Fat Loss – STRENGTH SENSEI

transformation1

The intent of the Before’n’After Files is to give more insight into the training, nutrition and supplementation of our clients Before’n’After successes

This time it’s German U18 Rugby National team Player Frederick Lütchke’s 30-week preparation for the U18 Rugby European Championships

Nutrition and Supplementation

7:00 Wake up
¼ Tsp. Himalayan Salt
Shot of Lime juice
Water

7:30 Meal 1 – Breakfast
10 Whole Eggs, fried in Irish Butter
2 Tabs MultiVitaminMineral
2 Tabs Licorice
8 Tabs Chlorella Vulgaris

10:00 Meal 2 – Snack
1 Bag of Macadamia Nuts (150g)

12:30 Meal 3 – Lunch
500g Beef, grilled
Mixed Salad with Olive Oil
2 Tabs MultiVitaminMineral
8 Tabs Chlorella Vulgaris

15:00 Meal 4 – Snack
500g Quark 20%
A bowl of Raspberries

16:00 Training

17:00 Meal 5 – Postworkout Shake
80g Whey protein
300g Maltodextrin
800mg Potassium Citrate
Water

19:00 Meal 6 – Diner
500g Chicken, grilled
Mixed Salad with Olive Oil
2 Tabs MultiVitaminMineral
8 Tabs Chlorella Vulgaris

22:00 Bedtime
500mg Taurine
1500mg Magnesium, different chelates
4g Inositol

Foods are rotated daily, ie. he would have smoked salmon instead of eggs for breakfast, salmon instead of beef for lunch and turkey instead of chicken for diner. The salads also changed everyday, using lettuce, arugula, tomato, pepper, spring onion, avocado, olives, feta cheese and every salad food he could think of.

Frederick added 2-3 portions of carbs at diner per week, depending on his need and training volume. One portion is a bowl of basmati rice or 3-4 large potatoes or a tub of ice cream.

Before, After

Training

This is Phase 5 of Fredericks 30-week Preparation for the U18 Rugby European Championships

Day 1 – Lower Body
A BB Squat Jump – 4 x 6-8 10×0 120s
B BB BackSquat – 6 x 6,6,4,4,2,2 50×0 240s

Day 2 – Upper Body
A1 Chinup, mid, supinated – 6 x 3,2,1,3,2,1 – 50×0 – 100s
A2 45° Incline Close Grip BB Benchpress, 6 x 5,3,1,5,3,1 – 50×0 – 100s
B1 Kneeling High Pulley One Arm Row, rotating grip- 4 x6-8 – 4011 -90s
B2 Standing Behind the neck Press- 4 x 6-8 – 4011 -90s

He did Weightraining 4 days per week and Rugby training 3 days per week.

His weightraining program changed every 6 workouts.

He finished the last phase before the U18 Rugby European Championships with a world class standing Broad Jump of 3,26m (measured toe to toe) and a 30m sprint in 3,89s.

YPSI Client und U18 Rugby National team member Frederick Lüthcke does a Close Grip Flat Benchpress with 150kg for 1 rep in preparation for the U18 Rugby European Championships

YPSI Client und U18 Rugby National team member Frederick Lüthcke finishes a 3,2,1 Wave Loading Front Squat workout with a New PR 165kg for 2 repetitions and 180kg for 1 repetition

Coach Wolfgang Unsöld ist der Gründer des Your Personal Strength Institute in Stuttgart, Deutschland einem Personaltraining-Studio mit dem besten Equipment in Europa. Er hat mit Athleten einer Vielzahl von Disziplinen zusammengearbeitet inkl. Romy Korn – Weltmeisterin Ju-Jitsu, Slavo Polugic – K1 Weltmeister, Victor Knoch – Ungarisches Shorttrack Speedskating National Team Mitglied und 500m Jr Weltrekordhalter, sowie eine Vielzahl anderer Athleten im Bereich der UFC, Rugby und Fussball. 13 seiner Athleten haben an Olympischen Winterspiele in Sotschi 2014 teilgenommen.

YPSI Athlete and Ju Jitsu World Champion Romy Korn gets put through a Squat Workout by YPSI Head Coach Wolfgang Unsöld

The Before’n’After Files – Romy Korn, World Jiu Jitsu Champion

The intent of the Before’n’After Files is to give more insight into the training, nutrition and supplementation of our clients Before’n’After successes

This time it’s Jiu Jitsu World Champion Romy Korn’s 10-week preparation for her win at the Jiu Jitsu World Championships in Paris in November 2014. She starts in the 70+ kg weight class.

Nutrition and Supplementation

7:30 Wake up
¼ Tsp. Himalayan Salt
Shot of Lime juice
Water

8:00 Meal 1 – Breakfast
6 Whole Eggs, fried in Irish Butter
Various vegetables
2 Tab Multi-vitamin/Mineral
2 Tabs Licorice
6 Tabs Chlorenergy

10:00 Meal 2 – Snack
A handful of Nuts or Seeds (Macadamia, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Brazil Nuts)

13:00 Meal 3 – Lunch
350g Ground Beef and various Vegetables, stir-fried
2 Tab Multi-vitamin/Mineral
6 Tabs Chlorenergy

16:00 Training

17:00 Meal 4 – Postworkout Shake
30g YPSI AminoElektolytKomplex
Water

20:00 Meal 5 – Diner
350g Poultry or Fish, grilled
Mixed Salad with Olive Oil
2 Tabs MultiVitaminMineral
6 Tabs Chlorenergy

22:00 Bedtime
2 Caps YPSI Magnesium Capsules
1 scoop YPSI Inositol plus Magnesium

Foods are rotated daily, ie. she would have smoked salmon instead of eggs for breakfast, salmon instead of beef for lunch and turkey, chicken or white fish for diner. The vegetables and salads also changed everyday, using broccoli, zucchini, lettuce, arugula, tomato, pepper, spring onion, avocado, olives, feta cheese and every vegetable and salad food she could think of.

Romy added 1 portions of carbs at diner per week. One portion is a bowl of basmati rice or 3-4 large potatoes or a tub of ice cream.

Romy Korn

YPSI Athlete Romy Korn dropped her bodyfat from 17,1% to 11,7% and her bodyweight from 72,5 to 69,4kg in 8 weeks, doing 3 supinated, mid grip chin-ups with 5 kg added weight and back squats with 85kg

Training

This is Phase 2 of 5 in Romys 10-week Preparation for the Jiu Jitsu World Championships

Day 1 – Lower Body
A) BB BackSquat – 12 x 6 – 4010 – 120s
B) 45° Back extension, Db in front of the chest – 3 x 8-12 – 2012 – 120s

Day 2 – Upper Body
A1) Pull-up, close neutral grip – 5 x 2-4 – 50X0 – 90s
A2) 30° Incline DB Benchpress, neutral grip – 5 x 6-8 – 40×0 – 90s

B1) Seated Rope Row to neck, pronated- 3 x 6-8 – 3011 – 90s
B2) Standing Behind the neck Press- 3 x 6-8 – 4010 – 90s

C) Reverse EZ Bar Curl, standing, shoulderwidth grip – 3 x 6-8 – 4010 – 120s

She did weight training 3-4 days per week and Jiu Jitsu training 3-4 days per week.

Her weight training program leading up to the Jiu Jitsu World Championships changed every 4 workouts.

YPSI Athlete Romy Korn during a Lower Body Workout – 3 weeks out from the Ju Jitsu World Championships. After the first 6 weeks of weighttraining of her life…

Coach Wolfgang Unsöld is the Founder and Director of the Your Personal Strength Institute in Stuttgart, Germany, a Personal training facility with some of the best equipment in Europe. He has worked with over 100 athletes in many disciplines, including:

Romy Korn, Jiu Jitsu World Champion
Slavo Polugic, 2 time K1 World Champion
Victor Knoch, Shorttrack Speedskating 500m Jr World record holder
Martin Gratzer, 12 time National Austrian Champion in shotput
as well as multiple athletes in UFC, rugby and football.

13 of his clients competed at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sotchi.

I have spent three decades obsessing over developing maximal hypertrophy while displaying minimal body fat.

Here are two things I know for sure about training for hypertrophy

1. You can substitute the big threes (squats, deadlifts, and bench presses) if you use the right combination of intensity and time under tension prolongation methods such as drop sets.

Yes, I did build a foundation of muscle mass using high loads in the big 3s. I am 42, and not getting any younger. I loved the big threes, however, my joints have taken a beating. I don’t need the heavy loads to keep growing. My legs and back are at their best now, and I don’t squat nor deadlift anymore.

2. The upper back can handle prodigious amounts of volume in terms of number of exercises, sets and reps.

I like now to use 60 sets total sets a week, from 6-7 exercises, working the back twice a week.

John Meadows is known in the bodybuilding cirlces as the expert who brings old school, traditional bodybuilding training in the the 21st century. His signature “Mountain Dog” training system is built on years of in-the-trench experience training himself and others to the highest levels of physique competition. He’s also involved in the supplement industry with Prime Nutrition. He can be reached on his website

Guest blog by John Meadows

This article is a classic that has been plagiarized countless times.

Supersets and tri-sets allow you to perform a lot of work in a short period of time.

The rest-pause method allows you to use heavier weights, so you can recruit the higher threshold muscle fibers, and eccentric training enables you to overcome strength plateaus. The bottom line is that almost any training method will work (provided you do it with intensity!), at least for the few weeks it takes for your body to adapt to it.

There is, however, one training system that stands above all the rest. It’s brutally hard, but I’ve found it to be a very effective way to pack on muscle fast! In strength-coaching circles, this method is often called the “ten sets method.” Because it has its roots in both former Germanies, I like to call it German Volume Training. To the best of my knowledge, this training system originated in Germany in the mid-’70’s and was popularized by Rolf Feser, who was then the National Coach of Weightlifting. A similar protocol was promoted by Vince Gironda in the U.S., but regardless of who actually invented it, it works.

In Germany, the ten-sets method was used in the general preparator phase to help weightlifters gain lean body mass. It was so efficient that lifters routinely moved up a full weight class within 12 weeks. It was the base program of Canadian weightlifter Jacques Demers, Silver Medalist in the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Jacques was known in weightlifting circles for his massive thighs, and he gives credit to the German method for achieving such a spectacular level of hypertrophy. The same method was also used by Bev Francis in her early days of bodybuilding to pack on muscle.

The program works because it targets a group of motor units, exposing them to an extensive volume of repeated efforts, specifically, 10 sets of a single exercise. The body adapts to the extraordinary stress by hypertrophying the targeted fibers. To say this program adds muscle fast is probably an understatement – gains of ten pounds or more in six weeks are not uncommon – even in experienced lifters!

As I travelled the World, I often get the feedback that it was the person’s most successful program they ever tried. Many times before the Internet grew, counter attendees let me in for free visiting gyms as thank for the article. This is why this is a staple method I teach in my Optimal Program Design and Advanced Strength Program Design courses

Goals and Guidelines

The goal of the German Volume Training method is to complete ten sets of ten reps with the same weight for each exercise. You want to begin with a weight you could lift for 20 reps to failure if you had to. For most people, on most exercises, that would represent 60% of their 1RM load. Therefore, if you can bench press 300 lbs for 1 rep, you would use 180 lbs for this exercise.

For lifters new to this method, I recommend using the following body-part splits: Day 1: chest and back, Day 2: legs and abs, Day 3: off, Day 4: arms and shoulders, Day 5: off.

When using this program – or any other, for that matter – you should keep a detailed journal of the exact sets/reps and rest intervals performed, and only count the repetitions completed in strict form. Here are a few more guidelines to ensure optimal progress:

Rest Intervals: When bodybuilders start with this method, they often question its value for the first several sets because the weight won’t feel heavy enough. However, there is minimal rest between sets (about 60 seconds when performed in sequence and 90-120 seconds when performed as a superset), which incurs cumulative fatigue. (Interestingly enough, you might find you get stronger again during the eighth and ninth sets – this is because of a short-term neural adaptation.) Because of the importance of the rest intervals, you should use a stopwatch to keep the rest intervals constant. This is very important, as it becomes tempting to lengthen the rest time as you fatigue.

Tempo: For long-range movements such as squats, dips, and chins, use a 4-0-2-0 tempo; this means you would lower the weight in four seconds and immediately change direction and lift for two seconds. For movements such as curls and triceps extensions, use a 3-0-2-0 tempo.

Number of Exercises: One, and only one, exercise per body part should be performed. Therefore, select exercises that recruit a lot of muscle mass. Triceps kickbacks and leg extensions are definitely out – squats and bench presses are definitely in. For supplementary work for individual body parts (like triceps and biceps), you can do 3 sets of 10-20 reps.

Training Frequency: Because this is such an intense program, it’ll take you longer to recover. In fact, if you’re familiar with the writings of Peter Sisco and John Little, you’ll find that the average “Power Factor Rating” of the 10-sets method is about 8 billion. Consequently, one training session every four to five days per body part is plenty.

Overload Mechanism: Once you’re able to do 10 sets of 10 with constant rest intervals, increase the weight on the bar by 4% to 5%, and repeat the process. Refrain from using forced reps, negatives, or burns. The volume of the work will take care of the hypertrophy. Expect to have some deep muscle soreness without having to resort to set prolongation techniques. In fact, after doing a quad and hams session with this method, it takes the average bodybuilder about five days to stop limping.

Beginner/Intermediate Program: Phase 1

This is a sample routine based on a five-day cycle. Once you’ve used this method for six workouts per body part, it’s time to move on to a more intensive program for a three-week period.

Day 1: Chest & Back

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Tempo	Rest
A1	Decline Dumbbell Presses,Semi-Supinated Grip	10	10	4020	90
A2	Supinated Chin-ups	10	10	4020	90
B1	Incline DB Flies	3	10-12	2020	60
B2	One-Arm Dumbbell Rows	3	10-12	2020	60

Notes: Rest 90 seconds between each “A” exercise and each superset; rest 60 seconds between each “B” exercise and each superset. Incidentally, I only recommend three sets of ten in this program for the “B” exercises. The “B” exercises constitute supplementary work, and doing ten sets of them would result in overtraining.

Day 2: Legs & Abs

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Tempo	Rest
A1	Back Squats	10	10	4020	90
A2	Lying Leg curls feet outward	10	8	4020	90
B1	Low Cable Pull-ins *	3	10	2020	60
B2	Seated Calf Raise	3	10-12	2020	60

(*Take a weightlifting belt and buckle it. Attach it to the low pulley of a cable crossover machine. Lie down on your back in front of the machine, and hook your feet in the belt. Then pull your knees towards your chest.)

Notes: Rest 90 seconds between each “A” exercise and each superset; rest 60 seconds between each “B” exercise and each superset.

Day 3: Off

Day 4: Arms and Shoulders

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Tempo	Rest
A1	Parallel Bar Dips	10	10	3020	90
A2	DB Hammer Curls	10	10	3020	90
B1	Bent Over Lateral Raise *	3	8-10	2020	60
B2	Wrist Curls	3	10-12	2020	60

(*While seated on the edge of a bench with your torso bent over, raise the dumbbells out to the side, making sure the top two knuckles – the ones closest to your thumb – are in line with your ears at the top of the movement.)

Notes: Rest 90 seconds between each “A” exercise and each superset; rest 60 seconds between each “B” exercise and each superset. “X” in the tempo means to move as fast as possible, keeping the weight under control.

Day 5: Off

Beginner/Intermediate Program: Phase 2

After six of those five-day cycles, I recommend you do a three-week phase where the average set is six to eight reps, and do only four to six sets per body part over a five-day cycle, or you can do any other split that suits your recovery pattern. After this three-week block, you can return to the German Volume Training method by doing the following ten sets of six reps routine. In the exercises that are prescribed for 10 sets, use a load you’d normally be able to do 12 repetitions with. The goal in this phase is to do ten sets of six with that load.

Sample 10 sets of 6 routine

Day 1: Chest and Back

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Tempo	Rest
A1	Incline Dumbbell Presses	10	6	5010	90
A2	Wide-Grip Pull-Ups(palms facing away from you)	10	6	5010	90
B1	Flat Dumbbell Flyes	3	6	3010	60
B2	Bent-Over Rows with EZ Bar	3	6	3010	60

Notes: Notes: Rest 90 seconds between each “A” exercise and each superset; rest 60 seconds between each “B” exercise and each superset.

Day 2: Legs and Abs

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Tempo	Rest
A1	Bent-Knee Deadlifts	10	6	50X0	90
A2	Seated Leg Curls	10	6	50X0	90
B1	Twisting Crunches	3	12-15	3030	60
B2	Standing Calf Raises	3	12-15	3030	60

Notes: Rest 90 seconds between each “A” exercise and each superset; rest 60 seconds between each “B” exercise and each superset.

Day 3: Off

Day 4: Arms and Shoulders

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Tempo	Rest
A1	Close grip bench press	10	6	4020	90
A2	Incline DB Curls	10	6	4020	90
B1	Seated Lateral Raises	3	10-12	2020	60
B2	Reverse Curls	3	10-12	3020	60

Notes: Rest 90 seconds between each “A” exercise and each superset; rest 60 seconds between each “B” exercise and each superset.

Day 5: Off

German Volume Training for the Advanced Trainee

For the advanced trainee, variety in training is even more important to elicit adaptation. With the advanced trainee, I use a system called the four percent method. That is, I increase the load four to five percent every workout for two workouts in a row, and I reduce the target rep by one rep for every weight increase. Then I reduce the weight four to five percent and increase the rep bracket to its original starting point. Since this is very mathematical, let’s look at an example that will clearly illustrate this point.

Let’s say you can barbell curl 100 lbs for 12 strict reps, and you haven’t been able to increase the amount of reps or weight on this exercise. Here’s a sample routine that would increase your curling strength:

Workout 1: 10 sets of 6 @ 110 lbs

Workout 2: 10 sets of 5 @ 115 lbs

Workout 3: 10 sets of 4 @ 120 lbs

Workout 4: 10 sets of 6 @ 115 lbs

Workout 5: 10 sets of 5 @ 120 lbs

Workout 6: 10 sets of 4 @ 125 lbs

Workout 7: Test day. At this point, you would curl 120 for 12 reps, a 9% gain over 6 workouts!

Here’s an example of the German Volume Training method with the 4% to 5% method for someone who can bench press 300 lbs 10 times in strict form:

Workout 1: 10 sets of 5 @ 300 lbs

Workout 2: 10 sets of 4 @ 315 lbs

Workout 3: 10 sets of 3 @ 330 lbs

Workout 4: 10 sets of 5 @ 315 lbs

Workout 5: 10 sets of 4 @ 330 lbs

Workout 6: 10 sets of 3 @ 345 lbs

Workout 7: Test day. At this point, you would bench press 330 lbs for 10 reps.

To recap, perform the Beginner/Intermediate Phase 1 program for six weeks (six 5-day cycles). Then, progress to the Beginner/Intermediate Phase 2 program for three weeks. After that, you’ll be ready to graduate to the Advanced program.

Simple, repetitive, hard work that leads to impressive results.

Coach Charles R. Poliquin

Not including athletes, the reason most of us exercise is to:

Obtain or maintain an attractive body
Stay healthy and prevent disease

Yet, when you ask the majority what they’re doing to get there, they commonly answer:

Running, cycling, swimming, or any other moderate-intensity steady-state aerobic activity (a.k.a. CARDIO!)

This response stems from the false belief that exercise should focus on burning calories, and the reinforcement from conventional wisdom that endurance training is the best way to stay healthy and fit.
Meanwhile, the only thing cardio promotes is the ability to run for a really long time. And aside from creating a physique that’s far from ideal, this is an inferior biomarker for health and longevity.

Muscle Mass
Strength
Metabolic Rate
Body Fat Percentage
Aerobic Capacity

What’s worse, is that cardio reduces the more critical biomarkers in the process. Those that continue to run, swim, and cycle further and more frequently are losing muscle; and as it continues to decline they’re losing strength, storing fat, and reducing their resting metabolic rate.

Chronic Cardio = Excess Cortisol

One of the ways cardio destroys muscle is via elevations in the stress hormone, cortisol. During exercise, cortisol is secreted as soon as a workout starts and continues to rise until completion.

A study from 1976 in the Journal of Applied Physiology found two times the cortisol at 30min of exercise (75% intensity) compared to 10min.

The longer the workout, the higher the cortisol, and the slower the speed before it returns to normal. This is demonstrated when comparing the cortisol levels of amateur endurance athletes with the general population. Those running the furthest and most frequently exhibited the highest levels.

A study from 2011 analyzed the cortisol levels in 304 amateur endurance athletes and the average additional secretion above the control was 42%.

Other than a long list of negative health consequences (altered immune function, cognitive decline, damaged reproductive health, bone loss, etc.), excess cortisol promotes fat storage and muscle loss. Mainly because it inhibits testosterone, and generates a poor testosterone-to-cortisol (T:C) ratio.

A high T:C ratio is anabolic (muscle-building), while a low ratio is catabolic (muscle-wasting).

With cortisol increasing steadily throughout a workout and testosterone peaking at 20-30 minutes, an unfavorable T:C ratio is experienced during lengthy exercise bouts. Leaving those training for marathons and triathlons in a chronic muscle-wasting environment…

…and those fooled into ‘exercising to burn’ not far behind.

Chronic Cardio = Type 2 Fiber Loss

Another way aerobic or endurance exercise leads to muscle loss, is by causing a shift in fiber type. As illustrated below, endurance training produces a considerable shift from Type-2 (favor testosterone) to Type-1 muscle fibers (favor cortisol) in just 16 weeks.

cardio_skinnyfat1

Other than facilitating testosterone and muscle growth, type-2 muscle fibers promote fat loss. Meaning, the less you have the less you burn. Interestingly, the inactive population has more type-2 fibers than endurance athletes.

cardio_skinnyfat2

Implying that NON-runners have superior testosterone-to-cortisol ratios; and suggesting that the practice of ‘jogging’ may be accelerating the muscle loss, fiber shift, and fat storage that’s normally associated with aging.

Chronic Cardio = Reduced RMR

The reason the majority continues to select cardio as their method for getting fit is because they’ve bought into the calorie reduction method to losing weight. They’ve been led to believe that obtaining a better physique requires consuming less calories, burning more calories, or a combination of the two.

Although many end up pushing through the exhausting workouts and extreme battle with hunger to achieve some degree of ‘weight-loss,’ the results are short-lived and the damage is long-lasting. Mainly, because our body seeks an energy homeostasis and adjusts for the low intake (during a diet), or high output (from exercise), by stockpiling fat for future fuel needs, increasing hunger to access more calories, lowering the basal metabolic rate, or burning tissue with a high-energy cost (muscle):

Research suggests that nearly 40% of weight lost in a caloric deficit is muscle.

Aside from the long-term health consequences of less muscle, this further reduces our basal or resting metabolic rate (the # of calories we burn while sedentary). Since 60-75% of our total energy expenditure is determined by this rate, and we’re already fighting a natural reduction with age (3% per decade after the age of 20), this is extremely unfortunate.

cardio_skinnyfat3

Essentially, a caloric-deficit (through diet or exercise) is a double-edged sword – as you continue to decrease the rate at which you burn calories, you lose useful muscle that would otherwise burn additional calories.

Chronic Cardio = Skinny Fat

Those losing ‘weight’ via excessive cardio gain it back because their body has become metabolically inactive. The reductions in muscle and RMR (resting metabolic rate) have made storing more likely and burning more difficult.

Sadly, even those that manage to maintain their new weight wind up with a high-fat, low-muscle physique that isn’t strong, muscular, or attractive.

cardio_skinnyfat4

Those that continue to run further and more frequently to ‘burn’ end up reaching distances and frequencies that produce a skinny-fat physique, that is hardly conducive to the ‘better body’ they started exercising for in the first place.

And what’s it all for? Better aerobic capacity?

Exercise should focus on building and maintaining muscle, not burning calories. This translates to a higher metabolic rate, lower fat storage rate, and decreased risk of degenerative disease and mortality.

Exercise to Build NOT Burn

Individuals that work on building muscle always look better than those that focus on burning calories. Not only because a toned muscular build is more aesthetically pleasing, but because muscle increases our daily burning rate.

People with more muscle burn more energy at rest, and require less exercise to maintain their physique.

The perfect example is a study from 1999 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition that put two groups on a calorie restricted diet, with one doing ‘only cardio’ and the other doing ‘only resistance training.’ Both groups lost weight (28.2lbs and 32lbs respectively), but:

The ‘only cardio’ participants lost 9lbs of muscle and decreased their RMR by 210 calories/day
The ‘only resistance’ group lost 1.8lbs of muscle (because of the deficit), and managed to increase their RMR by 63 calories/day!

In other words, the ‘only resistance’ group will burn 273 more calories than the ‘only cardio’ group EVERY day going forward without moving a finger. Plus, they’ll be sporting a stronger, more muscular physique; which aside from being more visually appealing, sets the stage for successful aging.

Check out Mike’s book to learn more about the long-term consequences of ‘chronic cardio’ and ‘calorie-restricted weight loss’

Glute Hypertrophy Workout

Try this Hypertrophy workout for great glutes!

A1 Wide Stance Back Squats
5 x 6-8 on a 40X0 tempo, rest 10 seconds.

A2 Farmers Walk
5 x 40 meters on a X0X0 tempo, rest 180 seconds

B1 Drop Lunges
4 x 10-12 on a 20X0 tempo, rest 10 seconds.

B2 Forward Sled Drags
4 x 40 meters on a X0X0 tempo, rest 180 seconds

Muscle growth is not a linear process. Making no progress for months is quite common in most trainees.

Give each one of those strategies at least a fair three weeks to show their effects.

Do a calves & forearms workout only, once every 5 days

I suggest you specialize just on calves and forearms for a single hours.

Keep rest intervals short, roughly 45 seconds. You should knock 18 sets of calves and 18 sets of forearms during that time.

Do one set of calves, one set of forearms.

Crank the density up.

Deadlift twice the same day

Do long range deadlifts in the morning and short range deadlifts in the evening.

For example, snatch deadlift on a podium in the morning and paused deadlifts in the rack from above knees are done in the evening.

Train legs 3 times on Saturdays

Workout 1: 9 AM – Neural Drive

Workout 2: 1 PM – Functional Hypertrophy

Workout 3: 5 PM – Bust the Envelope

Workout 1: 9 AM – Neural Drive

		Sets	Reps	Tempo	Rest
A-1	Front Squats	10	2-3	30X0	2 min
A-2	Lying Leg Curls Feet Inward	10	4-5	40X0	2 min

Workout 2: 1 PM – Functional Hypertrophy

		Sets	Reps	Tempo	Rest
A-1	Back Squats with Chains	5	4-6	50X0	2 min
A-2	Eccentric Lying Leg Curls Feet Neutral	5	4-6	40X0	2 min

You will need a training partner to assist through concentric range

Workout 3: 5 PM – Bust the Envelope

		Sets	Reps	Tempo	Rest
A-1	Leg press with feet high on plate	3	15-20	20X0	30 sec
A-2	Lying Leg Curls Feet Outward	3	6-8	40X0	30 sec
A-3	Dumbbell Walking Lunges	3	10-12 per leg	20X0	30 sec
A-4	Leg Press (feet externally rotated at 45 degrees, heels 4-6 inches apart)	3	15-20	20X0	30 sec
A-5	Medium box step ups	3	10-12 per leg	10X0	30 sec
A-6	Jump Squats with Barbell (use no more than 25% of bodyweight for load, go for height)	3	10-12	X0X0	30 sec

Don’t do all three methods at once, pick one of them, and give it a go for at least 3 weeks, then switch to another one.

Enjoy the new growth,

Coach Charles R. Poliquin

Final spots remain for the UK/European leg of the Again Faster Equipment and Clean Health Fitness – Institute Poliquin & Klokov ‘Training For Strength Sports’ bootcamps remain in:

Dmitry Klokov

I WANT TO REGISTER!

3 days of lecturing and practical training with Charles R Poliquin and Dmitry Klokov on all things strength, performance and Olympic lifting for athletes.

To register:

contact Clean Health: education@cleanhealth.com.au
Call: +61 2 8094 9804 or
Reserve your place online!

Let’s see what students have to say about last year’s bootcamps!

I WANT TO BE THERE!

Poster_PoliquinKlokov

Guest post by Michael Rainer

I have been studying Charles’ methods and his training philosophy for quite some time now. I read his articles and books.

Last month I finally met him in person and attended two of his recent seminars in Germany (Modern Trends in Hypertrophy at the YPSI in Stuttgart, and Advanced Strength Program Design at Urban Athletes in Cologne)

MRAINER1

Here are some takeaways…

The ONE RULE (not just for training, but life!) NO PISSING NO MOANING.

So easy and so effective.

I would recommend everyone to apply this rule into his/her life. Apply it for yourself.

Stop moaning about your workouts or any situations in life. If you don’t like something – Change it. If you can´t change it – Shut up.

Bonus:

Teach it to your clients and friends or especially to your spouse. Life will be easier!

Neurotransmitter profiling for optimal results

Use a neurotransmitter profile to accelerate your own and your client’s results. Not everyone is made up equal. Stop working on creating the ONE program that works for everyone. A program like that will never exist. Learn to design and divide programs in periods. Individualization is key!

Successful people are never happy

Talking about what his most successful students (Wolfgang Unsöld, Juan Carlos Simo, and Preston Greene) and himself have in common:

Charles said:

Successful people are never happy. The growth mindset is what separates them from the crowd. No matter how good or bad their athletes perform they are always questioning their work and looking for ways to improve their methods.

brain_lifting

Carbs are not evil.

Carbs are not your enemy. Actually they are very anabolic, if your body can handle them. Charles’ opinion on this is quite simple: “You have to earn your carbs!”

On the one hand if your name is Ivan Popov and you are Serbian. Lucky you! Thank your ancestors for your genes and high carb tolerance.

But if you are e.g. from Germany or Austria, Switzerland etc. and your body fat is higher then 10%?
Let me describe your optimal relationship to carbs:

You take a quick look at your friend Ivan´s big, big carb meal and then you quickly turn your attention towards your plate full of beef and salad.

potat_carbs

You get paid what you negotiate

In the real world it´s not enough to just “know” that you can improve someone’s performance. You need to sell it.

Learn how to sell yourself so matter how skeptical a General Manager or Athlete may be. Bring some good arguments to the table and explain them how they are going to benefit from you.

Ice Ice Baby!

You want to have the most out of your Pre-, Intra- and Postworkout nutrition? Add some ice cubes to the shakes. Cold drinks are better absorbed by the human body.

ice

There is no shortcut to success.

You don’t become a great coach by accident. There is also no book, DVD or study which will guarantee you any success as a coach. And yes, even the best knowledge is not enough, because no medal was ever won “in theory”. sucess

As Charles said:

Get your ass in the gym and count some reps! Train people. Become great at what you do. Learn to observe people, how to analyze and evaluate programs and the progress of your clients.

Bonus Point

Whatever class you take, if Charles is offering a workout and needs some volunteers, don’t hesitate! In the morning on the last seminar day in Cologne I got to train arms with Wolfgang Unsöld. Two hours later Charles himself put me through a dopamine dominant hypertrophy workout. Take the chance to feel what “going all out” feels like.
Results? Well I had to wait four days before I could write down this article because I wasn’t able to use my arms properly. RAINER2

Thanks to Charles for sharing his knowledge and to everyone out there who is interested in learning from the most successful strength coach: Take every chance you get to attend one of his seminars.

Michael Rainer

Where Can I Attend These Courses?

hypertrophy-bootcamp-1

Program Design Series

EVENT	COACH	INVESTMENT
Optimal Program Design	Charles R Poliquin	(2 days)
Advanced Strength Program Design	Charles R Poliquin	(3 days)

Hypertrophy

EVENT	COACH	INVESTMENT
Hypertrophy Bootcamp	Charles R Poliquin	(5 days)
Modern Trends in Hypertrophy Training	Charles R Poliquin	(1 day)

Physique transformation is far more organized than a few years ago.

To achieve success in this endeavor a few rules have to be followed. Below is a picture of a 10 week transformation with journalist Joe Warner. In this case, he went from human « foie gras » to a decent physique. Yes, you can polish a turd.

Ten weeks is not long. Of course it involves planning and hard work.

Here are the rules that my most successful students like Nick Mitchell, who is responsible for Joe’s transformation follow :

Train like each workout is your last.

Every workout must count. No saving energy for the next one.

squat_bw

Force adaptation

All loading parameters (sets, reps, tempo, rest intervals, choice and order of exercise) must be regularly change. Once every 3 to 6 workouts, does the trick. The correct number for frequency is determined by the individual you train.

Minimum volume is four workouts a week

Even though a realistic program (4x week only weight training) makes it accessible, better results are attained with higher volume.

RED_MIN

Carbs have to be deserved

In some people that will necessitate to dig deep.

Intra Workout Carbs

If there is a place where can be used, it is during workouts. Depending on the size of the body part , 30 to 70 carbs of something like Penta Carb can be used.

Have a Precise Goal

In the case of the above transformational pictures : ‘to be on the cover of an international book published by one of the biggest publishers in the world (HarperCollins)‘ should do it.

If you want to get the details when the book is released / plus enter a competition to win a week training with Nick Mitchell at Ultimate Performance in Marbella, please see The Ultimate Transformation Guide.

Nick is soon releasing the approach used with complete meal plans. It surely will be a best seller.

Charles R Poliquin

A pessoa “magrela gorda” é un oxímoro

Como um advogado que cobra barato ou uma cheerleader da Mensar

A magrela é geralmente associada com alguém abaixo do peso ideal enquanto gorda é associada com alguém acima do peso ideal.

A expressão “magrela gorda” refere-se a alguém com níveis insuficientes de massa muscular, associados a uma porcentagem elevada de gordura corporal. Basicamente, não é uma grande vantagem para época de acasalamento…

Aqui estão quatro razões pelas quais certas pessoas atingem a aparência da pessoa magrela gorda.

Fazer muito cárdio

A pesquisa é bem clara sobre este assunto. Se o seu objetivo é a força e a hipertrofia muscular, o trabalho aeróbico irá interferir nesse objetivo. O exercício aeróbico vai canibalizar a massa muscular.

Aqui estão algumas referências centrais:

1. Jones TW, Howatson G, Russell M, French DN, Performance and neuromuscular adaptations following differing ratios of concurrent strength and endurance training, J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Mar 21.

2. Nader GA, Concurrent strength and endurance training: from molecules to man, Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Nov;38(11):1965-70.

3. Hawley JA Molecular responses to strength and endurance training: are they incompatible? Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2009 Jun;34(3):355-61. doi: 10.1139/H09-023

Comer muito pouco

Naturalmente, a coisa espontânea a fazer quando se tenta eliminar gordura corporal é restringir o consumo de calorias. As pessoas magrelas gordas levam esta doutrina muito longe. Se quiser manter sua massa muscular enquanto restringe suas calorias, é fundamental aumentar sua ingestão de proteínas.

Para entender mais sobre esses mecanismos, leia estes documentos de pesquisa:

4. Phillips SM, Zemel MB., Effect of protein, dairy components and energy balance in optimizing body composition, Nestle Nutr Inst Workshop Ser. 2011;69:97-108; discussion 108-13. doi: 10.1159/000329288

5. Labayen I, Díez N, González A, Parra D, Martínez JA, Effects of protein vs. carbohydrate-rich diets on fuel utilisation in obese women during weight loss, Forum Nutr. 2003;56:168-70.

6. Phillips SM, Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to metabolic advantage, Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Dec;31(6):647-54

7. Kreider RB, Rasmussen C, Kerksick CM, Wilborn C, Taylor L, Campbell B, Magrans-Courtney T, Fogt D, Ferreira M, Li R, Galbreath M, Iosia M, Cooke M, Serra M, Gutierrez J, Byrd M, Kresta JY, Simbo S, Oliver J, Greenwood M, A carbohydrate-restricted diet during resistance training promotes more favorable changes in body composition and markers of health in obese women with and without insulin resistance, Phys Sportsmed. 2011 May;39(2):27-40. doi: 10.3810/psm.2011.05.1893.

skinfold

Ter medo de consumir gorduras

As pessoas Magrelas gordas caem na arapuca de ter medo de consumir gorduras na dieta diária. Por exemplo, elas são as únicas que põem no Facebook comentários como “Comer nozes não vai fazer você engordar?”

No entanto as pesquisas demonstram o contrário:

8. Tan SY, Dhillon J, Mattes RD, A review of the effects of nuts on appetite, food intake, metabolism, and body weight. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jul;100 Suppl 1:412S-22S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.071456. Epub 2014 Jun 11.

9. Mattes RD, Dreher ML, Nuts and healthy body weight maintenance mechanisms, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2010;19(1):137-41.

10. Rachel C. Brown, Siew Ling Tey, Andrew R. Gray, Alexandra Chisholm, Claire Smith Elizabeth Fleming and Winsome Parnell, Association of Nut Consumption with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in the 2008/2009 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey, Nutrients 2015, 7(9), 7523-7542; doi:10.3390/nu7095351

11. Noakes M1, Keogh JB, Foster PR, Clifton PM, Effect of an energy-restricted, high-protein, low-fat diet relative to a conventional high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet on weight loss, body composition, nutritional status, and markers of cardiovascular health in obese women., Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jun;81(6):1298-306.

12. Luscombe-Marsh ND, Noakes M, Wittert GA, Keogh JB, Foster P, Clifton PM, Carbohydrate-restricted diets high in either monounsaturated fat or protein are equally effective at promoting fat loss and improving blood lipids., Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Apr;81(4):762-72.

13. Yancy WS Jr, Olsen MK, Guyton JR, Bakst RP, Westman EC, A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-fat diet to treat obesity and hyperlipidemia: a randomized, controlled trial, Ann Intern Med. 2004 May 18;140(10):769-77

14. Hu T, Mills KT, Yao L, Demanelis K, Eloustaz M, Yancy WS Jr, Kelly TN, He J, Bazzano LA, Effects of low-carbohydrate diets versus low-fat diets on metabolic risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials, Am J Epidemiol. 2012 Oct 1;176 Suppl 7:S44-54. doi: 10.1093/aje/kws264

15. Chaparro CM, Dewey KG., Use of lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) to improve the nutrient adequacy of general food distribution rations for vulnerable sub-groups in emergency settings, Matern Child Nutr. 2010 Jan;6 Suppl 1:1-69. doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2009.00224.x.

16. Chandrasekharan N, Changing concepts in lipid nutrition in health and disease, Med J Malaysia. 1999 Sep;54(3):408-27; quiz 428.

17. Chong YH, Ng TK, Effects of palm oil on cardiovascular risk, Med J Malaysia. 1991 Mar;46(1):41-50

18. Bannenberg G, Serhan CN, Specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators in the inflammatory response: An update, Biochim Biophys Acta. 2010 Dec;1801(12):1260-73. doi: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2010.08.002. Epub 2010 Aug 10.

19. van Het Hof KH, West CE, Weststrate JA, Hautvast JG, Dietary factors that affect the bioavailability of carotenoids, J Nutr. 2000 Mar;130(3):503-6.

20. Lucci P, Borrero M, Ruiz A, Pacetti D, Frega NG, Diez O, Ojeda M, Gagliardi R, Parra L, Angel M, Palm oil and cardiovascular disease: a randomized trial of the effects of hybrid palm oil supplementation on human plasma lipid patterns, Food Funct. 2015 Oct 21. [Epub ahead of print]

21. Berrougui H, Ikhlef S, Khalil A, Extra Virgin Olive Oil Polyphenols Promote Cholesterol Efflux and Improve HDL Functionality, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:208062. doi: 10.1155/2015/208062. Epub 2015 Oct 1

22. Virruso C, Accardi G, Colonna-Romano G, Candore G, Vasto S, Caruso C., Nutraceutical properties of extra-virgin olive oil: a natural remedy for age-related disease? Rejuvenation Res. 2014 Apr;17(2):217-20. doi: 10.1089/rej.2013.1532.

23. Berge K, Musa-Veloso K, Harwood M, Hoem N, Burri L, Krill oil supplementation lowers serum triglycerides without increasing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults with borderline high or high triglyceride levels, Nutr Res. 2014 Feb;34(2):126-33. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2013.12.003. Epub 2013 Dec 18.

24. Jacobson TA, Glickstein SB, Rowe JD, Soni PN, Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and other lipids: a review, J Clin Lipidol. 2012 Jan-Feb;6(1):5-18. doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2011.10.018. Epub 2011 Nov 3

25. Wei MY, Jacobson TA, Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid versus docosahexaenoic acid on serum lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2011 Dec;13(6):474-83. doi: 10.1007/s11883-011-0210-3.

26. Marik PE, Varon J., Omega-3 dietary supplements and the risk of cardiovascular events: a systematic review, Clin Cardiol. 2009 Jul;32(7):365-72. doi: 10.1002/clc.20604

27. Carol E. O’Neil, Theresa A. Nicklas and Victor L. Fulgoni, Tree Nut Consumption Is Associated with Better Nutrient Adequacy and Diet Quality in Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2010, Nutrients 2015, 7(1), 595-607; doi:10.3390/nu701059

28. Article: Almonds May Help Reduce Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes And Heart Disease, Monday 20 December 2010, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

29. Natoli S, McCoy P, A review of the evidence: nuts and body weight, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16(4):588-97.

30. Rajaram S, Sabaté J., Nuts, body weight and insulin resistance, Br J Nutr. 2006 Nov;96 Suppl 2:S79-86.

31. Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Fat intake and energy-balance effects, Physiol Behav. 2004 Dec 30;83(4):579-85

32. Mattes RD, The energetics of nut consumption, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17 Suppl 1:337-9.

33. Mattes RD, Kris-Etherton PM, Foster GD. Impact of peanuts and tree nuts on body weight and healthy weight loss in adults, J Nutr. 2008 Sep;138(9):1741S-1745S.

Faz-me rir quando vejo nutricionistas recomendando para obesos “lanches de baixa gordura” como pretzels com mais frequência que nozes como pistaches, enquanto a pesquisa mostra que eles estão completamente errados:

34. Li Z, Song R, Nguyen C, Zerlin A, Karp H, Naowamondhol K, Thames G, Gao K, Li L, Tseng CH, Henning SM, Heber D, Pistachio nuts reduce triglycerides and body weight by comparison to refined carbohydrate snack in obese subjects on a 12-week weight loss program. J Am Coll Nutr. 2010 Jun;29(3):198-203

Na verdade, o consumo regular de nozes ajuda a atingir a composição corporal ideal.

A abstenção de treinamento de força

O treinamento de força tem mais beneficios positivos na mudança de composição corporal do que a população em geral pensa.
Isto é o que as pesquisas tem a dizer:

35. Fatouros IG, Chatzinikolaou A, Tournis S, Nikolaidis MG, Jamurtas AZ, Douroudos II, Papassotiriou I, Thomakos PM, Taxildaris K, Mastorakos G, Mitrakou A, Intensity of resistance exercise determines adipokine and resting energy expenditure responses in overweight elderly individuals, Diabetes Care. 2009 Dec;32(12):2161-7. doi: 10.2337/dc08-1994. Epub 2009 Sep 3.

36. Ballor DL, Katch VL, Becque MD, Marks CR, Resistance weight training during caloric restriction enhances lean body weight maintenance, Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Jan;47(1):19-25.

Simplificando, se você quer alcançar um físico respeitável, evite as quatro armadilhas acima.

Bom proveito!

Coach Charles R. Poliquin

El término “Flaca Gorda” es una contradicción.

Al igual que un abogado que gane poco o una animadora de la sociedad Mensa.

El término “flaco” generalmente se asocia con peso bajo, mientras que la gorda se asocia con el sobrepeso.

“Flaca Gorda” se refiere a alguien con niveles inapreciables de masa muscular junto a un alto porcentaje de grasa corporal. Básicamente, no es un gran punto a favor para la temporada de apareamiento…

Aquí hay cuatro razones por las cuales las personas tienen el aspecto de “Flaca Gorda” (Skinny Fat).

Hacer mucho cardio.

La investigación es bastante clara en este sentido. Si la fuerza y la hipertrofia muscular es su objetivo, el trabajo aeróbico lo obstaculizará. El ejercicio aeróbico canibalizará la masa muscular.

Estas son algunas de las referencias clave:

1. Jones TW, Howatson G, Russell M, French DN, Performance and neuromuscular adaptations following differing ratios of concurrent strength and endurance training, J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Mar 21.

2. Nader GA, Concurrent strength and endurance training: from molecules to man, Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Nov;38(11):1965-70.

3. Hawley JA Molecular responses to strength and endurance training: are they incompatible? Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2009 Jun;34(3):355-61. doi: 10.1139/H09-023

Comer muy poco

Por supuesto que lo más natural que se puede hacer cuando se desea perder grasa corporal es restringir el consumo calórico. Las personas “Flacas Gordas” (Skinny Fat) llevan ese axioma muy lejos. Si usted desea mantener su masa muscular mientras que restringe sus calorías, incrementar su consumo de proteínas será clave.

Para entender los mecanismos, lea estas publicaciones de investigaciones:

5. Labayen I, Díez N, González A, Parra D, Martínez JA, Effects of protein vs. carbohydrate-rich diets on fuel utilisation in obese women during weight loss, Forum Nutr. 2003;56:168-70.

6. Phillips SM, Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to metabolic advantage, Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Dec;31(6):647-54

skinfold

Tener miedo de consumir grasas

Las “Flacas Gordas” (Skinny Fat) comparten el miedo a la grasa en su dieta como una de sus debilidades. Por ejemplo, ellas son las personas que ponen en Facebook comentarios como “No es cierto que comer nueces te engorda?”

Las investigaciones apuntan en dirección contraria:

9. Mattes RD, Dreher ML, Nuts and healthy body weight maintenance mechanisms, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2010;19(1):137-41.

16. Chandrasekharan N, Changing concepts in lipid nutrition in health and disease, Med J Malaysia. 1999 Sep;54(3):408-27; quiz 428.

17. Chong YH, Ng TK, Effects of palm oil on cardiovascular risk, Med J Malaysia. 1991 Mar;46(1):41-50

19. van Het Hof KH, West CE, Weststrate JA, Hautvast JG, Dietary factors that affect the bioavailability of carotenoids, J Nutr. 2000 Mar;130(3):503-6.

26. Marik PE, Varon J., Omega-3 dietary supplements and the risk of cardiovascular events: a systematic review, Clin Cardiol. 2009 Jul;32(7):365-72. doi: 10.1002/clc.20604

28. Article: Almonds May Help Reduce Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes And Heart Disease, Monday 20 December 2010, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

29. Natoli S, McCoy P, A review of the evidence: nuts and body weight, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16(4):588-97.

30. Rajaram S, Sabaté J., Nuts, body weight and insulin resistance, Br J Nutr. 2006 Nov;96 Suppl 2:S79-86.

31. Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Fat intake and energy-balance effects, Physiol Behav. 2004 Dec 30;83(4):579-85

32. Mattes RD, The energetics of nut consumption, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17 Suppl 1:337-9.

33. Mattes RD, Kris-Etherton PM, Foster GD. Impact of peanuts and tree nuts on body weight and healthy weight loss in adults, J Nutr. 2008 Sep;138(9):1741S-1745S.

It makes me laugh when I see dieticians recommend “low fat snacks” such as pretzels over nuts like pistachios to obese, while the research shows them to be completely wrong:

If anything, regular nut consumption helps achieve optimal body composition.

Abstenerse de hacer entrenamientos de fuerza

El entrenamiento de fuerza tiene más beneficios para la composición corporal que lo que la mayoría piensa.

Esto es lo que la investigación tiene que decir al respecto:

36. Ballor DL, Katch VL, Becque MD, Marks CR, Resistance weight training during caloric restriction enhances lean body weight maintenance, Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Jan;47(1):19-25.

En resumen, si desea obtener un físico que deletree respeto, evite las cuatro trampas.

¡Disfrute!

Entrenador Charles R. Poliquin

„Skinny Fat“ ist ein Widerspruch in sich

Wie ein unterbezahlter Anwalt oder ein hochintelligentes Cheerleader

„Skinny“ wird meistens mit Untergewicht in Verbindung gebracht, während „Fat“ mit Übergewicht verbunden wird.

“Skinny Fat“ bedeutet, dass jemand wenig Muskelmasse und gleichzeitig einen hohen Körperfettanteil hat. Grundsätzlich kein besonders gutes Argument in der Paarungszeit.

Hier zeige ich euch vier Gründe warum Menschen „skinny fat“ werden.

Zu viel Cardio

Die Forschung ist sich einig. Wenn dein Ziel Kraft- und Muskelaufbau ist, wird Ausdauertraining deinem Ziel im Wege stehen. Ausdauertraining wird deine Muskelmasse fressen.

Hier sind eine wichtige Referenzen:

1. Jones TW, Howatson G, Russell M, French DN, Performance and neuromuscular adaptations following differing ratios of concurrent strength and endurance training, J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Mar 21.

2. Nader GA, Concurrent strength and endurance training: from molecules to man, Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Nov;38(11):1965-70.

3. Hawley JA Molecular responses to strength and endurance training: are they incompatible? Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2009 Jun;34(3):355-61. doi: 10.1139/H09-023

Zu wenig essen

Klar, die natürlichste Sache, die man tut, wenn man Körperfett verlieren will, ist die Kalorienzufuhr zu verringern. „Skinny fat“-Menschen nehmen diesen Grundsatz zu ernst. Wenn du deine Muskelmasse behalten willst, während du deine Kalorienzufuhr verringerst, musst du deine Proteinzufuhr erhöhen.

Um diesen Mechanismus zu verstehen, lese diese Studien:

5. Labayen I, Díez N, González A, Parra D, Martínez JA, Effects of protein vs. carbohydrate-rich diets on fuel utilisation in obese women during weight loss, Forum Nutr. 2003;56:168-70.

6. Phillips SM, Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to metabolic advantage, Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Dec;31(6):647-54

skinfold

Angst, Fett zu konsumieren

Eine der Fallen, in die “Skinny fat” Leute treten, ist die Fettphobie. Das sind zum Beispiel die, die auf Facebook Kommentare wie „Machen Nüsse nicht fett?“ posten.

Studien zeigen, dass das Gegenteil richtig ist:

9. Mattes RD, Dreher ML, Nuts and healthy body weight maintenance mechanisms, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2010;19(1):137-41.

16. Chandrasekharan N, Changing concepts in lipid nutrition in health and disease, Med J Malaysia. 1999 Sep;54(3):408-27; quiz 428.

17. Chong YH, Ng TK, Effects of palm oil on cardiovascular risk, Med J Malaysia. 1991 Mar;46(1):41-50

19. van Het Hof KH, West CE, Weststrate JA, Hautvast JG, Dietary factors that affect the bioavailability of carotenoids, J Nutr. 2000 Mar;130(3):503-6.

26. Marik PE, Varon J., Omega-3 dietary supplements and the risk of cardiovascular events: a systematic review, Clin Cardiol. 2009 Jul;32(7):365-72. doi: 10.1002/clc.20604

28. Article: Almonds May Help Reduce Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes And Heart Disease, Monday 20 December 2010, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

29. Natoli S, McCoy P, A review of the evidence: nuts and body weight, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16(4):588-97.

30. Rajaram S, Sabaté J., Nuts, body weight and insulin resistance, Br J Nutr. 2006 Nov;96 Suppl 2:S79-86.

31. Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Fat intake and energy-balance effects, Physiol Behav. 2004 Dec 30;83(4):579-85

32. Mattes RD, The energetics of nut consumption, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17 Suppl 1:337-9.

33. Mattes RD, Kris-Etherton PM, Foster GD. Impact of peanuts and tree nuts on body weight and healthy weight loss in adults, J Nutr. 2008 Sep;138(9):1741S-1745S.

It makes me laugh when I see dieticians recommend “low fat snacks” such as pretzels over nuts like pistachios to obese, while the research shows them to be completely wrong:

If anything, regular nut consumption helps achieve optimal body composition.

Auf Krafttraining verzichten

Krafttraining hat für den Körperaufbau mehr Vorteile, als in der allgemeinen Gesellschaft bekannt ist.

Studien sagen dazu folgendes:

36. Ballor DL, Katch VL, Becque MD, Marks CR, Resistance weight training during caloric restriction enhances lean body weight maintenance, Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Jan;47(1):19-25.

Einfach ausgedrückt: Wenn du einen Körperbau erreichen willst, der Respekt erzeugt, vermeide die vier beschriebenen Fallen.

Geniese es!

Trainer Charles R. Poliquin

Skinny fat is an oxymoron

Like an under billing attorney or a Mensa society cheerleader

Skinny usually is associated with underweight, while fat is associated with overweight.

Skinny fat refers to someone with unappreciable levels of muscle mass associated to a high percentage of body fat. Basically, not a great sales point for mating season…

Here are four reasons why people achieve the skinny fat look

Doing too much cardio

Research is fairly clear on this. If strength and muscle hypertrophy is your goal, aerobic work will interfere with that goal. Aerobic exercise will cannibalize muscle mass.

Here are some key references:

1. Jones TW, Howatson G, Russell M, French DN, Performance and neuromuscular adaptations following differing ratios of concurrent strength and endurance training, J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Mar 21.

2. Nader GA, Concurrent strength and endurance training: from molecules to man, Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Nov;38(11):1965-70.

3. Hawley JA Molecular responses to strength and endurance training: are they incompatible? Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2009 Jun;34(3):355-61. doi: 10.1139/H09-023

Eating far too less

Of course, the natural thing to do when attempting to shed body fat is to restrict caloric intake. Skinny fat people take this axiom way too far. If you want to hold onto your muscle mass while restricting your calories, upping your protein intake is key.

To understand the mechanisms, read these research papers

5. Labayen I, Díez N, González A, Parra D, Martínez JA, Effects of protein vs. carbohydrate-rich diets on fuel utilisation in obese women during weight loss, Forum Nutr. 2003;56:168-70.

6. Phillips SM, Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to metabolic advantage, Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Dec;31(6):647-54

skinfold

Being afraid of consuming fats

Skinny fat people share dietary fat phobia as one of their pitfalls. For example, they are the ones that post on Facebook comments such as “Won’t eating nuts make you fat?”

However the research points to quite the opposite:

9. Mattes RD, Dreher ML, Nuts and healthy body weight maintenance mechanisms, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2010;19(1):137-41.

16. Chandrasekharan N, Changing concepts in lipid nutrition in health and disease, Med J Malaysia. 1999 Sep;54(3):408-27; quiz 428.

17. Chong YH, Ng TK, Effects of palm oil on cardiovascular risk, Med J Malaysia. 1991 Mar;46(1):41-50

19. van Het Hof KH, West CE, Weststrate JA, Hautvast JG, Dietary factors that affect the bioavailability of carotenoids, J Nutr. 2000 Mar;130(3):503-6.

26. Marik PE, Varon J., Omega-3 dietary supplements and the risk of cardiovascular events: a systematic review, Clin Cardiol. 2009 Jul;32(7):365-72. doi: 10.1002/clc.20604

28. Article: Almonds May Help Reduce Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes And Heart Disease, Monday 20 December 2010, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

29. Natoli S, McCoy P, A review of the evidence: nuts and body weight, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16(4):588-97.

30. Rajaram S, Sabaté J., Nuts, body weight and insulin resistance, Br J Nutr. 2006 Nov;96 Suppl 2:S79-86.

31. Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Fat intake and energy-balance effects, Physiol Behav. 2004 Dec 30;83(4):579-85

32. Mattes RD, The energetics of nut consumption, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17 Suppl 1:337-9.

33. Mattes RD, Kris-Etherton PM, Foster GD. Impact of peanuts and tree nuts on body weight and healthy weight loss in adults, J Nutr. 2008 Sep;138(9):1741S-1745S.

It makes me laugh when I see dieticians recommend “low fat snacks” such as pretzels over nuts like pistachios to obese, while the research shows them to be completely wrong:

If anything, regular nut consumption helps achieve optimal body composition.

Abstaining for strength training

Strength training has more benefits for body composition positive changes than the general population thinks:

This is what the research has to say:

36. Ballor DL, Katch VL, Becque MD, Marks CR, Resistance weight training during caloric restriction enhances lean body weight maintenance, Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Jan;47(1):19-25.

Simply put, if you want to achieve a physique that spells respect, avoid the four given pitfalls.

Enjoy!

Coach Charles R. Poliquin

As many of you know, I’m not a big fan of traditional long slow distance aerobic cardio, especially if it is done in the totally imaginary “fat burning zone.”

I’ve already explained why I think it is a waste of time and energy, but the arguments against cardio are more numerous than that.

Here are just two more reasons I don’t waste my clients and my own time doing traditional cardio

#1 It is very poor at improving body composition or fitness level

Optimal body composition: low body fat and appreciable quantity of muscle mass. Everybody can agree with this, even though there is bound to be some disparity in the amounts of both. Traditional cardio has been used since the ‘60s, when Dr. Kenneth Cooper launched the fitness craze with his books titled ‘Aerobics’, ‘More Aerobics’ and ‘Aerobics for Women’, based on his research.

He is the originator of the jogging movement and maintained that optimal body composition and fitness could be obtained solely through cardio.

Dr_KennethCooper

The rationale behind that was that cardio increase mitochondrial density and thus, the capacity to burn fat in the cells. The mitochondria are tiny little organelles in the cell that are responsible to produce energy by burning fat in the presence of oxygen, a process known as cellular or aerobic respiration (aero- means air in greek).

So the more mitochondria, the more fat burning, the better your capacity to produce energy and the better you look and perform, right? Absolutely.

Short sprints and short rest intervals done in a repeated fashion have consistently out-performed long distance aerobic activity in the ratio of productive results vs. time invested

The problem is, research has shown that sprinting, or anaerobic activities (anaerobic means without the use oxygen) are way better at upregulating mitochondrial biogenesis. Short sprints and short rest intervals done in a repeated fashion have consistently out-performed long distance aerobic activity in the ratio of productive results vs. time invested.

One study even looked at 4 seconds treadmill sprints with 20 seconds active rest. That’s less time than most people take to lace their shoes to go out jogging!

As a bonus, it leaves plenty of time and energy to develop your muscles through another anaerobic activity: serious weight training! Talk about looking good, performing well and not spending your time in misery in a hamster wheel.

hamster

#2 There is limited return on investment for your time

As mentioned in the previous point, to have any measure of results past the first few weeks, you need to do long distance cardio precisely in this way: long. And I mean lllooonnnng!

A novice who trains right and eats right can often gain enough muscle mass to transform his physique in a few months

Sure, people will say that building muscle takes a long time too. But that’s only true for the intermediate/advanced trainee. A novice who trains right and eats right can often gain enough muscle mass to transform his physique in a few months.

Of course, the keywords in my previous sentence were: train right and eat right. Big caveat when conventional wisdom says that a banana equals a steak and that chocolate milk is enough post workout carbohydrates and proteins to make optimal gains.

The answer is NO, not even if you train with the intensity of a snail on valium. Otherwise I would advise proper nutrition and training and I’ve seen plenty of young and not so young beginners gain plenty of muscle mass.

postworkout

But cardio?

If you want to keep using mostly aerobic energy system, or V0₂max in the parlance of the field, the intensity of the exercise is limited. If you go more intense, you’ll start using the other energy systems of the body: the anaerobic energy systems. Those systems produce energy more rapidly than the aerobic system, but they do not use fat to do so. However, the process of using them during exercise triggers greater fat loss via increases in many of the body’s metabolic pathways.

This is where the traditional cardio myth is even more useless; it prevents people from using other energy systems properly in order to stay in the so-called ‘fat burning zone’, thus promoting longer and more frequent cardio sessions, promoting a vicious cycle: want to lose more weight (unfortunately not just fat)? Then you have to run/pedal/swim longer. time_cardio_longer

This is in spite of the fact that short sprint intervals and burst-type activities have been demonstrated as more effective for fat burning, and they take only a few minutes of actual work each time. The most famous protocol for this is the 20/10, invented by Professor Izumi Tabata. His methodology became so famous that these sprints are now simply known as ‘Tabatas’. They consists of 20 seconds of all-out, balls to the wall cycling, with 10 seconds of active recovery. Do this 8 times in a row, for a total of 4 minutes.

The biggest problem I see right now, is that people are very, shall we say, ‘conservative’ when it comes to the definition of ‘balls to the wall’. In my book, your face should be turning a pastel type of green and your spleen coming out of your left eye socket on each of the rounds. Otherwise, you’re cutting corners and preserving energy for latter rounds. Of course, there are other less extreme protocols, especially since this one was tested on Japanese Olympic athletes, but the results for only 4 minutes of work were dramatic: every markers of energy system performance, including aerobic power and capacity, when up.

So even though you might choose a different sprinting methodology, you can increase your aerobic power and capacity and lose more body fat in a much shorter time span.

sprinter

So the lesson is this: ditch the hamster wheel and start sprinting…. Repeatedly. You’ll look and feel much better, and be able to demonstrate it too.

Stay healthy,

Coach Charles R. Poliquin

P.S. Remember Dr. Cooper, founder of the Cooper Institute and founder of the jogging revolution? Fast forward to the 90’-early 2000: his new books now preach against overdoing aerobic work and implementing a weight training regimen. Food for thought!

References

Ismail, I., Keating, S., et al. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Aerobic Vs. Resistance Exercise Training on Visceral Fat. Obesity Reviews. 2012. 13, 68-91.

Irving, B., Davis, C., et al. Effect of Exercise Training Intensity on Abdominal Visceral Fat and Body Composition. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2008. 40(11), 1863-1872.

Macpherson, R., Hazell, T., et al. Run Sprint Interval Training Improves Aerobic Performance but Not Maximal Cardiac Output. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2011. 43(1), 115-121.

Meckel, Y., Nemet, D., Bar-Sela, S., Radom-Aizik, S. Hormonal and Inflammatory Responses to Different Types of Sprint Interval Training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2011. 25(8), 2161-2169.

Not including athletes, the reason most of us exercise is to:

Obtain or maintain an attractive body
Stay healthy and prevent disease

Yet, when you ask the majority what they’re doing to get there, they commonly answer:

Running, cycling, swimming, or any other moderate-intensity steady-state aerobic activity (a.k.a. CARDIO!)

Muscle Mass
Strength
Metabolic Rate
Body Fat Percentage
Aerobic Capacity

Chronic Cardio = Excess Cortisol

One of the ways cardio destroys muscle is via elevations in the stress hormone, cortisol. During exercise, cortisol is secreted as soon as a workout starts and continues to rise until completion.

A study from 1976 in the Journal of Applied Physiology found two times the cortisol at 30min of exercise (75% intensity) compared to 10min.

A study from 2011 analyzed the cortisol levels in 304 amateur endurance athletes and the average additional secretion above the control was 42%.

A high T:C ratio is anabolic (muscle-building), while a low ratio is catabolic (muscle-wasting).

…and those fooled into ‘exercising to burn’ not far behind.

Chronic Cardio = Type 2 Fiber Loss

cardio_skinnyfat1

cardio_skinnyfat2

Chronic Cardio = Reduced RMR

Research suggests that nearly 40% of weight lost in a caloric deficit is muscle.

cardio_skinnyfat3

Chronic Cardio = Skinny Fat

Sadly, even those that manage to maintain their new weight wind up with a high-fat, low-muscle physique that isn’t strong, muscular, or attractive.

cardio_skinnyfat4

And what’s it all for? Better aerobic capacity?

Exercise to Build NOT Burn

People with more muscle burn more energy at rest, and require less exercise to maintain their physique.

The ‘only cardio’ participants lost 9lbs of muscle and decreased their RMR by 210 calories/day
The ‘only resistance’ group lost 1.8lbs of muscle (because of the deficit), and managed to increase their RMR by 63 calories/day!

Check out Mike’s book to learn more about the long-term consequences of ‘chronic cardio’ and ‘calorie-restricted weight loss’

One of the most common, if not THE most common question you will read on the net, or get from lifters in regards to training is, “how long should I stay on this routine?”

That, or as soon as the lifter hits a bit of plateau he or she immediately begins contemplating that it’s time to make a change because “dem gainz” aren’t coming anymore.

Depending on the lifter, and what they have been doing, there may be some validation to this.

Training is a stress on the body, and if the stress levels are high enough the body then adapts by improving it’s ability to perform these functions. Depending on how it is stressed, it generally adapts by growing more muscle mass, or by getting stronger. Sometimes a little bit of both. At a very basic level, that’s what lifting causes the body to do.

If stress is too low, then there is no adaptive response.

If stress is too high, especially for an extended period, then overtraining/under-recovering happens.

When stress is optimal or efficient, and recovery factors are met, then we grow larger, stronger, or a bit of both.

Specificity plays a role here as well because the body will adapt to what it is you’re asking it to perform better at. If you want to get good at something, then do that particular thing. So adaptation works hand in hand with specificity in order to allow you to perform better.

Eventually there comes a point where the body adapts enough to the stress placed on it that it can perform efficiently at what you keep asking it to do. To give a representation of this….

Week 1 – Start a new routine – You get sore from the change in movements and change in set and rep schemes
Week 2 – You perform better than in week 1, soreness is still on coming, but not as bad as week 1
Week 3 – You perform much better than in week 2, soreness is minimal
Week 4 – You perform much better than in week 3, soreness is mostly nonexistent
Week 5 – You perform slightly better than in week 4, no soreness
Week 6 – You perform no better than in week 5, no soreness
Week 7 – You perform no better than in week 6 or perhaps worse in some movements, no soreness

This is just an example, and obviously doesn’t apply to everyone in every situation. But it is fairly typical. Especially if the program has no deviations in it from week to week, like waving intensity, or any movement/exercise variation.

As you can see in this example, the adaption curve tends to trend upwards around week 4, then trend downwards thereafter. Theoretically speaking in this example, week 6 complete adaptation has occurred and the body isn’t being stressed in a way it cannot handle or tolerate. From there the athlete tends to hit a plateau, or can even regress at times. My own personal theory is that the body can sometimes reduce performance ability to find a “set point” that it can maintain with minimal effort. That is the body actually being “efficient”.

The other factor is that, based on the structure of the program being ran, the athlete could start to experience overtraining at week 6 or 7. Here is why I think that’s a possibility.

Once the body is no longer trying to adapt to performance and has reached a “set point” then all that is happening in training is fatigue accumulation. In other words, you go to the gym and train the same way you’ve been training, so you’re still accumulating fatigue from the stress, but because the body has no new stress to adapt to there are no “gains” coming.

Think about this….and get frustrated.

So you go to the gym, bust your ass, and all you’re really doing is digging a deeper recovery hole but doing very little to bring forth new results from said training.

Let me stress this once again. Once you’ve reached adaptation in a routine or a series of movements, improvements in said performance will be minimal, yet stress from training stays the same or even possibly increases.

So basically, you’re just training to get tired at that point. Training progress will be minimal more than likely.

Variations in training to avoid stagnation

So does this mean that as soon as a plateau arrives that training has to be overhauled completely?

Not at all.

Years ago I remember reading about a Russian coach who simply changed out the shoes his athletes wore for squatting in order to force them to adapt to a “new stress”. Whether this story is myth or not, I don’t know, but I get the idea behind it. He didn’t overhaul movements and training on a large scale. He made a small change that caused the body to have to adapt to something new again.

Once you realize that improvements in training aren’t forthcoming, you can start with small and subtle changes to get things moving forward again. Here are some ideas you can implement in order to avoid becoming a “chronic routine changer”.

Change rep and set schemes – Lots of guys get stuck in a specific rep or set scheme and don’t vary them from week to week. If you’re that guy that has been stuck for weeks on end hitting X weight for Y reps, then switch that out for something difference.

For example, if you’ve been doing a back off set in the bench press for maximum reps, you can do something as simple as breaking that set down into three rest/pause sets. So if you’ve been hitting 225×20 reps and can’t get past 20, break that set into three sets so more work is done. Do 3 sets of 8, with only 30-45 seconds of rest between sets. Now you’re doing 24 reps, but broken down over 3 sets, with minimal rest between sets. It’s not the SAME as 1 set of 225×20, and that’s exactly the point. It’s a simple change, but one that can possibly get things moving again.

You can also have a rotation of set and rep schemes that you cycle through in training so that stagnation is limited. For example, if you had been doing 5 sets of 8 reps in the bench press @ 75% and had several weeks where your performance did not improve, you could make just a few changes to create new stress in training without overhauling everything.

Bench Press
Week 1 – 5 sets of 8 @ 75%, 1 set of as many as possible @ 65%
Week 2 – 3 sets of 3 @ 85%, then 4 sets of 6 @ 80%
Week 3 – repeat

Change hand and foot positions – Another way to create new stress to adapt to in training is to simply change foot or grip positions in a movement. For squats you can bring your stance in or out slightly. For pressing movements, the same change is applicable. Move your grip in or out for a few weeks.

You don’t even have to change that for the entire workout. You can do something as simple as use the last few sets in a volume sequence dedicated to that change.

For example if you had been doing 8 sets of 5 in the squat with a low bar, and medium stance, you could switch the last 3 sets to using high bar with a narrow stance. For bench press or any other press, you could use a close grip variation of the movement for several sets.

Deload – Also to add, every 4-6 weeks before you make these changes, take a deload. A deload in between can enhance the adaptive process and make sure fatigue is managed over the long term. This way the fatigue accumulation slate is wiped clean AND a new adaptive stress is introduced right after. Because the body is such a marvelous thing, a deload alone may not do the trick if you resume training in the exact same way you had been before. The adaptive process will be much shorter than the first time around, and fatigue debt will be reached far earlier than before. So deload between “changes” so that you’re getting the best of both worlds.

Conclusion

There are a myriad of ways you can change your training in order to further your progress without making a bunch of wholesale changes. If you’re a competitive strength athlete that actually has to perform particular movements for competition then it behooves you to keep those competitive lifts in your routine at all times. However, using variations of the movements as part of the training plan can and should be viable options throughout the year in order to avoid stagnation.

As mentioned before, a plateau is essentially when a place is reached in training where the body no longer has to adapt to the stress being supplied by your training, and fatigue accumulation is happening or cannot be overcome with recovery. You can’t get around accumulating fatigue in training, but you can make sure that your hard work and efforts are giving you a return on your energy investment in training.

Want to know more about Paul Carter’s methodology? Get his excellent book Base Building over at Amazon.com

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We live in a caffeinated, productivity-driven society that imposes a host of demands on us.

Ever felt like you left work but work didn’t leave you because you kept thinking about it? I certainly was like that before, and focusing on my career sure took precedence over a lot of things, such as sleep. Sleep?

They don’t call it the little death for nothing, in my world it was a waste of time. I only slept 4 to 5 hours a night in order to do more work. But in the end, it catches up to you. Scientists have identified sleep as one of the cornerstone of health, mental and physical. Thomas Dekker said it best:” Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together”

It turns out sleep not only can keep you healthy, it can also help you get thinner, and stay that way. In fact, the growing epidemic of insomnia is thought to be related to the growing waistline of the population (1), and lack of sleep has been shown to be a potent hormonal disruptor (5) on top of this. In fact, the obesity curves in the Western World countries match the sleep deprivation curves.

One of the main effect of sleep deprivation is that it drives inflammation up in the body. Inflammation is known as ‘the silent killer” because it aggravates any other conditions and diseases and can deteriorate health on its own. Inflammation is definitely not something you want more of.

Inflammation in turn reduces your sensitivity to insulin and drives up cortisol production (7-8). Cortisol is the stress hormone that opposes insulin, the nutrient-storing hormone. They are on a delicate balance between each other to keep your blood sugar level. Ever noticed how after a night of restless sleep you seem to crave sugary foods more (8)? That’s because lack of sleep alters the balance between insulin and cortisol and destabilises your blood sugar, making you go for the pastries (2, 4) instead of drawing energy from a power breakfast of meat and nuts.

But lack of sleep alters more than your sweet tooth. It can make you a glutton as well, as even curtailing the duration of your night will diminish production of leptin and boost production of ghrelin, two hormones that regulate your appetite. Leptin is responsible for telling you that you are full, while ghrelin signals hunger, telling you it’s time to eat (4). Sleeping 1 hour less than usual can make you eat as much as 45% more food, according to one study (1). This condition is made worse by sleep apnea, a common problem in overweight people.

The endocrine havoc doesn’t stop there, as sleep disruption will also make you produce less testosterone and less growth hormone, and both are necessary to maintain a good lean mass to fat mass ratio as well as regenerating from a hard fat loss workout.

A lot of these hormonal changes are made possible by lessening the production of melatonin, which is produced during sleep and is responsible for triggering the proper hormonal cascade (3, 4, 5, 8).

The duration of your sleep is predictive of the magnitude of your fat loss when on a diet and exercise program. When given caloric restriction, people in a sleep-deprived group lost less fat than people in a normal sleep group (1, 2). Researchers have also noted that circadian rhythm and daily habits will have the same effect, so this is bad news if you are a shift-worker or don’t have a regular schedule (3).

Overall, sleep is one of the most potent habits you can have to improve your health and lose more fat, faster. In an upcoming article, I’ll give you my top recommendations for a better, longer sleep, so stay tuned.

Sleep well,

Coach Charles R. Poliquin

References:

1) Chaput, J., et al. Sleeping Habits Predict the Magnitude of fat Loss in Adults Exposed to Moderate Calorie Restriction. Obesity Facts. 2012. 5(4), 561-566.

2) Lindseth, G., et al. Nutritional Effects on Sleep. Western Journal of Nursing Research. August 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

3) Randler, C., Ebenhoh, N., et al. Chronotype but not Sleep Length is Related to Salivary Testosterone in young Adult Men. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012. 37. 1740-1744.

4)K. Spiegel, E. Tasali, P. Penev, and E. Van Cauter., Sleep Duration and Levels of Hormones That Influence Hunger; Annals of Internal Medicine, 2004; vol 141: pp 846-850.

5) Sunil Sharma and Mani Kavuru, Sleep and Metabolism: An Overview; Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism; vol 89: pp 5762-5771.

6) Murphy, HM., & Wideman, CH. (2009). Constant light induced alterations in melatonin levels, food intake, feed efficiency, visceral adiposity, and circadian rhythms in rats. Oct;12(5):233-40.

7) Leproult, R., & Van Cauter, E. (2010). Role of Sleep and Sleep Loss In Hormonal Release and Metabolism. Endocr Dev. 2010;17:11-21

8) Copinschi G., Metabolic and endocrine effects of sleep deprivation; Essent Psychopharmacol. 2005;6(6):341-7

The post Sleep Your Way Lean appeared first on STRENGTH SENSEI.

Guest blog by Rawdon Dubois, Club General Manager, Clean Health Performance Centre, Sydney City, Australia

The first ever Pro Card for Men’s Physique was awarded to a Clean Health Performance Centre client at the 2014 IFBB Australian Amateur Grand Prix & Pro Qualifier earlier this year.

That winner is James Cant, a 20-year-old Medical Science university student affectionately referred to as a “real life Ken doll”, and someone I have had the pleasure of working with for the past three years.

The weekend prior to the Australian Amateur Grand Prix, James competed at the IFBB Amateur Arnold Classic, placing 3rd in a 20-plus line up. Backing up a 3rd place with a win is an impressive feat, especially when considering the long haul, international flight he endured earlier that same week.

Many trainers and clients are interested to learn how James became the best IFBB Men’s Physique athlete in Australia and win an IFBB Pro Card. Were there any contributing factors beyond nutrition and supplementation basics?

The reality is that the full scope of James’ training and subsequent Pro Card win involved the implementation and understanding of three fundamental factors: genetics, focus and discipline, and personality-specific training programming.

1. Genetics

While genetics can be a harsh reality check for competitors of all divisions, it can be the harshest when it comes to Men’s Physique. Does your client have the right genetics to be a Pro in the IFBB Men’s Physique division? The question is that simple! It is important that the foundation is there to be worked with and streamlined.

After three years of training, James’ aesthetic ‘check list’ can act as a guide for what I mean by ‘genetically gifted’: a full, well-formed set of pecs, framed by cannonball-like delts with anterior, medial and posterior heads popping out; biceps and triceps thick and evenly proportioned with low bicep insertions and strong, horseshoe-like triceps; a back as wide as a barn door with thick rhomboids and wide sweeping, detailed lats tapering down into a 28-inch waist; symmetrical abdominals with definition through the obliques; a round, fully muscular midsection wrapped in paper-thin skin boasting no excessive vascularity; and finally, good looks.

James Cant, Men's physique

While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, when you’re on stage being judged in IFBB Men’s Physique, going for the win means having some half-decent looks on you (which is why I always compete in bodybuilding).

James ticks all of these physical attributes; the epitome of an IFBB Men’s Physique competitor.

2. Focus and Discipline

Focus and disciple are nothing new when it comes to successful training, but unwavering strength in these necessities enable the athlete to do all that is required to prepare themselves for the demands of an IFBB Men’s Physique show.

I often refer to James during my Clean Health Education presentation, Training the Male Physique Athlete, because he is the ideal Men’s Physique client. As mentioned, he possesses almost perfect genetics (I acknowledge he would look amazing no matter who coached him), and he exerts a discipline and mental focus second to none. James had always spoken about wanting to achieve an IFBB Pro Card, and it was his burning desire to be number one that ultimately saw him realise this goal.

James followed precisely every subtle nutrition or supplement change I directed. Each training program was executed to the letter and with 110% intensity, culminating in him routinely doing a H.I.I.T and vomit super set. He’d begin with an ultra-high intensity sprint for 30 seconds, followed by a 90 second recovery and a quick vomit in the toilets, returning for the next 30 second sprint to continue the conditioning session.

However, we can all have our moments. Despite his discipline, mental focus and passion to be number one, James confessed to a “blow out” whilst prepping for the Amateur Arnold Classic andAustralian Amateur Grand Prix & Pro Qualifier: one night he actually ate some kidney beans.

3. Personality-specific training programming

While I began exploring personality-specific training via trial-and-error with James’ programming, I later learned more detail from Charles R. Poliquin during the Advanced Program Design course held here at CHPC in Australia in March 2014. Coach Poliquin explains that client program design regarding reps, sets, intensity, exercise variety and training frequency is specifically influenced by the personality type of the individual.

Personality type corresponds to one of the five elements of Chinese Medicine: Fire, Wood, Earth, Metal or Water. Each element comprises a list of fundamental ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ for training and programming, which help maximize body composition and performance by working with an individual’s elemental constitution.

The training parameters outlined by Poliquin for a dominant ‘Fire’ personality type matched perfectly with the last eight weeks of James’ training. In the final stages of James’ prep for theIFBB Amateur Arnold Classic and the Australian Amateur Grand Prix & Pro Qualifier, the programming I designed saw much less of the traditional high rep volume work and a significant increase of high intensity, low rep work.

In hindsight, it is easy to see the ‘Fire’ signs were there: a hatred of low intensity, steady state cardio; a love of high intensity interval training; poor performance with high volume training; and a knee-jerk reactionary state of becoming ‘over trained’ if the reps assigned were higher than six to eight for a period beyond a few days. Seeing these characteristics as part of his elemental profile gave me a greater understanding of James’ unique physical make up, enabling me to tailor his training for effective results during the crucial pre-show lead up.

Considerations

If you are considering working with your client to assist them receiving a Pro Card in IFBB Men’s Physique, you may want to look into the following:

Are they genetically geared toward Men’s Physique ideals?

Do they truly have the discipline, focus and drive to be the best?

In addition to these factors, consider identifying their personality type to program their time effectively. While there are many other variables that come into play and different ways to achieve results, I found these were the most significant factors contributing to James Cant ‘s IFBB Pro status.

Keep training hard!

Follow Clean Health…

Instagram: @cleanhealthpt
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www.cleanhealth.com.au

The post My Top 3 Tips For Earning An IFBB Men’s Physique Pro Card appeared first on STRENGTH SENSEI.

The intent of the Before’n’After Files is to give more insight into the training, nutrition and supplementation of our clients Before’n’After successes

Nutrition and Supplementation

Training

The Before’n’After Files – Romy Korn, World Jiu Jitsu Champion

The intent of the Before’n’After Files is to give more insight into the training, nutrition and supplementation of our clients Before’n’After successes

Nutrition and Supplementation

Training

YPSI Athlete Romy Korn during a Lower Body Workout – 3 weeks out from the Ju Jitsu World Championships. After the first 6 weeks of weighttraining of her life…

I have spent three decades obsessing over developing maximal hypertrophy while displaying minimal body fat.

Here are two things I know for sure about training for hypertrophy

This article is a classic that has been plagiarized countless times.

Supersets and tri-sets allow you to perform a lot of work in a short period of time.

Goals and Guidelines

Beginner/Intermediate Program: Phase 1

Beginner/Intermediate Program: Phase 2

Sample 10 sets of 6 routine

German Volume Training for the Advanced Trainee

Not including athletes, the reason most of us exercise is to:

Obtain or maintain an attractive body

Stay healthy and prevent disease

Chronic Cardio = Excess Cortisol

Chronic Cardio = Type 2 Fiber Loss

Chronic Cardio = Reduced RMR

Chronic Cardio = Skinny Fat

Exercise to Build NOT Burn

Glute Hypertrophy Workout

Do a calves & forearms workout only, once every 5 days

Deadlift twice the same day

Train legs 3 times on Saturdays

Workout 1: 9 AM – Neural Drive

A-1

Front Squats

10

2-3

30X0

2 min

A-2

Lying Leg Curls Feet Inward

10

4-5

40X0

2 min

Workout 2: 1 PM – Functional Hypertrophy

A-1

Back Squats with Chains

5

4-6

50X0

2 min

A-2

Eccentric Lying Leg Curls Feet Neutral

5

4-6

40X0

2 min

Workout 3: 5 PM – Bust the Envelope

A-1

Leg press with feet high on plate

3

15-20

20X0

30 sec

A-2

Lying Leg Curls Feet Outward

3

6-8

40X0

30 sec

A-3

Dumbbell Walking Lunges

3

10-12 per leg

20X0

30 sec

A-4

Leg Press (feet externally rotated at 45 degrees, heels 4-6 inches apart)

3

15-20

20X0

30 sec