Carb Backloading Results

Welcome to My DoFollow Blog! As a Big Thank You, I'd Like to Give You FREE Access to my "19 Tips to Build Muscle & Gain Weight" Report That Gives You The Key Ingredients For Success in YOUR all your workouts! ~ Marc David; CPT


I think I got a few raised eyebrows when I quietly announced I was going to try Carb Backloading.  There was a little bit of a shock factor.
There’s something so glamourous about swimming upstream contrary to the popular opinion and there is perhaps something unglamorous to being moderate or preaching the current theme of the decade.
But I sure am having fun with it!  So I figured I’d document and post my carb backloading results including a photo, blood work and body composition using the hydrostatic method.
A wise man once said “Results speak for themselves.

This should compliment my previous carb backloading review which goes into the details of the program.
What kind of results can you expect from carb backloading?

The gold standard for body composition has been the hydrostatic method.  I took the test at the end of the 10 Day Prep Phase (highly recommended for my situation according to the book)
and as you can see below.

Pre-Carb Backloading: 11.4% body fat
Post-Carb Backloading: 14.4% body fat; 10.55 lbs of muscle
My goal was to put the pedal to the metal and push the muscle building efforts to the maximum.  When you are in a daily surplus, short of taking drugs, you are going to gain fat. I wasn’t looking to do a body recomposition but get myself to a solid 200 pounds without getting too fat or putting on more fat than muscle.
Are you serious?
10.55 lbs of muscle in 4 months?  

Those are drug like results for an individual who’s been working out for 20 years.  Most people are very happy with 5 lbs of lean mass in a year.
I think my carb backloading results speak for themselves?

When I started to explain how this would work to friends and family, not a single person would seriously listen.  They just couldn’t condone eating bacon for breakfast or sugar sweets after a workout.  In effect, they had been brainwashed into thinking that health is black and white.  If you are curious, check out the carb backloading meal plan post which gives insight as to what I ate during this experiment.

Carb Backloading is…
Shift calories to later in the dayEating lighter in the morning and early afternoon, andFeast at nightAwesome for skinny people who can’t gain weightThis may include skipping breakfast
Carb Backloading is not…
an excuse to eat junk food all dayfasting
Nobody I talked to had a baseline blood test in which to measure any concept of health.
Frankly, people don’t know what it is to be healthy and if I learned one thing during my carb backloading experience, it was that definition of health is not black and white nor is it so simple to define.
While I admit to having a lot of leeway on this program, you do not have to eat junk food. The program allows you to do so without much consequence but there’s no reason why you cannot eat very “healthy” foods that are high in carbohydrates (grapes, white potatoes, jasmine rice) and steer clear of refined sugar items.

The carb backloading diet is all about timing.  In this case it was everything.  Waking up and having a sugary cereal for breakfast is an entirely different context than working out intensely in the late afternoon and having that same sugary cereal.  Same foods, entirely different results.
I used my blood work from 2010 (following a very strict and healthy typical bodybuilding diet).  I compared that to 2012 after I’d been doing carb backloading for 4 months.

Blood Work 2010

and my Carb Backloading Results Blood Work 2012

Check out this before and after:
Cholesterol/Total
118 before
158 after
Triglycerides
81 before
75 after
HDL (good cholesterol)
43 before
60 after
LDL (bad cholesterol)
59 before
83 after
Total cholesterol/HDL ratio
2.7 before
2.6 after
(I’ve been told this ratio is the most important indicator of potential cardiovascular problems)
Reference: Finding the Ideal Cholesterol Ratio

In my non-medical opinion, my carb backloading results seem to say I’m doing better now than when I was into a strict, lower fat, high protein, moderate carbohydrate diet.  In no way am I saying this method of eating is healthier than another when properly done.

If I had to adjust anything, it would be to add more healthier fats.  That might lower my LDL and bump up my HDL  I’d get more fats but increase the good sources.  The next round to improve my carb backloading results, I would ditch any refined sugars and just load more healthy carbohydrate sources and not eat so much junk food.
I admit to not being strict about taking my Omega-3 Fish Oil on a daily basis.  I do eat fish but 3-6g a day of Omega-3 would help.  I’ve switched to walnuts and lowered the amount of almonds.
I picked this quote up from a blog I follow which defines health as more than being free from disease.

Health: “A life of ABUNDANT energy, vitality and strength.” ~Shawn Phillips, author of Strength for Life

At this time, I believe I meet that definition.  10.55 lbs of muscle in 4 months is incredible.


Be Fit, Stay Strong!
Marc David – CPT
P.S. - If you have tried this program, tell me your carb backloading results!

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Cardio Coach Download for Free

Welcome to My DoFollow Blog! As a Big Thank You, I'd Like to Give You FREE Access to my "19 Tips to Build Muscle & Gain Weight" Report That Gives You The Key Ingredients For Success in YOUR all your workouts! ~ Marc David; CPT


Cardio Coach workout … read the post below to get the latest update on how to get Volume 1 for free.
I used to hate doing any cardio until I heard my first Volume of Cardio Coach.  In my experience with high intensity interval training, nothing beats it.  Sean O’Malley has been in my “ear” for years giving me tips and instruction and the motivation I needed to keep pushing and finish strong.
For a limited time, you can download Volume 1A at no charge!  This version has extensive coaching for first-time users.

Here’s How to Get Your Free Full Version Cardio Coach Workout:
http://www.hiitcoach.com/specials.html
(this is not an affiliate link; it goes directly to the site)
His family decided to continue Sean’s dream of promoting H.I.I.T. (High Intensity Interval Training) through a new web site.  On this site they are offering all of the Cardio Coach workouts.  They plan to add additional tracks and an upcoming tribute workout (to be released for 5-4 Day on May 4, 2013).
Please share this blog post or the link above with anybody you think might enjoy this type of workout.  I feel in love with the series with Volume 1.  Maybe they will too.  If not, it didn’t cost you anything to download it or send a link and keep Sean’s dream alive.
audio coaching by Sean O’Malleymotivation instrumental musicseries of challenges to keep you interested in the workout
Go now …

http://www.hiitcoach.com/specials.html
I’d like to wish the entire O’Malley Family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  You raised a very special person into the world that touched thousands of lives.  By keeping the dream alive and giving away what I’d consider the best volume, I only hope others can hear Sean’s words and be as changed as I was to hear them.
Be Fit, Stay Strong!
Marc David – CPT
PS - The button didn’t work for me using Internet Explorer but it did with Google Chrome.

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Gift Ideas for Almost Any Respectable Bodybuilder

Welcome to My DoFollow Blog! As a Big Thank You, I'd Like to Give You FREE Access to my "19 Tips to Build Muscle & Gain Weight" Report That Gives You The Key Ingredients For Success in YOUR all your workouts! ~ Marc David; CPT


Question:
Dear Marc,
My SO is really into bodybuilding.  Being female, I’m cool with it as he looks great but I have no idea what would say that I get this sport and I support him.  Do you have any gift ideas for my bodybuilding boyfriend?

Answer:
So it’s a gift for bodybuilders you want?  Male or Female, here’s a great list for that special bodybuilder.  These are a list of must have items or items that make working out more enjoyable, safe and fun.  Price varies as some are inexpensive but most if not all are under $100.  Any serious bodybuilder either has some of these, most of these or the luckiest of them all, all of these.  But every single idea on this list is useful to anybody who’s serious about building muscle (gym time, cook time, rest time).


The Magic Bullet can be found almost anywhere.  It’s a blender but smaller.  So less of a cleanup.  It can make most shakes and mix up protein quickly.  It’s great for those times when you want to add protein to something a bit more substantial but don’t want the hassle of pulling out the full blender and making a huge mess.

Everybody could use a good gym bag.  The brand is up to you.  Look for something with reasonable weight to it but not so huge that everybody is going to trip over the thing.  I don’t know of a single serious bodybuilder who doesn’t carry a bag.  Seriously.  Stuff it with a towel, protein shaker or other goodies if you want.

Not inexpensive but the best shoes I’ve ever used for lifting.  Working out and doing squats and deadlifts in shoes made for running is a mistake.  But almost everybody does it because most people do not realize there are shoes made for weight lifting.  These shoes give you a nice stable surface so there’s no sideways movement or instability.  The cushion provided by running shoes is actually detrimental to leg exercises.  Get them a pair!  There’s other alternatives but look for shoes made specifically for weight training.

Makes a nice coffee table book if nothing else.  It’s a classic.  This may be more male specific and it might make your mom mad knowing Arnold is hanging around.  Quick!  Hide the maid.  Anyway, still makes a good gift for anybody who’s into classic bodybuilding. There’s lots of good information, loads to read and exercises for when you get bored or you gym gets rid of stuff.


The classic 2003 ebook that started it all, revised and updated and now in hardcover!  Hits the bookshelves on December 10th.  This is the only book they’ll ever need on nutrition.  It’s good for your mom looking to lose weight or an aspiring teen bodybuilder.  This isn’t some fad diet.  It’s what I wish I had 20 years ago so I wouldn’t have wasted so much time trying all kinds of gimmicky booshit.  Totally good book, worth it and will apply to the bodybuilder looking to build muscle or burn fat.  If they don’t have this one, they should.
Everybody could use a good BPA free shaker bottle that will last.  This is dishwasher safe and includes a stainless steel mixer ball.  It will handle all the different types of protein out there.  I’m willing to be it would have mixed up that 1980's crap I used to drink that clumped. Even if they have have one, everybody can use a 2nd, 3rd or 15th shaker bottle.

Almost everybody should be using one especially to loosen up the IT band but almost nobody does.  It’s painful!  But this little device really makes leg day bearable.  You use this for self massage.  There’s a number of different exercises you can do with this foam roller. You’ll be amazed at how the pain in some areas goes away.  Some gyms have them, most bodybuilders don’t.  They’ll be confused at first but a quick search will reveal just how many things you can do with this seemingly simple piece of hard foam.


If they are serious about building muscle and burning fat or just eating right, they will need some storage.  Prepping meals the day before and storing them is essential.  Plastic baggies only go so far.  Like the gym bag, it’s a must.  The nice thing about these type of storage containers is you can get them BPA free and in various sizes.  Even if they own some, who can’t use more?

My favorite pair of lifting straps!  Versa Straps are by far superior.  You’ll probably lose your arms before your grip gives out.  Very safe, very sturdy.  If your lifter is using those leather old school straps or nothing at all, this is a huge and very nice upgrade.

Need more ideas?  The list goes on.
Lifting GlovesMassageRice CookerFat GripzFood ScaleInzer Weight Lifting BeltCaptains of Crush GripperHigh Socks for DeadliftingiTunes Gift CardAmazon Gift CardBose HeadphonesGeorge Foreman GrillSlow Cooker/Crock Pot for making Tuscan ChickenDip BeltGift Certificate to TrueNutrition.com
And there you have it.  If you need a gift for bodybuilders, there’s something on the list for everybody, male or female, beginner or advanced.  I’ve been training for over 20 years and it’s take me that long to accumulate most of these things.  I can’t say I use them all every day but I use them all at some time during the year.  It’s just part of being a bodybuilder. Having the right equipment to do the job.

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Auswahl das besten Pre-Workout-Supplement

Die Nahrungsergänzungsmittel-Industrie ist im Wachstum in den letzten zehn Jahren sprunghaft angestiegen, und einer der beliebtesten Supplement Kategorien wurde die Pre-Workout Produkte. So viele Firmen haben an Bord sprang und erstellt Produkte, damit Sie Ihre Leistung in der Turnhalle zu maximieren können. Aber mit der zunehmenden Beliebtheit von Pre-Workout Supplements geworden es ziemlich schwierig Qualität von Müll zu trennen und Orten genau das richtige Produkt für Sie.

Lernen, was die Top-Zutaten sind und wie sie arbeiten, um Ihre Leistung zu verbessern ist von größter Bedeutung, wenn Ihre Ergänzung-Kauf Entscheidungen. Dieses Wissen besitzen zudem mit einer neuen Option: machen Ihre eigenen Pre-Training-Recht im Komfort Ihres Hauses. Alles, was Sie tun müssen, ist abholen eine Bulk-Flasche der einzelnen Bestandteile, die Sie interessiert und mischen Sie sie alle auf.

Zwar mag es bequemer, eine Ready-to-Mix-Pre-Workout zu verwenden, eigene Mischung von Zutaten mischen kann besser passen Sie weil Sie in der Lage zu kontrollieren werden, welche Inhaltsstoffe Sie verbrauchen, und wie viel davon Sie in Ihrem Körper setzen. Plus, können Sie Ihren Körper von potentiell schädliche Zusatzstoffe speichern und Färbung, die in den meisten bereit-zu-Mix vor Training vorhanden sind. Aber unabhängig davon, ob Sie eine fertige Mischung oder mischen eigene, Sie müssen wissen, welche Inhaltsstoffe zu achten, und die empfohlene Dosierung dieser Inhaltsstoffe.

Die besten Bodybuilding-Pre-Workout Supplement-Zutaten sind im folgenden Artikel der drei getrennt aufgeführt:

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Contest-Berichterstattung: 2013 NPC Nationals

Der 32. jährlichen NPC Bodybuilding Meisterschaften, die an ein Ereignis geplant ist platzieren November 22 bis 23 im Broward Center for Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Die Karte verfügt über Männer Bodybuilding, Damen Bodybuilding, Herren-Körperbau, women's Physique, Abbildung und Bikini. Bis zu 62 IFBB erhält pro Karte auf den zwei bestplatzierten oder der Gewinner in jeder Division Klasse, je nach jede Abteilung besondere Regeln.

Die vollständigen Ergebnisse und eine Zusammenfassung der Männer und der Frauen Bodybuilding ab 2013 NPC Nationals können auf den folgenden Link gefunden, sobald das Ereignis kommt zu dem Schluss:
Schnelle Ergebnisse, bestehend aus der gesamten Gewinner und pro-Karte Gewinner der einzelnen Abteilungen werden unter veröffentlicht.

Allgemeine Division-Gewinner:
Men's Bodybuilding: Kevin Jordan.Frauen Bodybuilding: Victoria Dominguez.Men's Physique: John Arterberry.Women's Physique: Kelli Schrader.Abbildung: Elissa Martis.Bikini: Janet Layug.
Men's Bodybuilding Pro Karte Gewinner:

Super Heavyweight: Ryan Pateracki (1.) und Joel Thomas (2nd).Heavyweight: Kevin Jordan (1.) und Brad Rowe (2nd).Light-Heavyweight: Chris Tuttle (1.) und Lorenzo Jones (2nd).Mittelgewicht: Thomas Anderson (1.) und Danny Hester (2nd).Weltergewicht: Edward Foster (1.) und Alfredo Prinz (2nd).Lightweight: Damion Ricketts (1.) und Marlae Ruelas (2nd).Bantamgewicht: David Nguyen (1.) und James Shumpert (2nd).

Women's Bodybuilding Pro Karte Gewinner:
Heavyweight: Victoria Dominguez (1st).Light-Heavyweight: Sarah Mathison (1st).Mittelgewicht: Alana Shipp (1st).Lightweight: Patricia Watson (1st).

Men's Physique Pro Karte Gewinner:
Klasse A: Jermaine Ward (1.) und Austin Standage (2nd).Klasse B: Brian Hendrickson (1.) und John Farrell (2nd).Klasse C: Eric Heidelberg (1.) und Austin Standage (2nd).Klasse D: Pierre Vuala (1.) und Reuben Gordon (2nd).Klasse E: John Arterberry (1.) und Qaadir-Majeed (2nd).Klasse F: John Bowmar (1.) und Matt Pattison (2nd).

Women's Physique Pro Karte Gewinner:
Klasse A: Hannah Hallman (1.) und Lenore Kaiser (2nd).Klasse B: Kelli Schrader (1.) und Nickie Clark (2nd).Klasse C: Eunika Desir (1.) und Dolly Lazarre (2nd).Klasse D: Lynn Reif (1.) und Kimberley Raber (2nd).

Abbildung Pro Karte Gewinner:
Klasse A: Jessica Thompson (1.) und Rosalyn Dudding (2nd).Klasse B: Shalako Bradberry (1.) und Ivana Ivusic (2nd).Klasse C: Jessica Canty (1.) und Shelina Azan (2nd).Klasse D: Carly Starling Horrell (1.) und Michelle Horan (2nd).Klasse E: Elissa Martis (1.) und Annette Mendez (2nd).Klasse F: Healohanani Montgomery (1.) und Angie Garcia (2nd).

Bikini Pro Karte Gewinner:
Klasse A: Caryn Paolini (1.) und Amy Updike (2nd).Klasse B: Lisa Asuncion (1.) und Lisa Schimkat (2nd).Klasse C: Antanique Landry (1.) und Lisetter Howard (2nd).Klasse D: Anne Marie Caravalho (1.) und Samantha Karr (2nd).Klasse E: Marcela Cabral (1.) und Alexa Hotaling (2nd).Klasse F: Janet Layug (1.) und Jade Carroll (2nd).
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Contest-Berichterstattung: 2013 Tijuana Pro und Felicia Romero Pro Abbildung Classic

Zwei pro Verlosung fand am 15. November bis 16, markiert das Ende der Saison 2013 IFBB Wettbewerb. Diese Wettbewerbe waren die Tijuana Pro und das Felicia Romero Pro Abbildung Classic. Die Tijuana Pro hatte zwei Divisionen, men's Bodybuilding und Bikini, als Teil der Show in Tijuana, Mexiko. Ehemaliger Mr. Olympia Champion Dexter Jackson war der einzige Big-Name in der Bodybuilding-Lineup, das aus nur sieben Bodybuilder, und er hatte wenig Schwierigkeiten entstehen an der Spitze.

Auf der anderen Seite überwand Crystal Matthews eine große Lineup, bestehend aus bewährten Bikini Wettbewerber und mehrere Up-and-Debütanten unterwegs zu ihrem ersten Platz. Eine Zusammenfassung und die vollständigen Ergebnisse der men's Bodybuilding und Bikini-Wettkämpfe von der 2013 Tijuana Pro finden Sie hier.

Was die Felicia Romero Classic diese Show fand in Mesa, Arizona, und es war alles über die Figur-Division. Wettbewerb Projektträger Felicia Romero ist Konkurrentin Abbildung selbst, also es nur, ihre eigene Show angemessen ist highlight dieser Teilung. Alicia Coates konnte ihren zweiten pro Sieg des Jahres, als sie kam vor Brooke Erickson und Kristin Dunn, der in der zweiten und dritten Platz, bzw. platziert. Coates gewann der Kentucky Muskel Pro nur eine Woche zuvor in dem, was war ihr pro Debüt. Sie hatte ihre IFBB pro Karte im Juni bei den Landesmeisterschaften 2013 NPC Junior verdient. Mit zwei Siegen in ihren ersten beiden pro Wettbewerbe Coates ist eine steigende Perspektive in der Division pro Abbildung und einen Namen aufpassen, denn die 2014 Contest Saison.

Die vollständigen Ergebnisse des Geschäftsbereichs Abbildung aus der 2013 Felicia Romero Pro Abbildung Classic sind wie folgt.

Abbildung:

1. Alicia Coates
2. Brooke Erickson
3. Kristin Dunn
4. Sascha braun
5. Crystal Lowrey
6. Francine Sablan
7. Alessandra Barata Pinheiro
8. Dawn Fernandez
9. Karen Noorlun
10. Cinderella Richardson
11. Kimberly Dickson
12. Tarah Mitchell
13. Veronica Jackson
14. Devin Hockensmith
15. Lisandra McGrath
16. Chris Kramer
16. Robyne Roveccio

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Cardio and Fat Loss

Welcome to My DoFollow Blog! As a Big Thank You, I'd Like to Give You FREE Access to my "19 Tips to Build Muscle & Gain Weight" Report That Gives You The Key Ingredients For Success in YOUR all your workouts! ~ Marc David; CPT


Just the other day, I got off the phone with a friend I’ve know for years.  He told me how many times per week he’s doing cardio (spin, zumba, etc) and does some weight training but not much.  He’s frustrated that his fat loss seems to have come to a complete halt.

In fact, in the last month, he’s fluctuated about two pounds!

I tried to explain cardio as a tool that he could use to put himself further into a calorie deficit but that his main goal should be to focus on weight training and building muscle.  As usual, the advice I willingly gave was met with endless debates about the necessity of cardio.  After which he told me he thinks he’s been in a 50% deficit! (that’s 50% below what he needs to maintain his current level of activity).

My advice was simple.. reduce the cardio, start eating more and focus on the weights.  Maybe even consider eating at his maintenance level for a bit or even go into a surplus!  He wouldn’t hear of it.  He was willing to consider less of a deficit but there wasn’t a chance he’s ever think of eating too much more as it might put on fat.

To give you some perspective, he’s a 201 lb male eating about 1600 calories a day.
To give you some perspective, I’m 190 lb male eating about 4000 calories a day and I do one “cardio” session on Sunday for about 30 minutes.  It’s nothing more than a warm up for 5 minutes, followed by 6 all out sprints and a cool down.  Not much but it keeps me as lean as I need to be right now.

Why do I dislike cardio!
I don’t.  Not at all.  In fact Tom Venuto of the Burn the Fat Inner Circle says it best.
“Fat Loss is not a function of cardio. It is a function of a calorie deficit.”


Unless you are training for a specific endurance type event, I advise most people to do as little cardio (low intensity steady state) as possible and use it as a tool to put themselves into a calorie deficit (deeper if necessary).  For the record, when I mention cardio I’m not talking about daily movement or brisk walking.  I’m usually referring to some activity that gets your heat rate into a moderate zone, has you sweating but able to talk.  It’s more than hiking but less than a 400 meter relay pace for sure.

Focus on weight training, tighten up your nutrition to meet your goals and use cardio as a tool to put you into or further into an aggressive calorie deficit to burn off fat.  Used improperly, it just leads to too much of a calorie deficit which can result in a slowdown or a halt of any fat burning progress.
If you want something fun to do this month, try the holiday challenge!  Registration closes on November 21, 2012.

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I Love Bodybuilding Because You Get What You Put In

It occurred to me while driving that not many things in life are free and certainly without somebody taking a piece of your effort.  Take for example…

WagesFinancial IncomeBonus ChecksLicensesPurchasesand so much more

All these things can be taxed.  While this isn’t a fair comparison (the cost of living in society is not the same as personal accomplishments)
, it’s the number one reason why I love bodybuilding.  It gives me a sense of accomplishment that cannot otherwise be diminished.

If I workout 100%, I get 100% of the gains.  Nobody can take that away.  If I workout 110% (a bit of overtime on the calves)
I get that bonus and nobody can take that away.  It’s the only sport I’m intimately familiar with that cannot be touched by political correctness (no matter how you spin it, no two people will ever be equal).

You cannot change it from a privilege to a right thru any means.  For example…
You can change a privilege to drive to a right to drive thru laws and regulations but you cannot change bodybuilding from a privilege to workout to a right to workout even with magic fairy dust.

If I choose not to workout and engage in the correct behaviors for success, I will not be successful.  Nobody can cut me a check for a lack of effort from your gains to make up for my shortcomings.  If you don’t put in, you don’t get out.  This is why I love bodybuilding.

You can accuse me of using drugs or being genetically gifted or having too much time to workout when you have a life to live but unless I allow your words to be true, you still cannot take away my success except thru mental trickery.

You can take my wages, you can take my capital gains, you can tax me on a new car, my registration and my bonus checks but you cannot tax my gains on muscle gained or fat lost.  You will never make me equal to another person who works less than I do in an attempt to make accomplishments equal.  The feeling of success or failure is all me and while I have support along the way, the ultimate success rests upon my shoulders.
Be Fit, Stay Strong!
Marc David – CPT
It’s obvious I love bodybuilding but why do you?

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Lose Weight in a Week Guaranteed

The Key Ingredients For Success in YOUR all your workouts! ~ Marc David; CPT


Lose weight in a week you say?  Is it possible?  Is it safe?  Is it legal?


Not only is it legal but it’s safe and involves no drugs (unless you consider carbohydrates and sugar a drug).
 This non-revolutionary method has been used by thousands of bodybuilders for decades to get ready for a contest.  It’s been used by many diet experts that took the contest prep idea too far and turned it into a lifestyle.  It’s been used by average people to strip away fat and weight without even knowing what they were doing. And it’s part of a preparation phase for people looking to gain weight.

So what is this ultra super secret revolutionary method to lose weight in a week?  Let’s make the definition of a week to 10 days.  7 days is almost enough but add on just 3 more and you’ll notice a significant change in your body.

Eliminate usable carbs— all carbs except fiber—for 10 days.  Ultra-low carb for 10 days—all day every day.  It’s like carb backloading for weight gain without the carbs.
Taking away carbohydrates from the diet to somebody who’s never done it or not used it, offers up a few surprises.  To the uninitiated person, the changes can be subtle to dramatic and when confused they are likely to stop.  They quit in a few days because they don’t realize the experience is normal.  Let’s break down what happen during the 10 days so you have a full understand of what happens during this phase and why things happen.

So what was my weight loss doing low carb for 1 week?
I went from 182 to 178 in a week by following the steps below.  I felt fine (minus a couple of days) and my training in the gym didn’t suffer.  It did surprise me as I’d be indoctrinated to believe you needed carbs pre-workout or you wouldn’t have the energy.  Not true.

Lose Weight in a Week Phase 1:  Days 1-4
In about 3 days, your body will burn thru it’s glycogen stores.  Maybe longer if you are totally inactive or shorter if you are some super athlete (runner, long high volume gym sessions).  I laugh when people tell me they need to eat carbs before a workout for energy. Do they not understand the body stores energy for more than a few hours?

You store about 3 grams of water for every 1 gram of carbohydrate.  So as your glycogen stores start to deplete from using your stored energy (carbs), you’ll lose water weight. Most of the weight loss is water at this point (~60%) and the rest is fat.  Expect that weight gain to come back when you start eating carbs again and filling up your reserves.

So the first 4 days or so, most of the weight lost will be water as your glycogen stores are used but there will be some fat lost.  Don’t expect miracles yet!  But you are on your way the lose weight in a week promise.

Lose Weight in a Week Phase 2:  Days 3-6
Now that your body’s reserves are nearly drained, you’ll start to produce ketones.  These ketones are going to be used for short duration exertion and brain function.  Somewhere around the 6th day, the ketone production reaches a peak.  Some call this a cross over point where your body has no more carbohydrates to burn but ketone production lags a bit behind.  This phase is where people complain that low carb diets make you mentally foggy. It’s here where you might experience those common symptoms. You are changing your body’s primary fuel source.  You didn’t think that came without any noticeable effects?

Lose Weight in a Week Phase 3:  Days 7-10
“Body, please stop using carbohydrates for energy and use ketones.  Thanks!”
 It’s referred to as fuel reorientation.  You’ve run out of carbohydrates for energy long ago, you started producing ketones and now you are using them as fuel.  But when’s the last time you used that fuel transport?  Probably at infancy!

At this point you are using a new fuel source.  The mental lethargy from the last stage should be over and you’ve successfully adapted to life without carbs.   Congratulations, your certificate in is the mail.
Go weigh yourself, you’ve lost weight in a week guaranteed!

So you can lose weight in a week but here’s my own take on this.  I think the low carb lifestyle isn’t for everybody.  While I did the 10 day preparation phase myself, I would not want to make this into a long term lifestyle.  Eliminating your body’s primary and most efficient fuel should is a mistake.

Carbohydrates are critical to proper athletic functioning.  I’m not saying it’s impossible to live sans carbs and perform at high levels but I am saying it’s not efficient nor fun unless that’s your thing.
Carbohydrates are the most anabolic substance you can take legally.  If you are seriously about building muscle fast, a low carb lifestyle is not the way to go.

That being said, this is the lose weight in a week method that worked wonders for me.  I used it for my carb backloading experience and I lost almost 7 pounds in 10 days!

I’d look at the carb-nite solution for a more realistic approach to limiting your carbohydrate intake if you are looking to lose weight vs carb eliminating entirely.

Additional Tips to Lose Weight in a Week:
Wanna get to the last stage faster?  Toss in a couple of high intensity interval training sessions.  You’ll use up your glycogen stores faster and within a week, be using ketones for energy.Drink plenty of waterDo not forget that fiber is important.  Most fiber is obtained thru carbohydrate sources.  That’s gone now and fiber is ultra important.  Better eat those vegetables.You’ll find it nearly impossible to gain weight during this phase and eating all protein and fat meals is extremely filling.Your hunger levels may decrease during this phase, make sure you eat enough to support your activity levels.
Be Fit, Stay Strong!
Marc David – CPT

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5 Keys For Teen Bodybuilders

If you're a teen bodybuilder and you're passionate about training and perhaps even competing, you are extremely fortunate. Some people don't find that type of passion until they're much older—and many never find it at all. Having something that you're passionate about motivates you and gives you a focus that will enrich your life.

Your ambitions in bodybuilding are probably sky-high right now, but I'll let you in on a secret: Your passion doesn't have to be something that makes you money or makes you famous in order to sustain you. It just has to be something that makes you happy and gives you a sense of satisfaction. Bodybuilding is a great passion to have, because it's all about being healthy and living a clean lifestyle.


That said, I know as well as anyone that there's plenty of bad information out there. My goal is to help you know how to separate the two. I've earned my knowledge about bodybuilding and muscular development over a time period spanning longer than you've been alive. I can't think of too many things that would be more rewarding than attaining the body you want through knowledge and experience.
If you were my son, this is the exact advice I would give to you. Use it wisely! If it helps, you can think of me as that "buff dad you never had."

Tip 1 /Find a Great Mentor
There's no hard-and-fast rule about what a mentor is, or who is qualified to be one. But after you've been through the wringer of physique transformation—especially for competition—you'll realize how important it is to have someone who shares your passion, inspires you, and pushes you to the next level.
Your mentor doesn't have to be a professional or someone who competes on a national level—although they can be. They might be older, or they might be your age. They don't even have to be someone who directly coaches you, helps design your program, or maps out your nutrition—although they might.
What a mentor provides is more vague—and more important in the long term. They keep you accountable. They keep your best interests at heart, and their personality motivates you. That may not sound like much, but remember: Bodybuilding is a lifestyle, more so than almost any other sport. You can get strong without support, but you won't stay strong without it.

Tip 2 /Surround Yourself with the Right People
When you're new to bodybuilding and trying to learn, grow, and reach your goals, the last thing you need is to be surrounded by people who don't "get" what you're doing. Spending day after day around people who don't understand why you bother working out can bring you down and kill your motivation.
The answer isn't to dump your family or friends. It's to get to know other bodybuilders in your community and at your gym. Maintain a social circle that understands what you do and why, and who can provide you with camaraderie and shared experiences. Bodybuilding is too long and difficult of a journey to do alone.

It'd be great if you could just walk into the gym and find the perfect posse, but I know it doesn't happen that way. Even if you don't have bodybuilding friends in your area, you can still find community through my Facebook page, or by signing up for your own BodySpace account and getting acquainted with the The Skip La Cour - Mass Machine Bodybuilding thread on the Bodybuilding.com forum.
I created the thread in the hopes of allowing people at all points of the process to hook up and communicate. And sure enough, the people who participate in the thread are incredibly supportive of each other. There are people there who can help celebrate successes and give that push to move forward. That kind of community can be important, especially for a teen bodybuilder who isn't receiving it elsewhere.

Tip 3 /Get Your Information from the Right Sources
There's so much information on the Internet about bodybuilding—and everything else—those of us who were around back in the pre-Net days can barely believe it. This is both good and bad. Plenty of what you see if you type in a simple question is just plain wrong. It will slow your progress, get you hurt in the short term, and damage your health in the long term.
This is especially true in social media and on forums. Everybody under the sun has an opinion, and you have no way of determining if they know what they're talking about. One of the worst things you can do is post your nutrition plan or your workout routine on a forum and ask people for their input. Half of them will tell you it's awesome, and the other half will tell you it's stupid. That just leaves you confused and running from program to program, based on advice from total strangers.
What's the answer? Stay skeptical and be patient. Seek out respected and responsible sources of bodybuilding information. On my website and sites like Bodybuilding.com , you can get information that is well-researched and based on solid science and years of experience. Steer clear of half-baked bro-science and be wary of opinions on Facebook, Twitter, or random forums from people you don't know.

Tip 4 /Be Confident on Your Own Path
When I was just starting out, I lived in a town where I didn't know anyone in bodybuilding. I was passionate about the sport, and I decided I wanted to enter my first competition, a small local event. I trained my heart out for months and I was so pumped up and excited about seeing what I could do.

Skip La Cour is a six-time national drug-free champion bodybuilder who has won 15 bodybuilding competitions in his career. His 10 books, eight top-selling DVDs and five audio seminar courses have helped thousands of people at all training levels reach their goals. His Mass Machine Bodybuilding thread on the Bodybuilidng.com has also grown into a phenomenon, with more than 8,000 posts and more than 500,000 views.
Skip also owns and operates the Mass Machine Nutrition supplement line, available through the Bodybuilding.com online store. Mass Machine Nutrition was nominated for "New Brand of the Year" in the 2012 Bodybuilding.com Supplement of the Year Awards.
About two weeks before the event, a friend of mine took me aside and told me I had no chance of winning. He wasn't a bodybuilder, but he was a local, and he swore that I had no chance of winning because I was new on the scene and the judging was too political.
By the time he told me this, I was already totally committed. I'd been working hard for a long time and the event was right around the corner, so his advice didn't change anything. I actually went on to win that event, but what if he had given me his "insider knowledge" when I first started training for the competition? I probably would have believed him, I probably would have quit, and I certainly wouldn't have won that event.
Unlike a straight numbers game like golf, perception and judgment are part of the process in bodybuilding. Unfortunately, everyone sees the world through their own eyes. So ultimately, you have to decide for yourself what you're up for: how much humiliation or failure you're willing to risk, and how far you want to go. You may have the world's best mentor and a great community behind you, but ultimately, it's all still up to you.
Listen to the advice of people who know what they're talking about. But when it doesn't sound right, research the facts yourself and make decisions based on your gut.

Tip 5 /It's All about Your Mindset
This last piece of advice is one of the most important things I can say to you: Your mindset is everything. It means more than your metabolism, your genetics, whether you have a coach, and even what kind of gym you have access to. If you are determined, if you believe in yourself, and if you continue to work past any obstacle, you can achieve your goals.

You may only stick with bodybuilding for a few years. One day—maybe sooner than you think—work, kids and life in general may cause you to stop training. On the other hand, you may still be training hard when you're 60. Teen bodybuilders are the champions of tomorrow; with the right mental approach, you can go as far as you dream in this sport.
Leave your comments below. Tell me what helps you to take your efforts to a higher level.

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All About Glutamine: Your Expert Guide

If your body was a country club for supplements, you'd see glutamine everywhere: chilling by the pool, hobnobbing with directors, and playing entirely too much tennis.

As the most abundant amino acid in the body, glutamine can be found in muscle tissue, plasma, and in nearly every animal product you ingest. On average, it constitutes a little more than five percent of the amino acids found in animal-derived protein sources such as meats, dairy products, and eggs. That may not sound like much, but make no doubt: Glutamine is critically important to a wide range of bodily processes.

Expert Guides: Glutamine
Something this important has to be an "essential" acid, right? Not exactly. Glutamine is considered "conditionally essential." This means your body can produce enough to meet its needs under normal circumstances, but not always. In other words, you need to consume dietary sources of glutamine under certain circumstances when your body is under extreme duress.

As a supplement, glutamine has plenty of die-hard fans. It also has detractors who say that unless you are a recovering burn patient, this amino is best left on the shelf. I'm here to sort through the research and help you decide if glutamine is right for you.


Glutamine is created in the human body when the non-essential amino acid glutamate (or glutamic acid) is broken down and binds with nitrogen-containing ammonia molecules. Think of glutamine as a kind of nitrogen sponge. It mops up ammonia and shuttles nitrogen between tissues, where it can be used for cell growth and tissue repair, among many other functions. It's been reported that some 30-35 percent of all nitrogen derived from protein breakdown is transported in the form of glutamine. Glutamine can also be broken down to re-synthesize glutamate, which makes glutamine a critical source of ammonia and nitrogen.

Approximately 70 percent of your body's internal glutamine is produced in skeletal muscle, from where it travels to the small intestine, kidneys, and white blood cells. These are the dominant sites of glutamine usage.
Internal levels of this amino acid depend on various factors. Pregnancy and lactation significantly deplete the body's glutamine stores, as do exhaustive exercise, illness, disease, starvation or fasting, rapid growth and development, and other conditions of extreme physiological stress. These are some of the conditions where increasing your glutamine intake or considering supplementation is appropriate.

Glutamine—like other alpha-amino acids—is involved in regulating protein synthesis and breakdown. However, there's far more to it than that. Glutamine significantly affects BCAA metabolism, gut barrier maintenance, normal immune function, glucose formation, water transport, neurotransmission, and more.

Your kidneys are a primary consumer of glutamine use that's where the ammonia cleaved from glutamine works to maintain your body's acid-base balance. Anywhere you find ammonia, you'll find glutamine. As metabolic acidosis increases—as in response to intense training or a high-protein diet—renal uptake of glutamine soars. In fact, one study found that just four days of a high-protein, high-fat diet, was enough to cause a 25 percent drop in glutamine levels in the plasma and muscle tissue.

If all of these competing uses begin to outpace your body's ability to produce glutamine, then you may start to show signs of deficiency, including muscle wasting, depleted energy, and increased susceptibility to infections.

What Are the Performance and Physique Applications? ///
Despite glutamine's various functions, little evidence suggests it will directly result in increased muscle mass, reduced body fat, or gains in muscle strength or power in normal, healthy people. However, given how stressful intense training is on the human body, athletes may see certain benefits from supplementing with significant levels of glutamine, or from stacking it with other supplements.

One study found that when athletes suffered from mild dehydration, supplemental glutamine increased exercise performance and enhanced fluid and electrolyte uptake when combined with a glucose and electrolyte beverage. Supplementation has also been shown to raise levels of growth hormone in response to cycling to exhaustion.


Extracellular concentrations of glutamine have also been shown to activate the signaling pathway mTOR, which is known to be responsible for increasing muscle size. However, here again, the benefits of glutamine supplementation required that other conditions be met: in this case, mTOR signaling appeared to require the presence of BCAAs (leucine, most importantly), as well as some threshold level of cellular hydration.
In another case, collegiate track and field athletes who consumed four grams of glutamine per day for eight weeks, along with a loading and maintenance dose of creatine, saw greater gains in lean body mass than those who used creatine alone. This may sound significant, but it's hard to draw conclusions over a mere eight weeks at such a low dosage. Whether higher doses or a longer study would have resulted in significant differences is anyone's guess.

What Are the Differences Between Types of Glutamine? ///
Other than your stack, the most important thing to consider when selecting a glutamine product is the delivery system. If you're purchasing a powder, capsule or tablet, then free form L-glutamine works best. However, because glutamine is unstable, avoid ready-to-drink beverages or protein bars claiming to contain supplemental L-glutamine.

If you favor RTDs and bars, look for the peptide-bound forms of glutamine, such as L-alanyl-L-glutamine, glycyl-L-glutamine hydrate, or an ingredient listed as "glutamine peptide." Just remember that the glutamine concentration of one of these peptide forms is typically approximately 65-70 percent. In other words, there's only about 6.5-7g of glutamine per 10g of glutamine peptide. Dose accordingly.

Regardless of the form, up to 90 percent of ingested glutamine is eliminated during first pass. A mere fraction of the glutamine you consume will make it beyond your liver. The majority of the glutamine you consume being eliminated by the digestive enterocytes and immune cells within your gut.

It's best to avoid products that contain n-acetyl-l-glutamine (not to be confused with N-acetyl glucosamine) or alpha-ketoisocaproyl-glutamine (also known as aKIC-glutamine). Both the acylated and aKIC forms may be stable, but the existing evidence suggests that they're both poor delivery forms for glutamine.

What Should I Use It With? ///
Consider stacking glutamine with sodium and other electrolytes first and foremost. Glutamine transport occurs via a sodium-dependent mechanism, and it has been shown to significantly increase cell volume, electrolyte absorption, and hydration. This might be helpful for both endurance and physique athletes, the latter because cell water volume is one of the many aspects of muscle hypertrophy. Significant decreases in cell water volume can also inhibit mTor signaling, which is crucial to building muscle.

Other candidates to stack with glutamine include:
BCAAs: There are two main reasons why combining BCAAs and glutamine may promote greater gains in muscle mass and performance. First, ammonia concentrations, and therefore glutamine, directly affects BCAA metabolism. And second, mTOR signaling from extracellular glutamine first requires the uptake of BCAAs, primarily leucine. BCAAs plus glutamine might promote performance and muscle gains.

Citrulline: Glutamine functions as a precursor for arginine and NO synthesis by transporting citrulline between tissues. Using glutamine with citrulline might boost citrulline's ability to stimulate the production of nitric oxide, which might lead to better oxygen delivery and nutrient transport to skeletal muscle. More nutrients to the muscle might translate to better recovery and growth. That may sound somewhat indirect, but then again, a messenger substance like glutamine has its hand in a lot of processes.

Alpha-Ketoglutarate: Like glutamine, aKG serves as a precursor to glutamate and has been shown to dose-dependently spare glutamine degradation and increase mTOR signaling pathways, as well as glutathione. This means that glutamine, taken with aKG, might boost the potential for muscle growth and the production of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant.

Glucose or N-Acetylglucosamine: Glucose deprivation reduces glutamine uptake and negatively affects cell growth and survival. If you're on a low-carb diet, it appears that the glycoprotein N-acetylglucosamine (NAG), which is available in supplement form, might be able to restore glutamine uptake and metabolism, potentially boosting recovery and cell function.

It appears that the daily intake of supplemental glutamine needs to be high—at least 20-30 g per day, consumed frequently—in order to raise plasma glutamine concentrations.

To provide some perspective, consider that critically ill patients usually receive a constant intravenous infusion of between 20-30 g of glutamine per day. However, the bioavailability of infused glutamine they receive is 100 percent. It's no more than 30 percent from orally consumed glutamine. Thus, I recommend up to 30 g of glutamine per day in divided doses throughout the day, preferably with meals or snacks containing carbohydrates to support glucose utilization.

On training days, I recommend you consume glutamine prior to or during exercise to support hydration, electrolyte transport, and BCAA metabolism. You could take 10 g before, during, and after your workout, or you could reduce those dosages to 5 g if you also dose in the hours leading up to or following exercise. On non-training days, consume at least 5 g of glutamine at frequent intervals, at least every 2-3 hours, to sustain an increase in plasma glutamine concentrations.

There appears to be no need to cycle glutamine. In fact, there's more evidence to support the need for chronic ingestion of glutamine during periods of extreme physiological stress.

Are There any Side Effects? ///
There's a considerable amount of data supporting the lack of adverse reactions to glutamine doses as high as 30 g per day. A recent 13-week toxicity study concluded that the "no-observed adverse effect level" (NOAEL) for L-glutamine occurred at the highest daily dose provided to male and female rats.
In a human, this dose equates to roughly 0.308 g of glutamine per pound of body mass per day. For a 170-pound adult, that's a little more than 52 g of glutamine per day. Again, this dose was shown to result in an extremely high level of safety with no documented adverse effects.

Yes, glutamine is a key player in a whole host of functions that dramatically impact your ability to achieve your overall health and fitness goals. However, if you're depending solely upon glutamine or aren't using enough, you may be disappointed.

Maximizing glutamine's effects on your body requires you to use your head first. If you're not training hard, your body probably can supply you all you need. But if you're the type who punishes your body regularly, taking it in the right way could help you keep performing at an elite level.

About The AuthorDr. Chris Lockwood earned his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology and his M.S. in Exercise & Sports Science. Your comment has been posted! Because comments are displayed from oldest to newest, it will appear on the last page. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer mattis varius nisi eu aliquet. Integer mattis.Lorem ipsum dolor sit ametFeatured Product
BodySpace is YOUR key to success! Create a profile, meet others, track your progress and much more!

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Dragon Flag

Welcome to My DoFollow Blog! As a Big Thank You, I'd Like to Give You FREE Access to my "19 Tips to Build Muscle & Gain Weight" Report That Gives You The Key Ingredients For Success in YOUR all your workouts! ~ Marc David; CPT


The Dragon Flag is arguably the best ab exercise and probably the most difficult one you can do. If you can do these in “good” form, you have core strength without a doubt. Popularized by Bruce Lee and sometimes referred to as the Rocky Ab Workout, this is one of the top three best ab bodyweight exercises you can do (the other two being the full hanging leg raise and the abs wheel roll out).

This should not be attempted by somebody who is just beginning. This is an advanced core exercise.  If you want to start building your ab core strength slowly, I suggest the classic abdominal plank which is the simpliest type of ab exercise to master or the reverse crunch.

Your shoulders and head should be in contact with the bench (floor) at all times. Notice in some clips, mine is not! There is always room for improvement and it’s why I advise my clients and myself to video yourself so you can see what you are doing and adjust as necessary. My form is good not perfect and I can do better!


usually performed face uppoint your toes (it helps keep you in alignment)grip that bench for supportkeep your head on the benchkeep your body straightavoid bending at the hipsdo not take this exercise to failure (form is critical)

If there is such a thing as a perfect form Dragon Flag it would include no piking, no loss of shoulders or head with the bench, smooth and controlled.

If you desire to do this exercise, start off slowly by doing easier core exercises to build up your strength.  You can start with a leg lift or hip lift from the floor and move up to dragon flag negatives.  Eventually moving to a few repetitions and then sets.  This is one of the very few exercises you don’t want to jump into without a solid strong abdominal core.

Until now, only a handful of professionals and hand-picked amateurs have been allowed to learn these amazing “win smart/win ugly” secrets that practically guarantee you will always have six pack abs every time you lift your shirt (even if you've never stepped foot in a gym). Now, with the unexpected release of this “top secret” information, you can rocket from raw rookie to respected six pack guru almost immediately!
Be Fit, Stay Strong!
Marc David – CPT
PS – If you can do a Dragon Flag, send me the link to your video so I can add it!

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Rest Between Sets and the Effects on Your Workout

Welcome to My DoFollow Blog! As a Big Thank You, I'd Like to Give You FREE Access to my "19 Tips to Build Muscle & Gain Weight" Report That Gives You The Key Ingredients For Success in YOUR all your workouts! ~ Marc David; CPT

Rest between sets
should be 30 seconds to 5 minutes.  True or False?

I’m sure by now you are well aware that rest between sets are just another variable you can manipulate depending on your overall objective (strength, muscle growth, endurance). What you may not be aware of is rest periods between sets have very different outcomes depending on your objective.   Improper use of rest between workouts can eventually lead to overtraining.  Here’s the scoop…

Fixed Recovery Time Between Workouts
Rest between sets can and will vary depending on your objective and the type of muscle fibers in your body.  You’ve probably been told to take 60 second rest periods between sets maybe a bit more and as you get more advanced, you take less rest towards 30 seconds to make the workout more intense.  While it can be that easy for a particular workout routine, your rest intervals really depend on several factors such as:
weight being usedgoal of the training plan (strength, hypertrophy, endurance)type of strength being sough afterexplosiveness of the exercises

Taking a mere 30 seconds of rest between sets for weightlifting would be mistake and lend itself to sub-optimal training results.  Taking 3 minutes rest between sets for something like TRX exercises (not rounds) is sub-optimal as well.  Tossing a random number at your clients is great for the general population but when it comes to YOUR training, you need to know what the rest between exercises should be to obtain maximum results and replenish glycogen.

The rest between sets has a primary goal to generate enough ATP (adenosine triphosphase) to get most of your strength back to complete the next set properly. In about 30 seconds of rest, 70% of ATP has been restored.  You won’t get near complete ATP regeneration until about 3 to 5 minutes of rest between exercises (useful for maximum lift attempts).  After about 2 minutes, you can get 84% of your ATP stores returned and 4 minute rest intervals can get your closer to 89%.  Somewhere about 8 minutes you’ll get complete restoration.

High Volume Training vs. Maximum Lifts vs. Muscular Endurance
Taking this into account, you should see that if you are doing high volume training utilizing alternating sets (or supersets), less than 60 seconds probably isn’t enough rest between sets to allow enough restoration to do another set with an adequate training load. If you are doing force and power generating type lifts, 85% of your 1 rep maximum, 2 to 5 minutes is better suited for regeneration. Resting longer while doing heavy lifts, you can lose approximately 12% to 44% of that force and power generating capacity! This still doesn’t mean you can’t lift heavy with minimal rest but it does mean you may not be at peak capacity.

For example, even with only 60 to 90 seconds of rest between sets, you could do single reps of 85% of your maximum lift with a mere 60-90 seconds of rest between reps. It’s an extended set for sure and just below what’s optimal for such a lift but the intensity will be much harder because of a shorter rest period and you might feel pumped. This is an advanced technique but it shows that rest between reps is a personal variable like anything else.

All this means if that if your goal is heavy lifting, somewhere in the range of 2 to 5 minute rest between sets are optimal. That doesn’t mean you have to wait that long, but don’t be shocked when you start to feel too fatigued and weak to do the workout properly.

Short rest between sets across many sets and reps are not optimal if you are trying to maximize muscular strength and power development. Meaning, if you are doing high volume training, you’ll want at least 60 seconds to 2 minutes so you can continue to lift moderate amounts of weight.
However, if it’s muscular endurance you are after, it is almost common sense that shorter rest between sets would be advantageous in this training situation. In fact, some adaptations can occur with shorter rest intervals and high volume training such as:
increases in blood flowbuffer capacitymitochondrial density

You know that annoying lactic acid build-up that stops you short of doing those last few reps? The burn is so bad you have to quit before it’s over? High volume, short rest between sets may increase that buffer and allow you to move moderate weight over longer periods of time. It’s why going from a regular training program to a high volume program can be a really painful experience if your buffer capacity is very low.
That being said, if you do any type of high volume training (many sets, 10+ reps per set) I’d suggest 60 second rest between sets at a minimum to generate enough ATP to perform your sets at optimal levels. Anything less and you might start off fatigued (heart rate, waste products not flushed, low strength output) to really give it your best effort.

If you haven’t heard, shorter rest between sets might improve hormonal responses that are thought to be responsible for greater stimulus for hypertrophy. Specifically, weight training programs that utilize shorter rest intervals, with higher repetitions (10+) with 55%-75% weight loads, greater growth hormone is released!
However, high levels of growth hormone have been shown to be released in weight training programs that use longer rest between sets (2 to 5 minutes), compound exercises with moderate to high intensity and lower repetitions. Translation, lift heavy with sub maximal intensity and plenty of rest periods between sets.
What you don’t see is short rest between sets utilizing isolation movements or high repetitions with low training loads. To be even more blunt, how much growth hormone is released and how that directly translates into actual muscle growth is not known.

Shorter rest between sets as you can see don’t lead to complete recovery and generally decrease the amount of workload you can do (weight lifted; volume load). If you believe that muscular hypertrophy is the resulted of weight lifted (tonnage) then shorter rest between sets for strength training may not be optimal.
It really comes down to your ability to recover that determines your rest between sets when targeting muscular hypertrophy. If you can recover well enough to lift moderate weight loads for higher reps, then 30 seconds may be all you need. If you are not that advanced, you may need longer rest periods between sets to move the same amount of weight.

The difference is really the training objective of the entire program down to the objective of the actual workout training session. On a heavy training day, longer rest between sets for strength training of 2-5 minutes are best. If you are lifting less weight but higher repetitions, you can opt for short rest intervals IF indeed you can recover.

Predetermined Heart Rate
Instead of using fixed time rest periods between sets depending on the training load and objective, you can use a predetermined heart rate. One method is to set a heart rate rate of 120 to 130 beats per minute as a cutoff for the next set (muscular endurance). A second method is to set the recovery period as however long it takes to get your heart rate back to 65% of maximum.

The first of these methods is better suited to help determine rest periods for cardio interval training. The second method can be used for weight training. After your set, watch your heart rate, when it gets back to 65% of your maximum, initiate the next set. As you get more advanced, your heart rate should decrease faster, and your rest between exercises grow shorter.

The Bottom Line
If your goal is to use heavy weight (85% of maximum and higher), you’ll require longer rest periods between exercise sets in the range of 2 minutes to 5 minutes. If you are using moderate weight (55% to 85%), your rest intervals between sets can be shorter from 30 seconds to 90 seconds.
Taking Creatine Can Help with Your Rest Between Sets Variables:
Bring your stopwatch to the gym and test different rest time intervals.  The primary objective of the rest between sets is to recover the strength required to complete the next set properly.
Be Fit, Stay Strong!
Marc David – CPT

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Contest-Berichterstattung: 2013 Prag Pro und Europa Phoenix Pro

Der zweite und letzte Wettbewerb der Europäischen Bodybuilding-Tour in 2013 nach Olympia ist für Oktober 19 in Prag, Tschechien geplant. Dieser Wettbewerb ist die zweite Auflage des Prag Pro und es verfügt über zwei Männer pro Bodybuilding Wettkämpfe. Im main Event werden die offene Klasse-Teilnehmer, vor allem führenden Bodybuilder Kai Greene und Dexter Jackson, gehen Kopf an Kopf, was einen interessanten Kampf sein sollte.

Greene und Jackson nahm zuletzt gegeneinander beim Mr. Olympia dieses letzten September mit Greene voran kommen. Greene dann fuhr fort, um auf der Arnold Classic Europe zu konkurrieren aber konnte den Sieg Dank nicht Teil auf die große Phil Heath zu verdienen. Aber mit Heath nicht in dieser Aufstellung, Greene hat eine bessere Wahrscheinlichkeit des Gewinnens der Prag-Pro. Der Weg zum Sieg wird nicht einfach, jedoch als Jackson sein und mehrere andere Wettbewerber werden zu ziehen die Enttäuschung und für die bevorstehende 2014-Contest-Saison an Dynamik gewinnen.

Aber bevor die offene Konkurrenz kollidieren, 212-Pfund-Bodybuilder werden eine Kollision von ihren selbst. Titelverteidiger Flex Lewis, frisch aus einem zweiten Sieg bei der Mr. Olympia, wird versucht, den Erfolg zu wiederholen, er erreicht, die erste Prag Pro im Jahr 2012. Er hat noch nicht besiegt werden, da die Gewichtsgrenze der Division sich von 202 bis 212 Pfund in der Saison 2012-Wettbewerb stieß war und er sieht seine ungeschlagen Streifen in Prag weiter.

Aber der Prag-Pro ist nicht der einzige Bodybuilding-Wettbewerb findet am 19. Oktober 2013 Europa Phoenix Pro für den gleichen Tag sowie gesetzt ist. Dieser Wettbewerb bietet auch Herren-212-Pfund-Bodybuilding. Bemerkenswerte Namen im Lineup gehören David Henry, Jose Raymond und Cory Mathews. Achten Sie auf diese drei Bodybuilder zu vie für den Spitzenplatz.

Die Phoenix Pro Europa hält auch der Frauen-Fitness-Wettbewerb im Rahmen der Veranstaltung. Mehrere große Namen sind auf dem Konkurrenten Liste, aber ein Name springt über den Rest. Dieser Name ist Oksana Grishina, wer aus zwei Vize-Ausführungen auf den Mr. Olympia und Arnold Classic Europa kommt. Grishina ist sicherlich die Lieblings gehen in die Show, aber sie werden einige harten Konkurrenz von Trish Warren, Bethany Cisternino und einigen anderen konfrontiert werden.

Gesamte Berichterstattung vor und nach dem Wettbewerb der 2013 Prag Pro und 2013 Europa Phoenix Pro werden auf dieser Seite bekanntgegeben. Die Pre-Contest-Berichterstattung bestehend aus einer Vorschau und Prognosen für beide dieser Shows werden über die folgenden Links zur Verfügung.
Sobald die beiden Wettbewerbe schließen, finden Sie nach dem Contest-Berichterstattung, die vollständigen Ergebnisse und eine Zusammenfassung über die unten stehenden Links enthält.
2013 Prag Pro: Ergebnisse und Recap (werden am 20) 2013 Europa Phoenix Pro: Ergebnisse und Recap (werden am 20)
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Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, erscheinen bei TNA Ringen Bound for Glory

Drei Mal Mr. Olympia Phil Heath wird zu überqueren, um die Wrestlingtitel, die Welt in der TNA Wrestling Bound for Glory PPV Oktober festgelegt. Diese Veranstaltung, von der Viejas Arena in San Diego, Kalifornien, ist TNAs größte jährliche Show. Es ist die Förderung Version von Wrestlemania, wenn auch in kleinerem Maßstab.

Das wird nicht das erste Mal sein, das ein Mr. Olympia auf einer pro-Wrestling-Sendung erscheint. 1999 Spielte sieben Mal Mr. O Meister Arnold Schwarzenegger auf WWE Smackdown. Er mischte sich in das main Event der Nacht und dann legte einige Smackdown eigene auf dann-WWE Champion Triple H.
Bodybuilding und pro Wrestling hatte schon immer Crossover-Appeal und verwandte Fanbases. Viele pro-Wrestler begann als Bodybuilder, z. B. drei Mal Mr. USA Tony Atlas, während andere Bodybuilding verwendet, um ihr Körperbau larger-than-Life wie Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior und der oben genannten Triple H. entwickeln

Heath wird in ein Posedown teilnehmen werden, mit TNA-Wrestler Robbie E und Jesse in, was genannt wird, ist die "Bro ab." Diese zwei Ringkämpfer funktioniert wie eine Tag-Team namens "Bro Mans" und Heath den Namen "Big Bro" für das Ereignis gegeben hat. Dies wird sicherlich ein unterhaltsam-Segment und das pro Wrestling-Publikum erhalten Zeugen einer der größten Olympia-Meister in der Geschichte-Pose-off, oder in diesem Fall "Bro Off" in den quadrierten Kreis.

2013 wurde ein unglaubliches Jahr für Heath, aus seiner Hauptrolle in Generation Eisen, um seinen dritten Sieg in Folge Mr. O, und bis vor kurzem seine erste Arnold Classic Europa -Titel zu gewinnen. Sein Auftritt bei Bound for Glory wird ein Jahr, das zu schwierig scheint cap nach oben. Aber dann wieder, Heath hat noch viele weitere Jahre in seiner Bodybuilding-Karriere und ist bereits mit Comic-Buch-Moloch Marvel innerhalb des letzten Jahres traf. Ist eine Hauptrolle in einem Marvel-Film eine Möglichkeit für Heide in der Zukunft? Wer weiß, aber eins ist sicher, nie Zweifel "Das Geschenk".

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How Technology Reshaped My Fitness

Welcome to My DoFollow Blog! As a Big Thank You, I'd Like to Give You FREE Access to my "19 Tips to Build Muscle & Gain Weight" Report That Gives You The Key Ingredients For Success in YOUR all your workouts! ~ Marc David; CPT


This is a guest post by Joe Pawlikowski, a fitness obsessed blogger


When you’ve been hitting the gym for 10 years but still have a beer gut, you start to ask yourself questions. Where did I go wrong? What is the guy with the six pack doing that I’m not? What can I do differently? When I started asking myself these questions, I had no answers. That’s because I had no data. In fact, I used to laugh at the guys who brought notebooks to the gym. “Just lift,” was my mantra. Fat lot of good it did me.

There was no sense in continuing to pay for a monthly gym membership if I couldn’t at least answer why I still had a beer gut after 10 years of exercise. It was then that I decided to start keeping track of what I did in the gym. Since I run a number of technology-focused blogs, I thought that bringing tech into the equation could work to my benefit. And boy did it.

Two years later I’ve eliminated plenty of fat. I weigh 30 pounds less than I did before, but that doesn’t quite tell the whole story. The journey from beer gut near-six-pack (still haven’t gotten the last leg done) included plenty of muscle gain to go along with fat loss. And it’s all because I started to employ technology in my everyday workouts. Here are the two main devices I use, and how I use them.

The number of smartphone users in the US is growing by the day. At last check more than 40 percent of cell phone users were operating smartphones. All major smartphone platforms — mainly Android and iPhone — have huge marketplaces filled with useful apps. And boy let me tell you, there are hundreds upon thousands of fitness apps. Why not take advantage of them?

Timers. When my gym technology was limited to the discman I shoved in my pocket, I never really knew how much time I took between sets. I’d just amble around for a bit before getting under the bar again. It’s easier to measure progress, though, when you keep consistent rest times. Using a timer on my smartphone means I can ensure that I’m not seeing gains just because I’m taking extra long rest times. Additionally, I can keep times for HIIT routines with interval timers.

Pedometers. While you make deliberate gains in the gym, you can also work towards your fitness goals at any time. Walking more, for instance, can help you remain active throughout the day. I accomplished this with a simple pedometer app. It let me know how many steps I took in a given day, so I could try to beat that the next day. You wont’ melt your way to six pack just by walking, but it can supplement a more rigorous fitness routine.

Run keeper. I won’t do cardio these days without keeping tabs on my time, pace, and distance. Free apps such as Map My Run record your stats and help you track your progress. WIth that data in hand I can make better decisions about my cardio workouts — including when to take a break.

Music. If I’m using my smartphone for working out, I might as well pump some tunes through it. The great thing is that smartphones don’t have any moving parts in them, so you can take them on any kind of cardio or weight lifting workout. (It’s recommended that you don’t run with a traditional iPod, because the hard drive has moving parts and can more easily break.) I like unlimited music apps like Spotify, because I don’t have to think about adding music before I get to the gym. I can just load up one of my pre-made playlists.

Originally I tried to track my progress on my smartphone. Might as well get the most use out of a single device, right? Unfortunately, this proved prohibitive. While there are a number of smartphone apps that will help you keep your workout data, I just found the small screen to be a bit prohibitive. That’s where another of my favorite technological devices comes into play: the tablet PC.

I have Lenovo’s Thinkpad, an Android powered tablet. Yet when it comes to the functions I’m using it for in my fitness routine, it’s the same as an iPad or any other tablet. In fact, you can find a free spreadsheet application for basically any smartphone platform. Google Docs does the job just fine, and it’s especially sweet on my Thinkpad. And, since the screen is 10 inches, it’s easy to record as much data as I need.
Not only can I record the data, but I can also analyze it. It’s easy to create charts and graphs out of whatever data I input: weight, measurements, body fat percentage, sets, reps, weight, etc. Converted into visual form, the data can show me trends in my workout that I never noticed before. It really helps answer the question, “what am I doing wrong?”

Of course, you need to take a few precautions when bringing a tablet into a gym. You can’t go placing it on the ground like a notebook, lest someone steps on it or worse, a weight gets dropped on it. But if you’re careful you can make it work and record the workouts as they happen.

Using both a tablet and a smartphone, I can collect any and all data about my workouts. I know how far and how fast I ran. I know how much weight I lifted, for how many sets, and how much time I took between those sets. I know how much weight and fat I’ve list in any given period. Best of all, I can see all that data visually, which gives me a better idea of what’s working and what’s not.

If something isn’t working, I don’t need to move far to find solutions. A tablet is built for web browsing, and so I can visit fitness sites that I trust to figure out how to change things up. And then I can write down those changes and implement them right into my next workout. Sure, I still have to get under the bar and do the work, but technology takes a lot of the hassle out of everything else.

Joe Pawlikowski is a fitness obsessed blogger who runs multiple technology focused websites. He keeps a personal blog at JoePawl.com
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