Archive for the ‘BodyBuilding’ Category

I hate the lies, half truths and bullshit surrounding the pharmaceutical VS nutraceutical industries.

Researchers are in many cases biased by financial gain on either side if the fence.

Small short term studies will do the SEO & press release circuit touted as irrefutable evidence of whichever side is in favor.

Here’s my take on it.

1. If you are taking high dose Vitamin C & E then all cofactors should also be in a balanced ratio.

2. A double blind study of 30, 100, even 500 people is irrelevant. Only a metastudy of 1000 or more people can make such research relevant scientifically.

3. A 2-3 month exercise study is also irrelevant. The effects of over training and training adaptation do not become significant until after this time frame.

So as there is abundance of disinformation I will share my educated assumptions

1. Antioxidants are good for you and increase lifespan & quality of life

2 Exercise is good for you and increases lifespan & quality of life

3 Worthwhile exercise, diet & supplementation are permanent strategies, not short term or even long term

4 One of the basic principles in bodybuilding is periodization & we periodize our diet to match our training

So if you are going to take high dosages of some supplements for whatever reason, all co factor nutrients must also be increased. The co factors of cofactors must also be increased

A high dose will not be used long term it will be cycled to match training intensity, injury & recovery

Looking specifically at Vitamin C & E. The research papers currently being touted are short term & with a small number of participants.

The claim is that as antioxidants decrease the inflammatory response to exercise this reduces adaptation in the immediate time frame & these small studies are evident of this

Here’s the thing. Are you prepared to grow & adapt a bit slower if it means you can train for the rest of your life with less injury & greater resilience?

Because I can almost certainly guarantee that this is what a long term study will show. That long term the antioxidant groups out last those showing short term & immediate gains

The balance of course is periodization

The average time for recovery from a rotator cuff injury OR surgery is nine months. It may take six for some people & twelve for others to get to the same point but for all it will be eighteen months before you are really back to your old self – if indeed you do heal.

So now at eight months (sounds like a pregnancy) I am pretty good. Certainly everyday it gets a small percentage better & I have noticed this all along.

Now I can do full body (100+ kg) hangs easily without pain. I can do light lat pulldowns, even pec deck flyes without pain. But only light.

The two exercises I am not doing are overhead press & bench press – I will wait another six months for those.

I have lost no strength apart from the shoulder. That’s because I kept training from day one of the injury – just avoiding the shoulder.

You may as well take time out & focus on other stuff.

1: GRIP – you can train grip until the cows come home with an RC injury & it will come in handy too during the later phase of physio when you are doing a lot of bar hangs to open the shoulder joint. Early on bar hangs will not be possible due to bursitis & pain. Don’t worry in a few months you will hang with strength.

2: HIIT cycling – On a real outside bike & inside on the incumbent machine. My cardio is up & my thighs are pumped. Also a dramatic increase in erections with the real outside cycle sprints. I do have a special two piece seat to protect my gonadal circulation. That’s important as cycling with a normal seat that sticks up your ass definitely causes impotence & probably prostate disorders too.

3: Core training – Go hard its no problem with an RC injury.

OK that’s it for 6-8 months give your shoulders a rest apart from a strict physio discipline.

What have I learned form my injury?

1: To periodize a joint centric program of physio based protocols. To get my joint structures prepared for the ravages of life beyond 50 which for me is a year from now.

2: To use SARMS, Peptides & HRT when possible as well as other anti aging protocols.

3: To partake of life’s pleasures & maintain a sense of humor.

Sadly a month back one of my old school buddies killed himself after 18 months with a broken ankle & torn ligaments. I know another guy that did the exact same thing a few years ago but he had snapped both Achilles completely & had the ankles fused in surgery. Frankly both guys would have been better off with amputated feet & prosthetics.

Anyway I enjoy chasing the young ladies far to much to consider topping myself.

I just ordered one of these from the UK. Its widely recommended online as the best military style Bergen.

Berghaus do have a few varieties of awesome bergen such as the cyclops which is a later model.

I chose the Vulcan because of its attachments for external strapping. Apparently a third bag can be added to the back too.

This sucker is a huge 120 liters & with an external day pack hooked onto the back could be 150 liter.

Just what I need for my adventures.

This is how much gear you can fit in a 120 liter pack:

Here is how to pack one:

When it comes to the shoulder there are two main types of injury which interestingly represent the two extremes of shoulder function.

1. Dislocation
2. Impingement

Now impingement injury in our society is way more common than dislocation. How many people can you think of that dislocated a shoulder?

I can think of one only – my brother who did it having an epileptic fit. Maybe a couple of other people vaguely lurk in memory as having said they did it once.

Impingement on the other hand which includes bursitis, torn tendons, tendinitis and rotator cuff syndrome well I can think of over a dozen people very clearly and probably many more if I try and remember.

Why is this and what is the difference between the two injury types?

Well we are evolved from apes that love to swing from tree’s.

They dont just like doing it they love it.

And guess what – we have the same shoulder structure as an ape. Our shoulders are also designed to hang & swing.

Most of us, even athletes, however do not. Now little kids do it instinctively and some jobs require it. For example sailors in the age of sail used to hang, climb and swing all day. Tree pruners and fruit pickers do it.

But the jobs that involve this activity are limited.

When we do hangs and swings we are stretching & opening the shoulder joint. When we do other activities like back packing, weight vest training or overhead pressing we do the opposite. We compress the joint and its bones.

Neither extreme causes any problem until it is done to excess in an imbalanced manner.

What can happen then is the structure of the joint is altered adversely. Too much hanging and yanking and your shoulder joints acromium process will become too loose and open. This will increase probability of dislocation.

Too much back packing or pressing and the joint gets squashed down & the actual bone deforms and bends downward. This rubs on the tendons, which get worn and frayed then tear.

Its quite simple. The answer is to balance hanging with carrying. Do both in balance. If you have done too much of one, do the other for a while to readjust the joint structure.

For me I did very heavy weight vest marches and lots of super heavy kettlebell work for 5 years with very little bar work. I tore my rotator cuff as a consequence.

OK so thats the how and why of shoulder injury and as most of us do not climb ropes for a living but lift stuff or sit on our big fat ass – its impingement that is the most common injury of the shoulder.

If you have an injury or tear you will need to see your physio and go through the standard protocol of therapy while doing your best to avoid surgery. That is what I have done for six months and standard time for tendon repair is nine months but twelve is not uncommon.

So now I want full return to strength I came across the next stage of rehabilitation in this book:

The program is very simple but the book provides all of the evidence to back it up. Simply dead hang from your bar a dozen or so times per day.

After your hanging do very high rep very light dumbbell front, back & side raises all the way up to overhead.

Initially it hurts but as the joint opens the impingement & bursitis clear up and the pain subsides. There is no danger of tendon tear as the book illustrates but you had better be sufficiently advanced in your recovery.

There is no way in hell I could have done this a month or two back but I can now. Also the tendons may be safe in the hanging position but is actually getting into that position another story?

OK so this program is also a prevention for all crossfitters, kettlebell trainers and backpackers.

Do your time on the bar. Hang, its not the same as pull ups – hang. The other bar work is a bonus.

Another good thing is actual brachiation, swinging from bar to bar – thats what your shoulder evolved to do.

The following supplements have scientifically proven benefits for extending lifespan:

IGF-1 found in colostrum and deer antler. The affect of IGF on elderly and seniors in pronounced. Greater strength and musculature, better connective tissue and general youthfulness.

DHEA and 7-KETO again these are of great benefit to seniors enhancing androgenic profile found in small amounts in pine pollen.

Pterostilbene & Resveratrol. You most probably have heard of resveratrol, pterostilbene is a super derivative that activates more mitochondrial factors. If you want more mitochondria that work much better take both.

NAD+ is a derivative of niacin vitamin B3.

— Promote Sirtuin Gene Activation (using SIRT1 and SIRT3)

— Enhance The Growth And Efficiency Of Mitochondria, Which Boosts Physical And Mental Energy Throughout The Body

— Optimize Metabolism

— Enhance Cognitive Health And Reverse The Effects Of Aging On The Brain

— Promote Insulin Sensitivity And Encourage Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

— Repair DNA

OK so these represent a good basic anti aging regimen with an emphasis on mitochondria and hormonal profile. There are of course 50-100 supplements you can take to enhance anti aging and brain function.

When you eat food you get a full range of nutrients just in too small of a quantity for any pharmacological effect.

When taking supplements expect the same. A larger range of carefully chosen supplements will be better than just a few.

I have been a keen meditator for over 30 years. My favorite meditation method is Autogenics because at the advanced levels it can give you a crystal clear imagination. Some months ago I decided to try Holosync to see if it could enhance my meditations.

I have a bunch of biofeedback devices & a CES device. I also have sound & light meditation equipment. So Holosync always seemed a little weird to me. Kind of cult like as many of these things appear.

Well it turns out Holosync is a program that takes some time to complete. Years in fact. It may take you 2-4 years to go through the program of neural reintegration.

These are not hollow words. The entrainment encourages brain hemispheric synchrony.

Now that in itself is no big deal, my light and sound machine does the same & binaural beats. Holosync however is a step above this. Trust me these recordings actually work.

For the first few months I would meditate like normal, relaxing & listening. Sometimes I would be distracted but just play along & complete the recordings anyway.

Now I am some months & levels in and about 3 weeks back a big change happened. I started twitching like hell during the sessions, having intense muscle spasms.

Now when this happens it means your nervous system is reintegrating itself. Using the sensory motor complex to assist in reconnecting neural pathways.

Some also say it is energy channels in the body clearing & these things are all connected as stimulation of accupoints activates specific brain regions unrelated to the sensory stimuli.

Anyway if you just let the body do its thing without resistance. Just lie there & twitch. If your brain wants your body to twitch let it. If it doesn’t it wont.

So I had these spasms for 3 weeks with every meditation. Now they have begun to subside & I feel better.

I relax a bit deeper during the meditations & feel maybe a hint of emotional clearance. I have heard of people using the sedona method during the meditations too.

Basically these twitching’s & spasm’s which can be very pronounced seem the same as experienced during REM. If you have watched a dog or cat sleeping they twitch & spasm like crazy in REM. Its normal. You do it too normally unconsciously.

Also being a big strong male I very seldom cry. Don’t have the inclination and I cry maybe once every 10 years.

But I recall being a little kid & crying would give me great emotional release. This used to clear my mind & I could visualize & relax better afterward.

I dont get this anymore. So the Holosync can also instigate emotional clearance without a sobbing fit.

Anyway I recommend it if you are a meditator. I tried Hemisinc before but prefer Holosync from http://www.centerpointe.com/v2

It may be that I just needed to try Hemisinc for longer but I didnt like all of the silly humming & stuff it asks you to do.

Equisync is another program I will try.

I increased my cardio. Specifically doing short bicycle sprints on my real bike. I have a special seat that puts zero pressure on the crotch – its a split two part seat.

So I am getting boners much much more now & my cardio is way better. I recommend some high intensity cardio – these cycle rides only last 20 minutes max.

It must be a combination of the general heart action & the thigh pump in the crotch. It is definitely training in the lactic acid overload region & high heart rate.

Some time ago now a new type of bodybuilding drug hit the market. This family of drugs quickly became popular because of dramatic improvements in athletic ability, healing and muscle mass.

Initial reports were that there were zero or very few side effects with these drugs so pretty much everybody that could get hold of them began using them.

The drugs I am talking about are Anabolic Steroids in the middle of the 20th century.

Now some years later people began dying young. Heart attacks, cancer mainly.

Well today we see the same initial optimism surrounding SARM’s. They do indeed seem safer than the old Anabolic Steroids but I dont think you should be using this stuff in your pre middle age years.

If you do opt to use them use only the second generation stuff from a medically approved research lab.

I personally do intend to use SARM’s carefully & selectively but thats because I am just shy of 50. When I get to 70 I may even take Anabolic Steroids if there is nothing better going by then. Of course there will be.

So forget about SARM’s in your teens, 20s & 30’s. Even early 40’s. What happens if 20 years from now users start dropping of cancer?

If you are already old the risk is worth it. Us oldies are in mortal combat against impending death. We can take a margin of risk.

Jerry Brainum explains it all:

I like to get my supplements in bulk powder form as I can get them way cheaper. Like two years worth for the same price as a months retail.

Now normally I will either stomach the supplements from a spoon which is pretty yuck but quick & easy or I stick them in my tea.

Some supps are just too gross to put in tea but others are just fine. Gelatin, pine pollen, creatine for example seem OK in tea.

I don’t drink regular tea I am talking green tea, ginseng tea etc.

OK so sitting at the bottom of my tea cup today was the remains of my gelatin infused with the supplements. I scraped it out & ate it – yum.

So you can make your own yum vitamin & supplement enriched chews out of gelatin. You can sweeten with whatever or not at all.

My gelatin I normally just drink in my tea. You can barely taste it & its fully liquid not viscous. Gelatin needs to sit for a while to harden & you need a fair amount in ratio to the liquid.

With my tea I have a flat tablespoon approximately. I don’t bother to measure it but I do know you should have 1/3 of your daily protein in collagen form.

However take too much & it accumulates in your kidneys where it forms scar tissue.

So do not use collagen as your number one protein source

Glad to say I finally have full range of motion back in my left shoulder. It clicks a lot and I am not lifting overhead yet but I can see that at the current rate it will be healed by May.

I am planning to move overseas so have sold most of my crossfit gear. If I cant sell my weight vests they are going to the NZARMY.

I also joined a regular gym across the street which is great as its 24/7 and I can literally go from my bedroom door to the gym in under 5 minutes.

I am training most days, cardio on my bike, shoulder rehab & bodybuilding at the gym.