Related Content Blog

Is quinoa better for you than rice or potatoes?
From: Isaac Hinds

The Diet Doctor on Muscle & Fitness Hers web site was asked, “I went to a restaurant last night and with my chicken breast came a grain called quinoa on the side. The waitress said it’s supposed to be much better for you than rice or potatoes. Is that true? And if so, is this something I should be cooking at home?”

Great question but you might be wondering what the heck is quinoa?

The Diet Doctor explains…

    Although it looks like a grain, quinoa is actually a seed of the goosefoot plant, and is a relative of spinach. It has been cultivated in the Andes Mountains for thousands of years. Because it is physically similar to grains and can be ground into flour, it’s often called a pseudocereal. Quinoa is a far better choice than just about any whole grain you can name. The main reason for this is because most grains are not complete proteins.

Read the full answer and explanation on muscleandfitnesshers.com, it’s an interesting read. Do any of you use quinoa in your diets?

Steps to Blast your way towards Muscle Gain
By: Christian Bonanno

Step # 1: Limited Amount of Energy

It is highly recommended that you train using high intensity for a period of approximately 20 - 30 minutes. This is so because scientists have discovered that the energy the blood contains as sugars starts to deplete after about 20 minutes. One has to be tricky enough to cheat the body by using this fact. Do as much intensive training as possible during a 30 minute period. The exercises should be repeated until failure to maximise muscle growth.

Step # 2: Training Frequency

Everybody needs to rest, especially when one needs to bulk up. Whilst you’re sleeping, the body gets energy and heals itself from the training. Lack of rest may result in one losing muscle tissue instead of gaining it. Sleep at least 8 hours a day.

Step # 3: Food Intake

If you are skinny and would like to bulk up, one of the most important things one must not forget to do is eating. When one starts to train, the body will need more carbohydrates, protein and fat. The foods chosen must be high quality food which bulk you up (meat, beans, egg whites, rice…) not food which only get you fat (sweets, food high in sugar).

I am going to give you a simple example, excerpted from one of Vince DelMonte’s newsletters. If you only have a budget of $100,000 you cannot build a house worth $150,000. The same applies to the amount of food one has to eat. One can’t gain muscle weight by eating low quality food.

Step # 4: Amount of cardio

People, sometimes argue about the fact that cardio is only needed when one needs to get slim. This, however, is a very common mistake. Cardio is important even when you are bulking up. The amount of cardio needs to be looked after.

The advantages of cardio are various:
i) Cardio makes your heart stronger. Your heart is vital to be strong if you are going to have a           big, muscular body.
ii) Cardio increases your lung capacity, thus your training sessions will start to get easier for you.
iii) Cardio decreases your amount of stress.
iv) Cardio improves blood circulation throughout one’s body.
v) Cardio increases bone density.
vi) Cardio increases you metabolism.

If you are trying to bulk up, I recommend you to do 20 minutes of cardio three times a week. This won’t burn too much calories and you will still benefit from the above advantages.

Step # 5: Heavy Weights - High Repetitions

When one trains using light weights, the body itself thinks that it doesn’t need to build any extra muscle because the weight used to train is already light for the muscle. Thus when using light weights, the body will start to burn body fat instead of build muscle.

In order to build muscle, one has to use heavy weights and the repetitions should be set high (about 6 – 12 repetitions each set).

You must keep in mind that throughout every session, your body must get approximately 5% better than the previous session. This might obviously involve in you doing any of the following:
i) Lifting heavier weights
ii) Doing more repetitions
iii) Doing more sets
iv) Doing your workout in less time than the previous session

Step # 6: Water is the driver of Nature – Leonardo da Vinci

As Leonardo da Vinci said, water is the driver of nature. Water also needs to drive your body, which is itself part of nature. After every workout, sweat comes out, which means that water is leaving your own body. This water must then be replaced by other water. I recommend you to try and drink 3 – 4 litres of water daily, especially whilst you are training and on hot days.

Step # 7: Intensity Cycling

Step # 8: Setting Goals and being Patient

Do you want to look like a bodybuilder from the Golden Era of Bodybuilding? Do you want to start looking like Greek gods? Set your goal to one specific bodybuilder (for example Charles Atlas). When you have set your goals, be patient and train consistently. If you feel exhausted or don’t feel in the mood of training, ask yourself the following question: “If my goal bodybuilder were me, would he have missed the training session?”. You will obviously answer “no”, and get on with the training. You must also be patient all the time. There was never a bodybuilder who woke up as a skinny or as a fat guy, and by the time he was going to bed he was looking just like a bodybuilder would.

The above tips are there to guide you on your way to become a professional bodybuilder. The myths below include the ideas which many people have about bodybuilding and which were the downfalls for those people who in the past tried to become athletes but because they were influenced by other people, turned out to grow up into too thin or too fat people.

Bodybuilding Myths

Myth # 1: Feel the burning effect in your muscles if you want to build muscle

This is absolutely NOT TRUE. When you feel a burning sensation in the muscles, it doesn’t mean that you are building more muscle. The burning sensation is simply felt when lactic acid is released in the muscle tissue whilst exercising.

Myth # 2: Pumping up to increase more muscle

It is true that when you feel good when you make a good post-workout pump. However, it is not true that the more pumped a workout is, the more effective the workout is.

Myth # 3: The more you work out, the more you will grow

Some people think that the more they train, the more muscle they will gain fast. This myth, is the downfall of most people who tried to become professionals in a very few time. Training more than normal, leads for the body to get over trained. When a body part is worked out properly, the muscle is said to take 5 – 10 days to heal completely.

Myth # 4: Considerable amount of sit-ups will result in you getting a fat-free tummy.

When you need to decrease belly fat, you will not remove the fat by doing sit-ups and crunches. By doing these exercises, you will be strengthening your belly muscles (which is still important, in other aspects) not burning fat.

Fat, first starts to get burned from the latest food intake. Example, your body will first burn your last few meals. Secondly, your body starts to burn the fat which has been in your body for the least time, and finally the body will start to burn your fat which has been in your body most. Normally, your belly is the first which starts to get fat, therefore you have to get rid of the other body fat before. To do this, you have to do cardio training sessions like cycling, fast walking, running, and rope skipping.

Myth # 5: Having large muscles, will make your muscles tighter and decrease your flexibility.

This lie has been going on since the 1930s. The “muscle-bound lie” was invented by companies  which were selling isometric exercise programs. These companies’ goal was to convince people not to do any exercises which concern barbells. This lie was invented simply because it wasn’t practical to send barbells by mail.

Myth # 6: If the pros do it, so should I

You can’t compare your body with that of a professional bodybuilder. If you are training drug-free, your body can’t heal itself as fast as the bodybuilders’. Another concept is that their body is supported with more muscle to lift the heavy weights than the amount of muscle that you have.

Myth # 7: The best way to build muscles is to keep them guessing

This bodybuilding philosophy comes from people who don’t know the muscle growth process. Muscles do not respond with growth just by performing another type of exercise. Muscles only understand the concept of pushing, pulling, extending, and contracting. They will not start to grow larger if instead of lifting iron weights you start to lift bags of sand, if they obviously weigh the same.

Myth # 8: You have to train more than three times a week using weights if you want to gain muscle

It is true that most steroid-assisted bodybuilders train daily using weights; however we people who don’t take any steroids aren’t doing anything wrong if we train three times a week using weights. You will still gain loads of muscle if you work until failure on each set and each repetition in your routine. Remember that you should think quality not quantity. The only problem one might find is keeping fat-free on this training routine. Therefore, one had to keep himself stricter as to what food he should eat.

Myth # 9: Weightlifting equipment should be used in order to stimulate the most muscle gain

Scientific research has shown that most of today’s exercise machines lack the proper eccentric component of an exercise that’s necessary to stimulate muscle tissue to grow. For reference, you may read the article “Research Confirms that Bodybuilders Should Pay Heavy Attention to Negative Rips” written by Bill Phillips on page 18 of the February/March issue of MM2K. To date, the most effective means of resistance exercises ever invented are those using free weights like dumbbells and barbells. These exercises include the dead lift, the shoulder press, the bench press, and the squat.

My struggle:

You know that feeling after a competition when you’re in your “Post-comp-anabolic-rebound-I-could-eat-50
00-calories-in-one-sitting” phase? It’s pretty awesome isn’t it? Just eating and eating and eating until you’re blue in the face. But then…the aftermath. The bloat. The carbohydrate/salt retention. The nausea, wooziness, headache, shakes…it’s not so much fun anymore, is it?

Well, how do you think you would feel if you went through that every week? Sometimes twice a week. You’d feel pretty gross. So gross that maybe you would do whatever it took to purge away those feelings (and the food) so that you could continue to live normally again. Even if you knew that purging was unhealthy. However, once you purge, you start to feel empty again. Empty and hungry. Thus creating the vicious cycle of binging and purging, also known as bulimia nervosa. It’s not a fun cycle, and I can tell you that first hand.

Because I’m trying to recover from it.

It all started way back in 1998, when I was 11, and didn’t think I was good enough for my parents, so I just wanted to disappear. Isn’t that sad? My first diet was when I was 11. Anyway, long-story short, 8 years, 3 hospitalizations, and about 25 pounds later, I was 19 and a SKELETAL 95 pounds with 4.9% bodyfat (according to a DEXA scan). I was on the verge of death from anorexia, when I decided (thanks to the help of loving family, friends, and online support from bodybuilding.com forum members), so clean up my act and get healthy. Long-story short AGAIN, 2 years after I decided to get better,  I got up to 165 pounds, and dieted back down to 138 for a competition in November of 2008. It was THRILLING to be able to see my abs, striations and veins again. What a feeling! (Those of you who are competitors know what I’m talking about). However, with the post-contest period came the post-contest binge. It started with 24 hours; I enjoyed myself with friends and family. 24 hours turned into a week. A week turned into a month. I was STILL binging by December 20. I remember the date vividly, because it was the first time I had purchased laxatives. I was with my mom in Florida, and had just eaten 5 protein bars, a whole rotisserie chicken, and a box of rice krispie squares. I was sick to my stomach, and didn’t know how to make the bloat go away.

So I walked to the nearest CVS, and bought a pharmaceutical laxative. I won’t go into details, but I’ll just say that I felt better. But not only that, I felt PURGED physically AND emotionally from the binge that had just occurred. I didn’t feel it in my stomach anymore, and I didn’t feel the guilty of going ‘off my diet’ because my stomach was empty again. I thought to myself, “Man! I can get used to this! Eat as much as I want, knowing that I can just get rid of it again.” So I started using laxatives. But that wasn’t all. I was also doing 1.5 – 2 hours of cardio a day in addition to my weight training. I did it to help burn more calories, to allow myself to eat more calories, and again, to feel that euphoric sense of purging my emotions and the guilt associated with the binge. CLEARLY I was starting a dangerous, downhill slope into an unhealthy vortex.

I brought my unhealthy habits back from Florida to Canada. No one knew. Not even my mom. I’d consume a normal amount of food in public (probably even less), and then when I was alone, I’d eat whatever was in sight. Then, I’d purge. Binge, purge, binge, purge. On and on it went. I don’t know whether it was the fact that I’d always promise myself that “I’ll diet tomorrow”, thus giving me the freedom to eat whatever I wanted that night, or whether it was boredom, or simply the fact that I was still only 10lb above my competition weight, and was maintaining that quite well. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t get myself out, and I needed help. I would enter online transformation contests, or make dates to compete again, but they were all in vain, as I wasn’t really getting to the ROOT of the problem. I couldn’t figure out what was making me binge in the first place. And what’s worse is that if I would start off my day with something  that wasn’t necessarily on the plan, then I would say, “Well, my day is officially ruined. Might as well spend the next 16 waking hours eating crap.” So the cycle continued.

I’d try to go on warp speed fat loss diets, protein sparing modified fasts, grapefruit diets, but NOTHING was helpful because they were all bandaid solutions.  Not to mention, the whole time in the back of my mind, I’m reminding myself just how badly I’m treating my body (putting your fingers down your throat, using laxatives and doing 2 hours of cardio a day aren’t exactly ideal pictures of health…). The anorexia has left me permanently barren (not able to have children), and I’ll be lucky if my estrogen levels will ever get UP to the low side of normal. So compound those previous problems with the ones I COULD be causing myself now, and you have a recipe for disaster. The problem is, I don’t know how to stop. To the average person, the answer is easy, “Don’t binge.” But if you’ve never had an eating disorder, or if you don’t have an addictive personality, then you really don’t know what it’s like to crave something so badly that it literally starts to HURT after a while. This is how it feels if I don’t get a “fix”, and then how it feels AGAIN when I do get a “fix”, but don’t purge.

As of this week, I’ve enlisted the help of a psychologist (one who helped me during the anorexia), and hopefully the talk therapy will help get to the root of my issues. In the meantime, I have the most incredible support group of people on my bodybuilding.com journal who encourage me daily (it’s very hard to tell my friends in person, as they tend to act somewhat distant and tread too carefully when we’re together), and whom I consider like family. So that’s where I’m at in my struggle right now.

What does ‘therapy’ consist of, and how does someone take that leap:

Everyone’s mind works differently, and everyone’s personalities are different, so you have to find a talk-doctor (that’s what I call them), that meshes with you. If you don’t feel comfortable around your psych, then there’s no point in going to him/her, because chances are, you’ll hold back, and the problem won’t be resolved. The difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist, is that a psychiatrist is a medical doctor. A psychologist may hold a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) and be called "doctor"; but, is not a medical doctor (M.D.). So a psychiatrist can prescribe you meds if you’re depressed, but a psychologist can’t (Note: I am not on medication).  The best way to go about finding a doctor is by word of mouth, or hospital referral. I found my psych by contacting the Hospital for Sick Kids, and asking who they would recommend that specializes in Eating Disorders. I used the same doctor for 2 years after I was discharged from hospital with anorexia, and am not going back to the same doctor (because I believe he had a lot to do with my recovery the first time).

If you don’t think a psychologist/psychiatrist is for you, that’s OK. There are other ways to work out solutions. It’s been proven in research that social support groups and networks are an integral part of people’s desire to stick to a goal. When you tell people what you want to achieve, you create an element of accountability (SO IMPORTANT!) and trust. The more people you tell, the more accountable you are. That’s why joining a BodyGroup, starting a blog or a journal online, or just getting together with a group of friends who have the same goal can be exponentially more effective than trying to do something for yourself. My journal in the Derek Charlesbois section of bodybuilding.com/forums has been up and running since September 2007, and I have no plans to go anywhere else. The support, encouragement and motivation I get HOURLY, have done wonders for my self-esteem , confidence and willpower to stick with my recovery. I couldn’t  ask to be surrounded by a better group of people. They’re like my family.

Different types of Disorders:

I am going to read off the clinical definitions of the 3 types of eating disorders (according to the DSM-IV), as I feel these will cover all the bases, and give you the most solid descriptions of them.

1) Bulimia Nervosa –

      A. Recurrent episodes of binge eating. An episode of binge eating is characterized by both of the following:

           (1) Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances.

           (2) A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g., a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating).

      B. Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications; fasting, or excessive exercise.

      C. The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors occur, on average, at least twice a week for three months.

      D. Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight.

      E. The disturbance does not occur exclusively during episodes of Anorexia Nervosa.

2) Anorexia Nervosa –  

       A. Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height (e.g., weight loss leading to maintenance of body weight less than 85% of that expected; or failure to make expected weight gain during period of growth, leading to body weight less than 85% of that expected).

       B. Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight.

       C. Disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.

       D. In postmenarcheal females, amenorrhea, i.e., the absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles.

3) Binge-Eating Disorder –
  
       A. Recurrent episodes of binge eating. An episode is characterized by:

              1. Eating a larger amount of food than normal during a short period of time (within any two hour period)

              2. Lack of control over eating during the binge episode (i.e. the feeling that one cannot stop eating).

        B. Binge eating episodes are associated with three or more of the following:

              1. Eating until feeling uncomfortably full

              2. Eating large amounts of food when not physically hungry

              3. Eating much more rapidly than normal

              4. Eating alone because you are embarrassed by how much you’re eating

              5. Feeling disgusted, depressed, or guilty after overeating

      C. Marked distress regarding binge eating is present

      D. Binge eating occurs, on average, at least 2 days a week for six months

      E. The binge eating is not associated with the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behavior (i.e. purging, excessive exercise, etc.) and does not occur exclusively during the course of bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa.

4) “Sham eating” – This one is relatively new, and not necessarily and ‘Eating Disorder’ per se, but rather, it involves severely disordered eating. It occurs when the person puts food in their mouth, chews it, and then spits it out (so that calories are not absorbed).

Conclusion:
While I don’t wish an eating disorder upon ANYONE, I hope that if you’re out there reading this, and you have one, you learn from my mistakes, and catch it early. Don’t let something like this fester, or assume that you can get better on your own. I’ve tried. And failed, miserably. It DOESN’T mean you’re a weak person. On the contrary! It takes a very STRONG person to admit they have a problem, and need help. So seek out professional guidance, and do as much reading as you can about the disorder. If you know anyone who you suspect might have an eating disorder, I encourage you to talk to them and get them help. This isn’t the kind of thing you want lingering…

By: Robert Saladino

Despite the popular notion that creatine is a new supplement of recent years, it was first isolated in 1835 and tested on human muscle tissue in 1910.
Researchers discovered what they discovered today, an increase in bodyweight within 7-10 days.

Creatine is produced naturally in the body from the amino acids methionine, arginine, and glycine.  Methionine is an essential amino acid, which means it needs to be ingested by dietary means. Arginine is conditionally essential and glycine is non essential. Large sources of methionine can be found in meat, fish and milk. Studies show that vegetarian diets display lower total muscle creatine content compared to diets which contain meat. This may result in non meat eaters having to supplement with creatine even more so than no vegetarians for the following reasons:

ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the power energy molecule responsible for all muscle contractions in the body especially high intensity short duration movements. Exercises lasting between 0-30 seconds are controlled by the phosphagen system which only runs on phosphocreatine. After 30 seconds the glycolysis system starts taking over. This involves the synthesis of ATP from glucose. Anything after 2 minutes and the oxidative system which runs on the breakdown of fats, carbohydrates and some protein takes over. Keep in mind as the intensity increases carbohydrates will become the main fuel source due to the fact that fats and protein can’t burn fast enough to make enough ATP’s.

Phosphocreatine donates one phosphate to the ADP (adenosine diphosphate) molecule turning it into ATP, which now can be used as energy in the system. Creatine is used to rephosphorylate (adds phosphates back) the phosphocreatine molecule so that it can keep adding phosphates to the ADP making it ATP. Hence it is believed the more creatine you have in the creatine pool the longer you will be able to exercise. It is also reported an increase in power and strength will follow with more available ATP molecules in the system.

Here are the suggested loading and maintenance phases of creatine
     Loading Phase: 0.14g per pound of bodyweight daily.
     Maintenance Phase: 0.0136g per pound of bodyweight

3-5 grams daily is recommended to insure skeletal muscle saturation of creatine
    
Restore after working out…
Our body releases the hormone insulin in the presence of carbohydrates. Insulin will do one of two things: 1) shove the digested carbohydrate molecule into the muscle cell for latter use as energy. 2) It can cram the carb molecule into a fat cell. Option 1 is usually followed after a hard workout. Your muscles are highly sensitive towards glycogen 30 -45 minutes after exercise. You can take advantage of this by mixing protein along with fast absorbing carbs and creatine. This makes for the ultimate muscle building cocktail. The protein will piggy back off the carbs along with the creatine and be shuttled into the muscle cells. The amino acids will rebuild damaged muscle tissue, the carbs will restore glycogen and the creatine will regenerate the creatine pool for ATP’s later on.

Don’t waste your money on those expensive creatine potions that claim an increased uptake of creatine. All they really do is add dextrose (sugar) to the creatine. You can do that yourself and save a ton of money.  
Mix in one scoop of whey protein with 8 -12 ounces of juice and 2-4 grams of any kind of creatine (I buy the cheapest whey and creatine I can get my hands on) and presto!

Does Creatine work?
It depends on what your definition of work is?  There is an initial weight gain of 5-10 pounds during the loading phase. This is due to the muscle cells being engorged with water. Hence the muscles look fuller and bigger. After about 4-6 weeks studies do indicate an increase in maximal strength, body mass, and fat free mass greater than strength training alone. So yes, it does work, but you have to ask yourself the question…. is it worth the money? By all means we’re not talking HGH or anabolic steroids here. Nothing compares to the illegal stuff, which is dangerous and as already mentioned illegal. If you think gaining 5-10 pounds and increasing strength about 5-10% is a big enough gain to spend the mullah, than by all means try it.

What about Side Effects?
Creatine is the most widely touted sports supplement to ever grace the store shelves. There have been numerous short term studies done on creatine with non negative outcomes to report.  Although it’s critical to point out most studies have been short term studies, lasting only a number of weeks. Long term studies need to be addressed. Until then, cycle creatine using the alternative month method (one month on one month off) just to be on the safe side.  

Robert Saladino. MS, CSCS, CPT., has helped hundreds of his clients reach and keep their fitness goals. He is one of the top Personal Trainers in PA; visit  www.mountainfitnessbyrobert.com  for a ton of free information regarding exercise, health and diet. If you are someone who is trying to lose weight, gain muscle or just want to get more healthy and fit.  

By: Robert Saladino

Myth 1: Cardiovascular training is the best way to lose weight

Fact: While cardiovascular training is important for burning calories and maintaining a healthy heart. The best training protocol is a combination of both resistance and cardio training.  Studies in which subjects who participated only in endurance training displayed a transformation of type 2 muscle fibers into type 1 muscle fibers. This is a big deal when you consider type 2 muscle fibers are the fibers responsible for building bigger muscles. Type 1 fibers are endurance fibers, which lack the ability to enlarge. Bigger muscles will translate to burning more calories. This is due to the fact that a certain portion of your calories are needed to maintain muscle mass.  

Myth 2: You need to stay away from carbohydrates when trying to lose weight

Fact: If eaten in excess any calorie regardless of the source will be stored as fat. Carbohydrates are turned into glucose which is the only energy substrate your muscles will use for muscle contraction. You can’t exercise intensely without an adequate amount of calories coming from carbohydrates. Good sources are brown rice, oatmeal, yams and vegetables. These carbs are considered low on the glycemic index, which is a scientific way of determining how rapidly your blood glucose rises when certain carbohydrate foods are digested. If your blood glucose rises too quickly and the glucose is not readily used or stored in muscles, it will be stored as fat.  

Myth 3: You need to drastically lower calories to see inches come off

Fact: In-order for a person to lose a pound of fat there needs to be a decrease of 3,500 calories (weight equivalent of one pound). That would only account for 300-500 less calories per day if you wanted to lose one pound a week. This would only be 3-4 slices of bread a day, not much at all.  

Myth 4: Weight loss Supplements will help you burn fat faster when working-out

Fact: Most of these products just don’t work and are dangerous to one’s health. They artificially raise your heart rate and metabolism. The safest and cheapest way to increase metabolism is by exercising. If you exercise correctly and burn more calories than you take in, I don’t care who you are….you will lose weight! And that is scientifically tested in human studies.

Myth 5: Stringent dieting is the key to success

Fact: Staying away from certain food categories will only last for a short time. In the end most dieters actually gain more weight back. Studies have shown that dieting of any kind doesn’t produce long lasting results. Hence there is a new diet book every month that promises to be the only one that works.

Two simple rules to live by are: 1) A variety of food spaced out 4-5 times a day is the most appealing and healthiest way to eat. 2)  Exercise and portion controlling your food is the only time tested method that really works when trying to shed the pounds.  

   Robert Saladino. MS, CSCS, CPT., has helped hundreds of his clients reach and keep their fitness goals. He is one of the top Personal Trainers in PA; visit  www.mountainfitnessbyrobert.com  for a ton of free information regarding exercise, health and diet. If you are someone who is trying to lose weight, gain muscle or just want to get more healthy and fit.  

Bodybuilding.com has some special guests in town for a few days to do some informational training videos, articles and such.

Please welcome Obi Obadike and Kendall Wood to Justin TV for a live chat.

Obi and Kendall will be on Justin TV tomorrow, Friday, June 26, 2009.
Come join the chat and ask any questions you have from 12:30-2:00 p.m. MST.

For more information click here.

To join the chat click here.

By: Kelly Eiesly

Thermodynamics is a workout that I use to get ripped, and transport nutrients more efficiently. The heat that is liberated from food is measured not only in its energy content but also of its tendency to be burned as heat which is the thermogenic effect.

Increased thermogenesis means increased heat production, oxygen consumption, and an increased metabolic rate. The more heat your body produces, the more oxygen it needs, because heat cannot be liberated in the absence of oxygen.

Food efficiency is measured of how efficiently a particular food can be converted to body weight. The release of heat is measured by a calorie which is a unit of heat.
[ Read the Full Article Here ]

Article Summary:
- ATP is the molecule that can be used for muscle contractions.
- Using compound sets and tri sets will hit different angles of the muscle.
- Your rest time is important to keep your VO2 max where it should be.

Hey guys!!!

I’m 11 weeks out today, and feeling pretty good. I came back from the Arnold Classic a little discouraged because I’d gained weight over the weekend (I blame it on myself…not anyone else. I USED TO have 0 willpower when it came to protein bars, not anymore).

Keep in mind, I was working at the Scivation booth all weekend, and we were SUPER busy selling gym bags and Vasocharge. I will give you an approximate breakdown  of what I ate over the course of the weekend (Friday – Sunday). I kid you not. What you are about to read is EXACTLY what I ate every single day. It totaled roughly 2000 calories, which is about my maintenance level, but ~250 -500 more than I am supposed to eat according to my CHA diet.

Breakfast:

Entrée size Garden Salad at Bob Evans
2 scoops Scivation Whey protein
2 ounces mixed nuts

Lunch AND Dinner

About 5-6 protein bars (Or ~2lbs of samples from the hundreds of booths)

Midnight Snack

Entrée size Garden salad at wherever Team Scivation was eating (Red Lobster, Bob Evans, Max & Erma’s)

So there you have it. I am human. I cheat. But as a good friend once told me, “It’s not about falling, it’s about getting back up.” I got back up Monday morning, cleaned up my diet, and haven’t looked back since.

As I told you last week, there are a couple things I want to talk about in this week’s installment of my OBF transformation series. First of all, I took my “BEFORE” pictures last week. If you check out my OBF journal,  I want to let you know in advance that this is NOT what you will see 11 weeks from now. You have my word.

I’m a little embarrassed by what you will see there.  I have, what we like to call in the competition realm “Post-Contest Blues”; it’s the SLIGHT depression that competitors feel because they’re no longer in contest shape. Yes, I understand that for a woman, it’s not necessarily healthy or ideal to maintain contest shape all year round, but I don’t see why that gives me permission to have gained 15 pounds since my last contest. I will touch more on “Maintaining your condition” in a later installment.

CARDIO

The first point I’d like to touch on is my cardio. I started off at 14 weeks out with 30 minutes, 4 times a week (ie. On weight training days), and High Intensity Interval Training 2 times a week (ie. Tuesdays and Thursdays). For my Steady State cardio, I usually keep my heart rate between 130 – 150bpm, which corresponds to about 65% - 85% of my max heart rate. I use a heart rate monitor most of the time when I’m doing cardio so that I can track how hard I’m working. For SS, I like to use the elliptical, the treadmill or the Stepmill. ANYTHING but the bike. I find that if I spend too much time on the bike, my legs either don’t get cut and stay the same size, or lose a little muscle and end up looking flat. So I avoid that kind of cardio whenever I can. My HIIT protocol involves 15 intervals of 15 seconds work and 45 seconds rest. I then cool down for 5 – 10 minutes at the end. Sometimes, I incorporate something called “TABATA” training instead of my HIIT. That’s when you perform an exercise at MAXIMAL INTENSITY for 20 seconds, then take a 10 second break. Then go another 20 seconds on, and 10 seconds off. You repeat this 8 times for a maximum of 4 minutes total. It’s an amazing way to get a great workout in if you’re pressed for time, but still want to exercise and accelerate your metabolism. As my weight loss plateaus, or if I start to gain, my trainer will increase my cardio as he sees fit.

My Phoenix Moment

I first read about “Pheonix Moment/Theory” from someone named  Chris Sugart. I will quote part of the article here, as I think it’s important for everyone to read. And I know for a fact (and I certainly hoep) that it will resonate with some, if not ALL, of you. It begins, “The pattern of success is clear. Regardless of their primary physique goal — rapid fat loss or massive muscle gain — those who ultimately succeed always begin the same way: They get pissed off.

That’s the first stage of what I call Phoenix Theory. In mythology, the phoenix (or Bennu bird) ends its life-cycle by bursting into flame. From its own ashes, the fiery bird is reborn. I’ve discovered that those who make jaw-dropping physical changes usually follow the same basic path. Their achievement leaves a trail, and you can follow it… if you dare. You see, with all great successes comes a dark side. The Phoenix Theory of body transformation involves four key stages:

1) A traumatic event leading to a sudden realization and awakening
2) Anger and a firm decision to change
3) The physical transformation itself
4) Continued progress fueled by fear of regression”

So basically, the premise is that you need an awakening (be it a rude comment from a co-worker, an objective look at your own reflection, a blood work profile gone awry, etc.) in order to be rebord, and refreshed so that you can truly tackle and OWN the task in front of you. I had my Phoenix Moment at 12 weeks out, and never looked back.

Looking to the Future

My weigh in this week went, more or less, as planned. I lost 1lb. Which isn’t bad, but I set my sights high on losing roughly 1.5 – 2lbs per week. So I asked my trainer if we could bump the cardio up a little, and we did. I’m now on 35 minutes steady state cardio 4x/week, and 2 HIIT days (15 intervals) 2x/week. The good news though, is that my skinfolds and measurements are down; which means that I am losing fat. When doing skinfolds, mere milimetres could mean the difference in a couple %-age points of bodyfat lost. So I know my body is going in the right direction, albeit a little slower than I’d like. I don’t know what my bodyfat percentage is exactly, but at this point, I would hazard a guess that I’m in the early – mid teens (maybe somewhere between 13 – 15%). I can see my abs and my quad cuts are starting to come though. I’m guessing 13 – 15% because the legs are usually a tough and stubborn place for women to lose bodyfat, so I know I’m starting to get lower.

In the next installment of this OBF series, I will talk about how to stay motivated, why we shouldn’t use the term “Weight Loss”, and why social support (like the Forums on bodybuilding.com) could mean the difference between a first place finish and a last place finish. As always, feel free to check out my online journal for daily updates, nutrition, workouts, and information! Jaim91’s journal: Here

Here are some videos of my workouts this week:

80lb Upright rows

12 pushups with 45lbs on my back

Rear Delt pulls with 60lbs/hand

Stay tuned for Part 5!

Check out this Press Release:

City Council Grants Celebrity Trainer’s Proclamation for Annual "Health and Fitness Day" in Los Angeles

The City Council recently granted Torchia’s proclamation to make August 1st an Annual Holiday called "Health and Fitness Day" in Los Angeles. He is also proposing that Congress makes it a National Holiday to unite Americans in the battle against obesity. There will be special guest appearances from renowned Doctors, fitness experts and bodybuilding champions.

Los Angeles, CA, June 02, 2009 –(PR.com)– Michael Torchia, founder of Operation Fitness is hosting a free health and fitness event at the Westwood Park in Los Angeles on August 1, 2009 from 10:00 am - 2:00pm. This event will offer free advice, classes and products for everyone in attendance. At this monumental event, Torchia will be launching his Shape Up America Campaign designed to help adults, children and even pets get healthy for their own benefit and for the lasting benefits that will strengthen the entire nation for generations to come. Torchia will be traveling across America with his team of health experts to inspire Americans to pursue healthier lives and encourage people to end the epidemic obesity in our country.

Torchia’s organization, Operation Fitness, will provide the crucial information that will help even the most stubborn and unmotivated Americans learn how to break their bad eating habits and become more physically active. The goal is to show people how they can create simple ways of working out, along with participating in stimulating activities at home, office, in a park or even in the wilderness. In addition, pet owners will learn innovative ways to get their pets in shape and on a healthy track with proper nutrition and sensible exercise.

Free health screenings, fitness demonstrations for children and adults, nutrition lectures, healthy cooking tips/food preparation, extreme athlete competition, obstacle course challenge, boxing classes and martial arts demonstrations, pilates and yoga classes, pet health/fitness seminars, dog obedience training, chair massages, protein bars and energy drinks will be offered by the sponsors. Attendees will learn how to become more confident, physically fit and establish life long healthy eating habits. In addition, Torchia will be offering a special lecture series and exercise demonstrations for the local law enforcement agencies and fire departments.

The event will be held at Westwood Park located at 1350 South Sepulveda Boulevard in Los Angeles.

For additional information on the Shape Up America Campaign, Operation Fitness or the event launching in Los Angeles, please call 800.933.8633 or visit www.operationfitness.com. For press opportunities, contact Rachelle Brehm/LRB Publicity 310-704-1357 or RachelleBrehm1@aol.com.