Build A Model Body!

[Jacques]

Ei guys, any comments/feedbacks about the so called steroidal tablet ? A gym instructor once offered me those tiny little pink steroid tablets to boost my muscle growth but I was kinda hesitant to take those pill not knowing the side effects I may incur. I need your help! I've just started lifting some weights. I work out at least 3 to 4 times a week, alternating heavy/light workouts... What's the best way to gain body mass especially muscles at fastest time... Thanks...

 

Mukhang D-bol eto ah hehe... Bro, you may want to discuss this sa steroid forum. And no I wont advice D-bol because it's one of the most hepa-toxic substance out there.

[Olympus]

Ei guys, any comments/feedbacks about the so called steroidal tablet ? A gym instructor once offered me those tiny little pink steroid tablets to boost my muscle growth but I was kinda hesitant to take those pill not knowing the side effects I may incur. I need your help! I've just started lifting some weights. I work out at least 3 to 4 times a week, alternating heavy/light workouts... What's the best way to gain body mass especially muscles at fastest time... Thanks... biggrin.gif

 

Better stay away from that stuff and if you really wanna make good daings, you'll follow a detailed program and its definitely not the one your trainer is advising. In reality a lot of people don't really even scratch the surface of their genetic potential due to improper training and eating habits and look for the easy way out and resort to steroids.

 

How does HIIT done ??? unsure.gif

 

Is doing 30 minute cardio with inclination set to 15 at a speed of 5 good enough ? rolleyes.gif

 

You alternate a period of activity with a period of rest.... the period of rest is longer than the period of activity. For news I alternate 8.5 and 3.5 but this depends on the fitness level of the individual

[sunking]

cardio: i prefer HIIT for 15 minutes since it raises your metabolism to a high level even hours after you have finished your workout... end result? more calories burnt throughout the day

 

If I were to do HIIT on a bike, what intervals would you advise? When I go for 5 minutes, I usually do 30sec hi 30sec low. I would like to shoot for 15 minutes but I can barely make it to 6-7 minutes when I extend.

[Olympus]

If I were to do HIIT on a bike, what intervals would you advise? When I go for 5 minutes, I usually do 30sec hi 30sec low. I would like to shoot for 15 minutes but I can barely make it to 6-7 minutes when I extend.

 

You don't have to really shoot for 15 minutes. The objective is that you have to work harder not longer.

 

Over time, you'll find an ideal time frame in which you could be working. If you're not at an advanced level yet, keep the rest period twice as much as the activity period.

[^sweating_pipe69^]

Mukhang D-bol eto ah hehe... Bro, you may want to discuss this sa steroid forum. And no I wont advice D-bol because it's one of the most hepa-toxic substance out there.

 

Damn! Buti na lang, di ako kumagat. I remember it now, namention nga nya regarding the name D-Bol or was it Dianabol ?

 

You alternate a period of activity with a period of rest.... the period of rest is longer than the period of activity. For news I alternate 8.5 and 3.5 but this depends on the fitness level of the individual

 

Thanks buddy... Okay. So HIIT isn't only done with cardio ? Right ?

[Olympus]

Damn! Buti na lang, di ako kumagat. I remember it now, namention nga nya regarding the name D-Bol or was it Dianabol ?

Thanks buddy... Okay. So HIIT isn't only done with cardio ? Right ?

 

D-bol is the short name for dianabol.

 

HIIT is also known as guerilla cardio.

[^sweating_pipe69^]

D-bol is the short name for dianabol.

 

HIIT is also known as guerilla cardio.

 

 

Thanks buddy..

 

Anyway, would you mind posting your picture here showing your 6 pack abs,

 

I'll take it everytime I go to the gym, that will serve as an inspiration for me...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[enkateam]

THIS MAY SEEM A BIT MUCH, BUT THIS IS FOR ANYONE WHO IS STILL CONFUSED ABOUT NUTRITION SURROUNDING YOUR WORKOUTS. I'VE BROKEN IT DOWN TO SEVERAL CATEGORIES TO MAKE IS EASY.

 

INTRO

 

GOAL CLARIFICATION & THE NATURE OF OPTIMA

 

pre, during, & postworkout nutrition is different for different sports. most of the data on this subject pertains to endurance athletes, and doesn't necessarily apply to bodybuilders. this is the classic conflict of arguments when different goals aren't clarified. what i'm gonna discuss is nutrition for bodybuilding resistance training, so let's get that straight before we dive in. another important concept to bear in mind is the fact that nutrient timing is of secondary importance to total amounts of each nutrient. i also want to make it clear that we're nitpicking over what's OPTIMAL. for example, total amount of carbohydrate is in fact more important than its glycemic index (GI), but in terms of whats optimal, different GIs suit different situations to varying theoretical degrees. sports nutrition is a largely theoretical realm where we strive for the edge. it's important to note that there are quite a bit of confounding (validity-challenging) variables related to GI, which i covered in depth in the post below. keep in mind that it's the general theory and format that you should focus on, because there's no way that i can provide a comprehensive list of example meals without boring myself to death, and everyone has their personal taste.

 

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

 

variations in total amounts will be determined by your general body mass & individual phyz, you'll just have to trial & error it out as with all plans. littler guys will do fine at the lower ranges, mega-mooses will do well at the higher ranges, and average joes will find the middle of the ranges to be good starting points from which to monitor progress. i'd like to make it perfectly clear that this article is an attempt to cater to the majority of trainees who may read it. as with all advice from ornery oracles, you MUST adapt it to your individual response & measure it against your progress, or lack thereof, and adjust accordingly. i highly recommend that you feel free to go "outside of the lines" of what i've written if/when necessary, and find out what works for you as an individual. the concept of trial & error being the ultimate judge - despite sound theoretical starting points - is not emphasized nearly enough in tutorials.

 

without further ado...

 

 

PRE-PREWORKOUT: THE GLYCOGEN FACTOR

 

glycogen is the limiting fuel for exercise in the glycolytic range of the energy substrate continuum. this means that even though bodybuilders aren't gonna be running marathon or growing impotent from sitting their asses on a hard bike seat doing the tour de france, glycogen is still important for muscular work in the rep ranges that primarily cause hypertrophy. many bodybuilders i know are on a "permanent precontest" phase, and keep their carbs low no matter what, and are really frustrated with their gains. actual amount of total carbs daily is another discussion, but suffice it to say that it's really tough to gain muscle - no matter how much protein you're chuggin' - when you're constantly averaging below 2/3 of your bodyweight a day in carb grams. this may be warranted on a cyclical basis for some folks during a precontest cut, but for general purposes & gaining muscle, you're better off averaging somewhere above this amount -- unless you've either been pathologically afraid of, or metabolically challenged by carbohydrate for a long enough duration for your body to adapt & get by on amounts chronically lower than this.

 

 

PREWORKOUT

 

OBJECTIVE

 

the objective here is to promote sustained carbohydrate availability (& to a lesser degree, amino acid availability), minimize muscle catabolism, and spare glygogen as much as possible. this is best accomplished by carbs with a low to moderate GI & insulin index (II). it's important to note here that research is quite conflicting on the issue of GI & exercise performance. much of the latest studies show no real difference. nevertheless, it's established that lower-GI sources influence substrate oxidation during training ever-so-slightly better for bodybuilding purposes. when i mention GI, i'm talking about the glucose comparison standard, not the white bread standard. the actual amount & physical nature of the meal depends on how soon your schedule allows you to eat or drink before training. there are at least 3 acceptable scenarios..

 

COMPOSITION

 

scenario one: a solid, full-sized balanced meal finished 60-90 minutes preworkout consisting of 30-60g protein (0.2-0.25g/lb target BW) + 40-80g carb (0.33g/lb target BW). there are endless examples of how this can be constructed, & heres just one:

---- 5-8oz of any type of land or sea animal flesh

---- 1-2 cups low to moderate-GI grain or other starchy vegetable or legume /or/ fistsize sweet potato, etc, look up sub-70-rated examples here.

---- 1 or more cups fibrous vegetable like salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, kale, cabbage, onions, even carrots, etc, etc

 

scenario two: a liquid meal or shake finished 15-30min preworkout:

---- 20-50g protein (0.15-0.2g/lb target BW) whey is preferred for its BCAA content

---- 40-80g (0.33g/lb target BW) low-to-moderate GI carbs. any fruit works well here, so does old fashioned oats. a solid case can be built for a combination of both. whether you include water/milk or unsaturated fat like flax or pnb is really personal preference. milk just gets the anabolic/anticatabolic cascade rolling for those in a severe hurry to gain muscle. adding fat to this shake can slow the release of nutrients substantially & benefit those who train for significantly more than 90 min, offering extra protection against energy dips - especially if you don't consume a dilute carb solution during your workout. most people will do fine without the fat as long as the overall carb profile of the shake is relatively low to moderate-GI. NOTE: most commercially prepared dilute sports drink solutions have a low glycemic load, rendering their high GI irrelevant. some dudes use the same shake for pre & post workout; they make a bigass shake, and simply drink half before & half after - or they sip it thoughout the workout. this is fine too & you'll still benefit, but you're not taking full advantage of the specifically different physiologic demands of pre & postworkout for bodybuilding purposes.

 

scenario 3: both of the above scenarios in succession (one after the other in the above listed time frame) is probably ideal, but in the real world, many folks train first thing in the morning before work, so that nullifies the possibility of the pre-pre workout meal. no problem, that's where an intelligently concocted prebed meal helps (another topic!). note that individuals will vary in their digestive & absorptive capacity. some folks can only tolerate scenario one without the additional scenario 2 due to less gastrointestinal motility &/or speed of digestion/absorption. trial and error will dictate your optimal meal scheduling respective of this.

 

to reiterate the factor of individual differences, don't be afraid to go outside of the listed guidelines & exceed the upper limit of listed carb intake as needed to power you through your training. conversely, don't be afraid to dip below it given your gastrointestinal tolerance for exogenous substrate during or pretraining.

 

 

DURING WORKOUT

 

OBJECTIVE

 

the same objectives as the preworkout meal apply here (to promote sustained carbohydrate availability & to a lesser degree amino acid availability, minimize muscle catabolism, and spare glygogen) - with the added objective of maximizing water availability & minimizing gastrointestinal upset.

 

COMPOSITION

 

again, be aware that we are talking bodybuilding workouts and not triathalon training. i am an advocate of keeping it simple and watering yourself down thoughout the workout with.. you guessed it, pure water. if you did your homework with the right construction & timing of the preworkout meal, there's little need for the bodybuilder to take in much else. now granted, if you were a boxer, triathlete, soccer player, basketball player, or marathoner at risk for catabolizing a good chunk of lean mass and jeopardizing your liver glycogen status by trudging away for far past 90 minutes continuously in an endurance event, definitely sip the gatorade-type 4-8% carb solution throughout the workout, and shoot for 40-60g carbs/hr. there's a huge body of research that shows the benefit of that tactic.

 

keep in mind that i don't think a during-workout carb solution will hurt the bodybuilder at all, as many mistakenly believe. in fact, a good case can be built for it being an effective nth-degree anticatabolic/anti-hypoglycemic tactic. but all things considered, it just might be unnecessary & expensive, since the energy demands & glycogen depletion of bodybuilders are usually much less. once again, if you had either the right solid meal 60-90 minutes prior, or the right liquid meal 15-30min prior (in a perfect world, BOTH), you technically should still be in the absorption phase. thus you won't experience energy dips seen in fasted-then-fed experimental subjects who obviously benefit from during-workout fuel beyond just water.

 

POSTWORKOUT

 

OBJECTIVE

 

the objective here is to raise insulin concentrations & get a head start on recovery by antagonizing cortisol & other catabolic elements, replenish water & glygogen, and restore levels of circulating amino acids. this is mistakenly viewed as the most important meal of the day, which is BS. why? because if you're not properly fueled prior to this point, your workout will suck. thus, it's equally important in the large scheme of things.

 

COMPOSITION

 

i'm not biased towards a shake-only postworkout philosophy, as long as either type contains a liquid component. 2 equally effective scenarios are:

 

scenario one: as soon as possible postworkout - or even at the tail end of the workout, say, 10-20 minutes before it's over. i start chugging my postworkout shake 60 minutes into my workout, regardless of how long my workout takes.

---- 30-60g protein (0.25g/lb target BW). whey again is pretty cheap & works great here. research shows that postworkout protein doesn't inhibit glycogen synthesis, and can improve protein synthesis. this means that you can hedge your anabolic & anticatabolic bets by taking in a sizable amount of protein postworkout. whey happens to be a highly insulinogenic protein, so this is ideal at this point.

---- 60-120g of high-GI carbs (0.5g/lb target BW), or a combination of types that ultimately averages to a high-GI rating (70 or above). dextrose & maltodextrin have traditionally been emphasized as ideal for postworkout because of their high-GI. however, i have issues with going pure dex for postworkout for a couple of reasons - and they have nothing to do with the threat of insulin resistance, because that whole scenario applies to a completely different population. first off, you can get some default dex within fruit or milk. secondly, pure dex has no micronutrient density, and i've said it before, antioxidant micronutrition is grossly under-emphasized whenever postworkout nutrition is discussed. dex is a fine addition to your postworkout carb arsenal, but to go pure dex for the largest carb hit of your day doesn't make sense from a micronutrient density standpoint - especially when dex is contained in other foods that are more nutrient dense and are still either high-GI or highly insulinemic.

 

thinly rolled non-prepacketed oats (which many don't realize have a GI of appx 65-75 as opposed to the low-GI the steel-cut or old-fashioned type) plus dex is achieving the best of both worlds, but that's theoretical ground. NOTE: old fashioned/slow-cooked oats + dex in a 1:1 still yields a GI that crosses the threshold of high. adding fruit to your postworkout mix of carbs can potentially benefit folks who train with a high volume & do a lot of cardio (ie, precontest). the protection of liver glycogen status under such conditions can maintain the centrally neurologic signaling of the "fed state" and hence prevent lean tissue catabolism -- especially during hypocaloric balance.

 

okay, so to be practical, simple examples are: 1/2-1 cup dry oats + 30-50g dex (OR) 1/2 cup dry oats + 40g dex + 1 banana. these are just 2 examples out of many possibilities. i see nothing wrong with using high-moderate to high-GI carbs other than dex/malto, as long as the average GI of the combo is near or greater than 70. nitpicky theoretics aside, anything 65 or above on the GI scale (like the thinly rolled plain oats which people mistakenly think is in the low GI category) will likely have very similar real-world effectiveness as higher-GI choices. but remember, this is a discussion of optima, thus, we are scrutinizing the minutia and elucidating what might provide the edge.

---- as little fat as possible is best postworkout, because you don't want to blunt insulin output at this point.

---- milk considerations: whether or not you add milk to your postworkout shake depends upon personal preference and tolerance. the cons of milk are that many folks have some degree of lactose intolerance or milk allergy, and therefore are excluded from the possibility. the pros of milk postworkout are that it's highly insulinogenic, contains 6g dex per cup, and is a potent anabolic/anticatabolic substance that has outperformed whey in human research thus far.

 

scenario two: ASAP postworkout - a solid-food meal consisting of:

---- 30-60g protein (0.25g/lb target BW) in the form of lean flesh, all types are fine, 5-8oz suffices.

---- 60-120g high-moderate to high-GI polysaccharide carbs (0.5g/lb target BW), good examples are white or brown rice (yes most brown rice is high-GI), and all types of potatoes & breads. my bias and preference here is to include a serving of higher-glucose fresh fruit, such as grapes, banana, or pineapple - for micronutrient/antioxidant purposes as well as extra glucose (we should all know by now that the fructose contribution of fruit, at 4-7g on average per serving, is insignificant). another wrinkle to add here is that berries as a group have more antioxidant potential than other fruits. this confers benefit despite their lower concentration of glucose compared to grapes, pineapples, & bananas. so, don't worry if you choose other fruit than the higher-glucose ones postworkout; you're still winning out in the antioxidant arena.

---- water or milk, pick your poison.. a word about fruit juice: while i am not against small amounts of fructose from whole fruit for maintaining/replenishing liver glycogen, fruit juice on the other hand tends to cross the line of excess in terms of fructose, and you miss out on much of the beneficial phytochemicals & oxygen radical suppressors in whole fruit.

---- once again, keep fat to a minimum.

 

now.. can you exceed 120g carbs or 60g protein postworkout? of course! your training program, body mass, & physiology may actually scream for it. this is merely a point of reference for the masses to digest, absorb, & process accordingly (gotta love corny nutrition puns). for the few competitive endurance athletes who might read this, consider the rather whopping 1.0g/lb a starting point for your postworkout carb intake. protein need is sufficiently met with the standard guideline of 0.25g/lb.

 

POST-POSTWORKOUT

 

OBJECTIVE

 

The theoretics of the post-post are a bit more unclear than the post, but suffice it to say that within 3 hours postworkout, you still have a markedly elevated need & opportunity to fight catabolism & segue into net anabolism, taking advantage of the lingering demand for recovery tactics. the timing of this meal is really dependent upon the size & magnitude of your immediate postworkout meal or shake, but to simplify things, try to have it within 2-3 hours of the latter shake/meal. This might not be possible for folks who work out at night close to bedtime, but don't sweat it. as long as your nutrition was sound prior to this point, you're fine.

 

COMPOSITION

 

my recommendation is to have a balanced full-sized solid meal of similar construction to the aforementioned solid-food preworkout meal. except at this point, your physiology still welcomes high-moderate and high-GI carbs -- but you need not necessarily omit fiber & unsaturated fat as your should in the immediate post period. it's my guess that moderate-GI choices will suffice for most metabolisms at this point.

 

and there you have it... good luck & happy training, everyone.

Edited April 2, 2007 by enkateam

[enkateam]

Elements Challenging the Concept, Principle, & Strict Application of Glycemic Index

 

The fact is that many bodybuilding, health, & fitness enthusiasts stake their entire moral judgment of carbohydrate foods based on their glycemic index (GI) without realizing that a considerable set of confounders challenges its validity. Becoming blindly enamored with something that may enhance our physiques &/or health is natural, and something we've all been guilty of. But alas, the GI data is neither perfect nor consistent, nor is it free of bugs. Consider the following facts, and re-think your obsession with GI & what you think you know about GI.

 

A POSSIBLE DEFINITION SHIFT

 

The current general definition of GI is a food's ability to raise blood sugar, which almost automatically is regarded in terms of glucose entry into the blood. However, recent eye-opening research by Schenk & colleagues clearly showed that the rate of disappearance of glucose from systemic circulation is an important determinant of GI - not just glucose's rate of entry into circulation [1]. They found that the lower GI of bran cereal was due to a quicker/sooner surge of insulin sweeping glucose out of circulation - not a slower appearance/entrance of glucose as once assumed. Although strictly speculative at this point, this phenomenon may have possible performance detriment implications (ie, rebound hypoglycemia) in sensitive individuals if meals of this nature are mistimed relative to training.

 

DETERMINATION VS. APPLICABILITY

 

GI values are determined in an overnight-fasted state using isolated foods. This is not a reflection of real life, where the digestion/absorption of previous meals, as well as the context of the carbohydrate food can drastically alter GI.

 

AFFECTING FACTORS

 

The interplay of many variables can either raise or lower GI, and are often difficult to control. Increased acidity, the presence of fiber, fat, and certain protein foods can lower glycemic response. Reduced particle size, greater ripeness, and heat in cooking can raise glycemic response.

 

GLYCEMIC LOAD DISPARITY

 

Glycemic load (GL), which is the amount of carbohydrate per serving or unit of volume, is not always directly proportional to GI. For example, watermelon has a GI of 72, which is considered high. Low-GI advocates have vilified watermelon without realizing the fact that it has a relatively low glycemic load, approximately 6g carbohydrate per 4oz serving. The same disparity of GI & GL applies to carrots, potatoes, and even sports drinks such as Gatorade.

 

SATIETY INDEX DISPARITY

 

Lower-GI foods have been associated with greater satiety, but most of this data comes from single-meal experimental designs. Longer-term studies on GI & satiety are conflicting, and not always controlled for energy intake and energy density of the test meal [2]. In the longest study to date on GI & satiety is an ad libitium 30d crossover design where Kiens & Richter observe no difference in amount of consumption [3]. In this metabolic study, a LOWER resistance to insulin was seen in the high-GI group at the end of the trial. GI does not reliably correspond with satiety index (SI). White rice, wheat bread, and potatoes all have high GIs, but rank among the top of the list for delaying the onset of hunger. In fact, Holt's team found that potatoes had by far the highest SI of all the foods tested [4].

 

INSULIN ISSUES

 

As a classic example of chaos physics, the typical rules that predict GI do not necessarily help in predicting insulin response. Unfortunately for GI-conscious people, insulin is usually what they are trying to control. Despite having a very low GI of 15-36, milk and yogurt have a high insulin index equivalent to that of the high-GI white bread [5]. Baked beans, another low-GI food, have a very high insulin index of 120. Cheese, beef, and fish have II's that are comparable to many carbohydrate foods.

 

Coingestion of fat with carbohydrate slows gastric emptying and thus the release of glucose into the blood, ultimately lowering GI. While this is usually true for GI, the degree of insulin response evoked by this combination is determined by the degree of the fat's saturation. For example, Collier & others observed that butter coingested with potato not only fails to lower postprandial insulinemia, it actually causes a synergistically heightened insulin response, even in healthy subjects [6,7].

 

Foods that should have a low GI due to their high fat content do not always have a low GI. Examples are fries, cookies, croissants, and doughnuts. Incidentally, these foods also have a high insulin index, presumably because their fat is mostly saturated. As of this writing, full-fat ice cream (low GI of appx 37) has not been tested for II, but it's safe to assume that it probably has disparate GI & II values.

 

Rasmussen & colleagues observed no increased insulin response with the addition of 40g or 80g olive oil, but saw a significant increase with 50g & 100g butter [8]. Joannic's team observed a coingestion of carbohydrate with fats of increasing degree of unsaturation having a corresponding decrease in insulin response [9]. A more recent study by Robertson & colleagues compared the effect of MUFA, PUFA, & SFA coingestion with carbohydrate and observed SFA's superior ability to raise postprandial insulin levels [10].

 

Coingestion of protein with carbohydrate is often recommended to lower GI, but it doesn't necessarily lower insulin response. Gannon & Nutall's research on type-2 diabetics showed that coingested cottage cheese & glucose raised insulin levels beyond either food separately, indicating a synergistic effect [11]. Van Loon & colleagues saw a similar phenomenon when comparing the insulin effect of various carb-protein/amino acid and carb-only solutions [12]. Those containing free leucine, phenylalanine, & arginine, and the drinks with free leucine, phenylalanine, & wheat protein hydrolysate were followed by the largest insulin response (101% and 103% greater, respectively, than with the carb-only solution).

 

GI & OBESITY - SLIM CHANCE FOR CORRELATION

 

a systematic review of human intervention studies comparing the effects of high and low-GI foods or diets arrived at the following results [13]:

---- in a total of 31 short-term studies, low-GI foods were associated with greater satiety or reduced hunger in 15 studies, whereas reduced satiety or no differences were seen in 16 other studies.

---- low-GI foods reduced ad libitum food intake in 7 studies, but not in 8 other studies. In 20 longer-term studies (<6 months), weight loss on a low-GI diet was seen in 4 and on a high-GI diet in 2, with no difference recorded in 14 studies.

---- an exhaustive assessment of these human intervention trials found no significant difference in the average weight loss between low & high GI diets. in conclusion, the current body of research evidence does not indicate that low-GI foods are superior to high-GI foods in regard to treating obesity.

 

SO, WHAT?!

 

Don't get it twisted, GI is a definitely useful tool that gives us clues to the behavior of certain foods, but that's exactly the main point of this article. Clues; mere hints are all we get from our current knowledge of GI. Successful application of GI is most consistent when we use higher GI sources to enhance the speed of postworkout glycogenesis, and lower-GI starch foods tend to be more micronutrient dense than their higher-GI counterparts, but that's really about the extent of it. Satiety, insulin response, & surrounding factors altering glucose kinetics are all much like a roll of the dice in terms of bottom-line certainty & reliability. Like all things in science - especially the deep bubbly cauldron that is applied nutritional science - it ain't all that simple. All avenues in this area are winding & complex.

 

 

References for you research nerds:

 

1) Schenk S, et al. Different glycemic indexes of breakfast cereals are not due to glucose entry into blood but to glucose removal by tissue. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;78(4):742-8.

2) Pi-Sunyer FX. Glycemic index and disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2002 Jul;76(1):290S-8S.

3) Kiens B, Richter EA. Types of carbohydrate in an ordinary diet affect insulin action and muscle substrates in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 1996;63:47-53.

4) Holt SH, Miller JC. A satiety index of common foods. Eur J Clin Nutr 1995 Sep;49(9):675-90.

5) Ostman EM, et al. Inconsistency between glycemic and insulinemic responses to regular and fermented milk products. Am J Clin Nutr 2001; 74(1):96-100.

6) Collier G, et al. The effect of coingestion of fat on the glucose, insulin, and gastric inhibitory polypeptide responses to carbohydrate and protein. Am J Clin Nutr 1983;37(6):941-4.

7) Collier G, et al. The acute effect of fat on insulin secretion. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1988;66(2):323-6.

8) Rasmussen O, et al. Differential effects of saturated and monounsaturated fat on blood glucose and insulin responses in subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Am J Clin Nutr 1996 Feb;63(2):249-53.

9) Joannic JL, et al. How the degree of unsaturation of dietary fatty acids influences the glucose and insulin responses to different carbohydrates in mixed meals. Am J Clin Nutr 1997 May;65(5):1427-33.

10) Robertson MD, et al. Acute effects of meal fatty acid composition on insulin sensitivity in healthy post-menopausal women. Br J Nutr 2002;88(6):635-40.

11) Gannon MC, et al. Metabolic response to cottage cheese or egg white protein, with or without glucose, in type II diabetic subjects. Metabolism 1992;41(10):1137-45.

12) van Loon LJ, et al. Plasma insulin responses after ingestion of different amino acid or protein mixtures with carbohydrate. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72(1):96-105.

13) Raben A. Should obese patients be counselled to follow a low-glycaemic index diet? No. Obes Rev. 2002 Nov;3(4):245-56.

[THUG]

QUOTE(THUG @ Mar 28 2007, 11:46 AM) *

 

1K??? or you mean 10K? there is no 1k run in any triathlon.. even sprint tri is a 5k run..

Hey Dirty Harry are you a triathlete too? I have sent you a PM!

 

To thug:

 

3K to 5K are the usual. I try to run 1K every other day which i haven't clarified in my earlier statements. Somehow, work is eating my time and I cannot train full time as a professional triathlete. The important is you run on every available free time on early morning or late night at 8 Pm and once your body adapted to the stress, pain and others. You will endure 3K to 5K in a breeze. Plus I try to swim twice a week. Work out in the gym twice a week or even play badminton too.

 

I am not Mr. Paul Uytengsu okay who happens to be among the best local pro triathlete and CEO of Alaska Milk or even the HSBC President in S.E.A. Well they asked their senior managers to run the company for them while they are running around in their company sponsored spandex suits.

 

Well I have to work in my office also that's why I cannot be a full-time athelete still have to think of my own welfare, build my small business and somehow have a family in the future.

 

 

triathlon is not for you if you are a full-time employee.. i tried that and i just had fever from the hard training.. i run or lift weights in the morning, then swim in the evening..

 

the stress that my bosses give to me coupled with the stress that i get from the training is just too much for my body to take, and there was even a time when i had to compete even with a cold and fever.. i can't breathe during the swim portion of the race!

 

 

now i just focus on the running (my strongest discipline), and just crosstrain with swimming or cycling.. just to break free from the usual routine.. or swim or cycle during off season, or when i get an injury.. that is so far what works best for me..

 

why don't you try duathlon? if you are not a good swimmer but strong with bike and run, that is the sport for you.. some of my triathlon buddies shifted there, as they feel they have better chances of getting podium finishes..

[RealEstateMan]

Well, shifting to duathlon would be okay. I have been an employee in the past but now own a small real estate firm. My time demands meeting with clients, closing biz deals, looking after legal matters on properties for sale etc.

 

If ever I hit a jackpot on a million peso real estate deal. Why not I become a full-time athlete?

 

triathlon is not for you if you are a full-time employee.. i tried that and i just had fever from the hard training.. i run or lift weights in the morning, then swim in the evening..

 

the stress that my bosses give to me coupled with the stress that i get from the training is just too much for my body to take, and there was even a time when i had to compete even with a cold and fever.. i can't breathe during the swim portion of the race!

now i just focus on the running (my strongest discipline), and just crosstrain with swimming or cycling.. just to break free from the usual routine.. or swim or cycle during off season, or when i get an injury.. that is so far what works best for me..

 

why don't you try duathlon? if you are not a good swimmer but strong with bike and run, that is the sport for you.. some of my triathlon buddies shifted there, as they feel they have better chances of getting podium finishes..

[Pepeng Manas]

Well, shifting to duathlon would be okay. I have been an employee in the past but now own a small real estate firm. My time demands meeting with clients, closing biz deals, looking after legal matters on properties for sale etc.

 

If ever I hit a jackpot on a million peso real estate deal. Why not I become a full-time athlete?

 

OT:

our family is selling a lot worth over P50M. it might be your chance to be a full-time athlete.

seriously though, we need help selling that lot.

[superdog]

guys just a little info I've read, I find this too important not to share.

 

DO NOT DO STRETCHING BEFORE ANY ACTIVITY.

Yep u read right, explanation? The muscle part that is being stretched becomes relaxed, so in a certain exercise involving a combination of muscle parts, it will not be a concerted effort of all the muscles concern and may lead to injuries.

Instead do warmup exercises, those that we do in elementary schools like jumping jacks and rotating our hands arms hips knees ankles..

 

Correct me if I'm wrong on this but this is what I read in Men's Health.

[Olympus]

guys just a little info I've read, I find this too important not to share.

 

DO NOT DO STRETCHING BEFORE ANY ACTIVITY.

Yep u read right, explanation? The muscle part that is being stretched becomes relaxed, so in a certain exercise involving a combination of muscle parts, it will not be a concerted effort of all the muscles concern and may lead to injuries.

Instead do warmup exercises, those that we do in elementary schools like jumping jacks and rotating our hands arms hips knees ankles..

 

Correct me if I'm wrong on this but this is what I read in Men's Health.

 

I'm surprised men's health posted something truthful...

 

To expound on this, stretching before strength training makes your muscles more pliable, you want your muscles tight in order to lift properly and ensure proper power.

 

The proper warmup you need would be is to elevate your body temperature and raise your heart rate

[sikosci]

THIS MAY SEEM A BIT MUCH, BUT THIS IS FOR ANYONE WHO IS STILL CONFUSED ABOUT NUTRITION SURROUNDING YOUR WORKOUTS. I'VE BROKEN IT DOWN TO SEVERAL CATEGORIES TO MAKE IS EASY.

 

INTRO

 

GOAL CLARIFICATION & THE NATURE OF OPTIMA

 

pre, during, & postworkout nutrition is different for different sports. most of the data on this subject pertains to endurance athletes, and doesn't necessarily apply to bodybuilders. this is the classic conflict of arguments when different goals aren't clarified. what i'm gonna discuss is nutrition for bodybuilding resistance training, so let's get that straight before we dive in. another important concept to bear in mind is the fact that nutrient timing is of secondary importance to total amounts of each nutrient. i also want to make it clear that we're nitpicking over what's OPTIMAL. for example, total amount of carbohydrate is in fact more important than its glycemic index (GI), but in terms of whats optimal, different GIs suit different situations to varying theoretical degrees. sports nutrition is a largely theoretical realm where we strive for the edge. it's important to note that there are quite a bit of confounding (validity-challenging) variables related to GI, which i covered in depth in the post below. keep in mind that it's the general theory and format that you should focus on, because there's no way that i can provide a comprehensive list of example meals without boring myself to death, and everyone has their personal taste.

 

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

 

variations in total amounts will be determined by your general body mass & individual phyz, you'll just have to trial & error it out as with all plans. littler guys will do fine at the lower ranges, mega-mooses will do well at the higher ranges, and average joes will find the middle of the ranges to be good starting points from which to monitor progress. i'd like to make it perfectly clear that this article is an attempt to cater to the majority of trainees who may read it. as with all advice from ornery oracles, you MUST adapt it to your individual response & measure it against your progress, or lack thereof, and adjust accordingly. i highly recommend that you feel free to go "outside of the lines" of what i've written if/when necessary, and find out what works for you as an individual. the concept of trial & error being the ultimate judge - despite sound theoretical starting points - is not emphasized nearly enough in tutorials.

 

without further ado...

PRE-PREWORKOUT: THE GLYCOGEN FACTOR

 

glycogen is the limiting fuel for exercise in the glycolytic range of the energy substrate continuum. this means that even though bodybuilders aren't gonna be running marathon or growing impotent from sitting their asses on a hard bike seat doing the tour de france, glycogen is still important for muscular work in the rep ranges that primarily cause hypertrophy. many bodybuilders i know are on a "permanent precontest" phase, and keep their carbs low no matter what, and are really frustrated with their gains. actual amount of total carbs daily is another discussion, but suffice it to say that it's really tough to gain muscle - no matter how much protein you're chuggin' - when you're constantly averaging below 2/3 of your bodyweight a day in carb grams. this may be warranted on a cyclical basis for some folks during a precontest cut, but for general purposes & gaining muscle, you're better off averaging somewhere above this amount -- unless you've either been pathologically afraid of, or metabolically challenged by carbohydrate for a long enough duration for your body to adapt & get by on amounts chronically lower than this.

PREWORKOUT

 

OBJECTIVE

 

the objective here is to promote sustained carbohydrate availability (& to a lesser degree, amino acid availability), minimize muscle catabolism, and spare glygogen as much as possible. this is best accomplished by carbs with a low to moderate GI & insulin index (II). it's important to note here that research is quite conflicting on the issue of GI & exercise performance. much of the latest studies show no real difference. nevertheless, it's established that lower-GI sources influence substrate oxidation during training ever-so-slightly better for bodybuilding purposes. when i mention GI, i'm talking about the glucose comparison standard, not the white bread standard. the actual amount & physical nature of the meal depends on how soon your schedule allows you to eat or drink before training. there are at least 3 acceptable scenarios..

 

COMPOSITION

 

scenario one: a solid, full-sized balanced meal finished 60-90 minutes preworkout consisting of 30-60g protein (0.2-0.25g/lb target BW) + 40-80g carb (0.33g/lb target BW). there are endless examples of how this can be constructed, & heres just one:

---- 5-8oz of any type of land or sea animal flesh

---- 1-2 cups low to moderate-GI grain or other starchy vegetable or legume /or/ fistsize sweet potato, etc, look up sub-70-rated examples here.

---- 1 or more cups fibrous vegetable like salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, kale, cabbage, onions, even carrots, etc, etc

 

scenario two: a liquid meal or shake finished 15-30min preworkout:

---- 20-50g protein (0.15-0.2g/lb target BW) whey is preferred for its BCAA content

---- 40-80g (0.33g/lb target BW) low-to-moderate GI carbs. any fruit works well here, so does old fashioned oats. a solid case can be built for a combination of both. whether you include water/milk or unsaturated fat like flax or pnb is really personal preference. milk just gets the anabolic/anticatabolic cascade rolling for those in a severe hurry to gain muscle. adding fat to this shake can slow the release of nutrients substantially & benefit those who train for significantly more than 90 min, offering extra protection against energy dips - especially if you don't consume a dilute carb solution during your workout. most people will do fine without the fat as long as the overall carb profile of the shake is relatively low to moderate-GI. NOTE: most commercially prepared dilute sports drink solutions have a low glycemic load, rendering their high GI irrelevant. some dudes use the same shake for pre & post workout; they make a bigass shake, and simply drink half before & half after - or they sip it thoughout the workout. this is fine too & you'll still benefit, but you're not taking full advantage of the specifically different physiologic demands of pre & postworkout for bodybuilding purposes.

 

scenario 3: both of the above scenarios in succession (one after the other in the above listed time frame) is probably ideal, but in the real world, many folks train first thing in the morning before work, so that nullifies the possibility of the pre-pre workout meal. no problem, that's where an intelligently concocted prebed meal helps (another topic!). note that individuals will vary in their digestive & absorptive capacity. some folks can only tolerate scenario one without the additional scenario 2 due to less gastrointestinal motility &/or speed of digestion/absorption. trial and error will dictate your optimal meal scheduling respective of this.

 

to reiterate the factor of individual differences, don't be afraid to go outside of the listed guidelines & exceed the upper limit of listed carb intake as needed to power you through your training. conversely, don't be afraid to dip below it given your gastrointestinal tolerance for exogenous substrate during or pretraining.

DURING WORKOUT

 

OBJECTIVE

 

the same objectives as the preworkout meal apply here (to promote sustained carbohydrate availability & to a lesser degree amino acid availability, minimize muscle catabolism, and spare glygogen) - with the added objective of maximizing water availability & minimizing gastrointestinal upset.

 

COMPOSITION

 

again, be aware that we are talking bodybuilding workouts and not triathalon training. i am an advocate of keeping it simple and watering yourself down thoughout the workout with.. you guessed it, pure water. if you did your homework with the right construction & timing of the preworkout meal, there's little need for the bodybuilder to take in much else. now granted, if you were a boxer, triathlete, soccer player, basketball player, or marathoner at risk for catabolizing a good chunk of lean mass and jeopardizing your liver glycogen status by trudging away for far past 90 minutes continuously in an endurance event, definitely sip the gatorade-type 4-8% carb solution throughout the workout, and shoot for 40-60g carbs/hr. there's a huge body of research that shows the benefit of that tactic.

 

keep in mind that i don't think a during-workout carb solution will hurt the bodybuilder at all, as many mistakenly believe. in fact, a good case can be built for it being an effective nth-degree anticatabolic/anti-hypoglycemic tactic. but all things considered, it just might be unnecessary & expensive, since the energy demands & glycogen depletion of bodybuilders are usually much less. once again, if you had either the right solid meal 60-90 minutes prior, or the right liquid meal 15-30min prior (in a perfect world, BOTH), you technically should still be in the absorption phase. thus you won't experience energy dips seen in fasted-then-fed experimental subjects who obviously benefit from during-workout fuel beyond just water.

 

POSTWORKOUT

 

OBJECTIVE

 

the objective here is to raise insulin concentrations & get a head start on recovery by antagonizing cortisol & other catabolic elements, replenish water & glygogen, and restore levels of circulating amino acids. this is mistakenly viewed as the most important meal of the day, which is BS. why? because if you're not properly fueled prior to this point, your workout will suck. thus, it's equally important in the large scheme of things.

 

COMPOSITION

 

i'm not biased towards a shake-only postworkout philosophy, as long as either type contains a liquid component. 2 equally effective scenarios are:

 

scenario one: as soon as possible postworkout - or even at the tail end of the workout, say, 10-20 minutes before it's over. i start chugging my postworkout shake 60 minutes into my workout, regardless of how long my workout takes.

---- 30-60g protein (0.25g/lb target BW). whey again is pretty cheap & works great here. research shows that postworkout protein doesn't inhibit glycogen synthesis, and can improve protein synthesis. this means that you can hedge your anabolic & anticatabolic bets by taking in a sizable amount of protein postworkout. whey happens to be a highly insulinogenic protein, so this is ideal at this point.

---- 60-120g of high-GI carbs (0.5g/lb target BW), or a combination of types that ultimately averages to a high-GI rating (70 or above). dextrose & maltodextrin have traditionally been emphasized as ideal for postworkout because of their high-GI. however, i have issues with going pure dex for postworkout for a couple of reasons - and they have nothing to do with the threat of insulin resistance, because that whole scenario applies to a completely different population. first off, you can get some default dex within fruit or milk. secondly, pure dex has no micronutrient density, and i've said it before, antioxidant micronutrition is grossly under-emphasized whenever postworkout nutrition is discussed. dex is a fine addition to your postworkout carb arsenal, but to go pure dex for the largest carb hit of your day doesn't make sense from a micronutrient density standpoint - especially when dex is contained in other foods that are more nutrient dense and are still either high-GI or highly insulinemic.

 

thinly rolled non-prepacketed oats (which many don't realize have a GI of appx 65-75 as opposed to the low-GI the steel-cut or old-fashioned type) plus dex is achieving the best of both worlds, but that's theoretical ground. NOTE: old fashioned/slow-cooked oats + dex in a 1:1 still yields a GI that crosses the threshold of high. adding fruit to your postworkout mix of carbs can potentially benefit folks who train with a high volume & do a lot of cardio (ie, precontest). the protection of liver glycogen status under such conditions can maintain the centrally neurologic signaling of the "fed state" and hence prevent lean tissue catabolism -- especially during hypocaloric balance.

 

okay, so to be practical, simple examples are: 1/2-1 cup dry oats + 30-50g dex (OR) 1/2 cup dry oats + 40g dex + 1 banana. these are just 2 examples out of many possibilities. i see nothing wrong with using high-moderate to high-GI carbs other than dex/malto, as long as the average GI of the combo is near or greater than 70. nitpicky theoretics aside, anything 65 or above on the GI scale (like the thinly rolled plain oats which people mistakenly think is in the low GI category) will likely have very similar real-world effectiveness as higher-GI choices. but remember, this is a discussion of optima, thus, we are scrutinizing the minutia and elucidating what might provide the edge.

---- as little fat as possible is best postworkout, because you don't want to blunt insulin output at this point.

---- milk considerations: whether or not you add milk to your postworkout shake depends upon personal preference and tolerance. the cons of milk are that many folks have some degree of lactose intolerance or milk allergy, and therefore are excluded from the possibility. the pros of milk postworkout are that it's highly insulinogenic, contains 6g dex per cup, and is a potent anabolic/anticatabolic substance that has outperformed whey in human research thus far.

 

scenario two: ASAP postworkout - a solid-food meal consisting of:

---- 30-60g protein (0.25g/lb target BW) in the form of lean flesh, all types are fine, 5-8oz suffices.

---- 60-120g high-moderate to high-GI polysaccharide carbs (0.5g/lb target BW), good examples are white or brown rice (yes most brown rice is high-GI), and all types of potatoes & breads. my bias and preference here is to include a serving of higher-glucose fresh fruit, such as grapes, banana, or pineapple - for micronutrient/antioxidant purposes as well as extra glucose (we should all know by now that the fructose contribution of fruit, at 4-7g on average per serving, is insignificant). another wrinkle to add here is that berries as a group have more antioxidant potential than other fruits. this confers benefit despite their lower concentration of glucose compared to grapes, pineapples, & bananas. so, don't worry if you choose other fruit than the higher-glucose ones postworkout; you're still winning out in the antioxidant arena.

---- water or milk, pick your poison.. a word about fruit juice: while i am not against small amounts of fructose from whole fruit for maintaining/replenishing liver glycogen, fruit juice on the other hand tends to cross the line of excess in terms of fructose, and you miss out on much of the beneficial phytochemicals & oxygen radical suppressors in whole fruit.

---- once again, keep fat to a minimum.

 

now.. can you exceed 120g carbs or 60g protein postworkout? of course! your training program, body mass, & physiology may actually scream for it. this is merely a point of reference for the masses to digest, absorb, & process accordingly (gotta love corny nutrition puns). for the few competitive endurance athletes who might read this, consider the rather whopping 1.0g/lb a starting point for your postworkout carb intake. protein need is sufficiently met with the standard guideline of 0.25g/lb.

 

POST-POSTWORKOUT

 

OBJECTIVE

 

The theoretics of the post-post are a bit more unclear than the post, but suffice it to say that within 3 hours postworkout, you still have a markedly elevated need & opportunity to fight catabolism & segue into net anabolism, taking advantage of the lingering demand for recovery tactics. the timing of this meal is really dependent upon the size & magnitude of your immediate postworkout meal or shake, but to simplify things, try to have it within 2-3 hours of the latter shake/meal. This might not be possible for folks who work out at night close to bedtime, but don't sweat it. as long as your nutrition was sound prior to this point, you're fine.

 

COMPOSITION

 

my recommendation is to have a balanced full-sized solid meal of similar construction to the aforementioned solid-food preworkout meal. except at this point, your physiology still welcomes high-moderate and high-GI carbs -- but you need not necessarily omit fiber & unsaturated fat as your should in the immediate post period. it's my guess that moderate-GI choices will suffice for most metabolisms at this point.

 

and there you have it... good luck & happy training, everyone.

 

i like this article..thanks enka

 

I'm surprised men's health posted something truthful...

 

To expound on this, stretching before strength training makes your muscles more pliable, you want your muscles tight in order to lift properly and ensure proper power.

 

The proper warmup you need would be is to elevate your body temperature and raise your heart rate

 

actually mens health mags are never full of BS, some you may wanna question, but most of the contents in them are written and prescribed by certified people in their fields..personally, id rather read/buy MH than MF, Ironman, etc etc (although at times i would buy them on sale just to check out their bikini/lingerie issues or scanning for stuff)

 

just my two cents