Weight Training After Midnight & You Were Right. Dieting Does Make You Fat.

Now That's Hot!

















Quick personal update: I pulled a fast one on the weather. I got up at 1 am this morning when the house was a cool 66 degrees and did 5 sets of 8-12 reps of biceps, triceps, and shoulders. Then I did some leg isometrics, all while watching television. Then I had a snack of 3 ounces of smoked salmon and some whole wheat crackers. By 4 am I was back to sleep until 8:30 am. Hot weather will not stop this weight training train. Full steam ahead. (Colitis pain is almost gone too. Yeah!)

Weight this morning 121.5 pounds, body fat 23.2 percent.

I've decide to push any attempts at fat loss to a future *cooler* time and just concentrate on muscle gain for now. You'd think Summer would be a perfect time to eat light and less, the traditional approach to losing weight, but eating too light or light enough to lose body fat won't necessarily help me build muscle. Yes, lots of people swear you can do both at the same time, but I'm dubious that their way is the optimal way to build the most muscle possible. I'm not a big guy with a butt load of testosterone floating around, and I'm old too so my GH levels probably aren't optimal. Let's face it, my fat loss goals are for cosmetic reasons only.

The more research I read leads me to believe it's at cross purposes to approach losing body fat through diet alone (no matter what your macro-nutrient ratios). Virtually anyone can exercise and accomplish muscle maintenance or even muscle gain.
Bottom line, when you have lots of muscle mass your metabolism is faster and it takes less calorie cutting to burn fat. This is particularly true when a small calorie deficit is combined with aerobics AND weight training.

My personal experience (yes it's anecdotal evidence) has always been that I have to do quite a bit of aerobics to burn off body fat, at least an hour a day along with weight lifting. This is certainly partly due to me refusal to go on low calorie diets. And that level of aerobics ain't going to happen until the heat breaks. I'm not even getting much swimming in because it's TOO HOT!

A big fat lie - the nutrition expert who says diets actually cause weight gain
Geoffrey Cannon tells Sophie Morris why he declared war on the slimming industry

Tuesday, 8 July 2008

The weight-loss industry is swelling as quickly as our waistlines at the moment, which seems something of a paradox. If body conscious consumers are so happy to buy dieting products, why are we facing an obesity crisis? The truth is, no calorie-controlled diet works. If they did, dieting professionals could kiss goodbye to repeat business. Even worse: restricting what you eat will make you fat. Worse still: yo-yo dieting can cause depression, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. Frequent dieters are 60 per cent more likely to die from heart disease than people who don't starve themselves.

The weight-loss successes trumpeted on the front of slimming magazines contradict this. They tell the stories of women (it usually is women) who have lost a lot of weight by following a diet which restricts calorie intake. As the pictures show, these women have clearly not been made fat by following such regimes. This, though, is only part of the complex dieting jigsaw, as Geoffrey Cannon explains in his book

Dieting Makes You Fat. Yes, if you consume less energy than your body burns off in a day, your weight will drop. But Cannon, a public health advisor and nutrition expert, looks longer term, and says that nearly all dieters are forced to turn to drugs, surgery, further dieting or exercise to maintain that initial weight loss.

If the title of the book rings a bell, it is possible you read Cannon's earlier book of the same name, which he wrote 25 years ago. Conclusive new scientific evidence to support the claims in the first book, a global public health crisis caused by obesity and its attendant illnesses, and a booming diet industry prompted Cannon to completely rewrite this text.

Dieting Makes You Fat was ground-breaking a quarter of a century ago, but its message is perhaps even more urgent today. As people are getting fatter (a government report from 2007 predicted that by 2050 most British adults will be obese), the market for weight-loss products is growing. The dieting industry in the US is worth $46bn a year; in Europe it is worth €93bn. Clearly, our appetite for losing weight is not matched by our capacity to actually shed fat.

Why did we not take Cannon's advice the first time round? "When people are sceptical of dieting regimes. they will say that diets don't work," he explains. "But they always stop short of saying that dieting makes you fat, which is a concept with explosive implications." He points to scientific studies which illustrate how the dieting trap leads to weight gain. A 2007 UCLA review concluded: "We found that the majority of people regained all the weight, plus more... most of them would have been better off not going on the diet at all."

Further evidence came from an experiment in a closed-off ecosystem in Arizona in the early Nineties. Eight scientists had agreed to live inside the man-made biosphere for two years. Once inside, they discovered they were unable to grow enough food, but agreed to diet for the two years and continue with the experiment. They all dropped about 9kg, before their weights stabilised. Within six months of leaving the biosphere, they had piled the weight back on, and – crucially – almost of all of it was fat, not the lean tissue they had started out with. Not only does dieting make you fat, it makes you flabby, too.

"Throughout history humans have evolved and adapted to survive famine and starvations," explains Cannon. "The people who survived were the people who were best able to, those who had their larders inside themselves, in the form of body fat. A dieting regime will fail, because you're training your body to survive famine and starvation better."

Cannon takes pains to dilute the science in Dieting Makes You Fat and includes just one table in the whole book, which looks at the difference between the energy our bodies burn at different weights and with different body compositions – whether lean (physically fit, but not necessarily light) or fat (not necessarily heavy, but with a high proportion of body fat to lean tissue). A lean woman who weighs 70kg (154lb) burns 600 calories more at rest per day than a 70kg woman who has lots of body fat.

What, then, is the answer to losing weight, if diets are out? Cannon says there are a lot of people out there who need to lose a lot of weight, without subscribing to the misconception that a thin person is a healthy person, and that fat people are unhealthy. Dieting Makes You Fat proposes seven golden rules for losing weight, the most salient being to take lots of exercise and eat plenty of fresh, whole foods. He writes from experience, having jumped on the dieting wagon at a young age himself.

When he realised that the diets he tried were ineffective, he set about proving why.
You do need to wait six or seven months to see positive results, admits Cannon, but follow his rules and you will dig your body out of the dieting trap.
'Dieting Makes You Fat' by Geoffrey Cannon is published by Virgin Books, £16.99 in hardback

Related Links:

Isometrics IS the Fastest Way to a Firm Physique!

Isometrics for Mass! How to get bigger by not moving a muscle by Christian Thibaudeau

Hold It Right There!

Can you get stronger by not moving a muscle? According to the scientific literature, yes, you sure can! Isometric or "static" training has been shown to stimulate strength gains in numerous studies. In the real world, I've been using it with success for years in my own training and with my athletes.

But can isometric training increase muscle mass as well as strength? There's very little info out there on this topic. In fact, the literature seems to be telling us that isometrics can lead to strength gains without influencing muscle mass. So, understandably, this form of training never made it into the bodybuilding world. That's too bad because it can be an effective tool for muscle gains!

Isometric Action Training: A New Dimension

An isometric muscle action refers to exerting muscle strength/muscle tension without producing an actual movement or a change in muscle length. Read more.

Dieting Truths - Traditional Diets Don't Work

Most people who decide to lead a healthier lifestyle go on traditional diets. The truth is, however, that 95% of those who go on such diets fail; what's worse, they often end up in worse shape than when they started.

Diets are both ineffective and potentially harmful; long-term health-oriented programs should replace them.

Low calorie diets, result in muscle loss, in preference to fat so that the most useful tissue is preserved for times of starvation. Fat produces 9 cal's of energy per gram compared with only 4 cal per gram produced by your muscle tissue.

However, muscle determines the overall metabolic rate of the body, so if muscle is lost, the metabolic rate will be reduced. This means that when the dieter returns to a normal pattern of eating again, the lower metabolic rate will result in rapid weight gain.

The other problem with having a low level of lean muscle tissue is the feeling of fatigue, when doing simple exercise tasks. The muscles and the liver both store energy supplies, in the form of glycogen.

This situation has developed simply because many people are looking for an easy way to lose weight that delivers quick results. No such approach exists, yet the slimming industry continues to misguide people into believing that fast weight loss can be achieved with minimum effort.

Achieving target weight requires lifestyle changes. These changes include regular exercise, a sensible approach to healthy eating and the right mental attitude.

Why Dieting can make you FATTER The conventional approach to dieting is a disaster. The first mistake is to call a program a "weight loss program". There are many weight reduction programs, which if followed can produce rapid weight loss.

However, this weight loss is neither sustainable nor healthy as it involves dehydration and loss of muscle tissue. Read more.

Like A Snail Traveling Up A Slippery Slope

That's what my internet connection is like this morning. Slowww...And I have high speed satellite for criminy! Luckily I compiled a little something ahead of time to slap up today. Below are some links you might want to check out.

One the personal front: Last night's pizza and wine were de-lish-oh-yes-ous! No change in the scale this morning. And I'm so pre-menstrual I have cramps. That should go nicely with the cool pool...I shouldn't complain, at least I have a cool pool.

I'm reading the July 2008 issue of Iron Man Magazine - seeing as my internet reading has been nixed. There's some great stuff in this issue. (There always is, of course). In 'Smart Training' by Charles Poliquin there's information about controlling cortisol including this:

Step 7. Change your perception of your world. How you perceive reality has a lot to do with your cortisol output. If you perceive your world as unsafe, you'll make far more cortisol. ... There are many stress reducing modalities, such as yoga and meditation, that can help drop your cortisol and further your efforts in the gym. One study had Olympic lifters engage in so-called autogenic training, a form of relaxation through mental suggestion, after working out, and their cortisol dropped far more rapidly than those in the control group. That drop correlated with long term improvements in the snatch, clean and jerk, and squat.

I'm going to start meditating after my weight workouts.

Here's those links:

Time For Some Hot & Cool Links

Performance Nutrition Show

Dr. Jose Antonio and Carla Sanchez host the Performance Nutrition Show - a webcast/podcast for fitness enthusiasts interested in nutrition and training.

Dr. Jose also has an excellent article in Iron Man on "How Dieting Can Make You Fat" with research that backs up the importance of plenty of protein especially on a fat loss diet.

Volumize Your Diet-Eat Large, Stay Lean! Chris Shugart

Portion Control Sucks
It used to be low fat. Then it was low carb. Today it's portion control. And guess what? You're still fat. Or at least 66% of Americans are.

It's still junk food, fattie.

Sorry, mainstream media, food manufacturers, diet clinics, and TV weight loss gurus, but portion control — eating smaller amounts of the same ol' foods that made you fat to begin with — doesn't work. As I always say, portion control is about as effective as the "I'll only put it in a little" method of virginity preservation.

Oh don't get me wrong, the idea of portion control sounds great. Eat what you want, just in small quantities. Problem is, like a lot of ideas that sound good on paper — socialism, welfare, a sitcom featuring those Geiko cavemen — it just doesn't work.
It might work if people could actually do it, but most people can't. In fact, daytime portion control is often the catalyst for nighttime binge eating — one of the biggest causes of fat gain.

So why are we, the fitness industry, promoting it?

Telling someone to stop eating before they're satisfied is like telling someone to stop having sex right before they climax. That's not just a crude joke either. Appetite and the pleasure we get from eating are classified as "sensual desires" and fit into the same category as the sex drive.

Appetite and sex drive: different and not so different.
These are core, continuation-of-life drives: innate and powerful and often hard to control. Combine the natural urge to eat until full with abundant, cheap, and calorie-dense foods and it's no surprise people overeat and get fat.

A Better Plan

So if low-fat diets suck, and low-carb diets are often short-sighted, and portion control has a 95% failure rate, then what's the best nutrition plan for shedding excess body fat so you can have sex with the lights on again?

Well, here's a big part of the answer: volumetrics.

Now, I actually don't endorse most "volumetrics" diets because they often ignore the benefits of good fats like omega-3s. And some fat sources, like olive oil and almonds, are healthy and calorie-dense. Chances are if you see a "Volumetrics" book on the shelf, it's mainly just a low-fat diet that encourages you to eat a lot of soup. I'll pass.

However, we can take a page from the volumetrics approach and apply it to our bodybuilding and fat loss goals. We can learn to manipulate recipes and choose foods that get us full without making us fat. In short, we can get ripped and stay ripped with practically no dietary suffering or excessive hunger.

As a side benefit, volumizing your diet will make you healthier and increase longevity since the most filling foods are often the most health-promoting.
Let's take a look at a real life example. Read more.


20 pounds in 20 weeks-Muscle Building Meals by Dr. John M Berardi


If you've read my articles, then you know that the goal of each and every integrated training, nutrition, and supplement program I design is to find the intersection of the habits that lead to optimal body composition, optimal health, and optimal physical performance. I call this the "Sweet Spot."

Dr. John recommends finding the Sweet Spot.

Once I've found it, my next step is to make it practical for everyday use by giving you strategies for making it happen in the framework of 9 to 5 jobs, significant others, weekends at the cottage, tournaments on the road (for yourself or your kids), and any other scenario that presents a challenge to your health and nutritional habits.

To this end, for all of you guys and girls transfixed by big muscles, today I'm gonna get as practical as we can. No fancy science here. Just one real-world eating plan straight out of the nutritional journal of one of my most successful clients. This guy, in 20 weeks, packed on 20 pounds of lean body mass, with more to come.

The Plan

Ok, 20 pounds in 20 weeks is a big friggin' deal. I imagine you're trying to guess what sort of "prescription" ol' Dr. John put this client on. You may even be wondering where you can buy some. Shame on you, my cynical friend. This client simply followed the training and supplement ideas laid out in my muscle-building guide Scrawny to Brawny and the recipes provided in Gourmet Nutrition. Read more.


Can Diets Make You Fat?

I've never been a big fan of diets (see: Reasons to Quit Dieting Forever) and now I've got some support in some new information by Dr. Len Kravitz.

Kravitz evaluated nine data-based research studies to find out what happens to our bodies when we diet. Here's what he found:

* In women who dieted, BMR was lowered up to 20%, even more in very low-calorie diets
* There was an average weight gain of 0-5 kg (0-11 lbs)
* The women in these studies experienced a rebound effect after going off the diets, gaining much of the weight back

Read more.

And if you're after the elusive six pack check this out:

5 Facts You MUST Understand if You Are Ever Going to Lose Your Belly Fat & Get Flat 6-Pack Abs by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)

More Reasons To Exercise

The Benefits of Body Building

Body building is one of the most effective ways to streamline your bodies structure and also create lean muscle mass. However aside from being a way of bulking up, it is also a great way to lose weight and also trigger your body’s metabolism so that it continues to burn fat long after you have stopped exercising.

Body building is not just for men even though the traditional image that we have of the sport is of the traditional he man lifting barbells. Today’s body building equipment is designed for both sexes to use. Women can use Pilates to flex and build muscles in a way that is lithe, yet strong looking. Men can use heavier equipment to flex their muscles aerobically and no longer be that guy that allows bullies to kick sand in their face.

Aside from building muscular strength body building also creates stamina and increases endurance. It can also help your body metabolize its nutrient more effectively and assist with motor control and balance. Body building can also be an anti-aging activity. As a result many people also develop a renewed sense of confidence and self-esteem and have the confidence that they can handle anything that comes their way.

How can body building be such an effective anti-aging activity? For one thing it helps you build stronger bones, which can be your best defense against the bone degrading disease of osteoporosis. You will feel strong and fit because you have become more active and mobile. Many older muscle builders find their lower back pain also disappears as they build core strength. This means that the abdominal muscles strengthen so that the spine has to do less work to help support your body’s weight. Read more.

Aerobic Versus Anaerobic

How exercise is performed will determine it to be aerobic or anaerobic. Any type of movement your body makes requires the use of energy. You don’t have to do aerobics to lose weight or maintain a desired weight. It has been determined that anaerobic exercise will burn more calories than aerobic exercise, on a ratio of 5 to1 basis, and even as much as a 7 to 1 ratio. The aerobic exercise will burn 25% muscle and 75% fat, while anaerobic exercise will burn 100% fat. Read more.

Aerobic exercise: What 30 minutes a day can do

Need inspiration to start a fitness program? Explore the many benefits of aerobic exercise, from increased energy and improved stamina to disease prevention.

Investing 30 minutes a day in aerobic exercise — such as walking, bicycling or swimming — can help you live longer and healthier. In fact, aerobic exercise may be the magic bullet you've been looking for.

Take a look at the health benefits associated with aerobic exercise. See how aerobic exercise affects your heart, lungs and blood flow — and get motivated to reap the rewards! Read more.

Top 4 Bodybuilding Benefits You Never Considered by "The Muscle Nerd" Jeff Anderson

Both Aerobic And Resistance Exercise Improved Blood Sugar Control In People With Diabetes

ScienceDaily (Sep. 18, 2007) — In a new randomized controlled trial, both aerobic and resistance exercise improved glycemic/blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes. The greatest improvements came from combined aerobic and resistance training

The study included 251 adults, between ages 39 and 70, who were not exercising regularly and had type 2 diabetes. Participants were assigned to one of four groups: performing 45 minutes aerobic training three times per week, 45 minutes of resistance training three times per week, 45 minutes each of both three times per week, or no exercise. Read more.


Vigorous
Exercise Can Help Seniors Avoid Disability

ScienceDaily (Jun. 7, 2008) — Healthy seniors who are physically active and exercise for more than 60 minutes each week can lessen their chances of disability as they age, finds a new long-term study.

“This study contributes to the large body of scientific evidence supporting the importance of continuing to be physical active over one’s life,” said lead author Bonnie Bruce, of the division of immunology and rheumatology at Stanford University Department of Medicine. Read more.

Best Bet For Boosting Brawn In Women Is Traditional Strength Training

ScienceDaily (May 23, 2008) — Women who want to build muscle strength and endurance should choose traditional strength training methods instead of low velocity routines, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

The study, conducted by Sharon Rana, associate professor of exercise physiology, and colleagues at Ohio University, examined whether low velocity resistance training is a more effective workout than conventional routines, as some experts maintain. The team studied 34 healthy, college-aged females who performed three different training methods over a six-week period.

The methods included a traditional strength training routine, a traditional muscle endurance training routine and a low velocity regimen. The traditional strength group lifted a heavier weight load with fewer repetitions, while the traditional endurance group lifted a lighter weight load with more repetitions. The low velocity group also lifted a lighter weight load, but did their workouts much slower than the other groups and did fewer repetitions.

“What made the research a little different is that we put the various methods of resistance training all in one study and added a control group, which hadn’t been done before. The endurance group also hadn’t really been studied in conjunction with low velocity type training,” Rana said. Read more.

My Improvements In Body Composition

It seems I've managed to build some muscle mass.

And lose a modicum of body fat. Woo! Hoo!

My stats in January 2008 were as such:

Scale weight: 115 pounds

Body Fat: 23 percent (24 pounds of body fat and 91 pounds of lean mass)

This morning's stats:

Scale weight: 120 pounds (this has held steady for about a week now)

Body Fat: 20.9 percent (23 pounds of body fat and 97 pounds of lean mass)

That's a gain of 6 pounds of lean mass! Some may be glycogen and fluids but I'm betting a good percentage is solid muscle tissue. I also lost roughly 1 pound of body fat. Not a lot but I'll take it. (Measurements by an Omron bio-impedance meter I've used for about a decade so it's fairly accurate).

My bust, waist, hip, and thigh measurements have gone down about an inch or so each since January.

I had about 4 weeks in the middle of those 4 months when I did very little in the workout department due to a bout with the flu and a sinus infection. But the rest of the time I hit the weights and I hit them hard. And I've worked at eating as much protein as I could stand and getting at least 9 hours a night of quality sleep (this is when your body builds muscle).

For about six weeks my scale weight bounced around between 115 and 119, not a big fluxuation but not steady. For about two weeks now it's been 118 to 120. And now a solid week of 120 and I'm not pre-menstrual. It seems to be real mass.

I've noticed in the last several weeks that my muscles are harder (I'm not presently taking creatine as I cycle it). And they are visably bigger! Yesterday I was leaning on my left arm looking at my kittens when a momma cat came up beside me. I looked down and caught a glimpse of my flexed tricep and went, "Holy." I'm getting nice definition and triceps have long been a weak spot for me. But man, they're shaping up.

I did some research on how much muscle mass you can gain in that period of time. Of course, you get different answers from different sources. One guy swears he can't build more than 5 pounds of muscle mass in a YEAR so there's no way anyone can. (If this were true few of us would ever achieve enough muscle mass or definition to keep us motivated to keep going. We'd give up due to diminishing results).

Another swears with a well designed weight training program, a careful diet, proper rest, and stress management "know that beginner and intermediate trainers who train hard and train intelligently towards mass gain can and often do receive gains of 20 or 30 pounds over a 10-12 week period."

Common sense says we're all going to build mass at different rates depending on genetics, differences in the sexes due to hormone profiles, program design, workout intensity, diet, stress, and sleep habits. And frankly, the first guy probably doesn't train seriously, eat optimally, nor have a genetic propensity to build mass.

Luckily, I seem to have dialed into a weight training program and diet (cycling carbs and calories via The Cheat To Lose Diet) that are working for me (the body fat isn't exactly falling off, but at 20 percent body fat and a 6 pound gain in lean mass I won't whine too much). And though I'm short at 5 feet and 0.5 inches, I got my Dad's genetics. He was solid and stocky at 5' 10" and had a lot of muscle. (He never weight trained. He came by it through farm work in his youth and later being a furniture moving trucker).

Now pardon me, I have a chest and back workout to blast out before tonight - it's pizza night. Yeah!

Happy Training!

Links

Ten Quick Tips For Building Muscle

Building Muscle Mass

Excerpt:

"There is a lot of bad information out there on the subject building muscle and how to stay fit. We're being told over and over again about how difficult it is for women to gain some muscle mass due to our hormonal setup. Male trainers convince the majority of female trainers to go for the high reps method, thus burning fat and get "toned". Does that lead you to any results? Well, maybe, if you're totally new to training! Otherwise this will get you nowhere, but it will absolutely bore you out until you drop…

I tell you, and I know I'm right, that anyone can reach their fitness goals. That's it. The only things you need is Discipline, motivation, patience and perseverance and remember, practice makes perfect even regarding having these characteristics. Here I will go through some major things you need to know so you're reach your goals."

Intensity - The Most Important Factor In Bodybuilding

Super Slow - The Ultimate Exercise Protocol? - A Review

If your dumbbells weigh less than a 10 pound bag of groceries you're not weight training...you're doing weighted aerobics.



















Women really should lift heavy like a man...



















Super Slow The Ultimate Exercise Protocol Review

You’ve probably seen them, the weight lifting crowd who pick up a set of relatively light weights and toss them back and forth like hot potatoes they can’t wait to put down. Many people – particularly women who believe the myth that lifting heavy weights will make them bulky – make the classic weight training mistake of lifting weights that are too light. The other classic mistake is they perform repetitions too rapidly. Both of these mistakes mean they are engaging less muscle fiber. This means little or no muscle growth.

What’s the answer? Isn’t it obvious, lift heavier (while performing a set of 8 to 12 repetitions you should barely be able to complete the last few reps) and lift slower to engage as much muscle fiber as possible. Try the Super Slow technique for better results in your muscle building program.

“Super Slow: The Ultimate Exercise Protocol” by Ken Hutchins is not a new fad or a big secret in serious bodybuilding circles. The book was published in 1984 and this technique, simply put, involves performing each repetition very slowly, taking from 8 seconds up to 15 seconds to perform both the concentric movement (contraction), then eccentric movement (extension) of a single rep. (Concentric contraction occurs when a muscle shortens in length and develops tension e.g. the upward movement of a dumbbell in a biceps curl. Eccentric contraction involves the development of tension whilst the muscle is being lengthened e.g. the downward movement of a dumbbell in a biceps curl).

I cherish my copy of Super Slow and at $45.00 for a used copy at Amazon I plan to hang onto it. If you’re not up to the high price of the (rather technical and tedious) book, there are DVDs for $20.00 plus shipping at the Super Slow website and workshops available at some gyms for the hardcore trainer.

And this technique can be applied on your own by simply SLOWING DOWN. Don’t sling those weights around, don’t set the weight on machines so light you can push or pull at a fast pace (a sign you’re lifting too light), and don’t use resistance bands that offer little resistance. Effective weight or resistance training should be hard to perform, done with strict form, and done slow enough to stimulate muscles.

Research shows that this simple and effective weight training technique can have dramatic effects on muscle gains. Simply lifting a weight slowly and steadily and taking 8 to 15 seconds to perform both concentric and eccentric movements will drastically improve muscle recruitment during exercise and lead to better gains in muscle (assuming your diet, stress control, and sleep habits support maximum muscle growth. Weight lifting will accomplish nothing if the rest of your lifestyle does not support anabolism).

Super Slow effectively exhausts muscles by taking them to momentary failure in fewer repetitions, as low as 5 repetitions per set. The results of studies show up to 50% more muscle and strength gains in 8-10 weeks for both men and women.


I’ve owned my copy of ‘Super Slow’ since the late 1990’s and have applied the principles from time to time but not as often as I should have, although the principle is always in the back of my mind swirling in my sub-conscious. This has caused me to slow down my repetitions and pay attention to effective muscle contraction even when I wasn’t going ‘super slow’. Since I recently resurrected my super slow training I’m experiencing harder muscles, I’m lifting heavier, and my lean mass has gone up (measured by bio-impedance meter).

Is this technique harder to apply than your typical toss ‘em around and rack ‘em workouts? You bet. But if you’re going to take the time and energy and expense to bother to go to the gym and train, why not make your training as effective as possible.

Performing Super Slow on a regular basis or as a stand alone program may not be an optimal approach to weight training. Like all exercise regimens it should not be regarded as the only approach to muscle building or fitness. The true ultimate approach to fitness is keeping variety in your workouts and preventing adaptation and plateau. But Super Slow is certainly a valuable method that should belong in your fitness repertoire.

More information:

Super Slow Training: Destroying the Dogma by David Barr

If someone promised you that you could make the most dramatic gains in muscle size and strength by using a particular training method, you’d do it, right? No, you’re too smart to fall for such common false claims… But what if this technique were rooted in scientific theory, and was actually supported by scientific studies? Would you do it then? Bet your ass you would! Well I can tell you now that Super Slow Training has both a scientific foundation and scientific literature supporting its effectiveness!

How Much Muscle Can You Really Expect To Gain?

Super Slow Zone

Super Slow Resistance Training by Jeff Nelson, M.Ed. and Len Kravitz, Ph.D.

Super Slow Wiki

Tempo and Tension Maximization by Tom Venuto

Why You Don’t Need To Go To The Gym To Get Fit – Part One

Bodybuilding Pro Lee Priest Uses a Home Gym


















I can hear the gasps from the peanut gallery. “I don’t need to go to the gym to get fit! That’s ridiculous!” “Of course you need a real commercial gym to get really fit!” “Home gym equipment is inferior.”

This is sheer nonsense as professionals like Cathy and Lee Priest workout in a home gym. Lee points out working out at home improves his concentration which is key to achieving results.

Comments from Cathy and Lee Priest on their GYM AT HOME:

"The home gym is great. Powertec, Pro Spot Gym Equipment. It is the best! The Pro Spot machine is great and every gym should have one. At home it's quiet and you can focus much better than at a gym. No egos walking around screaming and yelling. I like it because you can do everything you want, any exercise, and nobody is around to stare at you! We are very pleased with the PowerTec equipment because sometimes in the gym the machines are too big (Lee is 5'4") and I can't use it. I like to train with someone so I call some friends to come over and train with me. Our gym is a good size. We have 20 machines so it is enough for us. When I am by myself I train on the Pro Spot machine so I am sure I will be safe. Our gym was good for me... at my last show I was in my best shape ever and some of my muscle was better too. I really have good concentration at home.”

Lee Priest Video




And of course the assumption circling the universe that commercial gym workouts are superior to home gym workouts is partly because gyms want your money. A commercial gym is only better if you’re one of those unmotivated types who needs peer pressure of other gym goers or a Pit Bull of a personal trainer to make you perform at the necessary intensity. If you’re any kind of a trouper or self starter a commercial gym and a personal trainer are probably just a waste of time and money.

Of course if you enjoy the commercial gym experience, driving to the gym, waiting for your turn on equipment, enduring other people's sweat on the equipment, wasting time between sets and exercises, taking three times longer to finish a workout, dealing with distractions like chit chat, showering and dressing in a public locker room, possibly having your stuff stolen, driving back home, and wasting money then a commercial gym is right for you!

Unless you’re bloody rich or one of the rare individuals that haven’t been affected in some way by the recent economic downturns, higher gas, grocery, and services prices (our satellite and water bills have raised their flat rate prices), and God forbid the mortgage fiasco, be my guest and throw your excess cash at you personal trainer and gym.

Home Gyms Versus Commercial Gyms

On the other hand why not bear with me and maybe just maybe save some time and money and get fit at home. What are some of the benefits of working out at home beside saving time and money? Convenience is a big one as you can workout when it suits you or fits your schedule. Another reason is privacy – you can do it in the nude! You can try new things and not worry somebody’s watching. There's no waiting to use equipment and you can blast out intense training in less time. You can take your after workout shower at home – alone – in the comfort of your own bathroom – WITHOUT PRYING EYES. Of course, if you look like a fitness model with a big ego and appetite for gawkers that might be a drawback.

Depending on your fitness level you can start a home gym for under $500, under $100, or even under $50, and I’ll show you how. (Of course you can spend upwards of $50,000 if you’re planning to go pro. Why waste the money if you're not Lee Priest?) I’ll also point out what not to buy because, no, you can’t get six pack abs by twisting on a RED barstool alone. Some home equipment is ineffective while others are prohibitively expensive. You can build an effective and versatile home gym that will get you fit, and you can build it over time.

Add together the cost of a year of a gym membership (the average monthly cost of gym membership is $50, according to a study done by industry trade group International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub), personal training (the normal rates for personal training can be anywhere from about $35 to $60 per session) sessions, and gas or transportation costs, and any of those amounts listed above are a deal. But you may have to change the way you think about working out, what it takes to get fit, and how you get and stay motivated.

Terrell Owens Home Gym - Terrell Working Out With Bands



Next up in part two, I’ll give you three examples of a home gym and equipment that is affordable and versatile and fits the lifestyle of an average Joe or Jane. Then we’ll look at setting up a workout program based on your fitness level that includes resistance training and aerobics that lead to muscle building and fat loss. Later we’ll look at nutrition and diet, as well as avoiding plateaus, using techniques like muscle confusion, and muscle mass training and diet versus training and diet for fat loss.

Cool Links of the Week

Check Out These Cool and Informative Links

'Weight Training' Reduces Fat And Improve Metabolism In Mice

ScienceDaily (Feb. 7, 2008) — Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have demonstrated that in mice, the use of barbells may be as important to losing weight and improving health as the use of running shoes. The discovery builds upon the fact that skeletal muscle consists of two types of fibers. Endurance training such as running increases the amount of type I muscle fibers, while resistance training such as weightlifting increases type II muscle fibers. Using a mouse genetic model, BUSM researchers demonstrated that an increase in type II muscle mass can reduce body fat which in turn reduces overall body mass and improves metabolic parameters such as insulin resistance. These studies indicate that weight bearing exercise, in addition to endurance training, may benefit overweight people.

Fruit and Veggie Guru – Leading You Through The World of Produce

Studies have shown that fruits and vegetables rich in lycopene could reduce the chance of developing several types of cancer.

Irregular Exercise Pattern May Add Pounds

ScienceDaily (Feb. 9, 2008) — The consequences of quitting exercise may be greater than previously thought, according to a new study from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that determined that the weight gained during an exercise hiatus can be tough to shed when exercise is resumed at a later date.


Live Lean Today – Affordable Personal Training and Nutrition Programs from $9.95 a month.

Your own personal online personal trainer and dietician works with you to overcome obstacles, progress your workouts, and customize your diet plan to your lifestyle and goals. With the Live Lean plan talk in real time to your online trainer through our custom chat feature.

• Ask all your questions from our experienced staff
• Increase motivation and consistency
• Customize your program to your goals and needs
• Real personalized support to overcome obstacles


Weight Lifting Diet And Weight Lifting Nutrition Program That Builds Muscle

How To Build A Nutrition System That Works!

Thanksgiving Vacation, Mooning Over My Hammy, & Links To Get Fit and Healthy

Autumn In Mills Park, Carson City, Nevada















Thanksgiving looms and I’m about to get really busy. I finish up my shopping tomorrow and start cooking on Monsday to get a head start on the whole process. We’ll have turkey and ham as well as all our favorite fixings.




















Check out this delicious imported gourmet ham we bought last year and again this year, and at 99 percent fat free – a 2 ounce serving has 50 calories, 0.5 grams fat, > 1 gram carbs, and 10 grams protein - you get a good dose of delicious protein for less calories. And this ain’t your momma’s store bought ham, it’s oh so delic-i-o-so.

iGourmet.com Le Cochon d'Or Smoked Ham

This premium Canadian ham is prepared in the classic French tradition in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, a small town that lies between Quebec City and Montreal. The hogs in Cap-de-la-Madeleine are naturally raised with no growth hormones or steroids, which is a rare occurrence these days.

Their premium-quality hams are hard-carved from the leanest, most tender part of the animal and are 99% fat free. They are delicately coated with unique blends of herbed and spiced marinades and slow cured to develop a full rich flavor and uniform pink color. We offer three popular flavors - Baked Black Forest, Honey, and Cracked Black Pepper. Each ham weighs approximately seven pounds, making one perfect for a Sunday dinner for the whole family, a party on the weekend, or a team picnic. Varieties sold separately.

Price: $34.99
Size: 7 pounds

Assuming I don’t find time to blog in the coming week I’m leaving you with this super sized list of links chock full of information on fitness, nutrition, and a reminder to check out the website Wellness For Nancy and donate if you can.

Giving Thanks for All Our Blessings and Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving! Carol



7 Fat Loss Strategies For Busy Moms
Michael Jordan
November 16, 2007
Would you like to "jump start" your metabolism and lose your ‘mommy belly' once and for all? If so, the following seven tips are exactly what you need to improve your workouts and ignite your metabolism. Try some or all of these tips, but beware, the result may be a number of admiring second glances and the need to pull your ‘skinny jeans' out of the closet.

Bodybuilding Fat Loss Tips for Women
From Hugo Rivera

Lose Fat With IFBB Figure Pro Pauline Nordin
Everyone knows what to do to lose fat, right? Then how come so few reach their goals and achieve that lean look if it's so damn easy to get ripped?

I could tell you the very same things as everybody else does, but I definitely won't. It's not only about the perfect diet plan and the right amount of exercise, the best supplements and so on; the most important part of a fat-loss strategy is your mental approach to it.

That's what I'm going to tell you about. Basically, what you've got to do is stick to your plan. Period.

The Most Unusual Way To Build Muscle
By Mark McManus

Can you build muscle without touching a weight?

Imagine the possibility of using your mind to reshape your body size and strength!
Strange? Indeed.

I recently remembered reading about a study a few years ago in Men’s Health in which the subjects increased the size and strength of selected muscle groups by simply ‘thinking‘ about working them out.

They simply visualized the process and their bodies responded in the same manner as if they’d actually hit the iron!

It’s well known by a lot of people in psychology and exercise physiology that the brain cannot distinguish the difference between a ‘real’ event i.e. one that is observed objectively, and a vividly imagined one i.e. one that is created subjectively. The implications of this could be quite exciting for bodybuilders.


Tony Horton’s 11 Laws For Lifetime Fitness

4 Tips To Fat Loss by Gregg Gillies

“Can You Burn Fat And Build Muscle At The Same Time?”

How To Lose Weight By Eating More


Holiday Weight Management Survival Guide
From Paige Waehner


Holiday Pounds Forever - Consistent Eating for Long-Term Weight Control


7 Day Fat Loss Meal Plan


Fat Loss For Beginners-8 Tips For Getting Started

The No Weight Gain Holiday Guide

Harvard School of Public Health On Fruits & Vegetables

Increase Your Metabolism and Curb Your Appetite With This Fat Burning Food Group


99 Tips For Family Fitness Fun

Best Links of the Week

This Week’s Best Links

You knew I was going to do it. Cop out on really thinking, researching and writing a blog article because I have a new toy – my ProForm Treadmill. Now that Bruno’s back in school all day I have time to experiment with different treadmill workouts. Today’s goal is to log as many 15 minute sessions as I can throughout the day. And I have a date with Tony Horton. Well, a DVD Power 90X workout date anyway.

So here’s some great reads to check out. Click on the links to read more.


Never Hit A Bodybuilding Plateau Again

by Shawn C. Lebrun
Personal Trainer/Bodybuilder

Hitting a training plateau is much like meeting your significant others' parents for the first time. You know that sooner or later it is going to come, but you will do anything to avoid it. Seriously though, your workouts should be very demanding. They should be intense and very focused. With this intensity comes the need to rest to allow your muscles to fully recuperate from the demand that you have placed on them.

Muscle growth is achieved by progressively overloading the muscles and then allowing them to recover before working them again. This forces them to adapt by adding new muscle to handle future demands placed upon them. However, if you never allow your muscles to fully recuperate, they will not be able to handle any new demands placed upon them. They will start getting weaker from less rest. That is how plateaus happen.

We are going to take necessary steps to combat this problem. We are going to systematically wipe out long-lasting plateaus, forever. We do this by training smarter, not just harder. Proper rest and recovery from working out is so important, it literally is the deciding force behind results and no results. We need an in-depth look as to how to fully recuperate and ensure max recovery. Here are some steps you can use immediately to avoid over training and hitting a plateau.

Metabolism Mistakes

Experts discuss the TOP metabolism mistakes, how they affect your progress or overall health, and why people keep falling into these traps.

Are You Lifting Enough Weight?

If you lift weights, have you ever wondered whether you're doing it right? Specifically, are you lifting enough weight? According to a study done by the University of Michigan, many of us aren't. Researchers took beginners (both men and women) through a series of moves, allowing them to choose their own weight. After assessing their 1 rep max (the general standard for choosing weight), they determined that most chose a weight well below what was needed to stimulate muscle growth.

Are you guilty of going too light? If so, you may not be seeing the results you'd like. Learn more about why lifting heavier weights could change your entire body.

The Low Carb Craze and Other Dieting Mistakes By: Bill Belfert

Low carb this and low carb that’s that's all you hear nowadays. Kinda reminds me of something that was the craze a few years ago. The Low or No Fat Craze. Can you remember where that got us? Still Fat!

Well my friends this Low Carb Craze is going to bring us to the same exact place. Yep. Still Fat!

Listen, anyone who tries Low carb dieting will experience some short term successful but it's only short term. I know some of you are tired of hearing me repeat myself but any diet or exercise machine in and of itself will not work!

A Successful Fitness Program Must Incorporate 5 Strategies:
1. A Compelling Reason to Change
2. Proper Nutrition
3. Progressive Resistance Training
4. Moderate Aerobic Exercise
5. Consistency

If you're missing any one of these strategies you will not experience the success that you crave.

Why the low carb diets without progressive resistance training will not work in the long run.

We need to build lean muscle on our bodies. Why do we need to build lean muscle on our bodies? Building lean muscle will boost metabolism and that is what we want to achieve. You'll even start burning more calories even while you rest. Right now I'm going to let you in on one of the biggest secrets on burning fat ever revealed:
Lean Muscle Burns Fat!

The Muscle Confusion Training Principle

One of the most basic, and most important of the training principles, is the muscle confusion training principle. This principle is all about ensuring you have a variety in your workouts. This will be a variety of sets, reps, exercises, rest periods, etc.

It is also important to train the muscle from the most efficient position, in which it has the greatest mechanical advantage / stress. It remains critically important to supplement those exercises with others utilizing various angles for certain exercises. Muscles should never be allowed to accommodate to an exercise to the point where the exercise is ineffective and doesn’t result in hypertrophy or the goal you were looking for. This variety will improve your motivation, keep you mentally fresh, and keep your muscles growing

The Biggest Dieting Mistakes

If you can avoid the biggest dieting mistakes you will have a much better chance of succeeding in your quest to lose weight and experience a lot less frustration along the way.

Weight Loss Plateaus and Pitfalls

It's kind of like running into a wall - that feeling you get when, after a few months on a weight-loss program, you suddenly stop seeing results.

This is called hitting a plateau and it is not uncommon. In fact, unless you continually update your program to reflect the changes your body has already experienced, you can almost be guaranteed to plateau at some point along your journey toward reaching your goal weight.


The association between exercise participation and well-being

Exercise participation is associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and happiness. This association is non-causal and appears to be mediated by genetic factors that influence both exercise behavior and well-being.