Blog Entry
April 12, 2009April 11, 2009 at Bed and Barbell
Squat 14 inch Box
65 x 5 x 2
115 x 5 x 2
155 x 3
205 x 1
225 x 1 x 8 PR
Floor press hard triple
45 x 5
65 x 5
95 x 3
115 x 2
135 x 5 2 rep PR
150 x 1 x 7 PR
150 x 8 BIG PR
IRON RADIO
February 4, 2009Sread the word about Iron Radio (www.ironradio.org) Its free and we are bringing a LOT of information and awesome gueststo listners. They can come in weeks and days prior and enter questions on the topic and to the guests or for Phil Stevens, Rob Fortney and Charles Staley.
Here is the ever growing list of Guests we have some great ones and it will only get better
Jan. 30 Special topic: What we’e about
http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?p…ventid=5635002
Feb. 6 "Why You’re Not Lean" Guest =David Barr
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=5732652
Feb. 13 "Skewed Body Image, Bigorexia*/ Body Dysmorphia" Guest = D.J. Satterfield
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=5732715
Feb. 27 "Improving your relationship with Physical activity " Guest = Jon Doyle
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=5732463
Mar. 6th "Preparing for an Awesome Workout" Guest = Cassandra Foresythe
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=5770830
March 27th Topic TBA Guest = Anthony Almada
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=5943954
Apr 10 "Devolving / Simplifying Training and Nutrition" People makes things to hard and complicated Guest = Dave Tate
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=5732904
Others with Dates TBA
- Ronnie Coleman ( roughly mid March early April)
- Nate Green
- Dan John
Bed and Barbell
December 7, 2008I have been training with the guys at the Bed and Barbell on Saturdays.
You can see them at:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=3621403&ppuser=34797
These guys are not BodyBuilders. They are into extreme powerlifting and having fun.
I have been working mostly on the dead lift. You can see my current PR of 304 lbs.at:
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/CowboyGene/more.php?section=videos&type=you&i=3
83872#383872
or see the still photo here.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=3596313&ppuser=34797
Been working on Squats also but progress is slow due to the arthritis in my left shoulder. My best official effort to date is 155 lbs. and can be seen here:
<a href="http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/CowboyGene/more.php?section=videos&type=you&i=3
87902#387902
Been doing stretches and such to gain range of motion in the shoulder to get my hands back onto a straight squat (Olympic) bar and seem to be making progress.
Have just started to learn to bench (the right way) so not much to report on that yet.
My weight has gotten up slightly and I am fluctuating between 240 and 250. I feel like in need to narrow my mid section more for self satisfaction if nothing else.
The guys are encouraging me with my strength training and I do have a blast working out with such a small elite group. They suggest I might consider entering a upcoming contest in February. At 69 I just might place by default.
Glycemic Index, Part 3
June 18, 2008Glycemic Index and Weight Loss
Traditional thinking led us to believe that complex carbohydrates like rice and potatoes were absorbed slowly, and that simple and refined carbohydrates, like candies and jams resulted in a sharp rise in blood sugar. However recent research has indicated that this is not necessarily the case. There are more factors involved than just simple versus complex or refined versus natural.
The problem with many modern foods on the market is many tend to be highly processed; they often contain lots of added sugar and salt, as well as preservatives. The high sugar content causes a rapid absorption of sugar, the body responds by releasing the hormone insulin. A large release of insulin eventually causes the blood sugar to crash, once again low blood sugar levels will trigger the appetite and the dieter feels hungry once more.
The fact is we burn fat all day; the problem is we often cause any fat loss to be replaced at the next meal because many convenient foods contain lots of refined sugars which cause the pancreas to release more insulin. The high insulin levels drive excess fat and sugars into cells for storage. The result is we rarely gain the benefit of a net loss of body fat. If we could stop or reduce the body from storing fat after eating we would naturally see a reduction in stored body fat. The G.I. Diet does this well if it is followed correctly.
A calorie deficit can also do this but there’’s no guarantee because it is dependent on what the individual eats and how much he/she reduces calories. With a low calorie diet there’’s always the need to burn off extra energy through exercise because we need to tip the balance in favor of burning more than is replaced to produce a net loss of stored fat. The trouble is the body also breaks down muscle to maintain the amino acid pool (protein available in blood). This causes the metabolism to eventually slow down resulting in the weight loss plateau.
After a high-Glycemic load meal, blood glucose levels rise more rapidly and insulin demand is greater than after a low-Glycemic load meal. High blood glucose levels and excessive insulin secretion are thought to contribute to the loss of the insulin-secreting function of the pancreatic beta-cells that leads to irreversible. High dietary Glycemic loads have been associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.
In the first two hours after a meal, blood glucose and insulin levels rise higher after a high-Glycemic load meal than they do after a low-Glycemic load meal containing equal calories. However, in response to the excess insulin secretion, blood glucose levels drop lower over the next few hours after a high-Glycemic load meal than they do after a low-Glycemic load meal. This may explain why 15 out of 16 published studies found that the consumption of low-Glycemic index foods delayed the return of hunger, decreased subsequent food intake, and increased satiety (feeling full) when compared to high-Glycemic index foods The results of several small short-term trials (1-4 months) suggest that low-Glycemic load diets result in significantly more weight or fat loss than high-Glycemic load diets. Although long-term randomized controlled trials of low-Glycemic load diets in the treatment of obesity are lacking, the results of short-term studies on appetite regulation and weight loss suggest that low Glycemic-load diets may be useful in promoting long-term weight loss and decreasing the prevalence of obesity.
The key is to eat more "slow" carbohydrates, also known as complex carbohydrates, or, in simpler terms, "good" carbs. A slow carbohydrate raises blood sugar levels gradually, providing a steady stream of energy to our body’s cells, and especially our brains. Whole grain foods——such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, brown rice, lentil soup and beans——are great slow carbohydrates.
The fact is eating foods with a low GI value will tend to provide a feeling of fullness for longer and therefore assist those trying to eat less or lose weight. Diabetics can now choose their foods in a more controlled manner. It is important to note that the GI factor is not the key to all weight loss, but it is another excellent another tool. A diet rich in low GI foods is a good diet, provided that there is nutritional variety.
High Protein, Low Carb, Fat Free Cheesecake Filling
June 5, 2008High Protein, Low Carb, Fat Free Cheesecake Filling
Yield: 4 - 1 cups servings.
Ingredients:
Non-fat cottage cheese 3 cups
Vanilla whey protein power 2 - 70 cc scoops (70 cc = 14.17 tsp)
Stevia 4 packets
Instant pudding mix * 4 tbsp
Fat free milk ** ½ cup
* Jell-O brand sugar free, fat free, cheesecake flavor
** Optional for thinning
Mix ingredients together until smooth and pour into dishes. Chill to serve.
Per serving: calories - 148 grams, fat >1gram, carbohydrates 8 grams, protein 22 grams
Option: pour into a pre-made pie shell such as a graham cracker crust, but remember this will greatly increase calories.
Glycemic Index, Part 2
September 23, 2007The Glycemic Index Can Help with Fitness Training
Proper nutrition is essential for determining your success or failure. Without sufficient calories and nutritional supply, even the best and most carefully put together training program and exercises won’t work.
In general you should try to aim for 15 times your body weight in calories, divided up into 6-8 meals per day. You need a minimum 1 gram of quality protein per pound of your body weight.
Most of your carbohydrates should low Glycemic Index Carbohydrates except for the first meal following your weight lifting session. These carbohydrates should be high Glycemic so you can get a surge from the sugars in order to force the proper nutrients to where they are needed the most.
Polysaccarides are usually called complex carbohydrates or glucose polymers. This is where the real good stuff begins. Because the complex carbohydrates contain three or more sugar molecules, they take longer to break down. The longer it takes the body to break these carbs down, the more time it has to use them as opposed to storing them as fat. A good way to gauge the quickness of the break down is the Glycemic index.
There are some general principles that may help you decide how and when you might use low or high Glycemic index foods. In general, your body will burn more fat rather than carbohydrate in the following sequence during activity:
<dir><dir><dir>When you have eaten no food: most fat burned
When you have eaten no food: most fat burnedWhen you have eaten low-GI food: more fat burned than when you’ve eaten high-GI food, but less than when you haven’t eaten at all
When you have eaten high-GI food: least fat burned
</dir></dir></dir>Low-GI foods may be most useful prior to beginning training or an activity because they release glucose slowly. One possible advantage of this, especially for endurance exercisers, is that it allows you to use more fat early in the session and save the important muscle glucose for later, which may result in better performance. This is called “glucose sparing.” For bodybuilders, this may be useful in the cutting phase in preparation for events where very low body fat levels are necessary for competition success.
High-GI foods may be more suitable after training or competition because they release glucose rapidly, thus replenishing your depleted blood and muscle glucose quickly. Along with this rush of glucose is an insulin spike, which is important for muscle repair and development in this important post-exercise period for muscle builders and strength trainers. At this point High-GI food eating may produce more fat conversion from carbohydrates. When blood glucose levels are high, and storage in muscle and liver is saturated, some carbohydrate can be converted to fat. In an energy-balanced diet, this would probably not result in weight gain, yet it could be important for bodybuilders trying to reach body fat levels of around 5 to 6%.
Glycemic Index, Part 1
August 14, 2007
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 based on the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those that are digested rapidly, absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by the very virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels; they have proven benefits for health.High blood pressure can be reduced by following a low GI life-style. Low glycemic food is extremely helpful in assisting those who want to lose weight. Low glycemic index foods will increase the sugar levels in the body to sustain energy levels for longer periods of time. This means an individual will feel less inclined to eat because energy is being slowly released into their blood stream. Having good understanding of the glycemic index will also assist with exercise.
If you exercise then eating high glycemic foods will help you recover from your workout. Specifically, faster carbohydrates that are high on the glycemic index are great for raising low blood sugars after intense exercising whereas low glycemic index foods are helpful in maintaining blood sugar levels for long periods of exercise. Health experts encourage using the glycemic index in conjunction with other meal programs to assist in managing diabetes and/or controlling weight.
You will hear the term “Glycemic Load” in regards to how glycemic index compares the potential of foods containing the same amount of carbohydrate to raise blood glucose. However, the amount of carbohydrate consumed also affects blood glucose levels and insulin responses. The glycemic load of a food is calculated by multiplying the glycemic index by the amount of carbohydrate in grams provided by a food and dividing the total by 100. Dietary glycemic load is the sum of the glycemic loads for all foods consumed in the diet. The concept of glycemic load was developed by scientists to simultaneously describe the quality (glycemic index) and quantity of carbohydrate in a meal or diet.
The glycemic index is complicated and cannot be generalized to all people. Different people will have different reactions to food. The body’s response to food will relate to several factors including; age, activity level, insulin levels, time of day, amount of fiber and fat in the food, how refined (processed) the food is, and what was eaten with the food. In addition other factors such as the ratio of carbohydrates to fat and protein as well as how the food was cooked (eg. Boiled compared to fried or baked) and metabolism will determine the way your body’s sugar level responds after eating. Foods that have a low glycemic index will have little effect on the body’s sugar levels. Comparatively, foods that have a high glycemic index will have an instant affect on blood sugar levels. Ratings on the glycemic index have resulted from numerous studies; however, individuals should test their own reactions to food in relation to the glycemic index.
Special thanks to KC for research.
SPINACH
July 6, 2007SpinachAlthough highly touted as super food rich in iron, spinach was not widely consumed as a food until the late 1930’s with the outbreak of World War Two.
A mistake in calculation in the late 19th century set the iron content of spinach at ten times it’s actual content, an error that went unchallenged for more than 60 years. Because of the War effort rationing of meat was implemented in many countries including England and the United States. The government became concerned with the lack of iron in peoples diet. As spinach was reputed to have a very high iron content the government set about to convince people to eat spinach. The cartoon character “Popeye the Sailor Man” was used as a propaganda poster boy to sell the benefits of spinach. Shortly after convincing the population to “eat your spinach”, scientists discovered the drastic error in the amount of iron actually contained. This is described by T. J. Hamblin in the British Medical Journal.
Spinach contains high levels of oxalate (oxalic acid).. Oxalates bind to iron to form ferrous oxalate and remove iron from the body. Therefore, a diet high in oxalate leads to a actual decrease in iron absorption.
Spinach is considered a toxic weed because it has high levels of oxalate. Consumption of oxalate, such as grazing of cattle or horses on plants that contain oxalate such as greasewood and spinach result in kidney disease or even death due to oxalate poisoning.
It has been observed that many grazing stock animals will avoid spinach when it is encountered growing wild.
Some cultures use spinach as a herb to draw infections from areas of the skin.
Spinach also has a high calcium content. However, the oxalate content in spinach binds with calcium decreasing its absorption. By way of comparison, the body can absorb about half of the calcium present in broccoli, yet only around 5% of the calcium in spinach. Oxalate is one of a number of factors that can contribute to gout and kidney stones.
Disclaimer:
The above article was researched and written by Cowboy Gene. He has no professional credentials that qualifies him as an expert in chemistry, nutrition or most anything else.
It should be further noted that as a very small child (during WW II) when repeatedly forced to eat spinach by his parents he swore a solemn blood oath to seek his revenge on the evel spinach cartel.
Use this information at your discretion.
Latest Comment: I talked to Popeye and he said you'r full of shit.
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Good Foods - Bad Foods
June 14, 2007Good Foods Choices
Green Vegetables
Cauliflower
Green beans
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Low Fat Cottage Cheese
Fish.
White Chicken (skinless)
Lean beef
Turkey
Buffalo
Ostrich
Eggs
Poly un-saturated oils.
Olive oil
Most dry roasted nuts (No salt or oil added)
Whole Grains
Red, Yellow and green peppers
Unsweetened Tea (green tea is best)
Low-fat Cheese
Non fat milk
Oatmeal
Bad Foods Choices
Sugar
Bread
Pasta
Potatoes
White rice
Butter
Bacon
Fatty Beef
Animal fat of any type
Whole milk
Ice Cream
Snack foods such as cheetos, chips, etc
Spinach http://blog.bodybuilding.com/CowboyGene/2007/07/06/spinach/
Bakery Products
Fried foods
Most Fast food items
Alcohol
Soda, Sport drinks, Most Juices
Processed Foods
Pizza
So-So Foods Choices
Low fat milk
Carrots
Bananas
Fruit juices
Most fruits
Cheese
Coffee
Whole Wheat Bread
Breakfast Cereals
High Calorie Post Workout Recovery Drink
April 12, 2007I have been reading that right after a very intense workout the muscles need a good shot of fast acting carbohydrates and protein to replenish the glycogen in the muscle cells used up by the exercise for refueling and growth of the muscle cells. In order to be optimally effective this feed should be fast acting. Being a liquid would help and should be consumed within about a half hour of the workout.I got to figuring that the ideal feed might be a McDonald’s Extra Large Chocolate Milk Shake. Now I know this sounds crazy, but it has plenty of fast acting Carbs, almost 30 grams of protein and some fat in it. It is a whopping 1100 calories. I told myself that if I have an intense BodyPump (or heavy Iron) workout and I can get to the nearby Micky D’s within 20 minutes of finishing, that a shake might just be a good post-workout recovery drink.
Friends that know me well and some that don’t know me well at all know that a McDonald’s Extra Large Chocolate Milk Shake is my vice, my comfort food and my first choice when I cheat. But I have decided to try this and see what effect it will have on my percentage of body fat and workout recovery. So far (4 days and 3 shakes) I have seen a slight drop in my weight no change in my body fat percentage and perhaps a very slight feeling of good strength and recovery. Really much too soon to tell though.
Could it be that my brain has finally shut down from lack of carbohydtates and I have just found a way to cheat and tell myself it is ok, or could this really be a good thing? What do you think?
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