deserusan 
"Magna res est vocis et silentii temperamentum."
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Archive for June, 2008
Monday, June 30th, 2008
If you are following this blog there is a great chance that you qualify as very small percentage of individuals who are thinking outside of the box when it comes to your health and wellbeing. However, how many of you interested in optimizing your health and performance have considered the same for your pets?
Last year there were numerous recalls of pet foods being imported from China and there was even a recent seizure at a Joliet, Il based PETCO warehouse because of “widespread and active rodent and bird infestations.” Obviously, when it comes to your pet’s health it helps to be proactive in your research approach just as you would with yourself. Pets are just like my members of your family and if you are anything like me, you probably even like your pet’s company more then certain family members as well.
My Kitten Zoe
Kidding aside, one of the heartaches you will have to experience is outliving your pet. However, there are ways in their old age to help slow cognitive and physical decline so they can continue to lead a more active lifestyle into their senior years.
A group of researchers from the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition in Leicestershir, United Kingdom recently studies the effects of branch chain amino acid supplementation (BCAA) in dogs of varying age groups. The four breeds of dogs used were Cocker Spaniel, English Springer Spaniel, Golden Retriever, and Labrador Retriever. The younger age group had a range of 1.5–3.5 years while the older group had a range of 11.1–13.1 years.
What they found was the older group of dogs receiving the oral BCAA mixture prior to the agility training had greater total performance. The younger group supplemented with BCAA’s showed less improvement in contrast. Quite clearly the studied showed that BCAA supplementation across varying breeds of senior dogs increases cognitive performance which could indeed be beneficial for physical performance.
The reason I brought this study to light is because we all take our health seriously but should also not forget about our four legged friends. We have all learned the simple preventative measures embracing the benefits of supplements can help us lead a better quality now and hopefully as move into our “golden” years. It would appear the same proactive approach could be of benefit to your beloved pets as well.
Fretwell LK, McCune S, Fone JV, Yates DJ. The effect of supplementation with branched-chain amino acids on cognitive function in active dogs. J Nutr. 2006 Jul;136(7 Suppl):2069S-2071S.
Full text found here.
Posted in Pet Supplementation
Monday, June 30th, 2008
*warm up sets not included
SLDL: 285 x 8 x 2
superset w/
Leg Extensions: 300lbs x 12 x 2
Narrow Stance Squats (Smythe): 545lbs x 8 x 2
Bulgarian Split Squats: 180lbs x 8 x 2/2
Leg Press: 1080lbs x 20 x 2
superset w/
Laying Leg Curls: 180lbs x failure x 2
Since I’m cutting I’ll be doing more back squats using a Smythe machine. The reason being, I can focus more on hamstrings with these as my quads are fairly dominant. I need to balance the two out a bit more for side chest and tricep poses. Also, I’ll be monitoring my waist size a bit more.
While the Smythe machine isn’t great for beginner lifters packing on fresh mass, I do feel it is beneficial to the advanced lifter trying to avoid injury while lifting heavy and keeping their waist trim. The force applied in the Smythe is generally in the vertical plane which allows a greater focus on the legs as opposed to heavy forces in the horizontal plane shifting some emphasis and energy expenditure to the core muscle groups. This is why I don’t recommend this type of squatting to beginners as they still need to develop a solid core and should be less worried with nuances of physique competition.
Bulgarian Split Squat
Posted in Training
Sunday, June 29th, 2008
Vanessa Adams - Team Prolab
I decided this time around to let someone else design my cutting diet. My reasoning for this is that I’d much rather just follow directions. I have a tendency too “over-think” way to many details of my supplementation and dieting. My approach this time is to be a bit more robotic. Fortunately, my girlfriend also happens to be a national level NPC figure competitor and is sponsored by Prolab. It’s safe to say she knows her dieting and supplementation protocols very well. She has actually designed her own diets so I turned the reigns over to her for mine. Since she also knows my diet inside and out, she’ll know if I’m cheating!
Now this diet does contain a lot of protein powder but I’m still at relatively high calories for a cutting cycle. As we begin to taper down the calories I will be subbing in more whole food so as you guess, the protein powder will be the first to go. Also, you’ll notice the only carbs I’m getting in is from Gaspari SizeON. The only time you really need carbs is around the time you workout is for energy and I had great success using this the last time I cut. Once I get closer to show time I will most likely be dropping this as well probably at around 5-6 weeks out.
Training Days
I have a great mix of protein sources coming from red meat, various fish, chicken, and from whey. I like this approach in the beginning because it helps one adjust a bit better to dropping carbs while keeping some taste variety. Again, as we get closer to showtime I’ll be eating mostly fresh fish so I’ll take what I can get now. Eating fish 5-6 times a day isn’t going to be the most enjoyable endeavor. However, keep in mind this diet is designed for my insulin sensitivity, my specific goals, and my level of lean body mass. It’s not for everyone!
Non-Training Days
One aspect of this diet which isn’t included in these spreadsheets is my weekly carb up. Essentially, based on my progress I’ll be having a very large carb meal once a week where I can eat whatever I want. This is contingent upon whether or not I meet my weekly fat loss goal so I’ll be working VERY hard to get this. My first pending carb-up will be at the world famous L & B’s Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn, NY. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Posted in Diet
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
*warm up sets not included
Seated Dumbbell Laterals: 50lb’ers x 8 x 2
Seated Dumbbell Press:120lb’ers x 6 x 2
Cable Laterals (behind back): 50lbs x 8/8
superset w
Cable Laterals (front): 50lbs x failure
Upright Rows: 205lbs x 6 x 2
Barbell Shrugs: 455lbs x 8 x 2
superset w/
Wide Bar Face Pulls: 200lbs x failure x 2
Dumbbell Shrugs: 140lb’ers x 8 x 2
superset w/
Incline Bench Rear Dummbbell Raises: 30lb’ers x failure x 2
Hack Toe Presses: 360lbs x 20 x 6
Single Leg Seated Toe Press: 90lbs x failure x 3
This was a hard and heavy workout. I haven’t been going that high on dumbbell shoulder presses but was feeling particularly strong today. It’s a real bitch getting dumbbells that size up to a proper starting position but I seem to be managing it a lot easier these days.
Posted in Training
Monday, June 23rd, 2008
Testosterone. Lately, this hormone has been demonized in the press with fictional accounts of “roid rage” and doping in professional athletics. It’s use is synonymous with the designation of being a steroid abuser or an unethical cheater. However, there is a growing movement in the medical community which has clearly demonstrated the need and understands the reasoning for keeping male testosterone levels optimal.
To gain a better understanding of how low levels of male hormones such as testosterone along with sexual hormone binding globulin (SHBG), researchers from the New England Research Institutes performed a population based observational survey. Their goal was to determine whether there was a relationship between male sex hormone levels and metabolic syndrome. This also included a relationship between hormone levels and the individual pathologies which are attributed to metabolic syndrome as well.
Health: Implications of Metabolic Syndrome on Heart Disease
What the researchers discovered is that their large sample based survey of 1885 men showed a consistent inverse relationship between decreased sex hormone levels and a higher risk of metabolic syndrome. Fortunately, the large sample base for this survey also included a broader spectrum of ethnicities and races. The results were consistent among these subpopulations.
What you can take away from this study is that low levels of male hormones such as testosterone and SHBG are associated with risk factors from metabolic syndrome. These would include increased adiposity, insulin resistance, poor lipid profiles, elevated blood pressure, high levels inflammation, and increased risk of stroke as well increased coronary heart disease.
While supraphysiological levels of testosterone is considered to be unhealthy, so are low levels. Obviously like many things in life, balance is key to success. Let’s just hope that testosterone gets a fair and balanced assessment as well and the efforts of progressive medical community aren’t overshadowed by overzealous media and political movements.
Kupelian V, Hayes FJ, Link CL, Rosen R, McKinlay JB.Inverse association of testosterone and the metabolic syndrome in men is consistent across race and ethnic groups. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Jun 17.
Full text found here.
Posted in Advanced Supplement Discussion
Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Yeah I wrote it so what?
Great comedians have the power to make us laugh but more importantly, they offer us a perspective on society and our own very existence we don’t often see. For this reason they have the ability to elicit one of the most underrated emotions one can experience: laughter. Unfortunately, today is a sad day as George Carlin has passed away at age 71.
Mugshot from 1972
George was famous for the way he molded often brutal and vulgar language into brilliant soliloquy rife with irony which captured his audience with great force. His talent for painting the “establishment” as a hypocritical entity and challenging those sought to silence his routine even ended up being brought up before the Supreme Court in the FCC v. Pacific Foundation.
Video not found. This video has been removed by the user.
While the passing of a great cultural icon is never without sadness, I am happy to say that Carlin’s work lives on. However, it’s unfortunate that we won’t hear George’s opinions on the current race for president or the burgeoning clash between the fundamentalist Zionist and Islamic movements in the middle east. His insight cut to the chase in a world littered with bureaucratic facades. He will be missed.
May 12, 1937 - June 22, 2008
“I’m completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.”
-George Carlin
Posted in Rants
Friday, June 20th, 2008
When scanning the ingredient profiles for some of the more popular fat loss supplements you will notice the trend towards overloading them with various stimulants. You’ll see the likes of yohimbine, various methylxanthines like caffeine, and the up and comer phenylethylamine. Their primary mode of action is to reduce appetite, increase mental alertness, and manipulate various adrenergic receptors to potentiate thermogenesis in the hopes that they will elicit some drop in body fat accumulation.
(great book)
While this approach is certainly valid, often there are drawbacks to using such compounds. They can induce anxiety, sleeplessness, increased cortisol production, and often cause a negative shift in the receptors they are trying to manipulate. Fortunately, there are other pathways in the body which can also help increase the thermogenic effect by raising metabolic rate which also avoid some of the side effects classical stimulants have been known to elicit.
Kaempherol is a polyphenolic ingredient found in numerous edible plant species. A research group from Harvard Medical School investigated the effects of kaempherol treatment on the human skeletal myoblasts. They found that kaempherol indeed increased energy expenditure and oxygen consumption via multiple pathways.
The most prevalence pathway manipulated was Dio2 expression. This gene is important in encoding the type 2 deiodinase (D2) that activates thyroxine (T4) to 3,3′,5-triiodothyronine (T3). Now some of you are thinking that increased T3 levels aren’t a good thing, but maybe those of you that are “hardcore” think it’s positive. In reality, slightly elevated T3 levels increase basal metabolic rate and increase thermogenesis which is very beneficial to fat loss. Overall, it appears that researchers from Havard Medical School uncovered the potential of kaempherol as a viable weight loss aide.
In closing, it appears kaempherol as the ability to increase metabolic rate by manipulating thyroid activity. The hardcore audience out there is probably well aware of the effectiveness of raw T4/T3 supplementation so these findings will certainly be of interest to them. However, this could appear attractive as well to supplement connoisseurs interested in an ingredient that won’t increase cortisol levels, negatively modulate various adrenergic receptors, or quite basically leave them feeling “cracked out.”
da-Silva WS, Harney JW, Kim BW, Li J, Bianco SD, Crescenzi A, Christoffolete MA, Huang SA, Bianco AC. The small polyphenolic molecule kaempferol increases cellular energy expenditure and thyroid hormone activation. Diabetes. 2007 Mar;56(3):767-76.
Full text found here.
Posted in Advanced Supplement Discussion
Friday, June 20th, 2008
I’m getting some necessary supplies in order before I start my cut in two weeks. So far I’ve been tapering down the calories a bit and am actually on the same meal plan as my cutting diet except for the fact I’ve added about 350grams of carbohydrates per day. All that will come to an end and I’ll be left with weekly carb-ups.
Tonight’s order included the following:
SKU
|
Product
|
Item price
|
Quantity
|
Total
|
| TL139 |
Twinlab Daily Two Caps Without Iron, 180 Capsules |
$27.59 |
1 |
$27.59 |
| OLABS649 |
NOW Ubiquinol CoQH-CF, 60 Softgels |
$18.79 |
1 |
$18.79 |
| SD017 |
Supplement Direct Acetyl L-Carnitine HCL, 250 Grams |
$23.99 |
1 |
$23.99 |
| NOW646 |
NOW Indole-3-Carbinol, 200mg/60 Vcaps |
$13.89 |
1 |
$13.89 |
| DS002 |
Designer Supplements Lean Xtreme, 90 Capsules |
$37.79 |
1 |
$37.79 |
| ALL042 |
AllMax Nutrition IsoFlex, 2 Lbs., Peanut Butter Chocolate |
$35.69 |
2 |
$71.38 |
| EWI004 |
Egg Whites International Egg Whites Pump, 1 Pump - USA Orders Only! |
$9.00 |
1 |
$9.00 |
| EWI003 |
Egg Whites International 100% Pure Liquid Egg Whites, 4 Gallon Case - Free Shipping! - USA Orders Only! |
$130.00 |
1 |
$130.00 |
I really don’t talk about this too much, but I’m pretty loyal to Bodybuilding.com for my supplement choices. All in all I have well over 45 orders and for good reason: they know how to treat people. Beyond great customer service, the unparalleled information site, and the great forums they offer us, they are willing to protect their customers’ privacy from scumbag companies who want to infringe on your first amendment rights.
While I’d like to say more I obviously can’t because I’m sure the scumbag *******s who are attempting gain my information for comments I made before I worked in the industry are watching. However, I’d just like to tell of you that Bodybuilding.com will certainly protect your rights no matter what the cost. For this they have a customer for life in me and many others.
Posted in Rants
Thursday, June 19th, 2008
*warm up sets not included
Underhand Grip Cable Row: 275lbs x 8 x 2
Close Grip Pull Downs: 250lbs x 8 x 2
superset w/
High Pulley Rope Rows: 200lbs x failure x 2
Single Arm Hammer Strength High Rows: 180lbs x 6 x 2
Wide Grip Pulldowns: 225lbs x failure x 2
Dumbbell Pullovers: 100lb’er x 10 x 2
superset w/
Sarcev Style Wide Grip Deadlifts: 225lbs x 10 x 2
I keep getting a lot of questions about Gaspari Mitotropin which is the new product I helped design. Basically all I can tell you is that it is the ultimate recomposition catalyst for physique augmentation. I apologize in advance for the vagueness of that description but we need to keep things under wraps for now. There are a lot of copy cats out there who let companies like mine do the research for them and they merely scan our labels to see what’s new. Obviously that is very “uncool” but that is the world we live in.
Posted in Training
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
*warm up sets not included
Decline Bench Press: 365lbs x 6 x 2
Incline Hammer Strength Press: 450lbs x 4 x 2
Reverse Grip Supine Smith Press: 225lbs x 8 x 3
Decline Cable Crossovers: 80lbs x failure x 2
Incline Cable Crossovers: 60lbs x failure x 2
Cable Extensions: 200lbs x 10 x 2
Reverse Grip FreeMotion Extensions: failure x 2
Overhead Single Arm Dumbbell Extensions: 30lb’ers x failure x 2
Hack Toe Press: 360lbs x 20 x 6
Today was a pretty good day despite the fact I was told yesterday I couldn’t use my vacation time when I wanted to. I guess the reason I felt today wasn’t too bad is because no one in my office knows I’m leaving in August except for my boss. I was planning on using my last two weeks of vacation my last month but somehow he found out about my career change and put an end to that.
Seriously, I’m really pissed off because it ruins a lot of plans I had with both my father and Vanessa. Fortunately though, I’ll be back on the East Coast permanently in August and will be seeing a lot more of them. I honestly don’t know why I’ve stayed in the Midwest for so long. Perhaps it’s just because how nice and easy things are. There really isn’t a “hustle” about my daily activities and certainly no commuter traffic to contend with.
On a side note I did get quite the chuckle from Anthony Robert’s blog today. You should really read the two most recent entries. Basically, this could serve as a lesson to anyone working in the supplement industry. Basically, DON’T BE THAT GUY!!!! We all know some fortunate people in the industry rake in millions per year. However, don’t flash hundred dollar bills while with a shitting eating grin while leaning over your entire supplement line. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention not to make a Kodak memoryt out of it either?
Posted in Training
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