So, you've made the decision that it's time to get your diet and workouts in gear and get on the spring fat loss bandwagon. Beach season is right around the corner and at the moment, you're currently sporting around a little more excess body fat than you're comfortable with.
Once this decision has been made, you'll likely fall into one of three different camps of fat-loss players.
• Camp #1: These are the people who are going to be looking for the fastest, easiest, and hopefully least painful method to get to the end of the course. Fad diets, supplements promising magical effects, juice fasts; you name it, they want it - anything to get that fat loss moving without them having to do a lot of work.
• Camp #2: The second group of individuals will be those who believe the only way to do it is through blood, sweat, and tears. They'll slave away on the cardio equipment, pound the weights in the gym, live off nothing more than raw veggies and solid protein. These are those who believe it has to hurt for it to be effective - or something to that degree. They feel very firmly that any "easy way" is likely not the best way.
• Camp #3: Finally, the last set of gym-goers are those who are a cross between group one and two, with an added bit of intelligence thrown in.
While they know they are in store for some hard work and dietary restrictions ahead of them, they also realize that there are some products out on the market that will help to speed their results and make the whole process slightly easier.
They understand that using these supplements doesn't mean the fat will come off on its' own - this is up to them to do, just that the supplements will work with them throughout the process.
Hopefully, you're part of group three. If not, I wish you the best. You're likely either going to be hiding under a T-shirt this coming summer or else may just burnout in a few weeks when that box of cookies screaming at you finally becomes too much to bear.
Now that we've established that there are some supplements that will in fact make your life better and help you obtain optimal results, it's time to look at just why you should be taking them, in particular for this discussion, the fat burner products that you so often find available in today's supplement industry.
4 Reasons Fat-Burners Are Useful
1. Hunger
The first thing you need to understand about fat burners is that they are not all just out to help your body "burn fat" - well they are, they just get there through different mechanisms. Thermogenics, are the variation of fat burners most commonly thought of and these actually do work to help speed the metabolism, hence, helping you directly burn off more fat.
Others, however, work indirectly. Do you have hunger that just will not stop while you're on a diet? Maybe this hunger is so strong that it's not even junk you crave, it's just food. Period. End of story - you'd be happy to have a few extra carrots at this point.
If this is your scenario, a fat burner will work well for you because it will usually serve to blunt your appetite. With your stomach now sitting quiet, it should be much easier to get through the day.
2. Energy Levels
It only makes that when you are on a hypocaloric diet, which is an absolute must if you hope to lose body fat, your energy levels are going to suffer. After all, you are consuming less fuel energy, which then translates to less muscular energy.
Fat burners have various ingredients in them, caffeine being one of them, that will serve to help increase your energy levels again without supplying your body with calories.
More energy means you'll have better workouts, and better, more intense workouts mean you stand a higher chance of keeping that muscle tissue that took so long for you to build on your frame.
3. Improved Concentration Levels
Some individuals, after using a fat burner for a few days, find that it actually helps to improve their concentration levels as well. While this isn't directly related to your ability to burn fat, as you already likely know, when you're constantly thinking about your diet, training, as well as trying to not think about foods you shouldn't, it can be hard to focus on much else.
Fat Burners Help To Improve Concentration Levels.
Taking a fat burner may help keep your concentration levels steadier, so you can maintain focus at work or any other mentally stimulating tasks you need to complete.
4. Improves Overall Health Status
Finally, another reason you should consider using some variations of fat burners is that some contain ingredients that can help provide side health benefits.
For example, many of the fat burner stacks out there contain yohimbe - which while working towards decreasing body fat, will also increase blood flow to the extremities and appendages.
As another example, another common ingredient in fat burners is green tea extract. As you've likely heard, this has numerous benefits such as acting as an antioxidant in the body.
Conclusion
So, as you can see, the reasons to consider adding a fat burner to your fat loss regime are plentiful. As long as you don't move into camp 1 described above and start relying on the fat burner to do the work for you, many of the products out there are very beneficial when it comes to helping you unleash the best possible body this coming summer.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
WHY CAN'T I SLEEP?
sleeping, it seems easy enough right? Well maybe for you. Studies show (2001 National Sleep Foundation) that 63% of us don't get the recommended eight hours of sleep needed for good health, recovery, and optimum performance. Why? Mostly because of poor time management skills and busy schedules. A big problem for many people is falling asleep. Not many things are more frustrating than being extremely exhausted all day long and then as soon as you finally get to lay down to go to sleep, you are more awake than a soldier in combat. Also, since our hours of sleep are limited we want to make the most of it. The following are some hints for helping you fall asleep at night and once you do, increasing the quality for better recovery and recuperative purposes.
1. Avoid Caffeine five hours before bed: The reasons for this are obvious. Caffeine, the single most popular drug in the world is a stimulant to the central nervous system and puts the body in an excited state while speeding up the metabolism as well as other body processes. Avoiding it before bed will give your body time to wind down and your muscles to relax, putting you in a better position to fall asleep and sleep with less restlessness. If you want to be wise about your sleeping patterns, save your coffee to jump-start your day rather than your nights.
2. Herbs and supplements: If better sleep can be achieved by merely swallowing a pill or drinking a beverage, you bet Americans are going to be the first one to use them. The following are some herbs and supplements that will help you fall asleep and improve the quality of your sleep. None of the following is intended to cure, treat, or prevent any medical conditions.
Kava Kava - Surprisingly Kava Kava is an herb that comes from the pepper family. It has been in use for over 3,000 years but has seemingly been increasing in popularity during recent years. It is used to create a feeling of relaxation and achieve a higher level of consciousness both throughout the day and before bed. Taking it any time of the day is no problem since it doesn't make you tired. It solely relaxes you, enabling you to fall asleep and reducing all forms of anxiety throughout the day. This is a great thing because stress plays a huge roll on your quality of sleep whether you realize it or not. If you suffer from anxiety, that is just one of the many benefits of this herb. Studies show that Kava Kava influences the part of the brain responsible for your feelings and emotions, the limbic system. Increased socialization, increased memory, increased focus ability and an overall feeling of contentment are some more of the plethora of benefits this herb has to offer you.
Chamomile - Chamomile is an herb, usually taken in a tea form. It is a member of the daisy family and has been used, primarily in Europe, since the 1600's and even predates that going as far back as the Egyptians use in Ancient Egypt. Its sedative effects are great for nights where sleeping seems nearly impossible. Its benefits are endless but mostly do not pertain to bodybuilding and recuperation efforts so they will be listed and not discussed here. They are as follows: dispelling worms, bruises, inflammations, digestive tract tumors, colic, back pain and stomach cramps. The tea itself is relatively cheap and extremely easy to prepare. If you are a tea drinker, than this herbal tea is a great option for you! If not, try it out anyway and you may surprise yourself. Its calming affects are almost instant and you will not be disappointed.
Valerian - Valerian is another great herb used to soothe insomnia. It is a very cost-effective supplement (it can be purchased in pill form) or tea with no groggy side effects. Like most herbs, Valerian is nothing new. It has been around for over 1,000 years and it possesses the ability to enhance sleep, decrease stress and anxiety levels, promote feelings of calmness, and relax the central nervous system. Look in your local supermarket for a Valerian tea or your local vitamin store for the pill form.
Melatonin - Melatonin is produced and released from the pineal gland naturally by the brain. It is responsible for your body' natural day and night cycle. Interestingly, the body can sense when it is night-time through light sensors in your eyes and your brain produces the highest levels at this time. Although you can find small amounts of Melatonin in certain foods, its effectiveness is much better put to use when taken in pill form. It is commonly used to help treat jet-lag because of its day and night cyclical affecting properties. Research shows that those who lack Melatonin are more prone to stress and anxiety.
ZMA - This revolutionary supplement is extremely underused by athletes and most beginning bodybuilders. Although relatively expensive for low-budget teenagers, ZMA will give you perhaps the biggest bang for it's buck of all supplements because of it's vast benefits in many areas. It is made of Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate plus Magnesium Aspartate and vitamin B-6, hence its name ZMA. Athletes (bodybuilders) can especially benefit from ZMA because Zinc and Magnesium are more often than not deficient in their bodies. Most people taking ZMA report that they fall asleep easier, sleep more deeply, and wake up more refreshed. As if that isn't enough, increased (up to 30% or more) testosterone production, better strength gains, and increased IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) levels are other benefits boasted by this supplement. The best part is that there is tons of scientific data and research that support this time and time again! ZMA is an extreme must for any bodybuilder regardless of size or experience level!
3. Take a hot bath: Taking a hot bath or shower 90 minutes before bed will increase the body's internal temperature, relaxing any tense muscles and reducing physical and mental stress on the body. The progressive internal temperature drop once you are finished will most likely help make you sleepy and ready to go to sleep easier than ever!
4. Exercise: Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day will actually help you sleep better at night. There is only one small stipulation to this tried and true eventual sleep inhibitor; resist exercising a few hours before bed. Exercising puts your body's central nervous system in an uproar, which can take hours to calm down. The last thing you want when trying to fall asleep is a nervous nervous system.
5. Bedtime: Setting yourself a bedtime and sticking to it will put your body in an effective sleeping cycle that will be as predictable as the sunrise and sunset. Catching up on weekends just doesn't work and leaves your body in a deficit all week long. Making a specific bed time, even if it is general (between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.), will inform your body, after some period of consistency, that it is time to go to bed and you will naturally feel more sleepy during that period of time every night.
6. Bore yourself: Slowly bringing down your excitement level is a great way to relax. You can do this by doing something that isn't very exciting (other than watching TV because remember that the bright light will help in the prevention of the production of Melatonin, in turn telling your brain to stay awake). Try spending your time before bed listening to slow music or anything else that may help bore you to sleep.
7. Control your breathing: This is one of the best and most underused method of helping you to fall asleep. Controlling your breathing can help you fall asleep almost instantly as it relaxes your entire body and helps to focus your mind on only one thing. What exactly does controlling your breathing mean? It means to slow your breathing down to a rate that your body uses when sleeping. This does two things. First it tricks your body into thinking it is sleeping and second it slows your heart rate and helps your muscles to relax. A good way to do this is to breath in for four slow seconds and then exhale for a slow eight seconds or until your CO2 reserve is spent. Any time your mind wanders from anything but your breathing bring it immediately back without getting discouraged. This small but effective technique can also help to strengthen your mind-muscle connection so use it to your heart's content.
8. No alcohol or nicotine a few hours before bed: Alcohol and nicotine have the ability to sabotage not only your bodybuilding efforts but your sleeping efforts as well. Nicotine, like caffeine, is a stimulant. It increases your heart rate and puts the body in somewhat of an excited state. Alcohol is a completely different case. It can help you to fall asleep, however, the quality of sleep you get is poor. It is extremely wise to avoid these two drugs before bed if you want to increase your recovery time and help yourself get the most out of the time you spend doing just about nothing (other than sleeping).
The main reason for bodybuilders to get quality sleep is because Growth Hormone rises during deep sleep, usually beginning 30 minutes after falling asleep and then repeating in cycles throughout the night. It has also been shown that those who don't get enough sleep generally don't live as long. Remember that a good nights sleep is a necessity, not a luxury.
1. Avoid Caffeine five hours before bed: The reasons for this are obvious. Caffeine, the single most popular drug in the world is a stimulant to the central nervous system and puts the body in an excited state while speeding up the metabolism as well as other body processes. Avoiding it before bed will give your body time to wind down and your muscles to relax, putting you in a better position to fall asleep and sleep with less restlessness. If you want to be wise about your sleeping patterns, save your coffee to jump-start your day rather than your nights.
2. Herbs and supplements: If better sleep can be achieved by merely swallowing a pill or drinking a beverage, you bet Americans are going to be the first one to use them. The following are some herbs and supplements that will help you fall asleep and improve the quality of your sleep. None of the following is intended to cure, treat, or prevent any medical conditions.
Kava Kava - Surprisingly Kava Kava is an herb that comes from the pepper family. It has been in use for over 3,000 years but has seemingly been increasing in popularity during recent years. It is used to create a feeling of relaxation and achieve a higher level of consciousness both throughout the day and before bed. Taking it any time of the day is no problem since it doesn't make you tired. It solely relaxes you, enabling you to fall asleep and reducing all forms of anxiety throughout the day. This is a great thing because stress plays a huge roll on your quality of sleep whether you realize it or not. If you suffer from anxiety, that is just one of the many benefits of this herb. Studies show that Kava Kava influences the part of the brain responsible for your feelings and emotions, the limbic system. Increased socialization, increased memory, increased focus ability and an overall feeling of contentment are some more of the plethora of benefits this herb has to offer you.
Chamomile - Chamomile is an herb, usually taken in a tea form. It is a member of the daisy family and has been used, primarily in Europe, since the 1600's and even predates that going as far back as the Egyptians use in Ancient Egypt. Its sedative effects are great for nights where sleeping seems nearly impossible. Its benefits are endless but mostly do not pertain to bodybuilding and recuperation efforts so they will be listed and not discussed here. They are as follows: dispelling worms, bruises, inflammations, digestive tract tumors, colic, back pain and stomach cramps. The tea itself is relatively cheap and extremely easy to prepare. If you are a tea drinker, than this herbal tea is a great option for you! If not, try it out anyway and you may surprise yourself. Its calming affects are almost instant and you will not be disappointed.
Valerian - Valerian is another great herb used to soothe insomnia. It is a very cost-effective supplement (it can be purchased in pill form) or tea with no groggy side effects. Like most herbs, Valerian is nothing new. It has been around for over 1,000 years and it possesses the ability to enhance sleep, decrease stress and anxiety levels, promote feelings of calmness, and relax the central nervous system. Look in your local supermarket for a Valerian tea or your local vitamin store for the pill form.
Melatonin - Melatonin is produced and released from the pineal gland naturally by the brain. It is responsible for your body' natural day and night cycle. Interestingly, the body can sense when it is night-time through light sensors in your eyes and your brain produces the highest levels at this time. Although you can find small amounts of Melatonin in certain foods, its effectiveness is much better put to use when taken in pill form. It is commonly used to help treat jet-lag because of its day and night cyclical affecting properties. Research shows that those who lack Melatonin are more prone to stress and anxiety.
ZMA - This revolutionary supplement is extremely underused by athletes and most beginning bodybuilders. Although relatively expensive for low-budget teenagers, ZMA will give you perhaps the biggest bang for it's buck of all supplements because of it's vast benefits in many areas. It is made of Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate plus Magnesium Aspartate and vitamin B-6, hence its name ZMA. Athletes (bodybuilders) can especially benefit from ZMA because Zinc and Magnesium are more often than not deficient in their bodies. Most people taking ZMA report that they fall asleep easier, sleep more deeply, and wake up more refreshed. As if that isn't enough, increased (up to 30% or more) testosterone production, better strength gains, and increased IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) levels are other benefits boasted by this supplement. The best part is that there is tons of scientific data and research that support this time and time again! ZMA is an extreme must for any bodybuilder regardless of size or experience level!
3. Take a hot bath: Taking a hot bath or shower 90 minutes before bed will increase the body's internal temperature, relaxing any tense muscles and reducing physical and mental stress on the body. The progressive internal temperature drop once you are finished will most likely help make you sleepy and ready to go to sleep easier than ever!
4. Exercise: Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day will actually help you sleep better at night. There is only one small stipulation to this tried and true eventual sleep inhibitor; resist exercising a few hours before bed. Exercising puts your body's central nervous system in an uproar, which can take hours to calm down. The last thing you want when trying to fall asleep is a nervous nervous system.
5. Bedtime: Setting yourself a bedtime and sticking to it will put your body in an effective sleeping cycle that will be as predictable as the sunrise and sunset. Catching up on weekends just doesn't work and leaves your body in a deficit all week long. Making a specific bed time, even if it is general (between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.), will inform your body, after some period of consistency, that it is time to go to bed and you will naturally feel more sleepy during that period of time every night.
6. Bore yourself: Slowly bringing down your excitement level is a great way to relax. You can do this by doing something that isn't very exciting (other than watching TV because remember that the bright light will help in the prevention of the production of Melatonin, in turn telling your brain to stay awake). Try spending your time before bed listening to slow music or anything else that may help bore you to sleep.
7. Control your breathing: This is one of the best and most underused method of helping you to fall asleep. Controlling your breathing can help you fall asleep almost instantly as it relaxes your entire body and helps to focus your mind on only one thing. What exactly does controlling your breathing mean? It means to slow your breathing down to a rate that your body uses when sleeping. This does two things. First it tricks your body into thinking it is sleeping and second it slows your heart rate and helps your muscles to relax. A good way to do this is to breath in for four slow seconds and then exhale for a slow eight seconds or until your CO2 reserve is spent. Any time your mind wanders from anything but your breathing bring it immediately back without getting discouraged. This small but effective technique can also help to strengthen your mind-muscle connection so use it to your heart's content.
8. No alcohol or nicotine a few hours before bed: Alcohol and nicotine have the ability to sabotage not only your bodybuilding efforts but your sleeping efforts as well. Nicotine, like caffeine, is a stimulant. It increases your heart rate and puts the body in somewhat of an excited state. Alcohol is a completely different case. It can help you to fall asleep, however, the quality of sleep you get is poor. It is extremely wise to avoid these two drugs before bed if you want to increase your recovery time and help yourself get the most out of the time you spend doing just about nothing (other than sleeping).
The main reason for bodybuilders to get quality sleep is because Growth Hormone rises during deep sleep, usually beginning 30 minutes after falling asleep and then repeating in cycles throughout the night. It has also been shown that those who don't get enough sleep generally don't live as long. Remember that a good nights sleep is a necessity, not a luxury.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Got Squats?
Ok, so you've accepted the inevitable and whip yourself into doing those dang squats every week on leg day. They're exhausting, they hurt, and they work big time. Bummer. Why can't it ever be easy?
Squats belong to the exclusive club of compound movements that trigger growth you could never replicate by diddling around with isolation movements only. Don't get me wrong, there's a time and a place for isolation, but when you're looking to build a foundation of raw power and mass, compound movements are unbeatable.
So getting your repertoire of compound exercises in order is crucial, plain and simple. You want to be able to move as much weight as possible with the best form possible, which translates directly to substantial muscular development. Typically, you see young guys adhering more to the first part than the latter. However, unlike benching, squats aren't much of an "ego exercise", so there's usually hope.
Why do I talk about hope? Aside from the obvious risks of injury that comes with sloppy form, squats are actually an exercise that can make you STRONGER by NOT cheating. When people cheat on their squats, they usually aren't only gambling with their joints and spine, they might even be robbing their egos of the cheap thrill that comes with adding some more weight to the bar.
POINT #1: FORM
Check your form! Straight back, wide stance, abs tense, eyes towards the ceiling throughout. You should FEEL the balance in your body. Also make sure to bend your knees in sync with the tilt of the lower back. You're not doing good mornings with 300 lbs on your shoulders! If you feel unbalanced, hurt, or is otherwise unsure of the proper execution, don't hesitate to talk to a professional Personal Trainer.
You will probably get a little weaker at first, but take my word for it - if you're doing it right, you'll be back and beyond your previous weight within a couple of months!
POINT #2: CARDIOVASCULAR CAPACITY
Especially if you're doing high-rep sets, you might be familiar with the sensation of light-headedness and dancing black dots in front of your eyes somewhere around the 13th or 14th rep. You could get to this state faster if you held your breath - and you'd probably not be able to pull off more than 3 or 4 reps before it started getting really bad. The reason is pretty simple: You're running out of oxygen!
When squatting, you're engaging in extremely oxygen-consuming work. Your need oxygen to get energy to the muscles. Not so much for the energy itself, but to enable the whole process. It's not unlike a gasoline engine - you need the air for the internal combustion, even though it's mostly the gasoline providing the explosive energy. If you don't take in enough oxygen, you can't utilize enough energy, and you end up running on stored ATP and Creatine. These sources run low in a hurry when you're doing some serious lifting.
What we're left with after, say 8 to 10 reps or so, is highly dependent on how good your body is at taking in plenty of oxygen in a short amount of time. The more your body can take in, the more energy gets utilized, and the more reps you can squeeze out. Pretty simple, huh?
The key issue here is - of course - to prime your ability to absorb oxygen. Now for the bad news. The only way to do this is to spend some time pounding the concrete, biking, or anything else that gets your heart rate up and going. Make sure to get at least 3 rounds of cardio for 20 minutes or more per week, and keep that pulse higher than if you were out to just burn off the love handles.
POINT #3: STEALTH
This clever method is so simple that it tends to be all but forgotten in favor of other, more complex strategies. However, the stealth method is hard to beat when you're looking to pump up the weights in compounds movements like squats. The basic principle is this:
Your body doesn't really know the difference between 300 lbs and 305. Those puny 2.5's on each side are a thimble in the ocean. Odds are, you'll probably have no problems doing the same amount of reps with 5 lbs extra.
Then you sneak on another 5 lbs a week or two later, you've gotten used to 305, so that 310 doesn't really make much difference either, now does it? …And so it can go on for quite a while. In the span of a few months, you could actually have added 40-50 lbs to your total, while still doing the same amount of reps!
Granted, the pace might not be quite as exciting as heavy negative training, but you can be fairly sure to get the weights up, slowly but steadily, without running undue risk of injury. The only real downside is that you have to ditch the periodization-strategy for legs while doing this.
CONCLUSION
The conclusion - of course - is to periodize stealth training with normal high/low-rep alternating periodization! As in doing 3 months of stealth training, then do 6 months of "normal" periodization (4-6 week cycles of lighter vs. heavier training - read my last article all about PERIODIZATION here!), and then go back to 3 more months of stealth training. You'll probably notice a slight setback in strength when taking up the stealth again, but it'll rebound quickly.
Squats belong to the exclusive club of compound movements that trigger growth you could never replicate by diddling around with isolation movements only. Don't get me wrong, there's a time and a place for isolation, but when you're looking to build a foundation of raw power and mass, compound movements are unbeatable.
So getting your repertoire of compound exercises in order is crucial, plain and simple. You want to be able to move as much weight as possible with the best form possible, which translates directly to substantial muscular development. Typically, you see young guys adhering more to the first part than the latter. However, unlike benching, squats aren't much of an "ego exercise", so there's usually hope.
Why do I talk about hope? Aside from the obvious risks of injury that comes with sloppy form, squats are actually an exercise that can make you STRONGER by NOT cheating. When people cheat on their squats, they usually aren't only gambling with their joints and spine, they might even be robbing their egos of the cheap thrill that comes with adding some more weight to the bar.
POINT #1: FORM
Check your form! Straight back, wide stance, abs tense, eyes towards the ceiling throughout. You should FEEL the balance in your body. Also make sure to bend your knees in sync with the tilt of the lower back. You're not doing good mornings with 300 lbs on your shoulders! If you feel unbalanced, hurt, or is otherwise unsure of the proper execution, don't hesitate to talk to a professional Personal Trainer.
You will probably get a little weaker at first, but take my word for it - if you're doing it right, you'll be back and beyond your previous weight within a couple of months!
POINT #2: CARDIOVASCULAR CAPACITY
Especially if you're doing high-rep sets, you might be familiar with the sensation of light-headedness and dancing black dots in front of your eyes somewhere around the 13th or 14th rep. You could get to this state faster if you held your breath - and you'd probably not be able to pull off more than 3 or 4 reps before it started getting really bad. The reason is pretty simple: You're running out of oxygen!
When squatting, you're engaging in extremely oxygen-consuming work. Your need oxygen to get energy to the muscles. Not so much for the energy itself, but to enable the whole process. It's not unlike a gasoline engine - you need the air for the internal combustion, even though it's mostly the gasoline providing the explosive energy. If you don't take in enough oxygen, you can't utilize enough energy, and you end up running on stored ATP and Creatine. These sources run low in a hurry when you're doing some serious lifting.
What we're left with after, say 8 to 10 reps or so, is highly dependent on how good your body is at taking in plenty of oxygen in a short amount of time. The more your body can take in, the more energy gets utilized, and the more reps you can squeeze out. Pretty simple, huh?
The key issue here is - of course - to prime your ability to absorb oxygen. Now for the bad news. The only way to do this is to spend some time pounding the concrete, biking, or anything else that gets your heart rate up and going. Make sure to get at least 3 rounds of cardio for 20 minutes or more per week, and keep that pulse higher than if you were out to just burn off the love handles.
POINT #3: STEALTH
This clever method is so simple that it tends to be all but forgotten in favor of other, more complex strategies. However, the stealth method is hard to beat when you're looking to pump up the weights in compounds movements like squats. The basic principle is this:
Your body doesn't really know the difference between 300 lbs and 305. Those puny 2.5's on each side are a thimble in the ocean. Odds are, you'll probably have no problems doing the same amount of reps with 5 lbs extra.
Then you sneak on another 5 lbs a week or two later, you've gotten used to 305, so that 310 doesn't really make much difference either, now does it? …And so it can go on for quite a while. In the span of a few months, you could actually have added 40-50 lbs to your total, while still doing the same amount of reps!
Granted, the pace might not be quite as exciting as heavy negative training, but you can be fairly sure to get the weights up, slowly but steadily, without running undue risk of injury. The only real downside is that you have to ditch the periodization-strategy for legs while doing this.
CONCLUSION
The conclusion - of course - is to periodize stealth training with normal high/low-rep alternating periodization! As in doing 3 months of stealth training, then do 6 months of "normal" periodization (4-6 week cycles of lighter vs. heavier training - read my last article all about PERIODIZATION here!), and then go back to 3 more months of stealth training. You'll probably notice a slight setback in strength when taking up the stealth again, but it'll rebound quickly.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Insulin&BodyBuilding
The role of insulin is a current topic reverberating through gyms everywhere. Insulin is a hormone best known for its role in glucose metabolism. In an attempt to provide some clear scientific information to our trainers, this article will discuss the different classifications of carbohydrates, and how the body regulates blood glucose levels. Practical applications to bodybuilders will close out the article.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide direct energy for the human brain, central nervous system, and muscle cells in the form of glucose (blood sugar). Carbohydrates can be broken down into simple carbohydrates or complex carbohydrates.
Simple
Simple Carbohydrates are sugars, organic compounds whose bonds are easily broken down by digestion. Sugars are classified as monosaccharides (mono = one), or disaccharides (di= two). Monosaccharides include glucose, galactose, and fructose. Disaccharides are two monosaccharide units linked together and include maltose (two glucose units), sucrose (fructose plus glucose), and lactose (galactose plus glucose). Your body only has the ability to absorb monosaccharides into the blood.
Complex
Complex carbohydrates are defined as polysaccharides (poly = many) that are found in starch and fiber. Starches are polysaccharides humans can digest, but must be broken down into monosaccharides before they can be taken into the blood. Polysaccharides are either linear (amylose-polymer of 400 to thousands of glucose) or branched (amlyopectin-polymer containing hundreds of glucose).
Glycogen (stored glucose within the muscle), is similar in structure to amylopectin, and will be discussed later in bodybuilding applications. Cellulose is fiber within vegetables which humans are unable to break down and absorb into the blood.
How The Body Uses Carbohydrates
The body, after digestion and absorption through the walls of the small intestines, can put glucose to work in three ways:
1. It can burn the glucose immediately within mitochondria, releasing carbon dioxide, water and energy.
2. If the glucose is not needed immediately, it is converted by the liver or the muscles into glycogen. Muscle glycogen provides energy only to muscles. Liver glycogen can supply energy to any part of the body.
3. Any glucose left over after glycogen saturation is converted to fat by the liver, and stored in adipose tissue around the body. The degree and pattern of fat buildup depends on an array of factors, but are primarily linked to whether a person consistently consumes more calories than are burned through activity.
Blood-Sugar Connection
The body's natural regulatory system automatically maintains close control over the level of blood glucose. The body has approximately 20 grams of blood borne glucose circulating continuously. If blood sugar increases then the pancreas releases insulin. If this level is too low than glucagon is released.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide direct energy for the human brain, central nervous system, and muscle cells in the form of glucose (blood sugar). Carbohydrates can be broken down into simple carbohydrates or complex carbohydrates.
Simple
Simple Carbohydrates are sugars, organic compounds whose bonds are easily broken down by digestion. Sugars are classified as monosaccharides (mono = one), or disaccharides (di= two). Monosaccharides include glucose, galactose, and fructose. Disaccharides are two monosaccharide units linked together and include maltose (two glucose units), sucrose (fructose plus glucose), and lactose (galactose plus glucose). Your body only has the ability to absorb monosaccharides into the blood.
Complex
Complex carbohydrates are defined as polysaccharides (poly = many) that are found in starch and fiber. Starches are polysaccharides humans can digest, but must be broken down into monosaccharides before they can be taken into the blood. Polysaccharides are either linear (amylose-polymer of 400 to thousands of glucose) or branched (amlyopectin-polymer containing hundreds of glucose).
Glycogen (stored glucose within the muscle), is similar in structure to amylopectin, and will be discussed later in bodybuilding applications. Cellulose is fiber within vegetables which humans are unable to break down and absorb into the blood.
How The Body Uses Carbohydrates
The body, after digestion and absorption through the walls of the small intestines, can put glucose to work in three ways:
1. It can burn the glucose immediately within mitochondria, releasing carbon dioxide, water and energy.
2. If the glucose is not needed immediately, it is converted by the liver or the muscles into glycogen. Muscle glycogen provides energy only to muscles. Liver glycogen can supply energy to any part of the body.
3. Any glucose left over after glycogen saturation is converted to fat by the liver, and stored in adipose tissue around the body. The degree and pattern of fat buildup depends on an array of factors, but are primarily linked to whether a person consistently consumes more calories than are burned through activity.
Blood-Sugar Connection
The body's natural regulatory system automatically maintains close control over the level of blood glucose. The body has approximately 20 grams of blood borne glucose circulating continuously. If blood sugar increases then the pancreas releases insulin. If this level is too low than glucagon is released.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)