This, for us, is one way we remember.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Optimizing Training Part 2: Lactate and Ventilatory Threshold Training
This article is the Second Part of a Series on Optimizing Run Training
The first part of the series can be found here
Interestingly enough this applies to any exercise that crosses multiple energy systems. So this is perfectly applicable to many mid range, with respect to time, workouts.
Metabolic Pathways Overview
All energy transformations that occur in the body are referred to as metabolism. A metabolic pathway is a series of chemical reactions that will result in the formation of ATP and waste products (such as carbon dioxide).
The three energy systems of the body are the:
- Anaerobic ATP-PC (often referred to as phosphagen) system - Short term.
- Aerobic glycolysis (break down of sugar) - Mid Term also called the Lactate System
- Aerobic mitochondrial respiration (cellular production of ATP in the mithochondrion) - Long term.
ATP-PC(Adenosine Tri-Phosphate - Phospho Creatine) is the simplest energy system of the body with the shortest capacity (up to 15 seconds) to maintain ATP production. During intense exercise, such as in weight lifting and sprinting, the ATP-PC is the most rapid and available source of ATP.
Energy for exercise activities requires a blend of all the energy systems. All energy system are active all of the time, but depending on the duration of the work, one energy system will predominate. The determinants of the involvement of the particular energy system are dependent on the intensity of the exercise.
1) Lactate Removal
Although once considered a negative with respect to athletic performance, increased lactate production which occurs only during high-intensity exercise is natural. Even at rest a small degree of lactate production takes place, which indicates there is also a lactate removal system or else there would be lactate accumulation occurring at rest. The primary means of lactate removal include its uptake by the heart, liver, and kidneys as a fuel . Within the liver, lactate functions as a chemical building block for glucose production (known as gluconeogenesis), which is then released back into the blood stream to be used as fuel elsewhere. Additionally, non-exercising or less active muscles are capable of lactate uptake and consumption. At exercise intensities above the lactate threshold, there is a mismatch between production and uptake, with the rate of lactate removal lagging behind the rate of lactate production.
2) Fast-Twitch Motor Unit Recruitment
At low levels of intensity, long slow distance for example, primarily slow-twitch muscles fibers are recruited to support the exercise workload. Slow-twitch muscle has a high aerobic endurance capacity using the mitochondrial respiration energy system as opposed to the ATP system. With increasing exercise intensity there is a shift towards the recruitment of fast-twitch muscles, which have metabolic characteristics that are geared towards glycolysis. The recruitment of these muscles will shift energy metabolism from mitochondrial respiration towards glycolysis, which will eventually lead to increased lactate production.
Unfortunately and somewhat confusingly, the lactate threshold has been described with different terminology by researchers, including maximal steady-state, anaerobic threshold, aerobic threshold, individual anaerobic threshold, lactate threshold, lactate breaking point, and onset of blood lactate accumulation. Whenever reading on the topic of lactate threshold it is important to realize that these differing terms are essentially describing the same physiological event.
Traditionally there has been several ways to optimize running training: Ventilatory Threshold Training, Anaerobic Threshold Training, Heart Rate Monitoring, and VO2Max:
What is the Ventilatory Threshold?
As exercise intensity increases breathing increases in the early phases in a roughly linear fashion. As the intensity of exercise continues to increase, there is a point at which breathing increases e in a non-linear fashion. This point where breathing increases at a much higher rate is called the ventilatory threshold. The ventilatory threshold corresponds (but is not identical) with the development of muscle and blood acidosis. Blood buffers(sodium bicarbonate), which are compounds that help to neutralize acidosis, work to reduce the muscle fibers acidosis. This leads to an increased need to expel carbon dioxide, which the body attempts to eliminate with the increase in ventilation.
Because increased ventilation occurs with increasing blood lactate values and acidosis, scientists originally believed this was an indication that the ventilatory and lactate threshold occur at similar exercise intensities. This interpretation is appealing because measuring the ventilatory threshold is non-invasive compared to the lactate threshold. And while numerous studies have shown a close correlation between the thresholds, separate studies have demonstrated that different conditions, including training status and carbohydrate nutritional supplementation, can cause thresholds in the same individual to differ substantially.
What is the Anaerobic Threshold?
The term anaerobic threshold was introduced based on the concept that at high-intensity levels of exercise, low levels of oxygen (or hypoxia) exists in the muscles. At this point, for exercise to continue, energy supply needed to shift from the aerobic energy system (mitochondrial respiration) to anaerobic energy systems (glycolysis and the phosphagen system).
The use of the term Anaerobic Threshold is misleading. Using the term 'anaerobic threshold' suggests oxygen supply to muscles is limited at specific exercise intensities. However this is not the case muscles do not become deprived of oxygen - even at maximal exercise intensities. The limiting factor is Carbon Dioxide expulsion caused by the buffering of muscular acidosis not oxygen uptake.
The second argument against using anaerobic threshold is that it suggests at this point in exercise intensity, metabolism shifts completely from aerobic to anaerobic energy systems. Anaerobic energy systems (glycolysis and the phosphagen system) do not take over the task of ATP regeneration completely, even at higher intensities of exercise, but augment the energy supply provided from mitochondrial respiration.
The second argument against using anaerobic threshold is that it suggests at this point in exercise intensity, metabolism shifts completely from aerobic to anaerobic energy systems. Anaerobic energy systems (glycolysis and the phosphagen system) do not take over the task of ATP regeneration completely, even at higher intensities of exercise, but augment the energy supply provided from mitochondrial respiration.
What is the Heart Rate Threshold
In the early 1980’s, Italian researchers developed the methodology to detect the lactate threshold through a running test by determining the heart rate deflection point. This easy and non-invasive approach to indirect lactate threshold measurement has been utilized extensively for training program design and exercise intensity recommendations
The heart rate deflection point is only visible in about half of all individuals and commonly over-estimates lactate threshold. Because of these findings, and errors associated with its use, heart rate variability among populations, I do not recommend the heart rate threshold method when designing endurance training programs for clients. In part 3 I will discuss a simpler and possible more accurate way to monitor this which doesn't require constantly looking at a heart rate monitor.
The heart rate deflection point is only visible in about half of all individuals and commonly over-estimates lactate threshold. Because of these findings, and errors associated with its use, heart rate variability among populations, I do not recommend the heart rate threshold method when designing endurance training programs for clients. In part 3 I will discuss a simpler and possible more accurate way to monitor this which doesn't require constantly looking at a heart rate monitor.
Summary of Anaerobic, Ventilatory, Lactate and Heart Rate Thresholds
In summary, ventilatory and lactate thresholds, although similar, do not occur at exactly the same exercise workloads. The use of the term anaerobic threshold is not strictly correct although it is common usage and helps make the concept easier to understand (I think).
Training and the Lactate Threshold, Lactate Threshold Training
One option for optimizing training is where training intensity would be based upon the velocity (speed) that corresponds to the lactate threshold.. Despite this, it is well known that following endurance training, the lactate threshold will occur at a higher relative percentage of an individual’s maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) than prior to training. This adaptation allows for an individual to maintain higher steady-state running velocities or cycling workloads, while maintaining a balance between lactate production and removal. Endurance training influences both the rate of lactate production and the capability for lactate removal.
The reduced lactate production, at the same given workload, following endurance training can be attributed to increased mitochondria size, mitochondrial numbers, and mitochondrial enzymes. The combined result of these training adaptations is an enhanced ability to generate energy through mitochondrial respiration, thus lowering the amount of lactate production at a given workload.
In addition, endurance training causes an increase in lactate usage by muscles, leading to a greater capacity for lactate removal from circulation, consequently, despite the heightened lactate production rates occurring at high levels of exercise intensity, blood lactate levels will be lower.
Endurance training may also improve capillary density around the muscles, especially the slow-twitch muscles. This adaptation improves blood flow to and from exercising muscles, which will enhance the clearance of lactate and acidosis.
Next: Part 3: Lactate Threshold Training Programs and Workouts
Monday, September 9, 2013
The Push Up - Considerations Beyond the Basics
The push up is a simple exercise. But that simplicity shouldn't discount it's value. Like anything, in doing a push up well there is much more going on then the simple drop and give me 20!
Don't overlook this movement because of it's simplicity.
As we discussed in a previous post the push up is a Primal Movement. It also serves as a transition movement, a foundation for many other movements of Functional Fitness. Many of the techniques presented here work equally well for the bench press, ring dip and all pushing movements.
See A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO BODYWEIGHT SKILLS.
Push ups can be done anywhere and anytime, require no equipment and can be modified using leverage to any level of strength or skill. See our post on Bodyweight Training for ideas how to use leverage to almost infinitely modify body weight movements and provide progressive overload.
Similar to other multi joint exercises the push up engages a wide range of musculature, including the following areas:
Although the push up is a simple motion, from what I see in practice many people do them incorrectly. Even advanced exercisers may improve their technique with some of the tips below. Tray to always work to improve your technique, even on the apparently simplest movements. As gymnastics expert Coach Dusty Hyland would strive for virtuosity in all of your movements:
The Push Up is Repeatable and Testable
Test yourself now. Do as many pushups as you can in 3 minutes. Rest whenever you want, but keep the clock running the whole time. Fifty-five is average, but if you can't reach 75—what strength coaches consider "good"—then you need to either gain strength, lose weight or look at your technique.
Also look at how many push ups you can do unbroken, without stopping, or your form breaking down.
Make note of both of these in your log (you DO keep a log don't you?) and repeat each month.
Progressions TO a full Push Up
If you can't yet hold a full plank for at least 45 seconds. Work on planks. Don't go overboard 90 seconds is plenty,
If you modify the plank to the knees down position, get a foam roller and begin by positioning it at your knees. Work to hold a plank in this position for 60s. As your ability increases gradually(over weeks move the roller farther down you shin. Eventually you will work the roller down to you ankles, and you'll be ready to do a full plank.
A few notes on the plank:
Tighten your glutes, yes, squeeze your but.
Maintain a perfectly straight position.
If you modify the push up from the knees use the foam roller in the same way to work toward a full push up.
Wall Push up
Inclined Push ups
Progressions Beyond a Basic Push Up
Declined Push ups - Elevate your feet on a bench, wall or whatever you have. This puts more weight on your hands making the exercise harder.
Hand Release Push Ups - When you get to the chest-to-ground position, raise you hands from the floor. This eliminates the stretch reflex action (the subject of a future post) and makes the push up more difficult. In effect you are starting each push up from a dead stop, similar to the dead stop starting position of the deadlift.
Finger Push Ups - Done on the fingers. Great for building grip strength.
Deficit Push Ups - Use yoga blocks, plates or parallets under the hands to extend the range of downward motion. Lower you chest through the added supports.
Ring Push Ups - This is possibly my favorite modification. The stability requirements and benefits when done with rings are phenomenal.
See: Push-ups: The Perfect Primal Exercise, Marc's Daily Apple, By Al Kavadlo for MANY more.
Additional Resources and Reading
Push-ups: The Perfect Primal Exercise, Marc's Daily Apple, By Al Kavadlo
Don't overlook this movement because of it's simplicity.
As we discussed in a previous post the push up is a Primal Movement. It also serves as a transition movement, a foundation for many other movements of Functional Fitness. Many of the techniques presented here work equally well for the bench press, ring dip and all pushing movements.
See A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO BODYWEIGHT SKILLS.
Push ups can be done anywhere and anytime, require no equipment and can be modified using leverage to any level of strength or skill. See our post on Bodyweight Training for ideas how to use leverage to almost infinitely modify body weight movements and provide progressive overload.
Similar to other multi joint exercises the push up engages a wide range of musculature, including the following areas:
- Core - Stabilizing the mid section while in a plank position.
- Arms - Triceps, forearms (more than you might think)
- Chest - Pecs
- Shoulders - Anterior Delts and entire rotator cuff musculature (For stability).
Although the push up is a simple motion, from what I see in practice many people do them incorrectly. Even advanced exercisers may improve their technique with some of the tips below. Tray to always work to improve your technique, even on the apparently simplest movements. As gymnastics expert Coach Dusty Hyland would strive for virtuosity in all of your movements:
"Virtuosity, in gymnastics, means going above and beyond - exceptional movement, performance, and position. Dusty's videos will teach gymnastic movements for fitness and CrossFit, focusing on progressions and the concept of virtuosity".
- Dusty Hyland
- Hands should be directly under the shoulder. This is the safest and most mechanically efficient placement.
- The push up begins with your arms extended and your body in a full plank position. Yes I said a plank.
- Contract your abs and glutes, tighten your core by drawings the belly button inward toward the spine.
- Elbows should not be flared (out to the side). The should be angled back approximately 45 degrees (closer to your body, not straight out to the side. This will save your shoulders.
- 'Screw your hands into the ground'. This common cue helps to put the arm in external rotation, stabilize the shoulder joint in the glenoid cavity(shoulder joint), retract the scapulas and helps to develop torque throughout the movement (see Kelly Sterett, Becoming a Supple Leopard). We will cover external rotation in much more detail in a future post as it applies to a great many movements and joints.
- The chest touches the floor. I can't tell you how many times I see either a partial lowering or a partial extension of the arms in the gym. If you are going to do something (and don't have a physiological reason to limit range of motion) do it right. Full lockout at the top to full chest to ground on the bottom.
- Toes should be together. Spreading the feet has the effect of limiting the range of motion and making the movement easier, don't do this. Feet together and heels up and together.
- As you come down keep your forearms as vertical as possible. Lower yourself downward as you inhale.
The Push Up is Repeatable and Testable
Test yourself now. Do as many pushups as you can in 3 minutes. Rest whenever you want, but keep the clock running the whole time. Fifty-five is average, but if you can't reach 75—what strength coaches consider "good"—then you need to either gain strength, lose weight or look at your technique.
Also look at how many push ups you can do unbroken, without stopping, or your form breaking down.
Make note of both of these in your log (you DO keep a log don't you?) and repeat each month.
Progressions TO a full Push Up
If you can't yet hold a full plank for at least 45 seconds. Work on planks. Don't go overboard 90 seconds is plenty,
If you modify the plank to the knees down position, get a foam roller and begin by positioning it at your knees. Work to hold a plank in this position for 60s. As your ability increases gradually(over weeks move the roller farther down you shin. Eventually you will work the roller down to you ankles, and you'll be ready to do a full plank.
A few notes on the plank:
Tighten your glutes, yes, squeeze your but.
Maintain a perfectly straight position.
If you modify the push up from the knees use the foam roller in the same way to work toward a full push up.
Wall Push up
Progressions Beyond a Basic Push Up
Declined Push ups - Elevate your feet on a bench, wall or whatever you have. This puts more weight on your hands making the exercise harder.
Hand Release Push Ups - When you get to the chest-to-ground position, raise you hands from the floor. This eliminates the stretch reflex action (the subject of a future post) and makes the push up more difficult. In effect you are starting each push up from a dead stop, similar to the dead stop starting position of the deadlift.
Finger Push Ups - Done on the fingers. Great for building grip strength.
Deficit Push Ups - Use yoga blocks, plates or parallets under the hands to extend the range of downward motion. Lower you chest through the added supports.
Ring Push Ups - This is possibly my favorite modification. The stability requirements and benefits when done with rings are phenomenal.
Clapping Push Ups:
Additional Resources and Reading
Push-ups: The Perfect Primal Exercise, Marc's Daily Apple, By Al Kavadlo
Most Popular Articles of August (Top 5)
Functional Fitness for what?
That's a great question. The point is that functional fitness IS for something.
Its not cosmetic. Its not for a number on a particular movement.
Skill, stamina and strength
"Strong people harder to kill and more useful in general"
- Mark Rippetoe
In order to be of use to others we first have to take care of ourselves.
The ideal of functional fitness is the self sufficiency, ability and resiliency to do what needs to be done. What needs to be done varies by your personal context, goals and ambition. For a firefighter, police man or woman or the military the thing needing to be done might be extreme. For an athlete the thing right test the bounds of human capability. For you and me it might be keeping up with the kids, improving our capability bit by bit. As we age it might be the ability to remain independent, the strength to get up and down the stairs, the ability to get off of the toilet by ourselves, get off of the floor under our own power after a fall or the ability to fun for help for an injured spouse or neighbor.
| Ground to Overhead, knees out, very nicely done! |
It knowing how to do something but also the strength, skill and stamina to do it.
Functional Strength
We're not talking about your max bench press here. Were not talking about benching double or triple you bodyweight. Those numbers are nice to talk about in the gym and can be meaningful goals for some of us. Maintaining muscle mass has inherent health benefits, especially for our older population.
Were talking about strength applied in the real world.
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| Learn to Deadlift Properly and you will always know how to lift something safely. NOT like this. |
Take away the fancy machine, take away the implement (in this case a barbell and a nicely cushioned bench) and think about the real world. Rarely are you going to be asked to lie down on a bench and lift and weight straight upward. It doesn't happen like that. You have to lift the laundry from the ground with your feet planted on the floor (closed chain movement). For the athlete you may be called on to push a large lineman out of your way, again with feet planted on the ground, transferring force through you core, with a stable spine acting as an effective transmission of the power, pushing with your arms(again closed chain).
In the real world you will climb, pull as often as you push, run, jump. Many of us are lacking the pull strength in relation to our pushing strength.
Your core is the stabilizer and transmission of all of this power acting through your full kinetic chain to your extremities. No amount of crunches will train this critical aspect of the core.
Here’s the National Academy of Sports Medicine’s take on it:
“All functional movement patterns involve deceleration, stabilisation and acceleration, which occur at every joint in the kinetic chain and in all three planes of motion.”
Primal Patterns
The movements we are talking about are something Paul Chek calls “Primal Patterns,” which are functional movements that our primal ancestors used in their daily lives to survive.
These seven movements are Squat, Lunge, Push, Pull, Bend, Twist and Gait. (I omitted a few from my previous post Primal Exercises Everyone Should Do, primarily because I am terrible with lunges, but am working on them; but Chek is absolutely right).
Just think how many times a day you have performed these basic movements. Walking up the stairs: lunges. Sitting: squatting. Gait: walking, running.
This is something Cross fit mostly gets right, in fact what it was founded on. As Crossfit changes and becomes more marketable as "the Sport of Fitness" it may become more about skilled movements to narrow the field to 'elites' but I hope not. The more Crossfit moves toward 'party tricks' and away from functional movements, I fear the more it loses much of it's original attraction as a general conditioning program.
For example the double under(one of my goats), what next the triple under?
One of the more difficult movements, the Muscle Up, does have a functional purpose. It the movement you need to get up and over an obstacle above you head from a dead hang.
"You’ll be able to surmount any object on which you can get a finger hold—if you can touch it you can get up on it. The value here for survival, police, fire fighter, and military use is impossible to overstate."- Coach Greg Glassman
This need to be ready for anything, to survive, is the basis for much of the Crossfit philosophy.
“Our specialty,” according to Coach Glassman, “is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.”
The true measure of physical strength is not some arbitrary number representing how much weight you can lift on an invented machine or implement, but how many Pull-ups, Push-ups, Squats, Dips and Lunges you can do and how well you move, run, jump and walk. Functional fitness for readiness for events of or ordinary lives. Not necessarily just preparing for the ordinary bu preparing for the extraordinary that we all may be called to do on occasion.
Additional Resources and reading
COMPETITOR’S VIEW FROM THE BACK OF THE PACK (From Sweat Pants O'Clock)
An inspiring article for all of us middle-of-the-pack athletes, attempting to move outside of our comfort zones.
"I participated in the Hercules Crossfit competitions Battle of the Sexes event today. I should tell you that I’m a scaled level athlete, and I was participating with some serious RX big dogs. I was hoping that the adjustment for body weight would help me out, but I figured out pretty quickly that it wasn’t going to help me much."
"I had a little trouble figuring out the mechanics of the first event (farmers walk), and the one event that I thought I could make some noise in, ended up being a last place. After that event ended, I looked at the standings and saw that I had come in eighth out of ten competitors. I got pretty excited-I wasn’t in last place! And then, someone pointed out that the two competitors who were behind me had not shown up."
Read More at Sweat Pants O'clock
"I participated in the Hercules Crossfit competitions Battle of the Sexes event today. I should tell you that I’m a scaled level athlete, and I was participating with some serious RX big dogs. I was hoping that the adjustment for body weight would help me out, but I figured out pretty quickly that it wasn’t going to help me much."
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| Click Image to Go to the Blog |
"I had a little trouble figuring out the mechanics of the first event (farmers walk), and the one event that I thought I could make some noise in, ended up being a last place. After that event ended, I looked at the standings and saw that I had come in eighth out of ten competitors. I got pretty excited-I wasn’t in last place! And then, someone pointed out that the two competitors who were behind me had not shown up."
Read More at Sweat Pants O'clock
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Very Good Article about Crossfit and American Culture
Don't hold the title against it (it threw me off at first), please read (its a long one) and especially look at the video of the girl at the end attempting her first muscle-up. Note her reaction at the end. That's what Crossfit is all about for me (Ed. Note I still do not have my [strict or kipped but I am working on strict first, Gymnast style] Muscle-up, but am diligently working on progressions)...
An excellent long read,
by Eric Lemay, Salon
UPDATE: (Salon.com has since changed their title to "CrossFit mirrors American militarism" but this was the original title). I truly don't understand why Salon had to use such a provocative title. I assume they feel it draws readership, but I didn't see anything anti-crossfit in it at all. Though he repeats the "cultish" buzzwords quite often. I am curious to see what others think of the article. My assumption is that the editors at Salon didn't know what to make of it and generally don't know what to make of Crossfit - not likely practitioners.
See the video referenced at the end of the article here,
but please go read the article as well.
Please post any comments or thoughts!
UPDATE 2: I saw a strange comment(with 2 likes no less) that I am not sure I understand. The comment is posted below:
Comment (Can be found HERE at the bottom of the article) - I have omitted her name.
"Too bad people do not have lifes where they put out energy, it seems we all sit around all day then do cross fit. I have many clients that participate in cross fit and I want to say, the women look no better then me when I was taking care of children, gardening, living in a two story house, eating right, etc.......really. We all live in cities, drive everywhere, etc...... maybe people need to ride bikes, plant gardens, walk more, get more life going. Also many of my clients are seeing me because they have really hurt themselves doing cross fit."
My Response (Was I off base to her point??)
Richard Meehan:
"Re: Honey's comment: I don't see it that way at all. The people I work with are amazing. They are learning to new things, new movements, new skills and it shows in the way they carry themselves and, yes, in how they look.
Re: "maybe people need to ride ride bikes, plant gardens, walk more, get more life going" (sic), the people I work with certainly do all of that. They also do more intense training to try and improve, learn new ways to move their body and develop new skills.
Just look at the excitement at the end of Marie's 1st Muscle Up video, how cool, I was actually cheering for her as she was making her attempts. Don't try and limit her to 'rising bikes and puttering around in the garden' she's an athlete working to improve.
The people I know DO have lives, where they put a great deal of energy in them and the work they do in the gym makes them better at that life.
I just don't see the injuries you claim to. We have responsible coaches present at all times, all of the movements are scaleable. Maybe it is the quality of the coaching (which is really what you are paying for in Crossfit) that is lacking."
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Saturday, September 7, 2013
Get Big: Stay Lean?
Is possible to get bigger while maintaining leanness?
I think, yes, but it's not easy.
This post assumes you are generally eating right, doing generally the right training work and getting adequate rest.
Historically the strategy for gaining mass was to go through a gain phase followed by a cutting phase. This generally can work well but at a cost of being out of optimal shape for several months of the year. For athletes and, say, Crossfitters who want to maintain a steady level of performance this doesn't work so well.
Can we gain mass while not gaining excess levels of fat? To do so counting calories and running a slight surplus isn't going to be enough. The key to doing this is to maintain the surplus and tightly manage hormonal response
Hormonal Baseline
If you are serious, get your hormone levels checked by a doctor or qualified medical lab. Also be sure and get thyroid function checked as this can have a huge impact on metabolism.
Hormonal response.
Avoid training too long. Lengthy training sessions will cause the body to go into stress response mode. This will release a cavalcade of mostly undesirable hormones (for our stated goal) including catecholamine and cortisol, whose primary function is to increase the breakdown of tissue to aid the fight or flight response.
Avoid especially too long cardio, especially long slow distance running. While you need to maintain your cardiovascular fitness, opt for shorter more intense Tabata or HIIT type work. Limit your cardio sessions to 30 minutes or less sprints, 400's. 5k may be the perfect distance to combine with the goal of getting big while maintaining leanness and baseline cardiovascular fitness levels.
Testosterone, clearly the most anabolic and well known hormone must be optimized to put on more muscle and recover faster from workouts.
Other hormones such as growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), and hCG need to be optimized. These are also heavily involved in recovery, increasing size and strength as well as sexual health and mood.
Eating
To gain mass and minimize fat gain we have to eat with hormone response in mind. Calories in - calories out will not suffice. we have to eat to elicit the hormone responses we are after.
generally Testosterone levels are the highest in the morning. This is the time we want to minimize insulin response and the blood sugar spike-insulin response-blood sugar deficit cycle. To do this focus on eating whole proteins, particularly eggs.
Eggs - Contain protein, nutrients and cholesterol which are important for hormonal response. Cholesterol (despite the bad rep it has gotten in the past) is a precursor to testosterone. Additional you want to maximize the slow proteins (albumin) while your testosterone is high. These proteins will also leave you more satiated through out the day and help avoid the blood sugar roller coaster that a high carb breakfast would cause.
Maximize the intake of whole meats(not processed meats due to the nitrates).
Eat nuts, Almonds and Cashews for vitamin E which is important for maximizing testosterone production. Especially eat Brazil Nuts for selenium which is critical for the body to produce testosterone.
Carb Back-Loading
Assuming you are training in the early evening eat your carbs after your workout, particularly slow carbs combined with protein or whey to lower the glycemic index and provide a steady anabolic insulin release. These evening carbs will also help maximize growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), and hCG which tend to reach their highest blood concentration at night. These carbs, necessary for the calorie surplus needed to gain, will also cause an insulin response driving glucose into the muscle, and drive protein and other nutrients in into the muscle for the rebuilding response and protein synthesis to occur based on the earlier training stimulus.
We will cover carb backloading in detail in a future post. For now it can be as simple as eating your carbs between the workout and going to sleep. The preference for our goals is still slow carbs, sweet potatoes, maybe rice and vegetable based carbs. I am not ready to recommend processed carbs or fast glycemic carbs at this point.
While I am personally mostly Paleo - Whole foods, I do not have a problem with dairy and do include it for both the carb and protein content. Paleo does not include grains but I find it extremely hard to gain muscle on a pure Paleo diet. It is absolutely fantastic for weight loss while minimizing muscle loss but I find some grains need to be added to gain lean muscle. After all the insulin response is highly anabolic and carbs are the best instigator of this response. Still I would stick with slow carbs. Not while rice itself is a fairly high glycemic carb, when mixed with vegetables and particularly protein in say a stir fry (done with coconut oil) the insulin response is dramatically slowed.
Supplementation
Note: I am not a nutritionist, the following are simply my opinions based on my experience and observations in practice.
While I am not a fan of supplementation, I much prefer whole food sources, in our case because of the difficulty of what we are trying to do, I do think it is worthwhile to consider a reasonable amount of supplementation. Please don't think you have to get the latest and most highly marketed supplement here. What I am recommending can all be obtained reasonably inexpensively at your local Target or drug store. Personally I find Nature Made supplements(mostly all letter vitamins and mercury-less, odorless and burpless Fish Oil).
Zinc, Calcium and Magnesium, often marketed as ZMA. Readily available (Nature Made - Not an affiliate or sponsor of this blog in any way) combined into one pill and very inexpensive. These minerals are important in the production of testosterone and maintaining muscular strength, bone health and many other functions.
Consider BCAA's prior to your workout, particularly leucine. These aminos will act as a sacrificial source of aminos to preserve muscle and help to start the rebuilding process as soon as possible after the workout has begun. Of the supplements recommended here these are purely optional but I have seen many people benefit.
Vitamin D - Do supplement Vitamin D. This is one supplement I would recommend whole
heartidly for our goal. Please check back I will be doing an in depth post on why Vitamin D is important for our goal.
Consider whey protein after your workout. It is generally a very fast absorbing and biologically active protein just when your body is prepared for maximum absorption.
Weight Training
To gain mass consider that we want myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
Myofibrillar hypertrophy is the increase in the strength of the myofibrils themselves, This hypertrophy is generally associated with strength gain and contributes minimally to actual muscle size. What it does do is make you stronger and to gain the most amount of mass you have to lift heavy weights. This type of hypertrophy is best brought about by lifting heavy weights, typically for low reps (strength protocol - which we will cover in depth in a future post) 3-5, but hold on we're not done yet.
Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy is growth of the sarcoplasm, the fluidic inside of the muscle containing the mitochondria and enzymatic activity. This kind of hypertrophy (which we will again cover in much more detail in a future post) is responsible for most of the muscle size growth. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is typically trained at more moderate weights for more reps.
To optimize the two types of hypertrophy i would recommend the typical Bodybuilder protocol, with one modification. We're talking about using as heavy a weight as possible wherein you fall in the 6-12 rep range. The one modification is that periodically you need to work in the heavier weight/lower rep range and periodically you need to work in higher rep ranges with more moderate weight to increase enzymatic activity(which agan, we'll cover in detail in another post).
Every Day Life
- Avoid too much stress in your every day life to the greatest extent possible.
- Engage in active recovery on your off days. Walking, biking, yoga and swimming re great for this purpose.
- Get enough protein, at least 1g per pound of body weight.
- Eat your carbs at night to replenish muscles glycogen and more importantly for our purposes trigger a post workout insulin and IGF1 response during the night.
- Have regular sex, yep, studies have shown that having regular sex helps to increase testosterone levels.
- Get plenty of rest, granted this may run counter to the last mentioned advice, but yes sleep well.
- Drink plenty of water. In addition to all of the other benefits proper hydration makes nutrient distribution much more efficient.
- Recover from your workouts properly.
- Eat broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables. Some studies have shown they contain compounds with can block the muscle downregulation of myostatin.
Final Thoughts
Be patient. Gaining lean muscle mass without additional fat is not the traditional bulk and cut cycle. Bulk and cut can build muscle faster but at a cost. Building lean muscle with =out fat gain is a slow process, it will take time, BE PATIENT and stick with it.
Additional Sources
Gain Muscle & Lose Fat By Raising Testosterone: Tips To Take You Beyond The Basics
http://functionalandperformancefitness.blogspot.com/2013/09/gain-muscle-lose-fat-by-raising.html
Increase Your Testosterone
Does having sex decrease testosterone levels in the body? - Yahoo ...
answers.yahoo.com › All Categories › Health › Men's Health
Oct 15, 2007 - How about an in depth answer?
Chinese researchers conducted a study in 2003,
and enlisted twenty-eight male volunteers to abstain from ...
Additional Sources
Gain Muscle & Lose Fat By Raising Testosterone: Tips To Take You Beyond The Basics
http://functionalandperformancefitness.blogspot.com/2013/09/gain-muscle-lose-fat-by-raising.html
Increase Your Testosterone
Does having sex decrease testosterone levels in the body? - Yahoo ...
answers.yahoo.com › All Categories › Health › Men's Health
Oct 15, 2007 - How about an in depth answer?
Chinese researchers conducted a study in 2003,
and enlisted twenty-eight male volunteers to abstain from ...
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