This week we'll be discussing this fascinating area. Whether you're looking to do a little fine-tuning or shed a load of 'extra material', we'll detail precisely how to do that. Joining us is Online Fitness Coach Vic Magary, Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine and You. Should be a great one - see you there.
Thanks again to everyone who watched and took part in the discussion Gymchat 202 - Intermittent Fasting (with Josh Hewett) - much appreciated. If you haven't seen it yet (or simply want to go over a particular point again), here's the entire video. Look forward to hearing your comments.
This week we'll be talking about the fascinating world of Intermittent Fasting. What it is, why it's worth considering and how it all works. Helping us tackle this fascinating area is Personal Trainer and Strongman Josh Hewett and Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine. Should be a great one - see you there.
Research shows that cinnamon is an excellent way to lower blood glucose levels after consuming sugary or carb-dense foods. The suggested dose for cinnamon is 1-6 grams, taken with a carb-heavy meal. I followed this recommendation and saw fantastic results: Over three weeks, I consumed several high-glycemic foods with no major changes to my body composition.
Cinnamon should be an integral part of your program if you're serious about fat loss, and Full Spectrum Cinnamon Extract from Planetary Formulas is an excellent way to reduce blood sugar levels so you burn fat and get lean fast!
Read the full review at Renaissance Fitness Inc..

"A light workout that combines aerobic activity and resistance exercise 1 hour after your meal will reduce the post-prandial concentration of triglycerides in your blood"
Triglycerides (TG) are a type of fat (lipid) that circulates in our blood. When we eat a meal, our tissues use some calories immediately. The calories that are not used are converted to TG which are then transported and stored into our fat cells. When our body needs energy between meals, it taps into its fat reserves by releasing TG from the fat cells into the blood stream. Hormones regulate the level of TG in our blood. Yet, certain diseases, namely obesity and diabetes, disrupt this hormonal regulation and lead to high TG in the blood. High TG increases your risk for atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke (cardiovascular disease—CVD).
When it comes to measuring the TG levels health professionals typically look at fasting TG levels. In this case, TG are obtained after an overnight fast. Normal fasting TG levels should be lower than 150mg/dL. If your fasting TG are high you can lower them through diet and lifestyle changes. Exercise as well as limiting alcohol, fat and sugar, are effective ways to lower TG. Also, if you are overweight, and you follow a healthy weight loss diet your fasting TG will come back to normal levels. Diets where carbohydrates account for more than 60% of total energy intake, can increase TG levels, in which case a carb controlled diet plan may be prescribed.
TG are elevated in our blood for a few hours after we eat a meal. For some people, TG may rise to abnormally high levels in their blood after they eat a meal. Studies have found that it’s not only the fasting TG but also the nonfasting TG levels that can increase the risk for CVD. A Denmark study found that the more the TG increases after a meal the more likely an individual will develop myocardial infraction and ischemic heart disease. We definitely need to keep our post-meal (post-prandial) TG levels low.
How do you keep the post-prandial TG levels low? Studies so far have shown that exercise (i.e brisk running, walking, or resistance exercise) performed before a meal can suppress the elevation of post-prandial TG. But this new study found exercise after a meal can rip the same benefits with regards to TG.
This week we're going to be discussing the thinking behind it - what it is, and the logic behind doing things the CrossFit way. The daily workouts, Olympic Lifting, diet and a whole lot more. Helping us tackle it is CrossFit Level 1 Coach, Dai Manuel. Fantastic.
NB : I'm very keen to hear both Dai's thinking on CrossFit, and yours. If you've got questions or opinions on the CrossFit approach, join us on the Hangout. Here's how.
Many of us who aspire to become stronger, faster, and in better condition, tend to neglect our diet. This article will elaborate on the diet aspect and specifically the importance of eating breakfast.
"Most people eat 150% more calories in the evening than they do in the morning."
When it comes to eating, recent research shows that it’s not only what we eat that is important but when we eat. In fact, the time of the day we eat:
This article will focus on the second element—the time of the day we eat affects our overall calorie consumption—and will arouse interest to those of us who want to eat less and lose fat.
We may have been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it appears that most of us don't give it the attention we should. In fact, most people eat 150% more calories in the evening than they do in the morning. Interestingly, when those who consume most of their calories in the morning are compared with those who eat a larger portion of their daily intake at night, morning eaters are found to consume fewer calories overall [3], suggesting that placing an emphasis on breakfast may help people eat less. It turns out that people are less satisfied by food later in the day, resulting in them eating larger meals closer together and taking in more calories overall. This suggests that it may be more than a coincidence that the modern trend toward later eating and an increase in the prevalence of obesity and overweight are taking place together.
It appears that the time of day one eats impacts overall calories, but how does the type of food eaten factor in? This is the question Dr. John M. de Castro set out to answer, taking a closer look at the relationship between overall daily intake and the proportions of macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) eaten at certain times of day [4]. For a solid week, 867 individuals recorded everything they ate or drank, along with the time of day it was consumed, the amount consumed, and the way the food was prepared. This data was then examined to determine how the characteristics of the food eaten during different times of the day impacted the overall amount of food the study participants ate.
Supporting the folk wisdom that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the analysis revealed that eating more of a macronutrient in the morning was associated with a smaller overall intake of that macronutrient over the course of the day. To determine more precisely which macronutrients had the largest impact on the satiety properties of breakfast, intake was also compared across days. Total overall consumption was compared for days when a participant's morning meal contained less of a particular macronutrient than usual and days when the morning meal contained more than usual. The results showed that each macronutrient has an impact on daily consumption as follows:
These results confirm that morning meals, which people find particularly satisfying and filling, can lead them to eat less food over the course of a day. In contrast, eating at night is less satiating and can result in a greater overall intake of food. This is true for all three macronutrients—individuals who ate more of each macronutrient in the morning tended to eat less over the course of the day. Furthermore, it appears that the carbohydrate content of breakfast is primarily responsible for its ability to satisfy, while the carbohydrate and fat content of foods eaten in the evening are responsible for the impact of those meals.
Could encouraging people to eat the majority of their daily intake of food in the morning be an effective way to lose unnecessary fat? The evidence seems to suggest so.
Therefore, eat a carbohydrate-rich breakfast, because research shows that eating a full breakfast helps you better control the overall calories you consume daily.
Carrying extra fat is associated with skipping breakfast and eating later in the day [5], and only 4% of those who have lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off report skipping breakfast [6].
In fact, the science shows that an increase of 1 calorie of carbohydrate or fat in the morning results in 1 fewer calorie of food being ingested overall throughout the day. That means, a person who eats a 500-calorie breakfast consumes 100 calories less over the day than a person who eats a 400-calorie breakfast. In study participants, a carbohydrate-rich breakfast resulted in a reduced intake of approximately 108 calories per day, amounting to a projected 11-pound fat loss over one year.
While simply eating more in the morning seems to be associated with eating less overall, focusing on certain macronutrients appears to make a difference as well. People who eat breakfasts high in carbohydrates tend to have a lower BMI than those who skip breakfast or eat a high-protein breakfast [7], and children who eat breakfasts cereals that are high in carbohydrates tend to have lower body weights [8]. This accumulation of evidence suggests that eating a breakfast high in carbohydrates, restricting evening eating, and eating low-energy-density foods may be the optimal dietary pattern—and one that could result in the easy loss of 11 pounds per year.
References
Thanks again to everyone who watched and took part in the discussion Gymchat 195 - Fitness Over 40 (with Kevin Redman) - much appreciated.
If you haven't seen it yet (or simply want to go over a particular point again), here's the entire video. Look forward to hearing your comments.
This week we're going to be discussing the many forms of 'Fitness Over 40'; everything from serious gym sessions to simply staying active. Helping us tackle this one is Corporate Trainer Kevin Redman, Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine and you. Should be a great one.
NB : If you're joining us on the Hangout (and sharing opinions, asking questions etc) be sure to get there a little early - only 8 spots are available. Cheers.


"Here, take these..."
My friend, a successful personal trainer and health nut, handed me four little pills. I asked him what they were. This felt like a drug deal.
"They're probiotics," he said. "Take them. You'll feel much better in no time."
Probiotics are bacteria, like the kind you find in yogurt. They help maintain a very important balance of microorganisms in your digestive tract that aid in digestion, nutrient absorption and killing germs. When we get sick, travel too much, or take medications like antibiotics, the microorganisms in our stomach become imbalanced, leading to long-term G.I. distress and general illness. Taking a high dose of probiotics is the fastest way to get your body back on the right track.
I was suffering from a terrible head cold and had already taken an over-the-counter decongestant, but it didn't help much. I still felt like I'd been run over by a moose.
I was completely blown away when my symptoms went away within hours after taking my friend's pills. My nose cleared up and my cough was gone. I felt like a superhero, healing myself within a matter of hours. I instantly became a believer in the power of probiotics.

Bulking.
Scott and I covered bulking in a gymchat a while back, but I do get quite a few questions about it so I want to touch on the topic once more.
Bulking up or eating to gain muscle mass is something anyone who has ever picked up a weight has come across. It basically means that you increase your caloric intake above maintenance in order to build huge, beautiful muscles to impress girls or whatever your goal is. Sounds easy enough but does it work?


I am not thrilled by either approach, since they both have serious drawbacks.
The lean bulking simply doesn't work, in order to gain muscle you ll have to gain some fat with it. That doesn't mean you should resemble a sumo wrestler but you wont have an 8 pack either.
GFH works in order to gain muscle but does require 16+ weeks of diet in order to see those. For a natural bodybuilder, it is impossible to diet for that long without losing a substantial amount of muscle, which means your gains are limited. Someone who is chemically enhanced can go this route, since the anabolics will prevent catabolism during the diet. Then there are aesthetics and overall health. An extra 30 lbs simply doesn't look good nor is it a great idea for your heart, liver and joints to carry so much extra weight. I have tried the GFH and, while it is fun to eat whatever you like, being 250 lbs in the NYC summer wasn't all that great. But I digress.
SO whats left to do? I'd suggest to gain a little and then diet for a week in order to limit fat gain and keep you looking great, basically "culking".
Lets cover some basics first. How much muscle can you gain? Despite what the magazines tell you, you will NOT gain 20 lbs of muscle in 8 weeks.
1/2 lbs per week would be outstanding, which wold come to 25lbs a year. That's a figure that novice lifter might achieve; if you are more advanced 6-8 per year would be outstanding. As for fat gain, depending on your nutrition and genetics for every 3 lbs of muscle you will gain 1 lbs of fat, some unfortunate individuals might even gain 1 lbs of fat for every lbs of muscle gained. It's a harsh reality isn't it?
What better time than Easter to talk about eggs. Anyone who has read my book or seen my TV clip knows that I am big on eggs and by that I do not mean egg whites.
Eggs are one of the best bodybuilding foods, full of protein, minerals and vitamins.This makes complete sense if one considers that egg protein is the gold standard for biological value (100) of proteins. It has become a custom, however, to consume only the egg whites. The logic behind it is that all the fat is hidden in the yolk and all the protein in the egg white.

Even though this is more a strength orientated website, most athletes still do some form of cardio and, lets face it, most of us want to look good. So fat loss is a topic worth covering.
For ages, people have gotten up at ungodly hours and performed cardio on an empty stomach since the body then has no other choice but to burn fat. It sounds great, but is it true? Aside from the fact, that I do not think cardio is necessary to get lean (there, I said it), lets have a closer look at cardio in a fastened state.
In short, no. For the long answer read on.

After the 10 best diet foods piece was rather well received, I have decided to go the more unknown route and write about foods that have fallen off the wagon for no good reason. So without further do, in no particular order, 8 foods every athlete should at least consider.
That statement should have gotten everyone's attention. But what does flexible dieting mean?
OK, the donut part was more of a hook to get you to read the following. As we all now, dieters are failing by the millions, due to a number of reasons , the biggest one being a lack of willpower.
Some of them are so motivated that they don't stray from their diet for weeks, counting every calorie, eating at the perfect time and then....they implode. Due to stress or worries they fall off the wagon completely and stay off it.
This is where flexible dieting comes in; you need to allow yourself to live. If you are on a mild caloric deficit (400 calories per day or less), schedule a cheat meal once a week, so you can go to dinner with friends without worrying. I would give myself a 4-hour window for this and eat a side of fries or a dessert to your liking.
Athletes who run a more severe deficit and have a competent coach need to have a 2-3 day re-feed every week, combined with a heavy weight training session.
This will allow them to stop the muscle loss and revive their metabolism in order to continue to lose body fat. What does that mean?
When you diet for an extended period of time, such as more than 14 days, bad things start happening in your body: HGH and testosterone drop, cortisol goes up and leptin drops. This goes especially if excessive amounts of cardio are being performed. The results: you get hungrier, more irritable and start losing muscle. Fat loss, on the other hand, comes to a screeching halt. Not a good situation for a bodybuilder or strength athlete. Flexible dieting or smart cheating reverses that.

During a diet, it is critical to consume foods that will curb your hunger for an extended period of time.
Here are my most effective diet foods:

If you shop in the exterior aisles only, you will find produce, vegetables, meat, dairy, eggs and such. These are the items that should make up 90% of your diet. Lean meats, fish, eggs and dairy for protein and fat, vegetables for their fiber and vitamin content, followed by potatoes, oats, and rice for complex carbohydrates. Throw in some nuts or nut butters for unsaturated fatty acids and you have a winning formula.
This time it's in the form of an interview with a particularly inspiring Personal Trainer, Vic Magary. As you'll see, he's got an incredible outlook on the world.
Let's dive in.
1. Firstly, a bit of background. What is your name (and nickname), and where did you grow up?
My full name is Victor Nicholas Magary. Nearly everyone calls me Vic. I grew up in the small river town of Steubenville, Ohio in the United States.
2. I believe you've been studying Martial Arts in one form or another since you were 10 years old. How did you move from student to teacher (in the form of a Personal Trainer)?
My first exposure to teaching came during martial arts classes, even when I was still a kid. I was the 13 year old terror that my instructor put in charge of leading the warm up exercises at the beginning of each class. I was all too happy to tell guys in their thirties to drop and give me 50 push ups because they weren't staying focused in class.
Moving into the personal trainer realm didn't come until after I finished my time in the Army. I started out making "house calls" and going to the homes and offices of clients to put them through their sessions. My equipment at the time consisted of a pair of Powerblock dumbbells, boxing gloves, and focus mitts.
3. Following the closure of your gym, you shifted focus to offerings such as 31 Day Fat Loss Cure and the Rebel Strength Guide. What are your goals like now - a return to a physical space in some way, or are you enjoying the online life?
I have no plans to ever return to the physical space. I can help more people with far less overhead costs online. I now have a few documented cases of people losing 100 lbs or more via my online programs - I never accomplished that in my physical gym. I am considering offering one-on-one coaching and personalized program design via email and telephone support, but that is the closest I plan on coming to doing individual training.
4. What changes in commercial gyms (and the way they are run) have you seen over the past few years? What would you like to see?
I currently use a commercial gym. It allows members 24 hours access via electronic key entry and there are absolutely no high pressure sales tactics. I love it. I've been turned off from large corporate gyms previously from being bombarded with personal training packages and other upsells.
I would love to see more access to "odd object" equipment in a commercial setting. Things like sandbags and a designated sledgehammer area would be great. But I understand that the overall demand for such training implements is relatively low and the commercial gyms will always lean toward providing the unfortunately popular eliptical machines and treadmills.