via Men's Health Home Page on 11/20/09
Is the sweet stuff really to blame for obesity, diabetes, and other health problems?Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Build Muscle & Burn Fat At The Same Time?
via Alwyn Cosgrove by Alwyn Cosgrove on 11/14/09
Guest blog from Elliot HulseBuild Muscle and Burn Fat At The Same Time?The most common strategy most people employ for packing on
muscle mass, and then leaning out, is through “bulking and cutting.”
The problem though is that it doesn’t always work.The most common scenario is that you put on more weight than you
want so you get “fat,” and then jump into endless cardio only to lose a
lot of the hard-earned muscle that you built. So, for a lot of guys the
choice seems to be between being strong and fat or weak and lean.I’m here to tell you with absolute certainty that this doesn’t have to
be the case. You don’t have to choose between being really strong and
a bit plump or being really lean and kind of weak with little muscle
definition.I’m going to let you in on a secret—it’s an unconventional approach that
runs contrary to ordinary training philosophies. To build the body you
want, you need to build muscle and burn fat at the same time in order
to achieve that goal of having a ripped, muscular physique.The way to build muscle and burn fat at the same time is through
incorporating both aerobic and anaerobic activity not just in the same
training session but in the same exercise.By combining resistance weight training with cardio training
in the same set, we force the thicker stronger Type-II (fast twitch)
muscle fibers to behave more like Type-I (slow twitch) fibers.By utilizing both types of muscle fibers in the same exercise we can
actually build a “HYBRID” Type-IIC muscle fiber that has been
nicknamed a Type-III.Now why would you want a Type-III hybrid muscle fiber?This reconfigured super muscle has more mitochondrial density which
means more nutrients can be processed giving these Type-III muscle
fibers a greater capacity to grow bigger and resist fatigue for longer periods.This style of training mimics the way that our ancestors used to live.
They didn’t train with weights one day and run laps the next. No.
The kinds of activities they did every day would have been very much
like the hybrid training we’re talking about.Our ancestors were both muscular and lean and it didn’t result from
things they set out intentionally to do but rather, it was a natural
byproduct of the way they lived their lives.They were able to both build muscle and burn fat at the same time
without even having to consciously think about. By adopting some of
the very same training principles that they employed, modern man
can achieve the same results.To discover how you can tap into your hybrid muscle fibers
in order to build muscle and burn fat simultaneously go here:
-----
I checked out their new program myself. Similar to how we do things at Results Fitness - Mike and Elliot have integrated bodyweight training, strongman training, kettlebell training, Olympic lifting, powerlifting, and bodybuilding. It truly is a hybrid system.Check it out for yourself - Lean Hybrid Muscle - for a limited time, Mike and Elliot are offering their entire program and nutrition support system for 50% off.Aerobic training doesn't create an afterburn effect?
Very interesting read...
via Alwyn Cosgrove by Alwyn Cosgrove on 11/16/09
A recent study from the University of Colorado (published in the Journal of Applied Physiology) had participants perform an hour long easy ride and monitored the "afterburn" - to see how much fat they burned post workout.They didn't burn any more than they did if they hadn't exercised.From the New York Times:To their surprise, the researchers found that none of the groups, including the athletes, experienced “afterburn.” They did not use additional body fat on the day when they exercised. In fact, most of the subjects burned slightly less fat over the 24-hour study period when they exercised than when they did not.
WAIT -- An hour long EASY ride didn't have an afterburn effect?
Really? I'm shocked..... you'd think that an hour of pedaling easily would melt the pounds off these people (note sarcasm)And the title of the study: " When energy balance is maintained, exercise does not induce negative fat balance..." ?????
Really? If you burn 300 calories (and there is no afterburn effect or additional post-workout caloric burn) and then you replace those calories you don't lose fat?Again -- REALLY? Who'd have thought that? (note sarcasm again)I understand that wasn't the point of the study - but did they really think that an easy ride would increase post workout fat burning significantly? Did they also really think that - for example burning 300 calories and then eating 300 calories would have resulted in fat loss?I think I've said A LOT that low intensity aerobics doesn't create any post workout increase in metabolism. I'm just surprised that people still thought it did.The researchers concluded:These data suggest that when exercise is performed with energy replacement (i.e. energy balance is maintained), 24 h fat oxidation does not increase and in fact, may be slightly decreased. It appears that the state of energy balance is an under appreciated factor determining the impact of exercise on fat oxidation.First off I don't think anyone thinks that energy balance is an under appreciated factor. I think we all know you have to burn calories (although I do think our understanding of calories in vs calories out is probably incomplete).But performing low intensity aerobic work in that state could LOWER fat oxidation (burning) post workout -- In other words it could be a negative?I wonder if anyone ever said that before.
(For the record - Dr. Eric Serrano showed me research that he had done on aerobic work actually hurting fat loss back in the mid 90s)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Why is Finishing the Year Strong a MUST For You?
via Burn The Fat Blog by Tom Venuto on 11/19/09
Why is finishing 2009 STRONG and starting the new year on the right foot an ABSOLUTE MUST for you? If you can give me a good enough answer to that question, I can almost guarantee that you are going to...Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A Double Dose Of Metabolism Protection: Strategic Carbohydrate Cycling
Great post from Vince Delmonte :-)
via Vince DelMonte's Muscle Building Tips and Six Pack Secrets by Vince on 11/17/09
Back with another update on on the upcoming new program, Cheat Your Way Thin, and today we’ll be talking about carbohydrate cycling and how you can use this in your nutrition program to keep the hormone leptin (which we discussed yesterday) from dropping too low (resulting in fat storage).
By preventing leptin levels from dropping too low you’ll keep your metabolism soaring which means you’ll be burning fat all day long. Have a close read over the valuable information below because it will show you what “dieting” should really be all about.
NOTE: Please read the comments from the blog post yesterday because the man-of-the-hour, Joel Marion in the flesh took the time to read your questions and give extremely detailed responses. Do not read any further below until you understand how this important hormone – leptin – works. I promise it will be worth your time extremely helpful for your fat loss goals. If you need clarification on anything mentioned don’t hesitate to post below.
Click HERE to read the most important hormone you never heard of. (page opens in new window)
Below in another article from Joel that I have posted with his permission.
A Double Dose Of Metabolism Protection: Strategic Carbohydrate Cycling
Without a doubt the most important thing you can do while attempting to drop body fat is to maintain high levels of leptin day in and day out.
With Cheat Your Way Thin, we accomplish this via two different means:
First, every so often we use strategically timed periods of overfeeding or “cheating” to restore leptin levels to baseline. These full-blown cheat sessions are almost magical when it comes to interrupting the starvation feedback loop, preventing your body from “turning against” your dietary efforts and putting the kibosh on fat loss.
In addition to strategic cheating, we also use strategic carbohydrate cycling throughout the week in order to safeguard against falls in leptin and other fat burning hormones even on “diet” days.
If you paid close attention to yesterday’s article, you remember that leptin and carbohydrate have VERY strong ties. I even shared a study in which leptin levels were maintained during an all out fast (no food whatsoever) by simply maintaining blood glucose and insulin via an IV drip. Wow.
When It Comes To Leptin, Carbohydrates Are KING
But, just like with cheating, you can’t just eat a boatload of carbs every day and expect fat to magically melt away. It’s all about strategy.
So here’s how we do it.
After a Cheat Day, when leptin is extremely high and the body is incredibly primed to burn fat, we go with a low-carb approach. By going low-carb here, we can fully take advantage of the fat burning environment that the Cheat Day created. The end result – total fat loss domination early in the week.
Unfortunately, you can’t get away with this forever as leptin will inevitably start to drop off in the face of a daily absence of carbohydrate.
So just as leptin begins to drop off mid-week, guess what we do? Yep, add more carbohydrates—the influx of blood glucose and insulin push leptin back up and communicate with the brain that everything is A-OK. Then, toward the end of the week once the body begins to adapt again, we up the carb ante once again.
In addition the Cheat Days, the weekly carbohydrate progress of low to moderate to high ensures that you never go a single day without a body primed for fat loss.
With regular dieting, come week two you’re metabolism is already beginning to suffer.
Do you see how strategic this is? Do you see why this works so well?
It’s everything “typical” dieting isn’t.
Oh, and here’s another benefit of carbohydrate cycling ==> extreme variety.
Diets for the most part are BORING. Same foods every day. Not so with Cheat Your Way Thin – the menu is literally ALWAYS changing (and that’s in addition to being able to eat whatever you want on Cheat Days). Have a steak in the beginning of the week, a large fruit salad mid-week, and then pasta toward week’s end. It’s ALL fair game. We limit nothing, and frankly, you don’t have to.
Oh, and did I mention just how HUGE all of this is psychologically?
Think back to those feelings of guilt and failure you experienced when you first “cheated” on your diet.I remember feeling like a failure and so disappointed with myself . Never again. Now when I cheat, it’s planned. And each time I do, I walk away knowing that I just accelerated my progress.
Frankly, it doesn’t get much better than knowing that you just used your favorite dessert to speed along fat loss.
Anxiety? Nope. When cravings arise, there is major comfort in knowing that you’ll be able to enjoy that very food in just a few short days when your next cheat session rolls around.
Simply put, strategic cheating solves the dietary dilema by providing you with powerful metabolic benefits and perhaps even more powerful psychological ones.
Feelings of discouragement and decreased motivation? Definitely with other diets, but with Cheat Your Way Thin, you’ll actually be excited to step on the scale week after week to view the consistent, steady progress that regular, strategic cheating yields.
Are you ready to experience just how enjoyable dieting can be? Are you ready to LOSE 10-15 lbs this holiday season (while everyone else is stuck gaining those 10-15 lbs)?
On Tuesday, November 24th, the less than half price PRE-SALE for the Cheat Your Way Thin Holiday Edition will open up exclusively to those who downloaded the Holiday Fat Loss Black Book. And even if you missed out, I have inside-hook ups with Joel and will get you in on the half-price sale because on November 28th, when the book goes on sale to the general public, the price will literally more than double. I appreciate you reading my blog and as valued subscriber, I will be sure to take care of you with a huge discount come November 24th.
And I want to help you in the mean time so please post any questions, specifically on carbohydrate cycling, below. If you have questions on leptin – click here to post your questions.
Vince
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tony Horton P90X Interview
via Turbulence Training by Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS on 11/10/09
After an early dog walk, I did this 25 minute workout: Kettlebell swings and pushup circuit, then outside for sprints+mountain climber circuit. All with my trainer, Ballythedog. Perfect fall weather. Some of this was inspired by my interview with Tony Horton yesterday. And I've put the Tony Horton interview up on my blog...(pass it on)...you'll discover his favorite workouts, his thoughts onFostering An Active Lifestyle
via RossTraining.com Blog by Administrator on 10/8/09
As a father of two, I’m amazed at how physically active children are by nature. My three year old son would play outside all day if we let him. He loves to run, jump, climb, wrestle, ride his bike, hit the bag, and throw the ball.
He often tags along at the gym and keeps himself busy by making up his own games and “moves” (as he calls them). When it is time to pack up and leave, he does his best to delay the exit. He always looks to extend the gym stay by a few more minutes.
My 15 month old daughter is following closely in his footsteps. One of the first things she wanted to do after learning to walk was put on her brother’s gloves and hit the punching bag. She was obsessed with her big brother’s gloves. My wife and I finally broke down and bought her a pair to help keep the peace.
She now brings the gloves and mitts to me. She smiles and laughs as she plays with them. And just like her big brother, she too is sad when it’s time to put them away. I’ve learned to distract her when it is time to clean up, otherwise she would keep the gloves on all day.
Lead By Example
I am not writing this entry to suggest that we push our kids to become champion athletes. If my kids want to play sports when they are older, I will support them, just as I’ll support them if they want to play the piano instead. I will never push them towards something they don’t enjoy.
Yet based on my own observations, it is clear that children imitate their parents. Their view of normalcy is based on what they encounter each day at home. I happen to be in the business of training fighters. My kids have seen fighters training here, and at the gym since day one. They are surrounded by a gym scene. It is both normal and fun to them. I first bought my son boxing gloves so he would stop taking dirty gloves out of the gym. He wanted to imitate what he saw around him. My daughter now imitates her big brother.
When my son was two, I asked him what he wanted for Christmas. He asked for a pull-up bar. Initially, I thought I misunderstood what he had said. But in fact he wanted a bar to imitate what he saw at the gym. Almost a year later, my son and daughter both pull at my leg to ask for a turn on the bar. We can’t get upstairs without one of them asking.
My kids find these physical activities enjoyable. I’ve never asked or pushed them to do anything. Kids by nature do what is fun. They will not actively do something that they do not enjoy. It is their nature to seek out and do what they find fun.
Responsibility
As a parent, it is my responsibility to prepare my children for the world around them. I don’t care whether they participate in sport or not, but it is important to foster physical, mental, and social development.
Unfortunately, many parents seem to believe their responsibility ends in the bedroom. I’ve met parents whose idea of entertaining their children is to sit them in front of the television. They don’t want to be “bothered” playing with their kids. They are too busy to play, yet oddly enough find time to update Facebook, track their favorite sporting teams, and keep up with their favorite television shows.
How do kids go from laughing and playing at the park to becoming sedentary, overweight teens and adults? It certainly isn’t natural. By nature, humans were born to move. Unfortunately, as children grow older, they are often encouraged to do otherwise. It’s easier to plop your kid in front of the TV as opposed to taking him outside to ride his bike or throw the ball.
Clearly, there are other causative factors, but the inactivity of our children is without question a contributor to the continuously increasing rate of adult obesity. Consider the link below for some recent statistics:
It is sad to think that children who by their own accord would gladly run around all day will eventually become overweight adults. All too often parents look elsewhere for solutions, rather than taking a moment to ponder their own responsibilities. No one is more responsible for a child than the parents. It isn’t the responsibility of the school or government to develop a healthy child. Parents must take it upon themselves. The ability to freely move and enjoy the world around is something that all kids should enjoy. No parent should deprive their children of this simple pleasure.
We as parents need to take it upon ourselves to foster an active lifestyle for our children. Making time for active play is the most enjoyable part of my day. I wouldn’t trade those smiles for anything in the world.
I’m amazed at what many consider to be such a complex topic (ex. childhood obesity) is actually so easy to correct. The first step is for parents to begin leading from the front. Is that really too much to ask? I can’t think of anything more important (to me) than my children and their health. How could any parent think differently of their own children?
Parents need to wake up and take matters into their own hands. They must put their children first and stop making excuses about what the world owes them. They should instead worry about what they owe their children.
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