Fitness Myth: Lifting Weights Makes You “Bulky”

My personal goals involve increasing muscle mass, reducing body fat, and performing heavy barbell lifts.

However, the majority of my clients do not share these goals. Most of my clients want to lose weight, regain function, improve posture, and reverse disease.

In fact, one of the most frequent concerns I hear from those trying to get in shape is that they “don’t want to get big muscles”.

For that reason, I’m going to discuss what causes muscle growth, and how you can avoid getting bulky muscles while still leaning out and improving performance.

The technical term for developing muscle size is “muscular hypertrophy”. Hypertrophy is merely the process of tissues increasing in volume. And the form of muscular hypertrophy that results in the largest muscular gains is “sarcoplasmic hypertrophy”.

Strictly speaking, 8 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight is the protocol for hypertrophy training. However, intensity and volume are the real deciding factors.

Intensity is accomplished by working until the muscles can no longer perform the exercise properly, known as “failure”, and moving quickly between sets.

Volume is an equation of sets, reps, and weight. This means that 2 sets of 20 repetitions

A female Olympian in the 165 lb. weight class. Does SHE look bulky? I don’t think so!

with 5 pounds will result in more growth stimulus than 3 sets of 1 repetition with 50 pounds.

I personally perform an exercise for 4 sets of 15 repetitions if I am trying to increase muscle size. Almost any load can cause significant growth when performed for 15 slow and focused repetitions.

I bring up the topic of intensity to address those that avoid lifting heavy weights because they don’t want to bulk up. The classic bodybuilder approach of 8 to 12 repetitions means that “heavy weights” (relative to the individuals strength) cannot be used.

The weights that bodybuilders handle may look heavy but this is merely because they are very strong and have been lifting, with regular improvement, for a long time. It may look like a bench press with two 75-pound dumbbells looks heavy, but if the individual is doing it for 8 or more reps, they could handle over 100-pound dumbbells for fewer reps.

Contrarily, lifting a massively heavy weight for fewer than 5 repetitions will actually train the mind more than the muscles. Yes, the body is getting a great workout, but lifting a maximum load for 1, 2, or 3 repetitions results in more neurological adaptations than muscular growth.

So, if any rep range can stimulate muscle growth, and 8 to 12 reps with a moderately-heavy weight is the most promising to grow muscles, what can you do to avoid “bulking up”?

• Always feel like you could do 2 to 5 more repetitions with perfect form. The moment you go to failure, and technique breaks down, you are causing muscular damage that will result in the muscle growing larger during recovery.
• Also, take the time you need to rest between sets. Many bodybuilder programs recommend timed recoveries under 60 seconds, sometimes as low as 15 seconds. Starting your next set before the muscles are ready is a surefire way to stimulate muscle growth.
• Finally, don’t consume excess calories! One of the main goals of exercising is to increase lean body mass, but, if you don’t want your muscles to grow considerably larger, eat at, or even below, maintenance so your body replaces fat with lean mass.

One last point worth making is regarding “toning”. The same people that say they don’t want to “grow muscles” say that they “only want to tone”. Believe it or not, tone means muscle! There is no way to make fat or skin look “toned”. The definition or tone visible on a fit persons arms, legs, or torso, is actually their muscle.

This doesn’t mean that you have to train like a bodybuilder and put on 50 pounds of muscle to looked toned… but replacing body fat with lean body mass (also known as muscle) is necessary to achieve a fit physique.

The world of fitness, nutrition, and health is filled with mixed messages, preconceived notions, and bogus ideas. But please don’t give any mind to the false claims that lifting weights and increasing strength will make you bulky!

If you work within your limits, have a program structured to your goals, and don’t eat to excess, you will achieve a healthy and proportionate figure.

And as always, if you would like professional guidance, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me atpaulromasco@hotmail.com !

Fit & Balanced: A Training Guide for All

Are you ready to start working out on a regular basis but you’re not sure what to do?

Maybe you’ve been following a workout program but, for whatever reason, you are inconsistent or not getting the results you’d like. Or maybe the workouts you’ve tried have been geared to one exercise modality that you just can’t stand.

Well, look no further – today I’ll outline the most convenient and balanced fitness program that anyone, at any experience level, can stick to!

Day 1 –30 to 60 minutes strength training & mobility

Day 2 – 30 to 60 minutes cardio & active recovery

Day 3 – 30 to 60 minutes strength training & mobility

Day 4 – 30 to 60 minutes cardio & active recovery

Day 5 – 30 to 60 minutes strength training & mobility

Day 6 – 15 to 30 minutes interval training & active recovery

Day 7 – complete rest day

First, just to clarify, the time of each workout will depend on the individual’s schedule and their level of experience. If you are planning to squat hundreds of pounds, you’re going to need at least 5 minutes between sets. However, if you learning squat mechanics with just your bodyweight, you’ll probably only need 30 seconds in between sets.

Plus, if you overcommit and develop the belief that a workout doesn’t count unless its 60 minutes, you may end up skipping workouts on busy days, rather than getting in 30 minutes of quality work to continue making progress.

The “Strength Training & Mobility” workouts start with a 5 minute warmup to wake up stabilizer muscles, improve movement patterns, and practice “prehab” exercises. Prehab exercises target muscles that tend to be tight, passive, or weak, leading to the most common injuries and imbalances (usually shoulder, knee, and lower back).

The rest of the workout will consist of 10 exercises, strengthening every major muscle group of the body. While we strengthen the muscles with these exercises, we also want to improve mobility. To do this, lift the weight fairly quickly, maybe in 1 to 2 seconds, but then make the lowering or returning phase last at least 4 seconds.

As we lift a weight, our muscles shorten, but as we lower the weight, the muscles lengthen, providing an active stretch to the muscles and tendons.

Below is the outline for the “Strength Training & Mobility” days.

Warmup:

BirdDog/Quadruped – 5 repetitions each side, holding outstretched position for 5 seconds each time

Deadbugs – 10 repetitions in all, holding outstretched position for 2 seconds while exhaling

Glute Bridge – 10 repetitions, holding top position for 1 second

Clamshells – green band around knees, 10 repetitions each side, 1 second hold per rep

External Rotations – 10 repetitions each side

Full Body Workout:

Squat – 3 sets of 8 to 20 repetitions.

Deadlift – 3 sets of 8 to 20 repetitions

Pushups –3 sets of 8 to 20 repetitions

Rowing / Back Pulling Motion – 3 sets of 8 to 20 repetitions

Single Leg Lunge or Squat – 2 sets of 8 to 20 reps

Single Leg Deadlift – 2 sets of 8 to 20 reps

Rear Shoulder Fly – 2 sets of 8 to 20 reps

Bicep Curl – 2 sets of 8 to 20 reps

Tricep Kickback – 2 sets of 8 to 20 reps

Side Plank – 2 sets of 10 to 30 second hold each side

And there you have it – 10 exercises, performed a few times each, that will ensure balanced development, injury prevention, and improved function for years to come!  

One thing I omitted from this program is specific tailoring based upon experience level, restrictions and injuries, etc. For example, a novice might perform the squats by sitting back and down onto a chair and standing back up. An intermediate trainee may perform the movement holding a weight in front of their chest and no chair. And an advanced individual may use a full barbell on their back loaded with hundreds of pounds.

Then, of course, there are many technique details that can’t be efficiently communicated in a blog. Whether keeping the knees out and feet flat on the floor during a squat, or tucking the elbows in towards the body during pushups, form is crucial. But unfortunately, the best way to convey this is through one-on-one work.

For the “Cardio & Active Recovery” days, pick whatever form of conditioning is most entertaining for you. This can be running, hiking, riding a stationary bike in front of a television, etc. The point here is that you want the activity to be enjoyable enough that you can stick with it, but isn’t so difficult that you have trouble performing the next day’s workout. You can also practice some of the prehab movements from the Strength day, do some foam rolling and stretching, or attend a Yoga or Pilates class.

Just make sure you do something active for 30 to 60 minutes that leaves you feeling mobile and healthy!

Finally, try to perform higher level conditioning, such as high intensity interval training (HIIT), at least one day a week. You can do 30 seconds of kettlebell swings with 1 minute rests, hill sprints, farmer walks with heavy weights in each hand, or intervals on a rowing machine – really whatever you want!

On the 7th day, marked as “Complete Rest”, you don’t need a highly structured workout, but don’t fear activity. Only the highest level athletes need a day where they do nothing at all. Go for a walk, do a little stretching, go to the beach and go for a swim.

The structure of this program includes 3 scheduled strength and mobility sessions, 3 scheduled cardiorespiratory / cardiovascular sessions, and 1 day where you don’t have to commit to any one thing beforehand.

This program will provide enough stimulus to improve heart and lung health, while improving strength, balance, mobility, and bone density, without resulting in over-training. Just make sure you eat healthy for the rest of the hours of the day outside of the gym!

And if you need any help learning the exercises and perfecting safe and effective technique, don’t hesitate to ask. Thanks for reading!

 

Be Careful What You Ask For: Q&A with Paul

Most questions I get come in through email or text, which is great for ensuring the specificity of my answer, but it also means all other readers miss out on the information. So, today will be the first post in my Careful What You Ask For series.

Question:

“What are the safety considerations for performing squats? Specifically, what application does the squat have for runners? And what concerns exist for individuals with arthritis?”

Answer:

Wow – applications and concerns for the squat, known as “the king of all movements!” This could be a pretty involved topic but I’ll do my best to stay on point.  

First off, let’s cover the basics:

The human body is meant to squat.

As soon as we can stand on two legs, we frequently sit in a deep squat position. Whenever we sit down and stand up from a chair, we are squatting. The legs and hips are some of the biggest and strongest muscles in the body not only to carry us long distances, but to offer a safe and powerful base for when we come to a rest and lower into a seated position.

However, like any other movement, the squat can be risky if performed incorrectly.

So, the best place to start is with proper “squat mechanics”

1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, toes turned slightly out, weight evenly distributed through the ball of your feet, the pinky toe, and the heel.
2. Reach hands out in front for counterbalance and push your hips / butt back, keeping your lower back arched in, and shoulders / chest up.
3. As hips are lowering behind you, actively push knees out to the sides. Keeping the knees wide, and preventing them from caving in, will reduce any load on the knee and ACL.
4. Keep sitting back and down, almost between your legs, until you reach depth. This is dependent upon specific hip structure, mobility, and experience. Stop descending if your lower back loses its arch and starts to round, if you start to tip / lose your balance, or if any part of your foot leaves the ground.
5. The squat back up should be identical – knees wide, back arched, chest high and wide – until you are standing up straight, squeezing the butt and keeping the knees “soft” (not forcibly pushing the knees back, creating hyperextension a the knee joint).

A common training wheel of sorts would be to elevate the heels about 1 inch. This will allow you to sit deeper down, without feeling like you’re going to tip over or the extending the knees too far forward.

Next, let’s look at the specific application for runners.

Running is a sport that involves the body moving in one direction, often for many miles, with a great deal of impact. This will develop some muscles while leaving others completely passive and underdeveloped. The most concerning would be the glutes and the hamstrings.

Any exercise moving the knee and leg away from the midline of the body will target the glutes and hips…but the squat may be the most effective option because it requires balance and postural awareness, while also engaging the rest of the muscles throughout the body.

My recommendation for a runner would be to become proficient in a bodyweight squat. Once 2 or 3 sets of 20 repetitions can be completed without breaking a sweat, add an elastic band around the knees, hold a dumbbell in front of the chest, or place a bar on the shoulders.

Progressing to barbell squats or a single-leg version would be a perfect goal for runners! If you want to run 26.2 miles without injury, it’s a good idea to first develop the balance, strength, and endurance to perform 20 squats on one leg.  

Remember my favorite quote from Tim Gould, Doctor of Physical Therapy: “Train to run, don’t run to train.”

And finally, does the presence of arthritis contraindicate squats?

Just to clarify, the form of arthritis determines the risks.

Degenerative arthritis is caused by a breaking down of the “padding” between bones. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition where, simply put, offending foods have broken through the stomach lining and are wreaking havoc elsewhere in the body.

I’m going to assume we’re talking about degenerative arthritis since this is affected by activity and movement.

As always, you should consult your doctor first. No matter how cautious and properly a movement is performed, if your body doesn’t have enough cartilage to protect bones from grinding against one another, pain and further deterioration can occur.

Let’s assume that you can load and bend your knee without any pain. If so, performing a controlled squat may actually strengthen the muscles around the joints!

I have had quite a few clients with arthritis, and we usually make the following modifications:

1. Progress slower, only adding 2 repetitions per set every week.  
2. Don’t hold any one position too long. Normally, doing a pause squat, where you sit and stay tight in the bottom for a count, improves mobility and strength. But the longer you “hang out” in one position, the more likely your muscles will get tired, transferring the load to the bones and joints.
3. Allow for more recovery and emphasize diet. Degenerative arthritis cannot be cured through diet like rheumatoid, but consuming enough vitamin D & K, magnesium, iron, and collagen (found in gelatin), can help improve bone health.
4. And finally, never allow one bad repetition! If your knee joint is lacking its natural cushion, we don’t want even a millisecond to be spent in a suboptimal position.

In summary, the inclusion of properly executed squats can help improve running performance, as well as prevent injuries. Squats can also build the strength and stability of soft-tissues around the joints and improve bone density, thereby benefiting those with arthritis.

How you structure your squat training is up to you – some like to heavy barbell squats once a week, while others prefer to complete 20 repetitions of bodyweight squats at random on a daily basis.

If you need any hands-on guidance learning how to squat or developing a safe and effective program, just let me know!

Keep on track on Vacation…without missing out!

I just got back in Vermont a few days ago after spending a long weekend in Portsmouth, NH. I don’t go on vacation often so when I do, I like to know I’m taking every opportunity to enjoy myself.

But how does someone as conscientious as myself “live it up” without sacrificing my health, performance, and body composition goals?

Well, that’s the topic of today’s post! I’ll use my experiences over the last few days to show how you can enjoy yourself and indulge without suffering ill-effects, in the short or long term.

1 – Skip breakfast

This may not work for everyone, particularly if your body is still dependent upon sugar (whether from candy, juice, or whole grains). But, for me, having 1 to 2 cups of coffee with a little heavy cream, can sustain me until early afternoon.

By skipping breakfast, I’ve eliminated a third of the calories I would have eaten that day, meaning my indulgences later may not push me into a calorie excess.

 

2 – Bring healthy snacks

If I’m at a hotel or a friend’s home, with access to a fridge and healthy foods, I’ll have a couple hard boiled eggs or full-fat Greek yogurt with berries. I also pack EPIC Bars in case of emergencies – offering a perfect balance of flavor and nutrition.

3 – Walk more

I rented a hotel room that was almost exactly 1 mile from the downtown which means, weather permitting, two trips back and forth resulted in over 20,000 steps a day!

4 – Don’t completely give-up on working out…but don’t overcommit

I made it a goal to find a gym and do two full workouts over the 4 days I was there. Normally I go to the gym everyday (simply because I love it so much), but this was vacation so 2 workouts was more realistic.

5 – Keep meals balanced & Opt for healthy choices

Sure, I would have hot wings as an appetizer and ice cream as a desert, but I would also have a salad instead of the bread and fries.

Also, if I wanted a burger for dinner, I’d pick a restaurant that offered grass-fed beef from a local supplier. And if I wanted seafood, I’d go to a restaurant that had raw oyster shooters or sushi, instead of breaded and fried scallops.

6 – If you choose to drink, mitigate the negatives

This would include: using calorie free mixers (such as club soda); squeeze fresh lime juice as needed for flavoring; consume alcohol away from other foods; have your last meal of the day based around proteins and fats; consume plenty of water all day and night.

Not all these tactics will work for all people. If you have food allergies and health conditions, you may have to be more diligent. If you tend to over-indulge when you haven’t eaten recently, rely more upon healthy snacks. If you love aerobics, start every day with a run outside to burn extra calories.

But, the plan above worked so well for me that after 4 days of burgers, wings, ice cream, and gin & tonics, I actually weighed 1 pound less!

Next time you go on vacation give some of these a try – let me know what works and what doesn’t. And let all of us know if you have some “damage mitigation strategies” of your own!

What I’ve Been Up To: Lifestyle & Supplements

After my last two posts, you should be all caught up on what I’ve done nutritionally and in terms of exercise over the past year – but what about everything else? As the last part in this 3-post series, I’ll discuss any development in lifestyle that contribute to health, starting with sleep!

With my new work schedule, I can either workout before work, from about 5:30-7AM, or after work, closer to 6PM. I personally love to start my day with a workout and doubt I’d feel up to anything truly productive after 9 hours of computer-based work. 

So, I’ve transitioned from sleeping 10+ hours to hardly 8. Now yes, I am still getting more than the average American, but I no longer wake-up before my alarm, eager to hop up. Some of this could be due to having to be up before the sun as well, which has been a good excuse to get back to using my “light therapy” lamp!

At the moment I am not trying to build muscle or set PR’s in the gym so I’ve been able to make due with less sleep. But we’ll have to see what happens as my focus shifts…

I still foam roll every night and take an Epsom salt bath before bed (in the summer its turned into more of a shower with an Epsom salt scrub). Rolling certainly decreases
soreness but I find there is a point of diminishing returns. 

One thing I have made a better effort to incorporate is 15 minutes a day in nature. It makesan enormous difference for me, psychologically, to walk through the trees to a river behind my house after work. And the added Vitamin D from the sun is an added benefit!

Before I get into supplements, let’s cover the ever-popular topic of what I consider to be an “indulgent supplement” – alcohol. For about a year or two, I didn’t touch alcohol. I’ve since become a little more moderate, having an occasional drink if I’m out in a social situation, or splitting a bottle of red wine with friends on a Saturday.

No, my opinion (and the facts) about alcohol have not changed. Yes, it is still a toxin with more detriments than benefits. But, I haven’t noticed any detriment to my health or performance when consuming a moderate amount once a week, and it does bring certain social and relaxation benefits with it.

What about other supplements though?

I’ve start consuming a “pre-workout” drink before training. I’ve always said a cup of coffee is sufficient, and I still believe that. But, the extra bit of energy and focus that certain pre-workout powders contain make an amazing difference for me, getting to the gym before the sun rises.

always have recommended Vitamin D for those that don’t spend hours in the sun everyday…but we are seeing a reduction in benefits when too much is consumed. There are still no reports of overdoses (like Vitamin A for example) but we see that those with extremely low blood levels, and high levels, both suffer worse health outcomes. Instead of just recommending 10,000 IUs a day, I favor getting a blood test and supplementing to keep your levels in the 35 to 50 ng/mL range.

I have also started using vitamin C, B vitamins, and Valerian Root on occasion. But I still don’t recommend them for everyone across the board – they tend to have limited application in times of stress (such as starting a new job, sleeping less, or eating a calorie deficit). I still think there is good reason to supplement with magnesium (either transdermal or oral), but I’ve stopped consuming fish oil altogether.

The argument for fish oil makes sense, but, from a chemistry standpoint, consuming the most unstable fat in nature, extracted from fish, packaged into bottles, shipped across the world, and stored for weeks or months, doesn’t seem ideal.

I avoid vegetable/seed oils and grains, only eat beef and dairy from grass-fed cows, and consume seafood often. This seems like a much more sensible way to improve my omega-3 to omega-6 ratio.

Feel free to comment, or contact me directly, if you have questions about what lifestyle changes, or supplements, may be most suitable for your wants and needs!

Next week we‘ll get back to the nutrition and fitness topics that most of you have come to expect of me – thanks for sticking through all the posts about me from this past week!

What I’ve Been Up To: Training Evolution

In my last post I discussed how my diet changed over the last year. After building my body up to 200 pounds, I trimmed excess body fat, settling at 185 pounds with under 15% body-fat.

Today, let’s look at how my training has evolved, both inside and outside of the gym.

A discovery I made, well over a year ago, was that I had very weak glutes, immobile ankles/calves, and significant external rotation of my femurs.

Starting with isometrics, constant balance and postural work, and abduction exercise (moving legs laterally from the body), I was able to build up the stabilizers throughout my hips and legs. I moved on to strengthening my posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, hips, and lower back) with more classic strength exercises in the gym. 

With the strength and neurological proprioception I developed, I jumped into a novice program known as Starting Strength. This program included back squats 3 days a week, adding 5 pounds a session – bringing my squat from an easy starting weight of 185 to around 275 in only 2 months.

As it got tougher to increase my squat 15lbs a week, I moved to my favorite undulating periodization program: 5/3/1. This got my squat to around 315 after a few more months.

Finally, I switched to a conjugate based system – two days a week focused on developing explosive speed on the bench press and squat and two days for max attempts on these lifts.

Through addressing my weaknesses, building my strength back up with improved form, and well calculated programming, I was able to set new records in the 4 major lifts that are vital for proper human movement – I deadlifted 405lbs, squatted 350lbs, benched 275lbs, and pressed 175lbs overhead!

I timed this peak in strength with the peak of my bulking cycle I discussed in my last post. Any lifter will tell you – if you want to put 10lbs on a lift, put 10lbs of mass on your body! Haha.

Knowing that I would soon start reducing calories, I transitioned to a classic “bodybuilding” program – starting sessions with a heavy lift to maintain my strength, but then dedicating the rest of the workout to higher reps, moderate weight, and short rests. This is the perfect formula for stimulating muscle growth, which can prevent loss of muscle as bodyweight is lowered.

This style of training also allowed a much-needed break from the neurological recruitment involved in lifting maximal weights. All I had to do in the gym was close my eyes and focus on the stretch and contraction of specific muscles – quite meditative in a way.

I ended with a program developed in the early 1900’s by now–deceased trainer Vince Gironda (“The Iron Guru”). His program involved 6 sets of 6 reps with only 15 seconds rest. Over the course of six weeks I worked up to 8 sets of 8 reps, still with only enough time for 3 deep breathes between sets. And trust me, after completing 64 repetitions in about 8 minutes, any weight feels heavy!

During this time I also replaced high intensity interval training (HIIT) with steady state aerobics such as biking and running. I did this to get some endurance training and take advantage of the gorgeous Vermont mornings and evenings. As a “strength athlete” at heart, I only run twice a week – with Wednesday’s focused on increasing my 1 mile speed and Saturday’s adding 1 minute out and back each week.

At the moment, I’m running an Olympic weightlifting program for the first time in my life. This involves the “clean and jerk” and “snatch”, variations of these movements, and different styles of squats almost every day.

 

Olympic lifting requires superb athleticism, speed, and mobility. I have built up my raw strength, pushing or pulling a heavy weight, often grinding to complete a rep…but this new style of training should help train other movement pathways within the body.

So far it is going excellent! I am feeling more agile and mobile from these full body, technical lifts. I plan to continue for another month or two in order to get enough exposure to this new style of training.

But honestly, I’m eager to return to powerlifting – I’ve got to get my squat to two times bodyweight (close to 400lbs), my deadlift to 500, bench press to 315, and achieve a bodyweight overhead press!

I’ve already got the basic outline for 3 particularly programs I will use over the next 6+ months to reach these goals.

And that’s what trainings all about: doing what you love; throwing in some new stuff to ensure balanced development; and proper programming. As long as you are consistent day-in and day-out, you can expect to improve from one year to the next.

As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions or if you want a program designed for your particular needs. I wouldn’t be where I am without the valuable information I’ve learned from others – I only wish to provide the same value to all of you!

Thanks again for reading! See you next time when I wrap up this series with more lifestyle development, including changes to my recovery techniques, supplementation, and day-to-day life.

How to lift without “Getting Bulky”

 

My personal goals involve increasing muscle mass, reducing body fat, and performing heavy barbell lifts.

However, the majority of my clients do not share these goals. Most of my clients want to lose weight, regain function, improve posture, and reverse disease.

In fact, one of the most frequent concerns I hear from those trying to get in shape is that they “don’t want to get big muscles”.

For that reason, I’m going to discuss what causes muscle growth, and how you can avoid getting bulky muscles while still leaning out and improving performance.

The technical term for developing muscle size is “muscular hypertrophy”. Hypertrophy is merely the process of tissues increasing in volume. And the form of muscular hypertrophy that results in the largest muscular gains is “sarcoplasmic hypertrophy”.

Strictly speaking, 8 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight is the protocol for hypertrophy training. However, intensity and volume are the real deciding factors.

Intensity is accomplished by working until the muscles can no longer perform the exercise properly, known as “failure”, and moving quickly between sets.

Volume is an equation of sets, reps, and weight. This means that 2 sets of 20 repetitions

Female Olympian in the 165 lb. weight class. Does SHE look bulky?

with 5 pounds will result in more growth stimulus than 3 sets of 1 repetition with 50 pounds.

I personally perform an exercise for 4 sets of 15 repetitions if I am trying to increase muscle size. Almost any load can cause significant growth when performed for 15 slow and focused repetitions.

I bring up the topic of intensity to address those that avoid lifting heavy weights because they don’t want to bulk up. The classic bodybuilder approach of 8 to 12 repetitions means that “heavy weights” (relative to the individuals strength) cannot be used.

The weights that bodybuilders handle may look heavy but this is merely because they are very strong and have been lifting, with regular improvement, for a long time. It may look like a bench press with two 75-pound dumbbells looks heavy, but if the individual is doing it for 8 or more reps, they could handle over 100-pound dumbbells for fewer reps.

Contrarily, lifting a massively heavy weight for fewer than 5 repetitions will actually train the mind more than the muscles. Yes, the body is getting a great workout, but lifting a maximum load for 1, 2, or 3 repetitions results in more neurological adaptations than muscular growth.

So, if any rep range can stimulate muscle growth, and 8 to 12 reps with a moderately-heavy weight is the most promising to grow muscles, what can you do to avoid “bulking up”?

• Always feel like you could do 2 to 5 more repetitions with perfect form. The moment you go to failure, and technique breaks down, you are causing muscular damage that will result in the muscle growing larger during recovery.
• Also, take the time you need to rest between sets. Many bodybuilder programs recommend timed recoveries under 60 seconds, sometimes as low as 15 seconds. Starting your next set before the muscles are ready is a surefire way to stimulate muscle growth.
• Finally, don’t consume excess calories! One of the main goals of exercising is to increase lean body mass, but, if you don’t want your muscles to grow considerably larger, eat at, or even below, maintenance so your body replaces fat with lean mass.

One last point worth making is regarding “toning”. The same people that say they don’t want to “grow muscles” say that they “only want to tone”. Believe it or not, tone means muscle! There is no way to make fat or skin look “toned”. The definition or tone visible on a fit persons arms, legs, or torso, is actually their muscle.

This doesn’t mean that you have to train like a bodybuilder and put on 50 pounds of muscle to looked toned… but replacing body fat with lean body mass (also known as muscle) is necessary to achieve a fit physique.

The world of fitness, nutrition, and health is filled with mixed messages, preconceived notions, and bogus ideas. But please don’t give any mind to the false claims that lifting weights and increasing strength will make you bulky!

If you work within your limits, have a program structured to your goals, and don’t eat to excess, you will achieve a healthy and proportionate figure.

And as always, if you would like professional guidance, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at paulromasco@hotmail.com !

 

 

Carb Cycling

As we know by now, overconsumption of certain carbohydrates can lead to fat gain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. The biggest issues stem from a diet high in refined or processed carbs, such as breads, cereals, and juices. These foods provide a major influx of sugar and very few nutrients.

One tactic many people use to help moderate their intake of carbs is “carb cycling”. This allows a healthy intake of carbs while avoiding the detrimental effects of the Standard American Diet.

Even though carbs are not essential for life, zero carb diets may have the following side effects:

• A decrease in performance during very intense activity
• Heightened cortisol (stress) if the body is forced to produce sugar from protein
• Individuals with hypothyroidism may experience worsening of symptoms
• Decreased testosterone as an outcome of heightened cortisol and thyroid down regulation
• Limited variety in the diet (since fruits, roots and tubers, legumes, and grains are restricted)

These side effects usually only occur long-term (over a year of eating less than 50 grams of carbs a day) and don’t occur in everyone that practices low-carb.

I personally spend 1-2 months every year in ketosis and have never noticed any negative effects.

However, carb cycling avoids all these risks by allowing a regular carb “refeeding”.

The frequency and size of this refeed will vary based upon many factors, such as:

• Activity level. If you are a hard-charging athlete, you may need daily refeeds. If you exercise regularly, but not at your maximum, a weekly carb meal may be adequate. If you don’t follow an exercise regime, you probably don’t need carbs beyond root vegetables such as carrots and squash.
• Goals. A recent study examined 2 groups, one high-carb and one low-carb, that ate the same amount of calories and performed the same exercise for one year. The low-carb group lost 8 more pounds of fat than the high-carb group. If you are trying to lose weight, cut back carb intake to the weekends only. Alternatively, if you are trying to gain muscle and perform at a competitive level, increase carbs to at least once a day.
• Personal genetics. Just as some people can’t drink milk because they are “lactose-intolerant”, some people have a lower tolerance for carbohydrates. To use myself as an example, I don’t respond well to high-carb diets. If I eat carbs at every meal, no matter how healthy they are (sweet potatoes, fruits, etc), I start to gain fat.

Another important concept is that the body can become better or worse at tolerating carbs based on intake levels.

After decades of over-consuming carbs, many people find that their bodies become inefficient at storing carbs in the muscle and liver, and experience fat gain as the sugars are stored in adipose tissue. Once they dial back their carbs, their body relearns how to properly handle a reasonable amount of carbs.

Unfortunately, some people experience the exact opposite! They drop their carbs to such a low level, so consistently, that when they do “carb up”, in a punctuated fashion, their body is not prepared to use the carbs properly.

In this case, increase carbs in a very slow and steady manner…maybe adding 10 – 20 grams (a half of a piece of fruit or a tiny sweet potato) every 5 – 7 days. Increase until carb intake is around 50 – 100 grams a day. This may be a more effective way to train your body to properly metabolize carbohydrates.

As with most things pertaining to nutrition and fitness, you have to experiment to see what works best for you.

Remember to always stick with any change for at least 2 weeks so the body can adjust to the changes. Maintaining a change for 4 weeks would be ideal, but I know immediate results are sought by all.

I would also recommend getting your carbs from healthy sources – avoiding processed cereal grains, and anything else in a package, due to low nutrient content and high anti-nutrient concentration. Legumes may be a good option if they are prepared properly. Stick with what you can find easily in nature – berries, fruits, roots, and potatoes.

Best of luck finding your optimal fat and carb fuel mixture! Feel free to contact me directly if you want a more specific structuring!

What is Metabolism?

Wikipedia states that it “is the set of life-sustaining chemical transformations within the cells of a living organism”. A more common definition would include how our body uses calories to gain, maintain, or lose weight, along with digestion and absorption of nutrients.

It is important to note that metabolism is not a static thing that exists in some specific area of the body. Rather, it is a means for the body to regulate its own existence and ensure its survival.

A common misconception is that our metabolism will stay constant and we can merely decrease calories to lose weight or increase calories to gain weight. Although this may work for a time, ultimately, the body will alter its metabolism to adjust to the changes.

I see this most common with individuals trying to lose weight. They drop calories significantly, for such a long period of time, with no return to healthy intake levels that a “starvation response” ensues. The body panics and slows its metabolism, making the new calorie intake level its maintenance level, thereby preventing further weight loss.

This same process occurs if someone is over-training. Their body adjusts to the stimulus. Their central nervous system becomes overwhelmed from fueling workouts with adrenaline. The body holds onto weight to ensure self-preservation. And it even sacrifices functions of health regulatory systems, such as the immune system.

Hence most exercisers or dieters will lose a few pounds the first few weeks but pretty quickly plateau.

This also happens if an individual is consuming excess calories to gain weight. If they eat more calories, more frequently, metabolism will increase. Also, the body temperature will rise in an attempt to burn the extra calories.

The body is a highly adaptive system and life has one overarching goal – to maintain its existence and proliferation. Drastic changes, whether weight gain or weight loss, cannot always be caused by simply picking a new caloric intake level. They require a dynamic way of structuring activity and nutrition to convince the body to work towards the changes you want.

Another issue that many people overlook when discussing metabolism, is the thermic effect of different foods.

Every macronutrient (fats, carbs, and proteins) requires different levels of energy from the body to be processed internally.

About 30% of the calories from protein are used during digestion alone. About 10% of the calories from carbohydrates are used to process and store them as fuel. And about 5% of the calories from fat are burned during processing.

To simplify this, if you eat 100 calories of chicken, your body is only netting about 70 calories. If you eat 100 calories of rice, you are ingesting 90 calories. Eating 100 calories of olive oil will result in about 95 calories.

This is one reason so many people experience easy weight loss when they focus on consuming enough protein – their body is naturally burning more calories before it even has a chance to put the protein to use. Also, protein will be far more filling, thus eliminating cravings caused by high carbohydrate consumption.

The most effective way to lose fat or gain muscle would be to structure caloric intake in a step-like fashion.

Let’s assume an individual needs 2,000 a day calories to maintain their weight.

Maybe for two weeks they shoot for 1,700 – 1,800 calories a day. The next two weeks they drop to 1,500 – 1,700 calories a day. Then on the fifth work, return to your maintenance level around 2,000 calories a day. Repeat this cycle, recalculating maintenance calories every 5 – 10 lbs, until you reach your goal.

During this process, feel free to step on the scale, at the same time of day and same day of the week, and note changes on a weekly basis. Shoot for half a pound of fat loss a week…although one pound will be manageable for individuals that have more to lose.

To be honest, I’m not actually an enormous fan of the weighing and measuring approach. I find it develops certain neurosis and an obsession with arbitrary numbers. If you performance is improving, your blood work is good, and your clothes fit better, the specific numbers on a scale or calories on a plate are irrelevant.

This way of structuring caloric intake is similar to the theory of periodization in training. Over the course of a few weeks or months, slowly increase the intensity before taking a recovery week, allowing the mind and body to prepare for another period of improvement.

Track your progress, make changes if things stagnate, or stay the course if you are succeeding.

So, if you’ve been consuming 800 calories for months, and wonder why you’re not losing weight, it may be that your metabolic rate has decreased.

Take a few weeks of eating at maintenance to allow your metabolism to reset, and then give this calorie cycling a try!

Oh No! Steroids!

A few months ago, we looked at how to naturally boost testosterone levels, decreasing body fat and improving health and performance. I ended that post with a cliffhanger, mentioning a final technique to raise testosterone: direct hormone supplementation.

Before I dive into the topic of steroid use, let me first mention that I never recommend steroids and, to my knowledge, never trained an athlete that used them.

That being said, steroids are not the dangerous drug they are made out to be.

I can’t, in one post, dissect the entire history and politics of why the public fears steroids. Instead I’ll list the top myths and then the risks of hormone supplementation.

Myth 1: Steroids are dangerous to the body.

From a toxicological standpoint, anabolic steroids are one of the safest “drugs”. The risk of overdose is almost non-existent, considering the amount necessary to see an effect. Alcohol can cause inflammation and atrophy in almost every cell of the body, whereas steroids improve growth and function of most cells.

There are reports that steroids cause unfavorable blood pressure or cholesterol levels but, as with everything, all factors need to be taken into account. Is the user a major health-nut looking for one more way to boost their performance? Or is it someone that wants to increase size and strength without having to pay as much attention to nutrition and other lifestyle factors?

However, if someone abuses steroids (takes too much, too frequently) they can experience acne growth, liver and kidney damage, and decreased natural testosterone production.

Myth 2: Steroids cause violent outbursts.

If you look at those that are likely to use steroids, they are usually hard-charging athletes with high levels of testosterone and a type A personality. When their personality traits are combined with even more testosterone, and an increase in size and strength, arguments, physical altercations, or other unfortunate events can result.

Myth 3: Steroids cause addiction.

Anabolic steroids are less dependence forming than almost every other substance, including tobacco and alcohol. However, steroids are effective, so when someone stops using them and sees a drop-off in progress, they may become discouraged and return to using them.

Myth 4: Steroids cause suicide.

The number of people taking steroids, that have committed suicide, is miniscule. However, when it does happen, it makes an attention-grabbing headline for news sources.

Many people taking steroids may also take other drugs, including anti-depressants, which affect emotions, thereby increasing risk of suicide.

Most of the fears of steroids are caused by abuse (as opposed to use), the individual taking them, and organizations (the media or government agencies) vilifying or sensationalizing particular issues.

The one last common complaint is that “using steroids is cheating”.

However, it is naïve to think that any top athlete is not enhancing their performance or trying to get a foot up on their competition by any means necessary.

Why does each sport have a hundred top performers and then thousands of good players? Why does the athlete working just as hard not achieve the same results?

Sure, genetics and luck may play a role…but the fact is, when millions of dollars are at stake, in the entertainment industry, individuals will seek out ways to boost their performance and surpass competitors.

If your favorite athlete is doing things that no human has done before, chances are they have found a way to enhance their performance through supplementation.

My solution for this issue is to simply create two leagues – one that is tested and one that is untested. This exists in the world of powerlifting and bodybuilding. There are “raw” or natural competitions that have strict testing procedures and other competitions with no testing requirements.

So, to summarize, the risks of steroid use are:

1.)    Decreased testosterone production. Depending on the dose and length of time, normal levels may not return after discontinuation.

2.)    Over-use, or abuse, can damage multiple organs and result in many dangerous outcomes, both physical and mental.

3.)    If an individual is prone to addiction, they risk becoming dependent upon steroids.

The main benefit of steroid use is an increase lean body mass, decrease in body fat, and improvements in health and performance.

A great quote I heard recently:

“If you have to take steroids in high school to play college football then that’s going to be the end of your career. If you have to take steroids in college to make professional football then you’re going to have a short career. If you don’t have to [take steroids] until you’re at a professional level, then you’re probably going to have a long career.”

Again, I am not recommending steroids, and personally don’t have much interest in them. I am much more interested in finding out what my body can do on its own. But we need to avoid an emotional, knee-jerk response and condemn the whole concept simply because our government has put in place puritanical drug laws.

Even with steroids, there is no substitute for smart training, clean eating, and a healthy lifestyle!