Time Compressed training…Sag Man…Protein assimilation myths…Machines versus free weights…Mitochondria & cardio

Free Weights

Vic Steele,

I am a ‘house husband.’ I work from home and watch our two kids while my wife does the corporate thing and makes the real money. I put in a lot of long hours between transporting kids all over the place and working as an accountant.  My available training time is extremely limited. Realistically I can squeeze in no more than 30 minutes of training, four to five times a week.

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The Cortisol Controversy

Most of you know that testosterone is one of the principle hormones responsible for muscle growth and I’m sure you have also heard of cortisol. You might have some vague idea that cortisol is bad in so far as muscle growth; but do you know exactly what cortisol is or how to control it? This month, I thought I would explain what cortisol is and what we can do to favorably manipulate it.

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December 2009 Tips and Tidbits

Training Tip

of the month:

Use Full Range of Motion

Many bodybuilders like to incorporate partial reps and limited range lifts into their routines. The problem with these techniques is that a lot of muscle goes unworked. To get the most from every rep, use full range of motion—but without resting between each rep. Full range of motion activates more muscle fibers. By using full range of motion, you also work your synergistic muscles (those muscles which assist or stabilize the muscle producing the primary
action).

nutrition Tip

of the month:

Because the human body cannot store much carbohydrate, it’s very important, especially for athletes, to regularly consume a diet high in complex carbohydrates to fuel the body. Many experiments indicate that carbohydrate is the body’s preferred fuel during exercise. More than 99% of the carbohydrate is used in the body to form adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which is the fuel source used directly by the muscles to power contractions. ATP is not stored by the body so it must be constantly produced from the aerobic metabolism of carbohydrates, fatty acids, and amino acids (aerobic means “with oxygen”).

Question

of the month:

Question: I need some help choosing the right complex carbohydrates for my nutrition plan. Which foods would be the best choices?

Answer: We divide complex carbohydrates into two categories: starchy carbs and fibrous carbs. Starchy carbohydrates include such foods as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, rice, oatmeal, and other unrefined cereals, beans and legumes. In addition to supplying vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, these foods give you energy to train and the ability to recover quickly.

Fibrous carbs include asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, spinach, salad vegetables, and other high fiber, low calorie vegetables. Besides providing fiber, these foods also supply an abundant amount of vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and antioxidants. During pre-contest dieting, you can adjust your intake of starchy carbs and fibrous carbs to help burn more bodyfat.

Breaking News

Fitness & Nutrition

Strength Training Is an Antidote
to Muscle Loss

Resistance or “strength” training has repeatedly been shown to be a safe and effective method of reversing sarcopenia, or muscle loss, in the elderly. The condition actually starts around age 45, when muscle mass begins to decline at a rate of about 1 percent per year. Scientists funded by the Agricultural Research Service have been studying the factors involved in gradual muscle loss
since 1988.

While older adults need strength training to maintain their muscle mass, exercise can also help reduce the risk and symptoms of many chronic diseases, such as arthritis, coronary artery disease, diabetes, frailty, obesity and osteoporosis. Exercise is by definition different from moderate physical activity. Actual exercise–by design–improves the five key components of physical fitness: muscle strength, muscle endurance, body composition, cardio-respiratory endurance and flexibility.

The findings show that in a group of volunteers with osteoarthritis, a joint disease, muscle strength increased by 14 percent and balance improved by 55 percent after a 12-week strength-training program. Flexibility also improved by 17 percent, and pain, based on self reports, decreased by 30 percent.

- Rosalie Marion Bliss, May 2005, Agricultural Research Service, USDA

Quick Tip

of the month:

Taking in the proper amounts of calcium, whether from food sources or supplements, along with daily physical activity and weight bearing exercises, can help to maintain a healthy bone density, which is especially important for females. Be sure you are also getting enough vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium.

Dominique’s

Time Cruncher

ÚBuy pre-made spice mixes instead of spending extra time to mix all your own spices together while cooking. You can find many different varieties, like Italian spices, Curry blends, Cajun seasoning, Jamaican Jerk seasoning and Mexican spice mix. Be sure to watch out for the amount of sodium in the mix!

Evening Primrose Oil – A Necessary Fat

One of my clients was a competitive bodybuilder who complained to me that her hair was falling out, her skin had become extremely dry, and her joints were stiff. After observing her physical characteristics, I suspected she was suffering from an essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency. This deficiency was aggravated by a too-restrictive diet in which she had omitted fats altogether and slashed her caloric intake.

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Episode 33: The absolute best time to grow

Those of us who have been bodybuilding for much of our lives – well over half, in my case – recognize that our earliest years of pumping iron were very much like the “Honeymoon Phase” in a marriage. In those thrilling days, it’s all fresh and new. You are getting bigger and stronger all the time.

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Tim Nauslar – Bomb Squad Law Enforcement Officer and Champion Bodybuilder

The era of modern bodybuilding commenced at the conclusion of World War II and gradually picked up steam until it exploded in popularity with the advent of the Fitness Revolution in the early 1980s. Within the world of competitive bodybuilding, three occupations have consistently contributed disproportionally large numbers of participants: police, military and firefighters.

Amongst the three occupations, police officers (far and away) generate the largest number of competitive bodybuilders. If you have ever attended a state, regional, national or international “Police Olympics,” you encounter a mob of cop competitors: a dozen different sports are contested, different genders, different age groups and weight divisions. At one recent law enforcement powerlifting championships, no less than forty-four competitors entered the 181 pound class – alone! These competitions are fierce and those that win are very, very good.

Tim Nauslar is one of the nation’s premier natural (naturally) police bodybuilders. Tim is 39 years old and a Lansing, Michigan resident; he recently captured the INBA World Cup title, taking first place in the Masters Men category and first place in the Open Men’s division. “I have been a bodybuilder since 1991,” Tim related. “My bodybuilding career has gathered steam in recent years. I used to compete once a year. In 2010 I anticipate competing in four to five shows.” Tim is an articulate individual with a measured and metered way of speaking. “When I began bodybuilding (while in the Navy) I weighed 175 pounds. I was always athletic and fairly lean.”

Tim stands five foot nine inches and packs 215 pounds of rock-hard muscle. For a competition he whittles this muscle mound down to a razor-sharp, super-crisp 190 pounds. At this weight he carries a 5% body fat percentile and is reduced to pure muscular granite. “My bodybuilding goal is continual improvement: as long as I am improving then I feel good about competing. I continually strive to take my physique to the next level.” Tim is methodical and logical when it comes to creating progress: he uses Parrillo-influenced nutrition and Parrillo-influenced training strategies on an ongoing basis. “I am a student of John Parrillo’s approach to nutrition and training; I know firsthand that his protocols work. His insistence on intensity is incredibly effective.” Tim is not just paying Parrillo lip service; Tim went to the time, trouble and expense to become a Parrillo Certified Personal Trainer. He used John’s methods to transform his physique. He has succeeded to a dramatic degree. Tim understandsexactly what it takes to obtain tangible results.

“I think that too many individuals new to bodybuilding ‘over-think’ the process and ‘under-work’ in the gym. Honestly, to be successful as a bodybuilder the process comes down to two things: hard and intense training and disciplined eating.”

Tim makes his living defusing explosive devices. He is on the Bomb Squad. “I play with explosives for a living.” His actual job description is to “provide operational support for any and all functions and activities.” As a bomb squad member, Tim might be attending political events, football games, protests, or any large gathering of people. Tim does quite a bit of “explosive disposal.” Tim explained, “Farmers might find dynamite sticks in a barn and want to dispose of it. We often have to defuse or explode military ordinance that someone might find buried.” Though his department has all the latest high tech gear for handling explosives, in the end his is a dangerous profession. “A lapse in concentration on my part, an error in judgment or a wrong decision can result in injury or death. Having said that – I love what I do. I have a terrific job and look forward to going to work. The job is a lot more varied than you might think. It would be impossible to get bored.” Tim could be attending a counter-terrorism conference; he could be training “first responders” or debriefing other law enforcement agencies about potential bomb threats. He could be relating explosives countermeasures. “There is a ton of variety in what I do.” Tim somehow manages to fit competitive bodybuilding into his densely packed life. He has a real career and a real family. Tim has been married for seventeen years to wife Shannon and they have four children: Adrienne (12), Coen (10), Connor (6) and Andreya (4). “My kids and my wife are the center of my life.”

In spite of all activities, Tim still makes time to lift, to eat with discipline and to perform cardio. He has racked up an impressive resume of competitive placing in “Natural” bodybuilding competitions. “I have competed in six shows and I have never finished lower than third. Actually, my only third place finish was in my first show way back in 1994. Since then, I have either won or taken second in every show I have ever entered.” Recently Tim entered the INBA World Cup and captured first place in the Masters class. Tim also captured first place in the open division. Not bad for a 39 year old guy for whom time is his most precious commodity. “To say that I have a highly scheduled lifestyle is an understatement. In order to fit it all in and get it all done I need to be very organized and very consistent.” Asked when it was that he first decided to become a bodybuilder, Tim told of an early fascination with “superhero” physiques. “Growing up, I read superhero comics. Later I read all the muscle magazines of the day. I always wanted to be larger than life. I am not sure where that fascination came from. I always strove to improve my physique. I was athletic and always sought to exceed my current capacities. Bodybuilding was so natural for me. Bodybuilding was the system that would allow me to achieve the idealized physique I envisioned.” At age 24 Tim joined a gym that a Mr. Universe worked out at. “I saw this monstrous yet lean guy and thought: ‘That guy looks incredible!’ His physique was impressive yet attainable.” Tim began to body build in earnest.

“I started to pay close attention to my diet and to my nutrition. I became a Parrillo follower and began using his potent supplements. I kicked up the amount of training I did and increased the intensity of my sessions. I discovered Parrillo’s supplements at a critical time. They helped jolt my physique to the next level; after incorporating Parrillo supplements, I surged upward to a significant degree.” Tim was a bodybuilding natural. “I am a mesomorph. I am normally lean and was born with big calves. For someone intent on becoming a competitive bodybuilder, I had a good head start. Once I really committed to the bodybuilding lifestyle, I progressed rapidly.” Part of Tim’s rapid and radical progress was attributable to his usage of Parrillo Products. “John’s products need to be used in a certain way: the potency of his products is way past anything I have encountered in my fifteen years in the game. I am a Parrillo fanatic. Most especially, I am a CapTri^® fanatic. I use a ton of CapTri^® – both for adding mass and during the final weeks leading up to a competition.  It’s the only product of its kind. I find it to be the most amazing stuff.”  Tim’s intense training and precise Parrillo-style nutrition are demanding and disciplined. “My physical goal is to add quality muscle mass without losing my current degree of conditioning. I would like to step onstage a good ten to fifteen pounds heavier with zero loss in my current degree of leanness.” To build quality muscle mass in the off-season, Tim piles on the plates in the weight room and ups his calories. At each of his six daily meals, he increases his caloric intake by adding CapTri^®. He keeps up his cardio to ensure that weight gain is muscle gain. Cardio needs to be hit hard, particularly during a mass-building phase. “Cardio is important in my line of work: I need to be in good physical condition for my job and I consider cardio critical.”

Tim is 39 and feels he has a lot of room left for growth, both figuratively and literally. “I have noticed a huge number of older bodybuilders, men over the age of 45 that look absolutely amazing! This fires me up. I know that I can reasonably expect to make gains far into the foreseeable future. It is quite inspirational to discover you can make gains past the age of 50.” Tim knows that the bodybuilding lifestyle was, is and forever shall be, the greatest age-retarding, life-extending system known to man.  He also feels he’s riding the crest of a huge wave. “I can see myself improving for a long time to come: it sounds corny to say, but I feel as if I’ve just scratched the surface of my physical potential.” Part of Tim’s optimism stems from all that he learned on his visit to Parrillo Headquarters in Cincinnati earlier this year to obtain his Parrillo Personal Trainer Certification. He immersed himself in all aspects of the Parrillo approach. “It was an amazing experience. I was shocked at how much I learned. Attending the Parrillo Certification Camp allowed me to pick up on invaluable techniques and tips; stuff that I was able to take home and incorporate into my own training immediately.” The thing that struck Tim most was the “fascia stretching” protocol. “I was amazed by that whole pump-stretch-pose sequence.” Tim had the painful pleasure of having John Parrillo personally administer some properly applied
fascia stretches. “John applies a lot of torque to his stretches. I thought I was going to cry like a 10 year old girl during one particular stretch. Parrillo continually stresses that you are capable of a lot more than what you might think. He helped redefine my preconceptions about limits.”

Tim feels that 2010 will be a “busy year. I would like to compete in the Team USA trials. After that, I hope to compete in the Natural Olympia in Chicago. I likely will enter a few smaller shows before the Team USA trials, tune-up competitions. I would like to compete in the Natural Universe.” Tim eventually would like to become involved with the promotional aspect of natural bodybuilding. “I have seen the remarkably positive influence natural bodybuilding has had on its participants. I would love to become a show promoter. I want to stay involved with bodybuilding for a long, long time.” Tim Nauslar shows that truly effective and result producing bodybuilding can be integrated into the busiest schedule. Time management is an art and it is no stretch to see that Tim Nauslar will be a force on the natural bodybuilding scene for some time to come. His sane approach, his dedication and methodical ways ensure that each successive year will result in marked improvement for this Bomb Squad bodybuilding father of four.

Tim’s Daily Meal Schedule

5:00 AM Energy drink before cardio session

6:30 AM
200g of oatmeal with 1.5 tablespoons of CapTri^®

60g protein shake; Parrillo multi-vitamin, fiber supplement

9:00 AM 150g of rice with 2 tbls. of CapTri^®

200g of boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast

11:30 AM 150g of white rice with 2 tbls. of CapTri^®

200g of boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast,
fiber supplement

2:00 PM 150g of white rice with 2 tbls. of CapTri^®

200g of boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast

4:30 PM 150g of white rice with 2 tbls. of CapTri^®

60g protein shake, fiber supplement

5:30 PM Energy drink before lifting

7:30 PM 60g protein shake, 200g of sweet corn

“Parrillo Products are hugely important to me. I have been using Parrillo products for a decade. As a 100% natural bodybuilder, nutritional supplements are critical. First off, I am a subscriber to John’s idea about nutrition: I have found that supplements allow me to hit my daily nutritional goals much more consistently and with much greater accuracy. Parrillo Products are potent: I think that CapTri^® is the finest nutritional supplement on the market. The genius of CapTri^® is that you can take in loads of extra calories effortlessly. CapTri^® calories are clean calories – calories that will never end up stored as body fat. By pouring a tablespoon (or two) over my food meals, I am able to take in way more muscle-building,
protein-sparing calories.”

Tim’s Training Split

“Approximately 12 weeks out from my first show of the year I will add a second daily cardio session. I hit the second session in the evening, shortly before I go to bed.  I will then add another meal into my daily intake. I eat every two hours instead of every 2.5 hours. When I am getting ready for a show, I stop taking days off. I continually roll through my 5 day rotation.  I add cardio as needed and I perform cardio intensely.”