Troy Polamalu training program
July 19, 2008Hey, check out Troy’s training program. After 2 years off from his former trainer, he’s back!
After 2 years of injuries, Troy learns that traditional training is not effective.
Busted Up Weight Lifters Syndrome
July 10, 2008In about 9 months time I lost a ton of muscle and gain a bunch of fat 
I was depressed and even sleeping hurt my shoulder, at times I would wake up from the pain. So I guess I failed at my goal of staying pain free. I was totally overtrained and my shoulder took the stress. It has taken this long to recover! Back in January my son-in-law introduced me to transformetrics. I didn’t like the idea at all- I LOVE the iron. But I still checked it out and I was really impressed with John Peterson’s physique- it was hard to believe he built it without ever having lifted a weight! I subscribed to his newsletter. Over the next few months I just kept reading them, and then about a month ago he put out a series of newsletters that really kicked my butt. And it came at a time when most of the pain in my shoulder had subsided. Okay, time to start doing something again, but what? My range of motion was still limited and I knew weights would just tear me up again at this point- so I visited John’s forum. I was really impressed! It’s been a difficult mental switch from weights to Body Weight exercises, DVRs, DSRs and ISOs- I didn’t think they would really work that well for building muscle- Man, was I wrong! Check this guy out:
Do you suffer with BUWLS like me? Would like to protect yourself from it? Do you have tendonitis? Worried about becoming arthritic from all the pounding? This might be the answer for you!
It hasn’t even been 2 weeks and I’ve seen drastic improvement in my shoulder- not only in it’s healing, but in shape as well. I want to thank Mr. Peterson for the new hope he’s given me- some of his exercises can actually help heal your shoulders and knees! And the forum members are very knowledgable and encouraging- come check us out:
God bless,
Tink 
Blog Entry
July 9, 2008Wow, it’s been a long time. It was painful to visit when I thought I would never be able to return. Months went by and still the pain, soreness and stiffness and limited range of motion kept telling me that this was never going to happen again. Well, heh, I’ve found a way to train and even heal my shoulder!! More tomorrow.
God bless,
Tink
Blog Entry
November 22, 2007Hey guys,
Thanks for the few that have PM’ed me and commented. I have been totally out of commission with a shoulder injury- total bummer!! Daily life and even sleeping have been difficult, but soon I will be back at abs, legs and cardio at the least- I can’t stand it any more. I can’t stand the thought of losing all the mass on the upper body that I’ve worked so hard for either, but nothing I can do about that right now- have to heal. I have not kept a good diet since I’ve been off, but have not gained much fat either- so that’s good. Just wanted my friends to know that I haven’t totally fallen off the planet. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
Having trouble
September 28, 2007Having trouble with motivation today This usually isn’t a problem for me, but I went off the deep end on vacation so I think it’s a combination of too much sugar, too much travel, not enough sleep and hormones!! I’m really struggling today, feeling a bit depressed- thoughts of quitting run through my mind- but I know I can’t or I’ll just get old and die! LOL Even though that is an exageration it isn’t entirely untrue- I know I will develope my old physical problems again that come with aging, so I don’t really have a choice. Maybe I’ll go for a walk outside and get some sunshine and fresh air as well as a little cardio- hopefully that will help- and I’ll focus on better nutrition and pop a 5-htp.
Don’t mean to be a downer for anyone- just being honest.
I’ll be gone
September 24, 2007Just wanted my friends to know that I’m leaving tonight and will be gone until sometime Friday- going to visit my sister in Maine for a few days- been training like a maniac so I can take a break without feeling guilty- LOL! I guess I’ll just have to really watch what I eat.
Train hard and expect results!!
Tink
Latest Comment: Hey Tink I know its been awhile enjoy your time...
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Personal Best!!!
August 29, 2007I was so excited tonight…….tonight was shoulder night and I did well with all the delt stuff, but the most exciting thing- traps! I do traps after shoulders, instead of doing shrugs first I did floor cable upright rows. Well last week my kid (21 year old son) was there at the gym doing shoulders while I was there doing somethin else, and he came walking over to me all disappointed (not really!) that he had only been able to do the whole stack 4 times! I’ve never even attempted the whole stack- only ever went up to 12 I think like once. So tonight I thought as I was managing the weight pretty well that I’d go as high as I could. I started at 11 for 10 reps, then 12 for 10, then 13 for 8, then 14 for 6, and I thought you know- I can do this! And a guy I know was walking by and I said- hey, you gotta witness this and sign my workout book cuz my kid will never believe me- the whole stack 6 times- YES!!
Spare parts and a slow start!
August 28, 2007Today was just supposed to be cardio, but I decided to do spare parts too. What are spare parts? The parts that I never really train- abs and calves. My calves are already 15" but they could use some more definition so I think that I should do something once in a while for them! And my abs are already pretty cut for my BF, but I want to keep my core strong- so I did spare parts today. And I thought that cardio was going to be a bust today- I got on the arc trainer and just couldn’t get it goin’. I can usually do 0-60 in 5.2, but not today- it took me a good 10 minutes to really get moving. But I ended with 64 minutes having burned 1000 calories so I’d say I made up for it.
Obesity- Socially Contagious!
August 28, 2007I have to give credit where credit is due. I subscribe to Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle newsletter and thought this article would be of interest to many here. (I’m sure he won’t mind a little free advertising on bb.com!) We are powerful influences in our own circles with family, peers, co-workers and especially friends. Let’s be positive influences in our world, let’s spread health and fitness!
Obesity Spreads Through Social Networks,
Study Finds
Obesity Spreads Through Social Networks,
Study Finds
Last week, I posted an article about the wide publication of the discovery of an “obesity virus.” Coincidentally, this report came on the tails of en even more publicized study from last month’s New England Journal of Medicine, which reported that Obesity spreads through social networks. Major news media such as the NY Times, the LA Times and CNN, printed dramatic headlines such as, “Research Says Obesity is Contagious!” However, this study was not about obesity being biologically contagious, as in the virus theory, it was about something completely different: It suggested that obesity is “socially contagious.” The sensational news reporting led to many misinterpretations and foregone conclusions by readers, some of whom critized the research and others who dismissed it. However, I believe that this concept - your social network - is something you should take into very serious consideration if you’ve struggled to get in shape or lose weight…
This concept you’re about to hear might even be the one missing piece of the puzzle that can take your results of your fitness program to the next level.
One year ago, I published a special report called, The Fifth Element. The 5th Element revealed a powerful success principle that if put into action, could truly transform not just your body, but your entire life in numerous ways.
The 5th element proposed the following…
1. There are 4 elements that must be present for MAXIMUM results in your fat loss and fitness program: (1) nutrition, (2) resistance training, (3) cardio training, (4) “mental” training. If you’re missing any element, your results will be less than they would with all four in place. If you’re missing two or three of these elements, you may get little, if any results at all.
2. When someone has all 4 elements in place and they still struggle to get results or stay consistent with those elements over time, it may be because there is another element they’re missing, which most people never think about or take seriously.
3. This 5th element is social support.
4. Social support can come in many forms including friends, family, church, trainers, coaches, support groups and more.
5. Research in scientific peer-reviewed nutrition, obesity, and medical journals, as well as sociology and psychology publications, has provided evidence that programs which include social support have better outcomes than those which don’t.
6. When negative social pressure is dragging you down, especially from people close to you, it’s extremely difficult to get maximum results and reach all your goals.
7. If you’re not getting social support for your fitness endeavors from your family, obviously you can’t change your family, but you can reach out to enlist support from your friends, and you can seek out new friends and social contacts with similar goals as you.
Now fast forward to the present day.
A new study was recently published by researchers from Harvard in the New England Journal Of Medicine, titled:
“The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network Over 32 Years.”
The media put their own spin on it with headlines saying, “Obesity is contagious.” However, the study was not about obesity being biologically infectious, the study said that obesity spreads through SOCIAL networks, ie, obesity is “socially contagious.”
12,067 people who had been enrolled in the famous Framingham heart study were analyzed using a longitudinal statistical model to see whether weight gain in one person was correlated with weight gain in his or her friends, siblings, spouse or neighbors.
The results, although not surprising, were extremely significant:
Among adult siblings, if one sibling became obese, the chance that the other would become obese increased by 40% (55% among siblings of the same gender).
If one spouse became obese, the likelihood that the other spouse would become obese increased by 37%.
Mutual friends - those who both considered each other a good friend - had the highest risk of all. If one became obese, the risk for the other increased by 171%. This showed that the influence in friendship ties was directional.
There was no effect on risk if an immediate neighbor became obese, but even hundreds of miles did not decrease the risk of weight gain among close social ties (friends, siblings), if they were obese.
Not only did this paper, which was published in one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals, confirm what I described in “The Fifth Element” about social influence, it also confirmed that geographic distance did not matter, providing even more evidence that social support can be effective over long distance by internet or phone.
In a previous study, “The role of social support in lifestyle- focused weight management interventions,” researchers from the Netherlands also confirmed that family members, friends, colleagues and communities (including church) can play an important role in social support. They referred to this as your “natural network.”
However, we all know how difficult it can be when we are surrounded by negativity and peer pressure and unfortunately, it often comes from our very own family and friends.
“Cmon!!! A few cookies won’t hurt ya…”
“How do you live like that… eating all that rabbit food?”
“Have a drink… loosen up and have some fun will ya?”
“Life’s too short to live in the gym all the time…”
And so on…
In fact, one study from the University of Michigan (“Social Networks and Social Support In WeightLoss”) found that family members were considered both the MOST helpful and the LEAST helpful by study participants!
Having the support of your spouse or family may be YOUR “5th element” and your greatest leverage - if you can get it - but if you’re surrounded by negativity or your current environment is not conducive to health and fitness yet, don’t worry, there’s good news:
Although obesity appears to spread socially, the studies also say that so do health and fitness habits. It’s largely a matter of getting around the right people and letting them rub off on you.
The Harvard researchers said:
“It’s possible to harness this same force to slow the spread of obesity. Network phenomena might be exploited to spread positive health behaviors, in part because people’s perception of their own risk may depend on the people around them.”
The Dutch researchers agreed and added:
“Bringing new sources of support such as peers into action may be helpful when social support from natural networks is insufficient.”
although my original 5th element was written one year ago, it is still available, and it’s as important and relevant as ever, especially in light of all the latest evidence backing it up.
If you havent seen the 5th element report yet, I recommend you download a copy (it’s free - link below).:
“The Fifth Element”Although this is powerful, you will probably agree, that it’s also just confirmation of what most people already know and believe…
You’re only as good as the company you keep.
Tom Venuto, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Post Workout Nutrition
August 27, 2007Okay, the subject of post workout nutrition has come up. There are many articles on bb.com that suggest that fruit, fruit juices and honey are good possible sources for creating an insulin spike thereby bringing cortisol levels down and enhancing the anabolic response that we want after an intense workout. The following information is taken from wikipedia on frutose as it relates to honey. I then direct you to 2 very scientific articles on the web pertaining to maltodextrin and dextrose as the best combination of simple and complex carbs for your post workout nutrition. Do I understand all the scientific mumbo jumbo? Yes, it makes sense to me, but I don’t care to be able to spew this info out or to be able to teach it- all I care about is DOING the best thing possible for my body to grow without causing health risks. I read and research so I can act on it in a practical sense not so I can theorize about it! The article entitled "Window of Opportunity" actually spells out how to formulate your optimal post workout shake!
This is a link to a Word document- I don’t think the blog would let me post it because it contains links itself, but don’t let that stop you from reading it- good info found here.
A Scientific Look at Post Workout Nutrition
If you’re going to train hard, don’t foget your post workout nutrition!
Much success to ya,
Tink
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