17 Reasons to Eat Your Little Trees

November 26, 2014 Tristan

Broccoli, or “little trees” as you probably called them as a child, is one of the most rejected foods on many plates, including adults. I seemingly recall staring at the green forest in front of me while vigorously shaking my head “no, no, no” until Mom added cheese on top. Since broccoli is one of the top health foods, it is also quickly despised by those who are sick of healthy foods being shoved in their faces. It’s time to re-visit the world of green goodness.

Broccoli has a lot to offer, both in the nutrients locked inside each green floret and in the flavors you can coax out of this relative to cabbage and cauliflower. Don’t give in to those negative feelings for this common super-food. It’s worth exploring!

17 Reasons to Love Broccoli:

Cancer – Broccoli reduces inflammation and oxidative stress while aiding natural detox. Antioxidants like indole-3-carbinol protect against cellular damage that causes many cancers. Broccoli also contains glucoraphanin which is converted into sulforaphane, a sulfur compound that kills bacteria known to increase cancer risks. It also reduces damage from the sun, removes toxins, and regulates the methylation of DNA.
Cholesterol – The soluble fiber in broccoli binds to and removes cholesterol during digestion, especially when lightly steamed.
Detoxify – Glucosinolate phytonutrients, like glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiin, and glucobrassicin found in broccoli, help detox at the genetic level on up.
Balance Vitamin D – The vitamin K and vitamin A in broccoli help control the levels and effects of vitamin D throughout the body.
Anti-Inflammatory – The flavonol kaempferol reduces inflammation, combats allergies, improves heart health, and may even combat some cancers. Broccoli also contains some beneficial omega 3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation too.
Antioxidant – The antioxidant powers of broccoli deserve another mention since they help the body resist much more than cancer. Vitamin C and carotenoids like zeaxanthin, lutein, and beta carotene are plentiful in our friendly broccoli florets.
Heart – Sulforaphane reduces the inflammation of blood vessels and prevents or reverses the damage to the linings of these vital vessels. Lutein prevents the thickening of the arteries while B6 and folate help control heart palpitations.
Blood Pressure – The sulforaphane, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in broccoli all aid healthy and balanced blood pressure.
Digestion – Broccoli is low in calories while rich in protein and minerals to keep you full and satisfied while your cells are well-nourished. The fiber aids digestion and prevents constipation too.
Bones – Broccoli is rich in vitamin K and calcium for strong, young, healthy bones.
Nerves – The potassium, healthy fatty acids, and B vitamins in broccoli are good for the nervous system, keeping those signals firing and our nerve cells healthy.
Immunity – The sulfur compounds in cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli bolster the immune system and inhibit bacteria. Vitamin C, beta carotene, and the trace minerals zinc and selenium all play a role in immune system health too.
Alkalize – The nutrients and minerals in broccoli can help alkalize your system.
Arthritis – Sulforaphane prevents cartilage destruction and acts as a mild pain-killer by reducing inflammation.
Blood Sugar – The fiber and chromium in broccoli aid in balancing blood sugar.
Skin Health – Sulforaphane prevents and repairs damage done to the skin by the sun, healthy fats keep skin supple and inflammation free, and vitamin C builds healthy collagen.

Broccoli is at its best as sprouts or micro-greens, but it is still healthy steamed or lightly cooked. It is also more delicious than it gets credit for. You can search and find some amazing broccoli recipes and taste-test them for yourself.

Gym Stuff, Muscle Science

All About That Bass Workout

November 24, 2014 Tristan

Unless you’ve lived in a musical cave the past few months, then I’m sure you’ve heard Meghan Trainor’s hit song, “All About That Bass.” I decided that for today’s blog post, we’re going to get down to it and talk about the booty and how to make yours turn heads.

Whether you’re a man or a woman, it isn’t a surprise that the ass is a sexual turn-on for many. There is just something about those curves that turn the heads of both sexes. The glorious glutes sometimes get lost, especially with those that skip leg day.

I’ve got FIVE glute exercises to help you shake it like a Polaroid picture.

*NOTE: I fully exercise my right to make as many butt-related puns as I feel like during this article. Enjoy.

1. SINGLE-LEG ELEVATED GLUTE BRIDGE

Let’s start with the exercise that’s easiest to perform and requires the lease equipment. While you can do this bilaterally, I specify the single leg version simply because – though it’s a tad more advanced – it’s really the only version worth doing if your goal is posterior development.

When performing this exercise, it’s important to focus on two things: recruitment and position.

In order to make sure you activate and recruit the glutes to the fullest extent, don’t just think about lifting your hips; instead, think about driving your heel into the bench and focus on using your posterior chain to raise your body. Also, remember to flex and squeeze the working glute throughout the entire rep. To increase activation, lightly rest your hand on the cheek — it’ll look silly but will help out a bit.

As for position, how you finish the exercise is important here. Don’t just drag your ass off the ground and stop when you’re in the air — a fully executed rep ends when your hips are completely “locked out.” To make it simple, raise your hips as high into the air as you can. In the finished position, you should be able to follow a straight line from your knee to your shoulder.

This exercise is great for development, but I find it works best as both an activation exercise during a warm up and a teaching tool for helping people understand and develop increased awareness and activation.

2. BARBELL GLUTE BRIDGE / HIP THRUST

Staying with the same theme, let’s look at barbell glute bridges. Popularized by Bret Contreras, the barbell glute bridge (or BGB, as I like to call it because it’s more fun to say) is the exercise that contributed heavily to Bret becoming known as: The Glute Guy. (NOTE: It probably also helped that he registered the domain thegluteguy.com and uses it as his blog; but let’s not split hairs.)

There are a number of variations of the BGB, the main difference between them being the number of benches used, which varies from 0 to 2. Using multiple benches increases the range of motion, the difficulty and the name. Once you add in a bench, the name generally changes from a glute bridge to a hip thrust.

Even with the difference in names, the movements are similar in a few ways, not the least of which is that they both involve using your tuckus to drive your hips up while loaded with a barbell.

Here’s a video of big Bret rocking out the BBGB with just under 500 pounds.

Moving on to the hip thrust, you need to have your shoulders elevated, increasing the range of motion and lines of force. The hip thrust is more difficult, and because of that, perhaps more effective in a number of ways.

Here’s a video of Bret’s client, Kellie Davis, banging out reps with 225.

For more videos, check out Bret’s YouTube channel, which is the biggest collection of ass-related videos not on a porn site.

3. HALF-SQUAT FROM THE BOTTOM

I don’t think there’s a butt in the world that can’t benefit from squats. Moreover, I don’t think that there are many great butts that have been built without them.

Today, we’re going to take that one step further.

This highly specialized version of the squat is done for just half a rep — the bottom half. You see, the glutes are recruited more heavily as squat depth increases; therefore, it is the bottom half of the squat that involves them the most. By limiting the movement, you focus on the goods.

Here’s how it’s done: In a power cage, set the pins at just above where your shoulders would be if you were in the “rock bottom” position of a squat. Load it up, climb under and ignore the looks you get. As you come up, focus on flexing the glutes. Halt your ascent at roughly one-half of the way up, pause for half a second and come back down. Allow the bar to come to a stop on the pins. No bouncing!

This is a killer exercise because you’re moving the bar from a dead stop for every rep, there’s no possibility of cheating, and you completely take away any effect inertia would have had. The movement becomes much harder and is very effective.

Now, this variation of the squat is very specific. While useful in the context of glute training, in general, you should be doing regular squats as well.

4. KETTLEBELL SWINGS

I’ve often heard people say things like, “I do the stair climber for cardio because I also work my butt.” While that’s not totally untrue, it’s also not the best option. If you want to get your ass in shape figuratively while getting your ass in shape literally, KB swings are the way to go.

Now, I’ll say right off the bat that I’m not really a kettlebell guy. I like kettlebell exercises as a conditioning tool, and I see some value in terms of specific applications. This differentiates me from pure kettlebell gurus, a number of whom are passionately dogmatic about kettlebells.

Again, KBs are good for condition and specific application, one of those applications being glute training.

For a simple movement, it’s hard to beat the KB swing. Done with proper form, it works the majority of the posterior chain and hits the glutes like little else.

You can use the swing with mildly heavy weight as part of a more complete program, or you can use lighter weight and higher reps for a cardio / conditioning effect — each effective for different goals, but both effective with regard to your butt.

FURTHER READING: Tim Ferriss wrote a detailed post on how to use the KB swing to sculpt the perfect posterior, which you can read here.

5. GLUTE – HAM RAISE

I don’t know why I even bother to include the GHR, other than the fact that if I don’t, other fitness pros will blast me for leaving it out.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s an awesome exercise, if you’re part of the small 2% of people who don’t screw it up. Since I’ll assume that all of my readers are in that group, we can discuss.

There are two ways to perform the glute-ham raise: on a machine and without one, which is called a natural glute-ham raise. The machine version is generally easier for setup — at least in the sense that you don’t need a partner for it — but executing it is murderously difficult.

A few companies make decent GHRs, but the best one by far is produced by EliteFTS. If you’re considering picking one up, that’s the model I’d go with.

Most gyms don’t have a GHR machine, so let’s talk about some modifications.

The first of these is to use a friend. It’s somewhat difficult to manage, though.

To perform, kneel down on some padding and have your partner secure your feet behind you. Keep your trunk upright (your back straight and in line with your hamstrings) and lower yourself to the ground as slowly as possible. If you can pull yourself back up, do so. If you cannot, simply use your hands to work back into the starting position and perform another negative.

It looks like this:

If you don’t have a partner, there is another variation that makes use of the lat pulldown. Essentially, you’ll be using the knee rollers to hold your ankles in place and perform the GHR. This is the first version that I ever tried.

Here’s a lil’ snippy-snippet:

Looks easy? Nope.

All variations of this exercise are pretty easy to screw up.

Now, here’s how it’s awesome: While in many ways this is a hamstring exercise, it still works the glutes, oddviously. Specifically, this will work what we in the biz call “the gluteal fold,” or the glute-ham tie-in, the often-saggy flap where your butt meets your leg. Meaning that the GHR is going to help your ass look awesome when you’re naked more than almost any other exercise. Making it exceptionally important.

You’re welcome.

Bonus: Hill Sprints!

Yeah, hill sprints.

These are pretty much the most awesome form of cardio you can do. How do I know this?

Here’s my rating system:

Impact: 7
Efficacy: 9
Convenience: 10
Equipment Needed: hill, legs
Difficulty: varies (6-8)
Impressiveness: 9

So, basically, hill sprints are convenient, effective and make you look awesome. They’re hard, but worth it.

Also, because of the incline, they work the gluteal fold and make you bootylicious (yes, I went there).

Walter Payton, the greatest running back of all time, did these religiously.

All right, folks — time to sound off. No treble.

Written by: Tristan “Lucky”

References:
1) Caterisano A, et al. “The effect of back squat depth on the EMG activity of 4 superficial hip and thigh muscles.” Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. August 2002, 16(3):428-32.

2) Vakos JP, et al. “Electromyographic activity of selected trunk and hip muscles during a squat lift. Effect of varying the lumbar posture.”Spine. Mar 1994, 15;19(6):687-95.

Gym Stuff, Muscle Science

Worthless Exercises You Waste Time Doing

November 18, 2014 Tristan

Take a second to think about your gym routine. Typically you have it mapped out day-by-day which exercises you do. I bet you feel pretty good about the fitness moves you’ve incorporated. You’re hitting the big muscle groups and have become the local weight room champion. Plus, these moves you’ve mastered are so popular that they have to be effective. Right???

Wrong.

It’s time to find out if any of your fitness routine is actually falling flat — plus, expert-approved advice on taking your workout to the next level.

OVERRATED: CRUNCHES

This gym-class standard needs an update: According to research from San Diego State University, the traditional crunch is the least effective strengthener for both the rectus abdominus (6-pack muscles) and the obliques (waist muscles).

What’s more, because sit-ups require more strength from front ab muscles than obliques, this move can create a strength imbalance in the core — setting you up for back problems.

UPGRADE: THE PLANK

Not only does the plank require more muscle activation in the obliques than the traditional crunch, according to research, but researchers have also found that practicing this position can actually help lower the risk of developing lower back pain later in life. How? The plank targets your abdominal muscles, helps to build muscular endurance and spares your spine in the process.

OVERRATED: PEC DECK/CHEST FLY

While research has found that the pec deck machine is a great way to build chest muscle, the fact is that this machine puts your shoulder joint in an extremely vulnerable position, as it simultaneously rotates and abducts. While this is especially dangerous for those with shoulder problems, using this machine can also cause injury in otherwise healthy exercisers.

UPGRADE: BENT-FORWARD CABLE CROSSOVER

Engaging the same muscles as the Pec Deck, the Bent-Forward Cable Crossover allows you to build strength quickly and effectively. But, it does it without unnecessary risk to your joints.

OVERRATED: BENCH PRESS

Though research has shown this staple gym exercise to be excellent for building chest and triceps strength, some bench press-related shoulder injuries are common enough to have earned the nickname “bench-presser’s shoulder.” Also, the bench itself limits natural movement in the shoulder blades, putting tremendous stress on rotator cuffs. As such, some fitness experts have deemed bench press unsafe.

UPGRADE: PUSH-UPS

Push-ups are a safe and (happily) equipment-free exercise that builds muscle in the pecs, triceps and shoulders while developing core strength. What’s more, it can be modified dozens of ways to work different muscles or increase the intensity and complexity of this tried-and-true, basic movement.

Written by: Tristan “Lucky”

Diet & Nutrition, Supplements and Products

The PROTEIN Guide: Bodybuilders With Food Allergies

November 6, 2014 Tristan

Note: Any of the products I’m suggesting I am not being paid to mention. I have actually tried and tested these products myself.

These days, it is the norm to hear people mention a food allergy or intolerance: gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, shellfish, and soy just to name a few. This can make it especially hard for those weight training when trying to find a protein powder or a bar they can eat without having side effects.

Some people (like myself) choose to only eliminate their food intolerance(s) while some other people will go all out vegan, paleo, or create their own special diet.

Sadly, I’m dairy intolerant. Prior to my blood test results, dairy was a staple in my diet. I had to learn my way around this new food obstacle and I found there were items that could be replaced without killing my taste buds. Of course, you can never truly replicate cheese – sorry Daiya, you’re close.

NON-WHEY PROTEIN POWDER? HMM…OR…MMM?

I had just bought a huge 4 lb container of MusclePharm’s Combat whey protein powder in my favorite chocolate peanut butter flavor. I stood there for what felt like hours just staring at it blankly. Then, I finally walked away after a very heavy sigh.

I had tried Jay Robb’s egg-white protein powder in the past and didn’t really enjoy it. I then bought some Hemp protein powder by Nutiva and after two attempts, it’s been in my cabinet ever since. It’s hard to compete with the taste of some of the whey protein powders out there that are packed with what I want AND the taste I need.

Finally, after doing a ton of research, I found PlantFusion. It’s a totally vegan protein powder that has:

No Dairy
No Soy
No Animal
Hypoallergenic
Gluten Free

1 scoop (30g) contains: 120 calories, 2g fat, 4g carbs, 4g sugar (frutose), and 21g of protein. Not bad!

I use the Chocolate and Cookies n Creme flavors on their own (sometimes add some peanut butter). With the Vanilla Bean, I toss in some frozen fruit. Tasty! I have not tried the Natural or Chocolate Raspberry. They do have a new product called “Phood” which I’m definitely going to order and try out! It’s supposed to be your daily supplements and protein shake all in one.

My next favorite vegan protein powder I found is by Sun Warrior. I have only used their Vanilla flavor and give it two thumbs up. This company has a variety of products most everything is Raw, Non-GMO, Organic and Vegan.

Both products contain a high profile of essential amino acids in a complete, balanced profile. Both also contain pea protein, which is a remarkable source of plant-based proteins and amino acids. Protein from peas satisfies all FAO essential amino acid requirements and include Lysine, Arginine, Glutamine, Leucine, Isoleucine & Valine (BCAAs).

PROTEIN BAR WITHOUT DAIRY, OR EGGS, OR…?

Next on my list was finding a bar that (a) was friendly to food allergies (b) wasn’t a sugar bar, and (c) tasted delicious.

This wasn’t an easy process. First I tried KIND bars. These, I admit, are very tasty, yet they just don’t contain the amount of protein I was wanting. Only 3g of protein per bar isn’t cutting it. These are NOT for anyone with a nut allergy, since the bar is basically all nuts. But, if you’re looking for a snack, this pretty much nails it.

Next on my list, was Betty Lou’s Organic Cacao Acai Bar. These bars contain cashews only, no other nuts. Again, the protein came in at a slim 5g per bar. The taste? Oddly very good.

I was about to call it quits when I stumbled upon a bar that blew my mind….seriously. AMRAP Bar Almond & Honey made me love life again. This isn’t vegan because it contains egg-white protein and to the nutty folks, sorry, it has almonds. Each bar delivers 15g of protein and this is becoming THE bar for the paleo enthusiasts. The bar itself is dense, so it fills you up. By the texture and taste, you can tell they went all out on quality for their bars. They also have Cashew & Vanilla and Fig & Cacao which I haven’t tried yet, but ordered them today!

Last, but certainly not least, is an innovative bar I stumbled upon this past summer on a trip to Austin, TX. EPIC bars are not your average protein bar. It’s a meat bar, but is softer than jerky, and contains ancient berries and premium nuts. All of their bars are 100% grass fed meat and my two faves are the Bison Bacon Cranberry bar and the Beef Habanero Cherry bar. Their other flavors include Turkey Almond Cranberry and Lamb Current Mint. With 10-14g of protein per bar and an “epic” source of omega-3, CLA, vitamins E and B12, antioxidants, niacin…and are gluten-free with no added sugar? I don’t know if it can get better than this! Seriously. These are what I call my “MAN” bars and I always try to keep one in my bag. When I flew back home I was thankful to find them at my local Whole Foods Market!

TELL ME YOUR FAVORITES!

Go ahead, don’t be shy – leave a comment with your favorites. I’m always game to try some new things.

Written by: Tristan “Lucky”

Gym Stuff

What the Yuck: GYM GERMS

October 21, 2014 Tristan

After a split-second decision, I sat down on a sweat-smeared bench left by the big, hairy Russian dude. The guy to my right decided to sneeze 16 times in a row, setting a new gym record. I quickly winced, then glanced up at the TV to see more breaking news concerning the Ebola virus. I blinked twice, then took a look around me. A large room of people swapping sweat with each other. It’s like a fitness orgy.

The Ebola epidemic has dominated everything we have heard about for weeks now. It’s been devastating and people are now getting fearful about it spreading here in the United States. One thing we tend to forget about is all of the diseases, infections, bacteria and germs we come in contact with almost daily.

You’ve been told to “wipe off the equipment” like that’s going to really help. It doesn’t make the germs go away, it just prevents the bench from turning into a slip-n-slide.

But, you ask, what if I use sanitizer? Ah, yes. Well, that’s better, but still isn’t 100% effective in killing all germs/bacteria. The CDC has a report that says washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of microbes in most situations. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. If your sanitizer has between 60-95% alcohol concentration, chances are, it will help kill more germs.

The next issue: if you’re using your gym facility’s sanitizer, are they supplying a cleaner that is anti-bacterial or one that just cleans away dirt, sweat and oil? You need to ask or bring your own. Regulations are different in each state, so don’t assume you’re zapping away germs.

One of the best things you can do is to create a barrier between you and the machine. Most people bring a towel. The problem that occurs is how do you remember which side of the towel you’re using? My little trick is to bring a towel that has writing or a print on just ONE side. That way I always know the “safe” side and the “wtf” side.

Some guys will act like you’re not a man if you use lifting gloves. I beg to differ. I enjoy the hand barrier, personally. Just don’t forget to wash your gloves….think of them as you would think of your underwear. It is important they are cleaned on a regular basis.

Many gyms also provide waterless hand sanitizing stations. This is great to use and not just stare at. Use it often: pre-workout, during workout, and post-workout.

Also, don’t use your fingers and palm of your hands to wipe sweat off your face. Use the back of your hands or (better yet) a clean towel. You don’t want to encourage germs and bacteria to get near your eyes, nose and mouth. That’s just sending an invitation to Aunt Flu to visit for a week.

Oh, and think about where you’re placing your water bottle. Is the nozzle touching any of the equipment? It’s also best to use a bottle that you don’t have to “open/close” at the mouth opening with your fingers. If that’s all you have, use your teeth.

If you shower at the gym, please, for God’s sake, wear shower shoes. Buy some $1 flip flops for all I care. Toe fungus is real, people. If you don’t shower, make sure you soap up your hands up to your elbows and (I’m not kidding) sing “Happy Birthday” to yourself. I wouldn’t do this out loud unless you want a left hook to the jaw. Supposedly, by the time you sing the Birthday song you have properly cleaned your hands.

Once you get home, wash your clothes. Do NOT think you can or should wear them again until you’ve cleaned them. Remember that really smelly kid named “Pig Pen” that was friends with Charlie Brown? Yeah. Don’t be that kid.

Another rule of thumb: spray anti-fungal in your shoes or (better yet) wash them too.

If you have a cut, scrape, abrasion….make sure it is NOT exposed. This isn’t just for yourself, but for the common courtesy of others. This is the easiest way to get infected and also to spread infection. If you see someone that has an exposed wound of any sort, I wouldn’t use the equipment they were on. Not to be a tattle-tale, but it may be wise to alert someone at the gym to talk to this individual.

On the same note, if you are sick – stay home! Exercise at home when you feel sick and try to avoid areas of the gym where people are coughing and sneezing. It might not be a bad idea to down some Airborne in your pre-workout during the flu season.

Gym environments can be an ideal breeding ground for infectious diseases.

Here are things you can bring home from the gym (besides muscle):

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a bacteria called methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was recently found in recreational athletes. Although, MRSA is a version of the common staph bacteria, it is resistant to the methicillin antibiotic, which makes it especially hard to treat. While “normal” staphylococcus aureus is a microbial skin infection easily treated with antibiotics, MRSA is more difficult to treat and can infect the blood and bones–a potentially life threatening complication. MRSA’s antibiotic resistance also makes it more likely to spread, since the normal course of treatment does not eliminate it and the infected person remains a carrier. The CDC cites close physical contact and equipment sharing as reasons for outbreaks. Researchers have also found E. coli, strep-bacteria and the influenza virus in gyms and on athletic equipment.

I didn’t write all of this to terrify you. I promise, this isn’t a ‘Nightmare on Gym Street’ post right before Halloween…though, that would have been a better title! Seriously, this is just a warning to help protect my fellow gym-goers out there. We’re like a family, so let’s spread the love, not our germs.

Written by:
Tristan “Lucky”

Diet & Nutrition

LeBron James: 67-Day Diet Facts and Sample Meal Plans

October 15, 2014 Tristan

LeBron James: Ketogenic Paleo

LeBron James has opened up about his much talked-about slimdown, speaking with multiple media outlets, including Sports Illustrated and CNN, about his strict 67-day diet, which he labels “Ketogenic Paleo.”

“I had no sugars, no dairy, I had no carbs,” the four-time NBA MVP told SI. “All I ate was meat, fish, veggies and fruit. That’s it. For 67 straight days.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers star described his diet as a “mental challenge,” which he initially planned to limit to one month, but extended because his body felt amazing.

“I haven’t been in this weight class,” James told CNN‘s Rachel Nichols without specifying the exact number of pounds he now weighs. “I’m in the 250-ish range. A lot lighter than I’ve been playing at the last few years, but I feel good,” he said.

For James, the hardest food group to give up was sweets. “It was either pancakes or chocolate chip cookies and ice cream,” he mused, adding that he went to bed dreaming of the fluffy breakfast food all the time. He joked: “I had the cookie monster chasing me a few times in my dreams.”

Last month, James had fans wondering how he achieved his ripped and significantly leaner frame after he shared numerous shirtless photos of himself on Instagram. “Every now and then I enjoy the fruits of my labor,” he captioned one pic. ‘#LivinLiveWithASmile #Blessed #StriveForGreatness.”

LeBron James: Sample Eating Plan

Breakfast:

Option 1: Veggie omelet with a side of turkey bacon, fresh fruit, and sweet potato hash browns.
Option 2: Peanut butter or almond butter smoothie made with PalntFusion and Almond or Coconut milk, banana, and side of blueberries or other sliced fruit.
Option 3: Egg Scramble with mushrooms, bacon, onions topped with avocado and salsa.

Lunch:

Option 1: Spinach salad with veggies, grilled chicken, and a light balsamic, vinaigrette, or olive oil dressing. Pair with a side of fresh fruit, or add sliced berries, apples, or mandarin oranges as a salad topper.
Option 2: Tuna Fish mixed with vegan garlic mayo, onions, celery wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves. Add healthy toppings like spinach, avocado, tomato, cucumber, sprouts, and yellow mustard. Pair with a fresh fruit salad.
Option 3: Pizza made with ground turkey substituted as the crust. Top with sauce (no sugar), veggies, and meats, no cheese, and bake.

Dinner:

Option 1: Grilled or baked salmon with crushed pistachio topping, and steamed vegetables, drizzled with freshly squeezed lime juice, olive oil, or balsamic vinaigrette. Season with dried herbs like rosemary, chipotle pepper, or paprika.
Option 2: Chicken or shrimp soft tacos in romaine leaves with black beans, avocados, diced tomatoes, or chile peppers and salsa.
Option 3: Chicken or Beef Chili

Written by Tristan “Lucky”

Gym Stuff, Muscle Science

7 Major Benefits of Pyramid Training

October 6, 2014 Tristan

There comes that day in every bodybuilder’s life where you hit that dreaded plateau. Your normal “beast mode” routines just aren’t kicking it anymore. You’re striving for more mass, yet nothing is happening. You’re stuck. What do you do???

Usually a change up in your old routine with a replacement of an advanced workout will get you to the next level.

Among the best routines to employ would be pyramid training.

How Does Pyramid Training Work?

The way pyramid training works is very simple. You perform a series of high rep exercises with a light amount of weight. For example, you could perform 20 reps of dumbbell curls at 15 lbs.

Once you complete the set, you will take a quick breather and move to the next set which would be 15 reps at 20 lbs. Take another break and then do 12 reps at 25 lbs. This progression could continue with 10/30 lbs, 8/35 lbs, 6/40 lbs, and 4/45 lbs. Of course, this is only one example of how you could structure such a training workout.There are many other creative ways in which a pyramid workout can be performed to take you to the next level.

Top 7 Benefits of Pyramid Training Workouts

The concept of pyramid training seems relatively easy to comprehend. Yet, you may be questioning the real benefits.

Here are seven of the major ones:

1. Through employing a diversity of weights and reps, your body does not become used to a standard routine. Once the body starts to get used to a weightlifting routine, it stops reacting to it. That means you cease to experience noticeable gains from your sessions. Pyramid training helps eliminate such plateaus through providing a more dynamic workout.

2. Pyramid training helps keep you from becoming mentally bored or burned out with your workout sessions. It is not just the body that reacts poorly to the same old workout. The mind ends up becoming more than a bit worn out with such repetition. When you become bored with your workouts, you stop putting the proper amount of effort into them. Pyramid training can add some new life to those dull workout days.

3. The lightweight exercises that commence the workout can act as an effective warm-up. The warm-up helps prime the muscles for the heavier lifting that will come at the end of the pyramid session.

4. As a means of packing on mass, it would be tough to top pyramid training in terms of results. This is because those last few short reps with heavy weight can help stimulate muscle growth immensely.

5. Mass is not the only benefit gained from pyramid training. The short reps with heavy weight will also contribute to the development of functional strength. When strength levels are increased, a person’s quality of life may improve.

6. There is great diversity among the different exercises you can perform in a pyramid training routine. Whether you wish to perform compound exercises or isolation exercises, you can do so easily.

7. Pyramid workouts are also quite easy to perform and do not require a significant time commitment. For the person that has a busy schedule and is always on the go, pyramid training may provide the perfect means of getting in an effective workout in a short session.

Pyramid Training’s Long History of Success

Pyramid workouts are nothing new. They have been around quite some time in bodybuilding circles. In fact, pyramid training was a very popular method of packing on mass among competitors for the Mr. Olympia back in the 1970′s. The reason the training was so popular was due to the fact it delivered pronounced results. This is why so many professional bodybuilders still use it a great deal today.

Anyone looking for a reliable and effective mass gaining workout program will find pyramid training to be beneficial.

Written by: Tristan “Lucky”

www.ripped-science.com

Gym Stuff, Muscle Science

EPIC BATTLE: Free Weights vs. Resistance Bands

September 26, 2014 Tristan

Despite the similarities between elastic resistance and free-weight resistance, people would assume, due to the lightweight and “flimsy” appearance of elastic resistance equipment such as elastic tubing, that free weights are clearly the better resistance equipment.

Today, you’re going to learn that resistance bands just might beat out free weights in some prime areas.

WHAT’S SIMILAR?
Elastic resistance exercise, such as the use of elastic tubing equipment, has been used for almost a century. It originally was used as a fitness technique, but eventually progressed to be used as a rehabilitation device. Today it is used commonly in both fitness and rehabilitation facilities around the world. Both elastic resistance and free-weight resistance (such as barbells and dumbbells) have several similar properties:

Both provide some form of resistance
Both allow a free range of motion
Both allow variable speed of movement
Both allow progressive resistance.All four of these properties are critical for the benefits offered by effective resistance-training programs.

Studies have shown that muscle activity and peak load during elastic-resistance exercise is similar to free-weight resistance exercise. This means that when comparing the same exercise performed with an elastic resistance device or with free weights, the amount of muscle fibers activated is similar and the amount of force provided by the muscle fibers is similar.

Studies on elastic resistance training have also shown that programs using elastic tubing, elastic bands and similar devices increase muscle strength and muscle size and decrease body fat in a similar manner to free-weight training programs.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT?
In addition to the similarities that elastic resistance shares with free-weight resistance, there are several benefits that elastic resistance offers that free-weight resistance does not.

One of the most important benefits of elastic resistance is that, unlike free weights, it does not rely on gravity to provide resistance. This increases its potential for use in more functional movement patterns that mimic both everyday activities and sport-specific activities.

Because free weights rely on gravity to provide resistance, they can only provide resistance in a vertical plane —the direction of gravity. This means that if you do an exercise with a free weight in the horizontal plane, such as moving your left hand (while holding a dumbbell) from the left side of your body to the right side of your body, there is no resistance to that movement. With elastic tubing, on the other hand, you can have resistance when doing exercises in a horizontal plane. This means you can perform exercises such as twisting your body from side to side, side kicks and punches, as well as movements that mimic a baseball swing or basketball pass with elastic resistance.

Performing exercises with resistance in a horizontal plane better prepares the individual for performing daily tasks—such as turning his body while carrying a heavy box—much easier and with less risk for injury. It also better prepares athletes for competitive movements that take place in a horizontal plane, such as swinging a baseball bat, and helps to prevent sports injuries. A study, from Louisiana State University (New Orleans), discovered that an elastic band training program strengthened the rotator cuff muscles of collegiate baseball pitchers better than a program that used free-weight dumbbells.

Because elastic resistance does not rely on gravity to provide resistance, it is possible to change the emphasis placed on muscles during certain exercises. This is made possible by changing the direction of pull of the elastic tubing or bands. For example, research from Brigham Young University reported that it was possible to change the emphasis placed on the quadriceps and hamstrings during squatting or stepping exercises by changing the direction of pull of the elastic tubing. The ability to change muscle emphasis is important for those who want to target specific muscles either for aesthetic reasons or for strengthening for sport competition. It is also important for those with injuries, as shifting the force more to certain muscles can help protect certain associated joints. For example, greater hamstring emphasis during squatting or stepping exercises helps to protect certain structures around the knee. This is difficult to accomplish with free weights because, as previously stated, they require the direction of force to be vertical, due to the reliance on gravity for resistance.

Another benefit provided by the fact that elastic resistance does not rely on gravity is that it provides continuous tension to the muscles being trained. When you lift a free weight like a dumbbell in any direction other than straight up and down, the tension on the muscle can actually be removed at certain points in the range of motion. For example, when doing a biceps curl with a dumbbell, as you curl the dumbbell up towards the shoulder, at the very top of the movement the dumbbell is literally falling towards the shoulder. This means that the tension on the biceps has been removed because the dumbbell is no longer being lifted up against gravity by the biceps. When doing a biceps curl with elastic resistance, the tension is present throughout the entire range of motion because the elastic material provides resistance due to its own properties.

The fact that elastic resistance equipment does not rely on gravity also means that the elastic resistance equipment used can be inexpensive, lightweight and easily stored and transported despite its ability to provide strong resistance¹¹. On the contrary, free weights must be heavy and cumbersome to provide strong resistance. In addition, free weights tend to be expensive as they are typically priced by the pound.

Another unique benefit of elastic resistance that free weight resistance does not offer is linear variable resistance. What this means is that, as the range of motion of the exercise increases, the resistance provided by the elastic equipment increases. For example, when doing a biceps curl, as you curl your hand up toward your shoulder, the resistance of the elastic tubing increases. This is due to the physical properties of elastic material. As its length increases (from being stretched), it provides more resistance. One of the benefits of this is that as the range of motion increases and the resistance increases, the number of muscle fibers that are being used in the exercising muscle increase. The more muscle fibers being used, the greater the adaptations in muscle strength that can be achieved with the training program. This benefit is not offered by free-weight resistance.

Another reason linear variable resistance, as provided by elastic resistance, is beneficial is due to what is known as the strength curve of muscles. The linear variable resistance provided by elastic tubing better mimics the strength curves of most muscles. A strength curve refers to the way a muscle’s or muscle group’s strength changes over a range of motion. Because of their anatomy, most muscles increase in strength over the range of motion until a certain point. Again using the biceps curl as an example, as you curl the hand toward the shoulder, the muscle gets stronger up until about the halfway point of the range of motion. Thus, the biceps muscle is weakest at the start of the exercise and strongest at the halfway point of the exercise.

When doing a biceps curl with a free weight, the individual is limited to how much resistance he can use by how strong the biceps are at the beginning of the exercise (its weakest point). That means that during the biceps curl, the muscle is not receiving adequate resistance when the muscle is in its strongest point in the range of motion. When performing a curl with elastic tubing, however, the resistance increases as the range of motion increases. This means the muscle is receiving greater resistance at its strongest point in the range of motion and therefore is receiving more adequate resistance to better stimulate strength adaptations.

Many individuals using elastic resistance report that they can feel a difference, such as a stronger burn in the muscles and greater muscle fatigue, as compared to when they use free weights. This is due to the linear variable resistance that the elastic resistance equipment offers. This allows a greater number of muscle fibers to be used and taxed throughout the range of motion. Anecdotal evidence aside, research studies also confirm this difference.

One study performed at Truman State University (Kirksville, MO) found that athletes who included elastic resistance bench press training in their regimens had a significantly greater increase in bench press strength and power as compared to those who only utilized free-weight resistance training. Another study, performed at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, reported in a 2006 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, that when athletes used elastic band training in addition to free-weight training they had significantly more leg power than when they only utilized free-weight training.

A critical benefit of elastic resistance is that it prevents the user from “cheating” on the exercise being performed. This is a common practice, especially for beginners, when using free weights. Cheating involves the use of momentum to get the weight moving. Once the weight has built up momentum, the muscle fibers do not need to be maximally activated to continue moving the weight throughout the rest of the range of motion of the exercise. This is due to the fact that the physics of momentum have taken over to move the weight. The physical properties of elastic resistance devices do not allow the user to cheat by using momentum. This is because the resistance from the elastic equipment comes from the stretching of the elastic material and not the mass of the elastic equipment. The only way to continue a movement while performing an exercise with elastic resistance is to utilize more muscle fibers in the exercising muscle to continue stretching the elastic material.

FINAL NOTE
The research performed on elastic resistance suggests that not only does elastic resistance offer similar benefits to free-weight resistance, but it actually has several benefits that outweigh (pun intended) those of free weights. This means that a program using elastic tubing resistance can provide similar benefits to a program that uses free-weight resistance, such as increased muscle strength, increase muscle tone and size and decreased body fat. In addition, a program that uses elastic tubing resistance can also provide benefits that are not offered by free-weight resistance programs, such as more functional strength, better injury prevention, greater ability to change muscle emphasis during exercises, greater muscle power development and easier use.

Benefits of Elastic Resistance vs. Free-Weight Resistance

Benefit	Elastic Resistance	Free-Weight Resistance
Provides progressive resistance	•	•
Allows free movement	•	•
Allows variable speed of movement	•	•
Increases muscle strength	•	•
Increases muscle size	•	•
Decreases body fat	•	•
Provides resistance in multiple directions	•
Provides variable resistance	•
Provides constant tension	•
Prevents cheating	•
Inexpensive	•
Easy to store	•
Easy to transport	•

Written by: Tristan “Lucky”

www.Ripped-Science.com

Gym Stuff, Muscle Science

TRICEPS: Train All Three Heads

September 25, 2014 Tristan

The triceps muscle is composed of three heads – and these need to be trained in a very specific way.

Q: My tricep doesn’t seem to be very responsive. Can you give me some training tips?

A: First, the triceps muscle is one muscle composed of three heads. So, it’s not one head, as in ‘tricep’. All three heads work together when doing any triceps movement. If you performed a ‘tricep’ exercise you would hit only one of the three triceps heads, and that’s not possible!

Properly training  for results
Surprising to some, the triceps muscle takes up two-thirds of your arm space, making it larger than the biceps muscle. Even though your triceps may be the larger of the two arm muscles, it may not be as developed as your biceps. This is actually common because your triceps are located on the back of your arms, sort of out of sight and a lot of people tend to not train the rear body parts as intensely, since they can’t be seen as much.

Now that you know that you have a triceps (a three-headed muscle) muscle and not just a ‘tricep’ (a non-existent one-headed muscle) you need to understand the insertion points so you can train all three heads in the best possible way for maximum development.

Here is how your triceps muscle is broken down.
1. The long head runs down the back of your arm and is the largest of the three heads. It’s also referred to as the inner head.
2. The medial head is positioned on the midline of the triceps, lying deep within the arm. This head is appropriately referred to as the middle head at times.
3. The lateral head is located on the outside of the arm, giving that familiar horseshoe shape that makes your triceps stand out. This head is often referred to as the outer head.

So, what are you supposed to do with that information? Here’s the trick. To build serious mass on your triceps, you need to train each head in a precise order. As the angle of your arms change, the intensity of stress affects the heads differently. It’s not uncommon for trainees to train their lateral head too much and not pay enough attention to the medial and long heads.

The long head  (the belly of the muscle)
The secret is to start with the long head — train that first and work down to the smallest head, the lateral head. What does training in this fashion do? Training with the longest head and working down allows you to put the most intensity and power into the primary head that is responsible for overall size.

When you train the long head, the other two heads will be stimulated either partially or fully, depending on the exercise. Even so, you should start your weight training with an exercise that works the long head of the triceps muscle. Exercises that zone in on the long head are the ones that allow the triceps to stretch fully. When training your triceps, your arm and elbow positions are critical. Usually, any movement over the head allows the long head to be stretched completely. By developing the long head you will build well-rounded triceps with a lot of depth. Exactly what you want!

Below are some triceps exercises that zone in on the long head:
• Skulls/lying triceps extensions/ French press
• Overhead extension (reverse grip too)
• Pushdown using straight bar with a narrow grip
• Close-grip bench press
• Dips

Now, I’m going to share one good little tip on making your triceps training even more effective: it’s all in the thumb. On exercises such as skulls, overhead extensions and pushdowns, shifting your thumb to the same side of your hand where your fingers are (a false grip) will put greater emphasis on your triceps. You see, when you wrap your thumb around the bar, the brachioradialis muscle in the forearm is called upon to keep the thumb in place and this takes the emphasis off of the triceps. Using a false grip keeps the focus on your triceps.

The medial head
A lot of the weight training exercises that stimulate the long head hit the medial head as well. Thus, there’s not a lot of difference in training, as on both you want to get the full stretch with your elbows overhead or out in front of you.

Below are some triceps exercises that zone in on the medial head:
• Close-grip bench press
• Overhead extension
• Skulls
• Pushdown (v-bar or straight bar)
• Reverse grip pushdown
• Dips

The lateral head
Besides training from the long head and working down to the lateral head, there’s no exact format to follow because all three heads work as a team. It’s just that some exercises zone in on one head more than others. That said, here are some triceps exercises that zone in on the lateral head:
• Rope extensions
• Kickbacks
• Pushdowns
• Dips

Your first week do workout 1, your second week do workout 2 and so on. See how your triceps look and feel after this cycle. Below are some triceps training workouts you can try.

Written by: Tristan “Lucky”

www.Ripped-Science.com

Diet & Nutrition, Gym Stuff, Muscle Science

Pro Football Training Guide: 8-Week Body Transformation

September 16, 2014 Tristan

One of my long-time friends, Ryan, is a pro football trainer in in the Midwest and has been working with top athletes for the past 8 years. His main job is getting athletes leaned down and ripped out as quickly as possible prior to the season starting. He focuses on building strength and endurance.

Athletes have to train with only natural products and stay away from steroids or other banned drugs. Ryan can pretty much transform a person’s physique in as little as 8 weeks. This is through a combination of diet, daily lifting, interval training, and what he calls his “1-2 punch combo.” He is also known for his “Game Time 20” workout routine (listed at the end of this post).

This is one of the lead extras from the movie 300: Rise of an Empire. (I'm not allowed to show Before and Afters of main actors - sorry). — This is a well-known wide receiver of a pro football team. (I’m not allowed to show the face of the athlete, or say his name for legal reasons).

The “1-2 punch combo”, which he says is also used by actors and bodybuilders, is using IGF-1 along with an HGH booster. These two supplements combined are actually proven to be effective alone, but when used together the impact almost triples. Basically, they multiply each other’s effects.

Obviously, over here at Ripped Science, we’re all about the science behind the muscle, so here is a quick explanation. Science has known for years the dramatic effect HGH has on muscular strength and growth; its effects proven in dozens of studies. IGF-1, which can be derived from deer antler velvet, is the chemical cousin to HGH. It also builds muscle, but not as quickly as HGH. IGF-1 is important because it lasts much longer in the body and actually stimulates the body’s natural HGH secretion too.

The secret is to stack both together so that when your IGF-1 levels are rising, so are your HGH levels. The more HGH releases, the more you can train harder and longer, while also allowing your muscles to recover and rebuild quicker. This “1-2 punch combo” allows for rapid muscle growth and huge gains in record time.

There are two products Ryan uses the most; deer antler velvet and an HGH booster. He has tried countless products over the years. Some have worked, some were scams.

The best deer antler he suggested was Supreme Antler, which is the only product with a full 100 Mg of pure deer antler velvet per serving. I personally never tried deer antler before, but have had several gym buddies give it two thumbs up and confirmed it definitely benefited them.

The other product he recommended was Sytropin HGH. It has a perfect A+ rating with the BBB (which is obviously good news) and was one I was already using prior to Ryan telling me about it.

I admit, both websites look like your typical muscle-head sale sites…the kinda “in your face” look, which used to make me skeptical. Ironically, some of the best products I’ve used have come from these types of sites. It’s kinda like that dive-looking Chinese food place that looks sketchy on the outside, but the food is freaking outrageously delicious. That’s exactly my best analogy for these products.

My coworker, David, trained with Ryan for 8 weeks and used the “1-2 punch combo” he recommended. He started on July 1st, 2014 and ended his cycle on August 26th, 2014. In that time, he gained 11.7 pounds of muscle and cut his body percentage from 19% to 13.6%. Needless to say, he just got back from Los Cabos and looking at the vacation photos, he looks very happy…and so is his wife!

“It’s ALL about stacking!!! Use the BEST that is out there. I’m 35 years old and I have taken a lot of different workout supplements over the years and nothing has given me the tone and definition that Ryan’s “1-2 punch combo” has. In my opinion, this combo is the workout supplements I’ve been looking for to achieve my goals in record time.” – David L. – Ripped-Science.com’s graphic design guru

RYAN’S “GAME TIME 20” WORKOUT:

Some days, we just don’t have time to put in an hour+ at the gym, but we definitely don’t want to completely skip a day and off-set our weekly routine. Ryan says, “The super-set is a great way to workout if you have limited time. Pick any of the cycles below. Each cycle should only take you two minutes to complete, for a grand total of 20 minutes per workout.”

Push-up/Crunch Super-set:

Repeat 10 cycles of:
– 10 regular pushups
– 10 crunches
– 10 wide pushups
– 10 crunches
– 10 tricep pushups
– 10/10 Left/Right crunches

Leg / Ab Super-set:

Repeat 5 cycles of:
– 20 squats
– 20 crunches
– 10 lunges per leg
– 10 crunches
– 20 calf raises
– 20 crunches

Running:

4 Mile Track Work:
– Jog 1 mile in 7:00-8:00
– Three sets of 1/4-mile sprints in 90-100 seconds
– Jog or walk – 1/4 mile

Or you can mix exercises together and do what Ryan calls the “Speedy Spartan.”

Speedy Spartan:

– Run 1 mile
– 100 pushups in as few sets as possible
– 100 crunches
– Run 1 mile
– 75 pushups in as few sets as possible
– 75 crunches
– Run 1 mile
– 50 pushups in as few sets as possible
– 50 crunches

This is the ultimate workout I have ever done in under 20 minutes. The challenge is to do:

– 100 pullups as few sets as possible
– 200 pushups in as few 2:00 sets as possible
– 300 situps in as few 2:00 sets as possible

Do these as quickly as possible. You can alternate exercises after each set of maximum repetitions.

BONUS: One thing we like to do over here at RS is provide you guys with free trial offers. Instead of having to pay full price, you can give these two oral supplements a try without breaking the bank.

STEP 1:

Supreme Antler is not available in stores, only online. Using the following private link, you can get a risk-free trial bottle for only $4.95. Quantities for Ripped-Science readers are extremely limited, so act now before this offer ends.

STEP 2:

Sytropin is available in some stores, but they are currently offering, a 20 day free trial so Ripped Science readers can “try before they buy”. Use our special link to get your free bottle of Sytropin (a $60 value!), and use coupon code “HGHNOW” to pay just a $3.95 shipping charge to have it at your door in a few days.

Leave comments with your results!

Written by: Tristan “Lucky”

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