Assessing Progress

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So, I was originally planning to finish an article on coffee, but I ended up getting sidetracked after reassessing my last bulk.  Instead, I’m going to tell you, from my experience, the best way to assess your progress.

Optimum Cycles

I have found that the best length of time per cycle is two months, or more specifically eight weeks.  When bulking, an eight week cycle allows me to have a two week sub-maximal ramp-up (it’s the same as a deload, except you do it at the beginning of the cycle instead of the end) followed by six weeks of constant improvements in the weight room.  At this point, many of my lifts start to plateau (except for back exercises for some reason).  So I use this time to assess my bulk and either decide to cut or perform another bulk. 

It works the same for a cut with a few exceptions.  First, since I am in a caloric deficit I don’t do a sub-maximal ramp-up, but instead try to maintain my strength (usually follow the RPT Strength routine).  Also, if I reach my goal early (in terms of weight and/or bodyfat %), I will end the cut early. Like most, I’m always eager to start building muscle as quickly as possible. I will not let the cut go longer than eight weeks though due to hormonal down regulation from extended caloric deficits.  I tried a long term cut at one time, which resulted in a sever lack of energy and libido as well as stagnated weight loss despite taking in an average of 2000 calories a day.

Measuring Progress

I measure progress three ways, three that are purely objective and one subjective; bodyweight, diametrical measurements, strength, and photos.

Bodyweight is the most commonly used tool to measure progress; however, I believe most people do it incorrectly.  As I constantly have to explain to my mom, just because the scale increased by a pound today, doesn’t mean you put on a pound of fat overnight.  Bodyweight actually fluctuates quite a bit depending on what you ate and how much you drank the previous day.  Therefore, to get the most accurate measurement, take your weight on three consecutive days and average them for a single weight.  Also, take your weight shortly after waking up in the morning, after using the restroom, but before eating or drinking anything.

Diametrical measurements are becoming more popular.  I take measurements at the following locations, recording both the flexed and non-flexed state: Upper Arm (largest point), Chest (at the nipple height), Shoulders (at the armpit height), Waist (at the bellybutton), Hips (height where largest), Upper Thigh, Calf (at largest point), and Neck.  Just like weight, it is best to take these measurements in the morning after waking up and using the restroom, but before eating and drinking anything. Make sure that the measuring tape is parallel to the floor – it’s easy for it to slip (you might find it useful to get help with this, just make sure that they can continue to take your measurements as consistency is important).

The last measurement that you compare is actually something that you should have been recording all along: your lifts.  While you can compare the increases (or decreases if you are not so lucky) in weight over your last cycle, I prefer to concentrate on monitoring progress in the big four lifts: deadlifts, bench press, military (or overhead) press, and squats.  To compare if you have gained or lost strength, take the weight and amount of reps of your best set and put it into a 1RM calculator (just google search it).  When bulking, I hope to see the weight I lift go up twice as fast on bench press and military press as the number on the scale, and five times as fast for deadlift and squat.  When cutting, I hope to just maintain strength in all of my lifts, and any progress, however small, is welcomed.  However, typically strength does decrease and as long as your bodyweight drops much quicker than the weight on the bar (like 5-10 times quicker depending on the lift), you are doing ok. 

The last measurement, and the only measurement that is not explicitly quantitative, is photos.  I always try to take these photos directly after taking the above measurements (before eating or drinking anything).  Try to wear the same clothing in each progress photo, take them in the same location (for both you and the camera), in the same lighting conditions.  This will help you to make an accurate comparison, removing as many outside factors as possible.  However, things will never be exactly the same.  For example, the last set of progress photos I took in the middle of winter, so I look pale compared to the photos I took a couple months ago, making me look even softer and less defined.  Just something to remember when comparing photos.

Success or Not…

With these measurements, you can accurately see whether you have gone in the right direction or not on your last cycle.  Did your waist measurement increase much on your last bulk?  How about your weight?  Maybe you even dropped weight but added an inch to your chest and ¼ inch to your arms?  How has your strength faired?  Or, the one many of us hate, how do you look in the pictures?  No matter what, you will be able to see if the last eight weeks were a success or maybe you learned another thing that does not work for you.  Let me know, how do you measure progress?

Cilantro Pesto

The taste of cilantro pesto reminds me of summer. I wanted to bring a bit of summer to our gray winter, so I whipped this up for dinner.

Cilantro Pesto
Adapted from A Mighty Appetite with Kim O'Donnel

We love to have this with steak. It would also be great way of adding extra fat to drier meats, like chicken. It's great mixed in rice and sauteed potatoes too.

You can use a food processor or blender for this recipe. Depending on the quality of your blender, it may be coarser (versus using a food processor or high-end blender).

1/4 cup almonds
1-2 cloves garlic, to taste (we love garlic so we use 2)
1 bunch of cilantro
1/4 teaspoon cumin
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, depending on the consistency you like
lemon juice, to taste (I usually use a 1/4 to 1/2 a lemon)
salt and pepper

In a food processor or blender add the nuts and pulse until finely chopped. Add the garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Add the cilantro and continue to pulse. While pulsing, drizzle in the olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients, and pulse once more.

This can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator - stir before using. We have also been successful in freezing it and then thawing before use, however we have only tried freezing it for a short duration (< 1 week).  It is so good that it never lasts more than a week in our house.

Recipe: Shrimp Scampi

While we were visiting my family over the weekend we stopped at the dock to see if there was any fresh shrimp. We were in luck - we picked up seven pounds of white and brown shrimp. My husband, who is just starting to eat seafood, had never had shrimp before so I made him my favorite shrimp dish - shrimp scampi. Who can resist shrimp coated in butter and coconut oil?

Shrimp Scampi

1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and cleaned

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoons coconut oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped (feel free to add more if you love garlic)

1/4 lemon

1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Parsley (I used dried)

Salt and pepper

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the butter has stopped foaming, add the shrimp. Spread around the pan so that there is a single layer of shrimp. Cook for about 1 minute. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Flip the shrimp over and cook for another 2 minutes. The shrimp are finished cooking when they turn completely pink. Squeeze lemon over shrimp, being careful not to let any seeds fall in. Sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Remove from pan and enjoy!

Nitric-Oxide boosters: Do they improve performance?

Nitric-Oxide (NO) is known to play an active role in “regulating blood flow, mitochondrial respiration, and platelet function”⁷, leading to the common belief that increasing the level of NO in the body will improve the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to muscles that are being worked.  But before discussing whether it works, I first want to introduce the theory of how it works.

There are two well known pathways in which NO synthesis occurs: NO synthase (NOS) dependent and NOS independent.  L-carnitine has shown to increase NO levels, however, the precise pathway it follows is still unknown⁷.  L-arginine and L-citrulline, on the other hand, are precursors for activating the NOS dependent pathway⁷, which may explain why the oral ingestion of L-arginine is a popular choice for those looking to  increase NO levels.  L-arginine also happens to be the supplement of choice for researchers interested in studying the effects of increased NO levels.


The Facts
A review published in the Sports Med journal in 2011 compared studies that had been done using L-arginine as a ergogenic aid - that is studies that used L-arginine as a pre-workout supplement to enhance strength, power, and muscle recovery.  A total of 11 studies were evaluated, five of which concentrated on the short term effects and eight that concentrated on the long term effects.  The results were mixed; three short term studies and four long term studies showed improvement in performance².  The review concluded that,

“…it is still premature to recommend dietary supplements containing L-arginine as an ergogenic aid for healthy physically active subjects.”

Another review published just this month, February 2012, also compared results from studies which looked at L-arginine supplementation to increase performance; however it broke the studies up by the subjects’ level of training.  The result was a remarkable correlation; the less trained you are, the greater benefit you will get from supplementation of L-arginine⁷.  The authors’ state,

“…training status of the subjects seems to be an important factor linked to the ergogenic effect of NO supplementation. Studies involving untrained or moderately trained healthy subjects showed that NO donors could improve tolerance to aerobic and anaerobic exercise. However, when highly trained subjects were supplemented, no positive effect on performance was indicated.”

Also noted is that the subjects used in the studies were predominately young males, and further research on older and female subjects needs to be performed to determine if NO supplementation would be beneficial.

Personal Experience

I recently tried supplementing L-arginine pre-workout after receiving it from my mother-in-law for free.  It was pure L-arginine with no added sugars or chemicals, which was a big plus, but it also meant that it tasted awful.   Awful is not the correct word, It was atrocious.  However, I preferred it this way because I don’t like to consume any artificially made substances or chemicals, or at least try to limit them as much as possible.

I gave it a full eight week trial, one whole bulking cycle, and the only difference I experienced was a bad taste in my mouth.  The difference in my strength and size gains was negligible to what I normally see in a bulk cycle.

L-Arginine Benefits

Just because the supplementation of L-arginine didn’t have an ergogenic effect doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have uses.  In fact supplementation of L-arginine has shown to have a positive effect on various ailments; it will help with endothelial dsyfunction⁵, has been shown to correct and prevent hypertension⁴, improve wound healing time in diabetics¹, reduce high blood pressure⁶, and even decrease blood pressure in women with preeclampsia⁸.

Conclusion

The reviews clearly show that if you are healthy and at least moderately trained, the supplementation of L-arginine, or anything to raise NO levels, will not aid in physical performance.  It is only untrained individuals that see any benefits.  One has to weigh those possible benefits with the consequences; the cost of the supplement, the awful taste, and last but not least, the possibility of serious side effects.  While WebMD does state that serious side effects “are rare in healthy people”, why take the risk?  If you really need a stimulant before your workout, then get some caffeine (I am not talking about those energy drinks full of ingredients you nor I can pronounce, but instead something like green-tea or a cup of strong black coffee).  More on that at another time though.

References

[1]  Barbul, Adrian , Udaya Tantry, Frank J. Thornton, and Maria B. Witte. "L-Arginine supplementation enhances diabetic wound healing." Metabolism - Clinical and Experimental  51.10 (2002): 1269-1273. Metabolism - Clinical and Experimental. Web. 17 Feb. 2012.

[2]  Gomes,  Paschoalin,  Bhambhani,  Meirelles, and  Álvares. "L-Arginine as a potential ergogenic aid in healthy subjects." Sports Med 41.3 (2011): 233-248. PubMed. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.

[3]  Griffin, R. Morgan. "L-Arginine Supplements." WebMD. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2012. <http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/supplement-guide-l-arginine>.

[4]  NAGAYA, NORITOSHI . "Short-term Oral Administration of L-Arginine Improves Hemodynamics and Exercise Capacity in Patients with Precapillary Pulmonary Hypertension." American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 163 (2001): 887-891. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Web. 14 Feb. 2012.

[5]  Schuler, MD, Gerhard , Stephan Gielen, MDa, Sandra Erbs, BSca, Lutz  Hilbrich, MDa, Rainer Hambrecht, MDa, Eduard Fiehn, MDa, and Nina Schoene, MDa. "Correction of endothelial dysfunction in chronic heart failure." Journal of the American College of Cardiology 35.3 (1999): 706-713. Science Direct. Web. 17 Feb. 2012.

[6]  Strazzullo, Pasquale , Licia Lacovielloc, Roberto Laconeb,  Ermenegilda Paganob, Alfonso Siania, and Francesco Scopacasad. "Blood pressure and metabolic changes during dietary l-arginine supplementation in humans." American Journal of Hypertension 13.5 (2000): 547-551. Science Direct. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.

[7]  Tur JA, Pons A., and Sureda A Bescós R. "The effect of nitric-oxide-related supplements on human performance." Sports Med 42 (2012): n. pag. pubmed.gov. Web. 17 Feb. 2012.

[8]  Zdebski, Z. , R. Korbut, R. Olszanecki, and K. Rytlewski. "Effects of prolonged oral supplementation with l-arginine on blood pressure and nitric oxide synthesis in preeclampsia." European Journal of Clinical Investigation 35.1 (2005): 32-37. Print.

RPT for Maximum Strength Gains (Part 2)

Part 1 of this topic introduced RPT training as well as how I use it to maximize both size and strength gains. But what if you are only concerned with getting stronger? Or what if you don’t have the time to do four 60 minute workout routines (i.e. – you go to the gym on your hour lunch break)? Or maybe you just want to try something different. If you fall into one of these categories, then the following routine is perfect for you.


When training for strength, you need to limit volume due to the high intensity of the sets. Since you are typically working with 80-90% of your 1RM, each set is very taxing on your central nervous system. For this reason, low rep RPT is usually limited to one or two main exercises per workout, with the other exercises performed in a less intense fashion. Furthermore, a de-load week in which you reduce the weight to approximately 80% of normal, is usually done every 4th week (i.e. push the weights for three weeks, then spend a week taking it easy). Some of the more advanced lifters also spend the de-load week away from the gym to fully recover. I personally couldn’t stay away from the gym that long, so I just do a low intensity routine during the de-load week, patiently waiting to start hitting PR’s again. 


Low rep strength oriented RPT training is done a little differently due to the intensity of each working set. For example, deadlift. Deadlift is the first exercises of one of the workouts, therefore I warm up with a couple of sets. Usually I will do the bar a few times, then 50% of my first working set’s weight five times, 70% three times, and 80% once. Use this time to concentrate on form, since when you are struggling just to get the weight up you won’t be looking at yourself in the mirror to see if you are arching your back. The routine below shows that you’ll do 2 sets, with 4-6 reps per set. For the first set, go all out, BUT do not go to failure. Once you finish your first set, drop the weight enough to be able to do an extra rep. Rest approximately three to five minutes, and then do another set stopping before failure. You should be out of breath after each set, especially with deadlifts. Rest five minutes, then move into the next exercise. 


The split I have found to work the best is pull, push, legs done on either Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday (you need a day of rest between each workout and at least two days between the pull and leg workouts due to deadlift). The only exercises done in RPT fashion (with max effort on the first set) are the big compound lifts: Deadlift, Weighted Chins, Bench Press, and Squats. The exercises that are not designated as RPT or SS should be completed with about 2 reps short of failure. The following routine proved to be very effective during my last cut, enabling me to retain if not improve strength while on a calorie deficit. 

   Monday- 
     Pull Deadlift – 2 x 4-6 (RPT) 
     Weighted Chins – 3 x 4-6 (RPT) 
     Bent Over Barbell Rows – 3 x 5 (SS) 
     Preacher Curls – 2 x 8-10 (Optional) 


   Wednesday – 
     Push Bench Press – 3 x 4-6 (RPT) 
     Standing Press – 3 x 5 (SS) 
     Incline Dumbbell Press – 2 x 6-8 
     Weighted Dips or Scull Crushers – 2 x 8-10 (Optional) 


   Friday – 
     Legs Squat – 3x 6-8 (RPT) 
     Leg Curl – 3 x 5 (SS) 
     Lunge – 2 x 8 (per leg) 
     Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 8 

If you have serious issues with one of the exercises listed above, there are suitable substitutions (i.e. – Leg Press if Squats hurt your lower back, or Incline Barbell Bench Press for Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, etc.). DO NOT, however, start adding exercises. If you are doing RPT correctly, then this is more than enough volume. By the time you finish the workout you should be tired and ready to eat and relax. Do NOT go jump on the treadmill or elliptical, eat a large meal and then rest (or go back to work).


I plan to finally start writing articles on nutrition.  My goal is to at least get up an article discussing proper protein intake for athletes by Tuesday.  There may be a couple of other smaller articles between now and then though.  Let me know if there is anything specific that you would like to see researched and discussed.

TED Lecture on Hunter/Gatherer Diet

If you have never watched TED lectures, start; they are pretty entertaining and you will learn a lot.  A co-worker sent me this video today, and after watching it I realized that even I need to work on my diet a little.  I have been hooked on collard greens lately and don't eat many colored vegetables.  I would like to note that she is not specifically against carbohydrate consumption from tubers (which I feel is needed), however she also does not actively promote it.  How about you, are you eating everything that you need?

RPT for Strength & Size Gains

Reverse pyramid training, or RPT, was first coined by Randy Herring in 2002, however only recently has it become popular due to Martin Berkhan’s, the creator of Leangains, success with it. Bodybuilders typical fashion of performing a routine was to do 3-4 sets of a certain exercise, and progress up in weight through the sets (i.e. you pyramid up in weight) while decreasing the amount of reps . RPT, however, does just the opposite; you drop the weight with each set while increasing the amount of reps, hence the term Reverse Pyramid Training. I believe Randy says the major benefit to RPT best,

“The amount of force a muscle generates is proportional to the amount of muscle growth you’ll be able to create . . . . The greater amount of force you’ll be able to generate with your muscles will be when you are freshest in your workout, e.x., the first set of each exercise performed. If a set counts, it is the first one, which is most important.”

RPT can then be applied to any rep range to optimize either strength, hypertrophy (size), or both. The rep range for strength is typically 4-6 reps, while hypertrophy is around 8-12. When attempting to target both hypertrophy and strength, I tend to keep the rep range for the big compound moves between 5 and 8 with some slightly higher rep assistance work at the end such as Lyle McDonald’s Generic Bulk Routine (GBR).

Before starting GBR, I was doing a RPT strength oriented routine that I put together, using past experience and whatever tidbits I could get from Martin Berkhan’s writing. I was only spending 35 minutes in the gym three times a week, and was adding strength to most of my lifts (astounding considering I was on a daily caloric deficit). However, the really high intensity of the workout made going to the gym a chore, and I just wasn’t enjoying working out any more. Then I came across bodyrecomposition.com, and discovered GBR.

The first cycle I did exactly as Lyle McDonald prescribed. In the eight week cycle I put on descent LBM considering I am an “intermediate” trainee, but I felt that there were certain things lacking. There was no abs work (didn’t want a lot, just a couple weighted sets per week), not much shoulder work, deadlifts were not prescribed (which I feel is an essential exercise) and I didn’t like always having my upper body workouts the day after lower body with no rest. Reading through countless pages of posts by Lyle resolved a couple of these issues, however not all. Therefore, I messed with it slightly until I got something that works for me. (Note, I don’t think anyone should mess with a good, proven program such as GBR unless you not only have tried it as it is written for a cycle, but also have been lifting long enough to know what works for your body). The resulting changes have created the following routine:

     Monday – Lower #1

     Deadlift – 3 x 4-6 

     Hack Squat – 3 x 6-8 

     Standing Leg Curl – 3 x 8-10

     Leg Press – 3 x 8-10 

           Superset with Leg Press Calf Raise

     Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 10 

          Superset with Decline Weighted Curls – 2 x 10

     Hanging Leg Raise – 3 x 1 Rep Short of Failure

     Wednesday – Upper #1

     Weighted Chins – 3 x 5-8

     Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 x 6-8

     T-Bar Bent-Over Row – 3 x 8-10

     Military Press – 3 x 8-10

     Wide Grip Lat Pull-Down – 1 x 10

     Weighted Dips – 3 x 10

     Overhand Barbell Curl – 2 x 10

     Friday – Lower #2

     Leg Press – 3 x 6-8

     Lying Leg Curl – 3 x 6-8

     Squat – 3 x 8-10

     Walking Lunge – 2 x 20 total steps (10 per leg)

     Seated Calf Raise – 3 x 10 

           Superset with Decline Weighted Curls – 2 x 10

     Standing Calf Raise – 2 x 20 

           Superset with Hanging Leg Raise – 3 x 1 Rep Short of Failure

     Saturday – Upper #2

     Bent-Over Dumbbell Row – 3 x 4-6

     Incline Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 x 6-8

     Pull-ups – 3 x 6-8

     Barbell Bench Press – 3 x 8-10

     Bent- Over Barbell Row – 1 x 10 

          Superset with Dumbbell Lateral Raise – 2 x 10

     Scull Crusher – 2 x 10

     Alt. Dumbbell Curl – 2 x 10

All of the exercises are done in RPT fashion, in the sense that I decrease weight and increase reps across the sets. However, I only go to “max effort” on the initial set of the first two exercises. This is to limit the risk of burning out. I also almost never go to failure due to the moderate volume that is being done (I finish all exercises except the first two of each workout with at least 1 rep "in the tank").   These considerations allows me to progress for about 6 weeks before taking 2 weeks to de-load.

A de-load period is very important, as it allows your muscles time to fully recover and be ready to push the weights even higher for another 6 weeks. When I was young and naive, I never de-loaded. My lifts plateaued fairly early and I was never able to break through that plateau. Use this time to take a break from your normal routine, and have some fun. Using approximately 85% of the normal weight you can perform will still allow you to build some muscle, but will be easy enough for your body to use the time to recover. For me, I use between 80% and 85% of my normal weight the first week, and about 90-95% the second week, before attempting to achieve new personal records on the third week.

I progress on this workout in the following manner: once I reach the upper end of a rep range, I increase the weight by 5% and work back up. The individual sets are progressed independently, and by that I mean if I can easily get six reps on my second set of deadlift, then I increase the weight for the second set on the next workout.

I encourage you to give this work out a try if you are looking for something new. It only takes about an hour, done four times a week (can be done Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday if you can’t go to the gym on the weekend). I would love to know how it works for you, and what, if any, tweaks you made for yourself. For part two of this article, I will be posting the strength oriented routine that I mentioned earlier.