"I’ve deadlifted over 500 lbs, squatted 455 for reps, benched over 300 lbs and at 220 lbs can perform 25 pull ups at any time.
Impressive, right? WRONG……
Here’s where it REALLY counts.
My back hurts and I can’t play with my kids without back pain…. and some knee pain thrown in for good measure.
I wake up and walk down the stairs in pain…. hand pain, foot pain, back pain and the pain of feeling like a useless clunk of NOTHING."
"You have two choices:
1) Keep living with the pain, ignoring the issues and continue to do damage to your body.
2) Address the injuries, rebuild your weak areas and turn them into strong areas.
After feeling like complete shit, both physically and emotionally, I wanted to rebuild my body and be a better Dad and a better husband.
I also wanted to be a Strength Coach that could walk the talk, not sit behind a computer telling people what to do while I got fat, weak and made excuses for not training.
Nope.
Men should “live the code”.
In essence, as a man, you need to be strong AND healthy. You need to have a blend of strength, conditioning, flexibility and power, also known as athleticism.
You need to balance your body, get away from focusing on your strengths while ignoring injuries and weak areas. Go on and focus on attacking what will make you healthy AND strong in the long run.
Be brutally honest with yourself. Are you as healthy as you can be or are you avoiding doing the necessary work to help you move better and live a better life for yourself and those you love.
It’s time to go back in time…. again…. what’s old is new again. The men of the past were strong, agile, mobile, conditioned and athletic. They had physiques that men of today worship and they were healthy.
Strength AND Health, inside AND out. Live the code.
This is How I Live the Code now, a Far Cry from What I used to do…"
This was written by Zach Even-Esh . He posted it in a newsletter to Alwyn Cosgrove to share his story with everyone.
This is a great is a great insight to what happens if you read the wrong things. The health and fitness world is so far beyond the dog days of building it is ridiculous. Guys...Do yourself a favor. Take the 225lbs off your back that you cannot squat to parallel and focus on the movement pattern. Take the 225lbs that your friend is dead lifting off your chest because you can push it and do a quality push up.
If you want to read how to get bigger, stronger, faster, healthier, and more agile...pick up a book by Mike Boyle, Eric Cressey, Mark Cibrario, Alwyn Cosgrove, or Todd Durkin! Put down the steroid freak Muscle & Idiot magazines because they serve no purpose in the health and fitness world!
-JP
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
What Makes the Most Sense?
I wrote an article the other day with the title being “Aerobics Will Make You Fatter?” and I got some great feed back with people who have been following my first couple of posts. I did receive a great question from my father in law however. He said to me,” I don’t care how I look, but I want to know how I can live a longer and healthier life with keeping a strong heart. How do I do that without traditional aerobics.?” I responded to him that I would have an in depth answer for him sometime this week. So, here is my response…
My father in law asked a legitimate question. How do you get the cardiovascular benefit without performing traditional aerobics, such as riding a bike, walking, jogging, striding away on the elliptical…etc. It’s no hidden secret now to every to know what side I am on here, but here is a well thought out response as to why I have completely eliminated all traditional aerobics from my own training program and from clients training programs. I base my reasoning on what has been recommend for the general population in the health and fitness industry for the past 20+ years or so.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that every receive 20-60 minutes 3-5 days a week of continuous aerobic activity in a week. I will use recommendation because this has been used for a long time. We then have to take in account that people will want to perform their weight training another 3 days a week and we will say that takes another 30 minutes per day. We are looking at on average 6 days a week for 30-60 minutes a day. Weight training being done on one day and your “cardio” being done on another because we’ve always been told to do those on separate days. Here my problem with this. Who in their right mind has time to come to gym 4,5,6 days week. Or who has time to walk for 4-5 hours a week. Not just that, but you would want to come to gym that much.
So, I look at it this way. We are different times. People have different wants and needs.We are a busier and my social society than ever before. People just do not have the time to be doing these drawn out boring “cardio” workouts. I know I want to go into a training session for myself knowing what is going to give me the most “bang for my buck.” What is going to make the most sense. I struggled for a few years trying to run for miles and miles on end trying to get back into shape. Guess what? I got fatter and slower? I started doing my own research because I said to myself, there’s got to be another way? Well, that’s what we have come to find out. People have done the research and there are more effective ways of starting or maintaining an exercise or training program. I have done the research myself with my own clients. We will get people healthier and more fit with a more systematic approach to an exercise program. Prioritizing with what is the most important to achieving your health and fitness goals. Here are a couple of studies again in regards to what is more efficient when you are going to start an exercise program…
Hunter et al
This study compared three groups:
Diet only, Diet plus aerobic training and aDiet plus resistance training group to determine what effect diet-induced weight loss in combination with exercise training has on body composition and resting energy expenditure.
With similar weight loss – the results showed that only the resistance training group maintained their lean mass and resting energy expenditure (metabolism). The aerobic training and diet only group actually lost muscle and lowered their metabolism. In other words – the strength training group lost more fat and maintained metabolism – meaning that if the program continued for a longer period of time or a greater weight loss, they could continue to lose more fat than the other groups.
Byrne et al
This study compared two groups – Resistance training and aerobic training (walking). The resistance training group increased metabolism while the walking group actually reduced their metabolism)
Bryner et al.Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate.
J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Apr;18(2):115-21.
The resistance training group lost significantly more fat and did not lose any lean muscle, even at only 800 calories per day. Additionally, the resistance training group actually increased metabolism compared to the aerobic group which decreased metabolism.
—
Kramer, Volek et al.
Overweight Subjects were assigned to three groups: Diet Only, Diet plus aerobics, Diet plus aerobics plus weights
The Diet-only group lost 14.6 lbs of fat in 12 weeks but when they added in the aerobic program – that group lost only one more pound than the diet group (training was 3 times a week starting at 30 mins and progressing to 3 x 50 minutes over the 12 weeks).
However the Weight Training group lost 21.1lbs of fat (44% and 35% more than diet and aerobic only groups respectively) in the same time frame.
To truly answer my father in law’s question of how he maintain is cardiovascular health I would have him answer this question. If there was a putter that would save you 4-8 strokes off your round of golf would you use it? So here’s the relative question, If there was a more efficient system for your health and fitness plan to cover all components…mobiltity/flexibility, core stability, strength, metabolic conditioning…in half the time you are doing it in right now wouldn’t you want to do it?
My recommendation for “anyone” would be to start prioritizing your workouts or training sessions with what makes the most sense. You can accomplish anything that you need to accomplish in 30 Minutes x 3 days a week. Focus of the primal movements that the body does. Doing movements the body was made to do…
Push
Pull
Lift
Squat
Twist
Lunge
Balance on 1 leg
Perform these movements in “alternating sets” or “giant sets” with incomplete rest between exercises and you will get the most “bang for your buck.” This is what we would call Metabolic Resistance Training/Conditioning. Performing resistance training exercises with this incomplete rest will be working the same energy systems as you would be doing traditional cardiovascular workouts. This is a lower impact than running or sprints and even walking. This is something that you can do in half the time and reap even more benefits that traditional cardiovascular activities. Metabolic Resistance Training/Conditioning is the future. The bodybuilding and long cardio days are over. Eliminating cardio and isolation exercises would be the best thing anyone can do. Take a look at my “you tube” video I posted awhile ago at a brief example of metabolic conditioning. (Type in Metabolic Conditioning)
A wise man once said, "Two/Thirds of the worlds problems be solved if people would adapt to change." Great point there. It's the same thing here, if you are not willing make a change in your health and fitness goals, how are you going to keep getting your self stronger, healthier, or more fit?
So, ask yourself this question? What makes the most sense? Doing something that has been completing debunked anproven to be not very effective? Or changing the way fitness done? Your call!
Influence of exercise training on physiological and performance changes with weight loss in men.
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 9, 1999.
The effects of a 20-week exercise training program on resting metabolic rate in previously sedentary, moderately obese women.
Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2001 Mar
Resistance Training Conserves Fat-free Mass and Resting Energy Expenditure Following Weight Loss
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008
My father in law asked a legitimate question. How do you get the cardiovascular benefit without performing traditional aerobics, such as riding a bike, walking, jogging, striding away on the elliptical…etc. It’s no hidden secret now to every to know what side I am on here, but here is a well thought out response as to why I have completely eliminated all traditional aerobics from my own training program and from clients training programs. I base my reasoning on what has been recommend for the general population in the health and fitness industry for the past 20+ years or so.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that every receive 20-60 minutes 3-5 days a week of continuous aerobic activity in a week. I will use recommendation because this has been used for a long time. We then have to take in account that people will want to perform their weight training another 3 days a week and we will say that takes another 30 minutes per day. We are looking at on average 6 days a week for 30-60 minutes a day. Weight training being done on one day and your “cardio” being done on another because we’ve always been told to do those on separate days. Here my problem with this. Who in their right mind has time to come to gym 4,5,6 days week. Or who has time to walk for 4-5 hours a week. Not just that, but you would want to come to gym that much.
So, I look at it this way. We are different times. People have different wants and needs.We are a busier and my social society than ever before. People just do not have the time to be doing these drawn out boring “cardio” workouts. I know I want to go into a training session for myself knowing what is going to give me the most “bang for my buck.” What is going to make the most sense. I struggled for a few years trying to run for miles and miles on end trying to get back into shape. Guess what? I got fatter and slower? I started doing my own research because I said to myself, there’s got to be another way? Well, that’s what we have come to find out. People have done the research and there are more effective ways of starting or maintaining an exercise or training program. I have done the research myself with my own clients. We will get people healthier and more fit with a more systematic approach to an exercise program. Prioritizing with what is the most important to achieving your health and fitness goals. Here are a couple of studies again in regards to what is more efficient when you are going to start an exercise program…
Hunter et al
This study compared three groups:
Diet only, Diet plus aerobic training and aDiet plus resistance training group to determine what effect diet-induced weight loss in combination with exercise training has on body composition and resting energy expenditure.
With similar weight loss – the results showed that only the resistance training group maintained their lean mass and resting energy expenditure (metabolism). The aerobic training and diet only group actually lost muscle and lowered their metabolism. In other words – the strength training group lost more fat and maintained metabolism – meaning that if the program continued for a longer period of time or a greater weight loss, they could continue to lose more fat than the other groups.
Byrne et al
This study compared two groups – Resistance training and aerobic training (walking). The resistance training group increased metabolism while the walking group actually reduced their metabolism)
Bryner et al.Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate.
J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Apr;18(2):115-21.
The resistance training group lost significantly more fat and did not lose any lean muscle, even at only 800 calories per day. Additionally, the resistance training group actually increased metabolism compared to the aerobic group which decreased metabolism.
—
Kramer, Volek et al.
Overweight Subjects were assigned to three groups: Diet Only, Diet plus aerobics, Diet plus aerobics plus weights
The Diet-only group lost 14.6 lbs of fat in 12 weeks but when they added in the aerobic program – that group lost only one more pound than the diet group (training was 3 times a week starting at 30 mins and progressing to 3 x 50 minutes over the 12 weeks).
However the Weight Training group lost 21.1lbs of fat (44% and 35% more than diet and aerobic only groups respectively) in the same time frame.
To truly answer my father in law’s question of how he maintain is cardiovascular health I would have him answer this question. If there was a putter that would save you 4-8 strokes off your round of golf would you use it? So here’s the relative question, If there was a more efficient system for your health and fitness plan to cover all components…mobiltity/flexibility, core stability, strength, metabolic conditioning…in half the time you are doing it in right now wouldn’t you want to do it?
My recommendation for “anyone” would be to start prioritizing your workouts or training sessions with what makes the most sense. You can accomplish anything that you need to accomplish in 30 Minutes x 3 days a week. Focus of the primal movements that the body does. Doing movements the body was made to do…
Push
Pull
Lift
Squat
Twist
Lunge
Balance on 1 leg
Perform these movements in “alternating sets” or “giant sets” with incomplete rest between exercises and you will get the most “bang for your buck.” This is what we would call Metabolic Resistance Training/Conditioning. Performing resistance training exercises with this incomplete rest will be working the same energy systems as you would be doing traditional cardiovascular workouts. This is a lower impact than running or sprints and even walking. This is something that you can do in half the time and reap even more benefits that traditional cardiovascular activities. Metabolic Resistance Training/Conditioning is the future. The bodybuilding and long cardio days are over. Eliminating cardio and isolation exercises would be the best thing anyone can do. Take a look at my “you tube” video I posted awhile ago at a brief example of metabolic conditioning. (Type in Metabolic Conditioning)
A wise man once said, "Two/Thirds of the worlds problems be solved if people would adapt to change." Great point there. It's the same thing here, if you are not willing make a change in your health and fitness goals, how are you going to keep getting your self stronger, healthier, or more fit?
So, ask yourself this question? What makes the most sense? Doing something that has been completing debunked anproven to be not very effective? Or changing the way fitness done? Your call!
Influence of exercise training on physiological and performance changes with weight loss in men.
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 9, 1999.
The effects of a 20-week exercise training program on resting metabolic rate in previously sedentary, moderately obese women.
Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2001 Mar
Resistance Training Conserves Fat-free Mass and Resting Energy Expenditure Following Weight Loss
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008
Aerobics Will Make You Fatter?
I have spent my time watching hundreds and hundreds of people walk into gym and the first and only thing they do is hop on a treadmill or elliptical for hours on end. Thousands of gym goers do this every single day in hopes to get into shape and to lose the body fat that they have always trying to lose. We have also seen thousands of people fail at what they are trying to accomplish because they are just not satisfied with the results that they are not seeing. Why, do people stop coming to the gym? Why do people fail at their goals? Why are we fatter than every before/
What I am about to write will probably cause controversy with people who are going to read this blog.. Guess what? I don’t really care…The evidence is right here in front of us. 35% obesity rate in this country and rising! Note: These are studies done on fat loss/weight loss
Here’s my interpretation of these studies…Stay off the treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes. These studies are showing that the more aerobics we do the more our metabolism is decreased. That is because the there is no muscle building effect that takes places when we walk, bike, or jog at long slow pace. The more and more we perform these activities, then the faster your body adapts to the movement. If we do not have muscle growth and regeneration, then we do not have anything to help us to burn calories. So, I would consider this a set up for weight gain? And, you wonder why you are not losing any weight and why we as a nation are fat and continue to be fat!
More to come!
What I am about to write will probably cause controversy with people who are going to read this blog.. Guess what? I don’t really care…The evidence is right here in front of us. 35% obesity rate in this country and rising! Note: These are studies done on fat loss/weight loss
- In a 3 month study, women exercised at 78% of their max heart rate for 45 minutes, 5 days a week and lost no more weight than those who dieted alone!
Utter AC, Nieman DC, Shannonhouse EM, Butterworth DE, Nieman CN, Influence of diet and/or exercise on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in obese women. Int J Sport Nutr. 1998 Sep;8(3):213-22.
- In a 6 month study, subjects did 50 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 5 days a week, and lost no more weight than those who dieted only.
Redman et al. Effect of calorie restriction with or without exercise on body composition and fat distribution. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jan 2.
- In a 12 month study, subjects did aerobic exercise for 60 minutes a day, 6 days a week, and only lost an average of 3.5 pounds for the whole year!
McTiernan et al. Exercise Effect on Weight and Body Fat in Men and Women. Obesity 2007 June - 15:1496-1512.
- In another study, 20 weeks of endurance training cost subjects 28,861 calories, while 15 weeks of interval training caused subjects to burn 13,614 calories, yet the interval training subjects showed 9 TIMES greater subcutaneous fat loss (when corrected for energy cost) that the endurance group.
Tremblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C. Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism. 1994 Jul;43(7):814-8.
- Another study compared 3 times a week training for 15 weeks, 20 minutes of interval training vs. 40 minutes of steady state training. Both groups ate the same. The interval training group lost 5.5 pounds of body fat and increased lean mass. The steady state actually gained an average of 1 pound of fat!
Trapp EG, Chisholm DJ, Freund J, Boutcher SH. The effects of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels of young women. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008 Jan 15.
- This strength training group lost significantly more fat and maintained more muscle than the aerobic training group.
Geliebter A, Maher MM, Gerace L, Gutin B, Heymsfield SB, Hashim SA. Effects of strength or aerobic training on body composition, resting metabolic rate, and peak oxygen consumption in obese dieting subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Sep;66(3):557-63.
- In a 12 week study of 3 groups: diet only, diet plus aerobics (5 times a week, progressing from 30 mins to 50 mins) and diet plus aerobics plus weight training. Diet group lost 14.6 pounds of fat, diet plus aerobics lost 15.6 pounds, and diet plus aerobics plus weights lost 21.1 pounds of fat (44% and 35% more than the other groups, respectively).
Kramer, Volek et al. Influence of exercise training on physiological and performance changes with weight loss in men. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 9, pp. 1320-1329, 1999.
- In a low calorie dieting study, those who added resistance training prevented lean body mass and increased their metabolism while they lost fat, whereas a dieting and aerobic exercise group lost lean body mass and decreased their metabolism.
Bryner RW, Ullrich IH, Sauers J, Donley D, Hornsby G, Kolar M, Yeater R. Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate. J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Apr;18(2):115-21.
- A study showed strength training done in a circuit training protocol with 4 sets of only 3 exercises done for 10 reps each - taking 31 minutes - elevated calories burned for the next 38 hours.
Schuenke MD, Mikat RP, McBride JM. Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: implications for body mass management. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002 Mar;86(5):411-7. Epub 2002 Jan 29.
Here’s my interpretation of these studies…Stay off the treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes. These studies are showing that the more aerobics we do the more our metabolism is decreased. That is because the there is no muscle building effect that takes places when we walk, bike, or jog at long slow pace. The more and more we perform these activities, then the faster your body adapts to the movement. If we do not have muscle growth and regeneration, then we do not have anything to help us to burn calories. So, I would consider this a set up for weight gain? And, you wonder why you are not losing any weight and why we as a nation are fat and continue to be fat!
More to come!
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