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December 2013

Most men, with little nutritional knowledge, seek out high protein foods in the meat, poultry and fish families, unaware of the fact that once these products have been exposed to the heat of cooking, much of their muscle-building properties have been lost. Does this surprise you? It shouldn't. You are well aware that a raw carrot is more nutritious than a cooked one; the same principle applies to meat. Baking, roasting, broiling or frying meat distorts its amino acid pattern, so that it is less than desirable. If you have ever been to the zoo at feeding time, you will note that the animals are fed only raw food. The reason, of course, being that raw food has all of the elements necessary to sustain life. "Eat raw meat - he must be daft," I can hear you muttering. No, you are not expected to sit down to a plate of raw steak or fish and attempt to consume it, but you should include much raw food - just about everything except meat, should be consumed raw.

Civilized people have gotten away from the basics of good nutrition because of their reliance on convenience foods. Everything they eat is either precooked, overcooked or prepared. They fail to realize that these types of foods make no contribution to health and muscle but merely fill the stomach until the next meal. Raw food nourishes better, contributes to increased strength, revives weak or ailing organs and even eliminates bacteria and poisons from the body. Most men on a diet of exclusively cooked foods dose themselves with all kinds of supplements, when all they may require is an increase in the amount of raw foods eaten. Food supplements definitely have a place in the diet of the weightman but they should be subservient to good, wholesome raw foods. 

The energy to provide life and muscular growth comes from the sun, and green plants alone have the ability to capture this solar energy and pass it on to man and beast. Chlorophyll, the coloring matter of leaves, bears a striking resemblance to hemoglobin, the red pigment in human blood. Hemoglobin is composed of the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and iron while chlorophyll contains all of the same elements except iron, which is replaced by magnesium. If you want to be successful in the iron game, get in the habit of eating raw, green leafy vegetables a couple of times a day. They contain valuable enzymes, easy to assimilate vitamins and minerals and rare and hard to get amino acids which complete the amino acid pattern of the distorted pattern of heated proteins, such as milk, meat and eggs.

Being alkaline in reaction in the body, green leafy vegetables help to balance out a too-heavy diet of acid-forming protein foods. When you get that heavy, all pooped, achy feeling after a workout, start eating greens like they're going out of style. They will help you return to a normal state, which is more conducive to muscle growth and development. Raw greens also contain bulk or fiber, which becomes highly magnetized in its passage through the intestines, drawing from the body used-up tissues and cell wastes, acting like a broom and a vacuum cleaner. When cooked, the green leaves act more like a slimy slop, so it is obvious why the raw greens are greatly desirable to cooked ones. The chlorophyll in green leaves is reputed to aid in the stimulation of tissue growth and affect the heart beat in a positive nature.

How about a green drink after a workout? Place one cup raw or frozen (unsweetened) pineapple juice in your blender and add a mixture of two or more greens - first wash and remove course leaves and woody stems - collards, dandelion, alfalfa, parsley, lettuce, spinach or mint. Blend until finely ground; add two cups more of juice and strain after five minutes if you desire. This gives the enzymes time to release the chlorophyll. Avoid entirely or use only small quantities of the strong tasting greens such as water cress, radish or carrot tops.

Fresh fruit in season should be a regular part of your training table. A piece of fresh fruit at the end of a meal satisfies even the most voracious of appetites and is a perfect desert. Keep plenty of fresh fruit around the house and use it whenever you are inclined to nibble on something which you know is no good for you.

Seeds and nuts should also be a part of your new raw eating regime. They are tasty and provide much of the essential oils necessary for muscle growth, but they must be raw and kept under refrigeration else their oils turn rancid. Raw seeds (sunflower, sesame and pumpkin) and nuts (cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, filberts, Brazils and peanuts) have a delightful flavor and provide greater food values than when roasted. If you are sold on toasted nuts, you can fool your taste buds. Place one-third cup fresh raw nuts on a cookie sheet in oven at 250 degrees. Toast to golden brown. Place at once in a  covered jar with two-thirds cup raw nuts; all nuts will taste toasted. Another delicious way of eating raw nuts is to soak them for 24 hours in pineapple juice or milk in the refrigerator.

You may have difficulty including a great amount of raw food in your diet due to bad eating habits. Careful chewing and salivating may be skills that you have completely forgotten about.

You probably gobble your food, most people do. Eating in this way can perhaps be practiced with cooked food - at least trouble does not follow immediately - but it is impossible with raw food. Weak digestive organs cannot properly assimilate and use such food which has not been carefully broken up. Fermentation easily takes place in the intestines, gas and digestive upsets follow, and diarrhea is not at all uncommon, particularly in the case of those men who include little if any raw food in their daily diets.

If you have already had unfortunate experiences from eating raw fresh fruit, cucumbers, figs, etc., and have been warned by well-meaning friends and relatives against eating raw food, then such digestive troubles are, in your eyes, a confirmation of all your doubts and other people's warnings. You are convinced, no doubt, that your stomach cannot stand raw food. You then, who suffer from indigestion, need raw food and your digestive system will be able to handle it without any difficulty or discomfort if you just take it slow and easy.

If you smoke you may also have difficulty accustoming yourself to raw foods. It has been proven in numerous experiments that smoking causes an interference with the actions of the taste buds. The smoker may therefore not be able to discern the delicate flavors of the raw foods and may not enjoy them. Most cooked foods are prepared with sugar and salt, which totally overwhelm the taste buds and make them insensitive to natural flavors, which the smoker is unaware of because he generally salts and sugars his foods without even tasting them to see if they need seasoning. Most raw foods are eaten without seasoning and the smoker will find that his sense of taste returns shortly after giving up his addiction.

When it is possible, a diet consisting exclusively of raw fruit, vegetables and nuts should be arranged for a day or a number of days. The super feeling that you get on a diet of this type is astonishing and unfortunately practiced too little. Try setting aside one day each week in which you eat only raw fruit and/or vegetables and watch the difference it makes in your workouts and appearance.

By using a little intelligence many varied raw food dishes may be prepared with a minimum of bother and a maximum of nutritional value. They are remarkable for their pleasant taste and you will make them a daily part of your menu once you have tried them. Here is a favorite throughout the world. It is called Bircher Muesli. Grate one large apple, including the skin, core and seeds. Add on tablespoon ground nuts, one tablespoon wheat germ or rolled oats, juice of one lemon and one tablespoon of condensed milk or half and half. Stir and eat immediately. You can vary the basic fruit by using banana, dried fruit which has been soaked in water overnight, prunes or strawberries.

Muesli will make a perfect food around which to build your raw fruit day. If you find the quantities too small, merely increase them to meet your needs.

For breakfast have muesli, fresh fruit and a handful of cashews.

Lunch should consist of a raw salad, more fresh fruit and peanuts or almonds.

Dinner - have muesli again, a dish of raw vegetables and your choice of fruit.

We realize that this is a lot different from what you have been used to eating, but you have to think things out for yourself. There is so much false information and hypocrisy in the field of nutrition that no one knows who to believe anymore. Try this diet once in a while, you have much to gain and nothing to lose, and remember,

You are the final testing ground for all you read and hear about weight training and nutrition; it may work for someone else, but if after a fair trial it doesn't work for you, dump it and try something else. 

Many researchers believe that it is enzymes in raw food which make them so valuable. Enzymes are found in all living substances, plants, animals and soil life, and are destroyed by temperatures which exceed 120 degrees, that is approximately the point at which milk is maintained in order to pasteurize it. Each enzyme, and you have hundreds of thousands of them in your body, is an organized substance which contains vitamins, minerals and protein. Enzymes are intimately connected with all healing and regeneration. They aid digestive functions, in turn aiding assimilation and elimination. They break down complex foods into simple substances which can be absorbed by the body. No one knows how enzymes work, but fortunately, all that is necessary is for us to give the body the proper materials with which to work and it will do the rest.

Raw proteins are particularly important in enzyme systems, and magnesium is an important mineral because it activates more of the enzyme systems of the body than all other minerals combined. Magnesium is found only in unrefined foods and enzymes, which are only found in raw foods, are stored in the body for only short periods of time, thus requiring a regular and steady intake. To insure your intake of enzymes is adequate, try to eat over 50% of all your food raw. Increase that proportion, slowly, to 80 or 85%. Meat, dairy products and eggs should be your only cooked foods, everything else can be very easily eaten raw.


Next: For Weak Stomachs Only

"By the time I started bodybuilding at age 15, biceps were the most noticeable muscle group on my body, because that's what I had been flexing a lot. And my only arm work that first year was for biceps, because I didn't even know there was such a thing as triceps. We didn't have the magazines to read then - like people do over here - so I had little knowledge of training. Of course when you flex a muscle group so many thousands of times more than others, it is going to be better. By flexing my biceps so much I'd learned to control them more completely. My mind was right there in my biceps when I flexed them, and I could gain great control of my biceps before I ever touched a weight. This mink-link ability then translated into my bodybuilding when I began training with weights. When I did a curl, it felt special, because I could instantly feel blood rushing into the muscle.

"Because I adopted a certain favoritism toward the biceps at such an early age, they grew easily and got a little ahead of the rest of my body. But isn't the name of the game of bodybuilding at higher levels total body balance? I was defeating myself by having such comparatively mind-blowing biceps, because it threw my proportions out of balance. My triceps and forearms looked small in comparison.

"I kept my biceps training very hard but put more emphasis on triceps to bring them up. The plan was to get the right proportions and perfect symmetry. An intelligent bodybuilder will identify such weaknesses as I had in my early years and then work hard to bring these areas up to par. When he does this, he will eventually become a true champion. That is, of course, if he has certain potentials.

"While some have better growth rate potential than others, a more important heredity point is the shape of each bodybuilder's biceps. By being persistent, you can eventually build the size and quality needed to win titles, but if your biceps is naturally flat it is extremely difficult to build an incredible peak on it.

"From the very first, I had a natural peak, which became accentuated as I trained. I was blessed with round, football-shaped biceps, while others - like Sergio Oliva and Larry Scott - had natural length and fullness but not a great peak. Heredity causes the peak, but it doesn't cause a person to have a 20 inch arm. That comes from hard training."

Listening to Arnold talk one is quickly convinced that a powerful mind should be the base of every quarter inch of new muscle growth. "Throughout my bodybuilding career I was constantly playing tricks on my mind. This is why I began to think of my biceps as mountains, instead of flesh and blood. Thinking of my biceps as a mountain made my arms grow faster and bigger than if I'd seen them only as a muscle.

"When you think of biceps as merely a muscle, you subconsciously have a limit in your mind. When you limit yourself to that, it is very hard to get there, and nearly impossible to go beyond. But when you think about a mountain there is no mental limit to biceps growth, and then you have a chance of going beyond normal mental barriers.

"This is almost like a psychic phenomena of sport. They had the four-minute barrier in the mile run, for example, and nobody could beat that barrier, it seemed. But once Roger Bannister ran under a 4:00, everyone seemed to be doing it. Four minutes was just a mental barrier, and once broken, it no longer existed.

"I didn't want to set up any barriers in my arm training, because many years ago 18" was an arm barrier, then 19, then 20, which Leroy Colbert finally broke. These obstacles, these limits, are placed on you not by your body but by your mind. Thinking of mountains simply eliminated biceps barriers for me."

As Schwarzenegger was talking about arm barriers I personally found it difficult to believe that he had spent much time taking measurements, since most of the champions I've (Bill Reynolds) interviewed relied on the mirror to evaluate progress.

"It wasn't very often that I got out the tape, and that was usually when I was at my heaviest body weight. "Then, at 245-250, my upper arm measurement was at its largest.

"At times just before a competition I would measure my arm merely to see how much it had dropped in size from the strict dieting and consequent weight loss. Otherwise I didn't measure much, because I was at a stage of concentrating on my perfection rather than just size."

During his 'growing boy' days - when he was winning his first Mr. Universe title at 19 years of age - Arnold trained much differently than in his later competitive years. "For biceps I was always using the basic exercises - barbell curls, dumbbell curls - with heavy weights. In most workouts we would go up to 225 lbs in the barbell curl.

"This was a pretty strict movement, because I remember at the time doing cheating barbell curls with 275 for four reps. With 225 I would rest each repetition on my thighs for a moment, inhale and exhale, and then pull it up again, instead of just throwing the bar up and down.


Since bodybuilders of all experience levels read Muscle Builder, I wanted to elicit Arnold's training advice for beginners and intermediates, as well as for advanced men. "For beginners, I'd simply advise doing five sets of barbell curls and five sets of dumbbell curls, doing 10 total sets of 8-12 repetitions. Concentrate on a strict performance, and try to gain some strength. Experiment with different curling arcs, until you find the one that puts maximum resistance on your biceps. 

"Curling a weight strictly - like I've already described - is a difficult movement to make correctly, and I've rarely seen anyone take the time to learn to curl rights. Even the more advanced bodybuilders seem to curl the easiest way possible, instead of the harder, correct way.

"When a bodybuilder does the movement poorly - when he just swings the weight up any way he can get it to his shoulders - it's usually because the barbell or dumbbells he's using are too heavy. So he swings, hunches or horses the weight up. He may be using the wrong curling arc, too. It's letting the muscle find the easiest groove to get the weight to the top, but the bottom line isn't merely to get the barbell or dumbbells up to your shoulders. It is to put full resistance on your biceps."

Intermediates? "By the time you've been training a year or so, I'd look at your biceps development and determine where you have weak points. Then I'd give you a tailored program to bring these weaker areas of your biceps up to par. Maybe you'll have no weak points, but after a year it will be easy to see them if they are there.

"You can see if the biceps are shorter - this was the case with Franco Columbu who consistently fought the problem of a short biceps. Of course, he finally triumphed, but only after years of intelligent training to overcome the weakness. If you have a short biceps, I'd recommend a lot of preacher curls, as well as some burns at the start of each curling movement. In time, this will fill in the gaps somewhat between your biceps and the elbow.

   

Norbert Schemansky

Ibrahim Shams cleaning 331.25 while weighing 140.

Note the wide split, position of feet, high elbows, head up and a slight lean back.

Leo Stern shows a strong jerking position

with a relatively wide grip.

 

Harold Sakata with 314 at the shoulders and ready for the Jerk.

Note position of high held elbows and weight resting solidly on the shoulders. 

This is the ideal position from which to Jerk but not possible for all men

because of long forearms and short upper arms as well as narrow shoulders. 

Khadr El-Touni making a good Clean with a heavy weight.

Note how he has stepped ahead under the weight with the back arched and the head back.

This enables him to catch the bar high on chest and gives him a firm and powerful foundation

for holding the weight and getting up with it.

October 25, 1948

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The late Ronald Walker, one of the greatest lifters the world has ever seen, rarely used a heavy weight during his training sessions. He developed a tremendous explosive power in the pull which, while providing the necessary resistance, allowed him to exercise fast. Any movements which tend to slow you up must be discarded.

The upright rowing motion is excellent for developing the trapezius and deltoids, and the other muscle groups which pull the weight upwards in conjunction with the two groups mentioned above. The weight used should be one which you are easily able to handle for 5 reps. There should be no pause between the reps, but the weight should be kept going and as fast as possible. The width of the grip should be the same as that used for cleaning. The body must not move. No sway backwards or leaning forward must be allowed. The entire power raising the weight must come from the arms and shoulders and upper back. The body must not assist at any time. Work up to 3 sets of 8 reps before increasing the weight, and then increase only by 2.5 lbs, that is a 1.25 lb plate on each end of the bar. Do not pull the weight out or away from the body but concentrate on keeping the weight in as close as you can to the trunk. The weight should be pulled as high as possible. Do not stop at the chin if you feel you are able to pull the bar head high.

The stiff legged dead lift is another key exercise to a more powerful Clean. The following method of performance is to be recommended, not only as a safe method, but as one which will produce results. Many years ago, one of the most valuable pieces of apparatus ever to be developed made its bow in the world of weights. I refer to the Hise Hopper. It is, with the exception of the Harvey Maxime bar, only original piece of weight mechanism to be developed within the last 20 years. The great value of the hopper is that it teaches a lifter to get used to moving fast with an extremely heavy weight. The Hopper has only one drawback. It is an extremely noisy piece of apparatus. So noisy in fact, that it if you use one the neighbors are likely to get the impression that World War III has broken out ahead of schedule. I have introduced the following modification to my pupils with gratifying results. Take a weight 10 lbs more than your best Clean. Place the bar across a box or bench at such a height that the trunk forms a right angle with the thighs. Grasp the bar and start your dead lifts from the box and return to the box once the body is upright. Do not allow the knees to bend, but keep the thighs locked at the knees throughout the exercise. Never use a weight which will not allow you to move quickly. You will find that with the above method, you will be able to develop a heap of power and speed. Start off with 5 reps and progress to no more than 8. 3 sets is sufficient for the average lifter's needs. Thrusting the buttocks back and pushing the head back will also help to place the resistance on the lower spinae. If the box is too low, adjust the height by means of plates under it so that the right angle of the thighs and trunk is formed.

Box cleans are good for increasing the power of the so-called 'second pull'. It is best to use an International bar in this exercise. Take two boxes and load the bar up to 80% or your best clean. Place the bar so that the revolving ends rest up on the boxes. Take your usual grip for the Clean and pull the bar up to the sternum. Every effort to pull the bar as high as possible should be made. A series of sets of no more than 5 reps is best. As soon as 4 sets of 5 reps are possible, the weight should be increased by 10 lbs and the exerciser or lifter should drop down to 2 reps and gradually work up to 4 sets of the 2 reps before gradually adds another rep to the sets. Start off with 2 reps, 4 sets. Increase up to 5 reps, 4 sets.

The old standby shoulder shrugs are very good as an aid to improved cleaning power. Take a weight which represents your best Clean and from the set position take it to that of the hang. From here the only portion of the body which moves is the shoulders. The effort should be to try to make your shoulders touch your ears. No bending forward or leaning backward must assist you in this exercise. Only the shoulders move. A most important point is to keep the elbows locked. Bending the elbows takes away a great deal of efficiency. It makes the exercise a lot less effective. Do not bend the elbows but keep the entire arm stiff. The lifter can start off with 5 reps and work up to 10 with 3 sets of each number or reps.

The two hands dead lift has been truly called 'the key to strength'. I would however, again point out that every effort must be made to cultivate speed not only in this assistance exercise but in all the others which the lifter uses in the hopes of increasing his cleaning powers. Take a weight equal to the maximum clean to your credit. Make your first dead lift in the orthodox manner. That is, pull the weight from the floor to the hang position. From there on, each attempt is made from, and returned to the hang position. For your second rep, and all subsequent ones, drop from the hang position and bounce the weight on the floor. The rebound will be slight, but you must endeavor to catch the weight on the rebound and return to the hang position. As each rep is made, the shoulders should be shrugged and a rock forward onto the toes should be made before bouncing the weight down on the deck again and returning to the hang. A high number of reps can be used in this exercise. Start from 8 reps and work up to 3 sets of 15.

Still another exercise which assists in the development of a powerful clean is the seated high pull up. Seat yourself on a chair and place the bar right in front of you. A weight should be taken which you use for practicing the two hands snatch. Reach down and grasp the bar, and with back and arm power alone, pull the bar into the clean position. Note that you remain seated all the time you practice this lift. If you use a  weight which you can snatch 5 reps, you will find this ideal for the high pull ups/clean. Work up from 5 to 8 reps, for 3 sets.







Continued, Part Two (The Jerk) is here:

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Combining the squat and deadlift on the same training day works well for the average lifter. Lifters with superior genetics will not need as long to recover from hip and low back training and can squat and deadlift heavy on different training days during the week.  Average lifters or athletes with significant stress in their lives (i.e. career, family, etc.) will need at least a week to recover from a hard leg and low back workout. It only makes sense then to combine squats and deadlifts on the same day. We must assume a thoughtful training routine that will take into account the fact that your deadlift is pre-exhausted by your  squat routine. Squatting immediately before deadlifting will force you to be ready for a contest situation for your workouts will be more difficult to survive than a contest. In a contest you will bench before deadlifting and this will rest your hips and low back.

In this workout you will only rest long enough to break down the bar and stands you used for the squat and set up a bar on the floor for the deadlift. Your hips and low back will be fatigues forcing you to stabilize through your back and create greater endurance in your primary hip and leg muscle groups. You will not pull as much in your training as you will in a contest but your technical skill and ability to perform though fatigue will increase rapidly.

For case of explanation for routine will assume a 400 lb squat and a 400 lb deadlift max going into the routine. To convert your max numbers simply divide your max by 400 and multiply all the numbers on the chart by the figure you get when you divided your max by 400.

We will use full gear for this 10-week routine. This routine is performed once per week and is your primary (Heavy) squat and deadlift training day. Any assistance work you perform during the week should be light enough to allow you to focus your efforts on this routine. You want to squat each set as if it was a contest with proper setup and timing.

DON'T GET LAZY! All deadlifts should focus on speed. You should be able to pull these deadlifts faster from set to set and faster each week.

Power is a combination of speed and strength. Peaking cycles like this one are the time when you should train for speed and timing. Work with proper technique and focus on every set. Warmup as you would in a contest and follow the chart for your working sets.


Week 1:

Squat -
5 sets of 1 rep at 315
Deadlift -
5 sets of 1 rep at 255


Week 2:

Squat -
5 sets of 1 rep at260
Deadlift -
5 sets of 1 rep at300


Week 3:

Squat -
4 x 1 at 325
Deadlift -
5 x 1 at 265


Week 4:

Squat -
5 x 1 at 265
Deadlift -
4 x 1 at 315


Week 5:

Squat -
4 x 1 at 340
Deadlift -
5 x 1 at 240


Week 6:
Squat -
5 x 1 at 280
Deadlift - 
3 x 1 at 345


Week 7:
Squat -
5 x 1 at 305
Deadlift -
5 x 1 at 225


Week 8:

Squat -
4 x 1 at 335
Deadlift -
5 x 1 at 225


Week 9:

Squat -
3 x 1 at 355
Deadlift -
5 x 1 at 225


Week 10:

Squat -
open at 365
2nd at 395
3rd at 420

Deadlift -
open at 360
2nd at 390
3rd at 420

Pat Casey

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Is there a tiger growling in your tank? Perhaps it is a rodent that gnaws away at your insides until you think he will drive you into giving up your training. If this is so, then there is something radically wrong with your eating habits and all the information contained in this book is valueless to you because much of the foot you eat is not doing you any good and may be doing you harm. If you are suffering from growling and gnawing, you may be eating wrong and it will be necessary to cast out as quickly as possible the tigers and rodents so that you can get going on a better diet plan.

Recognizing that most stomach problems result from overeating, eating of wrong food combinations, and the eating of condiments and other substances that produce stomach irritation, you will have to examine your eating habits and make suitable changes. Many men know what is causing their digestive upsets, yet they do nothing to overcome their problems. Despite their knowledge of the physiology of digestion and of the principles of good eating, they continue to follow a poor diet or poor eating habits. Consequently they they suffer from lack of progress with their weight training program simply because they refuse to recognize the effects of wrong eating habits. They eat to fill their stomachs rather than eating in such a manner that the food eaten will be well digested and absorbed so that it can be converted to muscle tissue.

Rule number one for those with weak digestion - DON'T OVEREAT.

When your digestive limitations are overstepped various waste products are formed in the digestive system. These result in putrefaction and the resulting formation of gas, which is accompanied by growling.

Another rule to remember is - DO NOT EAT BETWEEN MEALS.

While this may quiet the tigers in your tank, it increases your problems in the exact proportion to the amount you eat. You may not realize that eating four or five meals or snacking all day instead of eating two or three meals is hard on the digestive process, but it is.

It is not possible to have good digestion when eating too frequently. If the small intestine is not ready to receive food, reflex action will cause a slower emptying time of the stomach, holding the present meal in the stomach longer than ordinary,  thus favoring bacterial decomposition instead of normal digestion. Furthermore, when the stomach is filledbefore the previous meal has been completely digested in the small intestines, peristalsis increases in the intestines, hurrying along the previous meal to make way for the present meal. Consequently, the previous meal will not remain in the small intestines long enough for perfect digestion or absorption. When you eat all day long, much of the food is just passed through the intestinal tract undigested and unabsorbed.

Eating too often seems to prevent the storage of pepsinogen which is a pre-enzyme necessary for the digestion of protein. Pepsin, the enzyme in the stomach which begins the digestion of protein, is stored as pepsinogen in the cells of the stomach. Thus, eating too often causes a constant secretion of the enzymes necessary for protein digestion and may create a scarcity of the enzyme when needed at mealtime, due to the wasting of them between meals.

We sometimes fail to recognize the fact that digestion is muscular work, just like curling a barbell, and that eating all day long keeps the muscles of the intestines contracting so frequently that fatigue is a possibility, and future contractions may be weaker, causing stasis of the food in the digestive system. Think about it - how long could you keep curling your barbell if you were forced to work at maximum efficiency for half an hour, five or six times a day, every day, seven days a week? You would soon work yourself into a state of exhaustion, like maybe after the first half hour of curling. But most people expect the muscles of the digestive system to react in a favorable manner even though they are abused constantly. Eating after your regular evening meal means that you are taking in more food than actually required, and that means overwork. But, if your late meal is a part of your regular two- or three-a-day, or it is a light snack after a workout, then it is necessary and the nutritive value received compensates for the work of digestion.

Some men may be bothered by gastric acidity and they resort to antacids, not realizing that these types of drugs all cause increased acidity of the stomach due to a rebound effect. Your stomach contains a certain amount of acid, or it should, for the purpose of digestion of proteins and certain minerals. When this acid is neutralized by the use of antacids the body immediately attempts to compensate for the loss of acid by producing more than was originally in the stomach to make up for that lost as a result of neutralizing drugs. More prudent eating and less overeating will usually remedy the situation.

Those who have gastrointestinal problems may find that they have difficulty with certain fruits, usually causing gas. Many times these individuals will do well with eating lettuce with their fruit. The silicon in the salad leaves is thought to help prevent fermentation. Eating lettuce, celery or cucumber with fruit helps the peristalsis action of the intestines, moving the fruit along at a fairly fast rate so that the sugar in the fruit does not have an opportunity to ferment and produce gas.

There are a number of factors which determine how fast the stomach is emptied. For instance, a meal composed of carbohydrates has a tendency to be emptied from the stomach more quickly than those foods rich in protein. This is because there is no digestion of carbohydrates in the stomach, only protein is digested in the stomach. Carbohydrates are digested in the mouth and the small intestine which is the section of the gastrointestinal tract adjacent to the stomach. If you have digestive upsets it might be wise not to eat carbohydrate and protein foods at the same meal. The protein may cause the sugars and starches to be held in the stomach too long, and these foods have a tendency to ferment if not emptied at the regular or normal rate.

The consistency of the food eaten also has a bearing on the time required for it to be evacuated from the stomach. Juicy foods leave the stomach the quickest; semi-solids moderately quick, and solid foods the slowest. This is the basic reason for masticating your food thoroughly and not swallowing it until it has been ground up into a soft, mushy consistency. Digestive enzymes cannot reach the interior of chunks of food material, so gastrointestinal bacteria are served a hearty meal. Bernarr MacFadden once said, "Chew your food well, your stomach has no teeth," and he was so right. As was Winston Churchill when he stated that, ""The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter."

"How about milk?" is a common question. To prevent you from getting the wrong idea that because milk is a fluid it empties from the stomach rapidly, we must remind you that upon contact with gastric juices in the stomach milk curdles, forming a semisolid material. If you notice an uncomfortable feeling when drinking milk with meals, it may be because the curds have a tendency to surround other food masses, preventing the digestive enzymes from reaching them, favoring indigestion. Try drinking your milk between meals or at least two or three hours before or after meals if you feel that it is an essential part of your training table, though it might be well to point out here that very few top physique men drink any milk at all. They find that it is too difficult to maintain muscularity and clean-cut lines if they drink milk.

The Ciba Collection of Medical Illustrations has a point to add. "A meal exclusively of, or mainly of starch, tends to empty more rapidly, though stimulating less secretion, than does a protein meal. Thus, other factors being equal, a person may expect to be hungry sooner after a breakfast of fruit juice, cereal and toast, than after one of bacon and eggs. The amount of total secretion of acid content is highest with the ingestion of proteins. However, there are great individual variations as well as variations in a single individual under different conditions.

Unfortunately, there are so many opportunities to eat that very few men give themselves a chance to get hungry. Many hard trainers are afraid of not getting sufficient nutrients so they constantly stuff themselves though they could eat a lot less if they were more selective in their choice of foods. Consequently, poor digestion is quite common among weight trainers.

If you eat when you are not genuinely hungry, your system is not ready to accept food and it just lays in your stomach and ferments. It is a cardinal sin to put food in a stomach that is not ready for it. It is the same as stoking a furnace when there is already enough fuel. You crowd both systems, and in the furnace complete combustion does not take place and in the body, complete digestion is not possible.

When meals are eaten when you are truly hungry, stomach and intestinal contractions and secretions are much stronger and food is more fully digested, and only digested food can be absorbed and make a contribution toward greater strength and muscular development.

Bad eating habits have a tendency to sneak in without you realizing it. Sometimes it may be bolting your food because you are in a hurry to go some place after your meal, or it may be eating between meals that creeps into your daily schedule. Whatever bad habits are causing your digestive upsets, it is time to rid yourself of them before they unleash a whole zoo full of rodents and tigers to gnaw and growl away at your insides and destroy one of life's most pleasant activities, eating . . . next to flexing a pumped muscle, that is.      



 

Vasily Kolotov

 

 Detoxification

You're feeling okay. As far as you know, there's nothing wrong with you. Your gains are a little slow but that may be because you're not training as hard as you would like to, probably because your back is still bothering you, or maybe it is because you feel a slight burning sensation in your shoulders when you work out. Nothing really definite, though now that you think about it, you seem to be cutting back on the amount of weight you are using, your reps, exercises, frequency of training, just about everything concerned with training. Taking that extra vitamin/mineral tablet doesn't seem to have helped at all. Someone told you that if you had a little more protein every day you could snap out of your slump in no time, but that hasn't helped either. Slowly but surely you are becoming dissatisfied with weight training and are thinking of giving it  up . . . 

Before you make such a decision consider the fact that you can reach new heights of strength and development if your body was working more efficiently. This can be easily accomplished by detoxifying. Your lack of progress may be due to your inability to detoxify your own metabolic wastes - wastes which are easily gotten rid of by a healthy person, but bear an ever-increasing load upon the body machinery of one whose detoxifying system is less than efficient. 

The body's ability to detoxify its normal metabolic waste is the best way of judging a person's general health which in the long run will determine how fast you will progress with your weight training activities. How can building up the detoxification mechanisms help you to build a better, stronger physique?

The detoxification systems of the body can be likened to the flue on a furnace. The body is constantly producing heat as a result of the combustion of fuel (food) we consume. If the diet is high in protein and only unrefined fats, sugars, and starches are consumed, the natural food 'burns up' and leaves little 'ash' to be handled by the detoxification mechanisms. But when its natural efficiency is dampened by the introduction of almost pure chemicals, such as highly processed sugars and starches provide, it is like turning off the flue on a furnace. The combustion smolders, toxins accumulate and a vicious cycle is formed. The less brightly the metabolic flames burn, the more the fires of detoxification are prevented from rendering these toxins harmless to be excreted in the normal elimination - of which the kidney route is most important.

Alexis Carrel, who proved that a heart fed in a test tube could be kept beating indefinitely, had this to say about toxins resulting from his test with isolated live tissue:

"To a piece of living tissue in a test tube, we have to add a small amount of fluid which is 2,000 times its volume in order to prevent its being poisoned in a few days by its own wastes."

If the tissues of the human body were detoxified in a similar manner, it would require about 50.000 gallons of fluid to do this work. How this task is accomplished with only six or seven quarts of blood is the phenomenon called detoxification. To a great extent, its efficiency depends upon what you eat or do not eat.

Though the intestinal tract does not enter directly into the detoxification process its environment must be considered if detoxification is to take place efficiently. Imagine the digestive tract as a long hollow tube running down through the center of the body, actually an 'external' surface as is the skin. The condition of the digestive tract is important because unless digestion and absorption are normal, the bloodstream will not be properly fed, regardless of the quality of food that you consume. A diet free of purified, highly concentrated flour and sugar is the first step in assisting the detoxification process. Supplementing the diet with vitamins, minerals and certain foodstuffs can assist the detoxification process.

This area of detoxification is probably quite new to you. Most men in their haste to build an outstanding physique have eaten every food or supplement suggested to them. Very few have ever considered eating less rather than more food in an attempt to gain increased muscle size. Most detoxification programs involve eating less food than is normally eaten as a means of giving the body a 'rest' and helping revitalize or recharge the body's batteries. Some weight is generally lost during a detoxification program but this is rapidly regained after the program is completed. Detoxification is not easy nor is it expensive, but it is quite rewarding. After going through one detoxification most men actually look forward to and plan another one because they look and feel so good. There are many, many ways of helping the body detoxify or cleanse itself. Select the one that appeals to you and give it a chance to help you in your muscle and strength building goals.


Method 1

Drink fresh fruit juice or eat only whole fresh fruit, the juicy varieties, for breakfast. This is the ideal nourishment for early morning, because fruit requires the most infinitesimal amount of digestion and the natural sugars of fresh fruit are very easily absorbed by the body. Your body operates on blood sugar - a healthy person manufactures about four ounces a day - and this blood sugar is where you draw your energy from. Fruit, being light, does not require the tremendous amount of physical and nervous energy required by cereals, meat, eggs, and other heavy foods.


Method 2

A particular attribute of potatoes is that they are very rich in potassium chloride which helps maintain the acid-alkaline balance of the body. A one or two day diet of raw potatoes only is an excellent way to promote detoxification. To prepare potatoes for this diet peel them as close to the skin as possible, then shoe string cut and place in a bowl of salt water (which helps keep the potassium in the cells). These potato sticks can be eaten in the manner of celery stalks, eat as many as desired, but nothing else for one or two days.


Method 3

Now we have a more sophisticated program. Start out with three days of fresh carrot or other freshly prepared raw vegetable juices. (You can buy a juicer and make your own.) After three days on juices you begin eating raw fruit and vegetables for up to three weeks. This is not as hard as it sounds because you are allowed to eat as much as you want, when you want, and the results are highly rewarding. You will look and feel more alert and be loaded with new training energy. Such a raw food diet is delicious. Vegetables can be used in salads with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and seasoned with herbs. Fruits can be made into fruit salads, fruit cups, or eaten separately. The variations are endless and the diet is quite adequate. After three weeks begin adding protein to your diet.


Method 4

Every morning for three days juice one dozen lemons and add the juice to two quarts of water. Add a little honey to make a pleasant tasting beverage. This will be used as sustenance throughout the day; drink the mixture whenever you are hungry or drink one glassful every 90 minutes, whichever is most convenient. No solid food is to be eaten. On the first day procure some beets with the tops still on. Juice these beets with the tops to make a total of 2 fluid ounces of juice, which should be consumed at breakfast and lunch. On the third day juice sufficient beets and tops to make eight fluid ounces of juice and divide into three doses which should be consumed with your three juice 'meals' of water and lemon juice. Apple juice or grape juice diluted are acceptable in place of the lemon juice, but it is highly important that you get a goodly amount of liquid into your system during these days. The beet juice is essential as it helps to cleanse out the liver. If you find the beet juice a bit strong you may dilute it with water or apple or grape juice. But remember that the undiluted beet juice will perform the best, the quickest and with the longer lasting results. On the fourth and fifth day you may eat any raw fruit and vegetables you desire. On the sixth day you may add small amounts of protein food. After this, moderate protein intake for a while. This method is very effective as it seems to help cleanse the liver which itself is the organ which filters poisons from the body.


Method 5

This detoxification system is so simple you may wish to start on it today. Combine the juice of one half lemon with two tablespoons of black strap molasses in an 8 ounce glass of hot water. Drink this mixture from 6 to 12 times a day or whenever you get hungry. Stay on this diet for as long as you like, for up to 10 days and repeat three or four times a year. Men who have tried this diet go back to it again and again because of the benefits they receive from it.


Method 6

Here is a two week program, simple in nature but very effective. You are allowed fresh carrot juice, or grapes, or grapefruit and celery, or pineapple and papaya, or banana and avocado. You are allowed any foods listed, but only in the combinations as they are, and you must eat these foods for at least three days before you change to another combination. There is no limit on the amount of food that you eat. The basic secret of this program is to start eating before you get hungry in the morning and to keep ahead of hunger all day. Otherwise, once hunger sets in, the going gets rough. Therefore, avoid hunger whenever possible. Then look at each day as one at a time. Suddenly you will find the two weeks are passed and you still like grapefruit and celery, perhaps even better than at the beginning.


Method 7

Here is another simple program for those men who feel that they might lose a quarter inch of muscle if they give up protein for a few days. Take eight large raisins and the juice of one lemon. Prepare before going to bed and place a glass with juice and raisins on the kitchen table. When awakening in the morning stir the brew, drink, then chew the raisins. After several weeks you will become conscious of the tonic effect of this simple mixture. You may eat your regular meals along with this.


Method 8

The main cause of lack of progress among hard training weight men is to be found in the derangement of normal processes of cell metabolism. The accumulation of toxins and metabolic wastes interferes with the nourishment of the cells and slows down new cell growth. When normal metabolic processes become deranged, due to nutritional deficiencies, sluggish digestion and elimination and overeating, replacement and rebuilding slows down and you fail to see results from your hard training. Keep in mind that only about half of your cells are in the peak of development and working condition. One fourth are usually in the process of development and growth, and the other fourth are in the process of breaking down or dying. Training progress is only maintained when there is perfect balance in this process of cell breakdown and replacement. If the cells are breaking down and dying at a faster rate than new cells are built, strength wanes and muscle growth ceases. It is of vital importance that the dying dells are decomposed and eliminated as soon as possible. Quick and effective elimination of dead cells stimulates the building and growth of new cells.

Here is where the following method comes in. It appears to be the most effective way to rejuvenate the body. Following this program, the process of elimination of dead and dying cells is sped up, and the building of new cells is accelerated and stimulated. According to Dr. Ralph Bircher, raw juices of the type you will use in this program contain the 'micro-electric tension' element which is responsible for the cells' ability to absorb nutrition from the blood stream and effectively excrete metabolic wastes. Drinking of large quantities of fresh raw juices has a dramatic effect on the body by helping to heal wounds and eliminate uric acid and other inorganic acids that interfere with normal metabolism. Following this program as outlined you will notice a revitalization of your body that you never thought possible and a sharpening of definition and glow about your skin that you never had before.

Detoxification of the lower intestines or colon has been shown to greatly facilitate the body's ability to regenerate through better assimilation and better elimination so do not change any of the procedures listed here even though you do not suffer from constipation.

This program will require the following items:

1) A juicer, or source of fresh, raw vegetable juices,chiefly carrots and greens.

2) An enema bag, with a 6" or 8" rubber  tube which is to be placed on the end of the regular short device which comes with the bag.

3) Powdered psyllium seed or other type of bulk laxative.

4) Nitrazine or other type of paper for testing acid-alkaline level of the urine.

5) Vitamin C tablets. Take 500 mg three times a day.

6) Betaine hydrochloric acid and pepsin tablets. Take one, three times a day.    

7) Digestive enzyme tablets. Take three at bedtime.

8) Black radish tablets. Take two, three times a day.


Days 1 through 3 -
Eat no solid food; take 8 ounces of fresh raw vegetable juice (carrot and greens) every two hours, more often if you feel the need. If you cannot obtain fresh raw vegetable juices you may use as an alternative the following: 1 part fresh grapefruit and lemon juice, 1 part water, 2 parts unsweetened grape juice. If you feel that you absolutely cannot go on liquids only, then eat only a raw vegetable salad. Results will be better if all other foods are avoided for these three days. If you are working or going to school, as most of you will, buy a couple of large thermos bottles and prepare your juices the night before.

Five times a day, at least three hours apart, mix one tablespoon of the powdered psyllium seed or bulk laxative in one glass of water or juice, drink it down and follow it with another glass of water immediately. This type of product has a tendency to thicken fast, so drink it immediately after mixing. You are going to feel bloated even though you are not eating any food, but this is merely an indication that the laxative is doing its job. The psyllium seed or bulk laxatives absorb water while in the digestive tract and expand, pushing against the sides of the intestines and getting into the crevices and convolutions and pulling out all type of dead and decaying matter which may have been clogging up your system, interfering with proper absorption of food for years. A day or two after you stop taking these products the fullness will no longer be a problem.

Each night (days 1 though 3) take an enema, using one quart of body temperature coffee which is to be made as follows: to 5 cups of cold water add 4 rounded tablespoons ground coffee (not instant). Bring to a boil in pan, turn heat down, cover and simmer 8-10 minutes. Strain, let coffee cool to body temperature and use as an enema. If need to expel, do so, then try to retain as much as possible for 5-10 minutes while you do some leg raises, situps, side bends, twists and other abdominal exercises before expelling.

Why a coffee rather than a plain water enema? The caffeine in the coffee stimulates the valves in the liver and gall bladder to open and discharge their wastes. Don't be surprised at the appearance of strings, pebbles and other strange looking items in your stool. These are products which were caught in the folds of your intestines and the bulk laxative is forcing them out.

Repeat this juice only day and enema regimen day each week for three more weeks or more often if  you feel that you need it. Use the vitamin C, betaine hydrochloride and pepsin, digestive enzymes and black radish tablets as instructed. The betaine hydrochloride and pepsin and enzyme tablets help to break down substances which may be secreted in the intestinal folds and the black radish tablets help to thin the bile so that it may more readily be expelled from the gall bladder. The vitamin C tablets help the body in detoxifying chemical wastes which are in the blood stream and kidneys.

The nitrazine paper is used to measure the acid-alkaline balance of the urine. An acid urine is desirable. Use the paper like this: simply tear off 2 inches from the roll and urinate on it, the first urination in the morning and the first after breakfast. Keep a daily record of this for a month. After that it may be done weekly or as you feel it is desirable. The test paper should be a yellowish-green or show a reading on the scale which comes with the package of somewhere between 5.0 and 6.0. If your urine turns the paper blue, you are over alkaline and you should take an extra betaine-hydrochloride and pepsin table each day.

All of the products necessary to carry out the foregoing program can be purchased at a drug store or a health food store.

After your third day resume normal eating but eliminate from your diet anything that contains bleached flour or refined flour products or sugar. Continue drinking juices in large quantities, have a raw vegetable salad every day, eat raw fruit between meals and for dessert, cook your beef very rare, soft boil your eggs and broil fish on one side only.

Then you decide to go on one of these detoxification programs don't tell your relatives, in-laws or anyone. It is strictly a personal matter. Tell only those whom it is absolutely necessary to tell. The average person who stuffs himself with three big meals a day will tell you that you do will become ill of suffer some dire consequences if you do not eat solid food all the time. There is nothing you can say to these people, they have been following the same pattern for such a long time that they accept everything they do as the only way to do things. Don't waste your precious time and energy trying to convince some toxic-loaded, ignorant person about the value of good nutrition, he probably is the same guy who has been telling you about the dangers of wasting your life with weight lifting.

All of these programs have been used successfully and stood the test of time. They are all good, but each of them appeals to another type of individual. They all have one thing in common in that they limit or eliminate protein foods during the early part of the program and rely on much raw juices and raw food as the individual comes out of the program. Those programs for detoxification which eliminate protein seem to be the only ones that work, so you should not be too concerned about losing muscle size since these programs only deny you of protein for short periods of time, and little is lost but much is gained in the long run when you are able to better digest and assimilate the protein foods that you do eat.

Don't be surprised if little aches and pains disappear while on a detoxification program. This is due to the great healing effect of raw foods and juices so be prepared to take more vigorous workouts more often after you have purged yourself of accumulated wastes.      

Roger Estep backs up George Frenn

Click Pics to ENLARGE

In their endless quest for powerlifting Nirvana, many of today's athletes are employing increasingly sophisticated training techniques, interweaving the related disciplines of  kinesiology, physiology, nutrition, bio-feedback theories and the like. As the levels of competition intensify with each succeeding year, platform savvy, hard work and luck just aren't enough. Proper application of time-tested theories will garner  the athlete faster gains and greater success than before. In the midst of this maelstrom of information hurled at the power athlete, one tends to forget the old 'standbys' of yesteryear which have as much or more applicability in today's high-tech powerlifting world.

This month's feature will 'touch' on one of the most effective methods of breaking nagging sticking points, of literally blasting through the mental 'number' barriers (i.e., a 400-lb bench press) and of significantly increasing the level and quality of musculature on the athlete. This method has applicability in both powerlifting and bodybuilding as well having some crossover effectiveness in related strength sports (weight throwing, football, wrestling, etc.).

The method that I have been alluding to is the venerable 'Forced Reps' system. Yes, we all have probably picked up a copy of an old Muscle Builder magazine where the Weider methodology was espoused. Throughout the endless 'tri-sets' and 'blitzing' the Weider principle of forced reps is by far the most useful of the lot.

I have had the good fortune to train on quite a regular basis with two of the best powerlifting minds around, Roger Estep and George Frenn. They have taken the original ideas of forced reps and turned them into a sophisticated, very workable training method that can be used by all athletes. In light of today's increasing emphasis towards drug-free competition, forced rep training, or as Roger calls it- the 'hands on system' - is a real boon to those not wanting to rely on the friendly neighborhood pharmacy for his or her gains.

The physiological theory behind forced reps is quite simple. Basically, it takes the Overload Principle, an idea gleaned, incidentally, from the German weightlifting team in the Los Angeles Olympics of 1932 by the U.S. coach Mark Berry, and it carries it to the ultimate end.

During a maximum attempt almost all of the muscles and nerve endings are 'firing' simultaneously in order to achieve the lift. If there is a psychological barrier due to a prior injury or because the weight is now in a 'magical' area (usually the even numbers such as 300, 400, 500 etc. are responsible for this), signals from the stress receptors will be allowed to overload the 'system', like a common circuit breaker, and shut it down; and the lift will be missed.

As an example, we all know the lifter who can literally 'vaporize' 290 lbs on the bench press. The weight flies to arms' length as if the discs were made of balsa, not cast iron. Yet, place a mere 10 lbs more weight on and suddenly the Burden of Ages seems to be on the bar and the lifter gets crushed with the attempt. Ridiculously enough, if this same lifer's workout buddy surreptitiously puts an extra 20 lbs on the bar and doesn't tell him, he may do much better in the attempt. Prudent usage of the 'Hands On' system will ensure that these mental barriers will not crop up at unwanted times. Back to the 300 lb (or aspiring to 300 lb) bencher, and let's take him through a typical Estep-Frenn bench workout.  

Warmup: 135 x 10 x 2 sets.
The lifter should not be afraid of extra warmups as the system in the initial phases can be quite strenuous. Make sure the shoulder/pec area is warm and loose.

Initial Work Sets: 225 x 5, 250 x 3, 270 x 1.
Notice the lack of reps in this initial phase. Not to worry, people, the real work ain't started yet! The 270 x 1 should be a cakewalk set, something along the lines of an opening attempt under any condition.

Heavy Core Sets: 285 x 1, 295 x 1.
Naturally for a 300 lb (or close to it) bencher, these two sets should be tough, but workable.

Hands On Sets: 305 x 1, 315 x 1, 330 x 1.
How about that! Now we are really sailing on uncharted waters, but there is a right and a wrong way to perform the 'Hands On' technique of bench pressing (as there are with the other two powerlifts). Roger likes to place the first two fingers of each hand on the bar when he's spotting an attempt and HOLD THEM THERE THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE LIFT. This is important because a lot of people literally 'dump' the weight on a lifter and then come to their rescue with the forced reps. From my experience training with Roger, it is very important for the lifter to feel that he or she is in CONTROL throughout the whole lift. The eccentric or negative phase of the lift is, therefore, important. Another method we can use can  be called the 'fist' method where the spotter lifts the weight off with the fists close together so that when the lifter comes down the spotter's fists actually make contact with the lifters chest. I like this method because it imparts an even greater sense of psychological confidence in the area of 'uncharted waters'. As Roger is fond of saying, "Don't let the weight control you . . . be aggressive at the bottom."

The proper interaction between spotter and athlete is very intricate. I doubt very seriously if one could grab the usual gym mullet and expect him to give you proper 'Hands On' with a 380 pound bench. In most instances the uninitiated will treat this as an Olympic lifting High Pull and the lifter loses about 90% of the benefit. LET THE LIFTER DO THE WORK. One has to be very careful or the Hands On system could be a giant ego lift and nothing more.

Warm Down: 290 x 1 paused, 240 x 10.
The 290 should be without 'hands' and the 240 should be touch and go. This system should be worked once per week. Naturally during the early phases of training, extreme muscular soreness will occur. Do not be overly concerned as this is the manner in which the body acclimates itself to stress.

On the second bench day do several sets of 5 reps, and if you feel strongly do a triple.

Yes, you can cycle the Hands On system. Suppose you start with a 300 pause and a 340 hands on. As your Hands On lifts increase, so should your paused attempts. Naturally the inevitable plateaus will come and go. One can not, in my estimation, use the Hands On method for 365 days of the year and certainly not for 465 days a year, except in rare cases involving mirrors, reality cracks and/or long, late-night mental battles with tortured terrorists posing as people made of provolone. 

So, not to be used every session, but still playing a major role in the lifter's training. In the squat, the same principles can apply, but the spotter has the option of holding the bar or the waist of the lifter. Many times we will go to a normal single with say, 560-580 and then pile on 20-30 more pounds for a Hands On treatment. Again, the spotters for the squat in a Hands On situation should be damn proficient, especially the 'anchor' (the spotter immediately behind), or the local orthopedic surgeon will get lots of business and be able to pay off that new Porsche of his. Many times if you use the same anchor spotter in the meet as you do in training you 'sense' that his hands are still on the bar! Strange though it may sound, this constant conditioning can literally play a trick on your mind and almost eliminate the resultant fear when going down into a full squat.

In the deadlift, I feel that this method has the most applicability. Spotting for the big pull is a bit trickier, so careful attention to detail is important. Regardless of which style (sumo or regular) the athlete assumes, the spotter should stand behind, literally crowding the lifter. By placing the hands - one at the base of the sternum and the other at the tailbone - an extreme feeling of tightness is imparted. However, the lifter will be doing the pulling. Additionally, this will keep the lifter in the groove and prevent any old injury from cropping up if the body gets out of place. If one feels really brave, don a pair of straps and try the Hands On with the deadlift. I guarantee that you will pull weights beyond your wildest expectations.

In closing, you should remember to use the Hands On approach like you would use Tabasco - a little goes a long way. Give it a try for six to eight weeks.

From: Musclemag, July 2014

http://neurophenomenology.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/gallagher-and-coles-on-body-schema-vs-body-image-and-the-body-percept/

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Books by article author Roy M. Wallack:

 The photo is stunning and incongruous: 

 A massively muscular man, his Michelin-tire-like delts, lats and traps shimmering in all their glory, jogging along an empty two-lane mountain road. Crowning the sinewy perfection is the symmetrical shaved head of three-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, the awesome apotheosis of the running bodybuilder.

The trouble is, it was all for the cameras.

Yes, Heath ran a lot in a previous life as a college basketball player. Yes, Heath and nearly all bodybuilders use cardio to shed fat and get ripped - but it's usually an hour of low-heart-rate, low-impact aerobics on the bike or elliptical and walking 3.2 to 3.5 mph on a treadmill at a three-degree incline. Heath, like all men his size who compete at his level, can barely run a mile. More accurately, they have no motivation to even do that, says Howie Skora, fitness manager at Gold's Gym in Venice Beach, California.

http://www.phase-iv.net/about-phase-iv/main 

 

"Based on the occasional bodybuilder who shows up at my classes, I think running helps reacquaint them with a natural, primal grace - a grace that their sport works against," he says. "Running is all about moving your body weight from point A to point B with as little muscular effort as possible. But bodybuilders spend their time in the gym doing exactly the opposite: making as much muscular effort as possible. So at first they run terribly. Then suddenly, when they learn how to harness gravity, they visibly get more flexible and agile and graceful."

Of course, any time you discuss running, the 800-lb gorilla in the room is size. Big gorillas, whether their weight comes from muscle or fat, have a hard time running with all that bulk. Not only does a big body exhaust itself quickly when trying to move its bulk, but joint injuries are rampant, due to slamming strides with an extra-heavy load. That's why the crucial first step for a heavily-muscled runner is to stop the high-impact slamming. That's accomplished by adopting a "soft" running gait that babies your joints and tendons and takes advantage of your body's natural springs.

The ChiRunning method taught by Mackel, like the similar Pose Method of renowned Russian author and triathlon coach Nicholas Romanov, reduces impact and turns the leg into a big spring that propels you forward.

I have been breaking all-time historical world records for over a dozen years, and I continue to set new world records, produce grand powerlifting extravaganzas and run a company that provides the most innovative powerlifting gear in the world. To do this, I have learned how to set goals and specific outcomes for myself and have created a strategy for how to achieve them. Achieving my goals is not just hard work. It requires systematically applying certain principles which make these goals compelling as well as developing a plan that takes me step by step to successful fulfillment. I have been modeling the processes required to create the energy and momentum to push my performance to a higher and higher levels of success. I want to share with you how to tap into the vast reserves of power within you to release your imagination and creativity that will inspire you and compel you to success.


Set Your Goals

The first step is to decide on your goals. What do you want to accomplish? To do this you must suspend all of your old limiting belief systems about what you are capable of achieving. For now, set aside all your old doubts and fears. At this step, it is not useful to limit yourself by being practical or trying to be realistic. Now is the time to set grand and important goals. Set goals that will truly transform your life. The power, excitement and drive you need to unleash from within comes from creating bigger, more inspiring and challenging goals. Assume there are no limitations. You must have goals that are big enough and magnificent enough to challenge you to push beyond your old limits and achieve your true potential. I personally believe you and each person on this planet has the potential to do or be anything they want.

If you absolutely knew that you could accomplish anything you want, what would you want to achieve? What is it that you secretly desire to accomplish but have never actually given yourself permission to claim for yourself? Suspend your need to know how you will achieve your goal. Just let yourself dream about having the most intense excitement ever when you see the possibility of achieving what you truly want. This is a very important part of the secret: to find a goal big enough to inspire you to greatness.

A natural part of the way our mind works is to always be pursuing something. Our mind is always moving us toward some objective. We either move away from pain and discomfort or move toward pleasure and fulfillment. Often we fail to strive for the very big goals because we don't want to be disappointed. We create comfort for ourselves by moving away from the possibility of future failure. I want you to know that holding back on your goals is the most painful thing you can do in the long run. You must set aside all your questioning and stop doubting your ability. The most painful thing in life is not achieving your true potential. Don't let life pass you by. Go for it. Re-engineer your life now. Unleash the mental, emotional and physical powers that will sustain you through the most difficult, trying and painful times. When you have a magnificent goal that is truly worth achieving, you will be so obsessed with it that you will be compelled to move toward doing whatever it takes to achieve it. This is how to make having potent goals work for you.


Make Your Goals Real

Just setting goals, regardless of how inspiring they are, doesn't make them happen. You have to learn how to envision your goals with clarity. To do this, turn your goals into specific outcomes. Outcomes are the specific things that you will accomplish. Divide up or chunk down the big goals into specific and achievable outcomes. The foundation for success is turning vague and invisible goals into specific, concrete outcomes. When your outcomes are clearly defined, you know precisely what you will do and when you will do it to achieve success. Take a close look at exactly what you will have done. The more specific you are, the more clearly you will see your vision and the more certain and confident you will feel about your success.

After you know what you really want, you must begin to focus in on what having your goals will truly be like for you. How will you know when you have achieved your outcomes? What will your evidence be that you have achieved your outcomes. What will you see when you are successful? How will having achieved your goals feel? What will you hear? What will you say to yourself and others? To make your goals real, you must be able to clearly see the results, intensely feel the accomplishment and plainly hear what you and others will say in response to your success.


Well-Formed Outcomes

Test to make sure your outcomes are well-formed. First, are your outcomes stated in the positive? Are your outcomes what you actually want versus what you don't want? If you are looking at what to avoid or eliminate, then your outcomes are not well-formed, and, you are setting yourself up for failure. Remember, we always create what we focus one. A well-formed outcome is always stated in the positive so that you know exactly what you will accomplish. Example: I want to win the state championship. I will total 1400 pounds. Versus: I don't want third place. I don't want to total less than 1400 pounds.

Second, what are your outcomes in your control? Are your outcomes stated as what you will personally do versus what someone else will do or what else needs to change for you to accomplish them? Keep your outcomes in your personal control. Don't give up your power to anyone else or anything else. Don't be dependent on anything outside of yourself to accomplish your objectives. Keep all your power within yourself to achieve success.

Third, when and where will you achieve your outcomes? Knowing specifically what the contexts are for achieving success is important. When and where will you complete your objectives? Set specific locations, time frames, dates and deadlines. Be very specific. Only when you have a specific time frame will the necessary subconscious resources be aligned with all the other demands in your life for you to achieve success. If you do not make a commitment to when and where your objectives will be achieved, then other things will take over and sabotage your success. Don't give away your power. Commit to deadlines and keep them.

Fourth, are your outcomes sensory grounded? That is, what will your senses see, hear, feel, taste and smell when you are successful. The more concrete, specific, clear and exact your internal mental representations are of your outcomes, the more your subconscious mind power will find ways for you to achieve them. Remember, you are learning how to unleash the subconscious competence of your mind to propel you to success. When I put on the Greatest Bench Press in America, for example, I consistently thought ahead of time of specifically what I wanted to see, feel, hear, taste, and smell on September 16, 1995. Each day and each week ahead of time I envisioned a packed Majestic Theatre in Dallas with lifters lifting huge weights one by one. I pictured hearing the crowd roaring and saw the camera flashes from Robert Kennedy of Musclemag International, Mike Lambert of Powerlifting USA, and other reporters. I saw the results of the Greatest Bench Press in America printed in Powerlifting USA, Musclemag International, Muscle and Fitness, and other magazines. And I heard myself and others reading the articles. I smelled the scent of Icy Hot and chalk dust in the air back stage. I saw great lifters with intense faces in a group preparing to take their turn at benching on the brilliant red bench set on the huge American flag painted platform. I saw them pushing the power bar and gold colored plates with spotlights gleaming and cameramen wearing black in position. I heard the sound of my psych-up music blasting when it became my turn to exhibit my deadlift prowess, and I felt the straps of my suit being put on before the feel of the knurls of the bar in my hands and the bar's bending action. I felt all my muscle fibers positioning and contracting together in just the right synchronicity. I felt my teeth grit together and saw the ornate ceiling of the theater and the glare of spotlights as I coiled into position for take off with the world record poundage, etc. All of this was in my thoughts ahead of time.


Acknowledge the Barriers

What has stopped you from achieving your goals in the past? Now is the time to acknowledge your past limitations and look them squarely in the eye. No true mental, emotional or physical transformation occurs without complete and utter honesty. How have you sabotaged yourself in the past? What has held you back? How do you limit yourself? Is it fear, frustration, hurt, disappointment, uncertainty, anger, confusion, lack of emotion or physical pain? Take a good honest look at your barriers to success. Denying, suppressing and avoiding them just lets them operate at a subconscious level where they can function indirectly to limit you.

We all need pressure to achieve success. The more you are dissatisfied with your performance the greater the power you can draw upon to move you forward. It's all in the way you form it in your mind. When you look upon your barriers as something to overcome through sheer will power, you are expelling a lot of unnecessary energy. The secret is not to avoid pressure, tension and stress but to induce it intelligently. Learn to feel the excitement that stress and tension creates. See challenges as an opportunity for bettering yourself. By consciously facing your barriers you can learn to use them to create the determination and commitment you need to take positive new action.

A little known fact is that your personal barriers are actually trying to help you. All behavior has a positive intention. Although the actual behaviors and feelings get in your way and can limit you, their deeper level of intention is positive in order to protect you from failure, shame and pain. Most barriers were learned from experiences in the past when you were young, immature and less resourceful. They were your best choice at that time. It is time to acknowledge them, release them and develop more mature and flexible behaviors.

Use your barriers to drive you in the direction you desire. Let your barriers tell you what you need to to do to move through them. when you acknowledge the limitations, face them, work with them (not against them) and take action to resolve them, they will become one more success you can add to your accomplishments.

For example, if you discover yourself hesitating too long before you deadlift or not pushing hard enough with a blastoff on your bench, examine and ask yourself what is stopping you from lifting with more explosive power. Your answer could be many things. An example would be that perhaps there is a fear of hurting your back or injuring a groin muscle. Now that you have acknowledged the fear, you can appreciate yourself for providing that signal that you may need more protection. Now you can adjust your gear, get a better belt and strengthen that specific area to prevent injury. I had an experience once when my deadlift started moving closer to 800 pounds. I discovered that I was not pulling explosively off the floor as I had done when my max was 750. The cause was that I was subconsciously afraid that much weight would slip out of my hands if I pulled the bar faster. If the bar slipped, then it could be embarrassing for me with so much attention from my friends, family and the media. I thanked myself for giving me that signal and began strengthening my grip strength. I also focused even more on a successful pull. My grip strengthened and I gained more explosiveness. I acknowledged to myself that I could suffer some form of intense emotional pain in my path toward my outcomes and I resolved that possible pain was worth the risk for the great feeling I get from improving myself. The results were that I felt exhilaration on contest day and I pulled the world record easily and held onto the bar!


Motivation Strategy

We all know that achieving significant new goals requires a lot of good honest hard work and effort. By understanding how motivation works, you will be able to invest the energy and effort necessary to achieve your outcomes. We are motivated to move away from pain and discomfort, and to move toward pleasure and fulfillment. Many tasks are difficult, trying and painful. However, when you achieve your outcomes, life is pleasurable and fulfilling. Therefore, we tend to move away from doing tasks (pain) and move toward achieved outcomes (pleasure). The secret is to stay focused on the outcome and how it will feel when you are successful. This will keep you moving toward your goals and give you the determination and commitment needed to do whatever is necessary to be successful. The pain of doing the task is only temporary. The pleasure and fulfillment of achieving your goals are lasting effects. A compelling motivation strategy always focuses on the outcome. This creates and sustains the positive feelings necessary to invest the massive amounts of effort and endure the pain required for success. You can achieve anything you want if you are wiling to pay the price and stay focused on the outcome.

Recently, a friend of mine wanted to put on a full powerlifting contest at a local gym. He fretted over all the hassles and the risk of not enough lifter turnout. I helped him keep psyched up to his idea and goal by acknowledging that yes, it is going to be a lot of work, and told him to feel how good it will be to direct a meet. He started applying these outcome procedures and feeling how good it feels to produce and direct a contest and the feeling of getting to put many of his ideas into place of how he wanted to run a meet. Feeling good about feeling good helped him stay focused on his outcome of 45 participants and other specifics, and helped him make it through all the tough tasks a meet director must do. On meet day, he had 47 lifters and expressed how he felt on top of the world directing his first contest.


Develop an Action Plan

Now that you have a compelling vision for the future, have set specific outcomes, acknowledged your barriers and know how to motivate yourself through the pain, it is time to develop a plan of action. You need a road map to track your progress and set benchmarks to achieve along the way. Think of this as a time line. This is a picture of your life; past, present and future.

To begin, look at all the things you have accomplished so far. How did you get to this point in our life? Take some time to acknowledge to yourself all the successes you have already had in your life. Look at the significant things you have already accomplished. Notice what you have learned so far. See the improvements you have made. This is a time line of your past. Notice all the milestones of successes and the natural progression you have made toward where you are at this time in your life.

Next, assess where you are right now. Look at your present skills, capabilities, attitudes, values and beliefs. This is a status check. Be specific and use critical judgement to assess where you are right now in relationship to achieving your goals. Use specific measurements whenever possible. Look at what you accomplished in the past and see how it relates to where you are right now. I'm sure you can see that if you had done some things differently in the past you would be farther along toward achieving your goals. The point is that what you do today significantly impacts where you will be tomorrow. What do you have to do today to keep you on our path to success? The most important thing you can do right now is to take some concrete action toward achieving your goals. Don't just 'DO IT' but 'DO IT NOW.'

Create a future time line that clearly establishes benchmarks that lead to success. Now is the time to be realistic and practical. If you are going to fully accomplish your goals within the deadlines you have set, you must do specific things at certain times along the way. Chunk down the steps you will take into smaller steps that are possible to accomplish. You probably can't lift 793 lbs in May if you don't lift 766 in April and 744 in March. You can meet your deadlines and accomplish your goals by establishing specific benchmarks to complete along the way. In business we call this strategic planning and project management. It's a logical, rational process of mapping out what you will absolutely accomplish and when. There's no simpler way to do it. If you want to give your power away, then set fuzzy and vague goals, objectives, deadlines and benchmarks. The key to success is consistent progress toward your goal. Each day you have a new challenge and a new opportunity to feel the thrill of success.


Focus

You create what you focus on. If you focus on limitations and problems then you get to keep them. You have seen some examples of the results of that kind of negative focus by some of the key people in our sport. If you know them, you can look back over their careers and see that they have had some of those same problems for a long time. They probably have some good intention for themselves and some may even have a good intention for the sport. However, they either don't know how to better focus their energy or maybe they fear changing their path or their focus. I suspect all of us have done some type of negative focus ourselves in the past. If you focus on inspiring new goals then they will become yours. The fact is that at the very center of our brain is the reticular activity activating system (RAS) that is specifically designed to filter out routine insignificant information and focus your attention toward important and significant information, solutions and resources. For example, as you have been reading this article, you may notice now that you have been unaware of some insignificant things in your environment. There is probably a ticking clock or the hum of a household or room appliance. You probably weren't thinking of what color your shoes are at this time because your RAS was helping you focus on the important information you were reading. The RAS allows you to focus on finding solutions for what is important, intensely felt and well focused. So, if you want to fail, put a lot of time and emotional energy into thinking about your problems, what you haven't done, what your limitations are and why you have them. To achieve significant and important goals, stay focused on them. Even when you don't know specifically how you will accomplish the goal, trust your RAS to help you seek out and find the solutions and resources you need to be successful. Creating compelling goals and clear objectives shows your RAS what to look for. Your RAS will seek out the most useful resources and solutions that lead to your success. The closer you get to your goal the greater clarity and precision you will have as to how specifically to accomplish it.


Resources

In addition to creating an Action Plan and a Time Line with Benchmarks, start clarifying the resources you will need. What changes and improvements will you need to make? What new resources will you need to find, create and use? Be sure to include other human resources like coaches, trainers, colleagues and professionals; physical resources like equipment, gear and nutritional supplements; behavioral resources like changes in habits or routines and new and different skills and actions; cognitive resources like learning new information, resolving negative thoughts and changing old belief patterns; and emotional resources like reprogramming negative feelings, resolving fears and installing position feelings that increase motivation. From a subjective point of view, the right feelings are the most important resources you can develop. When you try to go against, deny or overcome your feelings, difficulties arise. When your feelings are positive and congruent other resources will be easier to acquire.
Any great salesperson can testify to the fact that when he or she believes in and feels good about what they are selling, a great performance comes easily. Let's say you have created a goal of starting a powerlifting club. If you believe in and feel good about powerlifting and the camaraderie you will cultivate, it will be easier to attract club members, coaches and helpers.


Compelling Future

To have a compelling future is to be fully and completely committed to achieving your goals. Your goals inspire you to to invest the enormous and consistent effort needed to accomplish them. Compelling future goals fills you with enthusiasm, excitement and passion. They determine your priorities and are foremost in your thoughts and dreams.

To turn your goals into a compelling future you need to answer some very important questions for yourself. Now is the time to get very honest about this process.

WHY do you want to achieve these specific goals?
What is the deeper, more important meaning and value that achieving these goals will have for you?     
When you achieve your goals, how will your life be different?
How will you be different as a person?
What will you miss out on if you don't achieve your goals?
What kind of person will you have to be to fulfill your dreams?

Write a script that you can say in 20 seconds. Include all the reasons why you must achieve your visionary goals. State clearly and precisely why your goals are significant and important for you. Memorize your script and repeat it to yourself twice a day, morning and evening.

If reciting your script and envisioning your success does not full and completely compel you to consistent action, then you either need bigger goals or better reasons why you want them. Remember to keep some of your best goals to yourself until you have achieved them. This will protect you from the naysayers.

Keep getting better at achieving what you want to achieve. 






                      

 July 15/2014

  http://www.amazon.com/Free-Style-Maximize-Performance-Movements/dp/1628600209
Foreword by Kelly Starrett

Click Pics to ENLARGE

When you're intent on getting fit, you're willing to do just about anything for a little more muscle and a little less bodyfat. Low-carb days, ultra-high-rep sessions, extra work on the treadmill, a few early-morning workouts or even the paid assistance of a trainer or nutritionist - whatever it takes, right? But in the rush to put the latest hardcore craze to work for us, we lose sight of the fact that the simplest solution can often be the correct one.

For decades, some of the world's most amazing physiques have been built through strict adherence to an authoritative set of guidelines known as the Weider Principles. Named after the late father of modern bodybuilding, Joe Weider (1919-2013), these 'rules' - a list more than 20 deep - formed the basis for nearly every approach to bodybuilding in practice today. Just about every one of them has been affirmed in some fashion by research, even if references to the original guiding principles were artfully omitted.

Developed through years of firsthand experience and anecdotal evidence from those under his tutelage, Joe Weider's principles remain the true-north training indicator for muscle-seeking athletes everywhere. In the pages that follow, we continue our examination of these principles with a few tidbits on how to put them into practice today.



Head-to-head, subjects in these groups gained a similar amount of strength, but the Delorme group came away slightly stronger. The DeLorme method is considered the best for strength, while the Oxford protocol may have he edge in helping lifters add size because it calls for them to reach failure more than once. Also, with the Oxford method, the opening max effort is optimized because you aren't fatigued from other working sets.


Sample Oxford (reverse pyramid) Method Routine for Back:

1) Bentover Barbell Row: 3 sets of 10 reps.
On your first set (after warmups) use 100% of your 10-rep max.
On your second and third sets reduce the weight just enough to reach 10 reps before failing.
Rest one to two minutes between sets.   


Whether you choose traditional or reverse pyramids, you're going to see good gains in size and strength. The DeLorme method can help you gain strength faster, which translates to more reps with more weight on everything else. The Oxford method of pyramid training may help you gain more size because of the increased intensity factor of failing on multiple sets. Either approach is a welcome departure from straight-set training, in which you use the same weight for the same number of reps from set to set.

 

After over 15 years of training as an elite gymnast and over a decade of coaching, Coach Carl Paoli offers a fresh philosophy on training by connecting movement styles to fit your specific purpose, while also giving you a simple framework for mastering the basics of any human movement. Freestyle: Maximize Your Sport and Life Performance with Four Basic Movements is an interactive way to learn how the body is designed to move through space and how to interact with our constantly changing surroundings. Using this framework and four basic movements, Paoli will help you maximize your efforts in sport and life, regardless of specialty. Despite Carl's experience as an elite gymnast and a renowned CrossFit coach, this is not a book about gymnastics, CrossFit, or any specific fitness program. Rather, it is a unique take on how Carl studies and teaches human movement and how you can better understand how to move yourself. Carl is not going to teach you the specifics of a movement or sport; instead, he gives you a template that you can use to develop any specific movement. For example, instead of teaching you how to throw a baseball, this book teaches you a universal foundation that will help you further develop your pitching skills. Human movement is intuitive, but not always perfect. This book shows you how to: * Turn on and trust your intuition about movement * Use tools that help optimize imperfect movement * Tap into the universal movement patterns and progressions underlying all disciplines * Use Carl Paoli's movement framework to create roadmaps for your physical success * Learn what being strong really means Freestyle is a practical manual to develop human movement regardless of your discipline. It is equally applicable to veteran athletes, weekend warriors, fitness enthusiasts, people trying to pick up a new sport, and people who are simply curious about improving their health. By developing your awareness and learning to see across other disciplines, you can tailor any training regimen to meet your unique goals. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.ca/Free+Style/Carl-Paoli/9781628600209#sthash.XkDzjQrR.dpuf

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Bob LeFavi articles:

http://www.theboxmag.com/author/bob-lefavi-ph-d-cscs-usaw/ 

CrossFit is renowned for challenging athletes with a wide variety of movements and training regimens. Most fitness enthusiasts in the average gym never experience the breadth of exercises common in any good box. So it's not that we can point to a movement and charge CrossFit coaches with neglect. But here's one opportunity - 

The Snatch Balance is one exercise the best exercise most CrossFitters not only don't perform but in many cases also haven't even been taught.

The Snatch Balance is an assistance exercise to enhance performance in the Snatch lift, specifically to improve speed of movement and achieve greater stability in the catch position. Improved speed translates to better performance in many other movements (i.e., clean, thrusters, box jumps), as does a more stable catch (overhead squats, deadlift, wall balls).

Technique

 Mike Burgener Snatch Balance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-PkTCZv3no 

Start with a barbell across the back of your shoulders as in a back squat. Your feet should be in the pulling position (the same placement as in the first pull of the Snatch), with hands at a wide, snatch-width grip. The weight on the bar should be similar to what you use in the Snatch itself. Athletes progress with weight in the Snatch Balance the way they normally would in the Snatch.

Start the move by popping the bar up by dipping slightly and driving upward y extending the knees, which unloads the spine momentarily and gets the bar moving up and off the shoulders - even just an inch - so space can be created between the bar and the shoulders/traps. The height of the bar is now the highest it should be throughout this movement.

As soon as the bar leaves the shoulders immediately extend your elbows to press your body down against the bar. As you do so, look straight ahead, move your feet into the landing position (usually a bit wider than the pull position) and drive yourself into the bottom of the catch. The elbows should lock out just as you hit the bottom position - never after.

Sounds easy, right? 

It's not. And the reason this exercise is difficult is because it requires mental effort to perform it correctly and benefit from it (which is one reason the Snatch Balance should be performed early in a training session). That is, the real challenge of the Snatch Balance is between the ears.

The mantra of athletes executing the Snatch Balance reflect these coaching cues:

 - Short, quick, dip and drive.

 - Create space.

 - Press under bar and drive body down as fast as possible.

 - Tighten up; bones stacked!

 - Lock out as you hit bottom.

The focus should always be on speed of movement. As you push up against the bar and quickly descend into the landing position, the speed of descent should be so fast that the bar drops from its maximal height following the dip and drive. 

But the Snatch Balance doesn't only develop speed; it also develops confidence. When an athlete has a one-rep max Snatch of 80 kg but can Snatch Balance 90 kilos, imagine what that does to her confidence a) when she approaches a heavy Snatch, and b) when she ponders continuing to improve in the Snatch.   

'Heaving' Variation

Contrary to what one might think, the 'Heaving Snatch Balance' is not performed over a bucket after you've done too many Snatches. This is a true variation of the Snatch Balance except for the extent of the dip and drive. In this variation, you dip lower - as you would during a Jerk. This enables the bar to rise to a higher level and may be best used when an athlete has not quite developed sufficient speed to lock the elbows out when the hips hit bottom.

"Meat: A Benign Extravagance" - is an exploration of the difficult environmental and ethical issues that surround the human consumption of animal flesh. The world's meat consumption is rapidly rising, leading to devastating environmental impacts as well as having long term health implications for societies everywhere. Simon Fairlie's book lays out the reasons why we must decrease the amount of meat we eat, both for the planet and for ourselves. At its heart, the book argues, however, that the farming of animals for consumption has become problematic because we have removed ourselves physically and spiritually from the land. Our society needs to reorientate itself back to the land and Simon explains why an agriculture that is most readily able to achieve this is one that includes a measure of livestock farming.

"What a physique," you have probably said on viewing an outstanding example of muscularity. All of that man that shows: muscles, skin, hair, nails, eyes and much of what does not show - blood, heart, lungs, intestines, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, brain, and all the rest of him is protein. If it were possible to squeeze all of the water out of him you would have nothing left except protein and a few pounds of vitamins, minerals and fat.

There are many different kinds of proteins and they all must be made by living cells. Plants make their  own protein by combining the element nitrogen from the soil with carbon dioxide from the air and water. The energy they need for the process comes from the sun. Legumes such as beans, peas, soybeans and peanuts use nitrogen directly from the air for producing protein and this is why they are higher in protein content than most other growing plants. The weight trainer cannot use such simple raw material for building proteins; his system is just not designed that way. We must get out proteins from plants and animals. Once eaten, these proteins are broken down into amino acids and then rearranged to form the many different types of protein our bodies need.

Plants are sometimes referred to as inferior to animal proteins because they do not contain all of the amino acids that we need to build on, but we should keep in mind that plants are the basic factories in which proteins are made and that all protein comes to us directly or indirectly from plants, either by eating plant foods such as grains, fruits and vegetables or by eating meat which was converted to protein by plant- and grass-eating animals.

A common problem among those who do not eat enough protein foods is swelling of the legs and other areas of the body. This is because proteins help in the exchange of nutrients between cells and the intercellular fluids and between tissues and blood. When one has too little protein, the fluid balance of the body is upset, so that the tissues hold an abnormal amount of liquid. You have probably seen photos of African or Indian native children whose bellies seem too pushed out - this is the result of not getting enough proteins, their tissues are bloated due to the inability of fluids to move freely in and out of the cells.

The protein in your body is not there as a fixed unchanging substance deposited for a lifetime. It is in a constant state of exchange, that is why you must keep eating a good protein diet after you have built yourself up. If you develop a good physique and then stop eating a nutritious diet, the protein will very rapidly leave your muscles and they will diminish in size. This is a basic characteristic of all living matter and is referred to as the dynamic state of body constituents which is the opposite of a static or fixed state. This constant turnover should be explanation enough as to why your diet must be adequately supplied with protein daily. Even if you no longer need it for muscle growth and are merely training to stay in shape, you require protein just to keep the status quo.

Your body's need for energy to operate is primary to any other function and protein, like sugars and fats, can supply this energy source. If you are lacking in simple sugars that are easily converted to a form of body energy (glycogen) the body will ignore the special functions of protein and break it down to use as an energy fuel. This applies to both protein entering the body and protein within the tissues. Either kind can be oxidized for energy without having a chance to do the work that protein is designed for, such as building muscles. It is a good idea to have fresh fruit or vegetables with a protein meal so that the protein can be spared for muscle building while the carbohydrates in the fruit or vegetables supply the body with an energy source, thus actually conserving the protein for more essential tasks.

Any protein food that you eat is broken down into its individual or component parts, called amino acids. These amino acids are then carried to the liver, where they are distributed to the various tissues that require them. The kinds and amounts of amino acids in a protein determine nutritive or biological value.

Animal foods such as muscle and organ meats, fish, poultry, milk and eggs are similar, though not identical, to the amino acid composition of human tissue. Because these animal proteins can supply all of the amino acids in about the same proportions in which they are needed by the body, they are rated as having a high nutritive value and will build muscle tissue.

The proteins from plant products such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains supply important amounts of many amino acids, but they generally do not have all the necessary amino acids in the proper proportions so they are not considered as good as animal products for promoting muscular growth and development. The proteins from some of the legumes, especially soybeans and peas, are almost as good as those from animal sources but they have a drawback. They contain a substance which inhibits one of the protein-splitting enzymes (trypsin) from doing its job. Many men use protein supplements that contain large amounts of soya products and they constantly complain of having stomach gas or a full feeling. This is due to the fact that because the protein eaten, as part of the soya products, or in addition to them, such as when added to milk, is putrefying in the intestines because it cannot be fully digested due to the lack of the enzyme trypsin. If you have this problem, switch to another product because it is a condition that your body can never overcome and you are wasting good protein.

Don't get carried away on just animal products, though. To have a high nutritive value of your protein only requires that a portion of each meal comes from animal proteins. They will complement and reinforce the incomplete amino acid pattern of plant proteins.

Research seems to indicate that you can generally survive, though not necessarily build great strength and muscle size, on a limited protein diet. Scientists studied a tribe of natives in New Guinea who have been eating nothing but yams, a very poor source of protein, for hundreds of years, but nevertheless still manage to carry on their daily activities with the same amount of vigor and health as natives in surrounding areas. After years of study, the scientists came up with a startling conclusion; the natives had developed the ability to withdraw the elements from the air they breathed and these combined with the amino acids in the yams to form the necessary protein to sustain life. We wouldn't suggest that you follow such a restricted diet, not if you are interested in muscles.  

Your body is constantly using materials for maintenance, regardless of the supply. It operates best when the supply of material from food is generous and regular, but it doesn't stop functioning immediately when the food fails to supply what is needed. It takes materials from tissue to meet these needs as long as the supply lasts.

Suppose you are training hard but not eating sufficient food to furnish your body's daily needs for operating and repair. The first thing that the body does is to draw on some of its own muscle protein to supply this daily wear and tear. As a result, the operating and repair needs are met, and your muscles get smaller as the normal waste products of protein metabolism leave the body. This is what is called negative nitrogen balance. This balance is found by subtracting the output from the intake. Protein balance studies are done by measuring the amount of nitrogen a person eats in his foods with the amount he excretes in his urine and feces. When the intake is larger than the output, there is positive balance, indicating that some nitrogen, and protein, are being retained.

When a person follows a high protein diet, he will notice that his urine is a bright canary yellow. This is evidence of nitrogen excretion though a bright color of the urine can also be attributed to ingesting large amounts of B vitamins or some abnormal conditions. Experiment for yourself. If you have a bright color of urine on a regular diet, you are in positive nitrogen balance for your purposes. Positive balance is essential for muscular growth. Only by having a large enough supply of protein to permit storage can the body add to itself.

Negative balance is not desirable and it only happens when too little protein is being eaten to meet the body's needs.

Your protein requirements depend upon how fast your body is growing and how large it is. The faster you are growing, the more protein you need for building. The larger the mass of living tissue, the more protein it must have for maintenance and repair. This is why heavyweights generally eat more than lightweights, they have more tissue to maintain.

No one really knows how much protein we need. At one time, it was recommended that the average person eat one gram of protein for each kilo of bodyweight. That comes out to about 70 grams of protein for a 154 lb man. It is difficult to establish how much protein each person should eat, due to individual variations in the type of food eaten and the ability of the person to break down and assimilate the protein food. We have known many men who consumed 200 or more grams of protein daily while in hard training and most of them seemed to thrive on it, but according to scientific studies carried out in the United States and Europe, our actual daily requirement of protein may be only 20 or 25 grams. This has been proven to be sufficient for all normal and healthy functions of the body. Another 10 or 15 grams more are suggested for adolescents. The recent research recommending the lesser amounts of protein say that previous studies involved only cooked meat, which due to its cooking had the amino acid pattern disrupted, and made it impossible for the test subjects to make full utilization of the protein. Thus protein digestion and assimilation assume a greater importance than high protein consumption alone.

Animal proteins, which we generally eat cooked, then are not as valuable by themselves, as we have always assumed. By combining animal proteins with foods that are generally eaten in the raw state, or can be eaten raw, such as nuts, seeds, whole grains, and raw, green, leafy vegetables, we find that we have a complete amino acid pattern that is hard to get in cooked foods and is also easily assimilated and digested by the body. Eating raw foods we find that all of the enzymes, minerals and vitamins necessary for their use are available as needed. Thus, we must conclude that raw proteins, even so-called 'incomplete proteins', are a necessary part of a good nutritious diet. This is because protein is more efficiently assimilated in the presence of certain minerals including magnesium and potassium which are present in the above-mentioned raw foods. An enzyme works with these minerals and the amino acid Lysine to create other amino acids critical to protein digestion.

Research indicates that Lysine is heat sensitive and is unavailable for use by your body when exposed to temperatures as low as those used in pasteurization of milk (148-150 degrees F). The degree of Lysine available from protein sources is progressively reduced with increase in temperature above this point and with the length of cooking time. When there is a short supply of Lysine, all other amino acids are in short supply. Foods that yield a high percentage of essential amino acids, particularly Lysine, are: raw fresh vegetable juices, raw vegetables, unroasted seeds and nuts, fresh or dried fruit, rarely cooked meats, sea food and poultry, served with raw green leaves.

Many experiments to determine the nutritional value of raw versus cooked protein foods have been conducted through the years. One trendsetting one involved the feeding of four litters of cats just one food and one food alone from the day they were born. One litter had nothing but cooked meat and its mates had only raw meat. The third litter had only heated (pasteurized) milk and its mates only certified raw milk. At the conclusion of the experiments, the cats that were eating only cooked meat or heated milk were stunted in growth and showed signs of disease processes (heart disease, arthritis, cancer) common to civilized man. They were also lethargic and seemed to lack energy. The cats fed only raw meat and milk were frisky as kittens, healthy and seemed to radiate a greater degree of 'intelligence' as indicated by training on certain pieces of exercise wheels.

Eating your foods lightly cooke3d or raw is still not the whole story. The form is also important. Another experiment was made in which whole meat and ground meat (hamburger) was fed to dogs. The meat was identical except for the form, one ground, the other whole chunks. Each group was fed an equal amount. The results of the experiment indicated that the whole meat eating animals were superior to those who were fed ground meat. This ties in with the fact that meat-eating animals as a group have no flat or molar teeth, but only canine teeth fit for tearing. It has been suggested that chewing meat may be unnecessary as it may have a nutritional inhibiting effect.

This effect is easily demonstrable outside the body. If whole meat is allowed to age for days in open air, it has improved flavor and texture. On the other hand, if ground meat is exposed to air, it putrefies overnight. When a man asks, "Can I eat ground meat if it is only the best grade and freshly ground," he misses the point. It is not the quality of the meat which is our concern but rather what happens to it in the grinding process.

If we think of meat as being composed of a vast number of muscle cells, each cell encapsulated in a protective membrane, the picture becomes clear. What happens when these cells are crushed and the cell contests squeezed out as a result of the meat grinding process? Within the meat cells, naturally encapsulated by nature's protective membrane, are nucleic acids, nucleoproteins and protoplasm, which are vital materials necessary for life. When they become exposed to air, putrefaction occurs rapidly.  

When you eat a food that contains protein, enzymes in your digestive system break up that protein food into separate amino acids, which are absorbed from the intestines and carried by the blood to the liver. As soon as they leave the liver and are carried by the blood to different tissues, they are reassembled into the special combinations that make the proteins to replace cell material that has been worn out or to add to tissue which needs to grow. The body has unerring accuracy in assembling amino acids into the substances needed at every location in your body. If any amino acids are left over, they cannot be stored for use at a later time. They are returned to the liver and if not used as an energy source are converted to fat and stored for use at a later time.

Twenty-four different amino acids commonly occur in fresh, raw foods. Some are more important than others and the body can manufacture many of them from the materials supplied by your food.

There are eight amino acids that the body must have but cannot make from any materials. Your food must supply them completely formed and ready for use. These are called the essential amino acids because it is essential to have them for growth and development.

Other amino acids are essential too, but if your food does not provide any or enough of them, your body can make them from the raw materials supplied by the liver. These are called nonessential amino acids in reference to the fact that it is not essential for your food to furnish them ready made.

The proportions in which the essential amino acids are required are as important as the amounts. Apparently your body wants these amino acids to be available from food in about the same proportions each time for use in growth and repair work. The animal foods, as mentioned previously, contain complete protein. Gelatin, which is also an animal protein and which is popular as a supplement among some men because it is relatively inexpensive, is a very poor source of protein because it lacks or is short supply four of the eight essential amino acids.

In building muscle tissue the body uses all of the essential amino acids plus the nonessential ones. And all of these essential amino acids have to be present in your blood stream at the same time. This means that if you eat a meal that does not contain all of the essential amino acids you cannot make up for this lack by eating a food that contains all of the amino acids at a later meal. You require all of the amino acids present at the same time. You cannot hold part of the amino acids in your tissues, storing them for the others to come along. To build muscle size and strength all of the amino acids must be on hand at the same time. If even one essential amino acid is absent or present in too small an amount, this deficiency will limit your utilization of the other amino acids. Dr. Paul Cannon, of the University of Chicago, has stated that, "The synthesizing mechanisms operate on an all-or-none principle and are perfectionistic to the extent that if they cannot build up a complete protein they will not build it at all."

Some men feel that they are getting adequate protein if they have one good protein meal per day, usually the evening meal. Research at the University of Nebraska seems to indicate that the human body utilizes protein more efficiently if it is spread out throughout the day rather than having it only once or twice a day. A group of students were put on a diet in which complete protein was supplied at the noon and evening meals. After three weeks they had their food moved around so that they received complete protein foods at every meal, though they did not receive any more protein for three meals than they had been getting for two meals. Studies indicated that the students made better use of the amino acids when they had complete protein at all three meals.

Get in the habit of eating complete protein foods, raw foods and greens with each meal. This is the only way that you can assure yourself of an adequate intake of food for growth and development. Some men are still of the opinion that they require massive amounts of protein foods . . . 

remember -

it is not quantity, but quality and timing that count.     

Foreword

One of the most important and least understood training principles in bodybuilding is instinctive training. In the early stages of bodybuilding, basic exercise routines produce the best results for the average bodybuilder. As the individual progresses into the more advanced stages of physical development, the training procedures necessarily become more complex and individualized.

Regardless of how much good instruction and sound advice the bodybuilder receives, there comes a time when he must learn to think for himself. He must instinctively realize that certain training procedures and exercises work better than others for him. He must stick with these result producing procedures and avoid the unproductive ones, if he is ever to reach his greatest goals.

It is the purpose of this booklet to help you acquire the ability to train by instinct, just as every great bodybuilder past and present has learned to do.

Best of luck,

Larry Scott.

Some Comments

As beginners, specific rules guide us through our early training. Basic routines with specific sets and repetitions are successfully utilized until we begin to reach the more advanced stages of training. It is at this point that we begin to realize that not everyone can use the same training procedures and eat the same kind of foods and make good gains. We soon begin to develop a 'feeling' for what is 'right' for our own individual problems. When we begin to apply this principle of doing those things we 'feel' are right for us, that is when we begin to tap the tremendous bodybuilding principle of instinctive training.

The term instinctive training, or training by feeling, is the ability to sense what will work best for you. Each of us is unique in that we react differently to certain exercises and foods, due to our own individual metabolic, structural, and emotional capacities. Just as fingerprints are never the same, each of us is different in the way that our bodies respond to any given stimulus. Only experience gained through considerable training will enable us to instinctively tell when we are using the right training methods, the ones we respond to most effectively.

Man has been on this earth for several hundred thousand years. The evolutionary progress that has taken place during this period of time has given him certain emotional reactions to specific situations such as stress, danger, love, etc. In earlier times, man's ability to react quickly to danger was very pronounced. This ability to act quickly, in most cases without having time to think about it, could be described as an instinctive response. Everyone has this ability to a greater or lesser degree. It is an inborn trait in all humans gained through experience of our ancestors since the earliest days of life on earth.

The truth of the matter is that man no longer has to depend on instinct as much as he once did. In fact, educational training has heightened man's intellect enormously and has taught him to depend less and less on instinct. The point is this - why trust only your educational intellect which has been developed over 20 to 30 years and neglect your instincts which have been a part of mankind for hundreds of thousands of years? To become an outstanding bodybuilder you'll have to learn to use both your intellect and instinct to the best of your ability. An individual's personal development determines his innate ability to make decisions and solve problems. Don't be afraid to trust your intuition. Learn to cultivate it by trying out things that you feel might be beneficial. Once you have developed this ability to sense the right methods, you'll cut down the time it will take you to succeed at achieving your bodybuilding goals.

Kelly Starrett looks more like an Olympic weightlifter than your typical physical therapist. At 6'2" and 227 pounds, he's thick, imposing, and covered in a hodgepodge of tattoos that stream down his left arm and cover his bulging calves. So it's fitting that when this doctor of physical therapy launches into a sermon about athletic performance, he skips the anatomy lesson and uses race cars to make his point.

You can drive a Beemer around a racetrack in second gear at 60 miles per hour, but you can't do it forever, he says. Not only are you undermining performance, but you're also priming the car for catastrophe. Starrett says this is what we do with our bodies on a daily basis: We sit all day, shortening our hip flexors, hamstrings and calf muscles. Then we hit the gym with dysregulated tissue and complain when we get knee pain. It's like we're driving around with the emergency brake on, and eventually we blow out a knee or a hip. "So we need to fix our basic spinal position before we go after poor movement in the hips or shoulders," he says. "You'll never fix the big engine if the chassis's broken." 

His race car analogy isn't a groundbreaking observation, to be sure, but simple nuggets of wisdom like these, delivered in his trademark upbeat and accessible way, have made Starrett one of the most successful and sought-after trainers in all of fitness. He's a celebrity thriving within the world of CrossFit, the hardcore mishmash of training styles that now encompasses nearly 10,000 gyms across the world. Few amateur gym-goers, one could argue, need a stronger chassis than CrossFitters.

If there's any criticism continually aimed at CrossFit and its high intensity workouts, it's the notion that they're not for the average person - at least until that person is properly conditioned. In April, the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry published a study that found the 19% of of group of 486 CrossFitters sustained an injury over a 14-month period, mostly in the back, shoulders or knees.

http://ojs.sagepub.com/content/2/4/2325967114531177.full.pdf+html

"With CrossFit, you're training and working out really hard," says Zach Even-Esh, a respected strength and performance coach and the founder of New Jersey's Underground Strength Gym.

http://www.undergroundstrengthcoach.com/

"And when you push yourself - whether in CrossFit or something else - you get bumps and bruises. But people get injured from sitting too much and eating crappy as well. Once you get injured, you go to a doctor, you get painkillers, and you're told to stop working out. Kelly's become the guy who does the opposite. He fixes people."

Starrett doesn't deny that people get injured doing CrossFit. But he argues that the injuries pale in comparison with the ones sustained in other daily activities. "If you take a holistic view of sports, CrossFit is safe," he says. "80% of runners get injured every year - and there are 30 million runners in America." He attributes any rise in CrossFit injuries to the greater number of people participating. "What I teach is proper positioning. Once people have good biomechanics and good motor control, then we increase intensity. The problem is, just as in any other sport, moving at high intensity without proper biomechanics is a recipe for disaster."

CrossFitters aren't the only ones flocking to Starrett for instruction. His client list spans the entire big-name pro-athlete spectrum: Olympians, English Premier League soccer stars, guys in the NBA, MLB, and NFL, as well as world-class cyclists, endurance athletes, and classical ballerinas. He's even trained breakdancers. They all come to Starrett to get his distinctive take on the fundamentals of mobility - he'll teach a world-class sprinter the proper way to stand, for instance - and to master his singular methods for eradicating physical pain.

Lately, it's been harder and harder for Starrett himself to float under the radar. He's a bestselling author and his website has had more than 5 million unique users since launching in 2011. Lat May he went to Seoul, South Korea to visit local CrossFit boxes and to lecture at the Reebok headquarters (Reebok is CrossFit's official sponsor) about devising a new kind of office environment that's better for the body. While there, he estimates, he took nearly 2,000 selfies with local CrossFitters and coaches.

"Four years ago I posted my first YouTube video. I didn't even tell my wife. And it turned into all this."

You'd never guess it from Starrett's California accent, but he grew up in Garmisch, Germany, in the Bavarian Alps, where he fell in love with Alpine ski racing and kayaking. "That was before athletes started specializing in sports," he says. "Everyone we looked up to did everything - skied, played soccer, kayaked." Starrett's mother, however, was an American professor, and moved his family back to the States in time for Starrett to attend high school there.

He went on to study at the University of Colorado, where he became obsessed with extreme kayaking and whitewater rafting. When you hear him talk about injury treatments and he says something like, "Grab an ice cube out of your gin and tonic - gin is paleo, right? - and apply it to your elbows," it's easy to imagine his previous life on the river. Starrett competed around the globe, paddling in  more than a hundred class-V rapids, and won two national championships on the U.S. team. He also spent a lot of time guiding tourists on dangerous runs. There, he says, he honed his CrossFit instructor skills. Both roles required him to be funny and personal one second and turn drill-sergeant tough the next.

During his last few whitewater seasons, Starrett experienced two things that would forever change his life. He met his future wife, Juliet, a world champion paddler, and he developed a repetitive-use injury.

For years, Starrett had spent nearly every day paddling on the right side of a canoe. Eventually his right hand went numb. He couldn't turn his head more than five degrees. He tried to fix the pain with massage, cortisone shots, and prednisone treatments, but nothing worked.

"I went down the rabbit hole," he says. "I asked the doctors why this had happened, and they were like, 'This always happens.' I was like, 'What the fuck? You knew my hand was going to go numb?"

After Starrett got injured while on the national canoe/kayak team, he became a rep for Necky Kayaks. His region was Montana to Texas, and he lived out of his truck with his dog. Being a river rat was acceptable when he was in his 20s, but the time was fast approaching when having no health insurance and being over-sunned would provide diminishing returns. Juliet started law school in Oakland in 2000, and Starrett joined her there and attended Samuel Merritt College, where he earned his doctorate in physical therapy.

Over time, he methodically fought the pain and numbness in his right arm. Then he became interested in Olympic lifting and moving better. When he learned about a new workout that strength coach Greg Glassman was developing - which was the fledgling CrossFit - he got hooked. Soon after, he and Juliet opened one of the nation's first CrossFit boxes.

"We took our interest in risk taking and applied it to starting a business," he says. "Taking risks is what I've been doing since I started kayaking at age 12, and I've been fucking scared - a lot." During this period Starrett started shaping his views about strength and conditioning. "I started physio school and CrossFit simultaneously. I saw that when people were put in positions to work out more efficiently, these were also the positions that were the most sound for injury prevention," he says.

In light of his experience regarding the mobility in his arm, Starrett believes the regular athlete shouldn't even jog or ride a bike without proper form, that you need to fix your range of motion before you destroy yourself. "Practice doesn't make perfect," he says, "practice makes permanent. Former cyclist Floyd Landis rode until he rode his hip out of the socket - what the fuck?" he says, incredulous.

Starrett worked with Team RadioShack and their performance coach Allen Lim in 2010 to prepare them for the Tour de France.  

Starrett believes that CrossFit will be the first sport to not blow out athletes like old cars. "Your tissue is designed to last 110 years," and trainers need to understand this. But rather than studying proper form, they focus too much on sport-specific training or building show-off muscles. Instead, Starrett argues, it's important to emphasize movement patterns that heal the body. He teaches clients to diagnose themselves, so that when they're at home they can release the tension built up in their bodies from sitting all day. "Everyone should be able to perform their own basic maintenance," he says.

When Starrett started writing articles for the CrossFit Journal, the sport's website of record

http://journal.crossfit.com/search.php?IncludeBlogs=1&limit=20&search=starrett&x=0&y=0

he realized people were simply not knowledgeable about their own bodies. "You don't know where your psoas is?" he asks. "Well, that's the fucking problem." (For the record it's a hip flexor that starts at the bottom of the rib cage and extends down to the inner pelvis - "the filet mignon of a human being," Starrett says.) He focused on teaching people the basics and started improving their posture and gait before he even let them look at a barbell. He believes there are many more similarities between a Cy Young and a stockbroker than there are differences.

"One percent of orthopedic problems are related to acute injuries from the sport, another one percent are from diseases like bone cancer, and the rest is lifestyle," Starrett says. "When we started going after pain, people thought it was a Ponzi scheme. They thought when you're 55, you're supposed to be in pain. That's crazy. Pain is a lagging indicator of injury. Ninety-eight percent of orthopedic surgeries are preventable."

In 2010, Starrett came up with the idea of filming a short video focused on mobility every day for a year. "The thought is, if you spend 10 minutes a day on yourself, you can improve things," he says. "We know people don't have the time to do this for an hour. We just wanted to send them in the right direction."

Starrett's first video instructed CrossFitters in the proper mechanics of the squat. He explained that, in countries where people still squat regularly to eat, talk, or, he says bluntly, shit, there are few hip and lower-back problems. So he simply asked people to squat for a full 10 minutes. "I was like, 'Pretend you're at a campfire, that you're having dinner in Thailand, and just be human,'" he says. "People were blown away."

Just as CrossFitters use the acronym WOD for Workout of the Day, Starrett decided to call his lessons MobilityWODs. It wasn't the flashiest name, but it stuck. By 2014, his site had upward of 5 million unique users. "I thought we'd do it for a year, and we'd cover everything and be done," he says. "That was four years ago."

Last year he published his first book, Becoming a Supple Leopard, based on the premise that at any moment a leopard is ready to pounce and fight for his life. It doesn't need to stretch and warm up. Humans, he argues, used to be the same. Most CrossFit boxes keep a copy on hand as a sort of handbook of bible of movement. "What we're trying to say is: Are you a skilled human? Yes or no?" Starrett says. The book - a $60 four-pound physiology tome on joint mechanics - is a New York Times bestseller.















 

For decades, Clarence Bass (born 1937) has been photographed in bodybuilding poses that trace his transformation from an embryonic weightlifter of 15 to a ripped septuagenarian. The pictures represent a biological time line of how little the human body declines with proper care and feeding. His latest photographs, taken a little shy of his 70th birthday, reveal a man virtually bereft of body fat. He is not so much a portrait of strength, though he is that; he is a model of muscle definition. Everything seems to pop. Tendons and veins rise up out of his skin like tightly drawn cables. He has abs to die for.

"For all the softies of the world," said photographer Laszlo Bencze, who photographed Bass, "the only thing they desire is defined abs. And Clarence has got that in spades." 

Outside the hypercritical eye of the bodybuilding establishment, where no imperfection goes unnoticed, Bass's physique has changed little since 1978 when he won his height class at the Past-40 Mr. America competition. The similarity between age 40 and 70 is ll the more remarkable because Bass than was using anabolic steroids.

Now, instead of drugs, he uses a few over0the-counter nutritional supplements. He lifts weights twice a week, mixes in another two days of short bouts of heart-pounding aerobics, takes lots of walks, and eats a near-vegetarian diet. He is not a slave to the gym. And when I spent a day with him in December 2007, we ate all day long.

America's health clubs are filled with barbell-lifting baby boomers intent on staying young forever. But will they, over decades, have the discipline, diet, and passion for weight training that Bass had demonstrated? Will any of them ever look as lean and strong?

"I don't think that you will ever see many people like Clarence Bass," said Terry Todd, a professor of exercise history at the University of Texas. "Clarence is very unique."

I learned about Bass when I came across his photographs in Physical Dimensions of Aging (1995), by Waneen W. Spirduso, a professor of kinesiology and public health, also at the University of Texas.

http://www.amazon.com/Physical-Dimensions-Aging-Waneen-Spirduso/dp/0736033157

Table of Contents:
http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0420/2004016531.html

Spirduso used pictures of Bass to make a point: Strength and muscular endurance decline mostly because of a lack of exercise - not because of factors associated with getting old. "One of the clearest findings in the literature on strength and aging is that disuse accelerates aging," she wrote.

For many years, much of the medical community failed to see the benefits of resistance training. "You really had to be there to see how people felt," said Todd, a former national champion powerlifter who weighed more than 300 pounds. He remembers meeting Kenneth Cooper, the physician and author of the 1968 book, Aerobics. At the time, Cooper saw little benefit in strenuous weight training. But with new research, attitudes began to change. A 1998 study by the American College of Medicine analyzed 250 research projects; among the findings, it found that strength training can make men and women stronger as they grow older, improve bone health, and help control weight. In one of the studies, older men and women were found to achieve greater gains in strength than younger people. Spirduso described elite elderly athletes as having a psyche in which the "body and functioning are very important components of self-awareness and self-esteem."

When I first saw the photographs of Bass, I was impressed with how strong he looked. But his muscularity, at his age, seemed excessive. I thought about TV muscleman Jack LaLanne and the infomercials featuring impossibly strong men and women hawking the latest exercise device. Mind you, this was early in my research, and I hadn't yet studied anyone as muscular as Bass. I didn't fully understand the passion, pride, and ambition that drove the older athlete; I hadn't come around to the notion that if a 70-year old man can spring 100 meters or run a marathon, why couldn't he try seeking physical perfection?

"I think the primary reason people are uncomfortable about these sorts of muscle poses, and to some degree this is true, is that vanity and ego are on such public display," Todd told me. He is co-director of Texas's Todd-McLean Physical Culture Collection, the largest archive in the world devoted to fitness, weightlifting, and exercise.

             

How to Conquer Mob Mentality!
How to Buy Happiness!!
AND ALL THE OTHER WAYS TO OUTSMART YOURSELF!!!!!!!

Fats and oils are our most concentrated source of energy. Many sources of fats provide important nutrients, such as fat-soluble vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids. 

Why then are we constantly told to cut down on fats? In the first place, fats are loaded with calories - they contain approximately twice as many calories as you find in proteins and carbohydrates. Secondly, saturated fats can raise your blood cholesterol; however, it's not just the amount, but the kind of fat you eat that matters. Here is a rundown of the different kinds of fats:

 - Saturated Fats.

Generally obtained in meat an dairy products including butter, eggs, milk and cheese. These fats tend to raise blood cholesterol levels and do not melt at room temperature.

 - Unsaturated Fats
Found in fish, nuts, olive oil and peanut oils. Unsaturated fats contain less hydrogen than saturated fats and have little effect on blood cholesterol levels. Such fats are liquid at room temperature.

 - Polyunsaturated Fats
Found in soybean, corn and safflower oils. These fats contain less hydrogen than unsaturated fats and tend to lower blood cholesterol levels. Such fats are liquid at room temperature.

 - Hydrogenated Fats
Unsaturated fats that have been hardened by the addition of hydrogen. These are most often found in shortening and margarine and tend to raise blood cholesterol levels. They remain solid at room temperatures.

Any fat that is liquid at room temperature is called an oil. In general, oils are less saturated than fats, with the exception of coconut oil.

In buying a margarine or shortening, you want one that is high in polyunsaturated fats. Buy one that gives liquid safflower oil or corn oil as the first ingredient on the label, not hydrogenated vegetable oil. Pure vegetable oils are not saturated and should be your choice over solid margarine.

The fats used in oils, spreads, and shortenings are only part of the total fat in your diet. You have to consider both visible and invisible fat. A lot of fat is found in meats, especially marbleized steaks, hot dogs, hamburger, corned beef and duck. Cheese varies, depending on the type: Cottage, ricotta and farmer, for example, are low in saturated fats; others such as Brie, Camembert, blue cheese and cream cheese are high.

For most weight trainers, the ideal way is to incorporate the essential fats and oils in the diet is to use them in their natural state, or as nearly so as possible - nuts or seeds, eaten raw and sprouted, not only provide the finest oils but enzymes, raw protein, vitamins and minerals.

Avocados are another good source of oil, combined with other essential nutrients and raw protein. Even though small in quantity, the protein from avocados is high in quality and therefore a valuable addition to the diet.

Fresh grains, sprouted, soaked or freshly ground are also valuable sources of essential oils. Who can deny the value of wheat germ oil?

Fish oils such as cod liver oil and halibut are very valuable foods. They are high in Vitamin D and unsaturated fatty acids, and are useful in calcium metabolism. In addition to these two oils, flax seed oil has been found to have a cholesterol buffering factor which lessens the effect of hardened fats and margarines. However, since flax seed oil is one of the most perishable of all oils, the seed and oil should be kept under refrigeration at all times.

Any natural fat, whether from meat, poultry, or fish, will melt at room temperature, and will be a soft golden color. These fats may be used with safety. Animal fats that are hard, white, and will not melt unless boiled, broiled or fried, should be eliminated from the diet once and for all.

Honey comb, bone marrow, and raw butter are also good foods to include, not only for their unsaturated fatty acids, but for the Vitamin E and their "Factor-X" - an anti-stiffening factor which they contain.

Many men, when following high-protein-and-little-else diets, sometimes make the realization that their diets are deficient in essential oils. This condition is usually remedied by the inclusion of a teaspoon of either flax seed, safflower or wheat germ oil with each meal. Combining these three oils plus soy bean oil makes a welcome addition to the diet and insures the user that sufficient of the proper types of oils are used to insure maximum utilization of other foods eaten.

Next: A Large Chapter on Vitamins.