Response to Reader Question About Weightloss

M:

As we discussed, I’ll be
happy to give you
some ideas that will help
jump start your weightloss
challenge…

I know how difficult it is.

There are some real important things
you can do right away that shouldn’t
require a huge adjustment in your life
style, but will begin to show immediate
results, which in turn should motivate
you to go further with it.

Keys:

One: Eating 5-6 small meals during
the day, will keep you feeling satisfied
without the carb craving between meals
that you would get with two or three.

I have a 5-6 meals plan enclosed.
Using this system will keep your
progress slow and steady, which is
important for several reasons we
will discuss later.
.

Two: Avoid certain problem foods.
Some of these are for insulin or
hormonal reasons, some because
they are foods with low nutritional
value while loading you up with
useless calories.

These are:

Soy Products.
( Check your ingredients,
they’re everywhere, but you
can avoid them )

Trans-fats. ( one of the reasons-
hydrogenated fats are more
difficult for the body to process
as fuel, so they just get stored
as fat ).
Just use olive oil…
even when you bake!

Fast foods. You cannot
control all the junk they put
in this stuff, so you must avoid
them. Fried foods in particular
are an anathema to someone
who is watching their weight.

High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Fructose in general isn’t all
that great for weight control,
and HFCS is the worst.
Of course, this means NO SODA.
( You might think, well how
about ‘Diet’ Soda, but artificial
sweeteners are next on the list.)

Artificial Sweeteners.
( See, I told ya. )

.

Three: Walk at least 20
minutes a day, and start to build
up your time and pace as it
becomes easier. Start it at
your own pace.

Add exercise system enclosed
after you’ve gotten your
metabolism amped up
from the walking – ( 14-21 days )

If you just do these, in a couple
weeks, you’ll see some results
and be ready for the next level.

EASY , huh ?

Well, it’s easy once you’ve done it .

There is plenty of info on my site to help,
and after you’ve done this for a couple,
email me back and we’ll start working
on the next steps.

C

Building Legs of Steel

Lemme tell ya… of all the muscle groups in the body, legs are the group that a lot of guys just downright refuse to work.

Most guys just love to work upper body, particularly arms… but so many neglect legs- maybe ’cause working legs HURTS.

(Damned if my knees aren’t burning and screamin most of the time…… )

That’s why you see so many unbalanced physiques….
…….. mooks with big upper bodies and lil bird legs.

Guys struttin around the gym looking like Purdue chickens, all breast meat.

Ok… well, that may not be the ONLY reason….. genetics plays a part, but genetics can be partially overcome with the proper work, diet, supplementation, and rest.

In the end, one must apply heavy force, while protecting the joints, if you want to strengthen and grow your legs and calves.

Form is vital – cause your joints take all the weight that isn’t properly balanced and folcumed.

But take heart.

You can love working legs. I promise.

I do – even though my knees hate me most of the week because of it.

Working legs separates the men from the boys… working heavy separates the strong from the wanna-look-strong.

‘Cause there’s no faking legs.

I always say – “If you’re scared- say you’re scared.”

The truth is, a lot of guys are scared of working legs heavy… but your legs and calves are the strongest groups in your body- they’re meant to take heavier weight than the rest of your body.

Actually, when you work legs, you’re working several other groups usually, too… but the ones we’ll concern ourselves with in this discussion will be CALVES (soleus, etc), THIGHS (quads, etc), and BUTTS (gluteus, etc.)

No guy wants to admit to working his butt, but your butt (…Wait, am I stuttering?) is part of the whole leg package – and strength here will help drive heavier deadlifts and other lifts, too.

Baby may got back, but you – you want POWAH.

You ain’t strong- unless your legs, butt, and calves are strong……

You gotta be able to put the power to the ground.

Before we discuss implements and movements, lemme tell you a couple things that you might want to consider.

One is the use of knee wraps. I use them every time I work legs. They are NOT a crutch. They are NOT weight bearing. They are NOT cheating (like a bench suit, etc.). They simply provide support for the patella (knee cap) and the surrounding ligaments and tendons. You don’t need to stress those bad boys to build powerful legs – if you do, you won’t be able to put the power to the ground when you need to.

And, no power to the ground means you might as well have them bird legs we were talking about.

Two is about how much weight you should use when working legs.

Remembering that I don’t want any of you burning out your wheels or blowing out your knees, and reminding you of my disclaimer at the bottom of this here post, I can tell you that the harder you work em, the bigger and stronger they’ll get. Growth is nature’s way of coping with a recurring stressor of muscle fiber – especially those fast twitch fibers — and fast twitch fibers respond particularly well to short duration, high intensity work.

The wrong way to grow legs is to do high reps and low weight…. and that’s how most guys work em. No wonder they won’t grow. You’ll end with legs that look long and lean in running shorts, but them dogs won’t hunt.

So, how much weight? Depending on the implement or movement, around 75% of 1RM for 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

Three is knowing the difference between good pain and bad pain.

Good pain feels like pain, but you’ve gotten to know it as temporary , as a result of the pump, and the build up of lactic acid and ammonia from the application of force. You should feel THIS pain every time you work out. If you don’t , get the hell back in there and work some more.

Bad pain feels like pain, too… but it also feels like you’re tearing something up…. you know- like the difference between the usual grunt and growl of your V-Twin and the noise it makes when the damn thing is about to throw a rod.

You gotta learn the difference. You do that the same way you learn to lift heavier weights. You start slow, you pay attention to what it’s supposed to feel like, and then you build up… all the time asking yourself if you’re doing it right and everything’s still OK.

Again, high resistance , low reps…. rest about 3 minutes between sets. You should need the rest – and you shouldn’t have much left after your 8 or 10- if you do, throw some more weight on that thing. Slow and easy on the reps…. don’t ‘lock out’, and never go in the well unless you know how you’re getting out again… better yet, stay outta there. It’s too rough on your joints for so little return.

Four: Blocking is an important technique especially when squatting. Basically, this means sucking in some air, pushing your chest out, your shoulder in, and flexing your abdominals. This supports your internal structure, and gives you more stability and concentration of power.

Here’s how Delavier describes it:

” The chest expands with compressed air, which supports the rib cage and prevents the chest from collapsing forward.

Contracting the abdominal muscles during compression supports the core and increases the intra-abdominal pressure, which prevents the torso from collapsing forward.

Arching the lower back by contracting the lumbar muscles positions the spinal column in a strong and proper alignment during extension. ”

——————————————(Frederic Delavier, “Strength Training Anatomy”)

and Five: I’m not gonna go back over all the stuff you need to know about how important your hormone levels and proper supplementation is to your gains… see
http://hubpages.com/hub/Supplements-for-Strength-and-Fitness for more info….

just remember, this and rest are just as important as working hard!!

Movements and Implements

SQUATS
Works all parts of the quadriceps and gluteus. I like to use the Smith Machine, and position the bar between the traps and the posterior delt – you may be more comfortable with the bar resting on the traps. Stay outta the well. When your quads are parallel to the ground, that’s plenty good. Don’t flex your spine during your squat, and remember your natural arch and blocking. Breathe in before going down, breathe out coming up.

GOOD MORNINGS
Works most of your thigh muscles and your erectors in your back, as well as your gluteus.
You can target your hammies by keeping your legs straight. Don’t do these while incarcerated or at the beach in Key West.

LEG PRESS
Works all parts of the quadriceps and gluteus. Make sure you keep your back flat to the pad, and your butt on the seat. You can change up where you place your feet, and how far apart they are, to target more specific groups… for instance, high and wide hits the glutes and hammies harder… low and close hits the quads harder. Vary it up and see which spots are the sweet ones fer you.

CABLE KICKBACKS
Works the glutes and the bicep femoris. Don’t extend any further back than is comfortable.
Slow movement back and forward is the key here.

LEG EXTENSIONS
Works all parts of the quads. Decline the seat more to work the outside quad (the rectus femoris).

LEG CURLS
Works the hammies, biceps femoris (no- not the biceps in your arm…) and the gastrocnemius (back of your calves). Go to 12 oclock and stop- don’t bounce – and then back down.

CABLE ABDUCTIONS
Works the hammies, abductors, and your G-Spot if you got one. I hate these, and I don’t do em. If you want to, be sure to keep your natural arch and don’t go too heavy. They’re great for building inner thigh strength- just in case you’re a female assasin and meet James Bond in the shower.

CALF RAISES
Works the gastrocnemius and the soleus in your calves. I love these, and do them on a Smith Machine so I can get more range of motion. Don’t be afraid to go heavier!!

SOLEUS RAISES
Works the soleus… keep your patella at the end of the pad, and don’t go ape shit on the weight here… that’s a small group.

LUNGES
Works the quads, hams and glutes. Ok… I hate these too,,,, and I’ll usually do more squats and skip these for the sake of my knees. However, Ronnie Coleman loves them, he used to go very heavy on em… and he’s not exactly a small guy, legs or anything else. He used to do these in the parking lot of the Metroflex Gym in Dallas, rain or shine, hot, hotter, or hottest- with 400 pounds of chains around his neck. Step longer to get the hammies, shorter to hit the quads.

Well, there you have it. This workout you can do once or twice a week, and you’ll start seeing results in 6 to 8 weeks,…. don’t be tempted to break these up into separate days, cause that’ll cut into your rest and recovery, and these groups need it. Just pick the ones you like the best (spread the groups around, though, and stick with your push-pull rotation when possible) and do them first, then pickup the rest as your endurance allows.

Lemme know how you’re doing !!!

Disclaimer: any and all commentary contain herein is for entertainment only, and does not constitute advice- which can only be given under the up-close and personal supervision of a personal trainer who can watch you closely to make sure you’re doing the stuff right and not hurting yourself. see your medical professional before entertaining any ideas of using the entertainment contained within this entertainment for your own entertainment.

Want to read more on working legs? Check out : http://westsideboti.wordpress.com/2013/07/20/building-big-legs/

Building Biceps and Triceps Over 40

Mature Muscle– ARMS

Building Biceps and Triceps

I do get a lot of questions at the gym.

But most of those questions,

at least from men,

have to do with building ‘big guns’,

especially in relation to the biceps.

To me,

it’s interesting how much focus people put
on such a small, relatively insignificant muscle group.

I say ‘insignificant’ because bicep size usually only
constitutes less than 35% of arm circumference,
and even less in terms of strength.

If you really want to grow your arms,

you gotta focus on developing
not only the biceps,

but more importantly, the triceps–

(and don’t forget the forearms).

But this isn’t as hard as it sounds.

It simply requires the right
amount of resistance,

applied in the right way,

…..  added to the right nutrients,

… the right hormones

and the right rest.

Right?

Easy.

Oh sure.

Well, ok….

It does require some effort.

And, you kinda knew it would, right ?

I teach the ‘push-pull’ system to my
mature clients, and it certainly works,
without causing the kind of exhaustion,
pain and recovery issues of other methods.

If you’re 20, maybe you don’t need
push-pull — if you’re 50, you’d better use it.

Here’s how it works:

In terms of the push-pull system
of implement rotation,
every set you ‘pull’ using your arms,
you’re working your biceps,
every set you ‘push’- your triceps.

So, to use the push-pull rotation, you might do
three sets of bench presses (triceps) ,
then three sets of curls (biceps) ,
then three of military presses (triceps) ,
then heavy rows (biceps), and so on, etc.

Of course, you’re working other groups here
as well, but you get the operative principle.

Just remember –
push (triceps) , pull (biceps).

A partial list of triceps movements would be:
push-ups, benches and inclines, mp’s and shoulder presses.

A partial list of biceps movements would be:
pull ups, rows, pull-downs, and curls.

A real consideration here will be your choice of weight (resistance).

While it’s not necessary to use a great deal
of weight when growing these groups, the
resistance level should be enough to stimulate
growth, with 3 sets of 12 reps in the 55-65%
of 1RM range.

Injuries to the tendons and joints
are common- so don’t lift with your ego.

That said, I like to use elbow
wraps when I do go heavy.

Watch your form – don’t slouch, slop the
weight around, cheat, or hyperextend.

The arm is not just bi’s and tri’s, though…

Despite the fact that most everything you do
when working your bi’s and tri’s also works
your forearms, the muscles of the forearm
must also be targeted in order to achieve
the perfect arm symmetry.

This is accomplished through the flexing
and extending of the forearm muscles
through the wrist, using movements like
wrist curls and squeeze grips…

(This will have the added advantage
of strengthening the grip, which will be
of great use in amping up your workouts
in general),

…… and curls folcrumed at the
elbow, like hammer curls.

watch your spelling

Again, careful attention should be
given when selecting the training
weights, though….

— the wrist is easily injured through
sloppy form, shock, too much resistance, etc.

Wrist straps can be helpful in this regard.

But-
what about all those guys who
work their arms extremely hard,
and get no size increases at all?

Increasing the size of ANY muscle group
isn’t JUST a matter of a willingness to work them hard.

There are three other things to consider…..

Remember the first rule of building muscle size:

you don’t grow when you’re working out…

you grow after you’ve worked out- during your recovery.

If your muscles haven’t had time to recover, they can’t grow.

So, number one– rest is just as important as work.
Don’t target a group more than twice a week.

Two – remember your muscles need food to grow – lots of proteins.
Supplementing with whey protein before and immediately after will
provide the basic building blocks your body needs for muscle hypertrophy.

Three– the proper metabolic state to build muscle must be present-
this includes having the necessary balance of hormones and enzymes.
Getting the proper amount of rest will help keep your growth hormone
and testosterone levels in the right range, and there are perfectly legal,
wholesome supplements available to further assist in this….

I always recommend Creatine Monohydrate to people wishing
to increase muscle size, not only because of the dramatic volumizing
and strength gains, but also due to it’s very low incidence of side effects.
It’s safe and effective for the vast majority of people;
that said, remember that creatine will eventually effect
your creatinine levels in a negative way, so going long
term without laying off it a month or so every 3-6 months
of so is probably a bad idea.

I train mostly for strength, so I also like Beta-Alanine…
eventually, strength gains translate into size if you train
hard enough, in which case, you might want to try it, too.

Don’t forget your BCAA’s for workout fuel and Glutamine for recovery.

There is also a valuable supplement that I highly recommend
if you can afford enough of it — HMB — β-Hydroxy β-methylbutyric acid,
otherwise known by the brand names “Juven” or “ReVigor”.

It’s basically a metabolite of the branched chain amino acid Leucine,
but acts somewhat differently in this form.

It works by conserving existing muscle after workouts, promoting
additional muscle growth, faster muscle development and better
overall recovery.

The problem is that it’s kinda expensive, and you’ve simply got
to take enough for it to work—-  so, figure about .03 grams
per pound of body weight.

For those of you (like me) who hate math, this equates to
4.5 grams for a 150 pound adult.

For more on supplements, see my extensive post on the subject.

Now, go get it.

Zen and the Art of Powerlifting

Weight trainers, and particularly power lifters,
combine the concentration and cooperation
of all three kinds of being-
mental, physical and spiritual,
to achieve something approaching
‘mind over matter’.

Being a big fan of Eastern philosophy
has it’s advantages…. because, in
weight lifting, you often find yourself
faced with questions that could easily
qualify as Koans….

…………… and like everything in life,
powerlifting is all in the way you look at it….

First, here’s a classic Koan:

A monk was asked to discard everything. “But I have nothing,” he exclaimed. “Discard that too!” ordered his master.

Now, the powerlifter’s Koan:

A powerlifter complained that he was working too hard. “Add more weight”, demanded his trainer.

A very helpful concept in Eastern Philosophy is the concept of mind over matter…..

Let’s say you got 500 pounds loaded up on a machine or implement, pick any one you like…..

You can look at that 500 pounds and run each one of those pounds over in your mind…..
and equate them to “real world” weight – 500 bags of sugar for instance….

Now, if you piled 500 one pound bags of sugar up in front of someone and said “Lift that” ,
they’d tell you to take a long flying jump off a short dry dock….

….. because part of the function of the conscious mind is to KEEP YOU FROM DOING SUCH STUPID STUFF.

The trick to powerlifting is not to think of the weight as work – as real weight – as 500 units of anything – but as weightless – meaningless– resistanceless.

You pick it up because you know you can – because you’ve already visualized yourself doing it – because your mind has told your body you can do it…. and so, your body complies.

Sure, you can over do it – and you’ve got to build up to it –
after all, your mind ain’t STOOOPID, and your body isn’t made of steel….
– the mental conditioning is a PART of the package – not the package itself –
without physical training, your body’s not gonna cash those checks your mind is writing……

When faced with a particularly heavy weight, I like to imagine big helium balloons attached to them….. I know that probably sounds crazy, but it really does work – your subconscious mind can be a help or a hindrance – I like to have it working for me and not against me – so I use any tool I can to keep the edge.

The same goes for visualization – if you imagine yourself being successful doing a task ahead of time, you will be invariably more successful performing that task. It works for baseball, it works for football, it works for bowling, it works for lifting, it works for sex, it works for ANYTHING.

Commitment to a task – what Zen calls acceptance – is nothing more than putting your whole essence into it – anybody who has ever deadlifted at max weight will tell you what this is about – you have to have complete focus, and be willing to use everything at your disposal to get it done.

Once it’s done, you look back and see why it worked – because you were totally IN the moment.

And the techniques of mediation are also extremely helpful – especially during that rest phase between sets …. controlled breathing, set focus, clear mind – these are essential for rapid recovery and repair … and for pain management during and after.

So, what can someone who is not well versed in Eastern Philosophy take away from all this?

Why not try these simple ideas for yourself, in whatever activity YOU like…

1: Adjustment of mental values – It’s not how heavy it is, but how LIGHT. Not how hard, but how EASY.

2: Set your mind on your goal – See your goal as already accomplished in all but the final act.

3: Visualize doing it as well as it’s ever been done before. Or better.

4: Acceptance – it IS, what it IS – the only variable you can change is yourself.

5: Commitment – In the gym, you will hear me say this over and over and over —-
YOU MUST COMMIT TO THE LIFT – before, during and after.
Give it everything you got – don’t hold back – this is the one that counts.

6: Use what God gave you to the best advantage – relax, breathe, concentrate, live in the moment.

Let me know how they work for you. OK?

OK.

Training Heavy and DOMS

Training for Strength does not just involve weight training…

Although it certainly would be simpler that way, and there’d be an awful lot more strong people out there….

But since it involves three distinct systemic requirements, most people don’t really see a large up-swing in strength even they might work out very hard in the gym for years.

Those three requirements are:

Progressively increasing resistance.

Proper diet and supplementation.

Sufficient recovery and a strategy to deal with DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.)

(Although this blog will deal primarily with the third requirement, it might be best to touch upon the first two in brief.)

Progressively increasing resistance means doing a couple of things…
1) using enough weight to work a particular muscle to failure, but not too much as to fail to get a full series of sets.
( example: 3×10, at 70% 1RM)

2) slowly increasing the amount of weight used on a particular movement, during the course of time.
( example: adding 5 pounds every couple of weeks, while keeping the same number of reps)

Proper diet and supplementation refers to keeping those things your body needs to grow and get stronger bio-available during the most-essential times… especially within 1 hour of starting and ending a workout, and first thing in the morning.

Of all the possible scenarios, the minimum rules are these:
a) Never skip breakfast
b) Eat small meals throughout the day
c) Use the 40/30/30 plan
d) Get at least 50g Whey Protein before and after your workout!
before- add 5g BCAA, 5g Glutamine, 5g Creatine, 5g Beta-Alanine.
after- add Carbs, 5g BCAA, 5g Glutamine, 5g Cissus, 3 g Gluco-Chond-MSM.

Recovery and DOMS

If you’re as stubborn and bullheaded as me, you want to workout hard every day.

Of course, you shouldn’t, because growth in muscle and strength is dependent on REST between workouts.

But, if one can squeeze in more intense workouts, by ‘compressing’ the amount of recovery time, well… that’s a different deal altogether.

There have been a number of studies – and a few interesting facts have come to light along the way; these ideas may help you find more time for workouts, while giving your body ample time to recover.

For instance, Glycogen is an essential muscle fuel source for moderate- to high-intensity exercise.

Once depleted, the capacity to perform at these exercise intensities is lost or severely limited.

Therefore, the faster the muscle glycogen stores can be replenished after exercise the faster the recovery process and theoretically the greater the return of performance capacity.

But, interestingly enough, there are studies that indicate that the faster the glycogen stores are replenished, the less muscle fiber damage; indicating the possibility that this is not the best environment for muscle growth… however, this possibility is outweighed by the fact that the faster recovery time means a potentially quicker cycletime for exercise.

“For rapid recovery from exercise, immediately after a workout (strength or endurance), we must:

1. Rapidly replenish the low glycogen stores in our muscles.

2. Rapidly decrease the muscle protein breakdown that occurs with exercise.

3. Rapidly force further increases in muscle protein synthesis.

Failure to accomplish any one of these objectives will lead to a lowered rate of recovery from your workout. And the slower the recovery process is, the less growth you can stimulate!

Studies have found that delaying nutrient (protein and carbohydrate) consumption after a workout can greatly reduce the rate of glycogen restoration and protein synthesis. In fact, the rate of glycogen synthesis is reduced by 50% if nutrients aren’t consumed immediately after a workout.

Furthermore, it’s important to understand that post-workout protein synthesis increases (what will lead to increased muscle mass) are in part due to the rate of glycogen synthesis, increased insulin levels, and increased insulin sensitivity from the workout. As we just saw, delaying post-workout nutrients absorption will drastically decrease the rate of glycogen synthesis, which will negatively affect protein synthesis.

Plus, a few hours after a workout, the insulin sensitisation stimulated by the bout of training will be much lower: there’s a two to threefold increase in insulin sensitivity immediately post-workout. After two or three hours, it’s down to only 44% above baseline. So basically, if you wait too long after your workout to consume a mix of fast absorbing proteins and high glycemic carbohydrates, the amount of muscle you’ll build in response to your session will be significantly decreased.

Another interesting point is brought up by a study by Tipton et al. (2001) which has demonstrated that pre-workout supplementation with proteins and carbohydrates leads to a greater rate of protein synthesis following a workout than simply consuming the same drink immediately after the session.

An ideal post-workout formula would include fast-absorbing proteins, high glycemic carbs, and some additional BCAAs (which have been shown to drastically increase protein synthesis and decrease protein breakdown on their own).

I find that 30 minutes of cardio after a heavy weight session dramatically improves my rate of recovery. A recent study looked at two post-workout recovery strategies; Active Recovery (AR)- performing sub maximal exercise, cardio, or posing, to promote recovery from hard-core training sessions, versus Passive Recovery (PR)- collapsing on a recliner from complete exhaustion, in an attempt to catch one’s breath and relax their muscles for the next workout or set in the iron jungle. The study looked at three aspects of recovery: Blood Flow, Lactic Acid clearance, and Post-workout Pain.

This pain was caused by an accumulation of hydrogen ions that stimulate pain nerves located in the muscle. Performance decline is induced by both metabolic and muscular fatigue.

Metabolically, a decreased pH causes the inactivation of several enzymes, membrane nutrient transport mechanism inefficiencies, and energy decreased accessibility. All of these factors ultimately lead to reduction in the production of ATP. Thus, decreased performance. Concerning muscular exhaustion, lactic acid promotes the restrain of the actomyosin ATPase, which breaks down ATP so it can provide energy for your body. In addition, H+ interferes with calcium uptake that is essential for muscular contractions. Increased lactate may also interfere with cross bridging. These factors lead to a decline in both the force and velocity of muscular contractions.

Lactic acid can severely inhibit your athletic performance if not cleared out of your system. So finally, how do you help your body clear LA? By far, the most proficient mechanism is oxidation both during, and after exercise. Subsequently, we discuss how to accomplish this via active recovery.

First, Lactic acid is best cleared through oxidation. So any movement that supplied your body with oxygen, would be of great assistance. The optimal procedure for this is low intensity aerobic (with oxygen) movements. Did you notice I said low intensity? Though high intensity aerobics would supply ample amounts of oxygen to your body, it would also induce higher levels of lactic acid, which is counter productive.

Here is an extremely fascinating study. The effects of different recovery regimens on white blood cell count (WBCC) and muscle enzyme activities following strenuous, sub maximal, steady state workouts on a treadmill was examined. 14 athletes participated in an intense run (70-80% of their VO2 max) followed by either 15 minutes of passive recovery (complete rest), or 15 minutes of active recovery (running at 50% of their VO2 max). The results showed that PR was associated with a 35% reduction in WBCC, compared to only a 6% decrease when using AR! They concluded that AR clearly prevents the initial drop in WBCC following strenuous training sessions.

They also performed a study on which type of active recovery was most beneficial for LA clearance. Subjects performed 4 separate cool downs for 40 minutes; passive recovery, active recovery (cycling at 35% VO2 max, or at 65% VO2 max), and interval training consisting of cycling at 65% for 7 min followed by cycling at 35% for 33 minutes. The rate of blood LA disappearance was significantly greater in continuous AR at 35% VO2 max, compared with other intensity levels. They concluded that low intensity; continuous active recovery is most beneficial for LA clearance.

Athletic performance is regularly impaired by soreness. Thus, any application that limits the extent of damage or hastens recovery would be of interest and practical value to soldiers of the iron jungle. Muscular aches often occur after a hard-core training bout. These pains typically peak 24–48 hours after exercise, and are known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS is the bane of strength trainers; it keeps one from working a muscle as hard as one might otherwise, it might even keep one out of the gym altogther.

Countless hours of scientific research have been dedicated to optimal recovery from DOMS. Active recovery, once again, shows great promise to the elite athlete. Consider the following studies:

It has been established that a highly effective mean for reducing DOMS is through active resisted exercise of the affected muscle groups. Hasson et al. investigated the use of light exercise in the treatment of DOMS 24 hour’s post-eccentric quadriceps training. A significant reduction in symptoms was demonstrated.

Tiidus et al. is a major advocate of AR for DOMS. Through several experiments he has shown that for elevated muscle blood flow through low intensity exercise would be of great benefit, and would “thereby enhance healing and temporarily reduce delayed onset muscle soreness.”

“Sayers et. al compared a lighter training session (active recovery) compared to pure rest. Eight subjects rested after a taxing elbow flexor workout, while nine performed a lighter training session to aid recovery. The results showed that strength recovery was better after light exercise when compared with just rest. This study confirms, that even if you do not perform split volume training, that a light training session while the muscle is recovering can be very beneficial.”

The results are clear: performing Active Recovery exercise during recovering periods is of great assistance for alleviating DOMS, expediting recovery, and improving athletic performance, as will pre and post-workout supplementation, with protein, carbs, BCAA’s, and glutamine.

Hey- See You in the GYM!

(Note: the following post and any other posts of mine are strictly for entertainment purposes only,
and are not to be taken as medical advice or any other kind of fuckin advice for that matter…………
see your doctor before entertaining any ideas of using any of this entertainment for your own entertainment. Get it? Good.)

Breaking Out of a Training Rut

 

Strength training can take a toll on your body and your mind.

Here’s how to avoid staying in a rut you can’t pull out of.

Anybody would think that the weight lifting / strength training lifestyle would be good fer ya.

But once you’ve been doing it for a while,
… there are gonna be times when you come to doubt it.

You roll out of bed in the morning with your shoulder poppin’,
and your knees hurtin’,
and your elbows achin’,
and your back screamin’….

Of course, you might just chalk that up to getting old…..

I’m 52, and stuff is gonna hurt just natural from chasin girls all those years.

Naaaah…… 52 is the new 32, din’t ya hear?

Yeah, raht.

We all know that weight training IS good fer ya, especially if you’re over 40 –

it allows you to keep the muscle you already got,
… and maybe even put on some new muscle, too….

it helps keep your body producing vital hormones like testosterone and growth hormone….

it stimulates the mind and helps keep you alert and focused……

it is a vital part of maintaining libido, promotes firm erections, and drives motivation…..

it help keep you looking younger and fitter than most people fifteen or twenty years younger than you….

( it also puts you in close proximity with gym hotties you probably wouldnt get near without tuckin’ five dollar bills in their g-strings otherwise….. )

But some days……… yow.

I recently went through a period of time, about 5 weeks, where my training was just draggin’.

Man, I mean really draggin’.

It wasn’t like I wasnt lifting as heavy —
—it just seemed that I was just working a lot harder to get it in.

My joints seemed to hurt more, and my recovery slowed to a crawl.

I wasn’t adding more weight to the stack —
— and I was walking out of the gym every day feeling completely done in.

Now,
…. let’s talk about the several possible culprits here,

———- assuming you don’t just say that I’m past it.

Cause I ain’t.

Nowhere near.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, ask yourself the questions I have listed in BOLD.

The first thing I did when I noticed the lack of progress and the additional soreness, was to have a physical and my blood checked.

What the doctor and I were looking for was a reduction in my T-Levels, or a physiological problem, like with red blood cells or liver function.

And, although I did have raised levels of creatinine
( a by product of creatine supplementation, but also a marker for reduced liver function )

…… and a surplus of Iron —
( mens bodies don’t use much iron, and if this additional iron isn’t cleared from the system, it can be dangerous ),

there wasn’t anything immediately pertinent to the issue at hand…..

T levels looked nominal, red blood cells slightly high but ok.
No infection, nothing that out of the ordinary.

This is the first question one should ask —
— is there a medical condition that could be causing a lag in training?

Secondly, I looked at my sleep and rest patterns.

Again, somewhat problematic —- I work at night – and sleep a broken pattern–
a nap in the morning, then hit the gym, and a couple hours sleep before work in the evening.

But, the truth is, that really hasn’t changed much in the last coupla years — I see no reason why it would be affecting me much more only now.

I can’t discount the fact that I am lifting more weight — I am working harder — than ever before, and that very well could mean that I need more sleep than ever before, too.

I found an extra half an hour I was wasting in the morning before my nap, and another half hour in the evening – an extra hour of sleep translates into 20% more sleep – which should translate into me being more rested – and boosting my recovery, too.

As far as ‘rest days’ is concerned, I was lifting five times a week, with a ‘compressed all around day’ on Saturday, which included several leg components previously worked that week on Wednesdays ( my regular leg day ), including heavy squats and deadlifts.

Over-training could be a possibility, certainly.

I decided that, for a time, I would delete the Saturday ‘all around’ workout completely, and especially not work my legs on any other day than my regular legs day.

An extra off day shouldn’t affect my strength negatively, as long as I’m hitting it hard the rest of the week.

As you know, your muscles only grow when they’re at rest – so I should actually gain strength in the long run.

So, the second question one should ask —
— Am I getting enough rest, sleep and recovery time?

Now it was time to look at my nutrition.

I realized right off that my protein intake had been seriously reduced over the last couple months due to a Spring lean-out program I had been following, which stresses fruits and vegetables over meat — very effective at leaning me out, but clearly might be affecting my strength.

( Hey – ya can’t blame me for wanting to look good in my bathing suit, ya know? )

I had not compensated for the reduction in protein with more whey, because I wanted to avoid the calories, instead adding more BCAA’s.

Studies indicate that whole proteins are more effective in this context.

I was also not ‘eating up’ for a training session like I used to… and decided to follow my carb intake more carefully to ensure the necessary fuel for my workouts.

The best strength training diet contains enough calories to run the body and a little extra to build muscle – in the proportion of 40% proteins, 30% carbs, and 30% fat.

A daily caloric restriction below 2500 is not efficient for strength building.

Third Question —
Am I getting enough good calories – at the correct ratio – to fuel my workouts?

Another important concern has to do with supplementation.

I wondered how resistant my body had grown to absorbing certain supplements I had been using for a long period of time.

Creatine is a good example… I don’t ‘cycle’ Creatine as some people do, i don’t see the point.

However, I did realize that my creatine intake was sporadic- I would take it on my workout days, but not on my rest days… was that causing my creatine levels to be less than optimally loaded?

The fact that my creatinine levels were high makes me wonder whether there’s too much, or too little, creatine being reserved in my cells.

I decided to be more consistent in my creatine intake, and that of beta-alanine as well.

I’ll have another blood test in six months…. we’ll see what the regularity of intake will do to my creatinine levels….. and go from there.

Glutamine is a terrific supplement to aid in recovery — again, it’s used extensively on my workout days, but hardly at all on my off days – and now that I have an extra off day, I will have to make an extra special effort to get it in.

Two supplements that I had taken completely off my list were: Glucosamine/Chondrotin/MSM and Cissus… they were expensive, and I thought I could do without them…..

I realize now that they had been very effective in keeping my joints feeling well, and the pain in check, and have since added them back.

I have also added back a testosterone booster …. I was using X-Test by Xcience, which I found to be excellent, but it was pulled by my supplier, and I have been doing without. I have added a product called “Tribuloid”, and am currently evaluating it. I’ll let ya know.

I guess the bottom line on these supplements is this:
……… you might not feel them working, but you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Fourth Question:
Am I using those supplements that help me attain my goals?

A lot of guys who find themselves stuck in a rut start with the next question…. and it certainly is an important one…. because of muscle fibers’ uncanny ability to adapt themselves to a workout program….. you’ve got to mix up your workout, and try to keep your muscles off balance— constantly responding and growing.

This is the ‘muscle confusion’ theory… it’s almost like your muscles are like a repetitive job worker— they get bored of doing the same old work, and just kinda do the minimum required of them. Punch in, do whats required, punch out. Yawn yawn.

If you wanna get stronger, you’ve got to constantly change up your workout- the intensity, the movements, the implements, even the order of when you work certain groups.

The changes can be simple, like alternating wide grip bench presses with narrow grip, or more complicated, like adding dumbbells and machines to overhead pressing with just a bar.

A change like using a straight bar instead of an easy curl bar will force your body to respond, when it has adapted to curls the old way, you betcha. Even if you have to temporarily lighten up the weight.

I modified my workout so that I’m adding new movements, and variations on old ones. I’m alternating stiff legged deadlifts with sumos, for instance, and the variety feels great.

I changed the order of my push-pull sets… and varying the intensity as well.

I needed the change, and it really rejuvenated my whole routine.

Question Five:
Am I constantly provoking my muscles to add strength with new challenges??

This last one is the one most overlooked, and also the one that causes the most people to give up strength training all together…….

It’s not enough to go to the gym, and do the work.

You gotta have the eye of the tiger while you’re doing it.

It’s one part intensity, one part aggression, one part just plain bad attitude.

You gotta know you’re a monster…. and there ain’t a weight made you cant lift.

Call me a jerk, but get outta my way, cause it’s time to hit it.

Pain? I’ll worry about that after I’m done lifting these cream puff weights.

It just boils down to attitude….. you gotta stay fired up – or find a way to get fired up.

And everybody has a different way of doing it, although it really is all self-talk.

By self talk, I mean encouraging yourself through positive statements, and avoiding thinking negative.

It can’t be: ” oh jeez, not time for the gym again…”

It’s gotta be: “oh yes!!! Time for the GYM !!! ”

The last question:
Do I have my mind right???

…………………….. Well, DO YA ?????

HOY!!!

Leg Day

Friends don’t let friends skip leg day.

Hoy !!!

Guest Post: Gaining Muscle With A Paleo Diet

Editors Note: This piece, by Cory at GarageSymSetup is worth a read.

Good Afternoon Morning or evening,
wherever and whenever this finds you.
I hope you’re doing grea!

So is it really possible to gain some SERIOUS WEIGHT on a Paleo esque meal plan?
My name is Cory, and Chris was kind enough to allow me to talk with you about gaining weight following a paleo style diet, which is some of what we get into over at garagegymsetup.com.

I’ve looked around on Chris’ site and it’s clear he has a great base interactive and inelegant readers, so I won’t waste your time!

Being someone who follows a feaux CrossFit program, mixed with bodybuilding and power lifting, so in other words I train for aesthetics, strength and fitness.

I often get the question of “is it reasonable to gain muscle with a Paleo diet?”.

And that’s what we’re going to go over, the answer isn’t simple but it’s helpful to those who are willing to make the choices to maintain a proper healthy diet to get ripped and jacked!

THERE’S NO SIMPLE ANSWER

I can only speak from my personal experience, which if you’ve read the blog for any period of time you know that “extremes” in any direction are bad. So I personally follow the 80/20 principle. It simply means that you can devote yourself to this “thing” for 80% of the time before you start coming off of the rails after too long. So to counteract that I make time for the 20% and plan for it, this gives me the freedom to indulge when I feel like it and not have a feeling of guilt afterwards or think that all my gains are now gone. This philosophy goes well with the Paleo Diet and Muscle building, because in order to build muscle there needs to be a calorie surplus of some kind to facilitate growth. So if your goal is really to gain muscle and size while following a mostly paleo diet then you need to take full advantage of the 20% of your diet because that’s where 80% of your results are coming from. Now it needs to be said that if you are following a STRICT Paleo Diet (no tubers or potatoes, rice, beans or dairy) you will have one heck of a time putting on mass, it’s not impossible but it’s not easy either. There are plenty of examples of vegetarian bodybuilders who’ve added loads of mass with a veggie lifestyle, that’s not what I would want at all, but it’s not about me it’s about you and what you want from this. So yes it’s possible to gain mass with a strict paleo lifestyle, but it’s much easier and will keep you sane longer if you adapt your diet to your goals and sanity.

EXAMPLES OF SUCCESS

The most notable vegan bodybuilders are highlighted on www.greatveganathletes.com

This site shows that it doesn’t take an obnoxious amount of protein powder to get results in bodybuilding. Also this debunks the thought that you have to consume animal protein as your primary source of protein. A little known fact is that there is a minimal effective dose when it comes to protein consumption, also there’s no cap on how much protein your body can take in at once. When debating this I would think of the cavemen, they were not given the luxury of having a container to carry around their mastodon meat in 25g increments. NO! They ate it all when they had it and didn’t think twice about it, and strangely enough they all survived and were big and strong enough to hunt and battle with the widest of beast!

That got a little off topic, but you get the point that getting jacked and ripped with a strict paleo diet is doable. It may not be easy but it’s surely doable.

WHAT I SUGGEST AT GARAGEGYMSETUP.COM (suggestion not doctrine)

I’ve followed the 80/20 approach for over a year now, and have seen results in both directions of weight (both muscle gain and fat loss) depending on how I adjusted the ingredients and quantities. When I started 6 months ago I was a fluffy 178 lbs. I was stronger than I’d ever been, but I was not in any shape to do anything athletically well. I applied the 80/20 principle on a weekly basis to start out, meaning I ate nothing but clean for 5 days out of the week and I mean CLEAN, as in grilled chicken breast and a few beans with green veggies for every meal…every day. BUT on the weekends I let go for one whole day and half-ish, nothing was off limits for one day and then I pulled back for the next day. I lost weight and I looked as shredded as I wanted to be at the time. Then I started the gain train back up with a little more efficient steam, now I follow a 80/20 diet for the day, 80% clean (Breakfast, Snacks and Lunch) and for post workout its 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes and 2 cups ground beef. I’ve addressed this in a recent post that I’ll link here. And for dinner it’s a not so clean meal with a focus on what the next training day looks like (if it’s a heavy lifting day I’ll carb up and if it’s a speed day I’ll add a moderate amount of carbs). I’ve worked my way up from a 165 lb. bodyweight to a just as lean 169 lb. bodyweight in a few weeks. Again this isn’t doctrine, it’s just what I choose to follow, and you’re going to need to find what works best for you and your goals.

I hope this information was helpful in some way to get you thinking about what you can do to start putting on some QUALITY mass with a paleo esque diet. It bears repeating that this isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do, but is certainly within reach of any athlete who is willing to put in the work! I know that Chris does a great job motivating you to get the best out of yourself, and I’m just hoping this post helps to boost you up just a little more! If you’re someone who thinks that muscle building isn’t that big of a deal then we have a great post coming up for you over at garagegymsetup.com! But until then I hope this has added to your life in some way, and me know if there’s anything I can do for you!

Please check us out at garagegymsetup.com

Strength

I just got an email asking about
supplements to aid a someone
interested in building strength
in being able to work out harder and longer…

(ummm…. a redhead might be
just the ticket for building stamina,
ya know…..)

…………. and aside from the things
we’ve already talked about,

I was able to find some recent
very interesting positive-result
studies about the following supplements…

Keep in mind, some of these
would theoretically require
long-term use to reach full effectiveness.

Omega 3
BCAA+Glutamine
ECA
Vitamins C+E
Caffeine
Glucosamine Sulfate
Zinc
Arginine
Citrulline Malate
Acetyl L Carnitine
Lipoic Acid
Chromium Picolinate
Calcium Magnesium

Interesting list, huh? I was surprised about one or two of these; the fatty acids for instance…
……….. aside from the ones I already use, I guess I’ll try a couple of the weirder ones and see for myself.

Speaking of endurance, I recently tried out a device that cools the air as you inhale; it keeps your core temperature cool while you work out; I have to say I was quite impressed. I was working at 500 lbs on a leg press machine – 3 sets of 12 each– down in the well– ; normally, I’ll get winded and require 2-3 minutes rest between sets…. but with this gadget, I felt like I was working much less, and between set recovery was almost immediate. I was still breathing hard, but it felt GOOD. It’s still being tested by the guy who’s developing it, but you can bet you’ll see this gizmo around real soon. The bottom line: KEEP your core temperature COOL (around 98′) and you can work out longer and harder. Now, THAT IS COOL.

Let’s talk about one of my new favorite supplements for a sec; Cissus Quadrangularis.

(Cissus quadrangularis is a medicinal and culinary plant native to India and Africa. Cissus has been used for centuries by traditional healers to treat bone fractures, stomach ailments, digestive problems and ear and eye diseases. Cissus is also listed by the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) as an edible vegetable. Recent studies have shown that Cissus naturally contains a high amount of vitamin C, carotene A, and calcium. )

ok, Ok, OK.. but here’s what I like about it; a recent study of Cissus showed a 40% average increase in Testosterone levels over baseline. Now, these is all yer own natural internally-made pituitary-testes-axis stuff; (no artificial prohormone or steroid) – just MORE OF IT. Talk about anabolic, androgenic – you don’t get no better than T. It is also shown to have pain relief and tendon repair qualities. Of course, more studies are needed; but I take it as part of my recovery shake, it makes my knees hurt much less; and I really recommend it. You know, if it turns out to have GH boosting qualities too, it just might make me wet.

I like it…. If you try it, let me know how you like it!

Oh, Mister DeMille…, I’m ready for my close-up……

Guest post: “Strongman” – by Chris, from Muscleheaded

About Strongman !

Uncle Spike's Adventures

So here we are again… This week, Uncle Spike, a small weakling of a blogging farmer in rural Turkey, has a very special Guest Writer lined up for you; Chris from the blog: Muscleheaded – The Voice of Unreason, of whom I’m a regular follower I’m happy to admit. In this post, we are introduced to the world of the Strongman – you Spikey’s said you liked variety!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

STRONGMAN

MARIUS PUDZIANOWSKI

I have gotten several questions about the sport of Strongman…

…… what’s involved, what kinda weights and implements we use, etc.

And I thought it might be interesting if I took a stab at writing a post about it,

…… albeit from the perspective of an amateur, and now-retired (as for now, anyway) competitor.

Strongman competitions are held in most countries around the world….

…… under various sanctioning bodies and promoting federations.

The largest world body is called I.F.S.A…

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