This article and many others can be found here.
http://bigworkoutplan.com/powerlifting-meet-training-preparation-peaking-cycle/
by Jonathan Byrd
This article and many others can be found here. http://bigworkoutplan.com/powerlifting-meet-training-preparation-peaking-cycle/
1 Comment
by Jonathan Byrd This Article and others can be found here http://bigworkoutplan.com/average-lifter-elite/ What keeps an average lifter from being an elite lifter? I bet I see that question at least one time per week in some form on various message boards. Most of the time you get twenty people talking about how they need to adjust this or that, or that they should or shouldn’t be doing certain lifts. I am going to drop a bomb shell on you guys, it’s even more simple than that!
The difference comes down to two things, but both are forever connected. From Average To Elite#1 – Ability to Follow a Training ProgramThe first is your ability to follow a training program to the best of your ability. You must have a plan when you walk in the door. It also must be a logical plan that matches your goals. Your program must be inline with your overall and long term goals. The plan is just that, a plan, but the best plan in the world means nothing without the second part of reason number one,”the best of your ability.” Each person has a different skill set, but none of which will stop you from being the best you can personally be. I am not saying that every person can be an elite level lifter, but you can reach your own potential levels. I had a college football coach who preached “it takes no talent to give great effort.” The more I think back to that, the more I know he was right. I see it all the time with people I help train online. I can do my best to guide you through a good program, but most of the time it is their effort that is holding them back. #2 – Ability to Stay Injury FreeThe second reason is the ability to stay injury free. Like I said previously, these things are forever connected. Only you will know if it just muscle soreness or a pulled muscle. Only you will be able to know if you should stick to your program that day or just rest and let it heal. I know what some of you are thinking! Yes, I did just get done talking about maximizing your effort and selling out to your program. That does not change the fact that your potential level will drastically change with a major injury. To be an elite level lifter you must have the ability to listen to your body. What happens If you do not learn to pick up on the small cues your body gives you that it is worn down and a potential injury is near? You get injured! I say this because I a speaking from experience. I did not listen to my body and it cost me a year of training. It is obvious that the lack of ability to train will negatively effect your ability to be an elite lifter. Final ThoughtsSo from my perspective, the difference in average and elite is simple. One, follow a sound training program that matches your goals to best of your ability. Two, learn to listen to your body so that you can stay injury free. If you do those things you will reach your potential, whether that is an elite level is another topic for one on one discussion. This Article and others can be found here.http://bigworkoutplan.com/three-coaching-cues-bigger-squat/ Squats are probably the most complicated lift out of all the powerlifts. The smallest things in form can cause issues and even major injuries. For most lifters the squat requires a lot of coaching from an experienced lifter. Hopefully this article can help take some of the guess work out of the lift. First coaching cue I am going to give you is upper back tightness. This is one that I really have struggled with myself. As you get under the bar, you need to focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together. During this time you should be pushing your shoulders into the bar. A third part of upper back tightness is squeeze the bar down with your hands. If your are both pushing into the bar with your shoulders and attempting to bend it with your hands, there is no way to be loose. The second cue is that of core tightness. Most lifters know to get and hold their air in, that’s nothing new. What you should be looking for is where is the lifter holding the air? The air should be held in the stomach and not the chest. This is often a beginner mistake that can cause the lifter to be unstable. When watching you should visibly see the stomach fill with air, the chest should not move. You should use that air to press against your belt to help keep your core tightness and body stable. The third cue, “knees out” is an obvious one, but it is not as simple as it seems. Too often I see beginner lifters start to flare their knees out as soon as they start to squat. This is a mistake, and will cause you to bend and not reach depth. The knees should not start to flair until about midway down, and need to continue to stay out as you transition before the bottom of the lift upward. Keep in mind that there is a big difference between knee tracking and knees caving in. That is a topic for another article and a big reason that a knowledgeable coach is so important. To sum things up, the biggest coaching cues are sometimes this simple ones. Unfortunately I run into the above three issues all the time. If you are working on the above three cues you will be on the right track to solid squat form. Manipulating Carbohydrates & Essential Fatty Acids to Get Cut
by guss Published on 08-12-2013 Do you find it difficult to get cut without losing your hard-earned muscle? Do you have occasional energy slumps that cause you to feel lazy tired, sleepy and unmotivated? Is there a layer of fat on your body that just refuses to go away no matter how many sit-ups and crunches you perform? Is your low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet failing to produce that lean body you always dreamed about? Are you ready for a no-holds-barred fat-burning program that will redefine the word "shredded"? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then this fitFlex article is for you. Americans have a problem burning fat, but as with most problems there's usually a simple solution. In this case the solution is to stop using glucose, or sugar, as a primary source of fuel and switch to burning fat instead. Does that sound easy? It is. And once you begin to burn fat readily, you'll never want to go back to burning sugar. Most leading nutritionists and health authorities advocate a low-fat, high-complex-carbohydrate diet for everyone, the proposed outcome being a lean body that's filled with energy. We're told to pass on the butter, power down the pasta, pile on the rice and belt down the beans, and we're lead to believe we'll be buzzing with energy as a result. Most likely, however, we'll be buzzing with gas and a lot of belching. Fat is now known as the F-word, and we're told to avoid it like the plague. We're carefully instructed to read all labels in the supermarket and run like a scared jack rabbit from any product that contains even a trace of fat or oil. 'While this may seem like a simple, logical solution to weight loss-that is, fat loss-for many people a low fat, high-carbohydrate diet spells disaster. High Carbohydrate Foods Can Make You Fat Once ingested, carbohydrate foods eventually become sugar through the natural process of digestion. By a special enzymatic action that pasta salad and baked potato you had for lunch will soon be pulsing through your veins as glucose, a.k.a. blood sugar. The problem is, a high-carb, low fat diet teaches your body to become an efficient sugar burner not an efficient fat burner. Why does this happen? Because a high-carbohydrate diet provides you with loads of sugar to burn, creating high levels of sugar in your bloodstream, and high blood sugar levels trigger your pancreas to secrete insulin, a powerful hormone that controls excess sugar in the blood. Insulin has three primary functions: 1) to prepare glucose to be burned as energy 2) to convert glucose to glycogen, a starch that's stored in the muscles and liver and 3) to convert glucose to triglyceride, a form of fat, and store it in the least exercised area of your body, like your stomach, hips or butt. While very small amounts of insulin are necessary for your overall good health and well-being, high levels of insulin released into the bloodstream totally block your use of fats as fuel. Insulin is an anabolic hormone, which sounds like a bodybuilders dream come true. The unfortunate catch is that as an anabolic agent it helps you gain both muscle and fat. In other words, the presence of insulin will naturally enable you to get big-if you don't mind "big" meaning "smooth" and "round." Which Carbs Should You Avoid? Understand that your body's first choice of energy is fat but that high blood sugar levels, which naturally stimulate the release of insulin, block its ability to access and use fat for fuel. To burn fat 24 hours a day, all you need to do is limit your intake of carbohydrate-rich foods. Starchy, carbohydrate-dense foods like bread, pasta, potatoes, rice and yams can quickly elevate blood glucose levels and stimulate your body to produce insulin, thus blocking fat burning for hours. If you want to burn fat continuously, it's best to severely limit or completely avoid most starchy, high-carb foods. Once you limit carb intake to approximately 20 percent or less of your total calories, the insulin tap will be shut down and your pancreas will secrete another hormone called glucagon. That's when the fat-burning magic begins. Eating Fat Helps You Burn Fat Low fat diets can actually reduce your body's ability to access and use fat for fuel. Carbohydrate foods, even if they're complex carbohydrate - not simple sugars, juices or sweets-become glucose when eaten by themselves, often within 30 to 60 minutes. This rapid creation of sugar can easily trigger your pancreas to release high levels of insulin. When you eat fat with a meal, however, it naturally slows the digestive process. In fact, when a carbohydrate meal also includes fat, the time required to create glucose is often tripled. As a result, newly formed sugar only trickles into the bloodstream over a period of two to four hours. If the carbohydrate intake at the same meal is below 20 percent of the total calories, then the stage is set for optimum fat burning. We can suggest a diet consisting of 40 to 50 percent protein, 15 to 20 percent carbohydrate and 30 to 40 percent healthy fats and oils; "healthy" fats include such foods as flax oil, olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, lean meats, fish and egg yolks. If you restrict carbohydrate intake to 20 percent or less of your total calories, your blood sugar levels will remain within a normal range, insulin will only trickle into your bloodstream, your pancreas will secret glucagon, and your body will automatically begin to burn fat-which is what it actually prefers. Your Runners and endurance athletes who exercise for one or two hours or more per day are not by any means different from the rest of the population. Athletes, too, must pay attention to their diets to stay healthy so they can perform at peak levels. Endurance athletes have merely discovered a metabolic antidote to the high-carbohydrate problem. They haven't removed the problem, just sidestepped it, so to speak. High levels of cardiovascular training create a glycogen void in high-carb-eating sugar burners. Because most of their initial energy is derived from glucose, not fat, blood sugar levels drop and glycogen stores are tapped to meet the demand for more sugar to burn. After 30 to 50 minutes of cardiovascular training, glycogen stores are diminished and the sugar burners finally get to start burning some fat as fuel. At the end of a long training session endurance athletes can then sit down to a plate of pasta, a carb drink and two baked potatoes-and not get fat. Why? Because the excess blood sugar created by the high-carbohydrate meal is either burned as fuel or stored as glycogen. Since glycogen was depleted during the workout, most of the excess glucose is stored as muscle starch and very little is actually converted to fat. What's more, any new fat that's created may get burned during the next day two-hour training session. While a high volume of cardiovascular training can be physically beneficial, it's not the answer to the carbohydrate problem. This kind of exercise merely becomes the antidote to a problem, the problem in this case being the consumption of excess carbohydrate. What will happen to endurance athletes if they twist an ankle and can't train for 30 to 60 days? if they continue with a high-carb cuisine, they'll more than likely become fatter if they switch over to a reduced-carbohydrate eating plan, however, they won't gain during a training layoff, and in fact they might actually lose bodyfat due to naturally low insulin levels in the bloodstream. By merely adjusting your diet to control the amount and type of carbohydrate consumed, it becomes easy to stay lean for life whether you follow a structured exercise program or not. When you're consistently accessing and using fat for fuel, any physical motion becomes a fat-burning activity. Exercise should keep you fit, not put a check on a carbohydrate addiction. By using exercise as a vehicle for better health and fitness, you'll be able to avoid succumbing to the diet/exercise addiction cycle. While both exercise and proper diet are essential to good health, they merely work with synergy as a means to an end with neither being designed as a check or balance of the other. Link
http://runnichols.com/wp-content/uploads/et_temp/Timing_is_right-e1359488419508-79353_630x210.jpg Meal Timing is Bulls*%t, and more Evidence “Abs are built in the kitchen”Proof You Cannot Out Train a BAD Diet You have heard it a million times “You cannot out train a bad diet”, or “Abs are built in the kitchen”, or the “Push away from the table diet”. If you believe these you certainly pay attention to what you eat. This brings us to a new study from the researchers at McMasters University attempted to give people less reason to complain about exercising [1]. They indicated the most common reason why the fat American population doesn’t exercise is because of time limitations. So what better way to decrease the amount of time needed for exercise than to implement high intensity interval training (HIIT) into a person’s life. Besides HIIT is quick, can be done virtually anywhere, and doesn’t take a “certified personal trainer” to set up. The researchers took 16 overweight women (about 170lbs) and put them through 6 weeks of HIIT. They separated them into fasted, and fed training groups. They believed the fasted group would see superior results in body composition changes (fat loss). Some other important notes of interest include: The Training
Thread found here..http://www.ironaddicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20940 Buy Ironaddict Books... They come highly recommended http://www.ironaddicts.com/store/ We are CONSTANTLY bombarded with creatine questions. I will say it again, then no more answers but referrals to this thread. Most people do NOT get the big water weight gains some people do, so they automatically conclude it isn't working. They don't get dramatic strength increases, so they conclude it is not working. Most people are also looking for "steroid type" gains--NOT HAPPENING. What creatine does is allow a rep here and a extra rep there, and a few extra pounds to be lifted, and that is GOLD for the price of it. Most people also do not take enough of it (I have NEVER seen good results with UNDER 10 grams monohydrate a DAY). And they don't take it consistently, and then say it doesn't work. We have literally THOUSANDS of well documented studies, and strength coaches that directly supervise their trainees all will tell you it works. Here are a few more studies. If you want to believe your bio-chemistry is that different from the rest of the world go for it, but quit telling people it doesn't work, because properly applied and looking for REASONABLE results, it works for everyone I have actually seen use it properly. Creatine Supplementation in Athletes: Review by Mark A. Jenkins, MD If you haven't yet heard of creatine supplementation you soon will. It is being promoted as a muscular performance enhancer, and there is scientific evidence to support this. Unfortunately, claims have escalated beyond science, and now athletes from a wide variety of sports have begun taking this substance. The pursuit of performance enhancing potions has historically been like the alchemists dreams turning lead into gold. Too often the latest fad turns out to do nothing or is harmful. Although creatine supplementation offers short-term limited benefits, whether or not it is harmful long term has yet to be fully determined. Physiology of creatine in exercise The key to understanding creatine supplementation is to appreciate that it only helps with certain activities. A basic review of what creatine is, and how it is used in the body will help you understand how supplementation might be beneficial. First, the basics. Muscle cells generate mechanical work from an energy liberating chemical reaction -- ATP is split into ADP and P (phosphate). ATP can be used by muscle cells very quickly, but there is only an extremely limited supply -- usually only enough for a few seconds of high intensity work. When the ATP is gone, work stops. Fortunately, the body has several ways to convert ADP back to ATP. The fastest method is to move the phosphate group off of phosphocreatine and onto ADP. This yields ATP -- which is immediately available for muscular work -- and creatine. There is enough phosphocreatine to keep ATP levels up for several more seconds. So at this point we've moved from 2 - 3 seconds of all-out work (ATP) to almost 10 seconds (ATP + creatine). The body can recharge creatine back to phosphocreatine, but this takes time (approximately 30 - 60 seconds). This ATP + creatine system makes up the fastest component of the anaerobic system, and is most used by power athletes. A good example is trench warfare in football (i.e., 6 seconds of all out force, followed by 45 seconds of standing around). Diagram 2 illustrates the energy pathwys that are the most important for all-out exercise of differing times. This diagram represents somewhat of an oversimplification since, in reality, aerobic pathways are used even in very short duration, high intensity exercise(e.g., 10 seconds), but to a small degree. The longer that exercise goes on the greater the proportion of energy aquired from aerobic glycolysis. Diagram 2 Aerobic endurance athletes, such as distance runners and triathletes, represent a much different picture from power athletes. Their levels of ATP and phosphocreatine don't change during exercise because ATP is generated at the same rate it is used -- a "pay as you go" mechanism. Aerobic generation of ATP, via oxidation of glucose (and fats), is slower than by anaerobic systems, but the fuel supply is enormous. Aerobic athletes train their muscles differently, and indeed the muscle tissue itself is different from power athletes. Type I muscle fibers are known as "slow-twitch" because they have a slower speed of contraction than type II fibers ("fast-twitch"). Slow twitch fibers have less glycolytic capacity, but increased mitochondria, myoglobin, and aerobic enzyme pathways. Thus, "slow twitch" athletes cannot generate the speed and force of their "fast twitch" cousins, but they can do their thing for a long time. If an endurance athlete needs to dip into the anaerobic range, for a sprint or hill climb, the needed extra energy primarily comes from anaerobic glycolysis of glucose (yielding lactic acid, and that wonderful muscular "burning" sensation.). The ATP-creatine system is not important for endurance athletes. Where does creatine come from? The creatine that is normally present in human muscle may come from two potential sources, dietary (animal flesh), and/or internally manufactured. What isn't present in the diet is easily made by the liver and kidneys from a few amino acids (glycine, arginine, and methionine). A 70kg adult has about 120g of creatine in the muscles, and the daily turnover is roughly 2g. About half of this is replaced by the diet and half synthesized endogenously. The exogenous intake of creatine appears to exert negative feedback on the endogenous production of creatine (i.e., more creatine present in the diet means less production by the body). Creatine is eliminated from the body by the kidneys either as creatine, or as creatinine, which is formed from the metabolism of creatine. What about creatine supplements and performance? In the early 1900's it was discovered that increased dietary creatine resulted in increased muscular stores of creatine and phosphocreatine. A study published in 1992, demonstrated approximately a 20% increase in total creatine stores in subjects fed 20 g of creatine per day for several days (1). This increase appears to be the upper limit and it has been shown that, even over a few days, a progressively increasing percentage of supplemented creatine ends up in the urine (1). Since creatine supplementation increases muscular creatine levels, the next logical step would be to see if this helped athletic performance. From the brief discussion so far, one might expect that power athletes would benefit, and endurance athletes, not. Indeed, the exercise studies to date have confirmed that supposition. Brief intermittent, high-intensity exercise. A variety of protocols have been used to study the effect of creatine supplementation of brief, intermittant, high intensity exercise. Some of the exercise protocols which have shown improvements in performance are listed below, with indexed references. The most common method of supplementation used a 5 or 6 day loading period, consisting of approximately 20 grams of creatine per day. 1. Five sets of 30 maximum voluntary knee extensions, with 60 seconds rest between sets. (2) 2. Ten x 6 second bouts with 30 seconds rest. High intensity work on a bicycle ergometer. Placebo controlled, double-blind study design.(3) 3. Bench press; 5 sets to failure (predetermined 10 rep maximum), with 2 minute rest periods. Jump squats; 5 sets of ten, with 2 minute rest periods, using 30% of each subjects predetermined 1 rep. maximum. Placebo controlled, double-blind study design. (4) 4. Maximum continuous jumping exercise; 45 seconds. All-out treadmill running (approx. 60 seconds), at 20 km/hr, 5 degree incline. Placebo controlled, double-blind study design. (5) 5. Cycling to exhaustion at 150% peak VO2 at several different protocols; non-stop (a), 60 seconds work / 120 seconds rest (b), 20 seconds work / 40 seconds rest (c), and 10 seconds work / 20 seconds rest (d). Group D showed the greatest improvement with creatine supplementation. Placebo controlled, double-blind study design. (6) It is interesting to note that one study, which looked at intermittent, high intensity work, found that caffeine completely abolished the ergogenic effect of creatine supplementation (7). Despite this, some of the commonly available supplements, such as powdered drink mixes possessing many ingredients, contain both creatine and caffeine ! Endurance exercise As expected, the studies which looked at endurance exercise failed to show any benefit of creatine compared to placebo. In fact one study, which measured running performance over a 6 km course, found slower times in the creatine supplemented group (8). This effect is possibly related to the weight gain (mean 1 kg ) associated with creatine use. Since the creatine-ATP system is not used by endurance athletes, the weight gain is "dead weight" -- it adds nothing to moving the athlete forward. Instead, the extra weight makes the athlete less efficient. Side effects and adverse reactions to creatine supplementation Short term (less than 2 weeks) exercise studies have not reported any adverse events associated with creatine supplementation. There have been no long term studies done to evaluate the safety of prolonged administration. This is unfortunate because increasingly more and more athletes are taking creatine supplements for longer periods. Anecdotal reports have begun to emerge and have noted increased muscle cramping (especially during exercise in the heat), nausea and other gastrointestinal disturbances, elevated liver transaminases, and acute renal injury. Creatine supplementation, in the dosages commonly used, results in urinary concentrations that are 90 times greater than normal. The long term effects of this have not been investigated, but there is possibility for a variety of nephrotoxic, i.e., kidney damaging, events. There is potential for direct toxicity on renal tubules where urine is formed, and for acceleration of kidney stone formation. Recently, a baseball player for the Houston Astros was determined to have suffered from dehydration, kidney stones, and transient kidney damage as the result of creatine supplementation. Additionally, the deaths of 3 collegiate wrestlers this past year are being investigated to determine what role creatine supplementation may have played. Impurities are present in virtually every manufactured product, and in some cases, even though the product may be considered harmless, the impurity is not. Such was the case in the late 1980's when an epidemic of cases of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome, including over 30 deaths, were blamed on a contaminant present in L-tryptophan (9), an amino acid supplement widely taken as a sleep aid. Creatine, and other such supplements, are not regulated by the FDA. No published investigation has been conducted on creatine to determine what impurities might be present in creatine supplements, and what their long term effect might be. The bottom line is that no one can confidently state that prolonged creatine supplementation is safe, and its use would best be avoided until more data can be compiled. Prolonged administration is, in essence, an uncontrolled toxicity study and one which might yield harmful results. Is it worth the risk? Remember, it's your body! Cited References (1) Elevation of creatine in resting and exercising muscles of normal subjects by creatine supplementation. Harris R. et al . Clin. Sci. 1992: 83: 367-74 (2) Influence of oral creatine supplementation on muscle torque during repeated bouts of maximum voluntary exercise in man. Greenhaff PL, et al. Clin. Sci. 1993: 84: 565-71. (3) Creatine supplementation and dynamic high-intensity intermittent exercise. Balsom PD, et al. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1993: 3: 143-9. (4) Creatine supplementation enhances muscular performance during high-intensity resistance exercise. Volek JS, et al. J Am. Diet. Assoc. 1997; 97; 765-770. (5) Effect of oral creatine supplementation on jumping and running performance. Bosco C, et. al. Int. J. Sports Med. 1997; 18; 369-372. (6) Creatine supplementation enhances intermittent work performance. Prevost MC, et al. Res. Quarterly Exerc. Sport. 1997; 68(3); 233-240. (7) Caffeine counteracts the ergogenic action of muscle creatine loading. Vanderberghe K, et al. J Appl. Physiol. 1996; 80(2); 452-7. (8) Creatine supplementation per se does not enhance endurance exercise performance. Balsom PD, et al. Acta Physiol Scand. 1993; 149; 521-3. (9) Tryptophan produced by Showa Denko and epidemic eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome [comment]. [Review] [22 refs]. Kilbourne EM. Philen RM. Kamb ML. Falk H. Journal of Rheumatology - Supplement. 46:81-8; discussion 89-91, 1996 Oct. Institution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. Other refernces used in this review (10) Creatine in Humans with Special Refernce to Creatine Supplementation. Balsom PD, et al. Sports Med 1994; 18(4); 268-280. Biochemistry: The Chemical Reactions of Living Cells. . David E. Metzler. Academic Press Inc. 1977 Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance. McArdle, Katch, and Katch. Lea & Febiger. 3rd Edition. 1991 Harrison's : Principles of Internal Medicine. McGraw-Hill. 1998 Creatine is used in muscle cells to store energy for sprinting and explosive exercise. Athletes can increase the amount of creatine in muscle by taking creatine supplements. Although some studies report no ergogenic effect, most indicate that creatine supplementation (e.g. 20 g per day for 5 to 7 days) increases sprint performance by 1-5% and work performed in repeated sprints by up to 15%. These ergogenic effects appear to be related to the extent of uptake of creatine into muscle. Creatine supplementation for a month or two during training has been reported to promote further gains in sprint performance (5-8%), as well as gains in strength (5-15%) and lean body mass (1-3%). The only known side effect is increased body weight. More research is needed on individual differences in the response to creatine, periodic or cyclical use of creatine, side effects, and long-term effects on endurance. Reviewers' comments Introduction Creatine is an amino acid, like the building blocks that make up proteins. Creatine in the form of phosphocreatine (creatine phosphate) is an important store of energy in muscle cells. During intense exercise lasting around half a minute, phosphocreatine is broken down to creatine and phosphate, and the energy released is used to regenerate the primary source of energy, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Output power drops as phosphocreatine becomes depleted, because ATP cannot be regenerated fast enough to meet the demand of the exercise. It follows that a bigger store of phosphocreatine in muscle should reduce fatigue during sprinting. Extra creatine in the muscle may also increase the rate of regeneration of phosphocreatine following sprints, which should mean less fatigue with repeated bursts of activity in training or in many sport competitions. So much for the theory, but can you get a bigger store of creatine and phosphocreatine in muscle? Yes, and it does enhance sprint performance, especially repeated sprints. Extra creatine is therefore ergogenic, because it may help generate more power output during intense exercise. In addition, long term creatine supplementation produces greater gains in strength and sprint performance and may increase lean body mass. In this article I'll summarize the evidence for and against these claims. I'll draw on about 42 refereed research papers and four academic reviews to make conclusions regarding the ergogenic value of creatine supplementation. In addition, I'll provide 25 references to studies published in abstract form, which report the most recent preliminary findings on creatine supplementation. Effects of Creatine Supplements on Muscle Creatine, Phosphocreatine, and ATP The daily turnover of creatine is about 2 g for a 70 kg person. About half of the daily needs of creatine are provided by the body synthesizing creatine from amino acids. The remaining daily need of creatine is obtained from the diet. Meat or fish are the best natural sources. For example, there is about 1 g of creatine in 250 g (half a pound) of raw meat. Dietary supplementation with synthetic creatine is the primary way athletes "load" the muscle with creatine. Daily doses of 20 g of creatine for 5-7 days usually increase the total creatine content in muscle by 10-25%. About one-third of the extra creatine in muscle is in the form of phosphocreatine (Harris, 1992; Balsom et al., 1995). Extra creatine in muscle does not appear to increase the resting concentration of ATP, but it appears to help maintain ATP concentrations during a single maximal effort sprint. It may also enhance the rate of ATP and phosphocreatine resynthesis following intense exercise (Greenhaff et al., 1993a; Balsom et al., 1995; Casey et al., 1996). There is some evidence that not all subjects respond to creatine supplementation. For example, one study reported that subjects who experienced less of a change in resting muscle creatine (<20 mmol/kg dry mass) did not appear to benefit from creatine supplementation (Greenhaff et al., 1994). However, more recent studies indicate that taking creatine with large amounts of glucose increases muscle creatine content by 10% more than when creatine is taken alone (Green et al., 1996a; Green et al., 1996b). Consequently, ingesting creatine with glucose may increase its ergogenic effect. Effects on Performance Researchers first investigated the ergogenic effects of short-term creatine loading. In a typical study, a creatine dose of 5 g is given four times a day for five to seven days to ensure that muscle creatine increases. A control group is given a placebo (glucose or some other relatively inert substance) in a double-blind manner (neither the athletes nor the researchers doing the testing know who gets what until after the tests are performed). Most studies have shown that speed or power output in sprints--all-out bursts of activity lasting a few seconds to several minutes--is enhanced, typically by 5-8%. Repetitive sprint performance is also enhanced when the rests between sprints don't allow full recovery. In this case, total work output can be increased by 5-15%. There is also evidence that work performed during sets of multiple repetition strength tests may be enhanced by creatine supplementation, typically by 5-15%. In addition, one-repetition maximum strength and vertical-jump performance may also be increased with creatine supplementation, typically by 5-10%. The improvement in exercise performance has been correlated with the degree in which creatine is stored in the muscle following creatine supplementation, particularly in Type II muscle fibers (Casey et al., 1996). Researchers have now turned their attention to longer-term creatine supplementation. In these studies, a week of creatine loading of up to 25 g per day is followed by up to three months of maintenance with reduced or similar dosages (2-25 g per day). Training continues as usual in a group given creatine and in a control group given a placebo. Greater gains are now seen in performance of single-effort sprints, repeated sprints, and strength (5-15%). Table 1 at the end of this article lists the references to positive effects of creatine on performance. Theoretically, creatine may affect performance through one or more of the following mechanisms (Table 2): an increase in concentrations of creatine and phosphocreatine in resting muscle cells; an increased rate of resynthesis of phosphocreatine between bouts of activity; enhanced metabolic efficiency (lower production of lactate, ammonia, and/or hypoxanthine); and enhanced adaptations through higher training loads. Creatine supplementation during training may also promote greater gains in lean body mass (see Body Composition below). Not all studies have reported ergogenic benefit of creatine supplementation (Table 3). In this regard, a number of equally well-controlled studies indicate that creatine supplementation does not enhance: single or repetitive sprint performance; work performed during sets of maximal effort muscle contractions; maximal strength; or, submaximal endurance exercise. What's more, one study reported that endurance running speed was slower, possibly because of an increase in body mass (Balsom et al., 1993b). In analysis of these studies, creatine supplementation appears to be less effective in the following situations: when less than 20 g per day was used for 5 days or less; when low doses (2-3 g per day) were used without an initial high-dose loading period; in crossover studies with insufficient time (less than 5 weeks) to allow washout of the creatine; in studies with relatively small numbers of subjects; and when repeated sprints were performed with very short or very long recovery periods between sprints. It is also possible that subject variability in response to creatine supplementation may account for the lack of ergogenic benefit reported in these studies. In addition, there have been reports that caffeine may negate the benefit of creatine supplementation (Vandenberghe et al., 1996). Consequently, although most studies indicate that creatine supplementation may improve performance, creatine supplementation may not provide ergogenic value for everyone. Body Composition Although some studies have found no effect, most indicate that short-term creatine supplementation increases total body mass, by 0.7 to 1.6 kg. With longer use, gains of up to 3 kg more than in matched control groups have been reported (see Table 4 at the end of this article for references). For example, Kreider et al.(1998) reported that 28 days of creatine supplementation (16 g per day) resulted in a 1.1 kg greater gain in lean body mass in college football players undergoing off-season resistance/agility training. In addition, Vandenberghe et al. (1997) reported that untrained females ingesting creatine (20 g per day for 4 days followed by 5 g per day for 66 days) during resistance training observed significantly greater gains in lean body mass (1.0 kg) than subjects ingesting a placebo during training. The gains in lean body mass were maintained while ingesting creatine (5 g per day) during a 10-week period of detraining and in the four weeks after supplementation stopped. Findings like these suggest that creatine supplementation may promote gains in lean body mass during training, but we don't yet understand how it works. The two prevailing theories are that creatine supplementation promotes either water retention or protein synthesis. More research is needed before we can be certain about the contribution each of these processes makes to the weight gain. Side Effects In studies of preoperative and post-operative patients, untrained subjects, and elite athletes, and with dosages of 1.5 to 25 g per day for up to a year, the only side effect has been weight gain (Balsom, Soderlund & Ekblom, 1994). Even so, concern about possible side effects has been mentioned in lay publications and mailing lists. Before discussing these possible side effects, it should be noted that they emanate from unsubstantiated anecdotal reports and may be unrelated to creatine supplementation. We must be careful to base comments regarding side effects of creatine supplementation on factual evidence, not speculation. But we must also understand that few studies have directly investigated any side effects of creatine supplementation. Consequently, discussion about possible side effects is warranted. Anecdotal reports from some athletic trainers and coaches suggest that creatine supplementation may promote a greater incidence of muscle strains or pulls. Theoretically, the gains in strength and body mass may place additional stress on bone, joints and ligaments. Yet no study has documented an increased rate of injury following creatine supplementation, even though many of these studies evaluated highly trained athletes during heavy training periods. Athletes apparently adapt to the increase in strength, which is modest and gradual. There have been some anecdotal claims that athletes training hard in hot or humid conditions experience severe muscle cramps when taking creatine, and the cramps have been attributed to overheating and./or changes in the amount of water or salts in muscle. But no study has reported that creatine supplementation causes any cramping, dehydration, or changes in salt concentrations, even though some studies have evaluated highly trained athletes undergoing intense training in hot/humid environments. In my experience with athletes training in the heat (e.g., during 2-a-day football practice in autumn), cramping is related to muscular fatigue and dehydration while exercising in the heat. It is not related to creatine supplementation. Nevertheless, athletes taking creatine while training in hot and humid environments should be aware of this possible side effect and take additional precautions to prevent dehydration. Some concern has been raised regarding the effects of creatine supplementation on kidney function. The body seems to be able to dispose of the extra creatine without any problem (Poortmans et al., 1997). The extra creatine is eliminated mainly in the urine as creatine, with small amounts broken down and excreted as creatinine or urea. No study has shown that creatine supplementation results in clinically significant increases in liver damage or impaired liver function. It has also been suggested that creatine supplementation could suppress the body's own creatine synthesis. Studies have reported that it takes about four weeks after cessation of creatine supplementation for muscle creatine (Vandenberghe et al., 1997) and phosphocreatine (Febbraio et al., 1995) content to return to normal. It is unclear whether muscle the content falls below normal thereafter. Although more research is needed, there is no evidence that creatine supplementation causes a long-term suppression of creatine synthesis when supplementation stops (Balsom, Soderlund & Ekblom, 1994; Hultman et al., 1996). Does creatine supplementation have undiscovered long-term side effects? Trials lasting more than a year have not been performed, but creatine has been used as a nutritional supplement for over 10 years. Although long-term side effects cannot discounted, no significant short-term side effects other than weight gain have been reported. In addition, I am not aware of any significant medical complications that have been linked to creatine supplementation. Furthermore, creatine and phosphocreatine have been used medically to reduce muscle wasting after surgery and to improve heart function and exercise capacity in people with ischemic heart disease (Pauletto & Strumia, 1996; Gordon et al., 1995). Creatine supplementation may even reduce the risk of heart disease by improving blood lipids (Earnest, Almada & Mitchell, 1996; Kreider et al., 1998). On the basis of the available research, I consider creatine supplementation to be a medically safe practice when taken at dosages described in the literature.
Determining whether creatine supplementation has any short- or long-term side effects is an area receiving additional research attention. If there are side effects from long-term creatine supplementation, an important issue will be the liability of coaches, trainers, universities, and athletic governing bodies who provide creatine to their athletes. Anyone advising athletes to take creatine should make it clear that side effects from long-term use cannot be completely ruled out, and that the athletes do not have to take the supplements. It would be wise to have a formal policy for dosages to reduce the chances of athletes taking excessive amounts. Ethics Creatine supplementation is not banned, but is a nutritional practice that enhances performance nevertheless unethical? Anyone pondering this question should consider that creatine supplementation is a practice similar to carbohydrate loading, which is well accepted. Some are also concerned that creatine supplementation could cause a carryover effect, whereby athletes who have learned to take creatine are more likely to use dangerous or banned substances. Proper education among athletes, coaches, and trainers regarding acceptable and unacceptable nutritional practices is probably the best way to reduce any carryover. How to Use Creatine A typical loading regime for a 70-kg athlete is a 5-g dose four times a day for a week. Thereafter the dose can be reduced to 2 to 5 g per day in order to maintain elevated creatine content. This supplementation protocol will increase intramuscular creatine and phosphocreatine content and enhance high intensity exercise performance. There is now some evidence that taking glucose (100 g) with the creatine (5 to 7 g) increases the uptake of creatine into muscle (Green et al., 1996a; Green et al., 1996b). Consequently, I recommend that athletes take creatine with carbohydrate (e.g. with grape juice) or ingest commercially available creatine supplements that combine creatine with glucose. For athletes wanting to promote additional gains in lean body mass, I recommend 15 to 25 g per day for 1 to 3 months. Although many athletes cycle on or off creatine, no study has determined whether this practice promotes greater gains in fat free mass or performance than continuous use. More research is needed here. Creatine supplements are good value What is creatine? Creatine is a naturally occurring compound derived from glycine and arginine and found primarily in the heart, brain, and skeletal muscle. It plays a key role in the body's energy system, and has many secondary roles. The average American gets about one gram of creatine per day from their diet, and one gram is produced in the body. Herring, salmon, tuna, and beef are all high in creatine, but you would have to eat very large amounts of these foods to get the benefits achieved through supplementation. Creatine is used primarily to increase athletic performance, but may also be useful in preventing various conditions affecting the brain, heart, and musculature. 2. What application does creatine have? Creatine supplementation combined with strength training has been shown to cause dramatic improvements in muscle size and strength. A recent meta-analysis at the Medical College of Wisconsin of sixteen placebo-controlled trials on healthy adults showed creatine supplementation to increase the one rep maximum for bench press by an average of 15.07 lbs. (6.85 kg) and squat by an average of 21.47 lbs. (9.76 kg) with a 95% confidence interval (1). Additionally, creatine supplementation causes a significant increase in hypertrophy. A study that measured muscle fiber hypertrophy with creatine supplementation for 12 weeks found a 35%, 36%, and 35% increase in Type I, IIA, and IIAB muscle fiber cross-sectional areas, respectively, compared to 11%, 15%, and 6% in the placebo group (2). 3. How does creatine work? After being ingested, creatine is absorbed into the bloodstream, most likely by the amino acid transporter (3), and usually reaches a maximum plasma concentration in less than two hours (4). While blood levels are elevated, the creatine transporter (CreaT) actively transports creatine into skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and the brain (3). At this point, there are a variety of mechanisms by which creatine may exert its ergogenic effects. • Modulation of energy metabolism - Creatine operates as an energy and pH buffer during exercise. Creatine kinase catalyzes a reaction between free creatine and phosphor ions (from the breakdown of ATP to ADP), resulting in phosphocreatine (PCr), which is locked into the muscle cell due to its strong negative charge. The PCr can then react with ADP to form ATP during exercise, and during rest periods more PCr is generated. All of this equates to more energy during sets and faster recovery between sets (3). • Increased protein synthesis - Supplementing with creatine has been shown to increase intracellular water retention (5). Not only does this have the benefit of making the muscles appear larger, it may have an anabolic effect as well. Hyperhydration stimulates protein synthesis and inhibits protein breakdown, and cell volume has a correlation with catabolism in a variety of ailments (6). Numerous studies have confirmed that creatine supplementation prevents protein catabolism (3, 7). There is also evidence that creatine increases satellite cell mitotic activity (8). • Reduced oxidative stress - In addition to direct effects on energy metabolism and protein synthesis, creatine also has indirect effects on them because it protects against tissue damage, thus increasing the body's ability to regenerate ATP (3) and synthesize protein and protecting against a variety of other harms caused by exercise-induced oxidation. Creatine primarily protects against the peroxynitrite and superoxide free radicals (9). 4. What are some further benefits of creatine use? • Neuroprotection - Creatine is found in high concentrations in the brain, and is being explored in the treatment of a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. Creatine supplementation increases total creatine levels primarily in grey matter, white matter, the cerebellum, and the thalamus. Similar to its action in skeletal muscle, creatine operates through a variety of pathways in the brain, such as reducing oxidative stress and correcting mitochondrial dysfunction (3). A recent study on mice and rats showed creatine to provide a 36%-50% reduction in cortical damage caused by traumatic brain injury by improving mitochondrial function, decreasing reactive oxygen species, and maintaining ATP levels (10). This is a new area of research, so few human studies have been done on its neuroprotectant effects at this point. One study found that supplementation of creatine at 5 grams a day for 8 days decreased task-evoked mental fatigue and increased oxygen utilization in the brain (11). Cardiac health - Since creatine is also found in high concentrations in the heart, its activity there has been studied as well. It protects the heart in a variety of ways, and has been shown to reduce the occurrence of arrhythmia (12), protect cardiac tissue from metabolic stress (13), and reduce plasma cholesterol and triglycerides (14). • 5. Are there any side effects? There are very few side effects associated with creatine use (3, 22). Gastrointestinal discomfort is experienced by some, but generally goes away when dosage is lowered. Weight gain is also a common side effect, however this is mostly water weight (from muscle cell volumization). There are two case reports in the literature of creatine exacerbating renal dysfunction, but multiple studies have shown it to have no impact on healthy individuals (3, 15, 21, 22). You should consult a doctor before using creatine if you have a kidney disorder. 7. How should I take creatine? According to a study measuring 24-hour urinary excretion of creatine and creatinine, resistance-trained athletes can generally utilize about 50 mg/kg of creatine per day (about 3.5-6 grams) (17). Since creatine is so inexpensive and effective, it is generally best to overshoot this mark. Most users choose to supplement with 5-15 grams daily, spread out over 2-3 doses. There are also a variety of ways to increase creatine uptake. Exercise (18), insulin (19, 20), thyroid hormone (T3) (20), and IGF-1 (20) all increase the amount of creatine uptake into skeletal muscle. This makes pre- and post-workout ideal times to take creatine. Also, because of the effect insulin has on increasing creatine uptake, it is most effective when mixed with a beverage with a high insulin response. Dextrose is ideal, but any non-acidic beverage with a high sugar (non-fructose) content will do. Grape juice is about 50% dextrose. • Loading - Many creatine users believe it is beneficial to begin use with a "loading" phase in which 20-30 g is taken over 4-6 doses daily for a few days. The literature on loading is conflicting, and the same level of saturation can be achieved with regular, low-dose supplementation, although it may take longer. The decision is ultimately up to the user, as both methods are effective. • Cycling - This is the idea of taking a week off of creatine every 8-12 weeks to allow natural production of creatine to return to normal levels. This is done because creatine consumption downregulates the creatine transporter, although levels quickly return to normal upon cessation of use (3). Whether or not cycling is beneficial is still up in the air, but it is definitely not necessary. 8. What are some good products to take along with creatine? Although insulin increases muscle creatine uptake, one should avoid taking high amounts of high glycemic foods on a chronic basis as this could lead to insulin resistance. Supplements that increase insulin sensitivity can be very beneficial in this regard. Alpha lipoic acid is probably the best choice, as it is even better than many prescription drugs at improving insulin sensitivity and also has many other beneficial effects. The recommended dosage is 100-200 mg of ALA every time creatine is consumed. A Beginners Guide to Creatine Creatine is a substance found naturally in your body. Every time you perform any type of intense exercise (such as sprinting, or training with weights), your body uses Creatine to provide your body with energy. Unfortunately, creatine stores only last for a maximum of around 10 seconds. That's why you can't sprint "all-out" for very long - your creatine stores become depleted. Adding Creatine to your diet raises the levels of Creatine in your body. This dramatically improves your performance in the gym, or on the field of play. Creatine also speeds up muscle growth, leading to gains of 3 or 4 pounds in less than 7 days. Creatine supplementation has been shown in a number of studies to enhance maximal strength [2], improve sporting performance in soccer players [1], and accelerate gains in lean muscle mass [2]. Recent studies have also shown that creatine users gain muscle and strength far more quickly than subjects using a placebo. For example, test subjects given Creatine for 12 weeks in combination with a weight-training programme gained a massive 24% and 32% more strength in the bench press and squat, respectively. What's more, they also gained twice as much lean muscle - despite the fact they did the same amount of training [3]. These kind of results are typical for virtually anyone using Creatine. Creatine is also perfect if you're impatient for faster gains in muscle strength and size. A study published in the prestigious journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise showed that just five days after using 20 grams of Creatine daily, test subjects gained an impressive 3.1 pounds of lean muscle [4]. You'll find Creatine in many animal foods, such as salmon, tuna and beef. Although it is possible to get Creatine from your diet, it would be almost impossible to get enough to have any effect on performance. The Creatine in food can also be "damaged" by cooking. It's because of this that many athletes rely on Creatine supplements to provide them with a competitive edge. With more research than any other supplement, Creatine has been shown to work amazingly well across a whole range of sports and goals. By adjusting the dosages and how you take it, it can help pack on muscle size and strength fast, yet with a quick change in dosage it can be used for increased endurance, stamina and power. A recent study showed that Creatine significantly improves the performance of middle distance runners. Scientists at Belgium's Katholieke University also report that elite cyclists were able to improve performance by an impressive 9% during exercise lasting more than two hours. What's more, there is now hard evidence that Creatine can enhance performance in footballers. A recent study showed that Creatine leads to faster sprinting times and improved jumping performance after only six days. The research team from Spain examined a group of 19 national level players from Athletic Club de Bilbao, one of Europe's leading footballing sides. The players were divided into two groups. Group one were given Creatine for six days. Group two received a 'dummy' supplement that had no effect. The players were then asked to perform a series of tests. These included a number of sprinting and jumping drills that closely matched the demands of a match. The group who used Creatine were consistently able to outperform the non-Creatine users during both 5 and 15 metre sprints. These improvements in performance were enough to have a big impact on a player's performance. "More than enough", according to the researchers, "to outrun an opponent and attain possession of the ball." Even the supplement sceptics now admit that Creatine is very impressive. In fact so impressive is Creatine at improving performance across all athletes, that it is now the most used supplement amongst Olympic athletes, along with protein and energy drinks. Research has now proven that when taken even for several years, Creatine exhibits no side effects or health implications. In fact researchers are now finding it can actually improve health in women, the elderly and people with certain medical conditions. Scientists recognised that after the age of 30 years there is a progressive decline in muscle mass and function. By the time many people reach old age, this can make normal everyday activities into challenges requiring maximum effort. In relative terms, tasks such as putting shopping on the kitchen table, or walking up a flight of stairs becomes the equivalent of a maximum effort dumbbell curl, or a 200m sprint for a top athlete! Recognition of these facts prompted several research groups to investigate the effects of creatine supplements in older people. Their findings in the elderly were the same as those in athletes. Creatine supplementation improved strength, muscle power and increased lean body mass - reversing some of the effects of ageing. I highly recommend buying this book to find tons of tips... Buy here http://www.ironaddicts.com/store/products/Iron-Addict%27s-Body-of-Work.html This is perhaps one of the most important articles I have written in a long time. It is about how to find the basic framework of routine structure that works best for YOU. As anyone that has been exposed to bodybuilding knows there are countless different training styles out there that all promise to give you the physique of your dreams. And they are all WRONG! And they are all CORRECT also. How can this be? Well what I meant by that is that they all work for some people at least some of the time. And MOST of them fail most of the people. Most bodybuilders continually sway back and forth, at least in their minds if not in the gym about how to train. They are lost in a sea of confusion about who is right and what the reality of effective training really is. Everyone has a very unique metabolism and what is pure magic for one person may be pure poison for another. Without going into too much detail I will just say that most guys out there in search that huge ripped physique just don’t have the genetics to make it happen. But…..almost everyone can build a physique that will impress about anyone except competitive level bodybuilders. How fast you get there, or if you ever get there at all depends on training and diet. Saving diet for another day lets discuss how to find an effective training protocol for you. In order to keep this from becoming the book it very well could be, we are going to keep the parameters limited. Instead of going into all the sub-categories of each basic training style we will just touch upon the “big picture” styles, because within them are the volume and frequency that is the guiding factor of whether progress is made or not. Once you understand your basic needs there will still be much work and experimentation to be done to fine tune everything to make it fit you. But at least you will be in a position to make gains while this occurs. Lets face it, MOST people out there pouring their heart and souls into training are making marginal at best gains. The categories to be covered here are: Volume Training, be that traditional or GVT 3 Day a week full body training Power style bodybuilding Hardgainer style training In order for this “experiment” to be effective and work for anyone out there that might be willing to try it I am going to establish some guidelines for each training protocol to be followed. I ABSOLUTELY KNOW that the guidelines will not stand-up to criticism from many proponents of each categories training style. SAVE IT GUYS! I know it’s not perfect, and if you have a training style that fits you well and is effective great. MANY, MANY people are absolutely lost, and this will help them find their way if they are willing to take the time and take some risks. Those risks being that they absolutely will do some training that doesn’t work well for them. My guess though is that the people that haven’t put the pieces of the growth puzzle together yet are already not making progress so they have nothing to lose. Lets also clear up something else to make sure the trainee is not spinning their wheels. The most perfect routine is WORTHLESS if rest and nutrition are not there to back things up. You need to be getting 1.5 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight EVERY DAY, 2 grams if “on”. Other basics required are: 1 mega-dose multi-vitamin and full spectrum mineral packs 2000 mgs vit C a day 300% calcium/magnesium/zinc a day 4-10 grams of fish oil Please understand this in the MINIMAL supps a trainee should take and far from optimal. THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE, BUT I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT MANY LIFTERS TAKE NEXT TO NOTHING. This will provide a minimum base that most any lifter will do OK on. There are LOTS of other items that are both inexpensive, and result producing. But this is far better than most people do for themselves. I am also going to ask that the trainee attempting this does not try it while they are trying to reduce bodyfat. While I can honestly say that I do not have a single trainee I personal train that doesn’t build strength the whole time they are cutting I do know that most people simply just don’t know how to make this happen so don’t attempt this while cutting. Also if you are say, just starting a new physical labor job, or going out for a sport that requires large physical exertion expenditures this isn’t the best time to experiment. Try to keep all the variables to a minimum. OK lets start, here are the basic parameters of each training style to try. Volume training. Pick three exercises per body-part and do 4 sets each. This is 12 sets per body-part and while it isn’t as high as the 16-20 sets some volume trainers do, it’s still high enough to get an adequate growth response if volume training will work for you. These sets are not to be done to failure but they should be done fairly heavy. Keep the reps in the 8-12 range with 2 to 3 minutes rest per set (always time it so you are consistent). Train 4 days a week using a split that has you only hitting each muscle group once a week. And yes volume guys I know some of you hit muscles more frequently than that with good results, but this experiment is made to get the trainee there as soon as possible and once a week volume training works fine if volume training will work for you. This section is probably the easiest one to be listed because almost all trainees try volume training at some point in time. It does NOT work well for the majority of the trainees out there because it’s just too much to recover from, but for those it works good for nothing is better and they should be doing it! Something like this is a decent test. Monday Chest/Back DB Bench 4 x 6-10 DB Incline 3 x 6-10 Flys 3 x 12 Wide Grip Chins 4 x 5 Chest Supported Rows 4 x 8 Neutral Grip Pull-Downs 3 x 15 Tuesday Legs Squats 4 x 6 Hack Squat 3 x 10 Leg Press 2 x 20 Glute/Ham 3 x 10 Standing Calf Raise 4 x 8 Seated calf raise 3 x 10 Thursday Shoulders/Triceps Military Press 4 x 6-8 Lateral Raises 3 x 10 DB Upright rows 3 x 8 Weighted Dips 4 x 8 Skull-Crushers 4 x 10 Overhead Dumbbell Extensions 2 x 15 Weighted Abs 3 x 10 Friday Back Deadlift 4 x 6 Pull-Ups 2 sets un-weighted, 2 sets weighted, AMAP unweighted, 2 x 5 weighted Bent Row 4 x 8 Hammer Strength Pull-down 3 x 15 There can be a LOT of different variations on this, and as long as the volume is not much higher, this will be a decent test if you can recover enough for volume work. Full Body Routine 3 x a week This is simple enough to figure out, do starting strength if you are a beginner, or HST, or Bill Star’s 5 x 5. HST will be a better choice perhaps if you don’t want to do a core level of the workload doing 5 reps. Power Style training. Monday Squat or box squat 2-3 x 5 Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs 3 x 10 Bent Row or Chest Supported row 4 x 6 Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8 Calf Raises 3 x 15 Wednesday Bench Press or low board press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3 Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8 Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8 Skull Crushers 3 x 10 Ab work 3 x 10 Friday Deadlift or rack deadlift 2-3 x 5 Leg press 2 x 10 Chin or lat pull-down 4 x 6 Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8 Calf Raises 3 x 15 Monday Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3 Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8 Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8 Tricep pushdowns 3 x 10 Ab work 3 x 10 Monday FOR THOSE THAT ARE READING COMPREHENSION CHALLENGED THE SCHEDULE GOES LIKE THIS: 1st workout Monday Squat or box squat 2-3 x 5 Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs 3 x 10 Bent Row or Chest Supported row 4 x 6 Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8 Calf Raises 3 x 15 2nd workout 1 day later Wednesday Bench Press or low board press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3 Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8 Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8 Skull Crushers 3 x 10 Ab work 3 x 10 3rd workout 1 day later Friday Deadlift or rack deadlift 2-3 x 5 Leg press 2 x 10 Chin or lat pull-down 4 x 6 Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8 Calf Raises 3 x 15 4th workout After TWO DAYS OFF Monday Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3 Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8 Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8 Tricep pushdowns 3 x 10 Ab work 3 x 10 Monday next workout sequence repeat 1st through 4th workouts Sets are NOT taken to failure, at least 1 rep short, or to the point RIGHT before form starts to break down. If you do not recover well, reduce 1 set from each of the lifts. Rep cadence is explosive on the positive, controlled on the negative, no need to count cadence. After warm-ups use the same weight for all sets. If you cannot get all the sets with the same weight, the weight is too heavy. If you want to substitute something like dumbbell skull crushers for pushdowns, or hammer curls for barbell curls go ahead. DO NOT SUB OUT BIG COMPOUND MOVEMENTS FOR ISOLATION LIFTS. IF YOU CAN SQUAT AND DEADLIFT, DO THEM. THEY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LIFTS IN THE ROUTINE. Rotate the lifts to something else every 4-8 weeks or whenever a lift stalls. DELAOD BY DOING 1/2 THE SETS, OR 85% OF THE WEIGHT EVERY 4-8 WEEKS (4-5 WEEKS WORKS BEST FOR MOST PEOPLE. Suitable substitute lifts: Squat or box squat, you can front squat, or smith squat (smith ONLY if that is all you can do) You can leg press ONLY IF YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT DO REAGULAR SQUATS AND THE RESULTS WILL NOT BE AS GOOD. Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs Bent Row or Chest Supported row, you can dumbbell row or machine row Barbell or Dumbbell Curl, you can do any curl variation Calf Raises, you can do leg press calfs, standing barbell calf raises, or 1 arm, 1 leg dumbbell calf raises if you don't have a machine Bench Press or low board press, you can do dumbbell presses or dips Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, Dumbbell inclines, or smith inclines (use the SMITH ONLY IF THAT IS THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press, NO SUBS Skull Crushers, you can do dumbbell skull crushers, overhead tricep extensions with a bar or dumbbells, or tricep push-downs if any of these movements bother your elbows. Ab work, you can do a weighted sit-up, hanging leg raises, ab-wheel, or an ab machine Deadlift or rack deadlift, you can do romanian deadlifts, or good-mornings Leg press, you can front squat Chin or lat pull-down, NO SUBS Barbell or Dumbbell Curl, any curl variation Calf Raises, you can do leg press calfs, standing barbell calf raises, or 1 arm, 1 leg dumbbell calf raises if you don't have a machine Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press, NO SUBS Dumbbell Bench Press, You can do dips Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press, you can do upright rows Tricep pushdowns, you can do a skull crusher, or overhead tricep extension with a barbell or dumbbells Ab work 3 x 10, You can do a weighted sit-up, hanging leg raises, ab-wheel, or an ab machine If you can't sub any of these lifts figure it out yourself and quit asking endless questions about what you can sub. The sub list just posted was created after over 100 questions have been asked about "can I do lift B instead of lift A. Hardgainer Style Training. There are many people on these boards that have absolutely ZERO knowledge about this style of routine. And unfortunately they are most often the ones that spout off about how it could never work. One of the objections often quoted is “there is no way you could build a competitive physique with a routine like that”. To that I will say “no fucking duh”. No you are right you can’t build a competitive physique on a routine like this. But “duh Einstein” the VAST majority of the trainees out there will never build a competitive physique no matter what they do. That takes great genetics and unfortunately most people just have it. But with proper training most guys can get damn big and strong. Big enough to turn heads wherever they go. For MANY people out there Hardgainer style training is the one and only thing that will get them there. I can’t even count the number of trainees I have seen add 20-40 lbs in a few months after YEARS of making little or no gains. I know, I was one of them! I will make this category really simple on everyone. Do this: Split your routine up into 2 or 3 days and after warm-ups do: Bench Press or Dips 2 x 8-12 Bent Row or Pull-up 2 x 8-12 Military or Dumbell Press 2 x 8-12 Squat 2 x 8-12 Stiff Legged Deadlift 2 x 8-12 Weighted Abs 2 x 10 DON’T worry about detail here. The idea is to actually get brutally strong on a core group of lifts instead. Here is something I posted awhile back: For you people that are always concerned about balance and symmetry, yet don’t grow, yes, you guys.always doing 3-4 exercises per body-part to ensure “complete development” of all “aspects” of a muscle. What if all you did was: Squats 400 x 20 Stiff-legged deadlifts 375 x 15 Bench Press 315 x 12 Pull-Up with 100 lbs extra weight x 12 Military Press Body-Weight x 10 Calf-Raise 700 x 15 Weighted Sit-Up 175 x 12 How much bigger would you be than you are now, and what muscle would be under developed?!?!?!?!?!? What if that was ALL THE LIFTS YOU ACTUALLY DID ON A WEEK-TO-WEEK BASIS, BUT ACTUALLY DID THAT AMOUNT OF WEIGHT? AND SINCE THAT WAS ALL YOU DID YOU NEVER OVERTRAINED AND YOU WERE ALWAYS ABLE ADD A LITTLE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT TO THE BAR. HOW MUCH FUCKING BIGGER WOULD YOU BE THAN YOU ARE NOW??????? Enough ranting about Hardgainer style training. Let me just add that if you have even a passing fancy about weight training and you have never read Stuart McRobert’s book “Brawn” you are really missing something. Well we have four basic categories and ways to go about testing them, and while admittedly the formats and methods of implementing them are far from perfect they will do for someone that is really determined to be successful at bodybuilding. So how to go about putting them to the test, and how to determine if they are working? Well, we could start at doing the volume training first and work down. But I will simply say this. On a percentile basis more people fail at volume training than succeed. Don’t believe me? Go to your gym and closely observe. MOST people there will be doing a volume routine. And most will be the little guys you see spinning their wheels looking the same month after month. Volume guys, don’t take this as a knock because as I stated volume works spectacularly for those it works for. If you are one of them count your blessings, but don’t get ruffled and say that if it doesn’t work for someone it’s because they are doing something wrong. Actually you are right in a way, what they are doing wrong is overtraining. In my opinion it would be best to start at the bottom and work your way up. The big problem here is 80% of the people that decide to try a Hardgainer routine add shit until it’s not a Hardgainer routine. LISTEN TO ME! THERE ARE VERY, VERY FEW PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WILL NOT MAKE GREAT PROGRESS ON A HARDGAINER STYLE ROUTINE, DON’T ADD A THING AND IF IT DOESN’T WORK YOU WILL AT LEAST KNOW IT DOESN’T WORK BECAUSE IT DOESN’T SUT YOU, NOT BECAUSE YOU BASTARDIZED IT. Everyone owes it to themselves to try a routine like this at least once in their lives to at least see what it can do for them. Why have I spent so much time and words about Hardgainer style training? Do I think it’s the best way to go? Absolutely not, but I do know that it is the most misunderstood, and least likely to be tried method. I also absolutely KNOW that for the extreme hardgainer it’s the ONLY way they will ever develop an impressive physique. Again, I would suggest starting at the bottom and working up. By doing so you WILL make gains until you run into your overtraining threshold. If you make it to volume training and volume is working for you add a few sets and keep going till a wall is hit and back down. I would suggest trying each method for 6 weeks. Judge your results by strength and size gains. Strength gains should occur on about every lift every week until you get to volume training. It is common for volume trainers to not have consistent strength gains, but they do add size consistently. Still, slow strength gains are needed because if that is not occurring you are just continually repeating the last workout. You MUST be progressing! I know some people are probably saying 6 weeks! That’s 24 months, almost half a year. Let me put it to you this way. What were your gains like over the last 6 months. What if in 6 months from now you had a great handle on your training and could then devout your time to a training protocol that actually worked for you? I had a few people asking me why as a personal trainer I would write something like this and asked if I wasn’t concerned that I would lose business because of it. My answer was simple. I get a great deal of satisfaction helping people achieve their lifting goals and know that those people I help are more likely to come to me for assistance when they get stuck, or are ready to take their training to the next level. This is what these boards are about. People sharing knowledge and everyone benefiting from it! I highly recommend buying this book to find tons of tips...
Buy here http://www.ironaddicts.com/store/products/Iron-Addict%27s-Body-of-Work.html By: Louie Simmons
How to Do the Squat What is good squat form? What does it take to develop a great squat? First you must develop the hips, hamstrings, spinal erectors, glutes, and abs. Without a strong posterior chain (the muscles on the back of the body), you will not sit back into the proper squat position. That’s right. Sit back, never down. If the knees go forward in the yielding phase, they could hit the floor and the hips still would be above parallel. I talk to strength coaches from major universities on how to squat. I tell them that we have 24 guys who have squatted over 800 and six over 900 by box squatting with a wide stance. Many times these coaches will reply, I like Olympic squatting. One reason I guess is that Olympic squatting is what they were brought up on. But why do powerlifters use a wider stance? Because you use more muscle, and isn’t that what we’re after on the sports field? Only a wrestler would find himself in the weakest joint angles of an Olympic squat. That’s probably why there are no old, great Olympic lifters. Their joints are gone. When a prominent pro basketball coach said that Olympic squats were the best for his players and that a two-times bodyweight squat was all an athlete needs, I realized that a weak coach can only produce weak players. This coach and many like him must have a huge library and a very small weight room. Take Ben Johnson, for example. He squatted 620 at about 200 pounds. That’s three times bodyweight! Football players' careers are being shortened not by the competition but by the fact that they are too frail compared to 10 years ago. I saw Brett Favre come out of the locker room and squat cold with the linemen using the same weight. That's like having five quarterbacks protecting your quarterback, and that's bull. Let's get to squat technique, starting with the feet. They should be pointed straight forward. This forces the hip muscles into play. It is much harder to break parallel because the hip extensors and flexors are put in a very strong position for flexion. Turn the feet outward slightly if you are not flexible or if you are very thick in the waist and upper thighs. If you see someone who walks with their feet turned outward, they have weak hamstrings. As far as shoes go, Converse Chuck Taylor's are best. Don't have $100 shoes and a 10-cent squat. When squatting, think about pushing your feet out, not down. This will ensure that the hip muscles are working correctly. Push your knees out the entire time, starting from when you are unracking the bar. You should feel this in the hips. Next, start pushing the glutes to the rear as thought you are searching for a hair that is too far behind you. Arch the lower back and keep the chest up. Lean forwards as much as necessary to keep the bar over your center of gravity. To ensure correct bar placement, raise the chest and pull the shoulder blades together, to place the bar back as far as possible. This creates better leverage. However, if one carries the bar too low, it causes the lifter to bend forward, destroying leverage. What stance should you use? Everyone should box squat with a wide stance, because this builds the all-important hip muscles. Thirty years ago, the great Jim Williams said to train as wide as possible and pull your stance in, to a point, to break parallel at meet time. If you watch a great squat technician, you will notice that he bends only at the hips, the knees don’t go forward, and his back does not move. While descending in the squat, never squat down. Always squat back! If you push the glutes back, the knees will not go forward. In fact, if you sit back far enough, the shins will be past vertical. This is only possible with box squatting. And it’s important because this causes a great stretch reflex. Also, by forcing your knees apart, you are significantly increasing your leverage, by shortening the distance between the hip and the knee joint. If you pull your knees together, you increase this distance and create poor leverage. In addition, this is a sign of weak hip muscles. After breaking parallel, you must first push against the bar. After all, the bar is what we are trying to raise. Unfortunately, you see many lifters who push with their feet first. This causes you to bend forward Into a good morning position, which is opposite of what you are trying to achieve, in addition to being dangerous. When your back bends, you are likely to miss a squat or get injured. Most people think of squatting as a multi-joint muscular action. I see it as flexion of the spinal erectors and hip flexors and slight flexion of the knees. It’s much like trying to jump onto a high box; you flex as much as possible in the beginning and hope you make it. Others push gradually through the lift; just enough to accommodate the external force that is being applied. As far as equipment, in a meet, wrap the knees toward the inside. This means wrap one clockwise and the other counterclockwise. This helps to stabilize them. Wear a suit that allows the knees to be forced outward ad the glutes to be pushed out to the rear. Don't wear straps that are too tight. This will cause you to bend over. In training wear a suit with the straps down and a belt. This will help the technical aspects of squatting. When someone must wear full gear for 3-4 weeks before a meet, their technical skill is low. To summarize, build the posterior chain: calves, hams, glutes, lower and upper back. Strong abs are a must. They are what you lean on to descend and push off of to ascend. Out of our top 100 squat-ters, four use an upright back position. That means that 96% lean forward, with - of course - a great arch. While descending, the glutes move first and the head and bar move last. So, in the concentric phase, the opposite happens. You must push against the bar first. One workout per week must be devoted to speed (box squatting) and one for maximal effort, with a variety of core exercises such as good mornings and squatting with special bars that change your center of gravity. To all strength coaches: the next time you have your athletes do Olympic squats, ask yourself why. The joint angles are not advantageous for the stretch reflex. If a lineman were to use that position on the field, he would easily be pushed backward. The Olympic lifts require flexibility. There are many drills better suited to increase flexibility. Everyone thinks the Olympic lifts are so quick. While your cleans at 60% look fast, so do our box squats at 60%. The athlete who can power clean 400 uses 240(60%). The lifter who can squat 800 uses 480 (60%). Who do you really think would be faster and stronger? Compared to a powerlifter, an Olympic lifter can’t squat with the Sunday paper. A kid that can hang clean 400 would look frail to an 800 squatter. And don’t forget, in Olympic lifting, as the bar is raising, the lifter is lowering himself, making it appear that they are moving the bar at great speed. Olympic lifting is the biggest bust in the United States. We have not placed a single lifter on the "A" list, yet strength coaches still advocate the Olympic lifts. |