’t make you thin.”

That Time magazine cover story appeared following a visit by one of its reporters to our campus. So, I feel compelled to offer a correction to a story that drifted off course to the conclusion that exercise is not useful for weight loss and weight management. Granted, exercise and its benefits can be a complex story. Even our own scientists discuss the relative importance of eating less or exercising more to lose weight and keep it off. To use a journalistic term, these findings would make interesting “sidebars” to a main story. However, to conclude that exercise is “useless” in the management of body weight is sending an unhealthy message. Most scientific evidence based on animal and human studies shows that regular exercise is a critical component of weight loss and weight control. Right now, only about five-percent of the U.S. adult population meets the current national recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise five days a week, when exercise level is objectively measured. So any story that discourages exercise is counterproductive. The Time article raised three issues to incorrectly conclude exercise won’t help you lose weight.

First issue - eating less is really the only way to lose weight. Yes, it is obviously easier to eat less than to exercise more. But many individuals have successfully lost weight simply by increasing exercise. It can be done. The physiology is real. Bodies stay at the same weight when a caloric balance is achieved. Under controlled laboratory conditions we see that when the amount of calories eaten equals calories used by activity and exercise, then weight remains the same. Participants lose weight when they use more calories than they eat and gain weight when they eat more calories than they use up. That means the body doesn’t care whether it loses calories by eating less or exercising more, the response is the same; weight is lost. So a diet in which you cut 300 calories a day will have more or less the same effect as activity that expends 300 extra calories a day. So, it may be easier to reduce your calories by eating less than by exercising more, but this does not mean exercise is “useless.” In fact, we gain many other health benefits by exercising, like lower blood pressure and a healthier heart and cardiovascular system.

Second issue - people succumb to so-called dietary compensation, meaning that after exercising, we get hungry and eat more, or “reward” ourselves with a snack. The fact is that millions of regularly active people tend to be normal weight. They may eat more, but it equals their level of energy expenditure. For instance, elite athletes in physically demanding sports may consume on a regular basis more than 5,000 calories per day and yet be quite lean and muscular. For the general public, we should base the main message on the preponderance of the evidence, which says that if you exercise regularly you will increase your caloric intake to meet the demand of your physically active lifestyle. I know of no credible evidence demonstrating that people overindulge in food just because they engaged in a bout of exercise. Such people can undoubtedly be found, but it is a small minority among those who engage in exercise. In the aggregate, we know of no study that concludes exercise causes enough overeating to increase body weight and reverse the health benefits. However, we do know that appetite is typically depressed after a bout of vigorous exercise. As a matter of fact, regular exercise is one of the most efficient ways to help keep caloric intake at the right level for you.

Final issue - those who exercise regularly may offset the effort by reducing their other daily activity and thus expend fewer calories than expected. This particular issue is complex as there are considerable individual differences in post exercise behavior. There are a few studies on both sides of this issue, but on balance more studies show that such compensation does not occur. Ironically just as the TIME issue came out, a group of researchers from Duke University published results showing daily exercise did not lead to a decrease in other activity for the remainder of the day.

Despite the confusion caused by the latest headline, we should rely on the vast majority of evidence that shows moderate activity or exercise should be part of any plan to lose weight, keep it off, and become healthier.

Claude Bouchard, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Baton Rouge, LA

====================================

By Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D., F.A.C.S.M., Chief Science Officer, American Council on Exercise

Update: The researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center that were quoted in the Time article respond to the author’s inaccuracies in a follow-up statement.

The cover story of the August 9, 2009, issue of Time magazine featured an article entitled, “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin.” In this piece, author John Cloud made several inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims regarding the value of exercise, particularly as it relates to weight loss. What follows is a summary of some of the most misleading assertions made in this highly publicized article, as well as the American Council on Exercise’s response to these assertions:

First and foremost, the article categorically implies that exercise has no meaningful role in weight loss. Such a conclusion is as false as it is reckless. The author’s “evidence” is the fact that he has “gut fat that hangs over his belt when he sits,” despite maintaining a regular exercise habit. In all likelihood, his unwanted abdominal girth is probably a by-product of genetics and/or consuming more calories than he expends.
Weight loss and maintenance are a matter of simple accounting that is dependent upon energy balance. In order for weight loss to occur, individuals must burn more calories than they consume. Regrettably, many individuals who regularly exercise are unable to meet their weight-loss goals because they eat too much. In reality, however, their “personal weight situation” and overall health profile would be far worse were it not for the extra calories they expend while exercising.
An overwhelming body of scientific evidence exists that confirms the positive role that exercise plays in weight loss and maintenance (Hill and Wyatt, 2005; Jakicic and Gallagher, 2003; Jakicic et al., 2001). These findings refute the notion (advanced by the author) that exercise impairs weight-loss efforts by substantially and uncontrollably increasing appetite. Recent research suggests that appetite may be suppressed for 60-90 minutes following vigorous exercise by affecting the release of certain appetite hormones. It also appears that aerobic exercise is more effective at suppressing appetite than non-aerobic forms of exercise (Broom et al., 2009). In general, individuals who participate in moderate exercise tend to eat approximately the same number of calories (or only slightly more) than they would if they did not exercise. Elite-level athletes typically consume high volumes of food after their exercise workouts, but they almost always expend more calories than they consumed (Blundell and King, 1999). It is important to keep in mind, however, that appetite is influenced several factors and is a very complex process making it difficult to generalize the impact of exercise on appetite. The bottom-line is that exercise and diet go hand-in-hand with successful weight management.
Surprisingly (and disappointingly) the author failed to mention the tremendously important role that exercise plays in the maintenance of weight loss. According to data from the renowned National Weight Control Registry, consistent exercise participation is the single best predictor of long-term weight maintenance. In others words, if individuals want to be successful in getting off the weight-loss rollercoaster (i.e., repeatedly losing weight and regaining it), they need to regularly engage in physical activity.
Another particularly bothersome portion of the article was the misleading comments regarding children and physical activity. A preponderance of evidence shows that kids are often less active after school, not more active as the article implies. As such, community-based youth fitness programs and high-quality school physical education programs are much needed. The available statistics support the fact that well-designed fitness programs aimed at encouraging children to be more active and maintain a healthy body weight remain a significant priority (HHS, 2008).

Needless to say, readers of this article in Time are likely to conclude that exercise is of little to no benefit to them, which makes its publication in such a high profile and respected magazine so disappointing—and possibly even dangerous. Given the enormous economic costs associated with obesity (approximately $147 billion annually), we should be promoting and advocating scientifically proven healthful behaviors like regular exercise participation whenever and wherever we can. Beyond its weight-control benefits, regular exercise provides a plethora of health benefits, including the treatment and prevention of a wide variety of chronic illnesses (heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, certain types of cancer, to name a few), an enhancement of psychological health and well-being, and an improvement in the overall quality of life throughout the human lifespan.

References

Blundell, J.E. & King, N.A. (1999). Physical activity and regulation of food intake: Current evidence. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 31, 11 Suppl., S573-S583.

Broom, D.R. et al. (2009). Influence of resistance and aerobic exercise on hunger, circulating levels of acylated ghrelin, peptide YY in healthy males.American Journal of Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 296, 1, R29-35.

Hill, J.O. and Wyatt, H.R. (2005). Role of physical activity in preventing and treating obesity. Journal of Applied Physiology, 99, 765-770.

Jakicic, J.M. & Gallagher, K.I. (2003). Exercise considerations for the sedentary, overweight adult. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 31, 2, 91-95.

Jakicic, J.M. et al. (2001). ACSM position stand on the appropriate intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults.Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 33, 2145-2156.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2008). 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Washington, D.C.: Department of Health and Human Services.

Wannabebig - The Original Routine

2010-02-18T07:11:00.001-08:00

http://www.wannabebig.com/training/routines/wannabebig-the-original-routine/
Wannabebig - The Original Routine
Posted by Daniel Clough on September 21st, 2001

First of all let me congratulate you on taking the first step to building a better body.

Right before we get into the details we should go through some basics quickly as well as explain why this program can work for you.

To grow you need to get into the gym, train hard and then rest. Resting is where the actual muscle growth takes place not in the gym. This is the typical beginners mistake. He or she will train too much and rest too little. When you are in the gym you break down your muscles. You then leave and they will recover and given enough rest and food they will recover bigger ! Simple huh ? Well kinda…

Below are the basic principles on which our routine is based on…

Compound Exercises

Compound exercises are the exercises that place the most stress on your body and often require many muscles to perform the movement, thus stimulating more muscle growth.. The deadlift is a good example. Although this movement is often classed as a lower/uper back exercise to pull off this movement you need to use your legs and much of the upper body. This in turn stimulates more growth.
Do I need to tell you that compound exercises are the cornerstone of the Wannabebig routine ? I didn’t think so !

Rest/Recovery

You grow out of the gym not in it ! Therefore to make your muscles bigger you need to work them hard in the gym and then give enough resting time to allow them to recover. Our routine is constructed so you get maximumn recovery time between workouts and muscle groups.

So with a combination of the above you will have no choice BUT to grow!

All that is needed know is the actual routine. Although there may be certain terms you do not understand in the routine, we have links to descriptions and movies of all exercises listed aswell as a full glossary to make things clear ! Good luck!

Introduction

Are you ready to totally transform your physique ? If so then the Wanna Be Big training routine is for you. Whether you’re a newbie to the game or an experienced bodybuilder you can make great gains with this routine.

Just absorb the the knowledge here and then hit the iron HARD. You have no choice but to grow.

First of all I would like to get across the point that this routine is for real. There are no supplements you must take, no books to buy and no money to send in. This is just an effective routine that can help you put on muscle like you wouldn’t believe.

With that out of the way, lets get down to business. The Wanna Be Big routine is sensibly split in to sections to help you understand it in a logical way.

Routine Split and Exercise Selection

Day 1 : Chest and Back

Chest
Flat Barbell Bench Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
Low Incline Dumbbell Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
Dips : 2 x 6-8 reps

Back
Chin ups : 2 x 6-8 reps
Deadlifts : 2 x 6-8 reps
Barbell Rows : 2 x 6-8 reps
Shrugs : 1 x 10 reps

Day 2 : OFF

Day 3 : Legs
Squats : 2 x 6-8 reps
Hack Squats : 2 x 6-8 reps
Leg Curls : 2 x 6-8 reps
Straight Legged Deadlifts : 2 x 6-8 reps
Standing Calve Raises : 4 x 10 reps

Day 4 : OFF

Day 5 : Shoulders, Triceps and Biceps

Shoulders
Military Press in Rack : 2 x 6-8 reps
Seated Dumbbell Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
Standing Lateral Raises : 2 x 10 reps

Triceps
Narrow Grip bench Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
French Press : 2 x 6-8 reps

Biceps
Barbell Curls : 2 x 6-8 reps
Hammer Curls : 1 x 6-8 reps

Day 6 : OFF

Day 7 : OFF

Abs to be done on any training day of personal choice.
Crunches : 4 x 8-10 reps

So you now should know exactly what you should be doing each day of the week.

If you are unsure of how to do any of the above exercises then you can find an extensive collection of exercise descriptions, illustrated examples and movies here

When performing any of the above exercises the most important thing to remember is to always use good form. This will ensure you continue to progress and limits chances of an injuries.

Progression is the key. Always try to progress on each exercise, each week. Whether it is an extra couple of reps on a weight you used last week or perhaps the same amount of reps with an extra 2.5 KG’s. These might seem like small amounts but these small amounts gradually add up to considerable progress.

Just get in the gym and do it. Make every training session, every set and every rep count and you will get there believe me. Take a read through our FAQ section that should answer any outstanding queries you may have.

Frequently Answered Questions

Q - Should I check with my doctor before I carry out this routine ?
A - Yes, without a doubt.

Q - What does 2 x 6-8 reps mean ?
A - The “2″ stands for 2 sets and the “x 6-8″ stands for 6-8 repetitions.

Q - What do sets and reps mean ?
A - A rep or repetition is a single exercise movement. For example when you perform the bench press one rep is where you lower the bar to your chest from the starting position and then return to the starting position. A set consists of a certain number of reps or repetitions.

Q - How long should each session take ?
A - Each session should generally not take longer than an hour.

Q - How long should I rest in between each set ?
A - Its up to you really. You should try and give yourself a few minutes to regain your breath or at least and to recover from the previous set. Do what feels right for you and enables you to finish no longer than an hour 15 mins.

Q - How long should I stick with this routine ?
A - For as long as you progress with it. That’s what its all about, progressing. When you stop being able to add on those extra reps or plates each week is the time to think of something new.

Q - Are you going to be publishing any other routines ?
A - Yes we will. Depending on the demand we will be having other routines.

Q - I am still unsure about something and would like to ask some questions, can I ?
A - Sure, we would be happy to answer any questions you have or clear anything up. I would suggest you post them on the Wannabebig Forums where I or our other members can answer you!

Summary

So by now you should be all set and ready to start training.. You should be familiar with the exercise selection and any queries you had should have been answered by out FAQ section.

However although this is supposed to be a training routine we thought we would throw in some nutrition and supplement tips for you. First of all, you should realise nutrition is THE most important factor in achieving your goals. You body will not develop unless you feed it the nutrients it needs to recover from your workouts.

Now of course we can’t give any precise personalized diet tips as everyone has different goals but we can give you some rough pointers to keep you on track.

Eat Clean. This can’t be stressed enough. You can’t build a good body on pizza, chips and burgers. It just isn’t going to happen. You need to feed your body good quality carbs, protein and fat sources and each meal should have a healthy amount or each one.

Eat smaller more frequent meals. 6 smaller meals a day are far better than 3 large ones a day. Whether your goal is to lost fat or to put on mass, this approach is best. Eating more regularly keeps the metabolism high which helps you to burn more fat as well as keeping your energy levels good throughout the day.

Count calories. Putting on mass, or dieting for fat loss will mean you have to manipulate calorie totals to achieve your goals. If you do not count your calories, then how do you know you are eating the right amount for your goal, or how can you change your plan if you do not know what to change.

OK, we’ll round up with a few pointers on supplements. The key word is supplement !! They are exactly what they are, a supplement to a good diet. Too many people take pay more attention to supplements, than they do their diet ! Remember they are not miracle workers and in fact play a small part in bodybuilding compared to training and diet. You can make excellent gains with them.

However saying that, if your diet and training is intact, supplements can help give you that extra edge. Check out AtLarge Nutrition for high quality, solid supplements

Good luck and train hard!

Written by Daniel Clough

Wannabebig 1.1 - An Improved Routine

2010-02-18T07:03:00.000-08:00

by Maki Riddington on June 11th, 2007

http://www.wannabebig.com/training/routines-and-programs/wannabebig-11-an-improved-routine/#printpreview

Finding the perfect training program is like dating a Victoria secret model - the chances of it happening are next to impossible. However finding a good program that will give you a great return on the time, sweat, and work you’ve invested is possible.

After six years of feedback and many positive testimonies, the Wannabebig routine is being revamped.

Looking back at the original Wannabebig Routine there are areas that could def improved upon. The revised version took these points into consideration and made a good program even better.

Cons of Wannabebig Routine 1
Each muscle is only targeted once per week. In a span of a month each muscle is stimulated four times.
Muscles may not get stimulated enough in a workout due to lack of neuromuscular coordination from the low volume of sets.
Trainee could quite possibly end up over recovered as a result of low volume of sets.
The program is based around muscles.

Pros of Wannabebig Routine 1.1
You hit all the major muscle groups twice a week. In a span of a month each muscle is stimulated eight times.
Includes more compound movement patterns more often in the training week.
Allows for more variation of exercises.
More frequent muscle stimulation allows for greater muscle growth.
The program can be changed to fit individual goals (sports, martial arts etc).
Helps develop the central nervous system to function more efficiently via intermuscular and intramuscular coordination.
Allows for weaknesses and muscle imbalances to be fixed.

The Routine

The basic concept of this routine is simple - lower body one day with upper body being trained the next day followed by a rest day. Then repeat this again and take the weekend off.

The 4 day Split

DAY 1 (Monday): Lower body/static ab work/obliques

DAY 2 (Tuesday): Upper body and trunk flexion (movements initiated from the rib cage)

DAY 4 (Thursday): Lower body, static ab work/obliques

DAY 5 (Friday): Upper body and trunk flexion (movements initiated from the hips)

The Exercises (Click here for video clips of each exercise)

Day 1 - Lower Body/Abs
Front Squat/Back Squat
Alternating Lunges
Good Mornings
Standing Calve Raises
Diagonal Cable Wood Chops
Planks

Day 2 - Upper Body
Straight Arm Pull Downs
Flat Bench Press/Dumbbell Chest Press
Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dips
Variation of Standing Biceps Curls
Swiss Ball Cable Crunches

Day 4 - Lower Body
Deadlifts
Step Ups
Pull Through
Seated Calve Raises
Walk Outs
Side Planks

Day 5 - Upper Body
Chin Ups/ Modified Pull Ups
Seated Wide Grip Cable Row/One Arm Dumbbell Rows
Push Ups (variations)
Scaption
Dumbbell Skull Crushers
Leg Raises

Loading Parameters

Weeks 1-4

Day 1/4- Lower Body
Number of sets per exercise: 6
Loads: 65-75% of 1RM
Rest: 1 minute
Reps: 5-8

Day 2/5 - Upper Body
Number of sets per exercise: 6
Loads: 65-75% of 1RM
Rest: 1 minute
Reps: 5-8

Weeks 5-9

Day 1/4 - Lower Body
Number of sets per exercise: 3-4
Loads: 75 –80% of 1RM
Rest: 2 minutes
Reps: 10-12

Day 2/ 5 - Upper Body
Number of sets per exercise: 3-4
Loads: 75 -80% of 1RM
Rest: 2 minutes
Reps: 10-12

Week 10-14

Day 1/4- Lower Body
Number of sets per exercise: 2-3
Loads: 80-85% of 1RM
Rest: 2-3 minutes
Reps: 8-10

Day 2/5 - Upper Body
Number of sets per exercise: 2-3
Loads: 80-85% of 1RM
Rest: 2-3 minutes
Reps: 8-10

Week 15-19

Day 1/4- Lower Body
Number of sets per exercise: 2-3
Loads: 85-90% of 1RM
Rest: 3 minutes
Reps: 6

Day 2/5 - Upper Body
Number of sets per exercise: 2-3
Loads: 85-90% of 1RM
Rest: 3 minutes
Reps: 6

Note: The loading parameters for each phase do not apply to the push-ups and abdominal exercises. The abdominals can be trained to failure using as much weight as possible and using between 6-12 reps. The push-ups are also to be performed to failure (through as many reps as possible) only following the number of sets and rest periods in each phase.

The Warm Up

Warming up before a workout is essential to ensuring that the body is prepared for the intense stress that it will be placed under. An effective warm up will improve nervous system function, lubricates the joints and increases the temperature of the soft tissues. A good warm up will also serve as a way to decide what kind of workout you may be in for.

During a warm up you should be making mental notes on how your body feels. Do certain joints or muscles ache and is your range of motion restricted around a particular joint? It’s during this time that any necessary adjustments to the workout can be made so that you ensure injury does not occur.

A warm up should allow for and include:
A time to visualize what will be accomplished in the training session.
Should progressively increase body temperature.
Include all the joints involved in the training session.
Incorporate all planes of movement.
Increase the range of motion around the joints being used.
Include muscle activation and mobility work for the muscles being trained.

For more information on how to warm up the right way before a workout you can visit the Magnificent Mobility website.

Warm Up 1

Warm Up 2

Stretching

It’s widely accepted nowadays that stretching is a good thing. What’s not as recognized is when and how you should be performing it. In a nutshell, static stretching should be minimized to after a workout not before. For more information on how to perform static stretches read this article: Static Stretching for Dynamic People

Conditioning Work (aka GPP)

Although the focus of the WBB 1.1 Routine is to increase muscle mass and strength it can be very easy to forget about the other “things.” Being in good shape is more then just looking the part. If you can’t walk up a flight of stairs without losing your breath or run for more then 5 minutes then chances are your cardiovascular conditioning needs to be improved upon.

This is where GPP (General Physical Preparedness) comes into play. To learn more about what GPP is and what it can do for you read Are You Down With GPP?

GPP Clip 1

GPP Clip 2

WBB 1.1 Exercise Video Clips

Lower Body Clips

Front Squat

Back Squat

Good Morning

Deadlift

Barbell Step Ups

Dumbbell Step Ups

Alternating Lunges

Pull Through

Upper Body Clips

Straight Arm Pull Downs

Chin Ups

Modified Pull Ups

Seated Wide Grip Cable Rows

One-Arm Dumbbell Rows

Flat Bench Press

Close Grip Bench Press

Push Ups (Band)

Push Ups (Clap)

Push Ups (Incline)

Push Ups (Ball)

Dips

Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Bicep Curls

Scaption

Skull Crushers

Dumbbell Chest Press (flat)

Abdominal Clips

Walk Outs

Side Planks

Planks

Leg Raises

Swiss Ball Cable Crunches

Diagonal Cable Wood Chops

Written by Maki Riddington

Curls Are A Drag

2010-02-16T09:59:00.000-08:00

The Drag Curl

Bodybuilding legend Vince Gironda popularized this variation of a barbell curl, but it's been lost in the training toolbox for the past few decades. Luckily for you, we're brushing the dirt off this great biceps exercise.

Unlike the barbell curl (which encourages swinging the weight and using your shoulders to help assist the movement) the drag curl minimizes your shoulder recruitment and enables you to keep more tension on the biceps as they work through the range of motion.

To do it, grab a light barbell and start in the normal curl stance: bar at your thighs with a shoulder-width grip.

Instead of curling the weight up in an arch away from your body, drag the barbell straight up, keeping your elbows back at all times. Keep the bar in contact with your body throughout the curl.

Drag the bar to about mid-chest level and control it back down to your thighs, flexing your biceps the entire time. Aim for three to four sets of 6-10 reps, and try to increase the weight with every set.

The Drag Curl - drag the barbell straight up, keeping your elbows back at all times.

GET RIPPED WITH RX6

2010-02-14T13:31:00.001-08:00

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Best Growth Spurt

2010-02-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

by Chris Aceto

The rebound. That?s what happens after a competition. You starve yourself before the big show to drop every ounce of visible fat - and pounce on cardio ? only to switch gears and go back to eating anything you want. Cardio? Heck, aside from walking back and forth to the frig, it becomes a thing of the past.

The few weeks after a show can be a total disaster resulting in startling gains in body fat if you suddenly start chowing anything and everything and take a complete break from training. Or, you can plan out what can be, the ideal growth opportunity, where the body can easily gain 5, 6 or even 10 pounds of real muscle mass in just 5 short weeks. This month, I?ll explain how to transition from a contest straight into 5 weeks of pure anabolism. In short, your best gains of the entire year are often found in the first few weeks after a competition.

1) Understand the Over Compensation Effect

Not everyone has a fantastic metabolism that allows him to get ripped to the bone while retaining valuable hard earned muscle mass. For many bodybuilders, getting ready for a show is an exercise in modified starving. You have to cut back on nearly everything; fat, carbohydrates, and total calories all while spending a good chunk of time on some type of cardio exercise to facilitate the burning of body fat. Truth be told; the entire contest prep process is wearing on the body and often throws it into a chronic catabolic state where it loses some degree of muscle or, at best, struggles to maintain its muscle mass. The upside; when a potentially catabolic process is alleviated-after a contest- the body over compensates, reverses gears and rebounds into very strong anabolic state. When your show?s over, the body is rearing to grow!

2) The Anabolic Primer

When you?re dieting, you are always restricting something; fewer carbs and less fat resulting in less energy. While that can trigger muscle loss, it also sets in motion anabolic signals that can prime the body for major growth ? as long as there is sufficient amounts of carbs, fat and energy in the diet. So, after dieting, the body can?t wait to get growing ? as long as you start to re-feed it with the right amounts of carbs and fat.

In addition, hormones and enzymes help get the growth ball rolling. When you diet, testosterone levels fall. When you start to eat again, they quickly rebound. Rising testosterone levels coupled with an increase in food intake always results in quick and substantial gains in muscle mass. Furthermore; while muscles reserves of stored carbs ? called glycogen - decline during the dieting phase, glycogen storing enzymes that potentially pack away far more carbs then ever are always working overtime. When you finish your diet ? after a contest - and eat more, your body blows up with massive glycogen stores, which directly impacts growth.

3) How Much Carbs To Eat: Follow the 150 Rule

No two bodybuilders have the same metabolism. That?s one reason many diet on different levels of carbohydrates - some eat a very low carb diet to get cut up while others eat a modified low carb diet. In both cases, you can?t just go out and start pounding carbs after a competition and expect to grow without getting fat. You have to be choosey and take a smart approach. If you dieted on 170 grams of carbs a day, then you can expect to grow without gaining body fat by adding another 150 grams to your daily intake for the first 3 weeks. That would put you at 320 grams a day. If you ate 300 grams while dieting, go to 450 grams a day.

4) Adjust Carbs At week 4

The body is an interesting machine. As you feed it after a dieting phase, the metabolism actually rises. As it rises, you should continue to add more carbohydrates to compensate for the increase in metabolism. If you do not add more carbs by week 4, the body will stall, and fail to continue to achieve additional muscle gains due to a lack of energy coming into the body to support a rising metabolism. Therefore, you can proceed to add another 100-125 grams of carbs a day to the diet. If you were eating 320 grams at the completion of week 3, you could go to 420-445 a day. Those eating 450 grams a day will need to go to 550-575.

5) Fat Aint Bad

I?ll be the first to say, an extremely low fat diet remains an excellent and proven way to rip up for competition. Extreme low fat dieting gets rid of the main macronutrient that is most likely to interfere with the shedding of body fat ? dietary fat ? and it allows you to keep your carbs somewhat higher during a cutting phase. The big downside; very low fat diets can also cause a drop in testosterone and growth hormone levels. Guess what? When you go back to eating fat ? the right kinds ? in the few weeks after dieting, it helps support testosterone and growth hormone levels and we already learned in #2 that rising testosterone levels have a strong effect on adding lots of new size post dieting. Increase your dietary fat in weeks 1-3 by 40-50 grams a day and add another 10-15 grams by week 4. Ideal sources of fat include a mix of saturated fat found in lean beef and whole milk dairy products, ***** fats from salmon and fish oil supplements and monounsaturated fats common to olives, nuts and olive oils.

6) The Protein Quotient

You have to pound protein to grow, right? Not so in the few weeks after a contest. Getting the body to overcompensate is really a matter of energy - provided by upping your carbs and dietary fat. Course, getting off the pre-contest cardio also helps get you growing again. That said, how much do you need. In the 5-6 week period after a contest, 1 gram per pound of bodyweight is more then enough ? even a little less is fine. Why? Efficiency. When you increase calories ? by adding carbs and fat- you completely shut off the need for that higher protein intake. The added fuel from carbs and fat makes the body extremely efficient at taking protein and packing it away into muscles. A higher carb and fat intake also relieves the burden for additional protein commonly consumed in a dieting phase. And, rising testosterone and GH levels further support the body?s ability to uptake and use protein without waste, another reason protein needs are not as great as many think during the post contest period.

High Box Squat Day

2010-02-05T21:26:00.001-08:00

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2010-02-03T18:01:00.001-08:00

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Exercise Reduces Fatigue In Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

2010-02-02T10:05:00.001-08:00

ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2009) — Supervised exercise programs that include high and low intense cardiovascular and resistance training can help reduce fatigue in patients with cancer who are undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy or treatment for advanced disease. The exercise training also improves patients' vitality, muscular strength, aerobic capacity and emotional well-being, according to research published on bmj.com .

However, the research also concludes that the mixed high and low intense exercise program does not improve the overall quality of life for these patients.

An increasing number of cancer patients are being treated with chemotherapy, either given alone or with surgery and/or radiotherapy. While chemotherapy treatments have improved, patients still suffer from side-effects, including nausea, vomiting, pain, insomnia, appetite loss and fatigue. Surveys show that fatigue is one of the most frequent and burdensome side-effects, says the study.

Lead author, Professor Lis Adamsen from Copenhagen University Hospitals, says this is one of the first studies to examine how a mixed intensity exercise program affects individuals undergoing chemotherapy.

Two hundred and sixty nine cancer patients took part in the study across two hospitals in Copenhagen, 196 participants were female and 73 were male. The ages ranged from 20 to 65, with an average age of 47. The study included 21 different diagnoses of cancer.

The exercise training included high and low intensity cardiovascular and resistance training, relaxation and body awareness and massage. Participants in the study group received nine hours of weekly training for six weeks in addition to conventional care.

Established research criteria were used to rate patients' views at the end of the study. The results show that patients who took part in the study experienced significantly less fatigue than the group who did not undergo exercise training, and even patients with advanced disease could benefit.

Although male patients participated, there was a clear majority of female patients, and exercise training should be developed with greater appeal to male patients, add the authors.

Despite the failure to improve overall health status, they conclude that "there is a considerable rationale for promoting multimodal exercise interventions to improve physical capacity, vitality, physical and mental well-being and relieving fatigue during chemotherapy; thereby supporting cancer patients' daily living activities."

How to Set Up A Program: A New Look at Weak Points.

2010-01-31T14:02:00.001-08:00

By Jim Wendler
For EliteFTS

I don’t know how many questions we’ve gotten regarding how to train certain weak points. Of course, almost every question is in regards to a weak muscle group or a certain portion of a lift. For the past couple of months Dave Tate and I have gone over this phenomenon and have found out that lifters need to take a step back and evaluate weak points on another level. Instead of classifying weak points as muscle groups or sticking points, it needs to be approached differently. I need to point out that this is a very rudimentary design and needs to be taken to another level. But, at the very least, this will give you a better understanding of how to evaluate your training, how to periodize (plan) your training and how to set up your training schedule to best accommodate your goals, strengths and weaknesses. Remember that if you are trying to improve them all at the same time, you are never going to get anywhere. In fact this is called overtraining! Also, remember that not everything needs to be a “10” or be an ultimate priority.

First, take the 6 areas of training (listed below) and think about how important they are to being a powerlifter. Rate them on a scale of 1-10. This is going to be up to you and how you view them. For example, GPP for a powerlifter would consist of conditioning, mobility and flexibility. A powerlifter would have enough conditioning to perform enough volume during his workouts to achieve his goals. So a powerlifter would need some conditioning but not a ton. He would also need enough mobility to put his body in proper position, but he wouldn’t need to be a gymnast. So understand that all areas are important, but not everything is going to be a 10. The best example of this happened to me a couple of years ago. Like many of you, I thought conditioning was of the utmost importance in training so I did a lot of work in this area. I pulled the sled, did a ton of warm-up and cool down work. While I could do this all day, I couldn’t lift a damn thing. This is much like many writers who call themselves “strength” coaches. The only difference is when I was “weak” I still could bench over 500lbs. But, I digress. Anyway, I took my conditioning level (remember this is only a part of G.P.P. despite what others may think) to a much higher level than it needed to be. When this happened, other levels began to drop off because I was not focusing my energy in the right place. I was weak as hell, but could drag a sled forever. Great if you want to be a professional sled dragger but awful if you are a powerlifter.

Areas of Training to Evaluate (Powerlifting)
* Speed
* Strength
* Hypertrophy
* Technique
* Mental
* General Physical Preparedness

Now take the above and evaluate where you are numerically 1-10; 1 being something that would be so poor that you are embarrassed, 10 being something that you excel at and are the envy of in the strength and conditioning world. This is not the time to be hyper-critical (for example, many people will say, “I suck at everything” and while this may be somewhat true, there are things that even the weakest people are good at) but you must be honest with yourself. If you can, have a trusted training partner or partners evaluate yourself. If they are true training partners, then they will be honest.

Example
So I’m going to use myself as an example so that everyone has an idea of how to do this;
Technique - This always needs improvement and is constantly being worked on. While this is always a priority, your training will always give you the chance to improve this. This is always going to be a priority of “10” (and can never really be perfect) and will always be important.
Mental – I’m not sure how to handle this or what you need to do if you are weak at this. Maybe go read some book or take some drugs. I’m fine in this area, so I don’t focus on this.

Speed – I rate the “speed” factor for a powerlifter as being about a 7 and I think that I am at the level. I do enough speed work to maintain this level and nothing more. Why? Because if I do more work, then I can’t fully concentrate on the areas that I need to improve.
(Absolute) Strength – I sucked at this for a long time and still need work. For a powerlifter I ranked this a 9. This is something I need to work on so this is a priority in my training.

Hypertrophy – I am fine in this area and do just enough to maintain my muscle mass and have no reasons to move up a weight class.
General Physical Preparedness – I suck at my conditioning and mobility, especially when I’m 280+. Because of this, I need to focus on keeping my conditioning and mobility at an acceptable level. I do not go crazy with this, but need to always keep my eye on this as it will drop off quickly.
Evaluation

So now that you see how I’ve ranked myself, let’s look at the areas that I need to improve and what needs to be maintained. I need to do just enough maintenance work to keep my speed and hypertrophy. I can’t let them drop off, but I do just enough to maintain their level. Some people may even need to let things drop off a bit. But very few people fall into this category, so don’t worry about that.
I don’t need to see a psychologist and I’m fine under pressure, of course if you think that being under a squat bar is pressure, then you probably have lived a pretty sheltered life.

Technique always needs to be improved and is addressed no matter what my physical weaknesses are and what my training is going to look like. So while I’m always looking to improve, I let it fall naturally within my training plan.

So that leaves me with strength and my conditioning/mobility. These two areas are what I need to concentrate on and will help guide me into setting up a program. So my training plan will consist of a lot of effort on max effort work and making sure my conditioning and mobility is where it needs to be. The other parts of my training will be maintained with the least amount of work possible. Read that last sentence and internalize it.

Once you do the above, now you can better map out a plan for your own training.
For those that think you suck at everything (you probably do if you actually think like that, by the way) all you have to do is prioritize. Remember when I asked you to take each factor and rate them as how you would feel would be the most important? Take your weaknesses and see which two are the most important. Now take those two and improve on them. This is how you prioritize your training.

By the way this can be done for every sport. Simply brainstorm and think of all the characteristics (physical and mental) that your sport would need. Then rate them by importance. For example, agility in powerlifting would be a “0”; for football (depending on position) would be an 8. Once you do that, rate your athletes’ and see how they measure up and create your programs based on their needs. Let’s say you’ve got Johnny Muscles, who is an offensive lineman who bench presses 455 and squats 675. But Mr. Muscles can’t side shuffle and trips over his own feet when he sleeps. He probably doesn’t need a lot of work in the weight room, but needs to improve his footwork.

This, readers of EFS, is what weak point training is all about.
Questions to help you:
Speed: - Do my sets at ~60% of my max move explosively and effortlessly?
Strength – Do I have the ability to grind out maximal weight for 3-5 seconds?
Hypertrophy – Do I have the necessary hypertrophy to maintain leverage in my lifts and compete in the weight class that I desire?
Technique- Is my technique consistent and dead-on? No one will ever be 100% but do you feel comfortable using your technique as a guideline for other lifters?
Mental – Do I feel confident in my training and my goals? Do I have a positive attitude in regards to my abilities and my training?
General Physical Preparedness – Conditioning: Am I conditioned enough so that my training and workouts have enough volume and intensity for me to keep progressing? Mobility: Do I have enough joint mobility so that my body can perform efficiently? Is my body able to go through the correct range of motion during the lifts so that I do not get injured?

These are a few basic questions that should be asked and addressed when outlining your training program. Basically, you need to find out which of these 6 things you are weakest in and address it. Remember that abilities can be maintained through concurrent training, but not everything can be raised. There must be emphasis on one or even two areas, but anymore than that and you are asking for injuries and fatigue.

Now a plan must be mapped out for you to raise your level of training in the weak area. Remember that some things may take as little as 2 weeks (conditioning) to fix or more than 6 months (straining ability). Some things may be a life long battle (mental).

Train With Us

2010-01-31T13:44:00.001-08:00

Exercise Improves Body Image For Fit And Unfit Alike

2010-01-29T07:53:00.001-08:00

New research shows that the simple act of exercise and not fitness itself can convince you that you look better. (Credit: iStockphoto)

ScienceDaily (Oct. 9, 2009) — Attention weekend warriors: the simple act of exercise and not fitness itself can convince you that you look better, a new University of Florida study finds.

People who don't achieve workout milestones such as losing fat, gaining strength or boosting cardiovascular fitness feel just as good about their bodies as their more athletic counterparts, said Heather Hausenblas, a UF exercise psychologist. Her study is published in the September issue of the Journal of Health Psychology.

"You would think that if you become more fit that you would experience greater improvements in terms of body image, but that's not what we found," she said. "It may be that the requirements to receive the psychological benefits of exercise, including those relating to body image, differ substantially from the physical benefits."

The study by Hausenblas and graduate student Anna Campbell is the first to systematically analyze the wide-ranging effects of exercise on body image by examining all intervention studies on the subject until June 2008. From the 57 publications, the researchers found conclusively that exercise buffed up the way people see their bodies regardless of the actual benefits, but the results varied.

Negative body image has grown to almost epidemic proportions in the past 20 years, with as many as 60 percent of adults in national studies saying they don't like the way their bodies look, Hausenblas said.

Americans spend billions of dollars a year for products designed to change their body size and shape, including diet pills and various cosmetic procedures, she said.

"Body dissatisfaction is a huge problem in our society and is related to all sorts of negative behavior including yo-yo dieting, smoking, taking steroids and undergoing cosmetic surgery," she said. "It affects men and women and all ages, starting with kids who are as young as five years old saying they don't like how their bodies look."

The psychological advantages of exercise have been less explored, including the reduction of depression or confidence in body image, compared with the well-researched and understood physical benefits, she said.

The study found no difference in body image improvement between people who met the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines by exercising at least 30 minutes a day five days a week and those who did not, Hausenblas said. The guidelines are considered the minimum amount of exercise needed to receive the health related benefits of physical activity, she said.

"We would have thought that people exercising this amount would have felt better about their bodies than those who did not work out as much," she said.

In other results, the study showed slightly larger benefits from exercise in terms of improving body image for women than men, Hausenblas said.

"We believed the gap would be much bigger, but what could be coming into play is the rise of body image issues among men," she said. "We're seeing more media portrayals of the ideal physique for men rather than the overriding emphasis on women we did in the past."

Age presented another difference, with older people most likely to report enhanced body images from exercise, Hausenblas said. The gap may be explained by the older generation having more concerns about their body image than young people, who tend to exercise more, she said.

While the frequency of exercise mattered for boosting body perceptions, there were no differences for the duration, intensity, length or type of exercise, the study found.

"People who say they have high body dissatisfaction tend to exercise the least, so we wanted to take it a step further and see whether exercise causes people's body image to improve," she said.

Kathleen Martin Ginis, a kinesiology professor at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, and exercise expert, praised the research. "This is an important study because it shows that doing virtually any type of exercise, on a regular basis, can help people feel better about their bodies," she said. "With such a large segment of the population dissatisfied with their physiques, it's encouraging to know that even short, frequent bouts of lower intensity exercise can improve body image."

Supervised Strength Training Is More Effective, Swedish Study Finds

2010-01-28T05:33:00.001-08:00

ScienceDaily (Oct. 12, 2009) — Half of all Swedish elite volleyball players suffer at least one injury per season. One important reason may be that most players perform injury-preventing strength training unsupervised. This is shown in a new thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

All Swedish elite-level teams were invited to participate in the study, and 158 players returned the questionnaire that had been mailed out near the end of the volleyball season. The responses show that about half of the players had been injured at least once during the season. Almost everybody performed some kind of injury-prevention activity, but a majority did it without supervision. "This is surprising since it is well-known that the training is much more effective if a coach or a physiotherapist develops an individualized program and is present during the training sessions," says physiotherapist Sofia Augustsson, the author of the study.

The thesis also shows that supervised strength training makes the athletes perform much better than when exercising alone. Two groups of female volleyball players were given different exercise program. One group received personalized programs that were performed under the supervision of a physiotherapist, while the members of the other group were given a standard program that was performed unsupervised. The former group improved their performance 50 percent more that the latter group. In addition, the proportion of injured players was smaller in the supervised group.

"I have a feeling that more athletes really stick to the program and focus on the task if there is a coach present. Many players may feel that the strength and conditioning training is the boring part of their sport, which makes it tempting to "cheat" when nobody is watching," says Augustsson.

High Protein to Battle Alzheimer's

2010-01-25T08:45:00.001-08:00

The best bet seems to be a low-calorie, low-fat diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits and fish. Now a new study suggests that high protein diets may present an Alzheimer's threat. To find out for sure whether a high protein/low carb diet influences Alzheimer's risk in humans we would need a large, randomized, double-blind trial. That isn't on the drawing boards. The mouse diet study was published online on October 21, 2009 in the open access journal Molecular Neurodegeneration.

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Denzel Washington is a Man on a Mission in The Book of Eli

2010-01-25T07:50:00.001-08:00

Christa Banister

Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer

Apparently, the fascination with all things apocalyptic will continue in 2010, thanks to The Book of Eli, the third end-of-the-world flick released in the past four months.
But even if the subject matter and the accompanying images (namely, the utter desolation of everything on the planet) are starting to feel familiar, the approach, not to mention the storyline, is unique in The Book of Eli.
Definitely not as campy as Roland Emmerich's 2012 or nearly as bleak as the recent big-screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's famed novel The Road, The Book of Eli is the story of a solitary man's journey across what used to be America as we know it.

Driven by God's voice and armed with His protection (namely, some killer survival skills whether he's using a samurai sword, guns or a bow and arrow), Eli's mission is simple. Since all the other copies have been burned, he's supposed to keep the last Bible on the planet safe—and take it west. The reasons for heading in that direction haven't been revealed yet, but Eli (Denzel Washington) is committed to seeing the plan through because he knows, somehow, it's the only hope for the future.

Of course, Eli's nearly 30-year journey hasn't exactly been an easy one. Not only is water virtually scarce, and survival depends on whatever he can find to eat (a hairless sphinx is dinner in one particular scene), but the world has become increasingly savage. There's nothing resembling civilization, no law, and gangs of violent hooligans who wouldn't think twice about killing a man for the things people used to take for granted—shoes, a drink of water, a nice warm blanket.

But in this kill-or-be-killed world, Eli is decidedly a peacemaker. Well, unless someone challenges him, naturally. As many attackers discover before meeting a grisly end, Eli doesn't mess around when it comes to the task at hand. Guided by his beliefs and fiercely protective of the Bible he's been charged to protect, he does whatever it takes to get from one day to the next.

Aside from the requisite man vs. nature struggle, another conflict becomes increasingly more threatening to Eli's endgame, thanks to an opportunistic man named Carnegie (Gary Oldman) who understands the power that Eli holds with him, even if his life hardly reflects its principles. The self-proclaimed leader of the thieves and gunmen in a makeshift city in the middle of the desert, Carnegie wants nothing more than to get his hands on the Bible Eli is carrying. Meanwhile, Carnegie's adopted daughter Solara (Mila Kunis) is simply intrigued because she knows there's something different, something hopeful about Eli and his mission.

Stepping into Eli's Well-Worn Shoes
For Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington, the son of a Pentecostal minister of 50 years, the opportunity to play a faith-filled character like Eli was something close to his heart, especially since one of the film's prevalent themes is that "God is love."

During his daily Bible reading recently, Washington had an a-ha moment of sorts, a moment of reflection on what's really important in life (and guess what, it's not those aforementioned golden statues, the crowning achievement in the acting biz).

"I'm looking around at this big house and all the stuff around me, and I remember that saying ‘You never see a U-Haul behind a hearse.' You can't take any of this with you; even the Egyptians tried it, and they were robbed," Washington shares. "I said, ‘What do you want, Denzel?' One of the words in the reading that day was wisdom. It talked about that in the fourth chapter of Proverbs. And I thought that was something to work on—wisdom and understanding. So I started praying about that, asking God to give me a dose of that. Ultimately, I can't get any more successful, but I can get better and learn to love more. That's key."

And about those martial arts skills? Washington put in months of rigorous training and worked with a renowned martial arts practitioner who was actually a protégé of the lateBruce Lee. "It was challenging and a lot of fun to train in the dojo, and I have the utmost respect for what they do," says Washington. "Together, we worked on a fighting style for Eli that was an amalgamation of skills that he would've developed the hard way—on the road."

Redemption in the Trenches

Another theme that Washington particularly appreciated about the Book of Eli story was the all-too-important reminder than even in God's work it's important to "do for others more than you do for yourself."
"It's interesting, here's a man who like Saul/Paul is knocked off his horse. Eli has this epiphany, this moment that God spoke to him—‘take this book west." And of course, I don't know if this is said—‘and kill everybody on the way!'" Washington says. "But that's what happens. For me, that became the arc of the character, that at his most violent, this innocent girl [Solara] who can't even read and doesn't even know what the Bible is says ‘Stop!' You know sometimes we get so focused in God's name, I mean who is the better man at that moment: Carnegie or Eli when my character is chopping people to bits? There's a fork in the road, and Eli makes the choice [to travel through Carnegie's city]. Or a choice is made for him. Either way, he goes into that town, and maybe that's why, because there was a lesson for him to learn."

When portraying other violent characters in his past like a corrupt police officer in Training Day, Washington says he's "tried to bend" even the worst of roles.

"The first thing I wrote on my script for Training Day was ‘the wages of sin is death." Washington remembers. "In the original script, you find out that my character died on the television. And I said ‘No, no, no.' In order for me to justify him living in the worst way, he had to die in the worst way. I had Ethan Hawke's character pulling me out of the car, and I crawl like a snake, and the whole neighboring community turns their back on me. Then I get blown to bits."

In Malcolm X, Washington even found the proverbial silver lining in playing a man who'd seen his father murdered in "the worst way," a man "with all this hatred in him."

"Then he learned that there were Muslims of all colors, and he learned to love—or at least, change—before he was killed," Washington adds. "I try to find a way to ‘turn that' or ‘use that' in all of my characters. And thankfully with ‘Eli' that was a little easier. For me, it was very parallel to my role in Man on Fire. This very violent man meets an innocent child who teaches him to be human again—and then (SPOILER ALERT) he sacrifices his life for her. That's the story I was telling here."

Opening wide in theaters on January 15, 2010, The Book of Elistars Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals and is rated R for some brutal violence and language. For more information, please visit the official Web site of The Book of Eli.
Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

True Integrity

2010-01-23T08:10:00.001-08:00

Being a good person is not about doing the right thing because someone else is watching you, it is about always doing the right thing because YOU are watching. You must have that litmus test within your own soul that governs your ability to operate at a level that cannot be altered by the simple thrill of any unethical enticement. Integrity cannot be persuaded or changed through peer pressure. Integrity is hard wired within your being like your heart that beats on command without any direct help or assistance on your part. Integrity cannot be subject to negotiations. Integrity weighs all the consequences of every action that can be taken before it reacts.

Sometimes it is very easy to do the right thing. Doing what is right comes quite easily when you believe you will get some kind of credit or reward. It is also not very difficult to do what is right if you are afraid that there may be negative consequences to doing something wrong.

Integrity is different. When you have a good sense of integrity, and allow it to be the leading force in your daily life, you will do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. Instead of fearing the consequences of doing wrong, your own conscience will dictate that stronger drive of how much better the right thing feels to your spirit. You will not need rewards or praises, because how you feel about yourself is a wonderful reward in itself.

It should be easy to see how important integrity is in your life. It is also paramount to how well you will get along with other people. When you are known to others as a person of good character who can always be trusted to do the right thing, your integrity will help other people respect you. It will enhance your relationships with the people who are in your life, and lead you to have a great reputation even amongst those who do not know you well.

When you live your life with integrity, you will also be a positive example, especially for younger people. They will know that you can be counted on to do the right thing, and they will want to be the same way. By observing your behavior children can learn how to be trustworthy.

A strong sense of integrity will benefit you, also. When you let your conscience guide you to do the right thing in all situations, you will feel good about yourself. Even more important, you will have earned the pride that you feel. Instead of waiting for an opportunity to do the right thing, if you really think about it there are many such opportunities in your life every day. When your conscience is more important than fear or rewards, your integrity will be one of the best parts of your life.

Bench Pressing Tips From A Legend: George Halbert

2010-01-22T10:58:00.001-08:00

George Halbert is a living iron game legend. He is a former world record bencher in multiple weight classes (from 198 to 242 lbs). He also was the greatest bencher ever by coefficient while in the 220 lbs class (this is particularly impressive due to the fact that the top coefficient lifters are usually in the lightest weight classes). George currently trains at the vaunted Westside Barbell.

Speed Work is a must for anyone looking to maximize their bench pressing potential. It stimulates the nervous system and helps to optimize motor unit recruitment for the bench press. Speed work for the bench press consists of 3 reps completed in a target time of 3 seconds or less. This timeframe mimics that of a 1 repetition maximum (1RM) attempt (as 1RM attempts are slower by definition) thus allowing the lifter to train their nervous system to fire explosively in less time than it takes to perform a 1RM. Resistance used for speed work should be no more than 60% of one's tested raw (no special bench shirt) 1RM, or 55% of one's tested equipped 1RM. The use of jump stretch bands and or chains is recommended (see Westside Barbell - Powerlifting Equipment - Louie Simmons - Reverse Hyper Bench - Powerlifting Articles) to provide for accommodating resistance and thus to overcome the inherent limitations of the barbell.

Exercise Variety helps to prevent injury and promote progress. The principle of conjugate variation dictates that heavy training days (ME days in the Westside vernacular) consist of 3-4 exercises per major body part (chest, back, legs etc.) rotated weekly with one main exercise being practiced each ME day. This allows for the involved body parts to be trained with maximal loads week after week while simultaneously avoiding neural stagnation and thus overtraining. My top 4 all-time favorite ME chest exercises are

Cambered bar presses using jump stretch bands to provide high tension in the hole (these will help your raw bench tremendously, but can be dangerous, so be careful)
4-board band presses to teach proper lockout technique
Floor presses with chains to strengthen the triceps
Reverse, or hanging bands benching

Consistency is the name of the game in powerlifting. The tale of the tortoise and the hare embodies the consistency of effort required to optimize your strength potential. Great strength simply takes time to develop properly. Patience and persistence will be rewarded with benching prowess!

Diet and Supplementation are keys to ultimate benching success. You cannot expect peak performance from an ineffectively fueled machine. Consume plenty of quality Protein via foods (meats, fish, and dairy products), and with supplements. My personal favorite supplements are AtLarge Nutrition's Nitrean and Fish Oil.

Training Partners can be of great benefit. They can motivate you when needed, check your form, and for anyone with a competitive nature, training with someone of comparable strength can really take their training to the next level. Bottom line, the camaraderie and psychological benefit of training with a good partner is invaluable. If a training partner is not possible, online camaraderie is the next best thing. You can join online forums and communicate regularly with those who share your passion for strength. You can learn new training techniques and even have access to some of the best powerlifters in the world.

George's Bonus Tip!
The H-Roll is a tremendous prehab/rehab technique for anyone seeking to maximize their benching potential. To perform this exercise you need an adjustable incline bench. Set the incline to roughly 10-15 degrees. Lie face-down on the bench with your upper chest hanging off the end (i.e. the top of the bench comes to roughly your lower pec line). Hold a dumbbell in each hand and begin by using a controlled "swing" to bring the dumbbells from your hip area to above your head. Your head should remain down during the movement and your arms should form the upper part of an "H" at the top of the range of motion (thus the name). There is rotation at both the shoulders and elbows during this movement.

Orbit Nutrition Training Series 3

2010-01-21T21:29:00.001-08:00

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2010-01-21T08:56:00.001-08:00

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Eating on the go

2010-01-20T08:36:00.001-08:00

Building Your Character by Building Your Body

2010-01-18T09:18:00.001-08:00

By Scott Dixon, MA, CSCS
Copyright 2008, http://www.RedPointFitness.com

We live in a day and age where character is lacking. Gough, in Character is Destiny, defines character as the sum total of your habits. One of the main reasons that some trainees don't progress, and make lasting change, is that they lack character. In order to be a successful athlete, powerlifter, bodybuilder, fitness competitor, or just someone who wants a better body, good habits must be adopted and followed consistently. In short, you have to develop your character. So we might ask, what might some of those habits be that aid in character development.

1) Eating right.

There are many trainees who over analyze this aspect and fret about macronutrient ratios far beyond what they should. First and foremost, your health is what is most important. You want to adopt an eating plan that contains a fair amount of fruit and green vegetables, preferably with every meal. You also want to be sure that you are consuming healthy fats along with the one's that aren't so healthy in isolation. Second, be sure that you are consuming somewhere between 1 gram and 2 grams per pound of bodyweight, and don't consume protein from just one source. You want different amino acid profiles and eating various protein sources allows for it. Third, always make your carbohydrate intake relative to your activity level for the day, especially if you are worried about bodyfat. Fourth, enjoy your eating! Simple spices can add something to even the blandest meals.

2) Managing stress right.

There are many trainees who eat right, but cannot manage stress, thus negating some of the benefits of eating right. The Stoic philosopher Epictetus wrote that there are things you can control--thoughts and desires, and things you cannot control--other people, situations, etc... He said that you tend to become frustrated by trying to control things that ultimately are beyond your control. For instance, I cannot control my wife's family with respect to time. They are late to almost every family function. Now, I can either let that frustrate me and in the process harm myself, or I can adopt the attitude that they will be late, expectedly so. I reduce my frustration with the proper mindset. The more you learn to adopt a simple principle like Epictetus's control/no control distinction, the more you will reduce stress and frustration in your life. Stress, by itself, can sabotage any gains. You must learn to manage it. Adopt the habit of dealing with your stress before it harms you.

3) Training right.

Training is also a stress on the body. Because it is a stress, it must also be managed. Trainees do this in various ways including planned progressions or training by instinct and how they feel. You have to learn to balance intensity, frequency, volume, and load. The easiest way to do this is to adopt long term and short term goals, and plan your training around reaching both types of goals. Be sure that you learn proper form and be consistent with that form. Gains are not gains when done with poor form. True gains are progressions when the form closely mimics, if not the same, previous maximal attempts. This is one thing that every trainee can learn from powerlifters. Form matters to both strength and proper assessment of gains. Adopt the productive habits of planning your training and using proper form.

Conclusion.

Epictetus also wrote that you should set up a pattern for yourself, whether in public or private, and follow that pattern. Eating, managing stress, and training all require this single kind of mindset. Stick with your eating program wherever you go, and when you can't, recognize what is in your power to control. Manage your stress when others are around and not. Don't let your mind become your worst enemy and get the best of you. Interestingly enough, Epictetus said that you must constantly be on guard for the enemy because you are that enemy. You harm yourself; other's don't. Maintain your training program regardless of pressures at the gym or when your mind wanders, and when you can't, recognize what is your power to control. You have to adopt the proper habits, letting them work to manifest the change and goals in your life. In short, you have to build your character, and in the process, you actually build your worth as a person. Thus, while building your body, you can also build your character with the goal of becoming a complete person.

Better Protein Bars: simple, effective and worthwhile

2010-01-17T12:30:00.001-08:00

Protein bars are a great idea, but since their conception they have been flawed. High priced, full of sugar, loaded with additives and preservatives, disguised with sugar alcohol, and more often than not they are just a candy bar with added protein. Even the protein in most protein bars on the market is sub par. For decades no one has ever addressed the problems of today’s protein bars. It’s been nothing but more of the same over priced, fancy packed, tasteless bars. Until Now!

Needtobuildmuscle introduces better protein bars.
A high quality protein bar that is 100% natural with no additives, preservatives, corn syrup, or sugar alcohol. No gimmicks or sales tricks, just a fantastic new source of protein and nutrition that puts the power in your hands. Better protein bars are not bars that sit on the store shelves for years; they are bars that you make yourself, when you are ready. So not only are they 100% natural but they are 100% fresh.
Each better protein bar pack comes with all you need to make 12 fresh homemade all natural protein bars. What could be better than making your very own fresh protein bars? It’s simple; we took all of the work out of it for you. With the better protein bar pack all you need to do is pour and mix, that’s it. No measuring, no thinking, and no baking. In just 2-5 minutes from start to finish and you have 12 fresh, 100% all natural protein bars.

Nutrition facts for original recipe.
calories 414
total fat 21g (95% omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids)
saturated fats 4g
trans fat 0g
cholesterol 40mg
sodium 136mg
total carbohydrates 36g
dietary fiber 4g
sugar 24g (mostly from honey)
protein 26g
As if all of that wasn’t good enough here at Needtobuildmuscle we go one step further for you, the customer. Here at Needtobuildmuscle we have a mission statement “To provide body builders, athletes, and fitness enthusiasts with products tailored to their needs and designed to their detailed specifications” and we mean it.
We had this in mind when we created the better protein bars. Each protein bar pack comes with an original recipe which is printed on its label. But the magic doesn’t stop there. With a few simple modifications to its original recipe any better protein bar pack can be changed to fit any of your calorie needs or taste bud desires. All of the better protein bar protein packs original recipes, modified recipes, and calorie breakdowns are made simple, and listed for you right here at (needto’s kitchen)

Here at needtobuildmuscle.com we believe the foundation of good business is trust. For this reason we stand behind all of our products with a 100% 30 day money back guaranty. If for any reason you are unsatisfied with your product, just return the unopened or unused portion of the product to Needtobuildmuscle Inc at 100 Macy St Saftey Box 183 Amesbury, 01913 with a copy of your order receipt and contact information. We will issue you a full refund.

"These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."

Add in some liquid aminos:

All American EFX announces Pure Liquid Amino Elite - a brand new protein delivery technology discovered in the lab of "Freak Maker" Jeff Golini. If you want rapid gains in muscle and strength, you have to understand that it's not the quantity of protein you ingest; it's the quality. It is quickly digested and absorbed into the bloodstream because of it smaller particle size.

Why Else Is Pure Liquid Amino Elite Superior To Other Protein Sources?
It all comes down to science, advanced manufacturing methods and extremely high-quality raw material sources. Pure Liquid Amino Elite is derived from beef. Our cattle are raised on a high protein diet, under rigid USDA inspection. All American EFX uses a selective process of extraction to assure only the highest quality amino acids remain. This procedure also utilizes a tightly controlled heating and cooking process to avoid creatinine conversion. After freeze-drying, the beef goes through final processing where it's added to our great tasting base and stabilized to prevent microbial growth or the need for refrigeration.

So What's The Bottom Line?
The final result is one of the purest, fastest-acting protein sources known to man; all based on our multi-patented pHCD™ (pH-controlled delivery technology). Pure Liquid Amino Elite has already built an underground following among top athletes and trainers from around the world. Now it's your turn to see why.
Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement, Take 1-3 tablespoons daily. Shake well. No refrigeration required after opening.

Don't forget POWER BUTTER!!!
Peanut Power Butter is the most exciting new protein product with other essential natural ingredients in the market today. Made to virtually help anyone unleash his or her potential to build a leaner, stronger, healthier body. PowerButter’s unique formula has a peanut butter base fortified with flax seed, flax oil and other proteins to provide all the protein and essential fats needed to replenish the body during and after a workout. And PowerButter is all-natural, contains no cholesterol, no trans fatty acids and is high in protein and essential Omega-3 and Omega-6 to keep the body naturally balanced and functioning at peak performance. PowerButter is the Ultimate Protein and Essential Fat Nutrient Source.

A Brief History of Peanut Butter
In 1890, a St. Louis food products company began selling peanut butter out of barrels for about 6¢ per pound as a protein supplement for people with poor teeth who couldn’t chew meat. This gave birth to peanut butter in America. The next step in peanut butter evolution was introduced in 1922 when a California entrepreneur received a patent for the first shelf-stable peanut butter that would stay fresh for a year. This created peanut butter as we know it today, until now.

Peanut PowerButter™ has taken traditional peanut butter paste and enhanced it with even more beneficial nutrients that our bodies need to stay healthier, younger, and fit. It’s what peanut butter should be.
Peanut Butter is a great source of protein and other essential nutrients. Research has found that peanut butter helps reduce the chances of heart disease. But why stop there?

Flaxseed
Flaxseed contains lignans that have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-cancer properties. Flaxseeds have the richest source of lignans, 100 times more than the next best source, wheat bran. The majority of lignans is found in the seed. Flaxseed also contains lecithin, which emulsifies fat and cholesterol. These little seeds improve digestion, help stabilize blood glucose levels, fight tumor formation and enhance cardiovascular health. *Source: Freedomyou.com, Excerpts from God’s Banquet Table

Egg Whites
With all the media attention on cholesterol, consumers often lose sight of the fact that eggs are a nutrient-rich, affordable contributor to a healthy diet. Not only do eggs contain the highest quality source of protein available but they also contain almost every essential vitamin and mineral needed by humans. In fact, egg protein is of such high quality that it is used as the standard by which other proteins are compared. Eggs have a biological value (efficacy with which protein is used for growth) of 93.7%. Comparable values are 84.5% for milk, 76% for fish, and 74.3% for beef. Eggs really are the best protein money can buy. One of the major protein ingredients in PowerButter™ is egg white, which contains no cholesterol. *Source: American Egg Board

Flax Oil
Flax oil is one of the most beneficial products in the nutrition field today. Research is continuing to uncover the benefits of flax oil on the human body. It is shown to have major positive effects on the musculoskeletal, metabolism, cardiovascular, immune, nervous, and respiratory systems. Tests have shown that flax oil has improved eyesight and color perception, as well as helping to fight dry skin conditions, such as dandruff. Flax oil is one of Nature’s wonders that harnesses more healing power than many of the wonder pills being marketed today. *Source: Hyperhealth Natural Health & Nutrition

Omega-3 & Omega-6
Like all fats, Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) provide energy. Their calorific value is similar to other fats and oils but, unlike saturated fats, they have important health roles. In fact, as their names suggest, they are essential and must be consumed regularly, as the body has limited storage for them. Both of the important EFA families — Omega-3 and Omega-6 — are components of nerve cells and cellular membranes. They are converted by the body into eicosanoids, leukotrienes and prostaglandins, all of which are needed on a second-by-second basis by most tissue activities in the body. Since the end products (e.g., prostaglandin and leukotriene) differ slightly between Omega-3 and Omega-6, both EFAs must be present to ensure optimum health. *Source:COD

SO EASY EVEN A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT!

Frequency of Training

2010-01-17T11:42:00.001-08:00

By Charles Poliquin

Frequency of training is measured as the number of training sessions for a given muscle group or lift per unit of time. A certain level frequency must be given in the administration of a training stimulus in order to maintain or build upon a previous training stimulus. Optimal recovery time between training sessions is important in maximizing adaptive processes. As a rule of thumb, one would think that as the intensity of the training stimulus increases, there would be a decrease in need for training frequency.

However, in the practice of strength training in the sporting world, especially with elite athletes, there are conflicting schools of thought on training frequency. For example, Rich Weil, World Record holder in the bench press, recommended one session per week per muscle group (Weil, 1985) while at the other end of the spectrum 9 to 12 weekly sessions are common on leading successful weightlifting teams. For example, Tara Nott, America's first Olympic Gold Medalist in weightlifting has regularly squatted 9 times a week to achieve her sporting standard. Some weightlifting National Teams have done as much as 4 to 5 training sessions for the hip and knee extensors on a daily basis. And to rely on the scientific literature for an answer is rather useless, as the data is coming from untrained, unmotivated university subjects.

There are three main schools of thought on frequency:
School 1: Train three times a week. Bompa espouses that concept so did Chuck Sipes a very strong bodybuilder from the sixties. It is the most used system in the World.
School 2: Train at least 6 days a week the lift or its variations that you want to improve. Again, some very successful individuals like Mel Hennessey and Bulgarian lifters have endorsed this training concept.
School 3: Train hard, come back once you can lift more. In other words, wait for supercompensation to take place. So training frequency per muscle group is once every 3 to 10 days per lifts. Fred Hatfield is a strong proponent of this system. So was Mike MacDonald, one of the most successful bench pressers of all time. Terry Todd related to me that he would test how he felt in the bench press muscles with just using a broomstick for resistance. If it felt odd he would take an extra day off, or whatever how many offs he felt it would take.

Here are my own observations on training frequency:
1. Of all the loading parameters, I think training frequency is the one that is most influenced by individual genetic differences, regardless of drug use or not. I believe that it is the loading parameter that one must experiment with most to find out what works out best for them. I have seen very strong individuals get strong on once every 10 days to 10 times a week. In both extremes there where individuals using recovery agents and some not.
2. Frequency of training will vary the person's level of qualification. In the immediate start of strength training is definitely a must. As the person gets stronger, genetic differences become more important.
3. The principle of training economy has to be considered: how much time can you actually devote to training?
4. Provided that the training intensity and volume are challenging, a frequency of once every 5 days works for most individuals, most of the time. This is how I train 70% of my clients with appreciable results. Of course, you will here arguments like my uncle Bob bench pressed once only every equinox, and he can bench 600 lbs, or on the other side, you will not make gains unless you train at a frequency per week that represents the last 4 digits of you social security number.
5. The choice of training method influences recovery. For example, the more eccentric overload, the more need for recovery. Squatting 4 sets of 6 with chains is more demanding that squatting 8 sets of 3 explosively, even though the total reps are the same.
6. All factors being equal, for strength development, frequency is more important than it is for hypertrophy development.
7. If you can afford dedicating it the time, I believe that training twice a day for the same body part ( if you can afford the training time) is the system that works best. The morning workout facilitates the evening workout. Then again, I make the individual train that body part 5 days later. The trainee will train 3 days out of five twice a day for 10 days, then go on to once a day for 5 days.
8. You have to consider the entire training system. For example, Louie Simmons has an extremely successful system with variations of loads throughout the week. His system works well when you do it in its entirety. So you can't mix a Louie Simmons bench press cycle with a Finnish deadlifting routine and a Russian squatting system. Always give a training system a fair try only in its original design. Combining training systems can lead to failure.
9. Training more than 3 times a week for a improving a lift is excellent to go through a plateau. In this area, there is scientific literature to back up this concept. But there is also a need to lower training volume once every three weeks for males and every three weeks for females.
10. Multiple sessions a week is for individuals who want to achieve Olympic standards. In personal communications with Chinese, Bulgarian and former East German weightlifting coaches, all of them stipulated that it takes about 3 years of incremental training to develop the work tolerance for such workloads.
In summary, training frequency will be determined by your training goals, your gender, the choice of training methods, magnitude and intensity of training load and most important your genetic make-up. In other words, you have to find out what works best for you. Take for example my assistant Chad Ikei, he bench pressed a World Record of 316 lbs at a bodyweight of 112.5 lbs at age 19. At that time he was bench pressing twice a week. Later on, when he was on the US weightlifting team, he trained the hip and knee extensors at a frequency of 8 to 12 times a week and yet his best performance was 13th in the World, and was National Record holder in the snatch, clean and jerk and total.

The Trinity

2010-01-14T11:53:00.001-08:00

Ok, not THAT Trinity. Actually the trinity refers to 3 parts. No, there will be no theological discussion today. Trinity for this article refers to just refers to the number 3.

Look at any of the well established lifting schemes and you will notice a common factor. Most train only three days a week. Doggcrapp training (dc training), 5x5, Wendler's 5/3/1, Westside Barbell, German Volume Training generally all train three days a week. Certainly there are other training styles but I am thinking of the well known and established methods of working out that really I do believe have stood the test of time for effectiveness. Heck, even that football coach from high school who pulled his coaching shorts up WAYYYYY too high would have you lift Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Remember?

Doggcrapp Training uses its base template in 2 sessions plugged into three days.

Session A: chest, shoulders, triceps, back width, back thickness

Session B: biceps, forearms, calves, hamstrings, quads

Monday A

Tuesday off

Wednesday B

Thursday off

Friday A

Saturday off

Sunday off

Monday B

Tuesday off

Wednesday A

Thursday off

Friday B

Saturday off

Sunday off

So during this time you are working each session for 3 times in the 2 week span. Eventually Doggcrapp trainees will have to take some time off. Why? Even though the training days are limited they are training to failure every session. The goal is always to increase the weight or the reps. Your body can only take so much with intensity levels before you start to over-train.

The micro-trauma caused by training leads to an inflammatory response. If the body is not allowed adequate recovery time between workouts, chronic inflammation results, and cytokines involved in inflammation start to act on the CNS causing the various symptoms associated with over-training. These cytokines can also affect the hypothalamus, causing increased cortisol levels. So training programs must be intense enough to improve fitness and skill, yet provide enough rest to ensure adequate recovery.

Wendler's 5/3/1 scheme is 4 sessions plugged into 3 training days. It is a % based scheme that does not generally warrant training to failure. Wendler suggests that you underestimate your loading percentages by subtracting 10% from your 1RM when calculating weights. He also suggests that on the last set you can do an “all out rep max” lifting that weight as many times as possible. The goal is to get at least the specified number of reps with that weight and anything beyond that can be considered the dividends that your efforts have payed out. Only attempt extra reps on the final heavy set.

One mesocycle lasts 16 workouts, or a little over 5 weeks.

Each mesocycle has 4 microcycles or “waves”.
Wave 1. Warmup, 75%x5, 80%x5, 85%x5
Wave 2. Warmup, 80%x3, 85%x3, 90%x3
Wave 3. Warmup, 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1
Wave 4. (deload) – 60%x5, 65%x5, 70%x5

Each wave has 4 workouts:
A. Squat + assistance
B. Bench press + assistance
C. Deadlift + assistance
D. Military press + assistance

Wendler recommends 3 workouts per week.

Example:
Week 1: A1, B1, C1
Week 2: D1, A2, B2
Week 3: C2, D2, A3
Week 4: B3, C3, D3
Week 5: A4, B4, C4
Week 6: D4, etc. …

Optionally there is a second, less intensive, loading parameter:
Wave 1. Warmup, 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5
Wave 2. Warmup, 70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3
Wave 3. Warmup, 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1
Wave 4 (Deload) – 60%x5, 65%x5, 70%x5

The main lifts can be substituted with variations (typically in subsequent mesocycles):
Squat – box squat, squat with bands, front squat, etc.
Bench press – board press, floor press, incline, etc.
Deadlift – rack pulls, deficit DL, etc.
Military press – push press, incline press, etc.

Westside Barbell is a scheme that can easily over-train someone because it happens very subtly. The idea is to make the lifter ready for a meet at all times using maximum effort training days along with practicing in lifting gear although not essential for being successful.

As you might guess, Westside Barbell uses 4 sessions but for many in 4 training days. I recommend using the idea like Wendler's 5/3/1 where you use 4 sessions in 3 training days. This will help the joints in particular which can get very inflamed and sore while limiting over-training.

A. Max Effort Squat + assistance
B. Max Bench press + assistance
C. Speed Day Squat + assistance
D. Speed Day Bench Press + assistance

Example:
Week 1: A1, B1, C1
Week 2: D1, A2, B2
Week 3: C2, D2, A3
Week 4: B3, C3, D3
Week 5: A4, B4, C4
Week 6: D4, etc.

Max effort bench press includes a variety of exercises, but the most are the floor press, 2 board press, 3 board press, incline press and close grip bench press. On max effort bench press day, you pick one of these exercises and work to a 1RM. Most will switch to a different exercise every 1-2 weeks and simply try to break their record. On this day, based on your 1RM for THAT day, you will try to do 3 lifts at or above 90%. You can take as much rest as you want, but I would probably say around 3-5 minutes between your heaviest sets.

Max Effort Squat and Deadlift is similar to the max effort bench press, one exercise is used per week and worked up to a 1RM.

Dynamic bench press is performed in 8 sets of 3 repetitions; all sets done are done with 55% of raw 1RM. Rest periods are approximately 60 seconds, but have never really seen the purpose of this, personally. The whole goal of speed day is to move the bar quickly on the concentric. If you need to take an extra minute to accomplish the goal of the day, then by all means, do so. Also, don't get too hung up on changing your grips. The only reason why I changed my grip on this day was to keep track of the number of sets I was doing. Again, remember why you are doing what you are doing.

Dynamic Squat are all sets done on a parallel box. A three week wave is used using the following sets and reps. Once the 3 weeks cycle is finished, start over.
Week 1 – 10x2 @ 50%
Week 2 – 10x2 @ 55%
Week 3 – 10x2 @ 60%

5x5 training has become very popular over the past few years. Weight training is a quirky thing as many of the popular methods have actually been around for a long time. Originally developed by Reg Park, the 5x5 method involves doing 5 sets of 5 reps, using the same resistance. That's the goal. However, if you've chosen the proper weight, you won't be able to do 5 sets of 5, at least not right away. Now the problem though is you will over-train very quickly like this if you are doing too many sets of assistance exercises.

Your training sessions again can be a Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.

Session 1: Squat

Session 2: Bench Press

Session 3: Deadlift

Note: You may use other exercises for similar movements. Instead of squats, front squats could be substituted.

Typically, if you've chosen the correct weight, the workout might look like this:

Set 1: 5x100

Set 2: 4x100

Set 3: 3x100

Set 4: 3x100

Set 5: 2x100

Remember, the goal of doing 5 sets of 5 reps is a hypothetical goal. If you can do 5 sets of 5 right off the bat, the weight you've chosen is too light. The important thing is to be focusing on progression while using 5x5 training. Most likely you can hit the first and possible second set for 5 reps. Also feel free to rest 3 minutes between sets.

This 5 x 5 variation is built for lifters that have good, or above average recovery and can be disciplined with their weight progression and know how to pick weights without going too high and inadvertently training to failure. They also need to be precise when calculating their weight increases that are based off percentages. This 5 x 5 succeeds where other fail.

Note, all these routines are written as “non failure routines” in other words none of the sets are to be taken to positive failure. For the repetition accessory work here is how performance is to be done. I will use an example of triceps push downs for 3 x 10.

After your warm-ups you're going to pick a weight, and use that same way for all three sets. If it is done perfect here is how it will occur. It would do a set of 10 repetitions. Then rest. Rest periods between sets can be 90 seconds, 2, 3 or 4 minutes. For strength based routines use at least 2 minutes rest on smaller lifts and 3-4 on the big lifts.

You MUST use a stop watch and be consistent with your rest periods. After your rest, using the same weight, you will do another set, this set will be harder then the first but NOT to failure, if you can do more than 10 reps with it DO NOT, we are looking to do the first two sets to add volume, the last set is the only one that will be taken close to failure. Let's say that on the last set, you get to exactly rep 10 and you know that if you tried another rep you would fail or your form would break down to get the rep, if that is the case it was done perfectly.

Let's look at what happens if the weight is too heavy. Let's say you get 10 reps for the first set, 10 for the second. And only 8 for the third. That means the weight was a bit too heavy, no problem you will have still stimulated growth. Do not make your form breakdown or get a spot from your buddy, to make the 10 reps, we are looking to take the last set to one rep short of failure. You should never miss a rep.

Now let's look at what happens if the weight is too light. Let's say you got 1 x 10, 1 x 10, and then on the last set you get to rep 10 and it is obvious you can do more reps, go ahead and get the additional reps. But once again take the last repetition only to the point where you get all the reps in good form. DO NOT ATTEMPT A REP THAT YOU WILL NOT GET BY EITHER FAILING ON THE REP, OR HAVING FORM BREAK DOWN TO GET IT.

Again, on these routines you will fail if you take all your work sets to failure. On multiple set lifts you should use the same weight for all sets. As an example if you are doing rows for three sets of eight, the first should be relatively easy, the second should be a pretty hard set and a third should be almost a failure but not quite. When you know you going to fail on the last rap don’t attempt it.

Day 1:

Chin-Ups - 10 x 3

Incline Dumbbell Curl - 3 x 8

Deadlift - 5 x 5 (After warmups start at 75,80,85,95,100%)

Lat-Pulley Ab Crunch - 3 x 10

Leg Press Calf Raise - 3 x 20

Day 2:

Rest Day

Day 3:

Bench Press - 5 x 5 (After warmups start at 75,80,85,95,100%)

Board Bench Press - 2 x 3

Dumbbell Skull Crushers - 3 x 10

Lateral Raise - 5 x 10

Day 4:

Rest Day

Day 5:

Bent Row - 5 x 5 (using a static weight, Use 85% of a weight you could get ALL 5 sets of 5 with, and add 5% a week until you are going all out)

Squat - 5 x 5 (using a static weight, Use 85% of a weight you could get ALL 5 sets of 5 with, and add 5% a week until you are going all out)

Weighted Abs - 3 x 10

Standing Calf Raise - 4 x 15

Day 6:

Rest Day

Day 7:

Bench Press - 5 x 5 (using a static weight, Use 85% of a weight you could get ALL 5 sets of 5 with, and add 5% a week until you are going all out)

Dips - 4 x 5

Military Press - 5 x 10

Lateral Raise - 2 x 10

Day 8:

Rest Day

Day 9:

Rest Day

Day 10:

REPEAT CYCLE

Finally we look at German Volume Training or the infamous 10x10 training. If ALL you want is 10 lbs of muscle this routine will work, but the size will be transient and likely lost when you discontinue the training. Also indicated for advanced and intermediates. This is a classic routine that was used by weightlifters to bring their body weight up to the next class during the off-season. Charles Poliquin brought it to the bodybuilding world where it has been an unqualified success. This routine is done picking a weight that you can do 20 reps with for 10 reps, using 60-90 second rest periods between antagonistic body parts. Again, this routine is performed 3 days a week.

Day 1:

Hammer Strength Bench Press - 10 x 10

Assisted Pull-Up machine - 10 x 10

Incline Dumbbell Fly - 3 x 10

Hammer ISO Row - 3 x 8

Day 2:

Rest Day

Day 3:

Squat - 10 x 10

Glute/Ham Raise - 3 x 10

Standing Calf Raise - 3 x 15

Day 4:

Rest Day

Day 5:

Dips - 10 x 10

Hammer Curls - 10 x 10

Upright Row - 10 x 10

Hanging Leg Raises - 3 x 10

Day 6:

Rest Day

Day 7:

Rest Day

Day 8:

REPEAT CYCLE

Doggcrapp training (dc training), 5x5, Wendler's 5/3/1, Westside Barbell, German Volume Training generally all train three days a week. Hopefully, you can accept that more is not better. You really don't have to live in the gym. Many of the creators also encourage taking time off as needed as well. Clearly even 3 days a week over time can be too much. Next time we will go over what overtraining is from the diet and mental side of things.

Train hard and be blessed!

Shawn Bellon

And for some of the best prices on supplements go to Orbit Nutrition.

Looking for diet and training to customize for yourself? Go to Red Point Fitness today!

Your Muscles: An In Depth Perspective

2010-01-14T10:39:00.001-08:00

For great supplements to fuel, repair and build your muscles

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Low Fat Diets=Fat People

2010-01-14T09:46:00.001-08:00

Healthy fat is needed for our bodies to be well and it doesn’t make you fat! The “fat makes you fat” theory is appealing because it’s simple. Eat less fat and you’ll become less fat (also known as the “less in, less on” theory). The low-fat diet is seductive… and yet, research shows it’s not exactly true.

When you try to eliminate fat intake, the body will try valiantly to find fats, either by binging, or by increasing the volume of food eaten in an effort to get what little fat is in the meal. Some people wake up at night, unknowingly in search of fats. People have been misled by the food pyramid, which offers a misguided carte blanche to all carbs, and vilifies all fats, healthy and unhealthy. When you consider how many people have been following the “experts’” instruction to cut fat and increase carbohydrate intake, while becoming fatter and enduring the misery of cravings as a result, you realize what a colossal mistake this has been.

The assumption, that you will consume fewer calories when carbohydrates are substituted for fat is incorrect. Fat tends to reduce cravings while carbohydrate tends to stimulate cravings by generating hormonal hunger. In fact, although fat contains more than twice the calories per gram of carbohydrate, fat keeps away hunger for about three times as long. Diets high in carbohydrates serve to spike the dieter's insulin level, resulting in the food being stored as fat on the body rather than burned as fuel.

• The obesity rates for Americans have doubled in the last 20 years, coinciding with the advent of the low-fat revolution.
• In the 1960s, Americans ate 45% of their calories from fat – and only 13% of us were obese. Now, while most of us get only about 33% of our calories from fat, 34% of us qualify as obese!

Misconceptions of low fat dieters:
• Fats make you fat
• Whatever I do to lose weight, I can lose it even faster if I reduce the fat
• All fats are bad
• Pretzels are good
• The right amount of fat in your food is the smallest amount you can tolerate
• Full flavored foods are not an option if I want to control my weight
• Low-fat ice cream is good. Full-fat ice cream is bad

Benefits of fat:
The human body uses fatty acids to do everything from building cell membranes to performing key functions in the brain, eyes, and lungs. The functions of fats include:

• Brain – Fats compose 60% of the brain and are essential to brain function, including learning abilities, memory retention and moods. Fats are especially important for pregnant women, since they are integral to fetal brain development.
• Cells – Fatty acids help your cells stay moveable and flexible, as well as being responsible for building cell membranes.
• Heart – 60% of our heart’s energy comes from burning fats. Specific fats are also used to help keep the heart beating in a regular rhythm.
• Nerves – Fats compose the material that insulates and protects the nerves, isolating electrical impulses and speeding their transmission.
• Lungs – Lung surfactant, which requires a high concentration of saturated fats, enables the lungs to work and keeps them from collapsing.
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Epidemiologic and clinical trials have shown that omega-3 fatty acids reduce CVD incidence (American Heart Association), by:
• decreasing risk of arrhythmias, which can lead to sudden cardiac death
• decreasing triglyceride levels
• decreasing growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque
• lowering blood pressure (slightly)
• Liver cancer: omega-3 fatty acids may be an effective therapy for both the treatment and prevention of human liver cancers. (University of Pittsburg study)
• Depression: Omega-3 fatty acid DHA reduces symptoms of depression probably because it increases gray matter in the brain. (University of Pittsburg study)
• Dementia - Eating fatty fish, high in omega 3, lowers the likelihood of developing “silent” brain lesions that can cause memory loss and dementia (University of Kuopio in Finland)

More benefits of fat:
• healthy skin
• vitamin-absorption
• omega-3s, are anti-inflammatory by nature
The key is to choose higher-fat foods carefully and keep an eye on portion sizes. Remember, any diet should allow enough wiggle room for a "fattening" treat now and again. * that would be your cheat meal/day *
Foods with a higher fat content truly are more satisfying that their low-fat counterparts. When you're physically hungry, and you eat only low-fat foods, that gnawing hunger never really goes away.
When you eat just enough fat, the sense of satisfaction will obliterate that ever-present hunger pang. As with all-things, moderation is truly the key.

Healthy fats:
coldwater fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and herring
nuts, including natural nut butters
seeds
Olive oil
Olives
Avocado
Flax Oil

REFERENCES:
Dietary Fat - The Benefits of Dietary Fat
Does Fat Make You Fat?
How to Eat for Joint Health | eHow.com
How to Choose Good Fats and Avoid the Bad
Healthy and Fat? 5 High-Fat Foods You Should Not Avoid | The Diet Channel

Most popular selling recovery supplements today

2010-01-12T07:40:00.001-08:00

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Goals and You

2010-01-11T05:36:00.001-08:00

I’ve seen it time and time again... bodybuilders who lost their way over the holidays trying to make up for it with bold New Year’s fitness goals. They swear this will be the year when they train harder than ever before while experiencing unbelievable muscle gains. This will be the year when they stick to a strict diet and avoid any lapses in their workout plan. This will be the year when everything finally comes together, and they become more ripped than ever before! This will be the year...

Unfortunately, very few people actually ever stick to their fitness goals, and most of them end up falling off before the spring. Their grand illusions of staying with an intense 12 month training program eventually end in defeat due to their unrealistic expectations.

And the reason why so many bodybuilders never make it through a whole year with their fitness goals is because they don’t know how to set smart fitness goals. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top 12 fitness goals which will help keep you motivated and packing on muscle.

Top Fitness Goal #1. I resolve to keep realistic expectations.

The number one problem with anybody who can’t stick to their fitness goals is that they set the bar too high. You want to work hard and try to become the best you possibly can, but you also need to keep your previous history in mind too. For instance, if your biceps are only 13’’, it’s a little unrealistic to be shooting for 20’’ arms within a year. Plus, it’s defeating mentally when you aren’t even coming close to what you were hoping for. So keep your fitness goals realistic while working for optimal gains.

Top Fitness Goal #2. I resolve to change my fitness goals if need be.
In addition to keeping your fitness goals realistic, you should also be willing to change them if an unforeseen event such as an injury occurs. We’d all like to avoid the injury bug while working towards muscular growth, however, sometimes things happen that are out of our control. If something does come up in the middle of your plan, you can’t just give up or start slacking; you need to be able to adapt, change your goals accordingly, and keep moving forward.

Top Fitness Goal #3. I resolve to workout at a certain time of the day

Nothing gets people out of a routine more than inconsistent workout times. After all, it’s pretty difficult to stay focused and wanting to work hard when you’re going to the gym early in the morning one day, and late at night the next day. So it is very important that you pick a workout time and stick to it – whether that be morning or night. Keep in mind though that there will certainly be times when you can’t make it into the gym on schedule. However, you should stick to your schedule as closely as possible.

Top Fitness Goal #4. I resolve to break my fitness goals into smaller parts.

Another huge reason why many people can’t stick with a New Year’s resolution is because a year is too long for a single goal. Think about it….people have trouble sticking with 90-day goals, so how are they supposed to stick to a 365-day plan? In fact, it’s almost impossible to stay with a resolution if you’re approaching it as a year-long task. So, to avoid making it a task, you need to break your resolution down into segments and take things one step at a time. A good idea is to break your resolution into 6 two month sections and work from there.

Top Fitness Goal #5. I resolve to improve upon one item in each meal.

Everybody who wants to cut fat and improve their image makes declarations to change their diet. Unfortunately, most of these declarations are too vague which makes it pretty tough to keep up with the improvements. That’s why you should resolve to improve upon one item within each meal. For instance, if you normally eat applesauce with a meal, ditch the applesauce and go with an apple instead. Now simply swapping out an apple for applesauce may not sound like a whole lot, but these kinds of changes will pay big dividends if you do them over the course of every meal.

Top Fitness Goal #6. I resolve to create several workout plans for myself.

After you’ve resolved to break your goals into smaller parts, you’ll also want to create several workout plans to accommodate these goals. Anybody who has been a bodybuilder for a while knows that you need to switch up your workout routine every so often. And you should be creating a new workout plan for every section of your New Year’s resolution. Now you don’t have to create them all at the beginning of the year, but just be sure to make up new plans at different points.

Top Fitness Goal #7. I resolve to keep a workout journal.

Creating a workout plan (or several different workout plans) is an excellent way to get the New Year started off right. However, these plans means little if you’re not keeping track of your results! So it’s extremely important that you resolve to keep some sort of workout journal. Many bodybuilders are used to charting their results already so this might be a mute resolution. But for those who go through lapses within their workout charting, having a goal of making more detailed journals is extremely helpful.

Top Fitness Goal #8. I resolve to share my goals with at least one other person… if not more!

Setting fitness goals in regards to your training is an excellent thing to do. However, it’s pretty hard to stick to your fitness goals when you’re the only person who knows about them. That’s because people will slack off when their goal is a secret since there will be no one else to push them. So it is important to tell at least one other person who you know about your goals. When choosing people to tell about your fitness goals, make sure they are the type who will want you to succeed in your goals rather than the type that want you to stay the same.

Top Fitness Goal #9. I resolve to get a personal trainer and find out where my fitness level stands.

Say what you will about personal trainers, but it never hurts to get a second opinion on your level of fitness. Having someone critique your workout plan and dieting can be monumental in reaching the next level. This being said, you don’t have to keep visiting the personal trainer or be relying on them for everything; it’s just a measure to find out where you’re at. If you really don’t want to visit a personal trainer, you could opt to go with a personal consultation over the phone instead.

Top Fitness Goal #10. I resolve to stick to my goal deadlines.

It’s so easy to resolve to do something by a certain time, and then push your deadline back further and further as you start slacking off. Before you know it, you’re back into the old routines that you vowed to snap out of. That’s why sticking to goal deadlines is very important because you don’t want to be falling back into the same old rut. When setting your deadlines, be sure to keep them realistic just like your original goals. And once you’ve set a realistic deadline, stick with it!

Top Fitness Goal #11. I resolve to find a workout partner.

Some bodybuilders prefer solitude while they work out, and choose to go without a workout partner. However, it is very tough to go all-out without a spotter, and it’s even tougher to keep yourself fully motivated without someone to train with. If you don’t already have a workout partner, you should strongly consider finding one – at least on the intense days. Going even further, you should try to find a training partner who is around the same fitness level as you so you’ll both on similar training paths.

Top Fitness Goal #12. I resolve to reward myself for a job well done.

Setting rigid fitness goals and deadlines are great and all, but there should definitely be a reward at the end of the tunnel when you accomplish goals. For instance, if you meet certain fat loss goals, you should reward yourself with some kind of dessert (trust me; it won’t kill your physique). Likewise, if you add a specific amount of weight to your bench press, you can reward yourself with a video game (or whatever makes you happy).

Nitrogen retention in critically ill patients is proportional to the branched chain amino acid load

2010-01-09T07:07:00.001-08:00

The nitrogen retention effect of branched chain enriched parenteral nutrition (BcAA) during surgical stress and polytrauma was evaluated in a prospective, randomized, double blind study in 32 patients. The doses of BcAA were 0.16, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 g/kg[middle dot]day with a total amino acid load of 1 or 1.3 g/kg[middle dot]day. It was provided in a setting of 30 glucose cal/kg[middle dot]day with 7 cal/kg[middle dot]day of iv fat also given to 16 patients. After the 7-day study was completed, analysis of the 4 treatment groups of 8 patients each demonstrated that there was an increased nitrogen retention effect of BcAA, that the effect was proportionate to BcAA load, that the effect started at 0.5 g of BcAA/kg[middle dot]day in a setting of balanced nutritional support, and that the effect was consistent with a BcAA influence on protein synthesis. There were no complications or side-effects from high dose BcAA. Metabolic support of the stress response in ICU patients has become a clinical reality.

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Starting A CKD

2010-01-08T07:24:00.001-08:00

So, you want to start a CKD. Now, what the hell is a CKD you ask? Well, a CKD (cyclo ketonic diet) is simply a diet that consists of two cycles: low/no-carbohydrates and high-carbohydrates. A Keto diet is something that we all hear from Atkins, which is basically high fat, moderate protein and Low/No carbs. Yet, this type of diet, although very effective for the average person it' doesnt work well enough for the needs of someone wanting to get really lean.

Do not expect to gain muscle on this program. Once your muscle glycogen is depleted, your workouts become a pain in the butt, you are sluggish and muscle loss can occur. The main goal of Ketosis is to have no glycogen in the liver so glucagon can be released. Basically, it all boils down to the following:

Day 1-6 you eat High-Fat/Moderate-Protein/Low-No-Carbohydrates, then Day 7 you eat HIGH-GI carbohydrates and low-fat, in order to achieve super compensation and refill muscle glycogen. (this will ensure quality training throughout every CKD cycle you do)

Setting up a CKD (6days Ketosis/1day Carb-Up)
First-off, let’s figure out your BMR (basal-metabolic-rate). Take your weight and multiply it by 12=daily calorie intake without a deficit.
(100lb person) Example: 100lb x 12cal= 1200cal…1200cal=BMR
Everything I put forth will revolve in one way or another around your BMR.
6/1 ratio (6 days in ketosis/1 day carb-up)
Figure out your BMR...(basal-metabolic-rate)=calories needed to maintain current weight
weight x 12=BMR....(EXAMPLE: 100lb x 12=1200 cal a day)

Use the following fat/protein ratios w/ BMR deficit:
Ketosis:
Day:
1-> 85%fat/15%protein--BMR-5%
2-> 75%fat/25%protein--BMR-10%
3-> 65%fat/35%protein--BMR-15%
4-> 70%fat/30%protein--BMR
5-> 70%fat/30%protein--BMR-10%
6-> 65%fat/35%protein--BMR-15%
Carb-Up:
Day-7-> (CARB-UP) BMR+30% Everyone’s favorite part

So, how do you calculate these percents and BMR. Well, let’s use a 200lb person as an example of this.
EXAMPLE BASED ON 200lb PERSON:
200lb. x 12cal=2400cal (BMR)
Ketosis: Days 1-6:
Day 1: 85%fat/15%protein-- BMR-5%
2400cal (BMR) x .05=120cal (is 5% from BMR)
2400cal (BMR) – 120 cal (5%deficit)=2280cal for day 1
Fat ratios for day 1
2280cal x .85 (that is 85% fat)=1938cal from fat
Fat has 9 calories/gram
1938cal divided by 9cal/gram=215g fat for day 1
Protein ratios for day 1
2280cal x .15(that is 15%protein)=342 cal from protein
Protein has 4 calories/grams
342cal divided by 4cal/gram=86 g protein for day 1
Totals for Day-1: 215g fat/86g protein

Now, you might ask, why is the protein so low? Protein can keep you out of Ketosis and, remember, everyday you are in Ketosis, you are burning fat while preserving muscle because Ketones (hence the name Ketosis) are protein sparing. Protein can convert to glycogen at almost 58% efficiency, so you see why excess protein is a bad idea. Plus, strictly from a scientific standpoint, a person can maintain current muscle mass at merely a 15%protein ratio, while no muscle gain is possible, maintenance is a very feasible idea with these ratios.

Day 2: 75%fat/25%protein BMR-10%
2400cal (BMR) x .10=240cal (is 10% from BMR)
2400cal (BMR) – 240 cal (10%deficit)=2160cal for day 2
Fat ratios for day 2
2160cal x .75 (that is 75% fat)=1620cal from fat
Fat has 9 calories/gram
1620cal divided by 9cal/gram=180g fat for day 2
Protein ratios for day 2
2160cal x .15(that is 15%protein)=324 cal from protein
Protein has 4 calories/grams
324cal divided by 4cal/gram=81 g protein for day 2
Totals for Day 2: 180g fat/81g protein

Day 3: 65%fat/35%protein BMR-15%
2400cal (BMR) x .15=360cal (is 15% from BMR)
2400cal (BMR) – 360 cal (15%deficit)=2040cal for day 3
Fat ratios for day 3
2040cal x .65 (that is 65% fat)=1326cal from fat
Fat has 9 calories/gram
1326cal divided by 9cal/gram=147g fat for day 3
Protein ratios for day 3
2040cal x .35(that is 35%protein)=714 cal from protein
Protein has 4 calories/grams
714cal divided by 4cal/gram=178 g protein for day 3
Totals for Day 3: 147g fat/178g protein

Day 4: 70%fat/30%protein BMR
2400cal (BMR)
Fat ratios for day 4
2400cal x .70 (that is 70% fat)=1680cal from fat
Fat has 9 calories/gram
1680cal divided by 9cal/gram=186g fat for day 4
Protein ratios for day 4
2400cal x .30(that is 30%protein)=720 cal from protein
Protein has 4 calories/grams
720cal divided by 4cal/gram=180 g protein for day 4
Totals for Day-4: 186g fat/180g protein

Day 5: 70%fat/30%protein BMR-10%
2400cal (BMR) x .10=240cal (is 10% from BMR)
2400cal (BMR) – 240 cal (10%deficit)=2160cal for day 5
Fat ratios for day 5
2160cal x .70 (that is 70% fat)=1512cal from fat
Fat has 9 calories/gram
1512cal divided by 9cal/gram=168g fat for day 5
Protein ratios for day 5
2160cal x .30(that is 30%protein)=648 cal from protein
Protein has 4 calories/grams
648cal divided by 4cal/gram=162 g protein for day 5
Totals for Day-5: 168g fat/162g protein

Day 6: (same as day 3) 65%fat/35%protein-- BMR-15%
2400cal (BMR) x .15=360cal (is 15% from BMR)
2400cal (BMR) – 360 cal (15%deficit)=2040cal for day 6
Fat ratios for day 6
2040cal x .65 (that is 65% fat)=1326cal from fat
Fat has 9 calories/gram
1326cal divided by 9cal/gram=147g fat for day 6
Protein ratios for day 6
2040cal x .35(that is 35%protein)=714 cal from protein
Protein has 4 calories/grams
714cal divided by 4cal/gram=178 g protein for day 6
Totals for Day-6: 147g fat/178g protein

Essential Fatty Acids: fish oil, flaxseed oil, sesames seed oil, sunflower seed oil, grape seed oil, olive oil, peanut oil

Orbit Nutrition has macadamia nut oil that is really great as well.

You want to know how to do this the easy way. So, here is a simple way to break down your Ketosis ratios:
1)Set calories at: 12 cal/lb
2)Set protein intake: typically 0.9 g/lb. Protein has 4 cal/gram
3)Set fat intake: take protein calories and subtract them from total calories, then divide by 9 to get grams of fat.

In practice, most people end up eating about 1 gram of fat for every gram of protein. Ketosis almost always establishes with 1/1 ratios. (fat/protein -grams-)

CARB UP TIME:
DAY 7: carb up BMR+30%
EXAMPLE FOR A 200lb PERSON:
2400cal (BMR) x .30= 720cal
2400cal + 720cal=3120cal
70%carbs/20%protein/10%fat
CARBS:
3120 x .70= 2185 cal from carbs
Carbohydrates have 4cal/g
2185cal divided by 4ca/g=546g carbs
PROTEIN:
3120 x .20=624cal from protein
Protein has 4cal/g
624cal divided by 4cal/g=156g protein
FAT:
3120 x .10=312 cal from fat
Fat has 9cal/g
312 divided by 9=35g fat
Totals: 546g carbs/156g protein/35g fat

SAMPLE CARB UP: (6meals) 200lb person
1-2: 150 g liquid glucose polymers like carb powders ( carbo max, dextrose) w/ 1 scoop protein
3-4: 75 g of liquid and solid glucose polymers (frosted flakes,honey-nut-cheerios..etc) w/ fat-free milk w/ 1/4 cup walnuts
5-6: 50 g of complex carbs (low GI) oatmeal, brown rice, beans, yams, sweet potato w/ 1/4 cup walnuts
AVOID FRUCTOSE: Why is it that people say to avoid fructose? I've heard that quite a few times, and was curious why. How important is this? Fructose resupplies the liver with glycogen first, if the liver is full, then via the pentose phosphate pathway, all additional fructose goes to FAT.

I know that every reader wants a simple way to figure out a carb up, so here it is:
1) Set total calories at: 16 cal/lb
2) Set protein intake: typically 0.2 g/lb. Protein has 4 cal/gram
3) Set fat intake: usually 0.1g/lb. Fat has 9cal/gram
4) Set carb intake: add protein and fat calories and subtract it from total calories, then divide by 4 to get grams of carbs.
In practice, most people end up eating about 2.7 grams of carbs for every lb of weight.

So, what type of workout and cardio do you have to do while on CKD. Here is a sample workout routine based on a 6/1 CKD. (6day Ketosis/1day carb-up)
Day:
1- 30 min cardio morning(empty stomach)/workout: Chest, Upper-Back, shoulders, arms, traps, abs
2- 30 min cardio morning/ workout: Legs, (includes, calfs, hams,quads), lower-back
3- 45 min cardio morning OR 1 hour cardio during the day
4- SAME AS DAY 3
5- 30-45 min cardio AM no workout
6- 30 min cardio AM/ full body workout = circuit training 3-5 times (very light 20-25reps)
7- before carb-up…early in AM do a full body circuit workout 3-5 times (very light 20-25reps), then IMMEDIATELY begin CARB UP.

(Cardio) I suggest using HIIT cardio and sLow cardio alternating. HIIT means to “sprint as hard as you can for 20-30 seconds and then “jog” for 60-90 seconds. Whatever equipment you can use to get that hear rate up will work. sLow is the boring cardio but less taxing. You will keep your heart rate around 120-135 bpm.

Please take a serving of BCAA’s before doing you AM cardio/weigh training to fight muscle breakdown.

(DAY 1-6) For each body part do 1 exercise for 3 sets of 8-12 reps after necessary warm ups. Try to get close to failure on each work set. If you want you can start with your heaviest set after your warm ups and drop the weights as you fatigue…AND YOU WILL FATIGUE.

(Day 7) You can simply do dips, chins, band work, walking lunges, curls, sit ups, push ups. Time yourself for 30-45 seconds per exercise. Rest after each circuit as needed.

Supplements you need for CKD:

FIBER –anything from Walmart or Target is fine

Multi Vitamins/Minerals

AdipoKinetix or MHP Dren

HOW TO TAKE THEM:
Take multi two times a day (recommended dose); one in the morning and one in the afternoon (around 2-3pm)
Take each 1-3 pills AdipoKinetix or MHP Dren with 25mg of ephedrine 2-3 times a day.
Take Fiber supplementation 2 times a day (morning,bed)

From Iron Addict:

Use will depend on budget. Here is what I would do with Aminos based on different budgets.
Big budget 10 grams EEA's 10 grams BCAA"s 10 grams glutamine before at least 3 meals a day. On a training day, 10 gram glutamine and 10 grams EAA's right before the workout, 30 grams BCAA's during workout

Less Budget 5 grams EEA's 5 grams BCAA"s 5 grams glutamine before at least 3 meals a day. On a training day 5 grams glutamine and 5 grams EAA's right before the workout, 30 grams BCAA's during workout.

Less budget 5-10 grams BCAA's before at least 3 meals a day and 30 grams BCAA's during workout
Less budget and the cheapest way to use them and still have tangible results is 30 grams BCAA's during the workout.

As far as what kind of protein to use, use what you can tolerate. As you know I think whey sucks. Most people can handle the Team Skip blend which is 33 whey isolate, 33 egg, 33 casein. Don't add BCAA's, EAA's or Glute to this.

You DON'T want to mix your BCAA's or glutamine with anything as it reduces or stops the signaling effects they provide.

Eric Serrano says his lab research shows 10 grams of EAA's to be the anabolic equivalent of 40+ grams of protein. I believe him based on results. Sucks they are the most expensive.
The BCAA's should be the 4.1.1 mix which is nice as it s the cheaper of the two generally used mixes.

OOPS, I forgot to add that 3 grams of taurine with any of these is a great idea.

WHAT INTERRUPTS KETOSIS?
The only supplements that seem to reliably interrupt ketosis are vanadyl (seems to affect liver glycogen status) and citrimax (Hydroxycitric acid). Citric acid (found in diet sodas) kicks some people out of ketosis, but does not affect everybody. Aspartame also seems to affect some people but isn't consistent. The anti-oxidant n-acetyl-cysteine can give a false positive for ketosis. Basically, the only way to really negatively affect ketosis is by raising blood glucose or affecting liver metabolism.

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2010-01-07T11:40:00.001-08:00

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This incomparable dosing of BCAA enables your body to bust through your workouts explosively, resulting in muscle growth, and extreme levels of protein synthesis! Anabolic 4:1:1 will also help you to overcome the usual fatigue that your grueling workouts cause by clearing your body of all fatigue-inducing toxins! Anabolic 4:1:1 will take the normal hard training athletes of any degree to the next level, allowing themselves to train harder, longer with insane amounts of energy and endurance, while still allowing your body to recover at unheard of rates! We also have added vitamins C and B6 to enhance the absorption of our precise ratio of BCAA, with out B6, the transporting of the BCAA through out the muscles would be restricted.(In simple terms your BCAA would not be fully utilized!!!) No matter what your goals are Anabolic 4:1:1 will take your abilities to the next level! 2:1:1 ratios are a thing of the past!

Take your results to the EXTREME with Anabolic 4:1:1. Although L-leucine is the most highly looked upon component of the BCAA family, and the heart of our product, we don't want you to think that L-valine and L-isoleucine are useless, so here are a few of their benefits: · L-valine and L-isoleucine are used to maintain a positive nitrogen balance in the body. · L-valine and L-isoleucine are used to repair and heal muscle tissue. · L-valine is needed for metabolism within muscle cells. · L-valine is found in high quantities in muscle tissues · L-isoleucine has the ability to increase endurance and stamina. · L-isoleucine's most intriguing use is its ability to maintain energy levels by regulating blood sugar levels. But now for the part you have all been waiting for... the benefits of our superior amounts of L-leucine used in Anabolic 411: Leucine is an essential amino acid (meaning the human body cannot synthesize it and it needs to come from dietary methods).

Leucine has recently been growing in popularity due to its ability to initiate protein synthesis in skeletal muscle. Leucine does so by activating the anabolic pathway mTOR, which lets the body know that there is sufficient protein to begin synthesizing new skeletal muscle protein. Protein synthesis is initiated when there is a greater concentration of leucine in the mTOR pathway. Leucine will also cause a release of insulin, which will further encourage anabolism. Supplemental leucine is ideal for athletes looking to make changes in their physique because it can be used for its anabolic abilities while gaining muscle mass and its anti-catabolism properties while cutting fat. Leucine will also aid muscles in the recovery from the vigorous training of any type of athlete.

Training on the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: Effects of Cyclical Ketogenic Diets on Exercise Performance

2010-01-07T07:03:00.001-08:00

by Lyle McDonald, CSCS

Introduction

As the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) becomes more popular among natural bodybuilders, a great many questions have arisen regarding any and all manners of topics. One of the primary has to do with exercise on a CKD. First and foremost, individuals want to know what types of exercise can and can not be sustained on a CKD. Secondly questions arise as to what is the optimal training structure to maximize either fat loss or muscle gains on a CKD.

To answer these two questions, a lot of topics have to be covered ranging from exercise biochemistry to the hormonal response to different types of exercise to the implications of a diet which does not contain

carbohydrates during the week. The goal of this article will be to discuss the CKD primarily for fat loss. For reasons beyond the scope of this article, the CKD is most likely not the optimal diet for mass gains.

What is the CKD?

The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet, CKD, is a general term to describe diets such as The Anabolic Diet (by Dr. Mauro DiPasquale) and BODYOPUS (by Dan Duchaine). While there are many variants, the most common structure for a CKD is 5-6 days of strict low carbohydrate eating (less than 30 grams per day) with a 1-2 day carb-loading period (where carbohydrate intakes is roughly 60-70% of the total calories consumed). The idea behind the CKD (which will be discussed in a later article) is to force the body to burn fat during the lowcarb days, while sustaining exercise intensity by refilling muscle glycogen stores during the weekend carb-load.

Some Basic Exercise Metabolism

To better understand the effects of a CKD on exercise performance, we have to look briefly at how different forms of exercise affect fuel utilization in the body. There are four potential fuels which the body can use during exercise: glycogen, fat, protein and ketones. Except under certain conditions (which will be mentioned when necessary), protein and ketones do not provide a significant amount of energy during exercise. Therefore this discussion will focus primarily on glycogen and fat use during exercise. To simplify this article, exercise will be delineated as either aerobic or anaerobic (which will include interval training and weight training).

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise is generally defined as any activity which can be sustained continuously for periods of at least three minutes or longer. Examples would be walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, aerobics classes, etc.

The primary fuels during aerobic exercise are carbohydrate (muscle glycogen and blood glucose) and fat (from adipose tissue as well as intramuscular triglyceride) (1,2). At low intensities, fat is the primary fuel source during exercise.

As exercise intensity increases, less fat and more glycogen is used as fuel. At some intensity, sometimes called the "Crossover point", glycogen becomes the primary fuel during exercise. (3) This point corresponds roughly with something called the lactate threshold. The increase in glycogen utilization at higher intensities is related to a number of factors including greater adrenaline release (3,4) decreased availability of free fatty acids (5), and greater recruitment of Type II muscle fibers (3,6,8). The ketogenic diet shifts the crossover (i.e. lactate threshold) point to higher training intensities (3) as does regular endurance training (4).

Under normal (non-ketotic) conditions, ketones may provide 1% of the total energy yield during exercise (8). During the initial stage of a ketogenic diet, ketones may provide up to 20% of the total energy yield during exercise (9). After adaptation, even under conditions of heavy ketosis, ketones rarely provide more than 7-8% of the total energy yield which is a relatively insignificant amount (10,11,12).

Generally, protein use during aerobic exercise is minimal, accounting for perhaps 5% of the total energy yield. With glycogen depletion, this may increase to 10% of the total energy yield, amounting to the oxidation of about 10-13 grams of protein per hour of continuous exercise (14). This is at least part of the reason that excessive aerobic exercise, especially under low glycogen conditions, can cause muscle loss while dieting.

Studies on ketogenic diets (2 to 6 weeks) find a maintenance (15, 16) or increase (17,18) in aerobic endurance during low intensity exercise (75% of maximum heart rate and below). At higher exercise intensities (around 85% of maximum heart rate which is likely above the lactate threshold), as glycogen use increases, performance decreases on a ketogenic diet (19).

Anaerobic Exercise

While anaerobic exercise refers generally to any activity which lasts less than three minutes or so, most individuals are interested in the effects of a CKD on weight training. However athletes involved in sports such as sprinting, or any activity lasting less than three minutes, will have the same considerations discussed in this section.

Weight training refers to any activity involving the use of heavy resistance which lasts less than three minutes (i.e. it is anaerobic). Weight training is slightly more complicated to discuss in terms of fuel use than aerobic exercise. For very short activities (less than 20 seconds), muscles use ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which is stored directly in the muscle. Activities lasting greater than 30 seconds will rely on the breakdown of glycogen (carbohydrate stored in the muscle). During anaerobic exercise, fat can not be used directly as a fuel (1).

Relatively few studies have examined the effects of carbohydrate depletion on resistance training. In fact no studies have studies the effects of a ketogenic diet on weight training performance. However since weight training can only use glycogen for fuel, we can logically conclude that carbohydrates are critical for weight training performance. In fact, this is the primary reason to insert the carb-loading phase of the CKD on the weekend: to sustain high intensity exercise performance while still deriving the benefits of ketosis. Other issues pertaining to glycogen levels and depletion appear below.

The Hormonal Response to Exercise

The hormonal response to exercise is important from two standpoints. First and foremost, manipulation of the type of exercise done on a CKD can affect how efficiently fat loss or muscle gain occur. Second, to most rapidly enter ketosis (which requires a depletion of liver glycogen), certain types of exercise will be more effective than others. The primary hormonal response to both aerobic and anaerobic exercise are discussed below.

There are several hormones which are affected by aerobic exercise depending on exercise intensity and duration. They primarily impact on fuel utilization.

Catecholamines:

Adrenaline and noradrenaline are both involved in energy production. The catecholamines raise heart rate and blood pressure, stimulate fat breakdown (lipolysis), increase liver and muscle glycogen breakdown, and inhibit insulin release from the pancreas (20). Both adrenaline and noradrenaline increase during aerobic exercise although in differing amounts depending on intensity of exercise. Noradrenaline levels rise at relatively low exercise intensities stimulating FFA utilization in the muscles but relatively low levels of liver and muscle glycogen breakdown.

Insulin:

During aerobic exercise, insulin levels drop quickly due to an inhibitory effect on it's release from the pancreas by adrenaline (20, 21). The drop in insulin allows free fatty acid release to occur from the fat cells during exercise. Lowering insulin is also important for establishing ketosis. Despite a decrease in insulin levels during exercise, there is an increased uptake of blood glucose by the muscle. An increase in glucose uptake with a decrease in insulin indicates improved insulin sensitivity at the muscle cells during exercise.

Glucagon:

As the mirror hormone of insulin, glucagon levels increase during aerobic exercise (20). Thus the overall response to aerobic exercise is pro-ketogenic in that it causes the necessary shift in the Insulin/Glucagon ratio to occur.

Thus the overall response to aerobic exercise is to decrease the use of glucose and increase the use of free fatty acids for fuel. This is beneficial from the standpoint of establishing ketosis, as will be discussed in greater detail below.

Weight training affects levels of many hormones in the human body depending on factors such as order of exercise, loads, number of sets, number of repetitions, etc. The primary hormones we are interested in which are affected by weight training are the androgens (primarily testosterone, growth hormone and IGF-1. With the exception of testosterone, the hormonal response to weight training primarily affects fuel availability and utilization (22).

Growth hormone (GH):

GH is a peptide hormone released from the hypothalamus in response to many different stimuli including sleep and breath holding (23). Although growth hormone is thought to be muscle building, at the levels seen in humans, it's main role is to mobilize fat and decrease carbohydrate and protein utilization (24).

The main role of GH on muscle growth is most likely indirect by increasing release of Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) from the liver (24). The primary stimulus for GH release with weight training appears to be related to lactic acid levels and the highest GH response to training is seen with moderate weights (~75% of maximum), multiple long sets (3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions, about 40-60 seconds per set) with short rest periods (60-90 seconds). Studies using this type of protocol (generally 3X10 Rep maximum with a 1' rest period) have repeatedly shown increases in GH levels in men (25, 26) and women (27,28) and may be useful for fat loss due to the lipolytic (fat mobilizing) actions of GH. Multiple sets of the same exercise are required for GH release (28).

Testosterone

Testosterone is frequently described as the 'male' hormone although women possess testosterone as well (at about 1/10th the level of men or less) (4).

Testosterone's main role in muscle growth is by directly stimulating protein synthesis (23,29). Increases in testosterone occur in response to the use of basic exercises (squats, deadlifts, bench presses), heavy weights (85% of maximum and higher), multiple short sets (3 sets of 5 repetitions, about 20-30 seconds per set) and long rest periods (3-5 minutes). Studies have found a regimen of 3X5 rep max. with 3' rest to increases testosterone significantly in men (25,26,30) but not in women (27). It is unknown whether the transient increase in testosterone following training has any impact on muscle growth.

Insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)

IGF-1 is a hormone released from the liver, most likely in response to increases in GH levels (31). However the small increases in GH seen with training do not appear to affect IGF-1 levels (32). More likely, IGF-1 is released from damaged muscle cells (due to eccentric muscle actions) and acts locally only to stimulate growth (33,34).

Exercise and Ketosis

In that ketosis indicates that the body has shifted to using fat as it's primary fuel, and since only five to six days exist per week to be in ketosis, a question which arises is how to most quickly establish ketosis.

Aerobic and anaerobic exercise have somewhat differential effects on ketosis and are discussed here.

It has been known for almost a century that ketones appear in higher concentrations in the blood following aerobic exercise (35). The overall effect of aerobic exercise below the lactate threshold is to induce or enhance ketosis. Liver glycogen decreases, insulin decreases, glucagon increases and there is an increase in free fatty acid levels in the bloodstream.

Aerobic exercise can quickly induce ketosis following an overnight fast. One hour at 65% of maximum heart rate causes a large increase in ketone body levels but the ketones do not contribute to energy production to any significant degree (36). 2 hours of exercise at 65% of maximum heart rate will raise ketone levels to 3mM after 3 hours. High levels of ketonemia (similar to those seen in prolonged fasting) can be achieved five hours post-exercise (36).

During high intensity exercise, the same overall hormonal picture described above occurs, just to a greater degree. Adrenaline and noradrenaline both increase during high intensity activities (both interval and weight training). The large increase in adrenaline causes the liver to over-release liver glycogen raising blood glucose (4,20). While this may impair ketogenesis in the short term, it is ultimately helpful in establishing ketosis initially. Insulin goes down during exercise but may increase after training due to increases in blood glucose. Glucagon goes up also helping to establish ketosis. Probably the biggest difference between high and low intensity exercise is that free fatty acid release is inhibited during high intensity activity, due to the increases in lactic acid (5).

Glycogen Levels and Depletion

To understand how to optimize training for a CKD, a discussion of glycogen levels under a variety of conditions are necessary. As well, some estimations must be made in terms of the amount of training which can and should be done as well as how much carbohydrate should be consumed at a given time.

Muscle glycogen is measured in millimoles per kilogram of muscle (mmol/kg). An individual following a normal mixed diet will maintain glycogen levels around 80-100 mmol/kg. Athletes following a mixed diet have higher levels, around 110-130 mmol/kg (37). On a standard ketogenic diet, with aerobic exercise only, muscle glycogen levels maintain around 70 mmol/kg with about 50 mmol/kg of that in the Type II muscle fibers (38,39).

Fat oxidation increases, both at rest and during aerobic exercise around 70 mmol/kg. Below 40 mmol/kg, exercise performance is generally impaired. Total exhaustion during exercise occurs at 15-25 mmol/kg. Additionally when glycogen levels fall too low (about 40 mmol/kg), protein can be used as a fuel source during exercise to a greater degree (14).

Following total depletion, if an individual consumes enough carbohydrates over a sufficient amount of time (generally 24-48 hours), muscle glycogen can reach 175 mmol/kg or higher (38). The level of supercompensation which can be achieved depends on the amount of glycogen depleted (40,41). That is, the lower that muscle glycogen levels are taken, the greater compensation will be seen. If glycogen levels are depleted too far (below 25 mmol/kg), glycogen supercompensation is impaired as the enzymes involved in glycogen synthesis are impaired (42). A summary of glycogen levels under different conditions appears in figure 1.

Figure 1: Summary of glycogen levels under different conditions

Condition Diet Glycogen

level (mmol/kg)

48 hour carb-up High carb 175

36 hour carb-up ~150

24 hour carb-up ~120-130

Athlete Mixed diet 110-130

Normal individual Mixed diet 80-100

Normal individual, Ketogenic diet 70

Aerobic exercise only

Fat burning increases 70

Exercise performance decreased 40

Exhaustion 15-25

Glycogen Depletion During Weight Training

Having looked at glycogen levels under various conditions, we can now examine the rates of glycogen depletion during weight training and use those values to make estimations of how much training can and should be done for the CKD.

Very few studies have examined glycogen depletion rates during weight training. One early study found a very low rate of glycogen depletion of about 2 mmol/kg/set during 20 sets of leg exercise (43). In contrast, two later studies both found glycogen depletion levels of approximately 7-7.5 mmol/kg/set (44,45). As the difference between these studies cannot be adequately explained, we will assume a glycogen depletion rate of 7 mmol/kg/set.

Examining the data of these two studies further, we can estimate glycogen utilization relative to how long each set lasts. At 70% of maximum weight, both researchers found a glycogen depletion rate of roughly 1.3 mmol/kg/repetition or 0.35 mmol/kg/second of work performed (44,45).

Rates of glycogen depletion during weight training at an intensity at 70% max

Depletion per set 7.5 mmol/kg/set

Depletion per repetition 1.3 mmol/kg/rep

Depletion per second of work 0.35 mmol/kg/second

Designing the Workout

With all of the above information presented, we can go through the steps to develop a CKD workout for fat loss. The goals of the workout are:

1. Deplete muscle glycogen in all bodyparts to approximately 70 mmol/kg by Tuesday as this will maximize fat utilization by the muscles but will not increase protein utilization.

2. Maximize Growth Hormone output (which is a lipolytic hormone) on Mon/Tue with a combination of long sets, multiple sets, and short rest periods.

3. Maintain muscle mass with tension work outs on Monday and Tuesday.

4. Deplete muscle glycogen to between 25 and 40 mmol/kg on Friday to stimulate optimal glycogen supercompensation.

5. Stimulate mass gains during the weekend of overfeeding with a full body tension workout (a high rep depletion workout is also an option)

6. Use cardio to quickly establish ketosis and enhance fat loss

The primary goal that still needs to be discussed is how much training is necessary to achieve goals #1 and #4.

We will assume a lifter has completed a 36 hour carb-up, ending Saturday evening, with a muscle glycogen level of 150 mmol/kg in all major muscle groups. To deplete to 70 mmol/kg in the first two workouts, this person needs to deplete:

150 mmol/kg - 70 mmol/kg = 80 mmol/kg of total glycogen.

Using the rate of glycogen depletion listed above we see that

80 mmol/kg divided by 1.3 mmol/kg/rep = 61 total reps.

80 mmol/kg divided by 0.35 mmol/kg/sec = 228 seconds of total set time.

Assuming an average set time of 45 seconds (10-12 reps at 4 seconds per repetition) this level of glycogen depletion would require approximately 5-6 sets per bodypart.

For the Friday workout, our lifter now wants to deplete muscle glycogen to between 25-40 mmol/kg before starting the carb-up. This would require a further glycogen depletion of

70 mmol/kg - 25 mmol/kg = 45 mmol/kg

70 mmol/kg - 40 mmol/kg = 30 mmol/kg

30-45 mmol/kg.

This would be

30-45 mmol/kg divided by 1.3 mmol/kg/rep = 20-30 reps

30-45 mmol/kg divided by 0.35 mmol/kg/second = 85-128 seconds.

The CKD Workout Routine

With the above estimations for sets and reps having been made, we can develop a sample workout routine. The format for the CKD week is:

Day Workout type Diet

Sunday: 30'+ of low intensity cardio in Ketogenic

morning to establish ketosis

Monday: Tension weight training workout Ketogenic

Tuesday: Tension weight training workout Ketogenic

Wed/Thu: cardio optional for fat loss Ketogenic

Fri: Full body workout Ketogenic prior to workout

Begin carb-load after

workout

Saturday: No workout Carb load

Sample workouts appear below.

Mon: Legs and abs

Exercise Sets Reps Rest

Squats 4 8-10 90"

Leg curl 4 8-10 90"

Leg extension OR 2 10-12 60"

feet high leg press

Seated leg curl 2 10-12 60"

Standing calf raise 4 8-10 90"

Seated calf raise 2 10-12 60"

Reverse crunch 2 15-20 60"

Crunch 2 15-20 60"

Total sets 24

Tue: Upper body

Exercise Sets Reps Rest

Incline bench press 4 8-10 60"

Cable row 4 8-10 60"

Flat bench press 2 10-12 60"

Pulldown to front 2 10-12 60"

Shoulder press 3 10-12 60"

Barbell curl 2 12-15 45"

Triceps pushdown 2 12-15 45"

Total sets 20

There are two options for the Friday workout. One is to perform a tension workout to stimulate growth during the carb-load. The second is to do a high-rep depletion workout, which should be done in circuit fashion solely to deplete muscle glycogen.

Sample Friday tension workout:

Exercise Sets Reps Rest

Leg press 3 8-10 90"

Leg curl 1 10-12 60"

Calf raise 2 10-12 60"

Bench press 3 8-10 90"

Wide grip row 3 8-10 90"

Shoulder press 1-2 10-12 60"

Undergrip pulldown 1-2 10-12 60"

Total sets 14-16

Sample circuits for Friday depletion workout:

leg press, dumbbell bench press, cable row, leg curl, shoulder press, overgrip pulldown, calf raise, triceps pushdown, barbell curl, reverse crunch.

leg extension, incline DB bench press, narrow grip row, seated leg curl, lateral raise, undergrip pulldown, seated calf raise, close grip bench press, alternate DB curl, twisting crunch.

squat, flat flye, cable row, standing leg curl, upright row, overgrip pulldown, donkey calf raise, overhead triceps extension, hammer curl, crunch.

Since the intensity is lower (roughly 50-60% of maximum) glycogen depletion per set will also be lower. Additionally, 20 reps will only require about 20-40 seconds to complete. Assuming glycogen had started at 70 mmol/kg, it will likely take 4-5 circuits to fully deplete glycogen.

Perform 10-20 quick reps per set (1 second up/1 second down). Take 1' between exercises, and 5' between circuits. The sets should not be taken to failure; the goal is simply to deplete muscle glycogen. Many trainees complain of nausea during this workout, which is caused by not resting long enough between sets.

References

1. Eric Hultman "Fuel selection, muscle fibre" Proceedings of the Nutrition Society (1995) 54: 107-121.

2. Edward F. Coyle "Substrate Utilization during exercise in active people" Am J Clin Nutr (1995) 61 (suppl): 968S-979S.

3. George Brooks and Jacques Mercier "Balance of carbohydrate and lipid utilization during exercise: the "crossover" concept" J Appl Physiol (1994) 76: 2253-2261.

4. "Physiology of Sport and Exercise" Jack H. Wilmore and David L. Costill. Human Kinetics Publishers 1994.

5. Romijn J.A. et. al. "Regulation of endogenous fat and carbohydrate metabolism in relation to exercise intensity and duration" Am J Physiol (1993) 265: E380-391.

6. Vollestad, NK et al. "Muscle glycogen depletion patterns in type I and subgroups of Type II fibers during prolonged severe exercise in man" Acta Physiol Scand (1984) 122: 433-441.

7. Gollnick, P.D. et. al. "Selective glycogen depletion in skeletal muscle fibres of man following sustained contractions" J Physiol (1974) 241: 59-67.

8. "Exercise Metabolism" Ed. Mark Hargreaves. Human Kinetics Publishers 1995.

9. Elia, M. et. al. "Ketone body metabolism in lean male adults during short-term starvation, with particular reference to forearm muscle metabolism" Clinical Science (1990) 78: 579-584.

10. Bergstrom, J. et. al. "Diet, muscle glycogen and physical performance" Acta Physiol Scand (1967) 71: 140-150.

11. Edmond O. Balasse and F. Fery "Ketone body production and disposal: Effects of fasting, diabetes and exercise" Diabetes/Metabolism Reviews (1989) 5: 247-270.

12. Wahren J. et. al. "Turnover and splanchnic metabolism of free fatty acids and ketones in insulin-dependent diabetics at rest and in response to exercise" J Clin Invest (1984) 73: 1367-1376.

14. Lemon, P.R. and J.P. Mullin "Effect of initial muscle glycogen level on protein catabolism during exercise" J Appl Physiol (1980) 48: 624-629.

15. Phinney, S.D. et. al. "The human metabolic response to chronic ketosis without caloric restriction: preservation of submaximal exercise capacity with reduced carbohydrate oxidation" Metabolism (1983) 32: 769-776.

16. Phinney, S.D. et. al. "Effects of aerobic exercise on energy expenditure and nitrogen balance durin very low calorie dieting." Metabolism (1988) 37: 758-765.

17. Phinney, SD et. al. "Capacity for moderate exercise in obese subjects after adaptation to a hypocaloric, ketogenic diet" J Clin Invest (1980) 66: 1152-1161.

18. Lambert E.V. et. al. "Enhanced endurance in trained cyclists during moderate intensity exercise following 2 weeks adaptation to a high fat diet" Eur J Apply Physiol (1994) 69: 387-293.

19. Hargreaves M. et. al. "Influence of muscle glycogen on glycogenolysis and glucose uptake during exercise in humans" J Appl Physiol (1995) 78: 288-292.

20. "Exercise Physiology: Human Bioenergetics and it's applications" George A Brooks, Thomas D. Fahey, and Timothy P. White. Mayfield Publishing Company 1996.

21. Wade H. Martin III "Effects of acute and chronic exercise on fat metabolism" Exercise and Sports Science Reviews (1994) Vol 22: 203-231.

22. Katarina Borer "Neurohumoral mediation of exercise-induced growth" Med Sci Sports Exerc (1994) 26:741-754.

23. William Kraemer "Endocrine responses to resistance exercise" Med Sci Sports Exerc (1989) 20 (suppl): S152-S157.

24. Rogol, A.D. "Growth hormone: physiology, therapeutic use, and potential for abuse" ESSR (1989) 17: 353-377.

25. K. Hakkinen and A. Pakarinen "Acute hormonal responses to two different fatiguing heavy-resistance protocols in male athletes" J Appl Physiol (1993) 74: 882-887.

26. Kraemer, W.J. et. al. "Hormonal and growth factor responses to heavy resistance exercise protocols" J Appl Physiol (1990) 69: 1442-1450.

27. Kraemer, W.J. et. al. "Changes in hormonal concentrations following different heavy resistance exercise protocols in women." J Appl Physiol (1993) 75: 594-604.

28. Mulligan, S.E. et. al. "Influence of resistance exercise volume on serum growth hormone and cortisol concentrations in women" J Strength Cond Res (1996) 10: 256-262.

29. Griggs, R.C. et . al. "Effect of testosterone on muscle mass and protein synthesis" J Appl Physiol (1989) 66: 498-503.

30. Schwab, R. et. al. "Acute effects of different intensities of weight lifting on serum testosterone." Med Sci Sports Exerc (1993) 25(12): 1381-1385.

31. Kraemer, W.J. et. al. "Responses of IGF-1 to endogenous increases in growth hormone after heavy-resistance exercise" J Appl Physiol (1995) 79:1310-1315.

32. Katarina Borer "Neurohumoral mediation of exercise-induced growth" Med Sci Sports Exerc (1994) 26:741-754.

33. R. Smith and O.M. Rutherford "The role of metabolites in strength training I. A comparison of eccentric and concentric contractions" Eur J apply Physiol (1995) 71: 332-336.

34. DeVol, DL et. al. "Activation of insulin-like work-induced skeletal muscle growth" Am J Physiol (1990) 259: E89-E95.

35. J. H. Koeslag "Post-exercise ketosis and the hormone response to exercise: a review" Med Sci Sports Exerc (1982) 14: 327-334.

36. Edmond O. Balasse and F. Fery "Ketone body production and disposal: Effects of fasting, diabetes and exercise" Diabetes/Metabolism Reviews (1989) 5: 247-270.

37. John Ivy "Muscle glycogen syntehsis before and after exercise" Sports Medicine (1991) 11: 6-19.

38. Phinney S.D. et. al. "The human metabolic response to chronic ketosis without caloric restriction: physical and biochemical adaptations" Metabolism (1983) 32: 757-768.

39. Phinney, S.D. et. al. "The human metabolic response to chronic ketosis without caloric restriction: preservation of submaximal exercise capacity with reduced carbohydrate oxidation" Metabolism (1983) 32: 769-776.

40. Zachweija, J.J. et. al. "Influence of muscle glycogen depletion on the rate of resynthesis" Med Sci Sports Exerc (1991) 23: 44-48.

41. Price, TB et. al. "Human muscle glycogen resynthesis after exercise: insulin-dependent and -independent phases" J Appl Physiol (1994) 76: 104-111.

42. Yan Z. et. al. "Effect of low glycogen on glycogen synthase during and after exercise" Acta Physiol Scand (1992) 145: 345-352.

43. D.D. Pascoe and L.B. Gladden "Muscle glycogen resynthesis after short term, high intensity exercise and resistance exercise" Sports Med (1996) 21: 98-118.

44. Robergs, RA et. al. "Muscle glycogenolysis during different intensities of weight-resistance exercise" J Appl Physiol (1991) 70: 1700-1706.

45. Tesch, PA et. al. "Muscle metabolism during intense, heavy resistance exercise" Eur J Appl Physiol (1986) 55: 362-366.

BCAA, EEA, Glutamine Use

2010-01-06T22:19:00.001-08:00

Originally posted by IA on www.ironaddicts.com

Use will depend on budget. Here is what I would do with Aminos based on different budgets.

When I say before meals I mean at least 10-15 minutes before on as empty a stomach as possible. They do their signaling when not competing with other complete proteins.

Big budget 10 grams EEA's 10 grams BCAA"s 10 grams glutamine before at least 3 meals a day. On a training day, 10 gram glutamine and 10 grams EAA's right before the workout, 30 grams BCAA's during workout

Less Budget 5 grams EEA's 5 grams BCAA"s 5 grams glutamine before at least 3 meals a day. On a training day 5 grams glutamine and 5 grams EAA's right before the workout, 30 grams BCAA's during workout

Less budget 5-10 grams BCAA's before at least 3 meals a day and 30 grams BCAA's during workout

Less budget and the cheapest way to use them and still have tangible results is 30 grams BCAA's during the workout.

As far as what kind of protein to use, use what you can tolerate. As you know I think whey sucks. Most people can handle the Team Skip blend which is 33 whey isolate, 33 egg, 33 casein. Don't add BCAA's, EAA's or Glute to this.

You DON'T want to mix your BCAA's or glutamine with anything as it reduces or stops the signaling effects they provide.

Eric Serrano says his lab research shows 10 grams of EAA's to be the anabolic equivalent of 40+ grams of protein. I believe him based on results. Sucks they are the most expensive.

The BCAA's should be the 4.1.1 mix which is nice as it s the cheaper of the two generally used mixes.

OOPS, I forgot to add that 3 grams of taurine with any of these is a great idea.

IA

Vitamin D and preventing flu

2010-01-06T12:44:00.001-08:00

http://www.anh-usa.org/new_site/?p=1570

With hundreds of thousands of seasonal flu-related complications, more than 35,000 deaths from the flu, and countless more from the H1N1 flu expected this season, ANH-USA asks the obvious question: What are the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Health and Human Services (HHS) doing about it? The answer: Not much!

Our goal is to persuade the CDC, FDA, NIH, and HHS to step up to the plate and help educate the public about the critical role Vitamin D plays in preventing and treating the seasonal and H1N1 flus along with many other health problems. In particular, we are asking the CDC, FDA, HHS, and NIH to issue statements outlining the immense benefits to be gained from supplementation during the flu season. In addition, HHS should update the governments web site, www.flu.gov to include well established facts about Vitamin D.

Studies show that least one-third of Americans are wholly deficient in Vitamin D. We all need to maintain adequate levels of Vitamin D year-round, not just during flu season. The government has an important role to play in getting this message out, but says nothing at all.

In anticipation of the governments programmed response that even more research needs to be done we are also asking the CDC, FDA, NIH, and HHS to support and fund additional research on the importance of maintaining adequate levels of Vitamin D, including the link between Vitamin D and flu prevention and treatment.

Why is the government utterly silent about Vitamin D and its benefits? Could it be because big corporations are not pushing such an inexpensive and readily available form of prevention and treatment? Whatever the reason, the governments silence is shameful. Please sign our petition to these agencies now.

TAKE ACTION HERE

Vitamin D: The Super Supplement
Vitamin D is safe and effective for the prevention and treatment of seasonal and H1N1 flus. The scientific research is clear. Yet CDC, FDA, NIH, and HHS continue to tow the vaccine only line, working in close partnership with vaccine manufacturers who will make billions of dollars and who have been shielded from any liability by Congress.
This obsession with a

vaccine approach makes little sense given the lack of time to test the vaccine for safety and efficacy and the challenge of producing enough vaccine on time. It makes even less sense when there are natural ways to prevent and treat the illness that have been thoroughly validated by science.
We are all familiar with the adaptive immune response. Our bodies mount a defense against a new invader and then maintain antibodies against future attacks by the same invader. This is exactly how vaccines are meant to work. But for such an immune response to work, your own immune system has to be primed and ready to do its job. Good nutrition is critical for this. Vitamin D is especially critical. Your immune system will not work without it.

Common sense tells us that what we eat will strengthen or weaken our immune systems. For some of the science behind this, see an article by Laura Landro, published in the November 24, 2009, issue of the Wall Street Journal. But even the best diet will not give us the amount of Vitamin D needed for the immune system to reach its full potential.

What Exactly Does Vitamin D Do?
When Vitamin D is lacking, we become a prime target for flu and the H1N1 Swine Flu. By contrast, those with sufficient levels of Vitamin D are able to fight off or throw off these attacking pathogens. Vitamin D boosts the innate immune response in many ways, but in particular by turning on an antimicrobial protein.
Vitamin D also balances the immune response, preventing inflammation that can lead to flu-related complications such as bacterial pneumonia or lung infection. Inflammation was the leading cause of deaths in the 1918 influenza pandemic .

Our vitamin-D mediated immune response has been with us through more than 60 million years of pre-human and human evolutionary selection. It must be critical to our survival, according to researchers at Ohio State University.

Flu is at least in part a Vitamin D deficiency disease. But the benefits of this wonder supplement go far beyond the flu. As John Cannell, MD, founder of the non-profit Vitamin D Counsel, has noted: Current research has implicated vitamin D deficiency as a major factor in the pathology of at least 17 varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, periodontal disease, and more. We join the Vitamin D Council in urging our government to break its silence about this wonder supplement.
Will the Government Act Before Countless More Suffer Needlessly?

Sen. Orin Hatch, R-Utah, complained for years that the FDA dragged its feet and ignored the science about the need for folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube birth defects in newborns. Under fierce pressure, the FDA finally admitted the truth and such defects were reduced. Now the FDA is again refusing to tell the American people about another supplement which can save lives, this time in a flu pandemic, but also in reducing heart disease and cancer and other life destroying conditions.

The government has created a web site (www.flu.gov) expressly dedicated to educating the public about flu, including Swine Flu. This site however says nothing about natural forms of prevention and treatment, including even Vitamin D.

We are now asking the CDC, FDA, NIH, and HHS to tell the truth about the immense benefits to be gained from Vitamin D supplementation during the flu season and year round. We are also requesting that HHS update the government’s web site,www.flu.gov to include the incontestable scientific research behind Vitamin D.
There are reliable scientific studies showing a positive correlation between Vitamin D and a decrease in flu occurrence and complications. There is good science explaining this correlation. If the government nevertheless believes more studies are in order, we request that the government sponsor and pay for more trials.

What Can Be Done this Flu Season?
As Bill Faloon of the Life Extension Foundation has pointed out, many doctors are not trained to recognize a Vitamin D deficiency until rickets develop in children or osteomalacia (softening of the bones) develops in adults . Even so, many doctors are now urging their patients to supplement with Vitamin D.
Whether your doctor is up to date or not, you should take the initiative. Have your Vitamin D level checked. If you are below an optimum Vitamin D level, take a supplement. Changing your diet alone cannot create optimal Vitamin D levels. Only supplementation or sufficient exposure to the sun (without sun block and when the sun’s rays are sufficiently strong) can do that.

The blood work that checks Vitamin D status is called the 25, hydroxy vitamin D test. Some experts are satisfied with a minimum reading of 30 ng/ml, but it is doubtful that this is high enough to make your immune system work at optimal levels. While a level of 30 ng/ml defines the bottom of the normal range, Integrative doctors often like to see levels of 70 or 80 (but no higher than 100) ng/ml. Use of the blood test is the best way to prevent over-dosing.

Seniors are especially apt to be vitamin D deficient and have been found to be less likely to succumb to all causes of mortality when they have optimal levels of vitamin D. Young people are also often deficient even though Vitamin D is essential as the body grows and matures.

The most recent Harvard Heart Letter confirms that at least one-third of Americans of all ages are Vitamin D deficient. “Deficient” in this instance was defined as less than 20 ng/ml of 25-hydroxy vitamin D. The Harvard letter stated that supplements are the simplest and safest way to get vitamin D and recommended 800 to 1,000 IU from supplements as a daily goal. The Vitamin D Council recommends 5,000 IU daily, but in conjunction with blood testing. The U.S. government claims to be highly concerned about Swine flu and the general health of the American public, but does not even recommend 800 IU. For the most part, it says nothing.

Imagine for a moment that a drug company announced the development of a new drug matching the preventive and curative properties of Vitamin D. Does anyone think the government would remain silent about such a new drug? Of course not. The government would promote the use of the new wonder drug.
This is a scandal. Please join us in asking the government to do its duty to the American people by telling the truth about Vitamin D for flu and for general health. Take Action Here
For more on the extensive science behind Vitamin D, please click here .
For additional discussion on Vitamin D, see any of the following:
Dr. Mercola provides a lecture covering resources, research, and recommendations on Vitamin D in addition to many other articles.

Natural News provides links to more than 200 featured Vitamin D articles.
Life Extension Magazine also provides additional important articles (shown below), covering the critical role of Vitamin D and an assessment of just how Vitamin D deficient we all probably are.
Bill Faloon Vit D article, 2009
Life Extension Foundation Vitamin D article, 2009
Julius Goepp, MD Vitamin D article 2009

http://www.anh-usa.org/new_site/?p=1570

Orbit Nutrition Is Here To Push You

2010-01-05T12:19:00.001-08:00

LiveJournal Tags: orbit nutrtion,protein,supplements,online shopping

del.icio.us Tags: orbit nutrtion,protein,supplements,online shopping

2009-12-30T23:36:00.000-08:00

Cynostane make up looked at closer.

Superdrol

2a,17a-dimethyl-5a-androst-3-one-17b-ol

Whats the difference you ask? Ok first the technical lingo.

2-cyano-17a-methyl-17b-hydroxy-androst-3-one

Has a methyl group and hydroxyl group off of the 17th carbon. A methyl group has single bonds from a carbon to 3 hydrogens leaving the 4th bond open to bond to whatever, in this case the 17th carbon. A hydroxyl group has a oxygen single bond to a hydrogen and another single bond to whatever, which in this case is the 17th carbon. Has a 2 and 3, both connect to the 17th carbon where the R is on the pictures on the links.

2-cyano-17a-methyl-17b-acetoxy-5a-androst-2-ene

Has the same methyl group at the 17th position but also has a acetoxy group. A acetoxy group has an oxygen single bond to a carbon, off of this carbon is a double bond to an oxygen and also has a methyl group off of this carbon. The oxygen with the single bond to carbon is left with one bond free, it is here that bonds to the 17th carbon. Has a 1 and 2, both connect to the 17th carbon where the R is on the pictures in the links

Acetoxy group - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Methyl group - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hydroxyl - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cynostane is a brand new prohormone which features an alteration of the superdrol compound, with a cyano bond instead of the 2a methyl superdrol bond.
Effects – Cynostane, developed by Anabolic Innovations, is an extremely anabolic compound with remarkably low androgenic action, making it qualitatively similar to the likes of Oxandrolone or Methenolone (primobolan). It is non-aromatizing meaning it will not produce estrogen mediated side effects and its high degree of anabolic action makes it a favourable choice for athletes concerned with losing bodyfat while maintaining, or increasing, muscle mass.
Side Effects - Bloodwork conducted by users shows that Cynostane has a more favourable effect on blood lipids, and liver values than superdrol itself. Although feedback to date is limited, the combination of low androgenic action, lack of aromatization to estrogen, and low level of general health effects, makes cynostane an intriguing newcomer to the prohormone world.

OK So here is my thoughts on it. Its not going to be as powerful as superdrol in the strength department but it will be great for size and some damn good strength to. At the same time it is also not nearly as liver or lipid toxic ether.

This compound definiley appears to have oral activity, and very potent activity at that. It has the highest Q ratio, 20. That is the same Q ratio as superdrol, except this compound appears to be twice as anabolic as superdrol. I would expect dry gains, more similar to oxandrolone (anavar)

AI has always made some pretty good products and are very reliable.

Superdrol, Sdrol, Prohormone confusion

2009-12-26T15:39:00.000-08:00

The confusion surrounding superdrol is the result of an ill-conceived name, given to this substance, probably for marketing purposes. Which ever idiot came up with the name or first starting suggesting that superdrol has anything in common with oxymetholone (Anadrol) has thoroughly demonstrated that he/she lacks any and all insight in biochemistry. Other than the fact that both are 5alpha-reduced anabolic androgenic steroids, they have very little if anything in common.

Superdrol is a compound that was known for some time prior to it being known as such. I for one came in contact with the drug following the debate surrounding IPâ€™s equally ill-named product called â€˜oral Masteronâ€™, which ended up being nothing more than mestanolone (17alpha-methyl-DHT). Mestanolone is actually oral DHT (if for arguments sake we suggest that the addition of 17alpha-methyl group indicates the compound as being the oral of the parent steroid, which is not strictly true). I commented that to be oral masteron it would have to be 2alpha-methyl-mestanolone, or more aptly 17alpha-methyl-drostanolone (drostanolone being Masteron). That is what we called the product back then, 17alpha-methyl-drostanolone. That was only a few years ago. But it seems somehow inconceivable that this compound hadnâ€™t been investigated decades before. So it probably has an even longer history.

From this you can also already deduce that â€˜superdrolâ€™ is in actuality a cross between drostanolone and mestanolone, since it has the 2alpha-methyl group of drostanolone and the 17alpha-methyl-group of mestanolone. Oxymetholone is an entirely different compound, which differs from superdrol by substitution of the 2-methyl group with a 2-hydroxymethylene group. A methyl group is completely inert, since it is apolar. It confers no special biochemical properties upon the group, it is merely steric bulk. Which is exactly its purpose. It provides steric hindrance for 3alpha- and 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes, so that in contrast to mestanolone, the product is not deactivated in muscle tissue so fast. Mestanolone is nearly inactive as an anabolic substance, because it is rapidly deactivated to 3-hydroxy metabolites. Because the 2-methyl group reduces binding of the enzymes that catalyze this, it reduces the rate of deactivation and superdrol, in contrast to mestanolone, has some anabolic activity.

Oxymetholone on the other hand has a hydroxylated carbon attached to the 2nd carbon, a polar group that is chemically reactive. That carbon is also double-bonded tot the steran nucleus, which further increases reactivity of the oxygen atom. By what mechanisms is not exactly clear yet, but this gives oxymetholone some rather unique properties, likely due to interaction with other structures that most AAS do not, or barely interact with. To illustrate I uploaded the following drawing. It shows superdrol as the cross of mestanolone and drostanolone, and underneath mestanolone is oxymetholone, since oxymetholone is also a derivative of mestanolone.

Anabolic activity : Because of the added 17alpha-methyl group, superdrol is less succeptible to metabolic deactivation. It cannot form 17-keto-steroids, and the likelihood of 16-hydroxylations is considerably reduced as well, due to this addition. This means it probably stays active longer than does drostanolone and is excreted at a lower rate. Unfortunately, the 2-methyl-group already reduces binding to the androgen receptor (1) and the 17alpha-methyl group further reduces it (1). This seems to even out the odds for superdrol, giving it roughly the same amount of anabolic activity as drostanolone. That means superdrol is by no means a serious muscle builder, except perhaps to those smaller in stature or as of yet unexperienced with other anabolic androgenic steroids. This puts its anabolic activity in the neighbourhood of other non-aromatizing, weak oral androgens, such as Anavar (oxandrolone), Winstrol (Stanozolol) and Halotestin (Fluoxymesterone).

Androgenic activity : Comparing it to these other weak, oral, non-aromatizing androgens, the androgenic activity is considerably less than for halotestin, but considerably higher than for winstrol and anavar. The reason being that despite increased activity in muscle compared to mestanolone, deactivation is still stronger in muscle (the 2-methyl group reduces but does not eliminate reduction of the 3-keto function (2)). And contrary to popular belief, a non-deactivated DHT does still not have the same level of activity in muscle as it does in androgenic target tissues. Androgenic side-effects rarely occur in healthy young men, but if you have reason to fear such effects, than superdrol is probably the poorer choice when compared to anavar or winstrol. A lot of athletes however seem to suggest that using stronger androgens seems to increase muscle density when body-fat is low. And while this is a rather subjective trait, this does seem to hold true for superdrol as well. In which case it would then probably be a better choice than the other mentioned oral steroids.

Estrogenic/Progestagenic activity : Like most 5-alpha-reduced steroids, this product has no estrogenic activity. Neither mestanolone nor drostanolone are capable of aromatization either. Whoever is producing this stuff now seems to want to convey that it is a major plus that this does not have estrogenic effects like oxymetholone, but first off, remember that this steroid has NOTHING in common with oxymetholone and secondly, the perceived estrogenic effects of oxymetholone have never been established as being estrogenic, because despite massive bloating, the prevalence of estrogenic side-effects with oxymetholone remains low when used with other AAS to non-existent when used alone. Whether or not this drug still has anti-estrogenic activity like drostanolone is questionable. I certainly wouldnâ€™t count on it.

Liver-toxicity : The hepatoxicity of this compound is rather high. That may have been one of the reasons no one has marketed or researched such a compound for pharmaceutical use before. In all instances I observed personally (which were admittedly only 4 instances of use of 40 mg/day for 6 weeks), liver values were elevated above acceptable levels, and considerably elevated above the values seen for the same duration of time with equal (dbol) or higher (Anavar, Anadrol, Winstrol) doses of other commonly (ab)used oral steroids. Use should therefore definitely be restricted to 30-40 mg/day for 6 weeks. If higher doses are used, or compound is used for a longer period of time, liver values should be checked at regular intervals.

Stacking and use : It should be quite obvious that the use of this compound (at least to the experienced steroid user) will be limited to cutting purposes. For the same amount of money there are simply far more suitable compounds for gaining muscle mass. As with most oral steroids (with notable exception of Halotestin) I would advise against using it alone, in conjunction with other oral steroids, or in the last week of a cycle. This because most 17alpha-alkylated androgens are known to increase glucocorticoid receptor density (3) and result in increased loss of muscle mass post-cycle. An added reason for not using it with other oral steroids is the increased risk for hepatoxic side-effects.

References

(1) Ojasoo T, Raynaud JP.Unique steroid congeners for receptor studies.Cancer Res. 1978 Nov;38(11 Pt 2):4186-98

(2) de Boer D, de Jong EG, Maes RA, van Rossum JM.The methyl-5 alpha-dihydrotestosterones mesterolone and drostanolone; gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric characterization of the urinary metabolites.J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1992 May;42(3-4):411-9.

(3) Fernandez L, Boada LD, Luzardo OP, Zumbado M, Lopez A, Diaz-Chico BN, Chirino R.[3H]dexamethasone binding activity in liver microsomes is modulated differently by 17 alpha-alkylated androgens and testosterone in vivo.Pharmacol Toxicol. 1995 Oct;77(4):264-9.

Raspberry ketones, transdermal fat burners, fat loss, fat burner

2009-12-26T15:28:00.000-08:00

So here is a little something i put together that i have been interested in. Raspberry ketones are in two great products Dermatherm from Primordial (we will carry soon) and ThermoGum. Bare with me as there were only a few studies out there on raspberry ketones and its effects on humans.

Raspberry Ketone Overview
Raspberry Ketones significantly increase norepinephrine-induced lipolysis associated with the translocation of hormone-sensitive lipase from the cytosol to lipid droplets in epididymal fat cells. In conclusion, Raspberry Ketone prevents and improves obesity and fatty liver. These effects appear to stem from the action of Raspberry Ketone in altering the lipid metabolism, or more specifically, in increasing norepinephrine-induced lipolysis in white adipocytes [1].

Now if you’re sitting here going what is all that, lets break down the mechanism of Raspberry Ketones a little more in depth.

Norephinephrine
As a stress hormone, norepinephrine affects parts of the brain where attention and responding actions are controlled. Along with epinephrine, norepinephrine also underlies the fight-or-flight response, directly increasing heart rate, triggering the release of glucose from energy stores, and increasing blood flow to skeletal muscle.

Triglycerides are transported through the blood to appropriate tissues (adipose, muscle, etc) by lipoproteins such as chylomicrons. Triglycerides present on the chylomicrons undergo lipolysis by the cellular lipases of target tissues which yield glycerol and free fatty acids. Free fatty acids released into the blood are then available for cellular uptake. Free fatty acids not immediately taken up by cells may bind to albumin for transport to surrounding tissues that require energy [2].

Lipase
Lipase is an enzyme necessary for the absorption and digestion of nutrients in the intestines. This digestive enzyme is responsible for breaking down lipids (fats), in particular triglycerides, which are fatty substances in the body that come from fat in the diet. Once broken down into smaller components, triglycerides are more easily absorbed in the intestines. Lipase is primarily produced in the pancreas, but is also produced in the mouth and stomach. Lipases also act at a specific position on the glycerol backbone of lipid substrate (A1, A2 or A3). For example, human pancreatic lipase (HPL),[3]which is the main enzyme to break down fats in the human digestive system, converts triglyceride substrates found in ingested oil to monoglycerides and free fatty acids.

In Conclusion, Raspberry Ketones trigger a full blown reaction throughout the body. Once ingested by the body, Raspberry Ketones trigger a norepinephrine release. This causes the release of glucose from energy stores and increases the breakdown of triglycerides into free fatty acids. Once this has been completed Lipase takes over and breaks down the fats allowing them to be digested by the intestines. With this taking place your body will need to release more free fatty acids for energy since what was stored is now being burned.

Slin Sane, Insulin supplement, Insulin, Insulin carbohydrates

2009-12-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

SLIN SANE (LIMITED TIME 21.95 NEW AND IMPROVED)

Physique athletes have long since realized the profound benefits of the anabolic hormone insulin, whether it be through maximizing endogenous timing and release or simply by injecting the exogenous compound. Insulin release is stimulated in the body simply by the ingestion of carbohydrates, certain amino acids, or the combination of both. However, many people have inherent dysfunction in the complex insulin signaling cascade, which can result in limited nutrient uptake by the muscle cells, excessive uptake by the fat cells, too much insulin released, or too little insulin released. Even those with proper nutrient signaling can still greatly benefit their quest for increased muscle gain and accelerated fat loss by optimizing the body’s nutrient storage capabilities.

Slin-Sane was designed to be just that nutrient storage optimization tool, by working to maximize uptake of glucose and amino acids at the muscle cell through multiple angles similar to and in conjunction with insulin, while delivering increased vascularity and muscle fullness.

Overview of ingredients and function

Lagerstroemia Speciosa

A small to medium sized tree grown throughout parts of southern Asia, the leaves of Lagerstroemia Speciosa (LS) yield a novel compound called Banaba. Commonly used in Phillipine folk medicine to treat symptoms of diabetes, this compound shows great promise for its multi-faceted beneficial interaction with glucose and insulin.
Initially, researchers thought banaba’s positive effects to be solely related to its content of corosolic acid, but studies have since shown there may be multiple other compounds in the leaf that contribute to its numerous benefits.
Multiple studies have shown LS to have the ability to increase translocation of the GLUT4 receptor at the muscle cell, therefore allowing increased nutrient uptake (1,9). This cellular receptor is the main gatekeeper for nutrient influx, and optimal expression can greatly enhance cellular storage capabilities, increasing muscle fullness.

A recent study out of Japan found a significant reduction in blood glucose response after feeding sugar to subjects pretreated with LS versus subjects who didn’t take the supplement (2). A similar study published in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice also showed a potent glucose lowering effect over control from ingestion of 75g of glucose after administration of LS (6). In addition to reduction in glucose response to food intake, LS has been shown in multiple studies to lower fasting glucose and insulin levels, a key marker in overall health and cell responsiveness to nutrient sensing (3,8,10,13).
Aside from Lagerstroemia’s basic glucose stabilizing effects, it touts numerous other capabilities related to health and longevity including elevating insulin sensitivity (8), lowering free fatty acids, blood pressure, CRP, and oxidative stress (7), suppression of adipocyte differentiation similar to AICAR (5), reducing triglycerides and A1C levels (8), and significantly lowering hepatic lipid content (11).

Looking at things purely from a body composition angle, LS can help promote the anabolic effects of insulin by mimicking the hormone and working through an independent mechanism of insulin itself (12), act anti-catabolically to prevent muscle breakdown (4), lower fasting glucose/insulin levels, and increaseinsulin sensitivity to aid in fat loss and muscle gain.

Lagerstroemia Review
Enhances glucose uptake at muscle cell
Reduces fat gain from a high fat diet
Lowers blood glucose response to feeding
Reduces fasting glucose, insulin, triglycerides, FFA’s, CRP and A1C
Increases insulin sensitivity and GLUT4 translocation
Increases adiponectin

Gymnema Sylvestre
Used as a natural treatment for diabetic symptoms in parts of India for thousands of years, this tropical herb has many promising attributes for the modern day physique enthusiast. Much of the research on this compound has focused on diabetic conditions, with some pretty incredible results.
Studies have shown Gymnema to reverse elevated cholesterol and triglycerides (15,17,26), decrease serum blood glucose in a fasted and fed state (16,20,22,24,26), and improve the time it takes to clear glucose from the bloodstream post-prandially (24). A long term study out of India looked at diabetics who had been given Gymnema daily for up to a year, and found that fasting glucose levels had dropped from an average of 232 mg/dL to a remarkable 152 mg/dL, with no change in the control group. The Gymnema group was able to halve their required insulin dosages over the course of the study, and they also showed a significant drop in A1C levels (22), which was later confirmed by a 2009 study in the journal Phytomedicine (26).

Gymnema has a profound effect on the insulin secreting cells of the pancreas, known as the beta cells located inside the islets of Langerhans. The herb has the unique ability to stimulate insulin release, even without the presence of carbs (18), and can actually regenerate the beta cells that often become damaged and dysfunctioning over time (22). One study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology even found Gymnema to double the number of beta and islet cells in diabetic rats (23).
Aside from the profound effects on pancreatic function, Gymnema also acts at nutrient destination cells by increasing permeability of cell walls, which assists in the process of nutrient uptake (18). Damaged cell walls become less permeable over time, due to excess insulin in the bloodstream and dietary deficiencies, among other things. Gymnema acts as sort of a cellular repair kit, restoring optimal function.

The addition of Gymnema alongside Lagerstroemia to Slin-Sane allows for a two-pronged attack for optimization of glucose and insulin. By increasing the enzymes responsible for glucose utilization (25), enhancing the action of endogenous insulin (22), stimulating insulin release and repairing beta cells, increasing cell permeability and repairing insulin induced damage to the liver, kidney and muscle cells (25), Gymnema will aid in driving nutrients into the muscles for a full, pumped feeling and increased performance.

Gymnema Review
Stimulates insulin release and mimicks insulin
Increases nutrient uptake
Increases cell permeability
Reduces serum glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and A1C
Elevates HDL levels
Regenerates pancreatic cells

L-Norvaline
An analogue of the branched chain amino acid L-Valine, this compound was chosen due to its vasodilating properties for an increase vascularity, muscle pump, and nutrient delivery.

L-Norvaline works by inhibiting the arginase enzyme, which is responsible for the breakdown of L-Arginine into L-Ornithine and urea (28-30). An animal study published in the American Journal of Heart and Circulatory Physiology found that L-Norvaline increased Nitric Oxide production by 55% (28).

L-Norvaline Review

Increases Nitric Oxide production
Causes vasodilation and muscle pump

Slin-Sane Overview

Enhances vasodilation and muscle pumps
Elevates nitric oxide
Drives nutrients into cells
Stimulates insulin release, mimicks insulin and enhances insulin’s endogenous effect
Reduces fasting glucose and insulin
Reduces glucose response to meals
Reduces fat gain and speeds up fat loss
Regenerates pancreatic beta cells
Supports healthy blood lipids
Lowers liver lipid content (major factor in cardiovascular disease)
Increases plasma adiponectin

1. When should I take Slin-Sane, and do I need to cycle it?

Slin-Sane should be taken before carbohydrate heavy meals (30g or more). Take 1 capsule about 15 minutes before you start eating. If you’re using it every day, you may want to take a couple of weeks off after a month of use as its generally a good idea to cycle any supplement, although studies have used the ingredients for long durations with no ill effects.

2. How do I use Slin-Sane for a muscle building phase?

You should be able to increase your carbohydrate intake higher than a normal “bulking” phase with the use of Slin-Sane, due to its favorable nutrient partitioning effects you won’t have to worry about excess fat gain. Take 1 capsule before 3 carbohydrate heavy meals and up your carbs by about 20-30% above intake for normal muscle building phases. Be sure to take a serving before your workouts, and sip on a fast absorbing carb+protein shake while training. You should notice a significant increase in pump and vascularity during the workout, and noticeably
faster muscle gain over the course of usage.

3. How do I use Slin-Sane for a fat loss phase?

Again you should be able to lose fat on a slightly higher carb intake than normal, but you’ll want to cut your carb intake down significantly from a muscle building phase. You can try timing most of your daily carbs around weight training (a shake during the workout and one carb heavy meal after), and take a serving of Slin-Sane before each. You can also spread your carbs out into three meals throughout the day with a serving of Slin-Sane before each. You should notice accelerated fat loss over the course of usage.

4. Can I take Slin-Sane without carbs?

This is not recommended due to its hypoglycemic effects; however certain advanced users may want to experiment with Slin-Sane before meals on a very low carbohydrate or ketogenic diet. Just be sure to have some carbs around in case hypoglycemia starts to sneak up on you, as it can be fairly uncomfortable.

5. Can females use Slin-Sane?

Absolutely. Slin-Sane works the same way in women as it does in men, and none of the ingredients exhibit any sort of gender specific effect.

6. Slin-Sane safe to stack with other supplements?

Definitely. Slin-Sane is safe with most other supplements, just watch out for anything that is known to lower blood glucose or increase insulin sensitivity. You should avoid any of the various forms of Alpha Lipoic Acid at the same meal as Slin-Sane, and you may want to time fish oil with meals away from the Slin-Sane, or use a lower dose than normal at the same meal.

References
1. Shi L, Zhang W, Zhou YY, Zhang YN, Li JY, Hu LH, Li J. 2008. Corosolic acid stimulates glucose uptake via enhancing insulin receptor phosphorylation. Eur J Pharmaco. 584(1):21-9.
2. Takagi S, Miura T, Ishibashi C, Kawata T, Ishihara E, Gu Y, Ishida T. 2008. Effect of corosolic acid on the hydrolysis of disaccharides. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 54(3):266-8.
3. Yamada K, Hosokawa M, Yamada C, Watanabe R, Fujimoto S, Fujiwara H, Kunitomo M, Miura T, Kaneko T, Tsuda K, Seino Y, Inagaki N. 2008. Dietary corosolic acid ameliorates obesity and hepatic steatosis in KK-Ay mice. Biol Pharm Bull. 31(4):651-5.
4. Yamada K, Hosokawa M, Fujimoto S, Fujiwara H, Fujita Y, Harada N, Yamada C, Fukushima M, Ueda N, Kaneko T, Matsuyama F, Yamada Y, Seino Y, Inagaki N. 2008. Effect of corosolic acid on gluconeogenesis in rat liver. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 80(1):48-55.
5. Zong W, Zhao G. 2007. Corosolic acid isolation from the leaves of Eriobotrta japonica showing the effects on carbohydrate metabolism and differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 16 Suppl 1:346-52.
6. Fukushima M, Matsuyama F, Ueda N, Egawa K, Takemoto J, Kajimoto Y, Yonaha N, Miura T, Kaneko T, Nishi Y, Mitsui R, Fujita Y, Yamada Y, Seino Y. 2006. Effect of corosolic acid on postchallenge plasma glucose levels. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 73(2):174-7.
7. Yamaguchi Y, Yamada K, Yoshikawa N, Nakamura K, Haginaka J, Kunitomo M. 2006. Corosolic acid prevents oxidative stress, inflammation and hypertension in SHR/NDmcr-cp rats, a model of metabolic syndrome. Life Sci. 79(26):2474-9.
8.Park MY, Lee KS, Sung MK. 2005. Effects of dietary mulberry, Korean red ginseng, and banaba on glucose homeostasis in relation to PPAR-alpha, PPAR-gamma, and LPL mRNA expressions. Life Sci. 77(26):3344-54.
9.Miura T, Itoh Y, Kaneko T, Ueda N, Ishida T, Fukushima M, Matsuyama F, Seino Y. 2004. Corosolic acid induces GLUT4 translocation in genetically type 2 diabetic mice. Biol Pharm Bull. 27(7):1103-5.
10. Judy WV, Hari SP, Stogsdill WW, Judy JS, Naguib YM, Passwater R. 2003. Antidiabetic activity of a standardized extract (Glucosol) from Lagerstroemia speciosa leaves in Type II diabetics. A dose-dependence study. J Ethnopharmacol. 87(1):115-7.
11. Suzuki Y, Unno T, U****ani M, Hayashi K, Kakuda T. 1999. Antiobesity activity of extracts from Lagerstroemia speciosa L. leaves on female KK-Ay mice. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 45(6):791-5.
12. Hattori K, Sukenobu N, Sasaki T, Takasuga S, Hayashi T, Kasai R, Yamasaki K, Hazeki O. Activation of insulin receptors by lagerstroemin. J Pharmacol Sci. 2003 Sep;93(1):69-73.
13. Liu F, Kim J, Li Y, Liu X, Li J, Chen X. An extract of Lagerstroemia speciosa L. has insulin-like glucose uptake-stimulatory and adipocyte differentiation-inhibitory activities in 3T3-L1 cells. J Nutr. 2001 Sep;131(9):2242-7.
14. Ramkumar KM, Manjula C, Sankar L, Suriyanarayanan S, Rajaguru P. 2009. Potential in vitro antioxidant and protective effects of Gymnema montanum H. on alloxan-induced oxidative damage in pancreatic beta-cells, HIT-T15. Food Chem Toxicol. 47(9):2246-56.
15. Ramkumar KM, Vijayakumar RS, Ponmanickam P, Velayuthaprabhu S, Archunan G, Rajaguru P. 2008. Antihyperlipidaemic effect of Gymnema montanum: a study on lipid profile and fatty acid composition in experimental diabetes. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 103(6):538-45.
16. Gholap S, Kar A. 2003. Effects of Inula racemosa root and Gymnema sylvestre leaf extracts in the regulation of corticosteroid induced diabetes mellitus: involvement of thyroid hormones. Pharmazie. 58(6):413-5.
17. Shigematsu N, Asano R, Shimosaka M, Okazaki M. 2001. Effect of administration with the extract of Gymnema sylvestre R. Br leaves on lipid metabolism in rats. Biol Pharm Bull. 24(6):713-7.
18. Persaud SJ, Al-Majed H, Raman A, Jones PM. 1999. Gymnema sylvestre stimulates insulin release in vitro by increased membrane permeability. J Endocrinol. 163(2):207-12.

Yohimbine HCL, Fat loss, Topical Yohimbine, transdermal yohimbine hcl

2009-12-26T14:55:00.000-08:00

About Yohimbine HCL and its effects.

Let's try and make this as simple as possible! Basically Yohimbine works mainly by blocking alpha adrenoreceptors (I know that doesn't sound simple but stick with me!).

Norepinephrine (NE) is one of the bodies primary lipolytic (fat burning) hormones. One of the times NE is released is after periods of stress or after taking sypathomimetics, for example, Ephedrine.

Now, our bodies can sometimes prevent the release of NE through a number of feedback mechanisms. When NE is released it stimulates BOTH the alpha and beta adrenoreceptors.

The stimulation of beta causes fat to break down where as stimulating the alpha will prevent the release of norepinephrine (NE) and thus, prevent fat loss.

Hence why Yohimbine is used to BLOCK the alpha receptors and prevent this feedback mechanism from taking place, increasing the potential for fat loss. yahoo!

Sounds good so far but there are even more benefits to be had by blocking alpha receptors with Yohimbine. "Stubborn" fatty areas (usually the abdominal area in men and butt and thighs area in women) contain a higher ratio of alpha receptors, which means that Yohimbine is particularly effective in these areas and may just have an arguement for those who think that spot reduction of a particular area is impossible.

Another effect of Yohimbine HCL is an increase in blood flow. Due to the increase in blood flow Yohimbine has been used as an aid to erectile dysfunction in men. Yohimbine as been around for a very long time since it is derived from the bark of a West African tree Pausinystalia yohimbe. Therefore, Yohimbinecan work to sexually arouse men (and women) by increasing blood flow and reducing sexual exhaustion. A nice side benefit to say the least.

Who should take Yohimbine?

Yohimbine is an effective fat loss agent and would therefore best benefit anybody looking to decrease their bodyfat levels (Depending on an individuals tolerance to Yohimbine).

How much Yohimbine HCL should you take?

A dosing protocol of about 0.1mg per lb of users bodyweight per day ie 20mg for a 200lb male is a sensible dose which would be effective for fat loss and free of side effects.

It is best to start out a lower dosage to access tolerance and effects. Yohimbine HCL is typically adminsitered 3 times a day due to its short half life of about 2 hours. To maximize the benefits of Yohimbine HCL it is best to take it on an empty as it has been found that taking it with a meal can minimize its fat burning effects.

Side effects of Yohimbine HCL?

At a resonable dose Yohimbine HCL is completely safe and side effect free. The most common side effects reported at a higher dosage includes anxiety and is not recommended for those that are prone to panick attacks.

Other common side effects are increased blood pressure and maybe an elevated heart rate. Again, these usually do not show up when using Yohimbine HCL at a resonable dosage.

What is the end story to all of this?

Basically Yohimbine HCL is good for many reasons for many different people. First it helps with blood flow which then helps with sexual performance ie erectile dysfunction. On top of that extra little boost, Yohimbine HCL blocks alpha receptors therefore allowing faster weight lose. To the best of anyones knowleadge the best pure Yohimbine HCL made is from Prima Force.

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