On any given hypertrophy training day, you might perform something like 8-12 reps per set. Doing exercises in this rep range will build up a lot of blood lactate in your muscles, which is a good thing for growth. However, when you do straight sets, you get to rest between them. That rest means your muscles have time to recover and clear some of the accumulated lactate.

Lactate is extremely important for muscle growth. In fact, if you take a muscle cell and bathe it in lactate, it will grow! That’s why you want your muscles to accumulate as much lactate as possible, and that’s where strip sets are extremely effective.

Strip sets, which are also called dropsets, extend a traditional set and eliminate the rest period so you build up more blood lactate, cause more metabolic stress, and recruit more of your larger muscle fibers. All of this translates into more growth!

Project Mass Trainer
Watch The Video – 3:33

To perform a strip set, crank out the prescribed number of reps on a given exercise. At the end of your last set of that exercise, strip some weight, and then rep to failure. Once you hit failure, drop the weight again, then go to failure again. Perform this work with as little rest as possible. You can drop the weight once, twice, or even more to extend your set.

If you couldn’t already tell, strip sets should be really difficult. To put it in perspective, a strip set can increase the amount of lactate in your blood four times more than a regular set would! That much lactate in your muscles triggers an enormous amount of growth.

Watch out for strip sets on the daily workout pages of Project Mass, where you’ll find more details about which specific exercises call for this killer technique.

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Even if you have the most bare-bones gym ever, you can do this workout. All you need is a barbell, some plates, and a pull-up bar. It doesn’t always take fancy equipment to get an effective workout!

It may seem strange to do 5 sets of 5 reps for curls, but your biceps play an important role in all of your pulling motions. So, the stronger your biceps are, the stronger you’ll be on rows and pull-ups. Even though they’re a small muscle group, don’t neglect building strong biceps.

DAY 11

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Rest is an essential part of any muscle-building program. In order to grow, your body needs time to recover and rebuild from the tough workouts you put it through.

Rest is an especially important part of your weekly ritual if you’re a beginner or intermediate lifter. Your body may not be accustomed to working so hard so often, so you need to give it time to recuperate. Otherwise, you run the risk of overtraining or causing yourself injury.

I want you to perform at least one cardio workout per microcycle in Project Mass. As you go through the program, however, you may notice that your body feels stronger and more capable of doing extra work. When that happens, you can choose to add additional cardio to each microcycle.

If you’ve spent a few years in the gym and know how your body reacts to hard training, then you can be more aggressive in your cardio protocol.

No matter your level, though, be sure to listen to your body. Bodybuilding isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. There’s no point to killing yourself for a few months just to lose all of your gains during a month of recovery.

DAY 12

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Today, you’ll be using two training techniques: supersets and strip sets, which are also called dropsets. When you do supersets, make sure you perform one exercise right after the other without rest. For example, you’ll go from the leg extension machine to the lying leg curl machine without even stopping for a sip of water. You can rest after each superset. By the end of the last set, you should have a massive, massive pump.

You’ll also be doing dropsets today. Dropsets are fun because you get to push your muscles beyond failure. After you complete your final rep on the last set of exercises that calls for a dropset, immediately drop the weight by 20-25 percent, then do as many reps as you can. Coupling dropsets with supersets is a recipe for some serious leg destruction!

If you need a dropset primer, check out the video below before diving into the workout.

Project Mass Trainer
Watch The Video – 3:33

DAY 13

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Vital Stats

Name: Jacob Wilson
Education: PhD in Skeletal Muscle Physiology from Florida State
Occupation: Founder ABCbodybuilding.com
Website: jacobwilsonphd.com
Facebook: Jacob-Wilson

QHow long should I diet when losing weight for a contest or event? Also, how do I deal with being so freaking hungry all the time?

In America we want things instantly. So why wouldn’t we all want to get instantly shredded? This mentality has led bodybuilders to go on drastic, unsustainable diets in order to rapidly lose fat. But is this the ideal method to lose fat? The knee-jerk response you’ll hear from many people is “no,” but the real answer is more complex.

Let’s start with the basics on fat loss. Generally, the strategies for losing body fat include “cutting” calories and adding cardio. However, both of these techniques put you at risk for losing muscle in addition to fat. And, as your question points out: As calories decrease and metabolic rate lowers, your hunger level goes up like crazy. This brutal conundrum, known as the “energy gap,” is your body’s way of resisting a shredded physique.¹

Cutting is never going to be fun, but it doesn’t have to be sheer misery. Let’s look at a few ways researchers have helped shed light on how we can improve this often misunderstood process.

Prioritize Filling Foods

Let’s address your appetite first, because, let’s face it, nothing feels like a higher priority than hunger when you’re under its influence. Luckily, there are a number of ways this situation can be controlled to some degree. One is to tap into your stomach’s ability to sense the volume of the food you consume.

Studies show that you will feel full, and thus stop eating, once your gut senses a certain volume of food has been reached.² Therefore, your diet should be based on low-calorie, energy-rich, high-fiber foods like vegetables and lean protein sources, all of which will keep you feeling fuller for longer. You should also seek to add volume to your foods through the addition of air—by drinking blended smoothies, for example—and keeping your water intake high.

Research has also shown that as individuals increase the variety in their diet, they’re also more prone to eating spontaneously. This doesn’t mean that you need to eat the same thing at every meal. However, when your primary goal is cutting fat, too much variety can chip away at your self-control.³ This—more than other times—is when you should focus on the essentials.

Reign In Catabolism

Some muscle loss is inevitable when you’re preparing for something as extreme as a physique show. But there are definitely ways to minimize this catabolic breakdown, primarily by keeping close tabs on your protein intake.

A study out of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana found that the protein-to-carbs ratio played a key role in sparing muscle tissue during weight loss.⁴ Specifically, a carb-to-protein ratio of 3.5-to-1 (68 g protein per day) led to similar weight loss, but far more muscle loss, than a ratio of 1.4 to 1 (125 g protein per day). To hold onto muscle, you need to eat enough of what muscle is made of!

As I pointed out in my nutrition Mass Class, though, overall daily protein isn’t the most important variable. It’s just as crucial to dial in the amount you eat at individual meals. Research has found that the threshold for maximizing protein synthesis and raising the metabolic rate is about 30-40 g of protein for an average-sized man. My colleague Dr. Loenneke and I published a study in 2012 where we found that subjects who met this threshold more times throughout the day were able to maintain a lower level of body fat.⁵

The Lower You Go, the Harder It Gets

To address your initial question, time definitely has a lot to do with how you will lose weight and fat. You should understand on the front end that the amount of muscle you lose along the way will be related to how lean you are when dieting, and how rapidly you lose weight.

Simply put, when you have a higher body fat percentage, you preferentially burn fat as fuel; if you’re lean, your body will preferentially burn muscle if the calorie deficit is too drastic. Specifically, a study from the University of Rochester found that people with more fat could cut their calories by greater than 1,000 per day with minimal muscle loss, while leaner people lost the majority of weight from muscle at this level of deficit.⁶ However, the same study found that a lower calorie deficit, of less than 500 calories, resulted in minimal fat loss for lean individuals.

This suggests that if you have a lot of body fat, you can cut calories more aggressively early in your prep, and become more conservative as you lean out. This approach was recently supported by a study in Norway, where athletes were placed on a weight loss program resulting in either 1 or 2 pounds lost per week.⁷ The subjects in the fast weight loss group lost a small amount of muscle and about 20 percent of their fat mass. On the other hand, the slow group lost more than 30 percent of its fat mass and actually gained muscle! This indicates that a longer contest prep is more optimal for body composition than a drastic and short one.

A Healthier, More Sustainable Cut

Anyone who has ever entered a physique competition has seen examples of how not to cut. Let’s learn from this example! If only everyone were more balanced in their approach, they would look better—and just as importantly, feel better—as the big date drew near. Here are your rules for less miserable, more effective weight loss.

• Maintain a relatively equal balance of carbohydrates and protein sources, while increasing your intake of green vegetables. Approximately one-third of your plate should consist of protein, one-third starchy carbohydrates for energy, and one-third vegetables for bulk and volume.
• Consume a relatively moderate variety of foods. Don’t get bored, but don’t get too wild, either.
• Consider dividing your cut into two phases. If you start out lean—like 10-12 percent—consider losing just 1 pound per week throughout the first half of the cut and 0.5 pounds per week thereafter. If you start out with higher body fat of 15 percent or higher, you can start the diet a bit more aggressively, like 1-2 pounds per week, and then slow the rate of weight loss as you approach 10 percent.

References

1. Maclean PS, et al. Biology’s response to dieting: the impetus for weight regain. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2011 Sep;301(3):R581-600.
2. Kral TV, Rolls BJ. Energy density and portion size: their independent and combined effects on energy intake. Physiol Behav. 2004 Aug;82(1):131-8.
3. McCrory MA, et al. Dietary variety within food groups: association with energy intake and body fatness in men and women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Mar;69(3):440-7.
4. Layman DK, et al. A reduced ratio of dietary carbohydrate to protein improves body composition and blood lipid profiles during weight loss in adult women. J Nutr. 2003 Feb;133(2):411-7.
5. Loenneke JP, Wilson JM, Manninen AH, Wray ME, Barnes JT, Pujol TJ. Quality protein intake is inversely related with abdominal fat. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2012 Jan 27;9(1):5.
6. Forbes GB. Body fat content influences the body composition response to nutrition and exercise. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2000 May;904:359-65.
7. Garthe I, et al. Effect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2011 Apr;21(2):97-104.

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Mass Class Training: The Fundamentals Of Muscle Growth

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Mass Class Nutrition: The Fundamentals Of Eating For Muscle Growth

You can drive yourself crazy with the what, when, and how of muscle-building nutrition. Or you can master the fundamentals with guidance from Dr. Jacob Wilson. Get your plate in order and your physique will follow!

Ask The Muscle Prof: What Are The Ideal Macros For My Breakfast?

The first meal of the day is a free-for-all for some and an afterthought for others. Here’s your guide to making the perfect bodybuilder breakfast.

Vital Stats

Name: Hunter Labrada
Age: 21
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 235 lbs
Education: Texas A&M University
Sponsor: Labrada Nutrition Athlete
Location: College Station, TX

When I first got interested in gaining size in order to play football, I didn’t worry much about fat gain. On one hand, the amount of running and exertion I experienced playing the sport made it almost impossible for me to gain noticeable fat. And even if I did, well, it was football. A little fat wasn’t a crime; it was extra armor.

Everything changed once I switched my focus from football to bodybuilding. Now, at sub-8 percent body fat, my focus is on gaining muscle without fat, and since I don’t have the huge amounts of conditioning work from football, I have to be much more careful about what I put in my body.

This is the point in the process where far too many people hit a wall. As a college student, I face no shortage of challenges, from sticking to a budget to making good choices when I’m out with friends, to saving time to focus on my studies. It definitely takes a little more planning and prep work to make it through those long days on campus.

But it can be done, and without breaking the bank. The key is simply to make quality your highest priority!

The Most Important Parts of Building Muscle

Eight words: Eat quality food. Increase your protein. Train hard.

“The key is feeding your muscles consistently with high-quality fuel.”

Those rules may seem obvious, but here’s the catch: the order they’re in matters. The fact that I stay lean eating sometimes more than 5,000 calories each day surprises people. But, the more muscle you have, the more you have to feed. The key is feeding your muscles consistently with high-quality fuel.

So what do my macros look like, you ask? As an economics major, you’d better believe I can tell you the numbers. But I’d prefer to tell you the priorities, because the way they break down for everyone is going to be different. Here are the three guiding principles that determine what goes on my plate:

1. Balance meals around lean protein
2. Include nutrient-rich, low-glycemic carbs
3. Enjoy generous portions of healthy fats

Now let’s break down how they look in action, starting—where else?—with protein.

The Protein Way of Life

Protein, you may have heard, is what your muscles are made of. Well, not quite. The amino acids that make up protein are the building blocks of muscle, and your body needs—not wants, needs—these substances during and after training for repair and recovery. It breaks down the protein into the respective aminos, uses them for their various functions, and then you convert what doesn’t get used. I break down a lot of tissue in my daily workouts, so balancing it out with adequate amounts of protein throughout the day is important.

I aim to take in 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day and divide that total number by the number of meals I’m going to eat. For me, that means I eat approximately 360 grams of protein each day. I spread this across 6 meals, which turns out to be approximately 60 grams of protein per meal, depending on the day. The reason I eat protein frequently throughout the day is that muscles are built outside the gym. I may spend an hour or two training each day, but it’s the other 22 hours or so when I earn my results.

But as I said earlier, the amount of protein you eat is a secondary concern. Quality comes first, so think “what” before “how much.” For me, the “what” is lean and not fried. If you adhere to eating lean, non-fried sources of protein, you maximize your chances of gaining maximum amounts of muscle with minimal increases in body fat. My favorite sources of lean protein are standard: egg whites, chicken breast, 98 percent or leaner ground beef, turkey, fish, and quality protein supplements like Lean Pro8.

Another benefit of protein is that it doesn’t raise insulin like carbs do. Insulin is a powerful hormone, and elevating levels at non-optimal times—basically any point in the day besides post-workout—can lead to increased fat storage. By eating lean protein often and carbs more strategically, I keep my insulin levels in-check until the time comes when I want to raise them.

Find the Sweet Spot

Protein is the cornerstone of my bodybuilding nutrition plan in that it determines how many meals I eat each day. But carbs and healthy fats are equally important—and so is their quality. One of the most common questions I get from people is if I eat a low-carb diet to stay sub 8-percent body fat. The answer: absolutely not!

On harder training days, I consume upward of 500 g of carbs. It all comes down to finding the amount of carbs your body can actually utilize and consuming them strategically, rather than letting cravings or social situations determine it for you. Out-of-control carb intake leads to unwanted spikes in insulin, which lead to fat gain. It’s that simple.

“Just like with protein, quality is crucial. My carbs come from high-fiber, high-nutrient foods.”

Carbohydrates give my working muscles the energy to do their job. Without them, I would feel tired, and my gym sessions would definitely struggle as a result. Just like I approach my protein intake as a way to repair my muscles after training, I aim for the carb “sweet spot” where I can maximize energy and glycogen replenishment. And just like with protein, quality is crucial. My carbs come from high-fiber, high-nutrient foods. I include plenty of sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and brown rice, among others.

Healthy Fats

Back in the days when my dad, Lee Labrada, was racking up pro bodybuilding titles, the idea of “healthy fats” seemed like a contradiction in terms. Today, luckily, we know better. Like carbohydrates, fats often get a bad rap, but you need them—and in no small doses.

When trying to gain size, fat is a great source of calories, offering double that of both carbs and protein. Fat gives 9 calories per gram. Carbs and protein both give 4 calories per gram.

More calories? How could that be good when you’re trying to avoid getting fat? Remember, the quality of the calories you pack in is the first priority when you’re trying to pack on quality muscle. Enjoy—that’s right, I said enjoy—the following five sources first and foremost, and you can’t go wrong:

• Avocado
• Canola oil
• Fish
• Nuts and nut butters
• Olives/olive oil

There are nutrients within these fat sources which decrease inflammation, improve mental function, improve eyesight, and give you healthier skin, hair, and nails. When I’m crushing the iron in the gym each day, my goal is to be strong and big, but also healthy and mobile. To get that way, I eat all of these generously on a regular basis, and I also take omega-3 supplements daily, in the form of fish oil or krill oil.

There’s some cool science showing how omega-3 fats might actually burn fat as well as provide other benefits. Those are a no-brainer for me. Cheap, processed fats from things like butter, chips, and ranch dip, on the other hand, are simply a “no.”

Quality Training Deserves Quality Fuel

I loved football and football culture. But bodybuilding is more than a culture—it’s a lifestyle. You can’t do it sloppily and succeed, especially if you have high-level competitive ambitions like I do. Your results speak for themselves, and your hard work pays off in ways that you can see, feel, and measure. There’s nothing like the feeling when it all comes together.

“All this time spent on nutrition is for naught if you’re not busting your tail in the gym, too.”

Of course, all this time spent on nutrition is for naught if you’re not busting your tail in the gym, too. Combine a training-day meal plan like the one here with a hard leg workout like I discussed in my previous article, and you’ll give your body everything it needs to grow the right way!

Sample Training Day Meal Plan

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Vital Stats

Name: Cory Gregory
Age: 34
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 185-190 lbs, 175 contest
Education: Exercise Specialist Degree: Columbus State University; NESTA Fitness Coach; CrossFit Level 1-Westside Barbell certified
Occupation: Co-Founder MusclePharm

In my own quest for bigger biceps, I’ve tried just about everything, been game for anything, and even created my own twists on biceps classics like the preacher curl. My experimentation ultimately leads to your benefit. These eight awesome biceps exercises will undoubtedly send your biceps to another level.

The unique thing about this group of biceps exercises is that they’re inspired by a number of different time periods, influences, mentors, and lifting partners. Some of these moves have some Golden Era bodybuilding inspiration, like Arnold; others give a nod to the master of arms himself, C.T. Fletcher, and others are my own innovations on classic movements. I’ve spent 15 years in the iron game; now I want to give you the chance to see some serious growth.

No matter you goals, there is something here for you. These are intense, challenging movements—but doing them is how you build shirt-ripping arms!

1 Larry Scott-Style Preacher Curl

These curls are a nod to the original Mr. Olympia—the late, great Larry Scott, who had the equivalent of bowling balls for biceps. He loved preacher curls, and typically did them with a straight bar instead of an EZ-bar or dumbbells.

MusclePharm
Watch The Video – 01:39

When doing this movement, tuck your elbows so they’re close together. You won’t be able to do as much weight as you would with an EZ-bar, but the end result is a huge rush of blood to the biceps. Believe me, you’ll notice the difference.

2 Alternating Incline Dumbbell Curl With A Twist

At first, these seem like any other incline dumbbell curl—which is a great biceps movement in its own right—but the added twist increases the value of each rep. Do 6-8 reps in standard fashion. Then the fun begins. Let the dumbbells hang for a moment and then rotate them in a 360-degree motion for a five count.

Yep, those are your biceps you hear screaming above the din. Now complete 3-5 more reps.

MusclePharm
Watch The Video – 0:54

The twists will blow up your forearms. The reps after the twists will make the blood rush into your biceps faster than a fat kid reaching for that last slice of cake.

This move makes a great addition to your biceps work. I use it often.

3 Dave Draper-Style Forehead Curl

This is a certified Golden Era classic from the great Dave Draper, and I’m here to resurrect it because it’s so badass. It’s great for hitting your biceps peak and increasing your overall biceps strength.

MusclePharm
Watch The Video – 0:43

Curl a barbell like you normally would, but bring it up to your forehead instead of to your chest. Your biceps should do the work to get it there. At the top, give your biceps a good squeeze before returning to the starting position.

If this exercise is done under strict control, your strength on the regular barbell curl will skyrocket.

4 28-Method Curl

I love this method. It’s a creation of mine that I always use, no matter what body part is being tortured. For the biceps, I use a barbell and it completely blows up my arms.

MusclePharm
Watch The Video – 01:55

If you’re unfamiliar how the 28 Method works, here’s a rundown: Do 7 regular reps, 7 slow reps (both on the way up and down), 7 half-reps at the top, and 7 half-reps at the bottom. The slow reps engorge your biceps with blood, and you’re guaranteed to have an unbelievable pump after just one set. You will need to use much less weight than normal, but don’t worry. Your sick pump will be the true measure of success.

5 Arnold Cheat Curl

For this move, we travel back to the Golden Era and borrow the cheat curl from the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is a great way to add mass to your biceps. It certainly works wonders for me.

MusclePharm
Watch The Video – 0:50

The key to success in this exercise is knowing that you don’t have to “cheat” very much. I’m certainly not talking about a full-body thrust to bounce the bar from your thighs to your chest—that would for sure get you kicked out of my gym in the blink of an eye. No, I’m talking about a nice, controlled bump from the bottom.

Your hips can provide enough momentum to get you started, after which your biceps will do the rest. It’s a great way to overload your guns, forcing them to grow bigger and stronger. No need to go crazy on the weight, but challenge yourself. Go a little heavier than your normal curling weight.

6 One-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl

C.T. Fletcher may command his arms to grow—firing out a string of expletives at his biceps in the process—but he doesn’t rely solely on words to build muscle. This biceps move is one of his favorites.

MusclePharm
Watch The Video – 0:48

Tuck your arm into the preacher or incline bench and keep your body tight and locked in. Use a heavier dumbbell than you normally would and try to hit 4-5 reps. Big weight can really help build those biceps. A lot of high-rep biceps work is great for the pump, but don’t forget that heavy work is also necessary for mass and strength.

7 Two-Part Alternating Hammer Curl

Hammer curls are often neglected in arm training, but they shouldn’t be. This two-part hammer curl is my own little twist on the exercise. I simply combine both variations of the hammer curl into one rep.

MusclePharm
Watch The Video – 0:33

The first part of the movement will look like a traditional hammer curl rep, but after I lower the weight back down, I bring it back up across my chest. That counts as one rep. Doing hammer curls like this will get the most out of each variation. It’s a great way to add size to your biceps and forearms.

8 Machine Curl

We finish this series with a high-rep killer to send that biceps growth into overdrive. The focus here is just squeezing the biceps, so create a good angle to really enable a massive pump.

MusclePharm
Watch The Video – 01:01

Don’t worry about digging in like you would during a preacher curl or completely flattening out your arm at the bottom of the movement. Instead, think about turning the biceps into a softball; squeeze hard and you’ll get much more out of a machine curl than you typically get.

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Name: Chris Thompson
From: Winter Park, Florida
Age: 45
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 175 lbs
Occupation: VP of Sports Nutrition, Twinlab
Education: BA Communication, Psychology Florida State University

Chris Thompson is inspirational for a lot of reasons: he’s a fit 45-year-old, he’s a successful businessman, and he’s created a life based around what makes him happy. He may not have set out to become a notable fitness personality, but that’s exactly what Chris has become.

Although he leads a busy life as the Vice President of Sports Nutrition at Twinlab, Chris doesn’t just work in the supplement industry—he lives and breathes fitness.

Because he “walks the walk,” Chris has become a powerful example to the people around him and to the wider fitness community. His dedication to personal health and wellness bleeds into how he does business. He wants every single customer to feel good, look good, and perform at their best.

Chris’s training, nutrition, and supplementation programs are unique. At 45, Chris isn’t looking to pack on slabs of new lean mass. He trains to support his overall well-being, longevity, strength, and health.

His physique, however, is an excellent reminder that a rock-hard body is a wonderful side effect of training hard, eating clean, and supplementing well for the long haul.

Chris Thompson Fitness 360:
Watch The Video – 09:59

Chris Thompson’s Training Program

Learn how Chris Thompson has utilized training to failure to build his best-ever body at 45 years old!

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Chris Thompson’s Supplement Program

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Perfect Practice

“Practice doesn’t make perfect,” says Chris. “Perfect practice makes perfect.”

“Practice doesn’t make perfect,” says Chris. “Perfect practice makes perfect.” That motto is how Chris lives his life, in and out of the gym. “It’s all about doing it the right way with consistency,” he says. Whether he’s lifting, preparing meals, or doing his best to make Twinlab a global force, Chris practices perfection.

His strive for excellence is one of the reasons Chris partnered with Ronnie Milo and Jason Wheat to create the Twinlab Muscle Militia. Through the Muscle Militia, Chris hopes that he can prove to the world that fitness should foster brotherhood, no matter what goal or physique differences may exist between lifters.

“The mission and culture of the Muscle Militia is really twofold,” says Chris. “For us, it’s intended as a brotherhood. [Wheat, Milo, and I] have three totally different physiques with three totally different goals and we share the same passion and commitment. The second part of our mission is to spread the concept globally. We want everyone to share our passion.”

The Muscle Militia is a hardcore iron brotherhood, sure, but the group is dedicated to overthrowing stereotypes and helping beginner lifters find their way around the gym. Even if they’re the biggest guys in the gym, Militia members have the smallest egos. They train to include, not to exclude. Chris wants everyone in the Militia to help new lifters succeed.

Chris’s success in fitness is one of the reasons he’s also successful in business. “It takes a hell of a lot of dedication and commitment,” he explains. “I have a personal vision for the supplement industry. I want Twinlab to be around for another five decades.” The sheer amount of work it takes to grow a business is enough to keep anybody busy from morning until midnight, but Chris faces that challenge head-on every day.

Luckily for Chris, business and fitness can go hand in hand. He can bring his personal touch and fitness philosophy with him to work every day. “That’s the challenge,” he says, “having to marry all of this together. But, that’s also the beautiful opportunity that comes with it.”

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Vital Stats

Name: Jacob Wilson
Education: PhD in Skeletal Muscle Physiology from Florida State
Occupation: Founder ABCbodybuilding.com
Website: jacobwilsonphd.com
Facebook: Jacob-Wilson

Q I’ve heard the eccentric phase of a lift is really important for growth. Should I slow the eccentric portion of the lift as much as possible to increase muscle mass and bust out of my plateau?

Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve been studying skeletal muscle growth. After decade or so, a PhD, and plenty of academic studies later, I can confidently say that scientists have still only scratched the surface as to what makes this elaborate process work. Conversely, they can’t say exactly what causes it to stop working, even though you are still training like you were when it was working.

Luckily, we learn more all the time. We know more than ever about the mechanisms which seem to be responsible for causing individuals to “plateau” when they were previously able to make gains so readily. Specifically, we’re pretty sure it has a lot to do with a type of cell in our body known as satellite cells.

These little growth bombs are ready and waiting in your body right now. I’m going to tell you how you can activate them through optimal eccentric loading, but also why it’s not a good idea to make the eccentric phase of your lifts longer than just a few seconds.

The Benefits of Eccentric Training

As many of you know, there are two active parts to a lift: the concentric (or lifting) phase, and the eccentric (or lowering) phase. Both phases trigger muscle growth, but sometimes they do it through different mechanisms; I discussed the four mechanisms in my Mass Class training article.

For example, when you lift the weight concentrically, you produce greater metabolic stress, which is why I advise people to emphasize the concentric when they are using certain styles of lifting such as blood flow restriction training.¹

However, research has also shown that when you lengthen the muscle eccentrically, you can increase protein synthesis more than a concentric contraction.² Why is this the case? For one, scientists have discovered in recent years that eccentric contractions release a chemical called phosphatidic acid, which encourages protein synthesis.³

There are two active parts to a lift: the concentric (or lifting) phase, and the eccentric (or lowering) phase.

My lab group recently conducted a study where we found that simply bathing muscle cells in phosphatidic acid made them increase in protein synthesis.⁴ To answer your next question: Yes, we also found that taking supplemental phosphatidic acid increased muscle growth.

But that chemical action is only one of the ways that eccentric training works. Another, as I mentioned earlier, is through the activation of satellite cells. These unique cells are located on the outside of muscles, and they respond to damage in their vicinity by transforming into immature muscle fibers. More specifically, they move to the damaged area and fuse to muscle, becoming a part of it.⁵

The result is increased muscle fiber size and the addition of the satellite cell’s nucleus to the muscle. The latter step is critical, because the nuclei in the muscle are primarily responsible for stimulating skeletal muscle protein synthesis and growth. The more nuclei you have, the greater your growth potential.

Sounds important, right? Sure enough, research has shown that individuals who plateau in their training can’t adequately activate satellite cells.^6,7 To tap into this critical cell population for growth you have to maximize eccentric loading. So let’s get into how you can do that.

Find the Perfect Cadence

Research shows that faster speed eccentric contractions result in a release of more growth factors, more satellite cells, and greater protein synthesis than slow speed eccentric contractions.

Once people learn the growth power of eccentrics, their next step is often to slow the eccentric phase down as much as possible—sometimes 5 seconds or more—in hopes that it will lead to more growth. While this is logical, it actually doesn’t pan out.

Research shows that faster speed eccentric contractions result in a release of more growth factors, more satellite cells, and greater protein synthesis than slow speed eccentric contractions.^8,9 Seems shocking but it’s true. Let me explain.

As many of you know, muscle tension occurs when the contractile proteins myosin and actin bind to each other or form what’s known as a “cross-bridge.” The more cross-bridges you utilize, the less tension any one cross-bridge will have to bear—and the lower the muscle damage will be.

The major downfall to slowing down your contractions to emphasize the eccentric contraction is that your body has more time to form cross-bridges. The result is less damage, lower protein synthesis and ultimately growth.

Thus, my advice is to control the eccentric contraction but not to slow it down much. If you are training arms, for example, take no more than 1-3 seconds to lower the weight.

How To Use Eccentric Overload

You may have heard that you’re stronger eccentrically than you can concentrically. It’s a great principle to know. So are you putting it into action?

When studies have tested lifters’ 1RM for concentric contractions and had them lift the same weight eccentrically, they found no differences in muscle growth between the contractions. Some studies indicated an advantage for the concentric contractions under these conditions!^2,10

Thus, if you emphasize the eccentric contraction with the same weight you use for concentric contractions, you probably won’t see any added benefit over the concentric contraction. You have to go heavier!

Hamstring Curls

There are a number of ways to increase the eccentric load. The classic method is to use assisted negative reps, where you lift the weight yourself, and on the way down your partner presses down on the weight. A second way is to lift a weight with two limbs and lower it with one.

For example, if you’re doing hamstring curls with two legs on the way up, you can lower with only one leg.

Eccentric Training That Lives Up To The Hype

If all this talk about muscle damage has been enough to make you start feeling preemptive DOMS, you’re on the right track. This is advanced training material, and it’s not right for everybody. And even if it’s right for you, it’s not right all the time. So let’s recap and get your expectations in line.

1. A major reason plateaus are reached is because individuals no longer are able to activate satellite cells. The inability to activate satellite cells appears to be activated through overloading the eccentric portion of the lift.

2. In order to overload on the eccentric portion of the lift, use a controlled but relatively short eccentric phase of a lift, like 1-3 seconds maximum. Anything longer may hinder muscle damage and subsequent growth.

3. Finally, assisted negative repetitions can optimize protein synthesis and muscle growth. However, it’s crucial that you periodize this method, because it will lead to substantial muscle damage. Utilize it no more than once per week for the body part that needs the most work.

References

1. Yasuda T, et al. Effects of blood flow restricted low-intensity concentric or eccentric training on muscle size and strength. PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e52843.
2. Eliasson J, et al. Maximal lengthening contractions increase p70 S6 kinase phosphorylation in human skeletal muscle in the absence of nutritional supply. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Dec;291(6):E1197-205.
3. O’Neil TK, et al. The role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase and phosphatidic acid in the regulation of mammalian target of rapamycin following eccentric contractions. J Physiol. 2009 Jul 15;587(Pt 14):3691-701.
4. Joy JM, et al. Phosphatidic acid enhances mTOR signaling and resistance exercise induced hypertrophy. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2014 Jun 16;11:29.
5. Rosenblatt JD, et al. Satellite cell activity is required for hypertrophy of overloaded adult rat muscle. Muscle Nerve. 1994 Jun;17(6):608-13.
6. Bamman MM, et al. Cluster analysis tests the importance of myogenic gene expression during myofiber hypertrophy in humans. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2007 Jun;102(6):2232-9.
7. Petrella JK, et al. Potent myofiber hypertrophy during resistance training in humans is associated with satellite cell-mediated myonuclear addition: a cluster analysis. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2008 Jun;104(6):1736-42.
8. Moore DR, et al. Myofibrillar and collagen protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle in young men after maximal shortening and lengthening contractions. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Jun;288(6):E1153-9.
9. Shepstone TN, et al. Short-term high- vs. low-velocity isokinetic lengthening training results in greater hypertrophy of the elbow flexors in young men. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2005 May;98(5):1768-76.
10. Mayhew TP, et al. Muscular adaptation to concentric and eccentric exercise at equal power levels. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995 Jun;27(6):868-73.

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If you have been searching for the fountain of youth, I have some good news: it’s been found! No, it’s not hidden in some Florida swamp, it’s actually somewhere between the dumbbells and the pull-up bar. Nope, I’m not kidding: The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has published some exciting new research that suggests older adults with more muscle mass are less likely to die prematurely than those with less muscle.³

These findings add to a growing pile of evidence that overall body composition is a better predictor of all-cause mortality than overall weight or body mass index (BMI).³ So what does this mean for my fellow meatheads? Muscle mass seems to be an important predictor of life expectancy, and maintaining lean muscle mass well beyond middle age can increase your life span!³

A Massive Study

Total body mass includes both fat and muscle. Each of these tissue types has a different effect on the metabolism, so researchers at UCLA tested the hypothesis that greater muscle mass—and the metabolic stimulus it provides—is associated with a lower mortality rate in older adults.¹

Study subjects were measured using bioelectrical impedance. Because muscle and fat have different water content, electrical currents flow through them at different rates. Bioelectrical impedance is the measure of how much fat or muscle mass a person has based on the speed of those electrical currents.

“Muscle mass seems to be an important predictor of life expectancy, and maintaining lean muscle mass well beyond middle age can increase your life span!”

Based on the results, researchers calculated each subject’s muscle mass relative to his or her height. This value is called a muscle mass index, defined as muscle mass divided by height squared. In 1988-1994, 3,659 people—males over 55 and females over 65—were surveyed for their muscle mass index. In 2004, researchers determined how many individuals had died from natural causes and correlated it with their muscle mass index.³

The results were clear: People with more muscle mass were less likely to die of natural causes. Total mortality was significantly lower in the 25 percent of individuals with the greatest muscle mass index compared to the 25 percent of individuals with the lowest.¹

The findings of this study are significant because they reveal a glaring issue in how the medical community measures health and longevity: BMI.

The BMI Lie

Traditional criteria for obesity and obesity-associated health risks are calculated using the body mass index (BMI). These guidelines are faulty and wildly inaccurate. BMI is calculated from a person’s height and weight, defined as mass in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. In no way does BMI calculate a person’s body fat directly.²

Imagine a man who is 5-foot-9 and weighs 260 pounds. At that height and weight, the man would have a BMI greater than 40, placing him in the third and most severe tier of obesity. What the BMI doesn’t tell you is that this man could be a professional bodybuilder on stage at the Olympia. He has low body fat and has a lean mass percentage bigger than you or I could even imagine. This BMI error doesn’t occur only in professional bodybuilders . Well-muscled people are often given higher BMIs and the subsequent “medical” diagnosis of being overweight or obese.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and health care organizations use BMI to assess individuals because it is inexpensive and easy to calculate,² not because it is the most effective method to predict true body composition or health risks. Diagnosing a person as obese or overweight should come from the percentage of fat mass and muscle mass a person has. It’s a much more accurate and effective way to measure health risk.

What It All Means For You

This study demonstrates the importance of muscle mass in overall life expectancy and highlights the necessity to look beyond total body mass when assessing health.¹ “In other words, the greater your muscle mass, the lower your risk of death,” says Dr. Arun Karlamangla, the study’s co-author. “Thus, rather than worrying about weight or body mass index, we should be trying to maximize and maintain muscle mass.”³

Building muscle mass is important in decreasing metabolic health risks.3 Therefore, adding some muscle and increasing your BMI by increasing your overall body weight could actually improve your health and decrease your risk of premature death.

“Building muscle mass is important in decreasing metabolic health risks.”

Considering the support of these findings, measurements of muscle mass relative to body height should be added to criteria health care professionals use to diagnose and treat patients.³ Dr. Preethi Srikanthan, lead researcher in the study, says, “So many studies on the mortality impact of obesity focus on BMI. Our study indicates that clinicians need to be focusing on ways to improve body composition, rather than on BMI alone.”³

The next time you step on the scale and worry about what the resulting number means to your health, think about the composition of your overall weight. If you don’t already know it, get your body fat percentage tested by a qualified trainer and, most importantly, start building more muscle!

REFERENCES

1. American Journal of Medicine, The. Muscle Mass Index As a Predictor of Longevity in Older Adults. Volume 127, Issue 6, Pages 547–553, June 2014
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. About BMI for Adults. 9/13/2011. Web. Acessed 5/29/2014
3. Rivero, Enrique. Older adults: Build muscle and you’ll live longer. UCLA Health Systems. 3/13/2014. Web. Accessed 5/29/2014

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Once deemed the ultimate health pariah, dietary fat has mercifully experienced a renaissance. Research continues to show that, without it, you have a fat chance (pun intended) of reaching optimal health. And for the physique-minded, there are some fats that appear to improve fitness and help obliterate that doughy stuff covering up your six-pack. These three groups of fats, which can be obtained in the grocery store and the supplement counter, are not to be taken lightly.

1 EPA and DHA

Ever since the original studies conducted on Greenland’s Inuit population showed that members of the ethnic group have historically healthy hearts despite a general dearth of fruits and vegetables in their diets, research has piled up demonstrating that the omega-3 fatty acids naturally present in fish oil—eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—have a wide range of health benefits.*These include supporting heart, joint, brain, immune, and eye health. It’s thought that their superpowers largely stem from the ability to support a healthy inflammation response in the body.*

But these “phat” fats help gym rats in other ways, too. Studies conducted at Washington University School of Medicine (St. Louis) suggest that EPA and DHA have anabolic properties in that they encourage muscle protein synthesis.* Further, a 2014 study in the “Journal of Sports Science & Medicine” discovered that lifters who supplemented with these omega-3s experienced less muscle soreness in response to training.

Studies suggest that EPA and DHA have anabolic properties in that they encourage muscle protein synthesis.

Research also suggests that EPA and DHA can improve blood flow to muscles during exercise, which could bring about improvements in performance.* Through their role in supporting a healthy inflammation response and fending off insulin resistance, as well as altering the metabolism, higher levels of EPA and DHA have been linked to less body fat accumulation, thereby helping to improve your buff-to-blubber ratio.

Eat Up

Besides the whale blubber enjoyed by the Inuit, fish species with the most EPA and DHA include herring, rainbow trout, Arctic char, sablefish, anchovies, salmon, mackerel, and sardines. You can also find some of these fatty acids in grass-fed meats, organic milk, omega-3 enhanced eggs, and certain fortified foods.

Some plant foods such as walnuts, flax, hemp, canola oil, and chia contain omega-3 fat in the form of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), which can be converted by the body to EPA and DHA, but science shows that this conversion is fairly low.

These foods can provide an added omega-3 boost and deliver many other body-friendly nutrients, but fish remains the most potent source of EPA and DHA.

Supplement Savvy

Few people eat enough fatty fish, making a fish oil supplement a good insurance policy for many fitness enthusiasts. When comparing supplements, don’t just look at the total fish oil content. Whether you choose a pill or liquid, find a product that contains at least 500 mg combined EPA and DHA on the nutrition facts panel. Taken once daily, this will give you the optimal amount of omega-3s. If you don’t like the fishy taste, opt for those with natural flavors like lemon or orange.

9

Muscletech
Platinum 100% Fish Oil

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RSP Nutrition
Fish Oil

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Optimum
Fish Oil

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Fortunately, contamination isn’t a concern. Consumerlab.com, which conducts independent supplement testing, didn’t find significant amounts of mercury or other contaminants in a wide range of omega-3 supplements they put to the test.

2 Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Accumulating evidence suggests that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an omega-6 fatty acid, is proving to be an important ally in the battle of the bulge. Case in point: In a recent Spanish study, volunteers who consumed milk that was enhanced with 3 grams of CLA daily for six months experienced a greater drop in body fat mass and waist circumference than those who drank milk that was enriched with 3 grams of olive oil.*

CLA appears to take part in a multi-pronged attack on flab by reducing synthesis of fat cells, altering genes involved in fat accumulation and supporting insulin sensitivity.* CLA can also increase the rate at which you burn fat during exercise, which can have beneficial impacts on body composition and raise muscular endurance during workouts.

Accumulating evidence suggests that CLA, an omega-6 fatty acid, is proving to be an important ally in the battle of the bulge.

A recent investigation in the “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” found that supplementing with CLA may also boost your testosterone. The investigators reported that subjects who took 6 grams of CLA daily had higher levels of testosterone in response to resistance training than when they took a placebo. Since testosterone is a major anabolic hormone, this outcome suggests that CLA can help rev up muscular growth.*

What’s more, a 2014 study by the white coats at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln found that six weeks of CLA supplementation, when paired with regular exercise, was more effective at supporting healthy blood triglyceride levels than when exercise was paired with a placebo. This is not the only study to show that CLA can help you maintain heart health by improving blood fat numbers and supporting a healthy inflammation response in the body.*

Eat Up

The primary dietary sources of CLA are meat and dairy. Sadly, a major consequence of the industrialization of our food and the push toward lower-fat animal-based foods is that the amount of CLA found in milk and steak has diminished greatly in recent decades. You can fight back by splurging on pasture-raised dairy and meats.

Researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom determined that milk from cows raised using organic methods that included pasture feeding had 60 percent more CLA than milk from conventionally reared cattle, which includes stuffing them with plenty of grain. Dairy sourced from sheep and goats—especially if the animals grazed on grass—has also been shown to deliver healthy amounts of CLA.

Supplement Savvy

Because of its scarcity in the modern food chain, supplementing with CLA is the best way to help give your physique a glance-worthy appearance. Try taking 1-3 grams of CLA twice daily with meals.

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Keep in mind that it’ll likely take a few weeks before you witness any benefits. Among the types of CLA looked at in research, the cis-9, trans-11, cis-12, and trans-10 forms are the most intensively studied.

3 Medium-Chain Triglycerides

Who thought you could eat fat to burn fat? It may sound paradoxical, but some evidence suggests that medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) can enhance the body’s fat-burning potential and lead to improvements in body composition (ratio of fat to lean body mass).

Here’s an example: An “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” study that administered 4-5 teaspoons of medium-chain oil or olive oil daily to subjects for four months determined that those consuming MCTs lost more bodyweight and fat mass than those who consumed standard olive oil.

MCTs can enhance the body’s fat-burning potential and lead to improvements in body composition.

The unusual chemical structure of MCTs allows them to be absorbed from the digestive tract intact where they’re used for energy production in the liver, meaning it’s less likely they’ll be stored as body fat compared to other dietary fats.

MCTs appear to offer a two-pronged approach to fat loss: They’re minimally stored as adipose—body fat—and they contribute to elevated fat-burning metabolism. Research also indicates they may support insulin sensitivity, which can help keep the flab monster at bay.*

Eat Up

Butter, coconut oil, and red palm oil are going to be your primary dietary sources for MCTs. Both coconut oil and red palm oil can be used for cooking in place of other oils, such as for sauteing meats and baking.

Supplement Savvy

As a dietary supplement, take 1-2 tablespoons purified liquid MCT oil 2-3 times daily. It’s easy to blend MCT oil into protein shakes and even salad dressings.

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It’s vital to remember, however, that no amount of MCT is going to make up for a lousy diet and turn a donkey into a racehorse. If you don’t eat clean overall, the chances of shedding the fat—supplementation or not—are poor.

Sources

1. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/93/2/402.short
2. http://www.jssm.org/research.php?id=jssm-13-151.xml
3. http://www.resmedjournal.com/article/S0954-6111(10)00298-2/fulltext
4. http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2012/06000/Effect_of_Conjugated_Linoleic_Acid_on_Testosterone.29.aspx
5. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.3504/abstract
6. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/87/3/621.abstract?sid=626a6f2d-e8a6-432c-baee-425db3e43fe0

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Vital Stats

Name: Chassidy Smothers
Age: 27
Height: 5’4″
Weight: 114-120 lbs
Occupation: Co-owner of Smothers Fitness University, 2014 Bodybuilding.com BodySpace Spokesmodel, Army Reservist
Website: smothersfitu.com

Although she’s only been in the competition circuit for about a year, Chassidy Smothers has been hugely successful. She maintains, however, that her accomplishments could be achieved by anyone.

She believes that everybody has the potential for greatness. It’s this inspiring personality—along with an incredible physique—that helped her win the 2014 BodySpace Spokesmodel contest.

She might be soft-spoken, but her tenacity and drive to win make her a fierce competitor. Chassidy trains hard, eats clean, and keeps her goals at the forefront of her mind.

Her two-year tour in South Korea with the U.S. Army taught her that discipline and effort are necessary components to success in life and fitness. She’s one badass lady.

To learn more about Chassidy, check out the video below. Follow her effective training, nutrition, and supplement programs to build a stronger body and mind!

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BEYOND BASIC TRAINING

Chassidy spent 3 years on active duty. She served a 2-year tour in Korea.

Children who excel at sports tend to be introduced to competition at a young age. Chassidy first dribbled a basketball at age seven and discovered a talent for the sport. She would go on to play every year throughout high school.

After high school, Chassidy wasn’t exactly sure about her next step. She went to three different junior colleges in Sacramento and dropped out three times. She eventually earned an associate degree, but knew she wasn’t finished.

In junior college, friends introduced her to a man named Antonio Smothers. In a mad love rush, they married just eight months later. Although she had just made a big commitment, Chassidy had another obligation to herself and her nation.

“Joining the Army was an excuse to see the world,” Chassidy says. “I was immediately shipped overseas, so my first experience in the army was living in South Korea for two years.” She worked in both transportation (88H) and Human Resources (42A).

So Chassidy spent the first two years of her marriage more than 5,000 miles away from her husband. “I was in Korea and he was in California. We rode it out, despite everyone saying it wouldn’t work.”

COMPETITION CALLS

Antonio was a men’s physique competitor. So, when he started preparing for a competition, Chassidy felt the need to get ready, too. “I couldn’t be insecure in who I am, going to this bodybuilding show, with amazing women walking around. I needed to be secure so I could support him.”

This fit couple didn’t just inspire each other to get fit, they put in all the extra work it takes to claim victory on stage!

She started training and her body really reacted well. “Everything I experienced in the three years I was in the military prior to competing just rolled onto the competition lifestyle,” Chassidy says. The dedication and determination she learned in the Army helped her build a body she could be proud of. “He went on to win bodybuilding shows and so I was like, let me try this!”

Chassidy placed eighth in her first competition in July of 2013. The placing was a tough blow, but it inspired her to do better. Two months later she won the overall at her second competition. In early 2014, she won the Bodybuilding.com Spokesmodel Search Contest. “I learned to not give up, even if you fail a million times,” she says of her success.

In less than a year, Chassidy went from a casual fan to a contest winner and sponsored spokesmodel. “My confidence grows a little bit more every day now that I’ve won,” she says. “I’ve been able to help more people because Bodybuilding.com is awesome. I would enter all these contests online, and now I get to be the person who gives away the stuff at expos. Personally and professionally, I am reaching way more people, and people believe me more because Bodybuilding.com obviously believed in me.”

Along with serving in the Army Reserves, Chassidy is in her final semester at the University of Washington in Seattle. She will finally walk the line in May 2014, with a Bachelor’s degree in general business.

“My original intent in joining the military was to get out of Sacramento, but the other part was to have college paid for, so I could afford to continue my education. Graduating now makes it all worth it.”

Chassidy’s Top Gym Tracks

1. Flawless – Beyonce
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Clean eating. We’ve all seen it held up as the best way—the only way—to live a fit life, look and perform like an athlete, and not die before our time. Of course, clean eating has a dirty little secret: It always comes alongside its greasy sidekick, the cheat meal.

This makes me sad, and it irks me. I’m talking about the whole clean/cheat setup, and really, the whole idea of “clean.” I’ve spent time on the darkest side of clean eating—namely an eating disorder—and I think it’s time for this way of thinking to die. My job now is to spread the gospel of flexible dieting.

Many of you might be familiar with that term, but it’s probably from misguided articles and forum posts ridiculing the idea of IIFYM (aka, “if it fits your macros”). If you’re a clean eater, you may have made some snarky remark a time or two about us flexible dieters being unhealthy. Perhaps you’ve even commented on our moral character. We’re bad people, we’re going to hell for eating pretzels, and we should be ashamed of ourselves because we eat our baked potatoes with butter. The gall!

Enough with the snarky name-calling! Let me show you the truth, the way, and the light to food freedom! The first step is to debunk the most common myths about flexible eating.

“Enough with the snarky name-calling! Let me show you the truth, the way, and the light to food freedom!”

Myth 1

False! Eating a bunch of crap is … well, crap. That’s the typical American diet, and it’s far from what constitutes flexible dieting.

Key components of flexible dieting include

• Overall mindfulness of macronutrient and micronutrient intake, whether you count macros. This means that you’re aware of approximately how much protein you consume, and that you also get sufficient fiber.
• Understanding that treats and junk food are allowed, but not as the norm. I like to recommend an 80/20 rule. Other people lean toward 90/10; that still feels fairly restrictive to me.
• Portion control. This is vital. There’s a difference between 1 doughnut and 12, and you don’t abuse this. Think a handful of gummy bears rather than a whole bag. A small serving of sweet potato fries with a chicken salad. A glass of wine to complement a steak.

So what do flexible dieters eat? Primarily whole food sources, with a sprinkling of fun indulgences on the side. If the typical American is going to eat a croissant and a glass of orange juice for breakfast, he is not a flexible dieter. What a flexible dieter might do instead is throw in an omelet with that meal, keep the croissant, and then choose better carb sources for the rest of the day. Why? Because, a croissant is a treat.

Believe me, I’ve definitely tried to get in my protein and fiber through junk food alone, and it can’t be done. There’s no realistic way to meet your daily nutrient needs through chocolate and gummy bears. Besides, who wants to survive on a steady diet of nothing but sugar and fat? That would make anyone sick. In fact, it’s making plenty of people sick all around us, all the time. It’s called type-2 diabetes.

And if you do end up having a particularly treat-heavy day, then the next day, you rein it in a little. You don’t obsess over it; you don’t worry about it; you just move on. It’s all about checks and balances. Don’t mistake that for bingeing and purging—there’s a big difference.

Myth 2

What’s healthy about a restricted food list? There is nothing positive that can come out of putting a whole slew of foods off-limits and shackling yourself to specific food items. Let’s take a look at your clean diet for a second:

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. And let’s be honest, I’ve given a generous portrayal of a clean diet there. The real thing is often far, far more repetitive.

Yes, I understand that consuming a nutrient-dense diet is incredibly healthy. But that’s not what “clean eating” is. There is an incredibly high correlation between exclusive eating (i.e., limiting food choices) and binge eating. This is no coincidence. Study after study has shown that as soon as you deem a food forbidden, your desire for it increases even more, even if you may have never wanted it in the first place.

Not allowed to eat chocolate? All of a sudden, that’s all you can think about.

On the flipside, having the option to consume a treat doesn’t mean that you will necessarily chow down on it. Rather, it means that you won’t be using up your willpower to actively resist the food.

Can You Get An Elite Physique With A Flexible Diet?

Think flexible dieting and elite physiques are incompatible? The late Serge Nubret would disagree. The former Mr. Universe maintained a series of popular threads on the Bodybuilding.com forum late in his life, in which he outlined his philosophy of lifting and dieting, and he often spoke out against the perceived need to diet or “cut.”

“I never dieted in my life,” he wrote in one post. “I was just listening to my body. It was telling me what to eat, when, etc. If I’m listening to my body, no mistake can be done. That is instinct.”

Myth 3

You tell me what’s worse for your health:

• Eating a square of chocolate every evening, savoring every bit of it, and then moving on with your life, OR
• Hurriedly scarfing down not one, not two, but three whole chocolate bars in one sitting with no self-control whatsoever and then feeling guilty—not to mention bloated—for the entire next day, if not longer.

I think the answer is obvious.

Newsflash: It’s entirely possible for a flexible dieter to eat the same way as a clean eater most of the time. Yet come Saturday night, the clean eater may go out to dinner for his weekly cheat meal and have a burger, French fries, and a milkshake, followed by cheesecake for dessert, and then come home and eat everything but the kitchen sink. The flexible dieter, on the other hand, can have the same burger and French fries and have no problem stopping there. Hell, he may not even finish the fries because he’s reasonably full and feeling satisfied.

Do you see the difference here? The flexible dieter hasn’t lost touch with what satisfaction feels like. Throughout the week, the flexible dieter stuck to whole food sources not because he had to but because he wanted to. He had no problems whatsoever with controlling his food intake on the weekend.

“But sugar is bad for me,” a clean eater might proclaim. Well, did it ever occur to you that the only times you allow yourself to consume too much added sugar is when you binge?

Sugar itself may not be the culprit. After all, apples contain sugar. It’s the massive quantity of added sugar you consume in one sitting that makes you sick.

Myth 4

Not all flexible dieters choose to count their macros. But for those who do, the guidelines for determining macronutrient guidelines aren’t too different from those of bodybuilders and other strength athletes.

Namely, protein intake is usually around 1 gram per pound of bodyweight, and carbs are 0.6-1.5 grams per pound, depending on goals, the leanness of the individual, carb tolerance, body type, metabolic capacity, age, and activity level. Fats fill in the remaining calorie allotment. People who are striving for muscle gain naturally will have a higher calorie allotment, 16 times bodyweight or upward. People who are looking to lose weight would start off closer to 10-12 times bodyweight.

Let’s use me as an example. I’m a 24-year-old female mesomorph, 115 pounds, with approximately 18 percent body fat. I train five days each week with a low-to-medium activity level for my job. I would calculate my maintenance macros for training days as follows:

Some flexible dieters like to carb cycle between training days and off days like I do, not only for the physiological benefits but also because it affords them the leeway to fit in higher-carb treats on training days and, conversely, higher-fat treats on off days. My off-day macros might look like this:

Having 89 fat grams for an off day would allow me to consume foods including, but not limited to full-fat cheese, coconut oil, nut butters, and maybe even some fried goodness.

This is just one of many possible approaches to the macro puzzle. Flexible dieting is all about honoring your personal preferences with regard to macronutrient amounts, food choice, meal timing. This will allow you to adhere to your program and consequently yield the best results.

Myth 5

Look up #flexibledieting hashtags on Instagram and all you’ll see is the ice cream, Pop Tarts, and burgers that we consume. But what the pictures don’t tell you is that those foods actually make up a small portion of our daily food. We typically don’t show off the chicken breast, sweet potatoes, and veggies we consume. Why? Because it’s way more fun to talk about our treats.

So no, a cheeseburger is not the same thing as eating a high-quality cut of protein. But if we decide to order that burger, it’s because we’ve been eating well recently, weighed our options, and perhaps even factored the meal into our macros. We’ve decided that that’s what we truly wanted to eat, and we have no qualms about indulging our taste buds for a night.

Again, flexible dieters prescribe to an 80/20 rule or some variation. We care about our health just as much as a clean eater does, but we also understand that to make a lasting lifestyle change, we need to create sustainable habits. We have no timeline to get to where we want to be; we’re all about enjoying the ride.

Are you a flexible dieter? If not, what are you waiting for? Freedom awaits you. Are you a clean-eating diehard? Make your case in the comments.

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Vital Stats

TRAIN MAGAZINE
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Every so often in the health and fitness world there comes along an elixir that can reputedly increase an athlete’s muscle mass, stamina, speed, and strength, while boosting their metabolic rate and staving off hunger to aid weight loss.

The one that’s supposedly been ticking all the above boxes for years is colostrum milk. Colostrum is produced by female mammals late in the gestation period and for the first few days following birth. In cows, bovine colostrums is usually produced in the first four days after a calf is born, and its main purpose is to ensure the complete development of the young animal’s gut.

In addition, colostrum reinforces the newborn’s immunity to infection by providing antibodies, antimicrobials, immunoregulation, and antioxidative factors.

Before the advent of antibiotics, bovine colostrum was the main source of antibodies used to fight infections. The reason? Antibody levels in colostrum can be 100 times greater than that of regular milk.

Recently researchers have developed hyper-immune bovine colostrum, a special type of colostrum which contains antibodies targeted at specific diseases. However, studies have shown its ineffectiveness, and it has also been shown that natural bovine colostrum actually contains more antibodies than the developed type.

Some athletes and coaches also use colostrum because of its promise as an ergogenic aid to enhance performance in high-intensity exercises, in addition to its utilization in the medical community.

But what does the science say about colostrum?

Well, a key component of colostrum as an ergogenic aid is its high IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) content. The importance of IGF-1 in muscle growth can’t be understated because of its ability to activate cell growth.

However, research is split down the middle in regard to colostrum’s ability to raise IGF-1 levels. A Finnish study¹ in 2002, conducted by Dr. Antii Mero and associates reported that colostrum did in fact raise the body’s levels of IGF-1. However, a more recent study by a Dr JD Buckley refuted that claim and instead found that colostrum actually increased anaerobic power.

That result seemed to be substantiated by a study carried out by a Dr Z. Hofman when he gave colostrum to elite field hockey players and noted their marked improvement in a number of speed tests and time trials.

Another study⁶ compared the performances of professional cyclists given 10 grams of whey protein per day to a group who received the same amount of colostrum over an eight-week period. Cyclists using colostrum reported a greater improvement in a 40 km time trial. They also showed better stamina levels and quicker recovery times.

Cyclists using colostrum reported a greater improvement in a 40 km time trial.

This once again brings up the question of whether colostrum has more benefits to offer with strength-building (anaerobic) or stamina-boosting (aerobic) exercises.

In another study⁸ conducted on elite female rowers by Dr G.O. Brinkworth, colostrum appeared to have no effect on performance. However, an increase in the body’s buffer capacity was observed.

Muscle buffer capacity is the ability for muscles to neutralize acids that accumulate in them due to high-intensity training, therefore fighting off fatigue. The authors of the research theorize this could be the result of an increase in fast-twitch muscle fibers which, as we all know, are predominantly linked to anaerobic exercise.

The weight of evidence would seem to suggest that colostrum offers consistent performance improvement in activities that involve the anaerobic energy system. Plus, it conclusively appears to shorten recovery times.

The next question we need to address is: What is the ideal daily dosage?

The recommended serving size on virtually all commercially available colostrum supplements ranges from 3-to-6 grams. However, the lowest dose shown to work in studies is 10 g, while the greatest improvements came as result of subjects consuming 20 g daily.

For instance, in the Hofman study, it was noted that colostrum supplementation at 10 g per day didn’t illicit a response at eight weeks whereas, in his previous research, subjects demonstrated an improvement in performance at eight weeks after consuming 20g per day.

This is backed up by research⁹ conducted by Dr. Jose Antonio at the Sports Science Lab at the University of Delaware; it noted an increase in the body’s lean mass in subjects who took 20 g of colostrum daily. Furthermore, colostrum has positive effects on body composition in addition to its ability to enhance the body’s natural defense against infections.

It is worth reiterating that the lowest dose proven to be effective in studies was 10 g per day which took longer than the normal eight weeks to show any effect. The majority of studies tend to use 20 g per day with this dose, showing positive effects at the eight-week mark.

But, all potential benefits aside, money spent on colostrum would be a waste if you don’t have a solid nutrition plan in place.

REFERENCES

1. Mero A, et al. (2002) IGF-I, IgA, and IgG responses to bovine colostrum supplementation during training. Journal of Applied Physiology 93(2):732-9.
2. Buckley JD, Abbott MJ, Brinkworth GD, et al. Bovine colostrum supplementation during endurance running training improves recovery, but not performance. J Sci Med Sport. 2002;5:65-79.
3. Buckley JD. Bovine colostrum: Does it improve athletic performance? Nutrition. 2002;18:776-777.
4. Brinkworth GD, Buckley JD, Bourdon PC, et al. Oral bovine colostrum supplementation enhances buffer capacity but not rowing performance in elite female rowers. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab . 2002;12:349-365.
5. Hofman Z, et al. (2002) The effect of bovine colostrum supplementation on exercise performance in elite field hockey players. International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 12(4):461-469.
6. Coombs JS, et al. (2002) Dose effects of oral bovine colostrum on physical work capacity in cyclists. Med Sci Sports Exercise 34(7): 1184-8.
7. http://www.icnr.org/blog/13-home-page/49-colostrum-and-athletic-performance
8. Brinkworth GO & Buckley JO. (2004) Concentrated bovine colostrum supplementation reduces the incidence of self-reported symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection in adult males. European Journal of Nutrition 42(4):228-32.
9. Antonio J, et al. (2001) The Effects of Bovine Colostrum Supplementation on Body Composition and Exercise Performance in Active Men and Women. Nutrition 17:243-247.

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