In Defense of...

If you go into any gym nowadays, you'll be inundated with thousands of different ways to train, numerous peripherals to use to aid your training, hundreds of different diet plans, etc. One doesn't need to be a logician to realize that not all of these concepts can be equally valid. Something either works or it doesn't. It's as simple as that.

Let's briefly tackle nutrition: you have high-protein and low-fat, high-carbohydrate and low-protein, carb-cycling, high-protein/high-fat, etc. The list is almost endless. To make matters worse, there is a constant flood of new diet books on the market. Apparently our attention spans must be incredibly short because we gobble up these books like there's no tomorrow. Does it follow that the human body is so incredibly complex and our science is so wrong that every week the human body requires some sort of different eating plan?

Of course not. The human body, while not completely understood in its entirety, and I may add - may never be, is not so infinitely complex that we don't have a firm grasp on nutrition. It's just a question of who you listen to. I ask: do you you listen to the gym guru who is more than willing to sell you his/her meal plan for a month, a muscle magazine who is, in fact, owned by a supplement company, or do you listen to the latest research that comes out of laboratories conducted by scientists? I know what my answer is. What is yours?

One has to understand with all things physical comes a large genetic component. Every human being has certain genetic components that allow them to do things easier than other people. For instance, one individual may have the genetic predisposition to gain muscle at an easier rate than someone else. Additionally, it appears that there are a very, very small amount of people that may have a gene that allows for unusual muscle expression, i.e., abnormaly high amount of muscle and muscle growth.

Where am I going with this, you ask? Okay, let's take the guy in your gym who is very large. Of course you would ask him advice on how to build strength and size but what if this individual is blessed with phenomenal genetics? Would his advice necessarily work for you? If his arms were truly impressive and he said that he got arms that way by doing 20 sets of bicep curls three times a week, do you you really think that would work equally as well for you? Of course not. Everyone has varying levels of development they can obtain and everyone responds somewhat differently to a training stimulus. Point being: don't seek out the biggest guy in the gym and ask for advice; likely he would've been that size regardless of what kind of regimine he used.

That's not to say that if you have poor genetics you can't make progress. You most certainly can. Can you obtain the physique of a champion bodybuilder? Probably not, but you can damn sure improve upon what you have.

You have to look at things from your own perspective. Don't be dissuaded if you cannot achieve the physique of someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Dorian Yates. You're making the mistake of comparing yourself to someone else. All you can do is to compare yourself to YOURSELF.

Have you improved upon your size, strength, or leanness in the last year? Don't concern yourself with what other people are doing or what they have achived. They're not you.

While I'm on this subject something needs to be discussed that rarely surfaces - drug use. Unfortunately, many of they physiques that you see in today's muscle/fitness/health magazines are built with the use of drugs. Comparing yourself to someone in those magazines, frankly, is not a rational nor healthy objective to have. Think it's just the super-shredded bodybuilders that take drugs? Think again. Many females in figure and fitness do (as evidenced by their extreme leaness coupled with unusual amounts of muscle) and many pro athletes do as well. Once again, don't compare yourself to someone who is taking growth drugs. These chemicals allow for a large amount of mistakes to be made that would otherwise derail a normal individual.

The latest science clearly shows that a diet comprised of mainly vegetables, fruits, and nuts is the most beneficial way to eat. Should you cut out all meat? No one knows the answer to that question but science clearly does show that people who consume meat on a regular basis clearly have higher levels of heart disease. The evidence suggess little to no meat in a diet is perhaps the healthiest plan to follow.

What does "a little amount" consist of? Well, I can tell you that it would mean that meat is never your main course. It would essentially be something that is a topping or a something that would add flavor to a dish. Think of meat as a flavoring agent; something to be used sparingly to flavor your main dish.

What about protein, you ask? Simple. Eat grains and beans. Drink skim or soy milk. Eat bread that is fortified with protein (e.g., Ezekiel Bread). The list is endless but obtaining adequate protein is certainly not a problem. If you're ingesting adequate amounts of calories then it's probably safe to say that you're also eating enough protein.

Second question: how do I get 250 grams of protein a day from a diet like this? My answer would be: what evidence is there that the human body needs more than 100 grams of protein a day? None! One may choose to bury their head in the sand and believe what they will, but the belief that taking copious amounts of protein will build muscles has absolutely no basis in science.
What we're talking about is pre-historic illogic here. I'm sure everyone has heard of the ancient warrior who thought that to win battles and develop strength, he had to eat a bull or the meat of some ferocious animal. Well, science has developed quite a bit in the last 3,000 years. But don't tell the muscle magazines that. They discovered long ago in the 1950's that if they sold you a barbell set, then you weren't going to come back as a repeat customer. Your barbells will last a lifetime. The fledgling industry realized that if they sold customers food products then you would come back for more when you consumed all of their product. Hence, the protein industry was born.

If you doubt any of my claims, simply find any scientific nutrition/athletic journal and find studies related to muscle development and protein intake. Several studies have been done and they have all concluded virtually the same thing. An average male who weighs 180 lbs., needs about 60 to 80 grams of protein a day. Sixty grams for the average male and closer to eighty for the hard-training athlete. These amounts are easily obtained through a diet of natural, unprocessed foods. Supplements are not necessary.

What you say? You want to lose weight? Reduce your daily caloric intake. It's as simple as that. You doubt me? If so, then you doubt the immutable law of thermodynamics. It's very simple really - if you want to gain weight then you need to eat in excess of what your body requires to maintain its weight (what kind of weight you gain is directly influenced by your exercise program). If you want to lose weight then you need to have a caloric deficit, i.e., you need to eat fewer calories than what your body requires to maintain its weight. Once again, what kind of weight you lose is influenced by your exercise program or lack thereof. If you engage in anaerobic training, you're likely to maintain or stave off muscle loss. If you engage in aerobic training - or no training at all - then you're likely to lost a substantial amount of muscle alongside any fat that you lose.

Reduced Caloric Diet Increases Life Expectancy

The results of a decade-long study have just been published and they reaffirm what other studies have shown: caloric restriction in mammals increases lifespan and reduces disease. Here is a direct link to the story:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-07/uow-rdt070609.php

Study after study has shown that the one consistent thing that we can do to thwart diseases and prolong life is to reduce our intake of food. This has proven to be effective in nearly every study done on animals and most scientists now consider this an accepted phenomenon.

It doesn't mean that you should consume merely an apple a day (one's diet must still be healthy and nutritous) but it does mean that we should all rethink about how much food we eat on a daily basis.

As of yet, I don't believe there is any agreement on exactly why caloric restriction works so well. There are theories that by decreasing caloric intake to a low level the body, for lack of better words, turns its thermostat down and this slows down the aging process. Think of a wood fire. What happens when you let it burn at a slow, low rate versus what happens when you pour lighter fluid on it?

Another theory is that an excess amount of calories increases cellular division within the body and also increases not only healthy cell division but also cancerous as well.

Obesity: America's #1 Killer; Part II

According to a report in the L.A. Times, a new government report shows that spending on healthcare for obese American adults has increased 82% between 2001 and 2006. *

According to the report, in 2001, healthcare expenditures for obese Americans totaled $167 billion. In 2006, the number totaled $303 billion.

In addition, the report concluded that out of all healthcare costs in 2006, thiry-five percent were attributed to obese Americans. From 2001 to 2006, the number of obese Americans have increased from 48 million to 59 million people.

Most people today agree that healthcare has to change but until we break the irrational political correctness and egalitarianism of our culture and say, "Look, you're killing yourself by how you eat and your lack of activity," then things will never change - they will only get exponentially worse. Numbers have consistently shown an explosion in obesity in Western Culture and there have to be some fundamental changes that have to take place in order to stop it and I think it starts with parenting:

1. Grow up and start parenting. Stop ramming ultra-processed, high-calorie, high-
fat food down your childrens' throats. It's your obligation as the parent to oversee what
your children eat. Do you supervise what your kids watch on TV? Well, maybe it's time
put forth some effort into making sure that your child is eating healthy meals. Study after
study has shown that overweight children have a much high propensity to become over-
weight or obese adults. Your eating habits need to be addressed as well - children
inevitably eat what their parents eat, so if you're eating habits are poor (you know who
you are) then it is likely your children's will be as well.

2. Activity: make sure that your children stay active. This doesn't mean forcing them to
participate in activities that they don't enjoy but it does mean that they shouldn't sit like
zombies in front of a TV or computer all day long either. Going to school and sitting all day
for eight hours and then coming home and playing the XBox for another three hours is not
a prescription for health. Get your kids outside and take a walk with them. Go bike
riding. Play basketball. Get involved in martial arts. The list is endless. It really doesn't
matter what you do just as long as you do it.

3. Take Ownership: if your 5 year-old is overweight take ownership of the problem. He/she
didn't get that way by themselves; it required your money, your food choices, to allow
them to get that way. Hormonal issues (i.e., thyroid problems) affect a very small
percentage of the population. Just take ownership and accept that your child's problem is
your issue to deal with. Your Type-2 diabetes? Yes, that's your problem as well. You can
fix it yourself. Your heart disease? Yep. Caused by yourself.

Once you take responsibility and ownership of the problem, you'll realize that you're not
just a pawn without volition but that you can make choices. You can choose to go outside
and take a walk instead of watching TV. I see far too many people who want to blame their
physical problems on someone else or some other factor. And please don't use the excuse,
"I just don't have enough time in the day to exercise or to make my lunch." If that's the
case, get up 30 minutes earlier in the morning. It's really not that hard to do. Also cut
down on the amount of time that you watch TV and instead use that spare time to get
active. Can't break yourself away from the TV? Go to a gym that has exercise equipment
in front of TVs. Buy a used piece of exercise equipment and use it while in front of your
TV.

Western Society faces a whole host of problems and obesity is at the forefront. Where will we be in another ten years? Will the majority of Americans become overweight and obese? The numbers tend to suggest so. I fear that there will come a time when being overweight and obese will become the norm and will no longer be frowned upon.

*Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/07/cost-of-obesity.html

Obesity: America's #1 Killer; Part I

As we all know, obesity has become an epidemic in not just the United States but in virtually every industrialized country on the planet. I would be beating a dead horse by going over the scores of diseases caused and exacerbated by obesity, so I'll skip that for now. The main issue is what is being done to combat this deadly epidemic?

First off, one has to realize that the human body is a truly marvelous invention. It is designed so that in times of starvation, it can utilize its own tissues to preserve the organism. During plentiful times, eating more calories than what you expend will result in the accumulation of bodyfat. Even though today excess bodyfat is thought of as unattractive it actually served a vitally important purpose in ancient times. During periods of starvation, the human body would call up these fat resources in order to provide the needed calories in order to survive. So you can see that when food was abundant, it would have been wise for ancient man to eat -or should I say gorge - in order to accumulate sufficient fat stores so that he would be able to survive the harsh periods of starvation that were sure to come.

Well, the human body hasn't changed significantly in the past few thousand years and we still have that wonderful fat storage trait. The main thing that has changed is that food constantly surrounds us and our physical activity level has plummeted. Additionally, the foods that are easily accessible are extremely high calorie foods - foods that you do not find in nature. Add these two issues together: high calorie, abundant food and minimal physical activity and you have a recipe for obsesity.

Are humans built to crave sweet things? Absolutely. Are humans designed to seek out high-fat items. Yes. In times of starvation, these were the foods that had the most "bang for the buck" so to speak. Obviously foods that were high in fat had potential for having tremendous amounts of calories. Additionally, humans have a desire for sweets but research shows that it's not what you think: it's not that we like sweets because we have a evolutionary trait to eat Oreos and cookies but instead it's built into us so that we seek out the nutrition in berries and fruits. Fruits have large amount of nutrients in them but we need an incentive to eat them. They're naturally sweet so we are drawn to eat them in order to stay healthy.

So, we can see that there are specifics reasons for our eating behavior but there are also other factors. Psychology plays a role as well. Some people use food to cover up emotional issues. Some people (myself included) eat out of boredom. In order to combat a chronic overeating problem you first have to ask yourself if you're really hungry. If you can etch that process into your mind I think you'll find it helpful in combating overeating. You can even go so far as to post a sign on your refrigerator "Am I hungry?"

Answering the question of, "Am I hungry," is fairly straightforward: is your stomach growling? Do you feel your blood sugar getting low? Perhaps you'll find it helpful to rate your level un hunger from 1 to 10 and then ask yourself where you fall on that scale.

Personally, I find night time to be the most dangerous time for overeating. During the day I find myself productive and staying busy; food is not really on my mind. Once I get home at night and relax, that is when my mind starts to wander towards food. I've found that if I keep myself occupied with things that I enjoy then I'm far less prone to overeat. Watching TV tends to make the situation worse so I try to do more mentally stimulating things. The more captivated and interested I am by the activity, the less I'm prone to let my mind wander off to think about eating. I'm just too engaged to think about snacking.

Remember: no one got fat overnight. Whatever techniques you choose to employ to keep the weight off have to be sustainable techniques that you can use for the rest of your life.

What About Supplements?

I get this question a lot: "What kind of supplements do you take?" It's very rare that someone asks me if I take supplements, but instead the question usually masquerades as, "Hey, how many supplements do you take and which ones?"

The answer to the question is that I take virtually no supplements at all.

How did I get to this blasphemous stage of taking no supplements? Well, I've been exposed to the health/supplement industry for quite some time. I started working at one of several different nationally known nutrition/supplement stores at the age of seventeen and worked there for nearly five years. In that time span, I was exposed to nearly every type of supplement that you could dream of - herbs, minerals, vitamins, oils, bodybuidling supplements, etc. During the first couple of years of working there I assumed that all of the products that are on the shelf must have some type of efficacy to them otherwise they wouldn't be on the shelf, right? In the quest for self-improvement I tried nearly every type of supplement known to man that professed to help in the bodybuilding process. After spending nearly half of my paycheck at my place of employment, for nearly two year, I came to the realization that every type of supplement that I tried yielded no results. Did taking extra protein powder help? Nope. Did taking the newest ultra-filtered whey isolate help? No. Did taking the bulk-up powders help in my quest for size and muscle. Well, it helped in my quest for getting fatter but that's about it.

The only exception that I found was creatine monohydrate and the now banned fat burning supplements (ephedra, caffeine, asprin combos). Creatine monohydrate has been found to effectively increase muscle size and strength, albeit to a small degree, but as we all know every bit helps. Not only has it been proven to work but it's been proven to be safe as well.

The ephedra, caffeine, asprin combos worked well but lets face it, they were essentially "drugs" in every sense of the word. It was basically a legalized stimulant that was found to suppress appetite and perhaps speed up the metabolic rate.

Before you jump head first into the crazy world of supplements and throw away your hard-earned money, ask yourself: are there any legitimate studies showing that this particular supplement will yield the results that I think it will? I'm amazed at the amount of people that will spend hundreds of dollars a month on supplement that don't a single scientific study done on them. On a related note, be cautious of who conducted the study as well. Was the study conducted by researchers in the exercise physiology lab at Ohio University or was it paid for and conducted by the company that owns the supplement?

Oh, and please - disregard the anti-rational establishment that feels that you can't trust medicine or the scientific community. By nature, scientists are seekers of the truth and you should put more trust in their findings even if it opposes what your favorite author in Flex or Muscle and Fitness says. Keep in mind, virtually every muscle magazine owns and runs their own supplement company. Make no mistake: they are out to sell you their supplements and push their ads. If you doubt my claims then pick up an issue and then gloss over the amount of ads in each issue.

In the future, other effective supplements may come down the pike but you really should first be critical and try to figure out if any reputable scientific organizations have studied the product. If they haven't, how do you know it works? What if it ends up being dangerous? What if you're prone to the placebo effect? Be as critical and inquisitive as possible and you just may save yourself a lot of money and a lot of frustration.

While we're on the subject, I highly recommend that you read the article entitled The Most Anabolic Diet - Real Food written by Dr. Richard Winett, PhD. The article can be found in its entirety here: http://www.cbass.com/WinettAnabolicDiet.htm.

Beware of Snack Food

Is snacking in between meals a good idea or bad idea? Well that depends a lot on what kind of snack food you're talking about. Even though some snack foods are touted as healthy or portion-controlled they may end up sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

One of the hottest selling items nowadays are the 100-calorie snack packs. You know. They have a myriad of different variations: Oreo, Twinkie, Chips Ahoy, etc. If you look at these packages they do contain 100 calories but the portions tend to be horribly small. You have to ask yourself, "If I eat this, is it going to satisfy me at all or am I going to be left wanting more when this is done?" If you look at the label you'll soon discover that you're certainly not eating anything worthwhile, at least from a nutritional point of view. If you're going to snack on something, in order to tide you over in between meals, then shouldn't you try to eat something with at least some semblance of nutritional value?

Personally, I find that when I start to snack on foods that are high in processed sugars and fats I have a hard time stopping the eating process. I eat a little bit of a cookie or a snack bar and I'm not satiated - I continue to want more and more. I've found myself in this situation many times and it typically starts with something innocent like a 100-calorie snack or a low-cal treat and then cascades into thirty minutes of non-stop eating. How did this happen? It's hard to say for sure but I've noticed that when I start to eat sugary foods it becomes extremely hard to become satisfied and I'm driven to eat more sugary foods. I don't notice this type of behavior when I snack on fresh fruit or other unprocessed foods. It seems that junk food turns on the eating mechanism in my body (and maybe yours too).

How have I overcome this situation? I've learned to steer clear of junk food in general. I've come to realize that when I start to indulge in just a tiny bit of junk food -especially if it's sweet-then I will have a hard time stopping. Just like a recovering alcholic tries not to go into a bar, I try not to indulge in sweets or junk food because I know what the end result will be.

Additionally, one should try to snack on healthy foods and not just empty calories. Unfortunately I think many people are happy to snack on these super convenient foods because they feel that the food is low in calories and does them no harm. Well, if you're very disciplined it may do you no harm but what about doing you good? Do you really think eating small versions of partially-hydrogenated, high-fat, high-sugar foods is really good for you? Don't fool yourself.

Try to eat foods that have a nutitional "punch" to them. Fruits can be a great snack and they pack a ton of fiber and phytochemicals in them as well. What about a small salad to get you through until dinner? If you're really pressed for time have a small packet of sugar-free oatmeal mixed with water. You'll find that you're much more satiated if you have a healthful snack as opposed to a package of mini-junk food.

You don't have to limit yourself to fresh fruits either. Studies have shown that frozen fruits can have just as much nutritional value and the fresh variety. Not only do these foods contain important vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that the processed junk food doesn't contain, it also provides fiber as well. Fiber is a key component to satiety and something that is sorely lacking in processed food - especially junk food.

Lastly, ask yourself, "Am I really hungry? Is my stomach growling," before you think about having a snack. The calories from little meals can add up quite fast so don't fool yourself into thinking that a snack is irrelevant because it's not. That small snack can set you up for more eating later on in the day (high sugar content can drop your blood sugar levels below normal and cause an urge to want to eat more sugars throughout the day), make you feel lethargic, or cause arterial inflammation. Yep, that's right. Science has shown that merely eating a single meal comprised of saturated or trans fat can cause immediate arterial inflammation. The effects occur within several hours and last for several hours afterwards.

Focus on having three main meals a day with a couple of snacks interspersed. The snacks can be whatever you're in the mood for: a banana, a baked potato with spinach, an apple, or a handful of almonds. It's never too late to start and the sooner you develop healthy eating habits the quicker you'll see positive results.

Recommended Reading: Ripped

Back in 1980 the bodybuilding world was turned on its head by a gentleman by the name of Clarence Bass. The book was called Ripped: The Sensible Way to Achieve Ultimate Muscularity. What was the big deal you ask? Well just by looking at the cover you could tell that this guy knew how to get ultra lean. What the reader would come to find out is that not only did this person know how to get lean but he knew how to stay that way.

Clarence incorporated a way of eating and exercising that allowed him to obtain an unprecedented level of bodyfat - 2.4%! Not only did he achieve what some would consider an impossibly low level of bodyfat but he did it while remaining healthy and satisfied. He contends that starvation and deprivation should be nearly absent in any successful dieting plan.

The book was published in 1980 but that in no way means that the information is obsolete or out of date. The concepts that Clarence touches upon are just as valid today as they were thirty years ago.

Does the Ripped dieting philosophy work? Well, Clarence is a little over 70 years old today and still extraordinarily lean and muscular. He has remained this way for over thirty years and that's the key for any eating/lifestyle philosophy to work: it has to be a manageable and pleasant thing to do. Losing weight is no necessarily the hard part - keeping the weight off is. This is where I think the Ripped philosophy really shines through.

Clarence stresses that for any diet to work it has to be lower in calories and something that you can follow for a lifetime. It can't be some 1,000 calorie draconian diet that you can only follow for two months or a diet comprised only of hardboiled eggs and cabbage. Clarence stresses that your daily eating menu should be comprised of unprocessed fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, and minimal amounts of meat. His contention is that when you eat foods in their natural, unprocessed state, they will fill you up because they provide maximum bulk with minimal calories. He says that processed foods are full of salt, sugar, fats, and devoid of their natural nutrition. When we start processing foods and packaging them up we tend to strip the product of a lot of its natural nutrition. Additionally, you will become full on fewer calories when you follow this type of diet.

Clarence is also a proponent of a low-fat diet and he has several reasons for it. Primarily, fat has nine calories per gram whereas carbohydrates and protein have only four calories per gram. This makes fat twice as fattening as protein and carbohydrates. The logic is that in order to lose bodyfat one must keep their calories under control and there is no better way to do that than to keep the most calorically dense nutrient, fat, to a minimum. Clarence also recommends keeping dietary fat levels low in order to maintain a healthy blood profile. Using this program, one can eat a very large amount of food and not gain weight. You'll be satisfied and full and able to lose bodyfat.

He also touches on the low-carb diet as well. Clarence goes on to describe his brief stint with using a low-carb regimine while he prepares for a bodybuilding show and how it made him irritable and made him feel deprived. The nail in the coffin came when he describes a scene where, because of his low blood sugar levels, he gets into an argument with his wife and storms off while some fruit in hand. Once he ate some of the fruit he felt dramatically better and the fog of the low-carb diet had been lifted. He attributed his unusual behavior completely to the low-carb diet and vowed never again to attempt such a thing. He was convinced that the body needs carbohydrates.

Most diet books avoid the subject of exercise entirely or merely touch on it in such a brief way as to leave the reader with the idea that it's not important or helpful in the quest to be healthy and have a low bodyfat level. Clarence clearly states that in order for someone to become lean and maintain leaness one much include exercise in their program. The two go hand-in-hand, if you will. Of course you can lose bodyfat if you solely exercise or just go on a diet but you'll get much better results if you incorporate the two. The book has photos of several different exercises that Clarence is fond of and has his pre-competition workout listed so you can see exactly what he does. At this early stage in his career he does advocate aerobic exercise but not to the extent that he does now. Clarence clearly states that he achieved his rock-bottom 2.4% bodyfat level from his diet, weight training, and one single strenuous bike ride a week. Several years later, Clarence would come to amend his training slightly and place cardiovascular training on the same pedestal as weight training thereby giving them equal importance.

Go out and pick this book up. It's a relatively short read and it's very enjoyable as well. It comes in at around 88 pages and really is fantasic reading for anyone looking to read up about lowering their bodyfat and competitive bodybuilding. I certainly recommend this to anyone interested in health and fitness but it is geared somewhat more towards the competitive bodybuilder. Clarence has other books, which I hope to review soon, that aren't so directed towards the serious bodybuidling crowd and are more accessible to the general public. I hope to review these soon.

You can purchase this book at Clarence's site at http://www.cbass.com/. You can also purchase this at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Ripped-Sensible-Achieve-Ultimate-Muscularity/dp/0960971408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240856520&sr=1-1