Archive for January, 2011

Jan-26-2011

7 MUSCLE BUILDING MYTHS

Muscle Building Nutrition Myth #1: Eating Like A Pro Bodybuilder.

Let’s face it, your not Jay Cutler or Branch Warren.  If you are 275 lbs of pure muscle you don’t need to be taking advice from me.

So my question is this, why are you taking advice and reading articles on guys that weigh 275 lbs of muscle, that use “other” Supplements to aid in their muscle building.  Why would you take advice from them?  You shouldn’t!

So from now on forget buying Muscle Magazines that are filled with advertising promising you results like that pro’s that you will NEVER GET.  From now on it’s all about HONESTY and what WORKS.

So forget the Muscle Magazines and the pro’s advice.  What works for them will not work for you.  This alone will save you countless hours and thousands of hard earned dollars.

Muscle Building Nutrition Myth #2: The More Protein You Eat The More Muscle You Will Buildsaturated fat1 7 Muscle Building Nutrition Myths

This is a tricky one.  Yes protein is required to build muscle, always is and always will be, BUT just eating more and more protein won’t always cause you to keep building muscle.  There are MANY other factors that contribute to building lean rock hard muscle.

If you are one of these people that think taking a scoop of protein post workout will solve all your muscle building problems, you couldn’t be further from the truth.

Protein is important, but far more important is the PROPER COMBINATION of Proteins with other foods.  Protein timing is the key to keep building muscle & losing fat (yes this can be done at the same time).

Protein impacts muscle building & fat loss more than anything else, but it’s all about the TIMING & COMBINATION of protein with other foods that makes it work like magic.

You will also learn why some proteins are FAR superior choices for building muscle than others.  All proteins are not created equal.

Muscle Building Nutrition Myth #3: More Calories = More Muscle                       4366388288 e98347eb44 7 Muscle Building Nutrition Myths

I used to be one of those bulky guys you see in the gym.  I used to eat 4000-5000 calories a day, I read everything the pros told me, I followed it to the letter.

I got fat!

Look when it comes to building muscle there is an “Optimal Calorie Range”.  Where you can build quality muscle and even lose fat.  But the key isn’t to just bail more calories.  The key is to get the RIGHT calories at the RIGHT TIMES!

This can separate you from being big and fat, to being LEAN & MUSCULAR!

The Secret to Achieving Rapid Muscle Gain Without? Adding Fat is Nutrient Combining & TIMING!

This Is Your KEY To Building Lean Muscle.

When I first employed this system I was utterly astounded at the results.

countless competitors, athletes and just normal every day people looking to build more muscle and lose fat and when these key components are put in place fat disappears and lean muscle starts to grow.  This isn’t magic, it’s just good Nutrition Principles.

Muscle Building Nutrition Mistake #4: Relying on Supplements & Protein Powders

Let me be very clear on something.  I am a “Supplement Guy”.  I LOVE SUPPLEMENTS!  Always have and always will, I am proud of this. It’s my business and my passion, BUT Supplements are meant to add that 10-20% extra, they aren’t meant to replace GOOD NUTRITION.protein powder 7 Muscle Building Nutrition Myths

I have been saying this to my customers and clients for years now and I will always say it!

Supplements are just that, SUPPLEMENTS!

There are lot’s of supplements that work, but also remember there are LOTS of Supplements that are junk!  It is always best to spend money first on Quality Nutrition and then add in the Supplements that are needed.

Without a good nutritional base you are doomed to fail.  The newest pre workout or product of the month will NOT help you Build Muscle UNLESS Your Nutrition bases are covered.

When I was a teenager I had very little appetite and  lived off protein powders, it was one of the reasons I actually started my Supplement Company.  The problem is without good old fashion FOOD protein powders (and all supplements) won’t work nearly as well as they should!  You need a GOOD NUTRITONAL BASE.  This is always the most important aspect of Building Muscle & Losing Fat.

90% of the Bodybuilding Supplements you take will work MUCH BETTER If YOU Have A SOLID NUTRITION PLAN!

Muscle Building Nutrition Mistake #5: You Must Eat Every Three Hours

This is going to go against everything you read in ALL the Muscle Magazines.  The myth that you need to eat every 3 hours to build muscle.

Yes eating every three hours can help, but it isn’t essential, and honestly it’s a big pain in the butt!  This concept was actually created by one of the top Supplement Guru’s to sell Meal Replacement Shakes (Genius concept all the same).
Eating frequently does work, but it isn’t essential.  I will actually show you how FASTING will actually help you BUILD MUSCLE (Blasphemy I know). In my book I will teach you how STRUCTURED FASTING periods will help you Build Muscle AND Lose Fat!

Eating Every 3-4 Hours Isn’t Nearly as Important As WHAT you EAT and WHEN You Eat It!

Muscle Building Nutrition Mistake #6: Low Fat Diets Are The Best For Staying Lean & Building Muscle

This has to be one of the biggest myths in Nutrition today.  Fats are ESSENTIAL for Building Muscle!  Yes fat.  ??Good fats impact hormones in your body, which plays a huge role in Building Muscle & Losing Fat.  Get the right balance of fats in your body and the following things happen.

  • Body Fat Disappears (no joke)
  • Reduced Joint Pain
  • Reduced Inflammation
  • Improved Memory, Concentration & Mood
  • Improved Testosterone Levels (this is crucial in building muscle)
  • Cholesterol Improves
  • Hunger Stabilizes

Low fat diets work, but it isn’t optimal!  Anyone can get lean eating egg whites and cans of tuna.  But you can’t LIVE THIS WAY!

Muscle Building Nutrition Mistake #7: Low Carb Diets Work

Here is the deal, low carb diets don’t work  It’s a band aid on a bleeding wound type solution.  We live in a society loaded with Carbohydrate foods, go too long without them and you will get the worst cravings ever.  How do I know? Because I have done Atkins & Ketogenic diets, I know how they work and I know how hard they are.

Aside from Keto diets being hard, they SUCK at building Muscle!  Who wants to be lean and look like skin & bones!  We are talking about Building Muscle here, and Carbs are NEEDED to build Muscle!

So there are 7 quick muscle building nutrition myths.

This article is by Rob Smith.  I found this article very interesting.  For the most part I agree with the stuff here.  Always consult with your doctor before taking on any nutrition or exercise program.

Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting
Jan-17-2011

3 FOODS YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD TO YOUR DIET

This was a great article from a guy I follow.  Hope you enjoy this post.

Hey I hope your training is going awesome!

1. Almond MilkBlue Diamond Almond Milk 071A71F1 3 Foods You Should Be Eating

Yes imagine milk from almonds!  I have no idea how to get milk from almonds, nor do I really care.  All I care about is that this stuff is awesome and a MUCH better option over dairy milk (which I am not a big fan of for many reasons).

Along with numerous benefits the taste of almond milk is just awesome.  I really recommend you give it a try.  There are 2 versions, Sweetend and Unsweetened.  If you are trying to get lean and watching your sugars go unsweetened.  If you have a great metabolism and are trying to put on some muscle a little bit of sugar is fine so enjoy it.

Almond Milk Benefits (taken from http://www.sweetadditions.net/food-drinks/almond-milk-benefits-and-side-effects)

  • Almond milk is good source of magnesium. It can help to break down the food into energy. It can also help in the functioning of the parathyroid glands, which produce hormones that are known to be good for bone health.
  • Also, almond milk is loaded with manganese, selenium and Vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects the cell membranes. Selenium is good for our immune system; it helps in reproduction, and in the metabolism of thyroid. It also prevents cell damage as well as tissue damage.
  • It is packed with unsaturated fat, which means that it can reduce the risk of heart disease.
  • As almonds are rich in protein, they help the body with growth and repair. It is also a great way to boost your daily carbohydrate intake. An ounce of this nut can provide the body with about 12% of its protein needs.
  • Almond skins are a good source of flavonoids, which are good for cardiovascular health. They can protect your heart from various heart diseases.
  • Manganese can activate the enzymes in the body. Manganese and phosphorous can keep teeth and bones healthy.
  • Almonds are rich source of potassium which can help to improve heart function and to maintain normal blood pressure.
  • Almonds milk does not contain cholesterol and saturated fats. It has high levels of vitamin E and unsaturated fats.
  • Almond milk has zero fiber.
  • 8 oz (237ml) of almond milk contains 70 calories, 2gm protein, 10gm carbohydrates and 2.5 gm fat: 2.5g

In other words Almond Milk is awesome and you should be drinking it.  I love it now!

2. Ezekiel Breadezekiel bread 3 Foods You Should Be Eating

Ezekiel Bread Benefits (Taken from http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-ezekiel-bread/)

Ezekiel bread refers to a type of sandwich bread containing completely no flour. Its ingredients include four beans and four grains. The key ingredients include barley, wheat, millet, pinto beans, kidney beans, rye or spelt and lentils. This distinctive ingredient combination provides several health benefits to the body.

1. Excellent protein source

The good combination of various grains present in Ezekiel bread provides vital amino acids and dietary fiber. This complete protein is required by the body for growth as well as development. It also makes a great addition to a vegetarian diet or a wheat free diet since it does not contain flour.

2. Great for losing weight

If you are currently in a weight loss program or you are simply looking to watch your diet, then you ought to start consuming the Ezekiel bread. This is because it has no trans fats and also no cholesterol. Eating this particular type of bread also enhances digestion because of the presence of dietary fiber

3. Benefits diabetics

As a result of the low GI (glycemic index) of Ezekiel bread, it is highly useful for people who require keeping their levels of blood sugar in check. Aside from that, this bread is not inclusive of any type of food flavors or other additives like corn syrup, which is high in fructose. It is undeniably organic bread and only contains low amounts of sodium.

4. Highly nutritious

Ezekiel bread also incorporates legumes while using a special type of baking process in order to preserve valuable nutrients. This bread is also very tasty and nutritious as well.

Ezekiel bre ad h

as a number of drawbacks also with one being that it has a very short shelf life. For that reason, it has to be kept in a fridge at all times, which might not always be possible.

I am not a big bread eater, but when I do eat bread it is generally some form of Ezekiel Bread.

3. SpinachSpinach 3 Foods You Should Be Eating

OK I Hate salads.  If you didn’t read that let me say it again, I  HATE SALADS!  For the longest time I couldn’t eat salads, actually still can only eat them with berries added.  I hate spinach, however I found a way to eat it and not even notice or taste it!

Guess how I eat my spinach?

I blend it!

Yes its true, and I don’t even notice it!

Here is my typical post workout shake

2-3 hand fulls of spinach
2-3 hand fulls of frozen mixed berries
20-30 g of BCAA’s
1 Banana
1 Teaspoon of cinnamon
Sometimes almond milk or sometimes just cold water with ice
All blended in the Magic Bullet
(Generally I will have this 10-15 minutes after taking a pre workout shake like Size On)

Benefits of spinach : (Copied from http://www.naturally-healthy-eating.com/benefits-of-spinach.html)

  1. This is a very nutrient-dense food. It’s low in calories yet very high in vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients. When you consume this healthy food, you don’t need to worry about your weight-loss diet as you take in abundant, good-for-you nutrients.This leafy green is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, folate, manganese, iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B2, potassium, and vitamin B6. It’s a very good source of protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc, dietary fiber, and copper. Plus, it’s a good source of selenium, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids.
  2. One of the benefits of spinach is that this green is readily available, nearly all over the world. Even though, with its abundant nutrient profile, it sounds like an amazing super food, it’s still easy to find in the market or easy to grow. In addition, it’s affordable.
  3. This is a versatile food. It can be eaten raw in a salad (and is much more nutritious than iceberg lettuce) or a green smoothie. Or it can be cooked (lightly, please) and eaten as a dish on its own or added to soups and other dishes. If boiling, use the least amount of water possible for the shortest time.
  4. Spinach is loaded with flavonoids which act as antioxidants, protecting the body from free radicals. Researchers have discovered at least 13 different flavonoid compounds that act as anti-cancer substances. The various nutrients offer much in the way of disease protection.Remember Popeye? He squeezed those cans of spinach into his mouth and instantly developed muscles and super strength. Well, he also may have been protecting himself against various illnesses and conditions.
  5. Another of the benefits of spinach is that this is a heart-healthy food. It’s an outstanding source of vitamins C and A which are antioxidants that help reduce free radical amounts in the body. The antioxidants work to keep cholesterol from oxidizing. In addition, folate is good for a healthy cardiovascular system, as well as magnesium, a mineral that helps to lower high blood pressure.
  6. Gastrointestinal health can be guarded by eating more of this food. The beta-carotene and vitamin C work to protect the cells of the body’s colon from the harmful effects of free radicals. Also, DNA damage and mutations in colon cells may be prevented by the folate that’s present in this green leafy vegetable.
  7. Some conditions that are identified as inflammatory, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, migraine headaches, and asthma, may be helped because of the anti-inflammatory properties of some of the nutrients found in spinach.
  8. Studies have shown that consumption of green leafy vegetables such as spinach may slow the age-related decline in brain function. So, eat your greens and keep working those crossword puzzles to keep your brain young and agile.
  9. Have you heard of lutein? It’s a carotenoid found in spinach that is protective against eye diseases such as age-related cataracts and macular degeneration. There is some indication that it might be absorbed better if you eat it with a little fat, such as a small amount of olive oil, or the food that you’re eating it with may contain some fat.
  10. The mineral iron is particularly important for menstruating women and growing children and adolescents. In comparison to red meat, spinach provides a lot less calories, is fat and cholesterol free, and an excellent source of iron. Because iron is a component of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to all body cells, it’s needed for good energy.

There you have it.  3 foods that can make a huge difference in your fitness goals.  No matter if your building muscle, losing fat, trying to get healthier it doesnt matter.  I strongly suggest you start using these 3 and let me know how you find it.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 6th, 2011 at 3:05 pm and is filed under Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted by Rob King | in Nutrition | 13 Comments

Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting
Jan-11-2011

3 Steps For Your First Day In The Gym

When you first join a gym, it can be an intimidating jungle of cardio and weight machines, dumbbell racks, big balls, little balls, elastic bands and cables – along with a workout posters, personal trainers and fitness classes. Don’t let this stress you! Instead, use your first day as a time to experiment. Here are 3 quick and dirty tips for your first day at the gym:

1: Begin with the cardio equipment. Try the treadmill for 2-4 minutes, familiarizing yourself with the interface and buttons. Then try a couple different kinds of bicycles and see what type of seat heights and positions are comfortable for you. Move on to the elliptical trainer, stairclimber and rowing machine, experimenting with each to see what type of positions are “do-able” and whether anything hurts.
2:Next, go familiarize yourself with the weight room. Look at the pictures on the sides of weight machines that show you how to do exercises.

Learn the layout of where the free weights, machines and cables are located, along with the water fountain, disinfectant and cleaning towels, and bathroom.
3:Finally, once you know what is available at your gym and where everything is located, choose one workout plan and stick to it. You don’t have to have the perfect plan to exercise

GFG

Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting
Jan-9-2011

The 7 Principles And You

Training discussions often turn to which method or program is the best.  And there are a lot of programs out there, too.  So deciding which one can generate progress can sometimes be a daunting task.  And even if it’s not that bad for you, figuring out how to apply it, or if there is a better way can be a challenge even to seasoned coaches.

The thing is whenever we evaluate programs to decide how good they are, we can always come back to the Seven Fundamental Principles to help point us in the right direction.  These aren’t the only principles and they also aren’t always applied equally, but we can use it as a yardstick of sorts to measure programs.  I didn’t invent these principles – they are based in scientific observation collected over the last 60+ years.

What I would like to do is go through each principle, discuss it, and also show you some practical application for it.  If you think this is too elementary for you, then you aren’t looking deep enough.

#1:  Overload Principle

Most Powerlifters will be familiar with this one.  If you want to improve your performance, you must overload past what you have already done.  This means training stress gradually climbs over time.  Greater volumes, intensities, and frequencies all will happen over the years in a well programmed training plan.  If it’s done right, this should pose little problem to recovery because your recuperative systems will be strengthened as you develop as well.

The only time when recovery becomes excessively difficult is when either the body is not properly prepared for advanced training or when the athlete is so advanced that their body cannot keep up with training demands.  The latter is actually a very rare case among powerlifters.

#2:  Overcompensation Principle

This principle states that if your body is stressed, once given the chance to repair itself it will recover to a higher state of fitness than it was previously at.  This is how we go from benching 300 pounds to 400 pounds and so on.  Over time, our bodies overcompensate in an attempt to make training less “stressful”.

Let’s say your 1RM is 350.  If you lift 90% of your max (315), your body sees that as stressful.  So it increases your maximum capability to 355.  Now 315 is only 88%… less stressful than before.  This principle goes hand in hand with the Overload principle because at this point, you would need to increase the training load in order to continue making progress.

#3:  Use / Disuse Principle

If you’ve ever heard someone say, “use it or lose it,” then this is probably what they were talking about.  It’s pretty simple, yet also rather profound.  This has the obvious implications that if you want to keep the size of the muscles you’ve worked hard to achieve, then you’d better continue to train them.  But it also applies to skills and strengths, too.

If you develop good squat technique, you’d better continue to use it or else it will fade away just like any other physical trait.  If you put in time to develop a superb jumping ability, then stop jump training, you will lose that too.

#4 Specificity Principle

Again, a relatively simple concept.  Your body will develop skills and abilities in a specific manner to the way in which you are trained.  What this means – if you want to be a better runner, then run, don’t bike.  If you want to be a better lifter, then lift, don’t rely aerobics.  Pretty simple, right?

This applies to iron sports in a way that hits home for a lot of guys.  If you want to be a better deadlifter, then deadlift.  Don’t rely on squats or good mornings.  Your body will develop the skills that you train it to develop and NOT the skills that you don’t train it to develop.

#5 SAID Principle

SAID stands for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands.  This is highly related to the Specificity Principle, though SAID focuses more on the physiological structures.  That means that if you want to be more explosive, then train explosively.  This will lead to a host of cellular adaptations and modifications that will help you become more explosive.  The same goes with Aerobic Endurance, maximum strength, and any other physical ability that can be trained.

#6 GAS Principle

GAS stands for General Adaptation Syndrome.  It is an application of Hans Seyle’s research on the stress response.  He found that there are three stages in response to stress.  The initial stage is the Alarm stage where functional abilities decline for a brief period.  This stage is followed by Resistance, where the body resists the stressor.  Then, if the stressor persists, the body falls into exhaustion and in extreme circumstances, death.

This applies to training in that when we stress our bodies (train), it must be followed by low stress periods to allow for recovery.  If we don’t, we continue to push past “resistance” and into exhaustion.

#7 Individual Differences

This principle states that each individual will respond somewhat differently to the training process.  What is high volume to one person may be low volume to another and so on.  This is a specialty of RTS – catering to the law of individual differences.  Recognize these differences and systematize a way to account for them and then this principle has been optimized.

So how does your favorite program stack up?  Give it an honest assessment.  Has your program adhered to the Specificity and SAID principles?  Has it respected the GAS principle?  If so, then you’re off to a good start.  It is at this time that you could look to more advanced principles such as accommodation, laws of diminishing returns, periodization, etc.  But those more advanced principles won’t have much of an effect if you don’t have your foundation in order.

Of course, you could always have a professional coach take care of the application of such principles for you.  Then you can be sure that each principle is optimized for you, thus generating the best possible program for you at that time.

These principles do need to be accounted for in the training process or it is just left to chance.  And in that case, chances are it will end up wrong.  If the application of these principles seems a little too high-minded for you, ask some questions.  After all, we’re trying to create better training methods and that hinges on our understanding of training principles.

RTS

Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting
Jan-9-2011

When Should You Drink Sports Drinks

It’s pretty difficult to walk into a gym or a sporting event and not see sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade. Originally, these drinks were designed for serious athletes in the throes of sweat, sodium-depleting competition–but now they’re sold as high-calorie, sodium-laden beverages to fairly sedentary people. So, when should you drink a sports drink? There are two scenarios:

When dehydration is a risk. If you’re running a marathon, doing a triathlon, skiing for the day, or spending 5 hours gardening in hot weather, a sports drink can give you electrolytes and fluids to help keep your muscles from cramping, and give you plenty of sugar to keep you from collapsing.
When you need quick energy. If you’ve just pulled into the gym in your car and realize you haven’t eaten in 5 hours, then drinking a sports drink and doing your exercise routine is more beneficial than going home without any physical activity at all.
If you don’t fall into one of these two categories, the excess sugar and salts in a sports drink is not doing your waistline, blood pressure or diabetes risk any favors.

Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting
Jan-9-2011

Give it a Rest! Breaking away from the Big 3…

When should you take a break from training the “Big Three” Lifts (Press, Squat and Deadlift)? Or, do you hang on to them with such sacredness as the farmer hangs onto his tools, or the preacher man hangs on to his Bible?  I know how dogmatic Powerlifters can be about their training.   The more time I spend around Powerlifters, the more I see them training the Big Three lifts with no significant break or rotation of them.

As I’ve seen time and time again, benchers don’t like to get off the bench, and squatters don’t like to lay off the squats.  But this is exactly what a lifter should do every 8-12 weeks of training heavy with these lifts.  The following are recommendations or suggestions on how to take breaks from your primary lifts, in order to rest your body and make better strength gains down the road.

My recommendations are based on two very important scientific principles in training – Specificity and Periodization.  Whether you are a runner, a swimmer, or for our discussion, a lifter, Specificity (training specifically with the sport/exercise as the focus) is highly applicable.  The second principle I mentioned is Periodization, a concept developed by a swimming coach of all sports! Here in the good ‘ol USA back in the early 1960′s. The concept of Periodization is to strategize long term training and exercises for a given sport.  Eastern Block coaches pioneered this theory and ran with it!  I know first hand of having the pleasure of my mentor, Professor Spassov (currently at the University of Texas and the former strength coach of Bulgaria), discuss in detail the history of Periodization  at NSCA Strength Training Clinics.  The Eastern European coaching community quickly learned that the body’s endocrine system, under heavy stress and continuous training of a given lift/sport would burn out after approximately 8-16 weeks. Knowing this, it became important to change the training variables of intensity,volume and selection of exercise/sport, so the theory of Periodization made sense, as it allowed the lifter to train in some other fashion without losing strength.

So, how do we apply these principles to Powerlifting?  We do so by cycling off the “Big Three” lifts for 8 weeks or so, and substituting those exercises with the following:

Bench Press substitutes: Incline Bench Press, Machine Bench Press or Dumbell Bench Press.
•    Do not train with any low reps – use a higher number of reps (10+)
•    By using higher reps, this will necessitate lower intensity (approximately 70%)
•    After 3-4 weeks it will be wise to lower to a 8 rep scheme/5% greater intensity

Squats Substitutes: Step Up squat, One Leg squat, Hack squats or simply machine leg exercises such as a leg press.  As a rule, it must be a basic leg exercise that involves at least two joints (knee & hip joints).
•    Apply the training reps and intensity as mentioned above
•    Step Ups are considered a great substitute for the Back squat, because it works the legs very well without placing heavy stress on the lower back.  This exercise came highly recommended by Professor Spassov himself.

DeadLift Substitute: Power Cleans (light weight), Modified Olympic Lifts (Hang Snatch, Clean/Press)
•    Apply low intensity (65-75%)
•    Lift a percentage of body weight – 50-75% of bodyweight is good measure
•    Keep reps at 5-10

If these lifts are new to you they may seem awkward – don’t get discouraged!  Take the time to learn the new lifts because they will add new strength to the deadlift.  Since the body develops faster reaction time from such lifts, this will enable the weight to be pulled more effectively off the ground when performing the deadlift.  Note: Strong Man/Wrestler Mark Henry became a successful deadlifter by building a foundation of strength by first being an Olympic lifter under Professor Spassov’s guidance and training.

How long do I stay off Powerlifting exercises?  Good question!  Based on personal experience and training other lifters, the same amount of time devoted to the primary lifts should equal the time off.  At a minimum, this should be six weeks.  I have managed to peak with a Bench Press Program in 8 weeks using a intricate set/rep scheme and then laying off for 8 weeks.

I know what you’re thinking…If I lay off my Powerlifts I will lose my strength gains!!  Well, the answer is Yes and No.

Initially, the body will welcome the change of exercises and intensity, allowing those worn out adrenals to be re-strengthened.  Hopefully, the time off will also allow the body to heal any of those nagging injuries, and your mind will also feel refreshed as well.  Another encouraging fact is that once you cycle back onto the “Big Three” lifts, you will be able to regain the strength you had at your peak just two to four weeks into your training.  This will be a good sign your body is on the right track!

One can certainly appreciate the dedication of the Powerlifter, and again this year I saw some impressive performances.  There are always skilled, talented athletes who perform well.  To become such a performer, for long term gains in strength and to minimize burn out or injuries, lay off the Big Three lifts for the appropriate time, and create a workout program in the interim that will maintain one’s strength, or in some cases help compliment your next training cycle.

I hope this article, leaves you with some information to work with for long term training planning.

Reactive Training Systems

Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting