Testimonials.

It's been remarked to me that the reason some may not heed what I say on this blog, and I certainly know the professional strength coaches would agree, is: if I'm not posting and demonstrating results and client feedback, why should anyone listen to a word I have to say, regardless of what information I put forward? It makes me just another random Internet voice so many in the industry hate. Do I need to show I'm "in the trenches" to pass some basic competency test? Well, to some extent yes. If I show, I make my living exclusively and comfortably, training clients, that I get repeat and enthusiastic business, then I have some  (perhaps not much I admit) merit and validity as a trainer, which could lend some credence to the gibberish I spew at this blog.

If I'm being honest, I guess I was always afraid of results, as I saw them as a stark reflection of me as a trainer, but that's a horrible mentality to have. If I'm not getting results, then I'm a bad trainer, simple as that. Does it mean I need to quit and go raise sheep? Sure it could entail that, but it doesn't necessarily. It could and should motivate me to become a better trainer, to educate myself more. It's also resoundingly important for clients to know their stats, and for your clients to see client feedback, hell, it's important for you to know your clients feedback. So I'm putting together some stats over the next couple of months, I'm going to be doing blog posts about specific clients, their results, their hard work etc and I'm going to be putting up testimonials I receive. The following are from a little while a go, I'm in the process of getting more now, which I will attach to the blog.

Cherie:

Rob is by far one of the best trainers I’ve had.  He is challenging, yet accommodating, and he listens. The time he is willing to dedicate to answering queries about nutrition and training is exceptional and something I have never experienced with anyone else. If you can match the effort that Rob puts into your sessions, you will get results. I would recommend him without hesitation. 

Kathleen:

Rob recently became my trainer this year after my previous trainer left CBD.  Of the trainers I have had at CBD, so far I have found Rob to be the most informative and the one who has really gone the extra mile to educate and encourage me to achieve my goals.  Rob has his own blog and regularly sends out articles to show why he provides the training he does and why we should follow his advice!

Rob has provided great support and encouragement along with a great sense of humour (that distracts me from the pain of exercising) and with his level of knowledge and commitment to improving both my fitness and mind, I am slowly but surely progressing towards my goal!

If you are looking for a trainer who is committed to getting you to where you want to go, I would suggest you look no further than Rob.

Sean (P Diddy):

I have been training with Rob for around three years, and feel fitter and stronger than any time before.  When training with Rob I get a series of workouts which are constantly being rotated and refreshed to meet my training goals and to offer new challenges.  Rob also provides dietary, training and fitness advice outside of scheduled training sessions by way of articles by email, and more recently through his fitness blog, which I find a great innovation.  This gives me something healthy to read when I get to work so that my mind is refocused on being healthy during the day, plus the benefits in tapping into the knowledge of a health and fitness professional.  It is a pleasure to train with someone who demonstrates such a genuine interest in helping his clients reach their goals.  I would have no hesitation in recommending Rob as a trainer to anyone seeking results.

Recipes, Post Workout Nutrition and A Rant (Non Necessarily In That Order).

Diet is a particularly difficult topic for me, for several reasons (a) I'm a semi vegetarian, so my food choices are not going to be yours (although I think it wouldn't hurt to make some vegetarian options a staple part of the diet), (b) I don't generally eat with a lot of variety and (c) my goals at the moment are mass not leanness so my food options are not what I would recommend. I would however refer you to this blog for a basic outline, based on macronutirents, on how to eat during a day.  Having said that though, I guess me relying solely on the "Quick Tips" blog for you guys, as your sole source of dietary strategy (I have done other diet posts here, here, here, here, here), was a mistake on my part. I thought it gave you the option to simply make any meal you want, only making sure the protein, carbs and fats line up with the directions given. But alas, perhaps it requires more work on my part. I'm going to provide, viz. my articles blogs some basic food options via cookbooks you could (and should order) and websites with menus and advice. Why? As demonstrated above, my own food listing is extremely limited.

Here is a list of meal options that you could try

This one has about 150 recipes:
Primal Blueprint Recipes on Mark’s Daily Apple

The Best of Mark’s Daily Apple 2010

Curry Spiced Kangaroo Loin with Savory Coconut Cauliflower

Pan-Seared Venison Chops in a Spiced Marinade

Double-Pork Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Protein Brownies and a Banana Bread Recipe (Gluten-Free)

A Recipe A Week: Roasted Lamb Shanks

Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes with Chives

Metabolic Cooking: Making it Easier to Eat Clean with Healthy Food Options

Crispy Roasted Duck with Holiday Seasonings and Sauces

Diet Friendly, Gluten-Free PB&J Muffin Recipe

Mexican Mole Sauce

Beef Stew and Chicken Soup in 35 Minutes or Less

Scrawny to Brawny: Paul Valiulis

The Perfect Primal Omelet

The Perfect Pot of Primal Soup

And here are some cookbooks and guides:

Primal Blueprint 101

The Paleo Recipe Book

Metabolic Cooking

Anabolic Cooking

It might also be less about food choices as opposed to meal preparation, it seems many of you who don't eat the way you're supposed to, base this on the fact that it takes time to cook, and you don't have, for whatever reason, that time. I thought, logically, that the smoothies blog (with it's recent vegetable additions) would help, but I've had serious resistance to this notion, a lot of "yeh that is a good idea" as you drift off into space, clearly not listening, or simply a response of "yuk". But let's put the onus back on you for a moment, the client who doesn't eat properly. Let's assume for the sake of argument you made the smoothies, exactly as directed in the aforementioned blogs, you now have 4 healthy meals a day, that are mobile and easy to prepare. Not to go on too much of a rant, but it really is things like the smoothies that make it hard for me to muster much (though I still do) sympathy for those who say they don't have time, or don't like the smoothies and subsequently can't achieve their goals. There a millions of permutations for the smoothies, and not everything we eat is always what we want (it makes the things we want all the more better when we do get to eat them). If you're outright denying the smoothies, for whatever reason, then you're denying yourself easy calories, that will stimulate muscle growth, aid in fat loss, and that subsequently makes it hard for me to muster any respect or pity for you (not achieving your goals, though as mentioned, I still do, I recognise it's not easy or intuitive, necessarily).

Now, is it my fault, your psychological issues (depression, lack of motivation, disinterest etc) aside, that you don't eat properly? I'm surely willing to take some responsibility viz. education, but I can't eat for you, I can't cook for you. We all have the same 24 hour days, I'm currently preparing some blogs devoted to the efforts of individual clients of mine who have done supurb work in the gym and have amazing results, and when I get these blogs done, you're going to see, that people like you, who work 40+ hours a week, can still train an be ripped and strong.

A caveat at this point seems prudent, it should be noted what I'm not saying: I'm not saying that if you don't drink smoothies you're a lost cause, I'm not saying that all of you are failing completely on your diets, or that even most of you are, many of you have only a few areas to solve and many of you are doing amazing work. I also want to point out that though I write this blog to everyone, I'd like to think these kind of rants only affect the people, who know they have work to do in the diet department, they fall on deaf ears when you're losing weight and are looking good. But for those of you who work hard and take this kind of blog personally, take heed: the people who this blog is about know who they are, they know they have problems to fix, and they are not eating right. The rest of you take something from this post if you feel it applies, but don't lose hope.

Now, having got that out of the way, what's next? Post workout meals? It seems I haven't aptly demonstrated to you guys why exactly this is so important. John Ivy and Robert Portman in their book Nutrient Timing (I recommend you buy it, it's on $14 with free shipping) call this part of the diet the "anabolic phase", to use their words:

"Following a workout, the muscle machinery is primarily in catabolic mode. However, it is primed to switch into an anabolic mode if the right stimulus is provided." (Ivy and Portman, pg 47, 2004)

You may have seen me discuss "anabolic" and "catabolic" before here, but for those of you who don't know what it means, "anabolic" refers simply to growth or to a positive energy balance, whereas "catabolic" simply refers to the opposite. We obviously want to do everything we can to keep the body out of catablolism (as this increases risk of muscle decrease, hence metabolism decrease which = decreased capacity for fat loss). Ivy and Portman continue:

"The principles of nutrient optimization and metabolic sensitivity are particularly relevant during the forty-five minute period postexercise The switch that turns off the catabolic machinery and turns on the anabolic machinery is insulin. During this forty-five minute period, muscle cells are acutely sensitive to anabolic actions of insulin. Just providing the right nutrients will exploit this insulin sensitivity and cause a tremendous surge of anabolic activity." (Ivy and Portman , pg 47, 2004)

It would be my strong recommendation that all of you consume a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein after a weights workout (a 1:1 ratio of carbs/protein after intervals should be fine), though I would be fine with you simply having any smoothy or post workout shake after training (a minimum of 30g carbs and 30g protein applies). This will stimulate metabolism and aid in recovery, all of which you require. This is all obviously done in conjunction with the rest of your diet, I don't have the space here to go into depth in justifying every meal I recommend you eat, but suffice it to say, there is justification in the literature.

A final word from Ivy and Portman:

"At no other time during the course of your day can nutrition make such a major difference in your overall training program.... If you don't exploit this metabolic receptivity, your muscle cells will remain in a catabolic state and even begin to develop insulin resistance. The metabolic window is only open for a short period after exercise. Indeed, within minutes after you stop exercising, it starts to close. Taking in more nutrients outside the metabolic window will not provide the same results. When insulin resistance develops, usually two to four hours after your workout, even the perfect combination of nutrients will be much less effective." (Ivy and Portman , pg 48-9, 2004)

I hope this post helps some of you broaden your food choices and options, I really do require feedback, what will help motivate you, what can I do to provide you with the best tools to succeed in the gym? Answers to these questions will benefit us all. As my email tag line says: "abs are made in the kitchen."

Reference

Ivy J., Portman R., (2004). Nutrient Timing. Laguna Beach, California. Basic Health Publications, Inc. Pp-47-49.

Training Diary- German Volume Training- Wk1.

Hey guys, sorry for my tardiness on the blog posts, I've been moving house and the setting up has kept me distracted, I'd also be lying if my new hard drive/media player set up on my HD TV hasn't kept me distracted too.

I've started a new training program, it's obviously still very high in intensity (as you can see below), but less volume overall. It's based on "German Volume Training" which as far as I can tell, has been made popular by Charles Poloquin. It's a far more structured program than my last, involving undulating periodization which is something I utilized a lot during my dieting last year. I'll let the man himself define it for you:

"In a nutshell, GVT targets a specific group of motor units and exposes them to an extensive volume of repeated efforts; specifically, 10 sets of a single exercise. The body adapts to such extraordinary stress by hypertrophying those muscle fibers. I’ve found that when used exactly the way I prescribed, GVT can result in gains of 10 pounds or more of solid muscle in six weeks, always associated with a decrease in bodyfat.

GVT Revisited
More specifically, the goal of GVT is to complete 10 sets of 10 reps with the same weight for each exercise. Obviously, you couldn’t start with a weight that you could barely complete for 10 reps, because by the 10th set the accumulated fatigue would prevent you from performing 10 reps for the later sets, and therefore you would tap into a different motor unit pool. As such, I recommend that you start with a weight equal to 60 percent of your best single or, to put it another way, a weight that you could lift for about 20 reps. Therefore, if you can bench press 200 pounds for 1 rep, you would use 120 pounds for this exercise." (Poloquin)

The above article explains exactly the protocol I'm following for the next 6 weeks.

This program as explained above is far more detailed than the last, allow me to explain: this program follows a 10 sets by 5 rep scheme for the first 11 days, then you increase the weight and move to 10 sets by 4 reps for another 11 days, then similarly again you go with 10 sets by 3 reps for another 11 days (undulating through this schema for 55 days total). This is obviously far more progressive than the program I was previously on. One benefit I've also noticed is the increased recovery, both between muscle workouts (about 4-6 days) and periodized workouts per week. You work: Monday on, Tuesday on, Wednesday off, Thursday on, Friday off, Saturday on, Sunday off which my other program might also have done but I wasn't able to follow that structure, living where I did, now that I'm 5 mins from the city, this program is possible. Let me tell you, the extra recovery is both noticed and welcomed!

Another difference in this program is the specific focus on concentric, eccentric control. Poloquin recommends a 40X0 movement time which means 4 seconds on the "eccentric" phase (eccentric refers to the muscle lengthening, or the downward phase of a movement) no pause at the bottom, then explode through the "concentric" or shortening/upward phase of the movement. Poloquin explains the justification for this:

"Advanced trainees, because of their enhanced neurological efficiency, should only use explosive concentric tempos." (Poloquin)

It should also be noted that the supplementary work ("B1" and "B2") are done at 3 sets by 6-8 reps with a same or similar tempo.

Rob
GVT
Workout 1
Chest/Back- rest 100s
x10 sets/ x 3 sets x6-8	Wk1
A1: BB Bench	90kg
A2: Pullup	Bodyweight
B1: DB Inc Bench	32.5kg, 35kg-
B2:  BB BO Row	60kg, 60kg-
Workout 2
Legs
x10 sets	Wk1
A1: BB Back Squat	80kg
A2: Lying Leg Curl	55kg
B1: DB Walking Lunge	20kg,20kg,20kg
B2: SLDL	45kg,45kg,45kg
Workout 3
Arms
x10 sets	Wk1
A1: DB Alt Curl	20kg
A2: CG Bench	80kg
B1: Preacher Curl	37kg,37kg,37kg
B2: Skullcrusher	37kg,37kg,37kg
Workout 4
Chest/Back
x10 sets	Wk1
A1: BB Inc Bench	80kg
A2: Chinup	Bodyweight
B1: DB Bench	35kg,35kg,35kg
B2: DB BO Row	30kg,30kg,30kg

The diet has been OK, I'm officially almost a week without nachos, living clean and loving life. For serious though, the dropping of nachos is helping with the waistline, but I fear with so much damage already done, I'll have to be all the more stringent for the next couple of months, I'm even considering an interval day although standard convention would dictate to avoid that (too much CNS stress).

I've discovered vegetarian options such as sausages and bacon, which have been nice. They taste pretty good, are high in protein (though it is soy) and reasonably low in carbs. I've been largely living on smoothies, which has made me feel pretty hungry a lot of the time, so the addition of some solid food has been nice.

Breakfast: 1 cup of oats with 1 scoop protein powder, Hilo milk, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. 700mL of water. Vegetable smoothy- 1/3 of a cucumber, handful of alfalfa, a carrot, handfuls of beans, peas, corn, spinach, a few sticks of broccoli. 1 tablespoon of creatine in milk.

Post workout shake: x2  up n go "energize"'s, 30g of protein powder. 500-700mL of water during training. 1 tablespoon of creatine.

Post workout meal: X2 fried eggs on wholemeal toast (x2 slics) with low fat butter.
 
Meal before afternoon shift:  Smoothy- 1/2 cup of berries, 1 cup of mixed veggies, 1 banana, 1 pear/apple, 1/2 cup of walnuts/cashews, a touch of cinnamon, 750mL of water, 1 cup of yogurt, 150g cottage cheese, 3 broccoli stems, handful of cherry tomatoes, lentils, chick peas (or various other types of beans/lentils). I also forgot to note, this makes 2 shakes that I have over the course of the day, or I have the leftover one the next day.

Dinner: Various vegetarian options such as vegetable sausages, bacon etc.

Pre bed snack (sometimes): Second vegetable smoothy. 


Supplements. 3-4 fish oil tabs with my afternoon smoothy, and I've started taking a multivitamin supplement once-twice a day.

Reference
Poloquin C., A Look Back, and Ahead, at German Volume Training: How to get the most growth out of this proven training system. Retrieved 31/04/2011.

Articles.

Hey guys more literature for ya.

Fast Fat Loss Workouts
Got aerobic work? Ok so pride comes before the fall. I'm joking of course, I'm sure if I went to a runners blog we'd see how great it is, runners run, everyone else doesn't, keep that in mind (yes I'm using a stupid tautology to prove a point).

The New Science on Squatting and the TRUTH About Assessing and Teaching the Squat – Interview w/ Dr.Mark McKean

I don't normally put interviews in, but squat positon and depth is so discussed it migh tbe worth weighing in (via article)

Are Leg Extensions Good or Bad, Safe or Dangerous, Effective or a Waste of time, Functional or NonFunctional? – Exercise Expert Brad Schoenfeld has the Surprising Answers!

This reminds me of Cosgrove's "overreaction in the short term underreaction in the long term" quote. I think a lot of us simply removed leg extensions (and most, if not all) machines from our programs due to the functional guys (Boyle, Cook, Cressey etc). This article helps put things back into perspective to the stringent crowd (which I might be a part of).

Training Foreplay:On Warm Ups and Why You Need to Stop Skipping Them
This link and the one below are great culloquially worded posts for the avergae gym goer, the office worker, the "sedentary". Simple, fun language.

How to Improve Your Rate of Improvement: 5 Tips for Increased Results in ANY Area of Your Life
Basic tips for anyone looking to improve their gym life/performance.

Female Fit Pros Weigh In: How to Train After a Hsyterectomy
Soemthing for the ladies!

Stuff You Should Read: 5/2/11
Cressey's list of articles for your viewing pleasure.

My Top 5 Single-Leg Exercises
Cressey demonstrating why single leg work is important and which exercises are paramount.

Articles.

Hey guys, sorry this blog has been so sparse in its writings lately, due to that I've attached a few more articles than normal, for your viewing pleasure.

Recent Research
Here's Cosgrove with more studies showing the abject failure of aerobic work in the literature, I hope the point is getting across? Distance runners, multiple event athletes and beginners are the only ones who would be doing this stuff (as well as HIIT).

Good Reads for the Week
Here Ben Bruno goes through a much more extravagant article listing than I've covered in this blog, so it makes a great reference for all who are searching for some specific post on a specific thing that has not, thus far, been addressed.

Videos from the Week
More from Bruno here, he's big on posting vids, and they've made me come to realise they're a valuable resource I wasn't really using. When teaching form, exercise technique and even from a simple education point of view, videos make a lot of sense.

Random Thoughts and Quick Hits
Last one from Bruno here, an article on the musings of a strength coach

Should You Reduce Carbs at Night?
Some research put forward here by Brad Schoenfield to counter the claim "no carbs before bedtime", interesting stuff. Something to consider.

High Heels Bad for the Joints?
This would have appeared intuitive but as Schoenfield demonstrates above, intuition isn't entirely reliable, though in this case our intuitions appear confirmed. Ladies, a must read!

Fasted Cardio Article
This seems to be going the way of the Dodo, just one more nail in the coffin.

Mixed Fitness Arts: A New Breed of Personal Trainer and Strength Coach
A nice article here from Contreras, which I wasn't going to put in, but as I read it, it really spoke to me about what I need to be aware of as a trainer, and where I might want to go. Interesting for clients too, to know how to judge the people you train with.

Confessions of a Corporate Wellness Coach
The gym I work at could almost be described as a wellness gym, this article applies for all sedentary workers (re:office workers) who train CBD. This simple but effective guide is at the core of what I preach.

Athletic Bodybuilding: Five Ways to Build a Bigger and Stronger Back
Want a big back? Inquire within. There seems to be a real "low rep" craze at the moment. Is it justified? Sure, but there are caveats (see the wellness article above).

Genetics vs. Hard Work: Round 5
Some specific literature on roid use and comparisons, in animals, between users and non users, interesting if not a lil graphic.

Articles.

No training blog this week guys as I've had the time off, sleeping, recovering which has been nice. I'm about to start Poliquin's program entitled "German Volume Training" so stay tuned for me having a whine about that soon!

The Global Meathead Research Project
This great, fun little article will surely shuckle some chuckles out of you. I started reading it being like "there's no way I'll be on this list" then as the list keeps on going you start to wonder, "hmmm am I on this list?" (is this one me? "The “Badass” Covered in Tattoos: He listens to obscure death metal and scowls a lot. He even went to an expensive private school." although I didn't go to a private school, and don't consider myself a "badass").  I'd say most or all of us are on it, or have been on it at some point, just the way it goes I guess. I'd surmise the point is to try and be open minded in your gym experience, try to learn new things, treat the place you train with respect

Weightlifter’s ADD
Dave Tate's site Elite FTS is full of power lifters and generally hard dudes, you won't expect much charming eloquent wording in their posts. They tell you what you're doing wrong, why you're a douche, cut the crap and lift smart, there's a clarity to that that I can respect, and they're articles are always informative, and a little fun. Articles like this one, don't contain studies, they're not authoritative and I certainly don't put them across as such (and neither do they I'd suppose), but they do work toward keeping you mindful of realistic goals in the gym, as it easy for us to run with our fears and fantasies.

Finally, Fish Oil Is Anabolic! Another great benefit from this versatile supplement

Now, I'm not generally a huge Poloquin fan, I think he has some great things to say, and some of the time I listen, but I also think he makes a lot of extraordinary claims with ordinary evidence (or less than ordinary) to back them up. On his website he's selling supplements right next to his information, and sometimes in the articles themselves (as in this program will work if you buy this supplement, re: this very article), this demonstrates a bias, it's not entirely damning of course, it's just something we need to be weary of.

He looks good, but is that a basis to listen to someone? Allow me to explain via analogy: say you have 2 lifters, lifter (a) and lifter (b). You have no background knowledge of (a) or (b) and only their appearance to go on. (A) has slightly lower bodyfat and more muscularity than (b), therefore you would surmise (a) is a better trainer yes? Objectively you may be right. But, what if you were to discover that (b) trains for (let's arbitrarily say) an hour a day less than (a) yet only has a slightly less appealing body to (a), would you still think (a) had the better body? Yes (a) would be more appealing but she is doing more work for slightly less gain than (b), does this represent a trainer with more knowledge, or one who works harder, which is better? Which would you pick? This analogy has serious problems sure, but you get the point, the fact that Poloquin is buff (or just as Michael Boyle isn't) has no bearing on what they say. This is science, appeals to authority don't work, evidence does.

Physiological Elevation of Endogenous Hormones Results in Superior Strength Training Adaptations – Research Review
Here's a research review by Lyle McDonald.

Casein Hydrolysate and Anabolic Hormones and Growth – Research Review

And another, gotta love that research.

Being Shellfish
Thoughts for vegetarians looking for some variation and justification for that variation in their diets.

The Survival Exemption: Great for Vegans Stranded on an Island…. Horrible for Veganism
This guy, love him or hate him is hardcore. His posts are always ridiculously long and he touches on much of the same themes as the atheist, and skeptic community does (the basis for morality etc).

Fact vs. Fiction: The Truth about Training Frequency
This is an interesting aricle by Mike Robertson, I almost didn't include it, but it has some interesting things to say on mass training in terms of frequency that I wasn't doing myself.

Are carbs the enemy?
And finally for all the fighters who are just spastic at the moment for the Paleo diet (it doesn't cure cancer guys!), here's some stuff for you!

Articles.

I've recently purchased a few books (here, here, here , here, here, here and here) and I was considering doing some basic reviews, an giving my thoughts on them, so keep an eye out for that over the next couple of weeks.

Evolution and Exercise

P Diddy, this one is for you a la our conversation on this blog the other day. In this post Kyle Newell discusses, a prima facie, anecdotal case for sprinting, and as per a discussion I had with a critic here (scroll down to the last comment) Newell also makes a case for an evolutionary basis for sprinting and weight lifting, something I think Gray Cook and Michael Boyle (et al) would get behind (re: fundamental movement patterns). 

Do the Evolution

Is there a theme in the posts this week? Ferrugia has a great meandering post here, going from his thoughts on music, movies etc an how they've affected him, where he's come from and where he's going. The fact that he mentions a Henry Rollins quote:

"I believe that one defines ones self by reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone.” 

 A personal hero of mine, this quote is the reaosn this blog is in this week. 

The Two R's of Core Training

I've cited Robertson in a blog on abs before, and it seems after some time, this information is still relevant. A nice, short post. 

Equinox Weekend Links

Some research articles on grains from someone with a "beef" against grains (see what I did there?), but don't let that affect you, is his evidence valid?

Pre Workout Meal plan for Fat Loss / Weight loss – For Women & Men

Some tips here from Tumminello on pre workout meals, he's chucked in a couple of links that you guys should chase, as this is pretty important stuff. This post also backs contentions I've had on this blog regarding meals, which I discuss here, here and here.

The trouble with Dr. Oz

I like to add meta analysis articles on science itself sometimes, so we can always remember to base what we do on empirical research. I'm certainly not saying that anecdotal evidence and experiential evidence means nothing, often times professionals (re: top coaches and physiotherapists in the world) can lead the way, ahead of the research, but I wouldn't advocate for someone at my level, to not "stick to the recipe". The more discussions I have with trainers and the more I realise it about myself, I see a lot of pseudoscience creeping into our training methodology's, into what we preach. The more I can learn about proper scientific methodology, the more I can be aware when someones training modalities don't pass muster. To whatever extent I'm qualified to make that assessment, and I admit, that may be very little. 

Stuff You Should Read: 4/25/11

This is a blog post by Eric Cressey, much in the same vain of this blog itself, a collection of (his) articles to check out, he's always worth a read.

Training Diary-Phase 3- Wk2.

Hey guys, well I know this post is coming late, I guess with the public holidays and such, I haven't been terribly keen to report on my antics. I only trained 3 of the 4 days this week. Due to the public holidays I'm only able to train twice this week, and with there being only one week left of this program after that (in which I was due to have a week off after it), I'm going to call this my week off now. I'm going to write up a new program (possibly "German Volume Training" or some kind of superset program again), and begin afresh. I'll do some regen and recovery this week so I'm fresh for next week.

Back's still a little tight, but no more than any stiffness you might feel from this kind of training and my complete disrespect for warm ups, recovery and regen work. It's certainly not sore anymore. The below weights basically stayed the same, went down a little to protect my back, but it wasn't affected (negatively) at all.

This is me at about 99kgs, and I don't know what bodyfat percentage, I'll post it this week, I'm gonna hazard around 18-19%? Any takers on that? In 6 weeks I've gone up about 5-6kgs, so we can imagine a bit of it is fat. Rob Superset
Phase 3
Day 1
Upper Body	S	R	Wk1
DB Bench/ 3 Point Row	3	8	32.5kg/32.5kg, 40kg/45kg, 40kg/45kg.
DB Dec/Wd Gp Std Rw	3	8	35kg/90kg, 35kg/95kg, 40kg/95kg.
Pushpress/ Pullup	3	8	60kg/BWx8, 60/BWx8, 60kg/BWx8.
Cble Pushdwn/ BB Curl	3	8	Had to start work.
Day 2
Lower Body/Abs	S	R	Wk1
BB Deadlift	3	8	80kg, 100kg, 120kg.
BB Lng/BB Good Mrng	3	8	60kg/60kg, 70kg/70kg, 70kg/70kg.
Leg Prss/Sgl Lg Vd Lg Crl	3	8	200kg/1, 200kg/1, 220kg/1.
Rollout/Jacknife	3	8	1,1,1.
Day 3
Upper Body	S	R	Wk1
BB Bench/Unsppt T-br Rw	3	8	70kg/60kg, 90kg/70kg, 100kg/70kg.
DB Inc/ Machine Row	3	8	35kg/14 (Plates), 40kg/14+10kg, 45kg/14+10kg.
Hang Clea/Press/ Wd Chin	3	8	60kg/12.5kg, 60kg/15kg, 60kg/15kg.
Skullcrusher/ DB Curl	3	8	-.

Day 4
Lower Body	S	R	Wk1
Wide Back Squar	3	10	-
Lateral Lunge/SLDL	3	10	-
DB Step Up/Valsld Lg Crl	3	10	-
Bodysaw/ Hanging Leg Rs		10-

As per Chad Waterbury's article on "The Warrior Diet" I've added some pure vegetable smoothies to my diet, during the week n a bit off I'm having now,  I'm consuming them at any point I choose during the day, but when I get back into my routine I'll be having one with breakfast and one with dinner perhaps, I highly recommend them (as I imagine most of you are not having enough serves of vegetables). I'll also be adding photos of them to my smoothies blog.

Breakfast: 1 cup of oats with 1 scoop protein powder, Hilo milk, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. 700mL of water. Vegetable smoothy- 1/3 of a cucumber, handful of alfalfa, a carrot, handfuls of beans, peas, corn, spinach, a few sticks of brocolli.

Post workout shake: x2  up n go "energize"'s, 30g of protein powder. 500-700mL of water during training.

Post workout meal: Nachos.
 
Meal before afternoon shift:  Smoothy- 1/2 cup of berries, 1 cup of mixed veggies, 1 banana, 1 pear/apple, 1/2 cup of walnuts/cashews, a touch of cinnamon, 750mL of water, 1 cup of yogurt, 150g cottage cheese, 3 broccoli stems, handful of cherry tomatoes, lentils, chick peas (or various other types of beans/lentils). I also forgot to note, this makes 2 shakes that I have over the course of the day, or I have the leftover one the next day.

Dinner: Various egg options, usually 2 eggs on wholemeal toast. The second vegetable smoothy.

Supplements. 3-4 fish oil tabs with my afternoon smoothy, and I've started taking a multivitamin supplement once-twice a day.

My creatine hasn't come in the mail, but it should be here for when I start my new program.

Articles

I usually send out a bunch of articles/blog posts to my clients via email, but viz Bret Contreras' blog I think I'm going to start putting them in blog form, that way I practically have a place to store them and can access them when doing research, and they can also then be accessed by others who read the blog, but aren't on my mailing list. I'll attach a short annotation if appropriate on my musings, recollections, anecdotes etc. Getting more interactive I guess is the point and the goal. Enjoy.

Healthy Habits 

Contreras discusses teaching your clients to train for themselves and how trainers should look at themselves as educators, not just bosses. I can agree with that. It’s surprising how a relatively simple article (for Contreras) like this can make something clear that might not have otherwise been prominently in your mind. I always try to teach my clients how to workout on their own, an I encourage them to do so. This article just reminds you to make it a serious consideration. 

Mental and Emotional Aspects of Long-Distance Running
This article was sent to my latest blog of research into aerobic running as a possible psychological component to running that I perhaps hadn't factored into my analysis of the situation (hence a reason why someone may not want to give it up in light of evidence?). I admit I was using cold data to persuade people to move away from an emotional choice, which may persuade those who couldn't care either way, but they aren't the ones who are "addicted" to running are they (generally)?

Muscle Imbalances in the Research 
 This article is from Rick Kaselj's blog, it's a research review of several journal articles. Why did I include it? When promoting resistance training as a viable, appropriate and in many cases superior tool for things like fat loss, injury prevention many of the nay sayers are going to (rightly) ask for evidence. The more I can promote peer reviewed journal articles demonstrating the efficacy of resistance training, perhaps more people will rely on it, and use it correctly. 

Are We Still Dieting the Wrong Way?
This article from Waterbury inspired in me an idea which was obviously logical but something I hadn't considered. Anyone who knows me or reads this blog, knows I'm a fan of smoothies, but what I hadn't considered, as a health option, was to (keep my other smoothies and) add a straight vegetable smoothy, to have once or twice a day, a cheeky little way to get some vegetables in that I might not be getting now (I admit I'm certainly not eating enough in quantity or variety). 

3 Tips for Anyone Who Wants to Improves Perfomance and Look Better Nakes Part 3- Cardio
This is an article from Dave Tate's blog, and it's just some anecdotal evidence to support my contention on aerobic training, resistance training and interval training, which I admit and concede, may mean nothing to runners. 

Evolution of a Strength Coach
The man himself, Michael Boyle discussing many coaches (and I'm assuming for my purposes personal trainers) progression in their own training. I can agree with the timeline even if my progression wasn't strictly the same; I understand the mentality, even if Boyle would not rate me as a trainer.

Research Into The Negative Effects Of Aerobic Training, And The Superiority Of Interval Training.

Please excuse the tedium of simply putting up a blog with research articles in it, but as per my blog yesterday on my philosophy, and my blog the other week on running, I thought it best to make sure my references were in order.  Eric Cressey put out a blog today on why your (my) fitness blog/s might not be getting the hits and have the readership, from this I extrapolated "why people might not listen to me". It could be due to my content; if I want you to listen to what I have to say, I have to make sure my content is appropriate, well sourced, and pleasing to read. I admit, I may not have done this correctly thus far. Some of these references are from other blogs I've done on this subject, I've since removed them, sourced them accurately here, and put them all together, that I might convince even the most ardent skeptic, that I at least have evidence for my position.

It's worth putting in a caveat here, when I use the term "aerobic work" I'm referring to continuous, long distance walking and/or running. Though aerobic interval training is useful, it is still inferior to anaerobic interval training (from now on referred to as: HIIT) and as Cosgrove suggests (below) should only be done if you have time after doing metabolic resistance training and HIIT. I would be willing to concede that there is evidence that aerobic work has resulted in fat loss, but that is nullified by the fact that it takes longer training sessions to gain an effect, something that should already discount it as a fat loss tool (think of a 15 minute HIIT session versus a 45min running one). Due to the continuous and repetitive nature of aerobic exercise it is more likely to cause injury than short duration, high intensity work (though not necessarily). HIIT raises metabolism and does not reduce muscle mass (whereas aerobic work can) and finally HIIT is simply better at increasing overall fitness and fat loss (it is even suggested in studies below that it is great for increasing aerobic fitness). The only times I would suggest aerobic work is in the cases of: beginners, injured individuals (in the sense of: stroke victims, individuals prior joint/muscle injury) etc. For healthy individuals with a base level of fitness, HIIT is more effective in almost every way.  I've covered much of this in another blog, but I wanted to put it altogether and perhaps explain more eloquently my position.

I think this blog establishes my argument, it establishes my evidential basis for this tentatively held acceptance of the inferiority of aerobic training and the superiority of HIIT. Anyone who wants to disagree and wants to convince me of their position has a heavy burden of proof to meet, they have to demonstrate to me a valid argument that overcomes its 4 main faults and HIIT's success in them:
1.- Extended time of training sessions.
2. -Propensity for increased likelihood of injury.
3. -Decreases in muscle mass.
4. -Ineffectiveness as a fat loss tool.

Articles from Strength coaches (containing studies)

Alpert K., Getting Maximum Results Part I - Alternatives to Aerobics-Six Reasons Why Aerobic Work is Counterproductive. Retrieved 21/04/2011. http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/25/Getting_Maximum_Results_Part_I_-_Alternatives_to_A.aspx

Alpert K., Getting Maximum Results Part II - Alternatives to Aerobics- Alternative Exercise Strategies to Help You Break Through a Plateau. Retrieved 21/04/2011. http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/24/Getting_Maximum_Results_Part_II_-_Alternatives_to_.aspx

Boyle M., (2008). Death to Long Slow Distance. http://www.bodybyboyle.com/articles?show=16.

Boyle M., (2008). Interval Training. Retrieved 21/04/2011. http://www.enhancedfp.com/training/interval-training-mike-boyle

Cosgrove A,. (2010). Hierarchy Of Fat Loss. http://alwyncosgrove.com/2010/01/hierarchy-of-fat-loss/

Cosgrove A,. (2011). New Studies on the Afterburn Effect. Retrieved 21/04/2011   http://alwyncosgrove.com/2011/03/new-studies-on-the-afterburn-effect/

Cosgrove A,. (2010). Training techniques to maximise fatloss. Retrieved 21/04/2011. http://alwyncosgrove.com/2010/06/training-techniques-to-maximize-fat-loss/

Studies

Aerobic work is ineffective
Knechtle B., Knechtle P., (1994). [Run across Switzerland--effect on body fat and muscle mass]. Praxis. 96(8):281-6.
 
Scharhag-Rosenberger F., Meyer T., Walitzek S., Kindermann W., (2010). Effects of one year aerobic endurance training on resting metabolic rate and exercise fat oxidation in previously untrained men and women. Metabolic endurance training adaptations. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 31(7):498-504.

Van Aggel-Leijssen D.P., Saris W.H., Hul G.B., Van Baak M.A., (2001). Long-term effects of low-intensity exercise training on fat metabolism in weight-reduced obese men. Metabolism. 51(8):1003-10.

Van Aggel-Leijssen D.P, Saris W.H, Hul G.B, Van Baak M.A., (2001). Short-term effects of weight loss with or without low-intensity exercise training on fat metabolism in obese men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.73(3):523-31.

Van Aggel-Leijssen D.P., Saris W.H., Wagenmakers A.J., Hul G.B., van Baak MA. The effect of low-intensity exercise training on fat metabolism of obese women. Obesity Research. 9(2):86-96.

Aerobic work/endurance running causes injuries
Genin J., Mann R,. Theisen D., (2011). Determining the running-related injury risk factors in long distance runners. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 45(4):349.

Jacobsson J., Timpka T., Ekberg J., KowalskiNilsson S., Renström P., (2011). The swedish athletics study: annual incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in elite athletics athletes. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 45(4):353-4.

Junior L.C., Carvalho A.C., Costa L.O., Lopes A.D., (2011). The prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in runners: a systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 45(4):351-2.
Lopes A.D., Saragiotto B.T., Yamato T.P., Adami F., Costa L.O., (2011).Musculoskeletal pain in recreational runners prior to race participation: a cross-sectional survey in 1049 runners. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 45(4):361.

Tenforde A.S., Sayres L.C., McCurdy M.L., Collado H., Sainani K.L., Fredericson M., (2011). Overuse injuries in high school runners: lifetime prevalence and prevention strategies. PM& R. (2):125-31; quiz 131.

Anaerobic work is more efficient for fat loss and fitness
Ahearn K. J., Leighton B.H., , McManus J.J., Scott C.B., (2011). Aerobic, Anaerobic, and Excess Post exercise Oxygen Consumption Energy Expenditure of Muscular Endurance and Strength: 1-Set of Bench Press to Muscular Fatigue. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 25(4):903-8.

Daussin F.N., Zoll J., Dufour S.P., Ponsot E., Lonsdorfer-Wolf E., Doutreleau S., Mettauer B., Piquard F., Geny B., Richard R., (2008). Effect of interval versus continuous training on cardiorespiratory and mitochondrial functions: relationship to aerobic performance improvements in sedentary subjects. American Journal of Physiology Regulatory Integrative Comparative Physiology.295(1):R264-72. Epub 2008 Apr 16.

Gaiga M.C., Docherty D., (1995). The effect of an aerobic interval training program on intermittent anaerobic performance. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology. 20(4):452-64.

Hoffor A.S., Harrison A.C., Kirk P.A., (1990). Anaerobic threshold alterations caused by interval training in 11-year-olds. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 30(1):53-6.
Kanaley J.A., Weatherup-Dentes M.M., Alvarado C.R., Whitehead G., (2001). Substrate oxidation during acute exercise and with exercise training in lean and obese women. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 85(1-2):68-73.

Ratel S, Lazaar N, Dore E, Baquet G, Williams CA, Berthoin S, Van Praagh E, Bedu M, Duche P. (2004). High-intensity intermittent activities at school: controversies and facts.  Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 44(3):272-80.

Sartor F., De Morree H.M., Matschke V., Marcora S.M., Milousis A., Thom J.M., Kubis H.P., (2010). High-intensity exercise and carbohydrate-reduced energy-restricted diet in obese individuals. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 110(5):893-903.

Smith T.P., Coombes J.S., Geraghty D.P., (2003). Optimising high-intensity treadmill training using the running speed at maximal O(2) uptake and the time for which this can be maintained. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 89(3-4):337-43. Epub 2003 Mar 25.

Van Aggel-Leijssen D.P., Saris W.H., Wagenmakers A.J., Hul G.B., Van Baak M.A., (2001).Influence of training status on maximal accumulated oxygen deficit during all-out cycle exercise. Obesity Research. 9(2):86-96.

Killsession Musings.

No real point to this blog I guess, no investigation or form to follow, simply a meandering cascade of likely to be incoherent gibberish, thrown your way in an attempt to justify my position.

You may be wondering where am I coming from when I dispense blogs, articles and rhetoric? What am I trying to do and, perhaps more importantly, what gives me the right?  I've wanted to put some words down on virtual paper that I might elaborate to some of my readers, particularly those who don't know me, hence don't spend time with me, my philosophy.

I write, I like to do it, I like the mouthpiece that this blog affords me, I do only very basic, prima facie cases for whatever I investigate, I admit this. I try not to talk in absolutes, I try not to punt above my intellect, I am aware however that I fail, on many of these standards. I also respect the fact that there are people reading this who know more about what I'm talking about, and that I may be wrong on much of what I say, I would only ask those people to step forward, and correct me, or allow me to justify my position, if I haven't done so to their liking.

Recently I did an article on running, and it got me to thinking about how I might be perceived when I talk about HIIT, giving up running, avoiding roids and basically telling people how to live their lives.

I guess I firstly wanted to say, to all who are my clients, and all who read this, that I don't consider it my job to tell you how to live your life, in the sense that, you don't pay me to make your choices for you, and those of you who don't pay me, you don't read me to be made to feel bad for doing something you enjoy. I consider this blog to be mostly written dispassionately, in the sense that, in my life, I really don't mind what you do with your body, like to run? Please do so. Like to take roids? You have my blessing. Want to eat meat? I'll be jealous but it's your life. But, as a trainer and as a person learning about the world, I consider it my responsibility to myself at the very least to do subtle investigations into things, to learn about my world and my place in it, and my effect on it. I want to share what I find, right or wrong. I essentially leave it up to you to make up your own choices, but it should be noted, that this is not a moral blog, I don't make or cast any dispersions on any choice people want to make with their lives, it's just that it is my job, as a trainer to inform you, and as I'm doing this most basic of research, you might as well reap the benefits. If this information can help show you the most time efficient, safe, and effective ways to achieve your goals. Then the mouthpiece that is this blog is worth some small work on my part.

I do have limited space, I understand this may seem like a line I pull out often and I can understand if some of you want to call shenanigans. But I hope that I provide evidence for my claims, that I attempt to justify my positions, and more importantly, I'd like to hope I change my conclusions when convinced I'm wrong. Which, I might add, can only come from reason, argument and evidence, which I value most.

I did want to make special mention to the people that I might offend with this blog, or the people who think I'm a loud mouth telling them, quite presumptuously I'm sure, how to live a life they enjoy, that I respect your choices, even if I don't understand them.

In the end, nothing gives me the right to tell anyone how to live their lives, people can listen to me, or not, they can follow what I say, or not. I would only ask that you challenge me when I'm wrong, listen to me when I'm right, never take what I say on faith, always ask for evidence and justification for my positions, and know that I have only the best interests of myself and you in mind, when I dispense information, right or wrong. I'm not attacking you, only attempting to educate myself and others who might benefit.

Training Diary-Phase 3- Wk1.

Hey guys! Week one of this last phase, and what did I do on my first workout Monday morning? Crank my low back, so I've been foam rolling, stretching and doing my mobility before every workout, with a specific focus on my hips (loosening up hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings) and my quads, I also specifically worked on my t-spine which has been noticeably tight lately and has been giving me some pain in my upper back. I did some foam rolling (with a roller and 2 tennis balls sticky taped together), mobility and stretching for my upper body too. I haven't specifically done anything on my low back as I wanted to see if relief would come from stretching, foam rolling and mobilizing the surrounding structures (as per Boyles "joint by joint" approach), but might get into it with some foam rolling and light stretching this morning (Friday morning) before I train lower body.

Ok, well I didn't end up training Friday morning due to the sleeping pilll I took on Wednesday night (more below), plus with my back being sore, thought best to get some recovery. Chris gave me a low back stretch called the "pretzel" (picture below) on Friday morning which has given me a huge amount of relief in my low back (just a bit of tightness remains), which is great. What's the take home message? Don't wait til something goes before you do this stuff! It's better now, but still tender. I think it's in part due to my almost zero amount of recovery/regeneration/warm up, my lack of sleep, increased stress due to lack of sleep and the weight I've been moving (yes to those of you who are actually strong, please hold your chuckles!).

While not the same, this is close to the "pretzel" stretch Wedge showed me

So I've been sleeping better, somewhat, but have still been really run down, it appears to be overtraining, which could be from the program or it could be from the program plus my insomnia bout last week (circular reasoning?), I've been irritable, tired but can't sleep, rundown, suffering with flu like symptoms, classic overtraining symptoms.  So, I bit the bullet and took some sleeping pills Wednesday night and subsequently spent most of Thursday (and Sunday) asleep, which was nice, and needed! Now I know you can get them over the counter I'm going to partake on the days I'm free to lay around. Is that addressing the symptoms and not the cause? Possibly, but I need my rest and want to make sure I'm recovering properly before I jump to any great conclusions, even if it is the program I have 3 more weeks then I'm done, so I can tough it out til then, either way. I am, after all, still making gains in both strength and weight (another weight and bf% test may be in order soon, I think I'm sitting at about 98ish).

Rob Superset
Phase 3
Day 1
Upper Body	S	R	Wk1
DB Bench/ 3 Point Row	3	8	32.5kg/32.5kg, 40kg/45kg, 40kg/45kg.
DB Dec/Wd Gp Std Rw	3	8	35kg/90kg, 35kg/90kg, 40kg/90kg.
Pushpress/ Pullup	3	8	50kg/BWx8, 60/BWx8, 60kg/BWx8.
Cble Pushdwn/ BB Curl	3	8	65/40kg, 70/40kg-
Day 2
Lower Body/Abs	S	R	Wk1
BB Deadlift	3	8	80kg, 120kg, 120kg.
BB Lng/BB Good Mrng	3	8	60kg/60kg, 70kg/70kg, 70kg/70kg.
Leg Prss/Sgl Lg Vd Lg Crl	3	8	200kg/1, 200kg/1, 220kg/1.
Rollout/Jacknife	3	8	1,1,1.
Day 3
Upper Body	S	R	Wk1
BB Bench/Unsppt T-br Rw	3	8	70kg/60kg, 90kg/70kg, 100kg/70kg.
DB Inc/ Machine Row	3	8	32.5kg/12 (Plates), 37.5kg/14, 40kg/14.
Hang Clea/Press/ Wd Chin	3	8	60kg/10kg, 60kg/12.5kg, 60kg/15kg.
Skullcrusher/ DB Curl	3	8	-.

Day 4
Lower Body	S	R	Wk1
Wide Back Squar	3	10	-
Lateral Lunge/SLDL	3	10	-
DB Step Up/Valsld Lg Crl	3	10	-
Bodysaw/ Hanging Leg Rs		10-

Diet wise, I've dropped the pies, a bit hard to claim to be a "semivegetarian" when you're consuming 4 meat meals a week, plus I was still having nachos on top of that, my waistline couldn't take it! I have only had one meat meal this week at Hans before we went and saw Scream 4 (it's awesome by the way! "Scream 4": More meta than ever! And almost as much fun"), so I'm feeling good about that. Still eating nachos, but as I'm training in the morning now they have become my post shake, post workout meal, not great I know, but if ever there was a part of the day when a meal like that would be less detrimental, it's after a weights workout (when your body is in recovery and can use excess calories for muscle glycogen, muscle repair etc). This is just a self justification, ad hoc mentality that I certainly don't encourage, and a la Jason Feruggia's "Keep it Real(istic)" post last week, the fatter I get now, means the smaller I'm gonna be when I diet down. Which effectively makes all this hard work useless. I am, after all, not a bodybuilder, I don't use drugs, that would allow me to bulk and cut, I'm just a recreational lifter, whose primary goal is looking good, and being big, a fine line to walk sure, but eating crap is not the way to get there. So, as with the removal of the meat pies, I just need to rationalise the removal of food I like that's subordinate to a goal I actually want to achieve (pleasure of eating nachos v having abs). I've been listening to a podcast on the psychology of "terror management" (scroll down to the podcast entitled "RD Extra: Denying Death") and it's made me realise how important psychology is to a trainer and how little I know about it, could be something for me to research.

I've also ordered some creatine (monohydrate) which I'll start when it gets here, as my goal was to start it when I hit 100kgs, which I almost am. I'll see if it adds any muscle and not just water, I'll also start a Beta-Alanine supplement when/if I get to 105kgs.

Breakfast: 1 cup of oats with 1 scoop protein powder, Hilo milk, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. 700mL of water.

Post workout shake: x2  up n go "energize"'s, 30g of protein powder. 500-700mL of water during training.

Post workout meal: Nachos.
 
Meal before afternoon shift:  Smoothy- 1/2 cup of berries, 1 cup of mixed veggies, 1 banana, 1 pear/apple, 1/2 cup of walnuts/cashews, a touch of cinnamon, 750mL of water, 1 cup of yogurt, 150g cottage cheese, 3 broccoli stems, handful of cherry tomatoes, lentils, chick peas (or various other types of beans/lentils). I also forgot to note, this makes 2 shakes that I have over the course of the day, or I have the leftover one the next day.


Dinner: Various egg options, usually 2 eggs on wholemeal toast.

Supplements. 3-4 fish oil tabs with my afternoon smoothy, and I've started taking a multivitamin supplement once-twice a day.