Year: 2012

Perhaps you are new to the game of lifting heavy shit.  You've seen some programs which culminate in one all-out set, and other which call for multiple sets with sub-maximal weights.  Why are people using two seemingly different methods to add strength and size?  This article will help explain the differences of using intensity and volume in a training program, and allow you to get a better understanding of how each can be used properly to gain said size and strength.   Intensity When most people think of intensity they think of the literal definition of it: the quality or state of being intense.  So the way most people construe intensity when it comes to a training program is how hard a set is to come to completion.  For instance, if Powerlifter…

The glycemic index has been a popular tool for years.  Yet a fair amount of research has revealed significant holes in it's utility.  Can the GI be trusted to aid in actually controlling your blood sugar?  I won't cover how this effects body composition because you know my stance on this subject. (TL;DR carbs are no more fattening than fats or protein) I shall cover 2 main issues with the GI. How do foods with varying GI’s affect the glycemic response? How accurate is the GI?   GI and Glucose Stuff I came over a new study that examined the glycemic response to fast and slow digesting carbohydrates.  A fast digesting carbohydrate, according to the GI will result in a large glycemic response.  A slow digesting carbohydrate, according to the…

Perhaps some of my readers have above average strength, and you want to showcase your talents in competition?  Well powerlifting is where you'd probably be best off doing this, unless you lift crazy heavy, odd shaped objects (which would make strongman you sport of choice)  I'll discuss my first meet, as well as the little things that can provide you with somewhat of an edge if you decide to compete at some point. I got to the meet way too early because of a registering mess up on my part.  Live an learn.  It's probably a good idea to still get there a little early, so you can load up on carbs and get your weight up a bit before the action begins.  I didn't eat too much, but I…

I've never really wrote one of these before so I'm giving it a shot.  I know you will find these points very interesting.  You will also be able to walk away with some information that might help you reach your goals quicker.  Read on...   1. Carbs are king when it comes to weight gain, size gains, and strength gains. If you are looking to gain weight you need to consume carbohydrates.  Paul Carter at Lift-Run-Bang talks about this consistently and I completely agree on this.  No bodybuilder or large person that you or I have ever seen did so without eating carbohydrates.  I'm sorry if I insulted the Paleo's who read this (of which there is probably 1), but it's true. [caption id="attachment_959" align="alignleft" width="300"] Current and Former NFL Superstars.…

For those of you wondering what FTW means: for the win.  Now that we have that important tidbit out of the way let's discuss if it's worth it for you to spend exorbitant amounts of your hard earned cash on Kre-Alkalyn (KA) or stick with the tried and true Creatine Monohydrate (CMr).  This won't be an introductory piece on what creatine does. If you are interested in learning more about dosing read this.  If you are a newbie to training and are flirting with the notion of creatine use then read this.   The trustworthy supplement companies have made the claim that KA has the same effect as CMr, but can be taken at a lower dose.  It also has fewer side effects!  Due to these reasons, it costs a…

1. I've been doing some research on the cytokine response to stress.  Very interesting stuff.  It's a theory for the causes of OTS.  So far I've concentrated on injury, inflammation and cytokines.  Basically, whenever you put a stress on the body, cytokines (which are basically inflammatory chemical, but not all are) are released and do shit to your body.  The question that I continuously ask myself is how that matters when you are training often.  If they are released after you train 4x per week versus 9x per week, what effect does that have on the body.  So far I haven't seen anything different other than the increased frequency of cytokine release. Why am I researching this you may be asking? I'd like to know more about overtraining syndrome and…

This post was spawned by my current interest in cognitive neuroscience. I find it completely fascinating and feel that as I learn more, I will be able to apply much of what I am learning to helping my clients achieve results in fat loss and muscle gain by modifying behaviour more efficiently. Reading about the Ulysses contract in the book Incognito sparked my interest in writing this particular post. I feel that using this method may help a lot of you get to where you want to go in the near future.   Ulysses Contract: A Short History Lesson [caption id="attachment_922" align="alignleft" width="300"] Shits about to get real... Yet Ulysses kept on course. So can you.[/caption] 'Ulysses, King of Ithica, and hero of the Trojan War, was on a protracted…

 As many of you know, I followed a pretty strict 16:8 (fast:feed), Leangains type diet for a while. Although I still use fasting as a large part of my lifestyle I wouldn't really say I follow any particular "school" of fasting. For those of you who care about what I personally do to keep my lady-like figure (LOL), read on. You may learn a thing or two. First off, let me tell you what my goals are. I'm pretty much at maintenance right now and am not trying to gain weight. If I do go through with the meet, I will need to weigh in at 205 or under. This is not a weight that I can maintain easily. 215-218 is easy for me to maintain and I prefer to…

This is a subject that I have been fooling around with (not literally of course) since the beginning of this year. I've learned a ton about recovery from edu-macating myself as well as seeing it's effects on myself, my main training partner and a few of my clients. This article should open your eyes to the possibilities of what the body is capable of as well as some methods that you can implement if you are having recovery issues. I will admit that I am strongly influenced by the high training frequency crowd. Guys like Jamie Lewis and Matt Perryman have been instrumental in my learning processes of training frequently the proper way. Although both have dug into the research surrounding the topic considerably, they both have their own distinct…

[caption id="attachment_888" align="alignleft" width="300"] Jay, Brett Jones and moi.[/caption] Here is a summary of a few awesome things I learned, the amount/type of exercises I had to do, and other assorted awesomeness that I learned. There are some very interesting high tension techniques I learned that I am looking forward to using on myself and my clients to get them setting new PR's. Day One: We learned the swing, clean, and overhead press. The deadlift was a huge component what we learned. If you can deadlift with a bell, then your swing will improve. The amount of coaching cues and little tips and tricks were very informative and helpful. They were also a little difficult to remember! One common theme of the weekend was that the drills layer over each…