Archives for May 2016

 

In the early to mid-nineties supplementation was for lack of a better term, almost “mystical.”

Information came from magazines (which happened to be owned by supplement companies) and word of mouth at your local gym/barbell club.

I remember taking a monthly pilgrimage to the local mall to stop by the supplement store for my supply of high protein/high calorie weight gainer.

If I recall correctly, four scoops of this magical formula was 1600 calories, promising gains for days and the physique of your dreams.

Looking back, I spent a proportionate amount of my income on this and other products that were the rage at the time.

 

For a while I started to use desiccated liver tablets.

Then I found out about creatine.

Later it was pre-made  protein shakes in convenient single-serve bottles.

When money was short, I would stop by the local grocery store and force down egg beaters. (If you ever want to test the limits of your gag-reflexes, attempt to chug down a carton or two.)

 

 

It seemed like each month there was a new supplement to try or at the very least a “new-old” supplement would make it’s way to the forefront of all the gym-junkie’s conversations and recommendations.

 

These days, I consider my diet supplementation pretty basic.

Creatine.

Vitamin D.

Fish Oil.

A multi-vitamin.

Protein.

And on occasion,  a good pre-workout formula & BCAA’s (branched-chain amino acids.)

 

In planning your supplementation I think it can be beneficial to think of individual supplements as tools in a toolbox, ready to be added in when the are specifically needed.

 

In normal training the food you eat and amount of calories with an emphasis on your macros will garner the majority of your progress.

As you progress, dependent upon your goals, it can be helpful to “reach into the toolbox.”

 

Are you trying to add muscle?

Along with an increase in calories, adding additional protein and a good creatine product can enhance your results.

 

Trying to lose fat?

Injecting some calorie-burning cardio or conditioning and some protein, BCAA’s, a pre-workout formula and a quality fat-burner can help in obtaining your goal.

 

Just like training, supplementation is a very personal situation and if utilized intelligently can get you closer and closer to your ultimate goals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just finished closing up the business and it was getting late.

It was a cold winter’s night, the type in which you look forward to the comfort of a warm bed.

The last several hours of work were dreadfully slow and the night seemed to drag on forever.

The clock finally struck midnight and I quickly finished up.

 

My commute was about thirty minutes to and from work.

Sometimes I looked forward to the drive as a chance to clear my head, but the drive home on these late nights I usually dreaded.

From so many repetitions of this route, I often didn’t even remember much of the drive at all, sort of like I was on auto-pilot.

 

This particular night, I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

I could feel myself being lulled into a meditative state.

I turned up the radio and put my window down a little so the cold air would keep me alert.

 

I finally made it home, happy to be there after this marathon day.

I jumped into the shower, grabbed some clothes and went straight to bed.

Three hours later I was still wide awake……..

 

Have you ever dealt with yourself or have been close to someone who has battled insomnia?

 

You do the math.

“If I fall asleep now, that will give me 4 hours of sleep.”

You make promises.

“I swear I will never drink coffee after 10 a.m. again!”

You try mom’s advice.

Maybe a glass of warm milk.

You may even revert to the childhood game of counting sheep.

 

 

 

Last time we touched on the subject of sleep and how crucial it is to optimum health.

 

I struggled with improper sleep for years and while none of these ideas are groundbreaking, possibly one of them may do the trick if you find yourself wide awake when you should being counting zzzz’s.

 

• Turn off the T.V and actually all electronic devices. This can be difficult for some that fall asleep with the T.V. on each night. Every so often I forget and have my phone nearby and a 3 a.m. text confirming my paycheck has been deposited wakes me.
• Find a sleeping schedule that fits your lifestyle and stay true to it as much as possible. It can be tempting to stay up late to watch a movie or sporting event, but your real time attention will not have any impact whatsoever on the outcome of the game. This is why DVR was invented.
• Discover what your body likes in term of “firmness” in mattress, pillow etc. Something kind of out of the box that works nearly all the time for me if I’m really struggling to get to sleep is to actually throw a blanket down on my bedroom floor. It is a hardwood floor, very firm and usually sort of cooler in temperature. I throw down the blanket and a pillow and I am almost always out cold in less than ten minutes.
• Drink a glass or two of red wine. (red wine as a supplement.)
• Possibly try a natural sleep supplement. There are a ton of great ZMA (zinc-magnesium) products that have been helpful to myself and others that have struggled with sleep.

Please post any any insights or distinctions you may have discovered in the comments.

 

 

Recently, we discussed how important in schematics nutrition is. 

I would like to discuss “The Court.” —The components of protein, carbohydrates and fats that honor the King (calories.)

Protein

With years of experimentation, I have found that protein is somewhat overemphasized in a sense.

 

One of the natural inclinations is to seriously ramp up protein consumption when first starting out on an exercise regimen.

 

I remember boiling chicken (served with plain pasta, Yum!) Stopping by a local grocery store to purchase egg beaters, spending a lot of time & money researching the best protein supplements, and in a pinch swinging by a convenience store to buy a quart of skim milk (32 grams of protein!.)

I had a constant sense and running tally of how much protein I had consumed and how much more I needed for the day always in the back of my mind and often in priority of anything else.

I would alter schedules, make random stops for purchase, and often ingest protein sources even when I was not hungry in the slightest.

 

Looking back, I simply bought into advice from sources that most likely had a bunch to gain from my obsession to gain muscle in return for a good portion of my income spent on a belief that massive protein consumption would give me the physique and strength I was looking for.

 

Like most entities in life there is something to be said for developing a balanced approach.

Protein is very important to strength and muscle building, but may be a bit overstated.

 

Currently, I feel like if a diet is on point otherwise, one can not only maintain an excellent amount of muscle, but even slowly and naturally build ever increasing muscle through time on as little as .6 grams of protein per body weight.

In fact, I now feel this may the best approach in gaing long term muscle naturally without adding fat as additional weight.

 

The proof is in the protein pudding.

 

1995                                                             2016