OK, so I get a lot of questions from friends/family/random people on the internet about proper exercise execution. It can be tricky. You walk into any commercial gym setting and you will see just loads of atrocious form, rounded spines, and just general tomfoolery. Well fortunately for all of you brilliant enough to read my website, we have a solution. Kevin Larrabee, Tony Gentilcore and I have put together a rather large database of most of the main movements that people have trouble with. These videos were shot in HD at 60 frames per second (this was apparently really important to Kevin, he mentioned that damn camera of his being 60 frames per second every day we filmed). We think they came out pretty awesome. If you are interested in checking out more, look HERE.
For a quick example, here is me doing a beautiful barbell deadlift. This is one I commonly see done poorly (if being done at all!).
Subscribe to us on YouTube. We will periodically add more as we find the time to film them. Enjoy.
Basically I decided to do a random thoughts day since I didn’t have anything in particular to write a good sized blog post about. So here goes.
1. Eat for your goals. I see too many people who want to lose weight and train their asses off, yet they pound food and are just spinning their wheels. The same thing happens in the opposite direction. I remember so many guys in college, and I see quite a few high school athletes everyday who train their asses off to gain size but are so afraid to lose their 6 packs that they don’t eat enough to reach their goals.
Eating for Goals
2. Buy a Theracane. This thing is awesome. Tony brought one into the facility, and I bought one for my fiance and I love it. I have some upper back and neck issues that give me some neck pain and almost constant discomfort. The Theracane, while not having cured it, greatly diminishes my neck pain and removes some trigger points. Try it, you won’t regret it.
3. Watch Lost. It is pretty much the greatest show in the history of television. I also just realized that Matthew Fox was in Party of Five, making him even more awesome.
4. Since 4 is my favorite number, I will leave you all with a spectacular recipe that is similar to some others I have put on here, but is probably my single greatest achievement.
1 cup Friendship Digestive Health cottage cheese
1/2 scoop Vanilla Metabolic Drive
~1/4 cup fresh raspberries (heaping)
~1/4 cup fresh blueberries (heaping)
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
Mash the raspberries when you stir, spreading their beautiful red color throughout the mixture. The combination of blueberries and raspberries is unbelievable and you may never want to eat anything else. You have been warned.
Apologies for the late blog everbody, back at it here with a good one. Today I wanted to discuss a fruit that is absolutely delicious, most people love, is available in any super market and is surprising healthy. Today I want to talk about Kiwi. Well technically Kiwifruit, but everyone just calls it Kiwi.
Why are Kiwi’s so incredible you ask? Loads of disease-fighting antioxidants and phytonutrients, along with plenty of vitamins and minerals. There was a study performed at Rutgers University to compare the nutritional value of 27 different fruits to see which provided the most nutrition per ounce. Amazingly, Kiwi was shown to be the most nutrient dense of all fruits tested. Gram for gram, Kiwi had twice the vitamin C of an orange, more fiber than apples, and more potassium than a banana. That right there is reason enough!
Kiwi has also shown a significant ability to reduce oxidative stress. Not only does Kiwi help prevent the damage to DNA, but it has also been shown to help repair damage that already occurred. Some of you may be skeptical and think you would need an exorbitant amount of Kiwi to do this, but the effects were seen when Kiwi was added to the diet in a normal amount, across a wide array of volunteers and in a very rapid fashion. Impressive. Most impressive.
Kiwi, the natural aspirin? Many people take a baby aspirin every day to help thin their blood and prevent heart attacks. Amazingly, Kiwi has also been shown to thin the blood without any of aspirin’s nasty side effects, including stomach pain, excessive bruising or bleeding, small breaks in the intestinal walls, and possible disruption of other medications. Kiwi has none of that.
In conclusion, eat some damn Kiwi. It is awesome for you, tastes phenomenal, and goes great with tons of other fruit. As a final touch, if you are willing to try it, the skins of Kiwi contain lots of beneficial enzymes, just make sure to clean it well. Enjoy!
Just wanted to let you all in on the results of my Warp Speed Fat Loss experiment as it is soon coming to a close.
My Weight Loss Coach
Super Bowl Sunday is supposed to be a No Carb day, but lets be real, that’s not going to happen. Saturday will be the final day, so I will have the final weigh in on Sunday morning. This morning I felt a little bloated and not as lean or light as the previous day or two, but I weighed in anyway. I came in at a respectable 202. Not too shabby. Down a shade over 10lbs. This program works, period. Here is an example of a training day of mine, modified BSP style. (I can’t leave any of it alone, just not in my nature) This is an excerpt from my FitCast Forums training log, which you can check out HERE.
Monday Jan 19 – Day 15
Took a while to get going today. Just felt sluggish, though once we really got moving, I actually felt pretty good.
Pre Work: Foam Roll & Mobility
A1. Front Squat to 12″ box (tap n’ go) 2×3, 2×6
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 1
305 x 3
325 x 3
275 x 6
275 x 6
Like I said before, it was a tough start. We opened at 305 just to get things going, and that felt easier than expected, so went back to 325 to keep strength up. Curt was impressed.
A2. Prone Plate Switches 4 x 8x5lbs/side
B Circuit – Perform as meny sets of 6 reps of each exercise as possible in 10 minutes
B1. Walking DB Lunges with 30′s = 8 full sets
B2. Renegade Row with Pushup with 25′s = 8 full sets
No vest this week, and arms were ok. This circuit was still hard, though not as hard as before. We did get in that extra set of Renegade rows.
C Circuit – perform as many sets of 6 reps of each exercise as possible in 10 minutes
C1. Glute Ham Raises = 8 full sets
C2. Neutral Grip Pullups = 9 full sets
Definitely one of the worst ones. Just hard ass work. Got in an extra set of pullups.
D. I didn’t write down what we did here, and for the life of me I can’t remember. It was something.
All in all, definitely starting to feel really fit. Almost starting to enjoy this training. Almost.
I know, I know, in some circles this is heresy, but it’s just how it is. There are certainly many foods where organic is clearly a better, healthier choice. There are other foods where there is absolutely no evidence that organic is better, and in some cases it may* even be worse. There unfortunately just isn’t a lot of solid research in the area. What little research there is has been inconclusive. It certainly seems like vitamin C content is higher in organically grown, other than that…who knows.
Eating more fruits and vegetables improves health, regardless of whether they are organically or conventionally grown. Obviously organic produce has lower pesticide residue and nitrates, but even conventionally grown produce is usually found to be well below acceptable limits. *There are also some other interesting, but not well studied (again), points to consider with organically grown produce. The lack of pesticides may cause potential increases in biological pesticides, endogenous toxin production, and potentially infectious microorganisms. This is not health-friendly stuff!
Having said all that, I am certainly not anti-organic. I still feel safer consuming a lot of organic produce, I just don’t think that it is always necessary. Fortunately for us consumers, a non-profit research organization called the Environmental Working Group has studied the sitation. They found which produce was the most likely to be contaminated by pesticides, and therefore best eaten organicically grown, and which ones were the least likely to be contaminated, and therefore can safely be eaten conventionally grown. Without further ado, here is your list of the 12 most contaminated foods:
Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Imported Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes
Scarily, almost 97% of peaches tested positive for pesticides, with almost 87% having two or more different pesticides found. Apples were at 92% and 72% respetively. I would highly recommend you consider purchasing produce on this list from organically grown choices, or at least wash them very well.
Here is the list of the 12 least contaminated foods, where I have absolutely (for now) no problem with you purchasing the conventionally grown version:
Onions
Avocados
Sweet Corn
Pineapples
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas
Kiwi
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Papaya
The top three on this list had over 90% of their samples test negative for pesticides.There are other foods to consider besides produce, such as milk, butter, beef, poultry, coffee, etc. There is a lot to consider with those choices as well. I will leave that blog for another day.
In the end, if you choose to purchase organic all the time, that is totally up to you. If you have the means and desire, then have it. For those of us on a budget, trying to do the best we can, it’s at least good to know that there are some foods where the cheaper version is probably more than ok. The information is getting out there, the choice is yours.
Keeping with my new Monday tradition of discussing the awesomeness of a particular food, I took a suggestion from my Warp Speed partner Danny. Today we are talking about a hardly known but insanely healthy vegetable, called Kale.
Better than Spinach?
The USDA has a procedure to measure the antioxidant abilities of different fruits and vegetables. The procedure looks at the big picture of the fruit or veggie, and sees how all of its nutrients work synergistically to fight free radicals. Guess which veggie was number 1? You guessed it, Kale. (for you trivia buffs out there, Spinach was second). Beyond its obvious antioxidant abilities, kale contains phytochemicals like indoles, which have a protective effect against breast, cervical and colon cancer and may help lower unnecessary estrogen.
Kale, like other members of the brassica family (including cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower) also contains sulforaphane. When kale is chopped or chewed sulforaphane is formed, and it helps cause the liver to remove toxins and other DNA-damaging compounds, and it may even stop breast cancer proliferation.
It is also a great source of beta-carotene, the eye-friendly lutein and zeaxanthin, calcium, iron, and vitamins C and K. Since it is roughage, it also packs a good amount of fiber. Combine kale with spinach to form a great bed of greens for a spectacular salad. Throw in some grilled pastured chicken, pine nuts, cranberries and some extra virgin olive oil, and now we are talking.
Exactly what I am talking about
If you are looking for more great info like this, definitely check out one of my best sources: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, by Dr. Jonny Bowden. Absolutely great stuff. You can find that and more on my finally updated Resources page, so check it out!
As some of you may or may not know I have recently moved down to the great state of Connecticut. I moved in with my fiance as we were really tired of the long distance relationship. That has been great, the commute to CP, not so much. Since I now have 1:25 of driving each way, I have plenty of time to listen to lots of educational material that I have always been meaning to get too.
The Original
With that drive I am able to catch up on a lot of the FitCast episodes that I missed. Always some interesting tidbits of info on there. Jonathan Fass and Leigh Peele especially always have a little something to add that I had never really thought of. I work with Tony Gentilcore everyday so I pretty much know his answers, not that they aren’t great Tony! As for Kevin, well…just kidding Kevin, we all know how great you are.
Excellent
Recently I have added the previously unlistened to Strength Coach Podcast to my repertoire. Needless to say, I have been amazed at the knowledge bombs dropped on every episode. The podcast features the likes of Mike Boyle and Gray Cook every episode, along with some great interviews of top strength coaches. I can always listen to Mike speak as he has a great way of looking at things from a very realistic perspective, and relaying that in a very easy-to-understand format. Gray Cook is nothing short of genius. Listening to him talk makes me feel like I have the training knowledge of a small child. His stuff is pure gold. Whenever you get a chance, or happen to have a long drive, download some episodes of each podcast. I assure you, you will not be disappointed, and you will definitely learn a thing or two. Have fun!
While on Warp Speed Fat Loss, you have 2-3 “high” carb days which I outlined here, 3-4 “normal” carb days that I outlined here, and on Sunday you get a “no” carb day. Now this is an off-day from training, so it’s not so bad, but you only get 5 meals rather than 6. No peri-training nutrition here.
“No” Carb Day Breakfast
Mike wanted this day to be ultra-intense, not even veggies! His example days usually ran about 25 grams of carbs, with roughly 5 grams of fiber. These are residual carbs from peanut butter, protein powder, tiny amounts of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. And the only reason I get this much is because of my size! For someone who is starting this program at 135, it is a whole different story. They are only getting roughly 12 grams of carbs!
Now I didn’t follow this plan to the T. Like I said in the beginning, it has been modified BSP style. I happen to be too big of a fan of veggies, and I am really starting to believe that eating a little more fruit than recommended, like my “high” carb day post-training carbs, has really helped keep the hunger at bay. Some of you may be skeptical, but there is plenty of evidence that keeping liver glycogen full, which fructose does, tells the body you are in a fed state. This not only helps keep away hunger, it helps to maintain lean mass. It’s a win-win. Tangent done. Anyway, so yeah, I added in a few things. Here is my BSP “no” carb day in all it’s glory:
Wake @ 8:00
Breakfast @ 8:30 – the usual, minus the apple
2 whole omega-3 eggs
1 cup egg whites
1.5 cups mixed veggies – broccoli, onions, orange and green peppers
1oz shredded reduced-fat mozzarella
1 tbsp salsa
24oz water
2 Stash Fusion Green/White Tea
1.2 grams EPA/DHA, 2,000 IU vitamin D, 1 multi
Snack @ 11:30
3 pieces reduced-fat string cheese
12 almonds
9 baby carrots
1 tbsp original hummus
1 Tazo Zen Green Tea
Greatest thing since sliced bread
Lunch @ 2:30
2/3 cup Friendship Digestive Health cottage cheese
1 scoop Vanilla Metabolic Drive
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
2 Raspberry Gardens Green Tea
Dinner @ 5:30 – Asian Turkey & Broccoli
8oz 97% lean ground turkey (or beef)
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1.5 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
garlic powder to taste
ginger powder to taste
2 Asian Plum White Tea
1.2 grams EPA/DHA
Cottage cheese's best friend
Pre-Bed Snack @ 9:00 – Pumpkin Pie Cottage Cheese
2/3 cup Friendship Digestive Health cottage cheese
1/2 cup Libby pumpkin
1 scoop Vanilla Metabolic Drive
1 tbsp milled flax
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
cinnamon to taste
nutmeg to taste
1 Red Tea
1.2 grams EPA/DHA
Total Carbs for the Day = ~72 grams
Total Fiber for the Day = ~31.5
“Net” Carbs = 40.5 grams
Now don’t get in a hissy about the “net” carbs. I still count the total carbs towards my calories for the day, since we do know that fiber has about 1.5-2 cals per gram. I err on the side of caution with that one. In terms of digestible carbs, 40.5 is the number. Not too far off from what Mike wrote, it is much more palatable, and I am down a little over 9lbs since I started, so I would say it is still working just fine.
So as of today I have decided to have a sort of Monday theme. I want to introduce a specific food or food group every Monday and basically explain why it is so awesome for you.
Not these food groups
Most people have a general idea of which foods and good for them and which foods are not, but they don’t always really know why. They may know it is high in protein and low in sugar for example, but they probably don’t know specific antioxidant compounds that food may contain, and exactly what they do. That’s where I come in. Now this obviously gives me a lot of options and foods to cover, so if there are specific requests, please shoot me an email or just make a comment on this blog and I will do my best to comply. Hope you enjoy.
Today we talk: Eggs
Eggs are one of my all time favorite foods, are often completely misunderstood, and have a special place in my heart. In their entirety (meaning the whole egg) they are one of nature’s most perfect foods.
They are one of the world’s greatest sources of highest quality protein. Eggs contain a boatload of vitamins, minerals and some very important antioxidants. They are also a great source of choline, which is sometimes lumped into the vitamin B-complex, though it’s not really a vitamin, either way it is an essential nutrient for cardiovascular and brain function. The interesting thing about choline is that it is an essential part of the phospholipid phosphatidylcholine. Without phosphatidylcholine fat and cholesterol accumulate in the liver. Hmmm. The ADA has always told us to avoid eggs because of the cholesterol content, yet eggs contain a compound that actually helps prevent the body from accumulating cholesterol. Interesting. Choline also helps to form betaine, which helps to lower the inflammatory homocysteine, a big risk factor for heart disease. More interesting. Choline is also need for a major neurotransmitter in the body, called acetylcholine, weird right. Acetylcholine is critical for memory and thought and may even be protective against some forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s.
The major antioxidants in eggs are lutein and zeaxanthin. These two antioxidants are known to be powerful protectors of the eyes, helping to filter harmful wavelengths. The amazing thing about lutein and zeaxanthin in eggs is that the bioavailability is significantly higher than from supplements.
As you can see so far, eggs are a nutritional powerhouse, but we aren’t done yet. Eggs are also a good source of riboflavin, vitamin B12 (for you vegetarians out there), and selenium among others.
One quick note about eggs is the oxidation of the cholesterol content. When a yolk is broken and the cholesterol is exposed to air it becomes oxidized, and oxidized cholesterol is a little worrisome. Now this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat scrambled eggs or an omelet, it is just something to keep in mind. Total time exposure is important, so maybe hold off on those buffet tables of eggs, but making some fresh scrambled eggs on your own won’t be a problem at all. Hope you enjoyed my little rant.
Alright, I am going to make this one easy today. For those of you who read Dr. Jonny Bowden’s blog, this will be familiar material, but I thought it was interesting enough to discuss here. In his latest blog, he talks about a study that starts to shed light on why many people feel hungry soon after high carb meals:
“Scientists at Monash University identified key appetite control cells in the human brain. These cells are attacked after eating, but the attack is bigger and stronger following a meal rich in sugar and carbohydrates.
“The more carbs and sugars you eat, the more your appetite-control cells are damaged”, said Zane Andrews, MD, the lead researcher on the study. The result? You eat more.”
Basically the idea is that carbs create the most damage of all to your appetite-control cells. The neurons that tell people not to overreat are being destroyed.
It seems to the researchers, Dr. Bowden, and me another good reason to limit refined carbs, sugars and even some “whole” grains. Keeping hunger in check will make life that much easier.
Posted on February 6th, 2009 by Brian St. Pierre
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