For Any Students Out There

Check out www.chegg.com for you textbooks. You can rent them for the the semester and it ends up being a lot cheaper than if you were to buy them.

They also plant a tree for every book that you rent. In effect, they're doing the exact opposite (environmentally) that your local textbook store is doing.

So it's got a bit of a green message too. But the fact that you'll save money should draw most people to do it.

Did An Angel Save a Little Girl's Life?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28364813/

Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Christmas Quote

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." —Dr. Seuss

MuscleTech Sues Bodybuilding.com Members

For smoke screen lawsuits claiming patent infringement.

Wow.

Bowl Season

Today the first of the college football bowls started. To me, it has signified the start of the Holiday season ever since I started watching college football.

It means relaxing and watching football. It means spending time with family and minimal stress.

And I LOVE college football. It's more exciting to me. The kids play for the fun of the game and for the pride of their school. Most of them will never make it to the NFL and they know it (the non-delusional ones anyway).

It will be a while before I get to watch my Gators play again though.

Go Gators.

Studying

I've never been one to study for hours on end. With finals going on here at the University of Florida, it's a common site to see people up all night in the Library trying to make up for what they didn't keep up with.

When people ask me how I get the grades I do, the first thing I tell them is to go to class (which they never apply) but I think that my way of studying could be of benefit to other people as well.

Whenever possible, I try to read the material BEFORE class. When life gets in the way or I don't know what is going to be presented, I read it afterwards. This enhances my understanding and keeps me on top of things.

The other thing I do is study for about an hour maximum before the test. I find that anything beyond that is forced and I don't seem to retain it as well. So instead I'll frequently review for short periods of time.

I really think the lack of sleep alone hurts most more than it helps.

Prayers for My Sister

My sister is sick with a peri-tonsilar abscess. It hurts her throat so bad she cannot swallow or talk without a lot of pain. I spent some time with her yesterday and saw how pale and in pain she was. I have never been more worried about her.

To top it all off, she has a final in Latin tomorrow and hasn't had a lot of time to study.

If there's anyone that believes in the power of prayer, it's me and believe me I prayed a lot for her yesterday.

But I'm asking you to spend a minute of your day to send some positive thoughts her way. It's an easy way to do a good deed.

Thanks.

How Fish Oil Can Help Bodybuilders

"If bodybuilders and other power athletes take a good daily dose of fish fatty acids they are likely to increase their muscle recovery ability. The wily Ergo-log crew came up with this speculation after reading about an animal experiment carried out at the University of Illinois at Chicago.


Yesterday we wrote about a French study on humans in which women took three capsules of fish oil daily for three months. This supplement, the researchers discovered, halved the concentration of the protein PAI-1 [see structure of the inactive version here] in the women’s blood.


PAI-1 is a protein known mainly for its association with heart attacks. But the muscular obsessives at this web magazine regard PAI-1 as a protein that blocks muscle recovery.


If a daily fish oil supplement is enough to halve your PAI-1 level, wouldn’t it also help your muscles to recover more quickly after training? That’s not such a stupid question, is it? We don’t have the answer, but if you read a 2005 article you’d be inclined to answer with a resounding ‘yes’.


In the experiment cardiotoxin was injected into the muscles of mice. Cardiotoxin is a poison that destroys muscle cells. The researchers did their experiment with normal mice (wild type or WT), with genetically modified mice that could not manufacture PAI-1 (PAI-1 -/-) and modified mice that had no urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA -/-).


UPA is an enzyme that prevents the formation of blood clots and breaks down cell structure. If you produce enough of it, it gives protection against thrombosis and cancer. PAI-1, full name plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, blocks this enzyme.

The muscles of the mice without uPA recover more slowly, the muscles of the mice without PAI-1 recover more quickly.


You also see something similar if you look at the recovery of the muscle tissue. Especially after day 5, it is clear that the mice that lack PAI-1 have started to make more muscle tissue again.


The absence of PAI-1 would seem to open up the way for uPA to do its work, the researchers think. The enzyme makes it possible for white blood cells to move through the damaged muscles to clear up the muscle cells that have been destroyed. At least, there are more macrophages in the muscles of the mice without PAI-1 than in the muscles of the other mice.


Maybe, speculate the researchers, uPA stimulates growth factors in the muscle tissue. We, unhindered by such knowledge, suspect that this stimulatory action has something to do with immune cells. We base our surmise on the real-life stories of bodybuilders who, god only knows how, have managed to get hold of Interleukin-15, and as a result have attained gigantic proportions. Immune cells communicate with their surroundings through interleukins.


If you are a regular reader of science news you’ll know that the idea that fish oil promotes muscle growth isn’t so strange. It might explain for example why people with cancer retain more muscle tissue if they are given fish oil in addition to protein supplements. [Gut 2003;52:1479-1486.] It could also explain why cattle muscles break down less protein if they also contain large amounts of fish fatty acids. [J Physiol. 2007 Feb 15;579(Pt 1):269-84.]


Sources:
Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2005 Jul;289(1):C217-23."

The Day The Earth Stood Still

I just got done watching this movie. I thought it had a great message - not just environmentally but socially as well.

I found it very entertaining too. So if you have the chance to see it, definitely do.

Holiday Eating Tips...

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand-alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Ego and Control

All of our control operates a a means of self-protection. However, control only protects and pefects our fear of getting hurt. This covers up the fear that if we were to let go of control, things would get really great and we would be overwhelmed. It would be so good that we would just go into meltdown and be totally lost, so good that all purpose would be gone and that we would die. But guess what? This is only our ego scaring us with death. If we gave up control, we would not die; only our ego would. Then we would feel like we have died and gone to Heaven.

What is the control situation staring you in the face? Don't forget that you are capable of using others by having them control you. This is so bottom-line, yet unrecognized. It is how you arrange things to prevent feelings so overwhelmingly good becuase you think you could not stand it. Give up control, and a giant reward will come to you. This is a day for you to recieve in a big way.

Role Models

The following are 3 of my role models in the industry:

1. Carlos Rodriguez www.fitnessbycarlos.com
Carlos is a national level natural bodybuilder. He is sponsored by MuscleTech and helps competitors get into contest condition. He is also a minister in his church and a husband and father. He is a good friend of mine too.

2. Layne Norton www.biolayne.com
Layne Norton is a professional natural bodybuilder who is currently studying for his PhD. He specializes in muscle protein metabolism and is sponsored by bodybuilding.com. I sincerely admire his dedication and work ethic. It is truly a challenge to bodybuild and pursue a PhD at the same time.

3. Mark Dugdale www.markdugdale.com
Mark is an IFBB professional bodybuilder. He is also a devout Christian and father of two. He also runs a successful business to boot.

Cancer to Overtake Heart Disease as #1 Killer

http://health.yahoo.com/news/ap/med_global_cancer.html

And THAT's why I'm getting into the anti-aging market.

You Are Powerful

The simple actions of everyday can and do have profound effects on the world around you. If you exude negativity, it will bring down those around you and they will bring down those around them etc.

Need an example?

Rosa Parks made a simple decision one day as she was coming home. She decided to sit in the "White section" of the bus. When asked to move, she just exclaimed "I'm tired."

She was tired physically but also emotionally about the intolerance around her. That simple act was pivotal in initiating the Civil Rights movement.

40 years later we have a black president and that is something to be celebrated.

The point is to think before you act. Try with all your might to exude POSitivity instead of negativity and reap the reciprocity.

Actually...

Not everyone has a 6 pack.

It's well known that the anatomy of the human body varies from person to person - sometimes substantially. It's not different for the shape, origins and insertions of the muscles.

I've always had a very hard time seeing my 6 pack. I have to be at a very low bodyfat and dehydrated to be able to see it well. The reason is because of the way it is shaped.

There is a line that goes down the middle of the abs called the linea alba. Mine is pretty prominent and visible at higher bodyfat. However, the horizontal lines that make the 6 segments of a 6 pack are very shallow and uneven making a 6 pack hard to see.

Here is a professional bodybuilder with no tendinous inscriptions or even a linea alba!

http://www.musculardevelopment.com/browse/index.php?mode=browse&id=1707

Contrast that with another pro who has very deep tendinous inscriptions.

http://www.musculardevelopment.com/browse/index.php?mode=browse&id=1857

Watch This

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY61YCYdIUU&eurl=http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/training-logs.asp?qid=85164&tid=&feature=player_embedded

Wine Boosts Omega 3 Concentrations in the Body

Moderate alcohol intake is associated with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in plasma and red blood cells. This is the major finding of the European study IMMIDIET that will be published in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, an official publication of the American Society for Nutrition and is already available on line (www.ajcn.org ). The study suggests that wine does better than other alcoholic drinks. This effect could be ascribed to compounds other than alcohol itself, representing a key to understand the mechanism lying behind the heart protection observed in moderate wine drinkers.

The IMMIDIET study examined 1,604 citizens from three geographical areas: south-west London in England, Limburg in Belgium and Abruzzo in Italy. Thanks to a close cooperation with General Practitioners of these areas, all participants underwent a comprehensive medical examination, including a one year recall food frequency questionnaire to assess their dietary intake, alcohol consumption included.

Omega-3 fatty acids, mainly derived from fish, are considered as protective against coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death, thus their high blood concentration is definitely good for our health.

Now European researchers found that moderate alcohol drinking acts like a 'trigger', boosting the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in our body.

"Several studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption, including wine, is associated with protection against coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke - says Romina di Giuseppe, lead author of the study, from the Research Laboratories at Catholic University of Campobasso - Although the mechanisms are not completely defined, there was some evidence that alcohol intake might influence the metabolism of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, as omega-3. That is exactly what we found in our population study. People drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, one drink a day for women and two for men, had higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids in plasma and red blood cells independently of their fish intake".

However important these results appear to be, the best is yet to come. Researchers from Catholic University of Campobasso, in Italy, and from University of Grenoble, in France, turned their attention on the variety of alcoholic beverages consumed in order to see whether the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids detected might be ascribed to alcohol itself or to other substances.

"From our previous studies we know that association between wine drinking and increased concentration of omega-3 fatty acids have been observed – says Michel de Lorgeril, from the University of Grenoble, partner of the IMMIDIET project and co-leader of the study - Nevertheless, it was not possible to separate the effects of wine from those of beer or spirits. Our study of 3 populations with different dietary habits and different consumption of alcoholic beverages types allowed us to explore this aspect.".

"Analysis carried out on different alcoholic beverages –argues Licia Iacoviello coordinator of the IMMIDIET study at Catholic University of Campobasso - showed that the association between alcohol and omega-3 fatty acids was present in both wine drinkers and beer or spirits drinkers. However, the association was stronger between wine drinking and omega-3 fatty acids levels. This suggests that components of wine other than alcohol is associated with omega-3 fatty acids concentration. We may guess this effect can be ascribed to polyphenols".

Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds contained in a different variety of food and beverages, such as wine. Due to their strong antioxidant activity, they are able to reduce oxidation processes caused by free radicals.

"We consider these data to be a major finding - de Lorgeril concludes - opening a new window in the field of cardiovascular prevention. Beyond the alcohol issue, our results raise crucial questions regarding the effects of polyphenols on lipids (both in blood and cell membranes) and possibly of lipids on polyphenols".

Free Will?

I just read an experiment about twins reared apart.

Some years later, the researchers interviewed the twins to find out what their life was like. Neither twin knew of the other.

The similarities were astonishing. Both moved to the east coast less than 100 miles apart when they grew up. Both married a woman with the same name. Both even built a swing on the biggest tree in their backyard.

So it seems that certain behaviors are genetically determined which leads us to the question "What am I choosing to do and what are my genetics predisposing me to do?"

Research the Minnesota Twin Study.

The Acidic American Diet

The foods you eat can have an effect on the body's acid-base balance. The body likes to keep it's blood slightly alkaline and is very good at keeping it within a small range.

Most proteins, grains and some fruits elicit an acidic effect on the body while foods such as almonds, vegetables and the mineral potassium seem to be alkalizing.

Also, it seems that most people don't get nearly enough potassium compared to their intake of salt. If you recorded your diet for a day, I'm willing to bet that the majority that do it will find that they fall short of the RDA (which is a minimum).

And while the body is excellent at compensating for a poor diet in terms of it's acid-base balance, it seems that optimal health is achieved with the intake of more alkaline foods for most people.

So what are some good sources of potassium? Bananas?

Bananas are an OK source but most vegetables would be much better. There is also a significant amount of potassium in beans and nuts.

But these aren't common foods in the American diet.

So for optimal health, this is just another reason to increase your intake of vegetables - especially the green kind. You might also consider supplementing your diet with potassium as it is very hard to get an adequate intake. Taking some potassium with meals that don't have veggies would be a good way to keep things alkaline.

I actually got into some health trouble due to low intake of potassium on my first contest diet.

If that's not incentive for you enough, an increase in potassium intake has been shown to lower blood pressure in some studies.

Vitamin D Craze

Recently there has been a push for supplementation of vitamin D. Let's look at the facts.

Vitamin D's primary role is in bone and tooth health. This has been known for decades. More recent research reveals a role in muscle and immune function as well.

High doses can result in hypercalcemia and even death. It's not possible to overdose on vitamin D from the sun - only from food and/or supplements.

On the other hand, a deficiency can cause Rickets or Osteomalacia which is abnormal mineralization of bones.

Studies have shown that about half of the elderly are deficient and that they need more than younger people. The recommended amount for the elderly is 600 IU per day.

There is also evidence to suggest that colorectal cancer is inversely related to the blood level of vitamin D. However, you need several thousand IU per day for this. As such, there is a controversy regarding the upper limit. It may be too conservative. Several studies have demonstrated that one can go up to several thousand IU per day without negative side effects.

Vitamin E

Fat soluble vitamins usually get a bad rap when talked about as supplementation but Vitamin E just might be worth considering for certain people.

It's major function in the body is as an antioxidant. It donates an electron to free radicals to clear them from the system. Free radicals can damage DNA and increase the aging process.

A deficiency can result in hemolytic anemia. At-risk populations include premature infants and the elderly who usually get it as a secondary deficiency.

Studies have shown that when consumed in the range of 400-800mg a day, vitamin E will decrease the oxidation of lipoproteins thereby lowering the risk of artherosclerosis. Other studies in the elderly show improved immune function and lower blood pressure.

It can even relieve leg cramps.

It is stored in the fat tissue and not in the liver. So high amounts rarely result in toxicity.

Just make sure you eat it with fat!

Cardio First Thing in the Morning?

In a recent San Diego State University study, scientists found that that people who exercised after they ate maintained lower hunger levels 5 hours longer than those who exercised before a meal.

The researchers haven’t yet pinned down the mechanism, but speculate that exercise may lower the concentrations of a peptide-YY, a hormone that increases appetite. The study participants worked out 2 to 3 hours after they ate.

Most people do cardio first thing in the morning when trying to lose weight speculating that a lower insulin level in the body will facilitate better fat burning. But is that benefit being canceled by increased apetite?

Cardio first thing in the morning might be a good idea when trying to gain size, but it looks like there's better ways when dieting down. Personally, I have never noticed a difference in fat loss.

Built for Show

An old friend of mine, Nate Green, recently published his first book.

I knew Nate back in 2005 when he was taking out bank loans to attend seminars that featured the top fitness experts. He's come a long way since then.

He convinced me to come to a great seminar in LA with speakers such as John Berardi, Eric Cressy, Mike Robertson, and Julia Ledewski. I can't say that I regret that experience. It was one of the best things I ever did in regards to my fitness career.

Since that time, Nate has signed a contract with Testosterone Nation, got on the advisory board at Maximum Fitness and now owns his own gym.

Check out his book here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1583333193?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwalwyncosgr-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=1583333193

Cues

This is a blog for all the personal trainers out there.

I recently attended a seminar with Chuck Wolf. He is a highly esteemed Exercise Physiologists that has worked with Gary Gray, published books and written articles for ptonthenet.net (great resource by the way).

About a week prior to that though, I attended a personal trainer Continuing Education meeting at my school that focused on Olympic lifting. While I eventually got the full clean down pretty well, I couldn't help but notice how frustrating it was to focus on doing multiple movements at a time.

Wolf mentioned in his seminar that the less cues you can give some one, the better. That originally sounded counter-intuitive but when I thought back to my experience with Olympic lifting, it made sense. The more basic you can make the cue, the more effective it will be. Simply telling a client to touch their head to the ceiling will put them in the proper thoracic alignment most of the time.

I had gotten used to knowing exactly how to squat, deadlift, bench and do every other exercise that I frequently do. This recent experience made me a better train in that I am better able to understand what my clients are feeling when I'm giving them so many cues.

Simplify.

Watch This

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNFfbnJYifg

Gotta get in the spirit of giving.

Obesity

Are we sure it's a bad thing?

The more I research this, the more I believe that it's just the body's natural tendency to grow whether it be in height or circumference. It's a survival mechanism and while there seems to be an increased risk of some diseases such as diabetes with obesity, I'm willing to bet that it's not the actual extra weight but rather the diet they're eating.

Think about the set point theory.

Your body's set point is the weight at which it tries to stay. If it's below this point, it will slow the metabolism and try to gain weight. If it's above this point, it will raise metabolism and slow weight gain. So if you gain weight and hold that weight for a while, it theoretically becomes your body's set point. This has been documented in rats.

Whenever your body reaches a new weight, it does whatever it can to defend it. It's as if the body sees a high weight as a good thing. When one diets, Thyroxine output declines, appetite and hunger go through the roof and energy plummets setting the stage for weight gain.

So it's obvious the body wants to be big. You know, just in case there's a famine or something.

The question is, is it really a bad thing?

The most recent research shows a decreased risk of infection, osteoporosis and some cancer in the obese. The obese also live longer when in intensive care due to their extra body mass.

It could be the media that leads us to believe that obesity is such a terrible thing when in reality, it just looks bad. It may actually be beneficial.

Last I checked, according to the BMI, I'm obese. One CAN be obese and still be very physically active and healthy. I may be obese but my bodyfat is less than 8% and my blood pressure is 117/67. What does that tell you?

Here's to obesity!

Healthy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has GOT to be the easiest holiday for bodybuilders or anyone fitness minded to eat normally without feeling like an outcast.

Turkey - Great lean source of protein. Just make sure to skip the gravy.

Cranberry - Somewhat high in sugar but in controlled portions is fine. It's loaded with antioxidants.

Yams/Sweet Potatoes - Awesome source of low GI, complex carbohydrates

Veggies - Do I really need to justify veggies?

All one needs to do is avoid the pumpkin pie, gravy and stuffing and you're good to go!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Politics of Bodybuilding

Nationals was this weekend and I don't think I've ever seen a bigger show with so many great competitors.

That said, it was quite a disappointment. Many, many guys looked much better a week out from the show. It's quite obvious just how many guys tinker with too many things at the last minute only to end up looking worse. Diuretics are probably the worst thing to happen to bodybuilding.

But that's not what this post is about. It was also quite obvious that many people won that shouldn't have. I won't name names but each passing contest it becomes clearer that it's more about who you know in this sport than anything else.

Which is a damn shame.

Bodybuilder Meal Frequency

The more I study nutrition the more I begin to think that the typical notion of needing to eat every 2-3 hours and thus get 6 meals per day isn't needed or even a good thing.

Things like Layne Norton's research on protein synthesis and the frequency of protein feedings and my experiences with fasting lead me to believe that the body just doesn't want to eat 6 meals a day.

The problem is, I'd have a very hard time eating just 3 or 4 meals a day and getting enough calories to grow. It's also somewhat tough psychologically when you've been eating 6x a day for a long time.

Over the course of the past 3-4 months, though, I've been taking 1 NOW Super Enzyme (digestive enzymes) with every meal and it's really made a profound difference in my ability to move some food. I also make sure to get a serving of a probiotic everday.

This has alleviated some of the problems associated with the recommended (but perhaps wrong) meal frequency typically seen in bodybuilders. I used to get bloated and uncomfortable very easily and while that's still there, it's much better. I also seem to be more energetic. This may have something to do with insulin's role in being a CNS depressant.

Night Hydration

It's common knowledge that water makes up some 70% or more of muscle tissue. It's also known that with increased protein intake comes an increased need for water due to more production of the waste product, urea, by the kidneys that needs to be excreted. Due to these two things, you frequently see bodybuilders walking around with a gallon's worth of water.

Drinking a lot of water will force you to wake up a couple times during the night to urinate though. This can be annoying and some think it will have a detrimental effect by disrupting sleep patterns so they taper off their water as bed time grows closer.

I've done the same in the past.

On the flip side, however, I've been wondering recently if the dehyration seen after an 8+ hour fast would be worse for the bodybuilder than slightly disrupted sleep. I never have a problem going back to sleep anyway.

So recently I've been increasing my water intake before bed to see if I noticed any difference in muscle growth or well being etc.

I wake up more times during the night to urinate naturally but it seems like I'm more energetic in the mornings now and it doesn't take as long to get going.

I don't think it's been long enough to report better muscle gains using this method but I think I may be on to something.

America's Worst Burgers

It's just disgusting how much fat is in some of these things. After a certain point, there's no way it can still contribute to flavor, can it?

Anyway, this article was written by the author of "Eat This, Not That" which basically tells you what your best options are at popular fast food restaurants. I guess it would e handy in the offseason if you have no other option but if you're dieting it would clearly be better to skip some of these things.

Check it out.

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/20070/americas-best-and-worst-burgers/

The All-McDonald's Diet

By BRIAN MARTINEZ
The Orange County Register

COSTA MESA – Charles "Chazz" Weaver on Friday completed his monthlong McDonald's-only experiment, claimed he lost 8 pounds in the project, and Name: cahzz.jpg Views: 293 Size: 9.2 KBchallenged the creator of the "Super Size Me" film to a public debate on obesity and fast food.
Weaver, 48, ate nothing but McDonald's fare for 30 consecutive days – every menu item at least once – to prove that staying thin is about calorie intake and exercise. His credentials are his fit body, 19 years of studying fitness as a hobby, and helping friends lose weight.
"I am not an advocate of fast food as a lifestyle, but neither do you have to be on a so- called diet," he said.
His strength and energy have not diminished and he hasn't had negative effects, he said.
"Not even a headache or a mood swing," he said.

Statistics detailing 30-day experiment
Weight: 222 pounds on Day 1 and 214 pounds on Day 30
Blood pressure: 111/78 on Day 1 and 121/81 on Day 30
Cholesterol: 208 at the start of the project; he will retest today and should have results on his Web site by Monday
The last meal: Friday, April 30, 4:30 p.m. Big Mac, Double Cheeseburger, 6-piece Chicken McNuggets, snack-size Fruit & Yogurt Parfait, medium Diet Coke – total calories: 1,550
Media interviews: 50-75, mostly for radio talk shows
Exercise: 25-30 minutes of cardio training and 50-60 minutes of strength training, six days a week
Verification: A witness was present to videotape meals.
Calories: Started at 3,500 daily calories but has fluctuated as high as 5,700. He warns that this amount is tailored for his body and exercise regimen and is not for a typical person. Before starting the challenge, he used protein shakes and bars but no other supplements.
Favorite item: McGriddle breakfast sandwich
Least favorite item: The ice cream
Seminar: Weaver will give a free fitness seminar and a report on his 30-day challenge today at Triangle Square, 1870 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.


The Costa Mesa resident is fed up with Americans who don't take responsibility for being out of shape, fitness entrepreneurs who make a living on incomplete information, and overweight nutrition scholars who don't "walk the walk," he said. He hopes the project will inspire people to research fitness and help them lose weight.
He got the idea for his experiment after reading about and taking exception to the documentary, "Super Size Me," which records the deterioration of filmmaker Morgan Spurlock's health. Spurlock ate almost as many calories as Weaver, but his only exercise was walking the same amount of steps as the average American.
"I think its great that Chazz is attempting to stay fit," Spurlock said through a spokesman Friday. "The underlying theme in my film is to try to increase personal and corporate responsibility."
He declined to respond to Weaver's debate challenge.
At least five people have taken up experiments such as Weaver's, McDonald's spokesman Walt Riker said. He said the company has no connection with them or Weaver.
"There seems to be a grass- roots backlash against the outrageous misbehavior in Spurlock's film," Riker said. "Stuffing yourself and not exercising is irresponsible."

Weaver said he has spent about $13,000 of his own money on the project.
"I'm looking for the psychic benefit," he said. "Doing something good for people is really pleasurable."

Sold on Carnitine

I posted a blog a little while ago that I would be trying L-Carnitine Tartrate after some research came out on it that it may actually be an orally bioavailable form of l-carnitine.

It has been shown in studies to decrease time to recovery as well as upregulate the androgen receptors.

I purposefully kept my diet the same and controlled these past 2 weeks to see if I could notice a difference and I do. I definitely feel like I recover much faster taking this supplement. As far as the androgen receptors go, I can't really comment given that I didn't have bloodwork done and am steroid-free.

Overall, I think the effects are worth the money (cheap). They are very subtle effects but at least carnitine works now.

Note also that I'm only taking 500mg once a day. Perhaps a higher dose would yield better results.

Here is part of the article that intrigued me enough to buy it and try it out.

http://www.raisethebarr.net/index.php?/Muscle-Growth-and-Strength-With-Carnitine-Tartrate.html

What Happened Colorado?

So it's the time of the year for the "Healthiest Cities" poll again. Usually Colorado springs is the champ.

Not this year.

Burlington, Vermont is the nations healthiest city with 92% of people living there claiming to be in good health. Apparently, it's a small college town with a lot of activity.

See the full story here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081116/ap_on_he_me/med_healthiest_city;_ylt=AtdlaIcmnwqFt1pb43De2mdZ24cA

SteroidsSavedMyLife.com

This is a bit of a rant.

I'm all for positive publicity for steroids. I really don't think they should be illegal. Most of the people that take them are gym rats that want to improve their physiques. How is that any different than things like liposuction or boob jobs or even LASIK eye surgery (all of which are legal)?

The responsible use of them can IMPROVE many aging men's health. It's the idiots that jump right into it without researching that give steroids a bad rap. Anything abused has it's consequences. Why is it that women can have birth control pills which are estrogen but things like testosterone replacement therapy are heavily frowned upon in the medical community?

Anyway, the reason I've decided to post this is because I DON'T think steroidssavedmylife.com is promoting steroids in the right way.

First of all, I think the title is misleading. This kid was not dieing of atrophy or had some wasting disease like Rhabdomyolysis. He was just skinny and self concious about it!

He also CLEARLY never heavily researched and tried eating right and exercising (primarily lifting weights). He talks about how he only eats fast food twice a day and averaged about 1300 calories before starting steroids.

Seriously?

Anybody whose contemplating steroids better DAMN sure have spot on training and nutrition. They also should have done it right for a WHILE.

There's no doubt in my mind that if he ate a lot of the right foods and had some one guide him in the weight room that he could've made the gains he's making right now. Sure, it might be a bit slower but at least he didn't jump right into steroids!

It's also clear that he's not injecting. He's using an oral steroid which are notorious for being harsh on the liver and delivering gains that are hard to keep. He would've been much better off injecting testosterone for his first cycle.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

www.steroidssavedmylife.com

How TV Effects Your Brian Chemsitry

Good thing I don't watch :)

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/10/20/how-television-affects-your-brain-chemistry-and-that-s-not-all.aspx

Government is Ruining Our Raw Almonds

This was originally posted by Dave Palumbo. Take it for what it's worth.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that the FDA had rules and regulations to protect unsuspecting consumers from false labeling. Goodness knows they have no qualms about pointing an accusing finger at any supplement they think has stepped beyond its bounds…

Which is why I'm still scratching my head over the fact that the FDA is permitting pasteurized almonds to be labeled as raw.

In case you haven't heard by now, as of September 1 all almonds sold in the U.S. are required to be pasteurized. The label will still say "raw", but don't be fooled: The almonds you're eating no longer carry the nutrition-packed punch of their former glory days. The pasteurization process exposes foods to high temperatures in order to kill any bacteria or microorganisms that might be present. The problem: Heat is not a selective killer.

I have a real issue with the fact that almonds are being pasteurized in the first place, but to deliberately mislabel them as raw is a whole other story altogether. It would be like slapping a "raw milk" label on pasteurized milk. It makes no sense.

Something else that makes no sense: The fact that the Almond Board of California claims that pasteurized almonds are no different than raw ones. Here's what they're saying: "Raw almonds that have been pasteurized do not differ in any significant way from untreated raw almonds." I guess their nutritional gurus missed the class that explained the difference raw food and cooked food.

But what do they care? Almond growers are not in business to supply you with a health food. They're in business to make money. And if pasteurization can reduce the frequency of outbreaks (and thereby reduce the potential for costly lawsuits), what do they care if their product isn't as nutritious? After all, look at what pasteurization did for the milk business!

It should come as no surprise that pasteurizing almonds will have just as devastating an effect on their health benefits as the process has had on raw milk.

E is for Almond

Vitamin E is one nutrient you don't want to do without. It's a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect your cells from everyday stress (technically called oxidative stress). In other words, it's one of your main defenses against chronic diseases. In fact, it's the constant wear and tear on your cells leads to more serious diseases like heart disease and Alzheimer's.

As you get older, it's especially important to get your vitamin E through dietary sources- because, as with just about everything else, your body's natural defenses against oxidative stress don't exactly improve with time. One study in the Journal of the American Medical Association even showed that dietary vitamin E could reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

As you probably guessed, almonds are one of the very best sources of this vitamin E, specifically alpha-tocopherol. Of the eight form of this nutrient, alpha-tocopherol is the most active form, and is most useful to your body because it's able to reach all of your tissues throughout your body.

Even though the hazelnut is the next nut in line in terms of alpha-tocopherol content, it has only a little more than half the amount of alpha-tocopherol per 100g as almonds. So what can you do to ensure you're getting enough alpha-tocopherol? You don't have a whole lot of options: You could either load up on inferior sources like hazelnuts or sunflower seeds, or you can try to find a source that sells unpasteurized almonds. If you come across one, let me know and I'll share it with the rest of my readers."

My Niche

I always thought that I wanted to do something with children and nutrition. I knew that I wanted to focus on helping curb the obesity epidemic but I've never been really good with kids.

I'm currently in school to be a nutritionist and have known for a long time that this is what I wanted to pursue and become - but just knowing that is a little vague.

However, I think I've finally found what I really want to do. I want to be an influential figure in the field of anti-aging.

According to wikipedia, anti-aging addresses how to prevent, slow, or reverse the effects of aging. It encompasses nutrition, physical fitness, skin care, hormone replacements, vitamins, supplements, and herbs - all of which are fields I am interested in and have experience in.

Obviously, I will be focusing on the nutrition aspect of it. Nobody wants to take pills to cure their ailments if they don't have to. They'd rather be healthy. It seems to be like the medical establishment in this country isn't what it's cracked up to be anyway. Everytime I go to the doctor's it seems like they just refer me to another specialist.

But that's a totally different blog altogether.

The Preservation of Muscle on a Keto Diet

A lot of natural (steroid free) bodybuilders question the efficacy of a ketogenic diet for keeping muscle. Having used Dave Palumbo's ketogenic diet in the past few weeks, I believe that as long as strength is maintained and protein is high, muscle loss will be minimal. I believe that most people aren't used to the "flat" feeling that is a lack of glycogen in the muscle tissue.

To further substantiate this claim, I found this meta-analysis while browsing the internet. It's a great read.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=16448570

Veteran's Day?

Is it just me or does Veteran's Day seem more like "National Day Off of School..Day?"

There's no adjusted hours at the gyms, all the stores are open, pretty much everything is running at full speed. I haven't even seen one "Happy Veteran's Day" sign or card.

I'm going to call my dad, who's a veteran, and wish him a happy veteran's day. This day should be about celebrating the sacrifice that veteran's made for our great country. I'd like to see a little more patriotism for this day.

Hell, I didn't even get Halloween off of school and I get a whole 2 days for Thanksgiving but Veteran's Day gets a full day and no one does anything.

I just don't get it.

The Case for the Gators

As some of you know, I go to the University of Florida - home of the Florida Gators.

So far this year, we've lost a heart breaker at home by one point to SEC West opponent, Ole Miss. Since they were from the West, we pretty much have the East division locked down. This means we should get to face #1 Alabama in Atlanta for the SEC Championship.

Now if we can beat them, I think it would be hard to deny us a shot at the National Championship. It would knock them out of first and Texas Tech up to first instead with Texas in second and us in third (if we don't jump Texas for a stellar performance).

But this leads us back to a rematch of a national championship. This happened 2 years ago when Ohio State was undefeated and everyone wanted to see and rematch with Michigan. When the Gators got the bid everyone thought we weren't worthy.

But we all know how that turned out.

Will history repeat itself?

MCT Blocks Lipogenesis Through Ppar Gamma

I've been using coconut oil to get an adequate intake of saturated fats when my red meat intake is low. I've noticed an increase in energy and better skin as the most outstanding benefits.

Here's another cool benefit I've stumbled upon.

"Nutr Metab (Lond). 2006 Jul 27;3(1):30 [Epub ahead of print] Related Articles, Links


Modulation of adipocyte lipogenesis by octanoate: involvement of reactive oxygen species.

Guo W, Xie W, Han J.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Octanoate is a medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) that is rich in milk, coconut oil and other tropical dietary lipids. Octanoate accounts for about 70% of the fatty acids in commercial MCT oil. Use of dietary MCT for weight control can be tracked to early 1950s, and is highlighted by several recent clinical trials. The molecular mechanisms of the weight reduction effect remain not completely understood. Prior studies considered the rapid hepatic oxidation of MCFA as the main cause for a deficiency in fatty acid supply to the peripheral tissues. However, we and others found that significant amounts of MCFA are recovered in adipose tissue in MCT-fed animals and humans, implying that there might be a direct influence of MCFA on fat cell functions. Methods: 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with octanoate in a high glucose culture medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and 170 nM insulin.The effects on lipogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, cellular concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the expression and activity of peroxisome proliferator receptor gamma (PPARgamma) and its associated lipogenic genes were assessed. In selected experiments, long-chain fatty acid oleate, PPARgamma agonist troglitazone, and antioxidant N-acetylcysteine were used in parallel. Effects of insulin, L-carnitine, and etomoxir on beta-oxidation of octanoate and oleate were measured as possible mechanism for increased ROS production. Results: beta-oxidation was inhibited by insulin moderately (18%) for octanoate as compared with oleate (60%). Under conditions that normally favor lipogenesis in adipocytes (170 nM insulin (170 nM) and 25 mM glucose), octanoate inhibited triglyceride synthesis, reduced expression of lipogenic genes and inhibited PPARgamma transcription activity, in association with increased ROS. Co-treatment with troglitazone, N-acetylcysteine, or over-expression of glutathione peroxidase 1 blocks the anti-lipogenic effects of octanoate. Conclusion: these findings support our hypothesis that MCFA-induced fat mass loss can be at least partially explained by the octanoate-mediated inactivation of PPARgamma, which leads to a pleiotropic down regulation of anabolic genes and inhibition on lipogenesis in adipocytes. Furthermore, our data suggest that ROS might play an important role in this process.

PMID: 16872526"

Home Sick

Going home for the first time all semester made me realize just how much I miss my parents.

I went for a quick walk with my dad this morning and he showed me how to take better care of my car (I know nothing about cars). He bought me oil and some gas. I was glad to see that he was very happy to be living where he was. I think he can finally enjoy his retirement. He was so excited to show me his garage and I ended up late for the All South Championships but I didn't care. It made me so happy to see him happy.

My mom did my laundry and washed my tupperware. She even let me sleep in her bed while she slept on the couch. She tried to convince me about 100 times to stay longer. I really wish I could have.

All this just made me realize that there's NO ONE out there that loves you more than your parents. Remember that.

All South Championships

For the first time this year I'm finally going home for a couple days. I look forward to seeing my family and while I'm there in St. Augustine FL, I intend to stop by the All South Championships this weekend.

http://www.allsouthchampionships.com/

I think more bodybuilders need to come out to shows. I realize the economy is bad right now but there's no doubt in my mind that there's some bodybuilders in St. Augustine that will not be attending this show just because they don't feel like it. In order for the sport to grow, you should see it as your civic duty as a bodybuilder to come out. More tickets sold and more butts in the seats means the show can grow.

Besides, if there's a show in your area, it more than likely only occurs once a year.

It comes down to entertainment, admittedly. If the shows weren't so boring, there would definitely be more people there. I think the night show needs to be more of a show but that's another blog altogether.

How I Stay Focused

Something I picked up a few years ago sticks with me as something I do everyday to ensure that I continue to progress towards my goals.

That something is a having a "Goal Sheet." It is essentially just a piece of paper or a word document that you write your goals down on. Make them as specific as possible and read them at least once a day. I start off everyday reading it and I end everyday reading it. Reading it before training would be a good idea as well.

This makes your goals more concrete. They are now down on paper and official. It also forces you to think about EXACTLY what you want. The more specific you can be, the more powerful the drive to succeed will be.

I also include on this sheet a list of motivation quotes or sayings from other people or myself that get me going. Whenever I get the chance, I'll repeat certain phrases to myself. It's the power of positive thinking. No mental programming in this way is lost. It's cumulative. You're literally building yourself up.

I wholeheartedly believe that this is one of the major reasons that I'm as motivated and driven as I am. I just won't stand for wasted time.

Why 95% Gain it Back

There's a statistic out there that says 95% of people that lose a significant amount of weight eventually gain it back.

There's a few reasons for this. All of it comes down to survival. The body is a fat storing machine. It wants that energy reserve for times of famine (which we never deal with anymore).

According to Dr. Harry Sitren, Thyroxine (your thyroid hormone) can drop as much as 25-35% during a diet. This slows your metabolic rate and makes it difficult to continue losing weight. When people go off their diets, they usually increase their calories too much. You have to increase very slowly so as to allow your T3 levels to keep up.

Another major reason is the minimal amount of triglyceride in fat cells. Fat cells increase and decrease in size in response to overfeeding and underfeeding respectively. When they grow to a certain size, though, the cell will undergo mitosis and divide - leaving you with more fat cells. This is undesirable as each fat cell wants to store a certain amount of minimum fat. So when you diet, your fat cells will decrease in size. The bottom line is those with more total fat cells will have a harder time keeping their fat off due to more of them hording dietary fat.

Then there's the obvious hunger hormones that contribute to overeating. Leptin, which keeps you satiated, will decrease during a diet while Ghrelin, which triggers hunger, will increase substantially.

Dieting also increase the activity of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL). This enzyme promotes the storage of fat in both adipose tissue and muscle cells. It increase more in those people who are fattest prior to weight loss.

Another reason I believe people gain back the weight is that they sacrafice a lot of lean tissue in the process. People see the scale weight going back up and freak out even though they're actually gaining back the muscle they lost during a diet.

I believe there's also psychological factors at play and I'm sure there's a multitude of other hormones and/or enzymes etc at play but given this information, it would seem to me that a low fat, high carbohydrate diet is the most appropriate diet after a diet. This type of diet will decrease the amount of potential dietary fat that the fat cells can soak up due to LPL and their minimum requirements. The high carbohydrate content would be most efficient at getting the Thyroid fully functional again. The key is SLOW increases though.

L-Carnitine Tartrate

Here is one supplement that people have been using forever with little success. Usually taken in the form Acetyl-L-Carnitine, L-Carnitine is marketed as a fat loss supplement as the amino acid plays a critical role in transporting fat to the mitochondria of the cell for energy.

The potential of L-Carnitine is great as it doesn't stop there. There may be cognitive benefits as well as liver health.

But it really hasn't been very impressive.

Recently though, some studies were published about L-Carnitine Tartrate. Here is a study that showed 1g supplementation of it after a work significantly reduced muscle soreness and stress markers.

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Low-dose-Carnipure-tartrate-promotes-exercise-recovery-study

Other studies have been published that show the same form upregulates androgen receptor activity.

In light of these recent studies, I purchased some L-Carnitine tartrate as it is not that expensive. I will be posting my thoughts about it in the future.

Sleep

I wish I could get better sleep. I have somewhat of a cold and the past 3 nights have been horrible by my standards.

Studies have shown and increase in Ghrelin and a decrease in Leptin when subjects got less than 8 hours of sleep per night. Ghrelin triggers hunger. Leptin is your adipocytes satiety hormone. They also found that the less sleep you got, the worse it gets.

I've always been very big on sleep - generally aiming for 9-10 hours per night. I feel that I can function best with this amount of sleep.

As such, I take certain supplements to ensure a good nights sleep. One is ZMA. ZMA stand fors inc Magnesium Aspartate.

The ZMA study most often cited as evidence of efficacy was co-investigated by Lorrie Brilla, Ph.D., at Western Washington University, and Victor Conte of Balco Labs in Burlingame, Calif. Conte is the inventor and patent owner of ZMA. Brilla and Conte studied 12 NCAA division II football players who took ZMA nightly during an eight-week spring training program. A separate group of 15 took placebo.

In the athletes taking ZMA, researchers measured a 30-percent increase in both free and total testosterone. (Free testosterone exists in blood; total includes levels in blood and in cells.) Testosterone levels in the placebo group declined by 10 percent, a result of hard training. The placebo group displayed a 21.5 percent decline in blood IGF-1 levels, while there was no significant change in the ZMA group.

In addition to improvements reported in anabolic hormone levels and sleep quality, the athletes made significantly greater gains in muscle strength and power. After eight weeks of training, the ZMA group experienced an 11.6 percent increase, compared to a 4.6 percent increase in the placebo group.

The magnesium is what is thought to cause better sleep quality. Actually, most minerals tend to have a relaxing effect on the body. However, they compete for absorption so don't take ZMA with any Calcium.

Now, I ALWAYS take ZMA. It's a staple to me but I always include at least of these 3 along with it:
1. 5-HTP
2. GABA
3. Melatonin

I alternate these every month. So one month is ZMA/5-HTP, the next ZMA/GABA etc.

5-HTP is a chemically altered form of L-tryptophan - an essential amino acid. It is responsible for the sleepiness you get after eating Turkey on Thanksgiving. Turkey has a lot of L-Trypotophan. This supplement also works to increase serotonin levels and might act as a mild appetite suppressant.

GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter found naturally in the body. Studies have shown that taking it orally can increase growth hormone levels. GH naturally spikes during the night and when you take it orally it acts to relax you. Some users get a tingling sensation about the face. I've found that this effect subsides after about 1 month of use.

Melatonin is probably the strongest sleep aid of this group. It is actually a hormone that is available over the counter that your body produces nautrally in dark environments. About 3mg of this stuff is sure to knock me out. Taken in higher dosages, it's a great antioxidant.

Bodybuilding Art

http://www.builtbodyart.net/bbart_gallery.htm

What Motivates Me

I've recently been asked what motivated me to do what I do and I've been thinking about it a lot.

I believe I'm motivated by success. I've always believed that I am here to make a difference. I want to leave the world a better place than I came into it. I would LOVE to be remembered for something.

This bodybuilding/fitness/nutrition thing is my passion and I truly believe this is where I'll make my mark.

It's not about money. It's about the fulfillment I get from a good hard training session. It's about the elation I get from FINALLY getting to stand on stage after 16 weeks of dieting. It's about getting my parents to tell me they're proud of me.

It's all mental. It always is.

Pimping My Gym

I love this gym. I highly doubt there's a more hardcore bodybuilding gym in Florida. If you're ever in the Gainesville, FL area, definitely check it out.

It was home to the Gainesville Bodybuilding Championships up until last year. A new owner has recently took over and is upgrading it quite a bit.

If you want a referral, just ask natural guru, Layne Norton. He has trained there on occasion.

http://www.gainesvillegym.com/home.html

Homecoming

So this weekend was homecoming at my school. That means a 3 day weekend. It was very much needed as I have 3 tests coming up next week.

Anyway, Homecoming at my school is a very big thing. We have the world's largest student-run pep rally with great performers from everyone like Carrot Top to Lynard Skynard. We also have a great football team that beat Kentucky in the Homecoming game 63-3! We have a parade and other festivities too.

I was quite surprised though. It didn't seem like there were more people in town than normal. During any big game (like LSU for example) there seems to be the same amount of people that come out for Homecoming.

It made me wonder just how many alumni make the trip.

And I thought to myself, I will most definitely have to make that trip at least once if for nothing more than support of my school.

Day After the Fast

So I've got about 3 meals in me after having fasted for an entire day yesterday.

There's a noticeable difference in energy for sure. After my first meal I felt a lot better - and I haven't even had any carbs.

My digestion seems to be a lot better though. I won't go into details but there is no bloating/uncomfort/gas.

Overall, I think this is a good idea to do every once in a while. I can't see doing it every week or even every month and I don't think it would be needed that often.

It was a good way to start off a small mini-diet.

One Day Fast

So I've been enticed to try yet another radical thing with my diet. Yes, I've decided to fast for a day.

Why not? Money is tight and my digestive system can use the rest.

Studies have shown improved insulin sensitivity and life extension with periodic fasting. A radio show called Superhuman radio talked a lot about and got me wanting to try it.

I've still been taking in plenty of fluids (obviously) and had a great workout.

I was surprised to find that I didn't really get hungry until pretty late in the evening.

I might report again tomorrow about what I feel like.

Greater Gainesville Bodybuilding Championships

I was thoroughly impressed with the athletes at the Greater Gainesville this past weekend. The overall winner and the lightheavyweight champion in particular look national level to me.

There wasn't many athletes but it was definitely a better turn out than when it was operated by the Gainesville Gym (my gym). It is now a level 2 event and IFBB pro Darrem Charles and his son Renel (who I competed against) were the guest posers.

So it looks like things are looking up.

Here are the photos. The overall winner was over 40 years old and a BEAST.

http://www.iajephoto.com/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=5783

Limitations

There is little more important to physical or even mental progress than the simple belief that success can be achieved. The ability to see yourself in the position you strive for can often be what separates those who talk about what they want to do and those who actually do it.

Why accept limitations? Why do you need to see some one else do it before you can? Many trends in breaking records is testament to the fact that people need to see other achieve something before them.

Don't accept that! ANYTHING is possible. You should awake each day with the world at your finger tips. Be you. Do something that's never been done before.

Easier said than done? Of course!

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be TRYING. All champions do.

And eventually...they succeed.

Fructose

A study at my university has added to the mounting evidence that fructose is making America fat.

High fructose corn syrup is a cheap sweetener that is found in everything from sugary sodas to half and half.

In short, the study showed that too much fructose can lead to leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone in the body that controls hunger. When bodyfat is high, leptin is high and hunger is low in healthy individuals. When you're resistant to leptin, hunger will be normal or high despite an abundance in calories and bodyfat.

To see the full study, go here:

http://news.ufl.edu/2008/10/16/fructose-leptin/

Progression

Pretty good workout today. My only complaint is the SLOW progress I'm making on the rack deads. I had to remind myself that an increase in reps with heavy weight is worth more than an increase in weight. In other words, if I progressed like this:

Last Time: 350 x 2 = 700lbs
This Time: 350 x 3 = 1050lbs

It's better than if I did:

Last Time: 350 x 2 = 700lbs
This Time: 370 x 2 = 740lbs

Now when you're doing something like lateral raises, where the working weight is much lower, the opposite applies. Doing more reps usually yields more progression. For example:

Last Time: 25 x 10 = 250lbs
This Time: 30 x 10 = 300lbs

As opposed to:

Last Time: 25 x 10 = 250lbs
This Time: 25 x 11 = 275lbs

Take this into account next time you're training!

Ecclesiastes Rocks!

"I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live, and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things are a gift from God." --Ecclesiastes 3:12-3:13

Maybe...

Maybe we're going about living all wrong.

Everything we do is driven by money. We go to school so we can get a good job and make a lot of money. We go to work to directly MAKE money. We look for coupons and good deals so we can save money. The list goes on and on.

The thing is, money will never make you happy. Only you can make you happy.

And none of us are guaranteed tomorrow - let alone retirement.

So maybe we should focus on enjoying life and being remembered as a good person.

I know I wouldn't think any less of my role models if they didn't have a big house or a nice car. It's not coming with them when they go to the big gym in the sky anyway.

"For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity." -- Ecclesiastes 3:19

Innate Desire

I have a good friend who has GREAT potential to be an awesome powerlifter.

Unfortunately, he lacks that extra something.

See, he wants to compete and get his diet in order and do everything that all the best powerlifters do. The problem is, he can't stick to anything. He drops out of meets, injures himself, falls off the wagon on diets etc. I can tell he really likes powerlifting but it seems to me that he doesn't do what it takes out of the gym to make his dreams reality.

Maybe he just can't remind himself just how bad he wants it when the diet gets tough. Or maybe he's afraid that he'll fail even if he does everything right.

At any rate, he's just going along for the ride when it comes to his life.

Champions MAKE time for what they need to do. Successful people often have crazy schedules of 12+ hours of work per day. They do it because they want that end result bad enough. They do it because they love it.

Champions take control of their lives. If they say they're going to do something, they do it - come hell or high water. This kind of mindset gives one confidence that their goals will indeed become reality - and if you can believe in yourself like that, NOTHING can stand in your way.

So I'm finding that only a select few have this burning innate desire to NEVER give up in the face of adversity just because they want something bad enough. Are you one of them?

Glycerol Follow Up

My post on glycerol still had me thinking and I couldn't seem to find an answer by researching. So I decided to ask my nutrition professor here at the University of Florida Dr. Harry Sitren, PhD.

I inquired "Why doesn't the body just deanimate triglycerides and use the glycerol backbone to synthesize glucose while on a no/low carb diet?"

His response in a nutshell:

It can and it does.

The problem is, glucose is a 6 carbon sugar. Glycerol is a 3 carbon sugar. So for every one triglyceride molecule, we can make one half glucose.

Moreover, triglycerides are only broken down to monoglycerides in the intestinal tract. So it needs to be further deanimated before synthesis of glucose from glycerol can occur.

Basically, not only is it an inefficient process but it's also a metabolically expensive process- maybe even more expensive than the energy it would yield.

This explains why the body opts for ketosis instead.

Theoretically, consuming glycerol could not a person out of ketosis because of the aforementioned processes even though it doesn't raise blood sugar. However, one would have to consume a VERY large amount of it.

Current Economic Crisis Facts

I thought this was funny.

"If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago,
you will have $49.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you will have
$33.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago,
you will have $0.00 today.

But, if you ha d purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all
the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you
will have received a $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily
& recycle. It is called the 401-Keg plan.

A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a
year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons
of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get about 41
miles to the gallon!"

Money Saving Tips

1. Shop at Sam's Club and/or Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart DOES have some groceries. And if they have their own brand of it, it's generally going to be your best buy.

Investing in a Sam's Club or Costco membership usually pays itself off within a month or so. After that, it's all saved money.

2. Shower at the gym
If you have the tendency to take long, hot showers, showering at the gym can cut down drastically on your electric bill.

3. Get a Bike
Have you seen the price of gas lately? Besides, using a bike to get around is a lot healthier. You'd be surprised just how much is within biking distance. Sometimes a bike is even faster than a car!

4. Drink More Water
Juices and sodas add up! Besides, drinking water will keep you full thus cutting down on food bills.

5. Get online coupons
Try http://www.fatwallet.com

Glycerol - Super Confusing

I've been experimenting a lot with glycerol lately after some people claimed that consuming it didn't kick them out of ketosis. It made sense to me and seemed exciting. Glycerol (or glycerin or glycerine) is the backbone of a triglyceride. It is a 3 carbon sugar. Technically, it's a sugar alcohol.

It CAN be converted to glucose by liver.

BUT wouldn't that mean that, when on a no carb diet, the body could just deanimate triglycerides and convert the glycerol to glucose? We know this doesn't happen though as ketosis has been reported on many, many occasions.

One thing that I think contributes to the body's lack of doing this is the fact that is a metabolically expensive pathway. It may just be easier for the body to convert fatty acids to ketones.

Another factor could be the abundance of fatty acids relative to glycerol. For every one glycerol molecule in a triglyceride, there are 3 fatty acids.

Finally, being in a caloric deficit could help give the body impetus to use ketones instead of glycerol.

But what about those who are in a caloric surplus on a no carb diet? Or what about those who diet on a no carb diet but carb up every so often? Could glycerol be detrimental to their progress?

This is something that has me very intrigued and I think it needs more research.

We do know that glycerol:

1. Doesn't effect blood glucose to any significant degree
2. Has a hydrating/dehydrating effect
3. Has 4.32 calories per gram
4. Is 60% as sweet as sucrose

The last two points have made it a popular addition to various protein bars and for good reason. Usually people only consume a protein bar when they eat it without any other food in that meal. Since glycerol doesn't effect blood sugar, it seems like the perfect "carb" for that time. The sweetness is another bonus.

As far as the hydrating/dehydrating effect, I'm personally having a hard time seeing results. So far I've tried it without water and with water. Even with it I seem to feel more dehyrated when taking it than anything. I have noticed an increase in sweating though.

Perhaps I'm not taking enough water.

At any rate, I think I'm just (and research is just) scratching the surface in terms of potential uses for this...substance?

So Grim...

I think the world isn't half as grim as most people think it is. Miracles happen everyday that seem to go without notice.

A recent poll revealed that 88% of women and 75% of men pray in a typical week. Of those percentages, 95% thank god.

An overwhelming majority have the right idea and they MUST have something to thank God for.

It's understandable why people think the world is such a terrible place though. We are constantly bombarded by media with bad news. Everything from the stock market about to crash to starving kids in Africa. It's a very rare occurrence that they report on something uplifting.

For that reason, I don't watch a lot of TV anymore. In fact, I hardly watch it at all and I think I'm a lot better off for it.

My thoughts on Skiploading (so far)

Skiploading is a precontest method of basically loading early and spilling over and then returning to your normal diet for a few days to let the water leave.

I've repeated this about 4 times now and I'm still trying to get it down. So with that said, I don't consider myself anywhere near an expert on this method - or even that experienced with it.

Overall, I think it works pretty well. I haven't been able to just stop my training after a load so I haven't seen myself dry and as full as I could be but it seems like 3 days after the load the water is completely gone.

I know Skip doesn't count his carbs on this method but I've been keeping it around 1200 just to be consistent. I learned early that getting them all from things like low fat pop tarts and fat free fig newtons left me hungry!

So I think of mix of junk and clean foods is best. I like to start with junk and then switch to clean foods in the evening before bed. By that time, I'm sick of them anyway.

Something I've noticed is that I never get the "insulin coma" that I would sometimes get on a cheat day precontest. It seems like the days between each load with zero carbs keeps my VERY insulin sensitive.

I'd like to experiment with using glucose disposal agents on this protocol. Right now I'm tinkering with the water amounts.

I love this!

Antioxidants - Eat Your Beans!

Below is a list of the foods with the highest anti-oxidants.

I was totally unaware that beans ruled this category. You always hear about berries but nothing about beans.

1
Small Red Bean (dried)
Half cup
13727

2
Wild blueberry
1 cup
13427

3
Red kidney bean (dried)
Half cup
13259

4
Pinto bean
Half cup
11864

5
Blueberry (cultivated)
1 cup
9019

6
Cranberry
1 cup (whole)
8983

7
Artichoke (cooked)
1 cup (hearts)
7904

8
Blackberry
1 cup
7701

9
Dried Prune
Half cup
7291

10
Raspberry
1 cup
6058

11
Strawberry
1 cup
5938

12
Red Delicious apple
One
5900

13
Granny Smith apple
One
5381

14
Pecan
1 ounce
5095

15
Sweet cherry
1 cup
4873

16
Black plum
One
4844

17
Russet potato (cooked)
One
4649

18
Black bean (dried)
Half cup
4181

19
Plum
One
4118

20
Gala apple
One
3903

Gratitude

As cheesy as it sounds, I've really found the old "Count your blessings" thing to work.

I start of each day thanking god for my health and this opportunity to succeed among all the little joys that appeared the day before. It puts me in the right state of mind. I start to look for the good things in life instead of constantly focusing on the bad things.

If you get into the habit of doing this. You start to realize just how good you have it.

I also conclude each day thanking God for all he's given me. There is never a day that goes by without something happening I am thankful for.

So are you appreciating all that you have?

The Density of Foods in America

So I'm on a zero carb diet where I refeed every 3-4 days. On these days, I'm eating 1000g+ of carbohydrates with minimal fat and very controlled protein. As such, insulin is sky high all day so it doesn't really matter where the carbohydrates come from as long as they're low fat.

So I went out and got things like Fat Free Fig Newtons and Low Fat Pop Tarts.

The problem with that is it only takes about fig newtons to eat 100g of carbs.

I was ending up hungry on my high days!

My new favorite foods on these days are pretty much the typical bodybuilding foods now (rice cakes, oatmeal etc.)

Don't get me wrong, the fat free ice cream I've discovered is AMAZING.

But the point is it's no wonder America is fat and was still fat when the low fat craze in the 90's was going on. The get rid of the fat in pop tarts but then add more sugars to make up for it.

People don't have any clue just how much they're putting away.

I've talked to many people that have 4 or 5 pop tarts for breakfast and think nothing of it.

That's 160-200g of carbs (mostly from sugar) and 28-35g of fat (including trans fat).

Check out this bad boy:

http://www.baskinrobbins.com/Nutrition/product.aspx?Category=Beverages&id=BV273

How many customers (*coughVICTIMS*cough) do you think look up the nutrition facts before they go eat that?

Look into Volumetrics people!

Deleted

The Final Word on Nutrition

I found this on a message board and thought it was quite funny.

THE FINAL WORD ON NUTRITION


After an extensive review of all the research literature I could lay my hands on, here’s my final word on nutrition and health.:

1. Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
2. Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
3. Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
4. Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
5. Even the Germans, who drink beer and eat lots of sausages and fats, suffer fewer heart attacks than we do.
6. The French indulge in foie-gras, full fat cheese and drink red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

My advice is: Eat and drink what you like. It seems to me that it’s the speaking of English that is the killer.

Visualization

During my entire contest prep, I would visualize every workout before doing it. I would see myself succeeding on every rep and every set and mentally plan the whole workout.

It got me excited and gave me a clear, defined goal that I wanted to accomplish during each workout.

After a while though, I felt a little burnt out and decided to just go train.

I've recently reverted back to visualizing the workout and I believe it has helped immensely.

Some things I've noticed are an increased ability to focus and greater intensity and confidence. It's like I've already done it.

I also reminds myself of my goals for the workout and for the year before going to train.

Today, it made for a good leg day.

Stress

I often see a lot of experts recommending people reduce their stress. While this may be true for some older folks with high blood pressure, I don't think most people are anywhere near that level.

Stress isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the more you can handle, the better. It takes a stressful life to be productive and thus successful in almost any endeavor.

I've always view stress a lot like weight lifting. The training session is the stress itself while the bigger muscles is the success and productivity that comes from it.

Also like weight lifting, don't expect to squat 500lbs your first time (don't take on too much at once). Instead gradually try to build it up.

If you're stressed out, back off a bit until you can handle it but realize that you're doing the best you can and improving.

The Right Direction

This past weekend was the biggest competition in bodybuilding - The Mr. Olympia contest held in Las Vegas, NV.

The reigning champ was dethrowned by challenger Dexter Jackson of Jacksonville, FL. I never thought I'd say this but...I'm glad.

I love Jay as a bodybuilder, champion and especially as a person. Unfortunately though, his reign came at a time when the criteria for bodybuilding slowly started to change.

With the retirement of Ronnie, more and more pros started to streamline their physiques. More attention was placed on having a small waist and superb conditioning since no one was standing next to Ronnie anymore more.

And Jay played along.

Jay can't though. He's a bona-fide mass monster. Standing next to Toney Freeman, Dexter Jackson, Phil Heath and Dennis Wolfe he looked out of place.

It was the year of the tiny waists at the Olympia.

I, for one, am glad that bodybuilding has taken the first step towards the more aesthetic physiques.

My Thoughts on The Palumbo Diet

I posted earlier that I decided to use the Palumbo Diet for an offseason "mini-diet." Now that it's over, here's what I think of it.

Energy levels - Arguably better than eating carbs. Once in ketosis, you don't get insulin swings and crashes or sugar highs. It's a very stable energy. That said, once you get down to a certain leanness, it doesn't matter what diet you're on. I'm about in that zone. Dave calls it the "Pain Zone."

Cost - This diet is CHEAP, which is a huge plus while in college. The most expensive thing is the one red meat meal each day. Tuna/chicken/turkey is cheap. Eggs are cheap. Oils are cheap and last FOREVER.

Satiety - I was only really hungry in the mornings. However, there is not a lot of options. You can eat meat, nuts and oils. That's about it. It can get pretty boring and it feels like you're eating VERY little.

The masochist in me likes it though.

Muscle Maintenance - I don't feel like I've lost any muscle. In fact, strength has been going up. I think the reason a lot of natural guys think this diet is bad for them is that they're flat all the time. Once you get used to that feeling, it's really not that bad.

The key though, is keeping cardio at a LOW intensity. I think Dave may be on to something with this - but that's another blog altogether.

I'm also glad I'm finally off all stimulants. It took me a lot longer than I would've liked after my contest. I normally don't use any caffeine in the offseason.

I leaned out VERY fast. Overall, I would do this diet again but I don't feel it should be necessary. If I was very fat, this diet would be AWESOME. Next mini-diet will not be a keto though. I'm too lean to not have a little carbs.

Here's what a typical day looked like:

9:30 - 2 whole omega 3 eggs, 1 cup eggbeaters, 12 fish oils
12:30 - 1.8 scoops whey/casein shake, 2 TBSP Natural PB
2:30 - 1.5 cans Tuna, 0.7oz Macadamia Nuts
4:30 - Same as above
6:30 - 7oz Top Round, 2 cups Spinach, 1 cup Broccoli, 1 TBSP Sesame Oil
8:30 - 1 whole omega 3 egg, 1 cup eggbeaters, 8 fish oils, 2 Evening Primeose Oils

This comes out to about 2100 calories, 290g protein, 20g carbs (8 fiber) and 110g fat.

Olympia Predictions

The biggest contest in bodybuilding gets underway tonight at 6:30 PDT.

Here are my predictions.

There's a difference between chosing who you THINK you place where and who you think the judges will place them.

That's the highest I've seen Freeman predicted by some one.

If I had it my way:

1. Wolfe
2. Freeman
3. Heath
4. Jackson
5. Anthony

How I think it'll actually pan out:

1. Cutler
2. Jackson
3. Wolfe
4. Heath
5. Anthony

MuscleTech

I've been frequenting bodybuilding.com a lot more lately.

One thing I've noticed is the CONSTANT bashing of MuscleTech products. It seems like it's almost the cool thing to do. If you use MuscleTech products, you're clearly out of the loop.

The fact is, MuscleTech probably does more for the sport than any other supplement company. They sponsor many, MANY shows (including the Mr. Olympia this weekend) and sponsor more athletes than any other company.

On top of that, they're actually able to bring bodybuilding products to the mainstream with Hydroxycut.

Sure, their products may be expensive - but you get what you pay for. They do work (ever tried Gakic?)

Stop the hate!

Personalities of the Successful

I was in my biology lecture today when my professor talked about how our experiences and view of the world shapes our personality. It got me thinking, what similarities in personality do the most sucessful people have?

I came up with this list:

1. Sucessful people are optimistic.
Try to anticipate the great events of the future instead of dreading potential stress. All worrying about stress will do is add to its weight if it does happen and it's completely useless if it doesn't.

I choose to see the world in it's best light because I truly believe that God created quite a wonderful thing. Why pick out the tragedies and flaws constantly? All it does is put people in a negative state of mind. This is why I don't watch the news anymore.

See the good not only in every current situation but EXPECT it in the future.

2. Successful people offer something unique.
Ghandi approached his problems without violence. Martin Luther King was a black leader with good credibility and great speaking skills. Arnold Schwarzenneger was the first BIG movie star.

Every successful person has been innovative and unique. They tend to think outside the box and are NOT afraid of being themselves.

You can NEVER be anyone but yourself. So embrace it and use your strengths to the best of your ability.

3. Successful people are passionate.
I think it goes without saying that Ghandi and Matrin Luther King were passionate about their respective causes. Arnold was also very passionate about bodybuilding is is arguably the best ambassador the sport has ever had.

Being passionate about what you do makes things a lot easier when it comes time to sacrafice. It's MUCH easier to persevere when you can't imagine life without something.

4. Successful people are risk takers.
If you never take risks you'll probably never get anywhere in life. Ghandi decided to fast until agreements were made in India. Had the agreements taken longer he could have died - but he gave them incentive to make them!

Arnold took a gamble when he decided to move to the US. Could he make it over here?

5. Successful people are decisive.
The greatest of the great make decisions easily and quickly and then BELIEVE in them and make sure they get carried out. They don't waste time worrying (see point #1) and have a level of certainty and confidence that enhances their lives.

Bigger Faster Stronger

I watched this movie over summer and thought it made some amazing points. If you haven't seen it yet, I'd highly recommend taking the time to view it.

http://www.watch-movies.net/movies/bigger_stronger_faster/

Why is it that women can take estrogen (birth control pills) but men taking testosterone is frowned upon?

Unfortunately, they did a poor job of marketing this movie and it never made it very far in the mainstream. It seems as if the bodybuilding/powerlifting community are the only people that know of it.

I don't take steroids but I'm not against people that do. They could probably enhance the lives of thousands of aging individuals.

Check it out.

True Protein

If anyone out there wants to help me out, use my discount code at www.trueprotein.com for 5% off your next order.

The site has customizable protein and supplements and absolutely great prices.

The customer service is second to none.

If you live on the left coast you'll have fast shipping as well.

Top 5 Mass Foods

It seems the teens on bodybuilding.com ask what foods they should eat to gain mass quite often. Recently I've been responding with this list. Here are the reasons why I think these foods are effective.

1. Red Meat - High fat and high protein. It's great for your male sex hormones and packs plenty of cholesterol for the synthesis of them. Many a bodybuilder has reported increased hypertrophy when eating red meat as opposed to leaner sources. It's likely due to the extra fat but some even swear that they still get better gains when calories are controlled. There is also natural creatine in red meat.

2. Whole Eggs - Again a high fat and high protein food. Like red meat, it is quite high in cholesterol as well. However, dietary cholesterol is not very good at raising your blood cholesterol. Saturated fat is much better at it and, believe it or not, most eggs have about 1g of saturated fats (and plenty of heart healthy monounsaturated fats). Eggs are a good source of lecithin and choline as well. These are substances that are currently being marketed as supplements!

3. Olive Oil - This is a great healthy fat that is dirt cheap. It is rich in heart healthy omega-9 fatty acid oleic acid. Adding a TBSP or two to your shakes is easy to consume and packs a ton of healthy calories!

4. Waxy Maize Starch - OK at least one carbohydrate source had to make the list, right? Waxy Maize is a high molecular weight carbohydrate that enters and leaves the stomach very quickly leaving you hungry soon after you eat it. This is great for mass gain as you won't feel bloated. Waxy Maize is great for after your workouts as it allows for quick glycogen replenishment. It's especially good if the typical dextrose/maltodextrin combo tends to crash you.

5. Peanut Butter - Every loves peanut butter! Like olive oil and WMS, it's easy to eat and digests slowly. In 3rd world countries, they make a powder out of peanut butter because they've found that it snaps people out of starvation quicker than most foods.

Somewhere...

Remember the next time you face adversity that, chances are, somewhere out there some one else has experienced the exact same thing and overcome. I've been doing this lately and it's quite mentally relaxing and humbling.

It almost gives me motivation to be even stronger than that person - even though I've never met them.

Also, don't waste time being envious of the "easier" lives of celebrities or your spoiled best friend. The fact is, everyone has their problems, it's just a matter of how each individual solves them.

I know that it sounds cliche, but as long as you're doing the best you can, that's all that matters. You can't do any better!

Recently I've been letting school stress me out more than it should. That changes today.

It helps that I brought home my first A on my nutrition exam (quite the confidence builder).

Do you REALLY learn in school?

Today is the information age. As such, we are constantly bombarded with information from recipes (Food Channel) to home remedies for various ailments (WebMD) to exact maps to our desired destination (MapQuest). This happens so much so that we have to be careful what we listen to and what we tune out.

You don't want to click on the pop that tells you you've just won a free gift certificate to Wal-Mart EVERY TIME.

The point is, most people seem to do their learning either via personal experience or via the internet nowadays. It seem that universities are just certification bodies that give you a piece of paper showing that you acquired some knowledge.

They used to have a monopoly on knowledge. Now it's everywhere.

At the rate it's going, I suspect universities will be a thing of the past in the not-too-distant future.

Slave to Time?

It seems to me that, more and more, I'm becoming a slave to the clock.

I'm always aware of what time it is. I have a client at 4:00, a meal at 5:00 and a meeting at 6:00. I MUST be productive as possible and it's unprofessional to show up late.

Sure, on the exterior it doesn't seem like a bad thing but the problem is I never get a chance to relax.

See, I have the tendency to take on more than I can handle. I like to have a "To Do" list for the day so I can scratch off things as I go.

But once I scratch off that last thing one of two things happens:

1. I don't know what to do with myself and become bored very quickly
2. I start thinking of more things to do

I often find myself doing #2 while I'm doing other things too. This makes for a lack of concentration on the task at hand.

So I need to do 2 things.

First, I need to learn how to relax.

Second, I need to start doing that which I actually WANT to do. If I actually want to study, I won't be thinking about the weekend while I'm doing it. If I actually want to make a program for a client, I will do just that much better of a job.

I thought I'd write this out because I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem - especially in the community of bodybuilding.

Ketosis

So I started the Palumbo diet on Monday. I felt fine until about yesterday afternoon. Then it hit me.

The brain fog that everyone talks about isn't what I was expecting. I don't feel weak or anything like that but I feel like I could sleep A LOT.

It is a bit hard to concentrate for lengthy periods but they say that once I reach ketosis it will be like some one flipped a switch.

For those that don't know, by the way, the Palumbo Diet is a no carbs diet with high protein and lots of healthy fats. He also advocates a weekly cheat meal and absolutely no stimulants.

I might not do the cheat meal if I don't feel I've reached ketosis. I don't want to KEEP feeling like crap.

I should be in a large caloric deficit though. So hopefully I get some good results.

Eating Veggies will Shrink Your Brain

Teenagers everywhere rejoice!

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HealthSci/Eating_veggies_shrinks_the_brain/articleshow/3480629.cms

Arm Update

For the first time since I can remember my bis are actually sore.

My tris would always get sore once in a blue moon and they are sore too today.

It's not super bad like I was expecting though. I can actually move them. They are, however, sore to the touch.

I will update again when I measure them.

One Day Arm Cure

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding/the_oneday_arm_cure

I just got done doing this. I am quiet surprised about how...easy it was.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I'll get some growth out of it but I was expecting not to be able to lift my arms by the end of the day.

I was pumped as all hell and it felt a bit different in that it felt a bit inflamed too but it just felt a lot easier than I expected.

And I took every set to failure and some even a bit beyond (forced reps)!

I'll update about any growth.

Staying Lean

I'm making a note to stay very lean this offseason. I don't want to go above 6%.

Some people ask me why.

Well, it will make next year's contest just THAT much easier.

Plus it helps get me clients!

And I AM making gains. Most notably in my lower back, chest and bis.

That is all :)

Getting Strong

After my mini-diet I'm doing right now, I've decided to start up on a Dorian Yates-style routine.

This routine will get me much stronger much faster than the current high volume routine I'm doing.

Strength precedes size. The stronger I am, the more muscle damage I can accumulate while doing phases of higher reps.

There are NO weak professional bodybuilders for a reason!

When's the last time your squat went up significantly?

Saunas

I love saunas. Lately I've been using them whenever I can right in the middle of a training session.

"RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE???" you say?

Yup.

Check this out. It's written by one of my favorite authors, Christian Thibaudeau

Intra-workout sauna to make you bigger and leaner!

Back in the 60s Larry Scott (the first ever Mr.Olympia) use to claim that short stints in the sauna taken during a workout could increase growth hormone production. When I first read about that claim I did find it a bit unscientific and kinda dismissed it as just another ''theory'' that some old-timers had in the past. So I put that sauna theory in some remote part of my brain right next to fond memories of the good ole Cybergenic stack!

However after doing some research on recovery methods used by european athletes I came across a lot of information that brought Scott's theory in the ''hey, there might be something there'' portion of my brain.

Turns out that not only do sauna at 80-120 degrees really do increase growth hormone production (by around 150%) but some studies actually found it to also increase testosterone and noradrenaline levels. Taken together these changes can help you stimulate more fat loss as well as muscle gain (Lammintausta et al. 1976, Kukkonen et al. 1989 and 1988).

One study (Jezova et al. 1994) also found something interesting when it comes to cortisol levels. During the first 15 minutes of sauna exposure, cortisol levels in the body decreased. After the 15 minutes mark, they started to increase.

Interestingly, these findings support Scott's recommendations of going in the sauna for 5-7 minutes a few times during your workout. 5-7 minutes bouts will help you elevate growth hormone, testosterone and noradrenaline levels while also lowering cortisol production! This would obviously put your body in a slightly more anabolic state as well as facilitate fat loss.

If you are lucky enough to be training in a gym where there is a sauna available you can use Scott's protocol by going in the sauna 2-3 times during your workout. I personally use the method by going in the sauna between my exercises for a muscle group.

The Life of a Pro

For those wondering, this is what it's like to be a pro bodybuilder (apparently):

http://www.fouadabiad.blogspot.com/

I'm a big fan of this guy. I just HAD to plug his blog.

The Importance of Sleep

You rest when you grow.

If you're compromising your sleep you're compromising your gym efforts - whether you realize it or not.

Bodybuilders need at LEAST 8 hours of sleep per night with 10 hours being optimal.

Personally, I love my sleep. I never have any problem getting enough.

However, this past Friday I worked as a bouncer and was up until 3:30am (late for me).

I'm STILL trying to recover.

Ugh.