Monday, October 28, 2013

Can Planks Help with Pushup Form

When the hips sag during the performance of a push up, it is most definitely an indicator of poor core strength and the ability to stabilize the mid-section.  In this case, it points to rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus weakness. 

Core strength and the ability to stabilize must be improved before moving on to any other loading/strength building exercises.  Proceeding before the core is strong enough to stabilize the body during exercise can lead to injury.

The plank is definitely a great exercise to deal with core weakness.  It holds the core in an isometric contraction, just what is needed to better perform a push up, specifically.  Gradually work up the reps and duration of the plank, until you can perform your target number of push ups without hip sag.

As well other, abdominal and core exercises can be used to address the underlying weakness.  I'd suggest mixing things up to prevent boredom.  The requisite core strength should quickly improve, allowing other strength building exercises, including the push up, to be added to your routine, within a matter of weeks. 

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Is it True that Deadlifts Don't Build Mass?

There are many variables to consider when answering this question, If you're lifting heavy, that is in the 1 to 5 rep range, the deadlift is going to involve most of the muscles in both the posterior chain and the core.  The heavy weight is going to do a lot to strengthen the myofibrils in both of those groups, even though some of them will go through a very abbreviated range of motion and some of them will even be restricted to an isometric contraction. That myofibril stimulation is definitely going to create some increased mass as well as increased strength.

Higher rep deadlifts, in the 10 to 15 range, or even higher, with a greater time under tension, are going to stimulate more of the muscle sarcoplasm and create a lot of muscle burn along the way.  That's going to result in even more mass in the involved muscle groups. 

In both cases, the deadlift is one of the best exercises for inducing exogenous hormone production, because of the percentage of total body muscle mass involved.  Higher testosterone and HGH production is going to help with overall mass.

I think the deadlift is super exercise for overall body mass and I always keep one version or another in my routine.  Just like all of my exercises, I vary the rep ranges, number of sets, speed of reps, grip and foot placement, over several workouts or, to a smaller degree, within a single workout.

If you haven't tried them give them a trial.  Experimentation and finding out what works for you, not the other guys in the gym, is the key to continued progress.
 

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Should I Stay Away frm GMOs

In practical terms, its very difficult to stay away from GMOs, even if you want to.  This is especially true in the United States where labeling is not compulsory.  As well, many processed foods may contain GMO derived ingredients, even when the predominant makeup of the item may be GMO free.

Most studies will tell you that GMO's are safe as well, basically stating that from a physiological perspective, they are processed and used by the body exactly the same as a non-GMO based food.

At the same time, as we learn about the synergistic effects of many of the constituents of whole foods, we have to speculate that a missing or changed piece of the product, no matter how small, may have an adverse effect, especially in the long-term.  One only has to look at environmental chemicals where we are beginning to discover that the threshold at which the body is effected, is often far less than current regulatory standards. Although not completely analogous to the situation with chemicals, the molecular make-up of the entirety of a GMO based product may give rise to similar concerns.

Were you to ask me even a year ago, I'd say don't worry about it.  Now, I do indeed buy non-GMO based foods whenever I can.

 

Monday, October 21, 2013

When Should I Eat my Carbs?

I am a firm believer that every meal should have a balance of all three macronutruents.  I am not a strict adherent of "Zone Diet" percentages, but I do think that ther are hormonal advantages to including protein, carbs and fats in every feeding.

As implied by that statement, I never recommend going super low or no carb.  It just makes you miserable, makes training with intensity much harder, and is just not necessary for shedding fat.

That said, the most important time to get adequate carbs into your system is post-workout.  There really is a window of opportunity, at the cellular level, where you can more rapidly and completely replenish muscle glycogen to set you up for your next work out.

Personally, my biggest infusion of daily carbohydrate intake is immediately post-workout, with a second dose as part of  regular meal about an hour later.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

What Supplements Do I Take and Why?

 
Before answering the question, I'd like to provide a few caveats.  Supplement use can be expensive, supplements don't always work as advertised, and they can sometimes be outright dangerous or unhealthy.

First, the supplements I will be listing seem to work for me and their benefit outweighs their cost, to me.  Others may not have the same reactions to the supplements that I do and their ability to pay for them may differ from mine.

Second, I am taking dosages which my research and practice says are safe for me.  Others need to do their own research on appropriate dosages and satisfy for themselves that the supplements are safe.  I will say that nothing I take is on the USADA, IOC, or NCAA banned product list, at this time. I never take anything that directly effects the endocrine system.

Third, some of the products I use have good clinical results backing their efficacy.  Others have more mixed results, but they "seem" to work for me.

Fourth, and most importantly, until you have your workout/training protocols and day-to-day diet "nailed," don't bother with supplements.  You'll be wasting your money.  Collectively, these supplements provide a 5-10% improvement to my efforts, in my subjective estimation.  As well, unless you are a competitive athlete, most supplements just don't make sense.  Eat right and exercise consistently for 90%+ of the results you're looking for.

That said:

At breakfast I take:
  1. Whey (24 grams of protein) to promote muscle growth/good clinical backing
  2. Beta Alanine (1.5 grams) to promote muscle growth and buffer lactic acid for extended sets/ good to excellent clinical backing
  3. Quercetin (800 mgs) to promote cellular energy and anti-oxidant effects/ mixed clinical backing
  4. CoQ10 (ubiquinal 100 mgs) to promote mental functioning and cellular energy/mixed clinical backing
  5. Vitamin D3 (1000 IUs) for overall health and immune system functioning/ fair clinical backing
  6. SMS (1000 mgs) to promote joint and tendon health and healing/ little clinical backing
  7. Multi-vitamin/mineral tablet (brand and dosages vary) dietary insurance/ mixed clinical backing

Pre-workout I take:
  1. BCAA's (7.5 grams) to promote muscle growth, provide immediate energy, and reduce exercise induced catabolism and cortisol production/ good clinical backing
  2. Whey (36 grams of protein)
  3. Caffeine (80 milgrams) to provide mental focus and energy/ good clinical backing
  4. Beta Alanine (1.5 grams)
  5. Fish oil (1000 mgs) for overall health/ good clinical backing
  6. Creatine (5 grams) to increase muscle growth and immediate power production/ excellent clinical backing

Post workout I take:
  1. Whey (36 grams)
  2. Creatine (5 grams)
  3. Magnesium to balance electrolytes lost during exercise and improve immune function/ good clinical backing
  4. Salt (.25 tsp) to restore electrolyte balance/ good clinical backing
  5. BCAAs (7.5 grams)

With my evening/bedtime meal I take:
  1. Casein (24 grams of protein) to prevent overnight muscle catabolism/ good clinical backing
  2. BCAA's (7.5 grams)
  3. D3 (1000 IUs)
  4. CoQ10 (100 mgs)
  5. SMS (1000 mgs)
  6. Quercetin (800 mgs)
  7. Fish oil (1000 mgs)
  8. ZMA (200 mgs) to promote high quality sleep/ good clinical backing
As you can see that's a lot of stuff.  I'm spending over $200 per month on supplements.  For most folks, it's just not worth it.  Buy better groceries.

If you must do something, I'd start with the whey, add the creatine, then D3,  then the fish oil.



Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Are Smith Machines Good for Incline Presses?


It sounds like your gym offers few alternatives to the smith machine for directly hitting the upper pec.  Like you,  I prefer dumbells for inclines, as they afford more freedom of movement, something I always look for because of my history of rotator cuff issues.

Still, the smith machine will allow you to do what needs to be done.  You can directly hit the upper pecs using a variety of grip spacings, incline settings, rep ranges, and rep speeds.  Focus on what you can do and don't lament what is not available.  Make sure to hit your chest from other angles as well, and you're good to go. Work hard and work consistently, and you'll get the job done.

Truly, where there's a will, there's a way.  Good luck.