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.