7 Mistakes Women Make When Trying To Change Their Bodies

Women have made a huge impact on the hardcore training world. We’re busting the myths, disproving the lies, and taking the lead in helping other women look and feel amazing. Yet, mistakes still get made, often because we don’t have all the information we need in order to use the most effective strategies. The good news is that using the following three principles easily solves most of these mistakes:

1. Do some form of training with weights
2. Do some form of interval exercise in which you alternate bursts of effort with rest.
3. Eat a whole foods diet that optimizes protein and carb intake for your unique genetics.

This list will identify common errors and tell you how to use these principles so that you get everything you can out of your efforts.

Mistake #1: Focusing on Getting “Toned”

The average training program for getting “toned” has women lifting super light weights and doing bizarre exercises. This is not an effective strategy for changing your body.

We’re going to let you in on a little secret. Getting toned requires two things to happen:

• Lose excess body fat
• Increase the size of muscle cells to provide shape

Solutions: To lose excess fat, tighten up your nutrition—we suggest trying a whole higher protein diet that avoids all refined carbs and extra sugar. In addition, doing workouts that are metabolically taxing and significantly overloads the muscles will support your nutrition efforts. Best results will come from training “classic” lifts like squats, lunges, step-ups, presses, rows, pull-downs or chin-ups, etc. Use free weights that are between 65 and 80 percent of the maximal amount you can lift. If you can squat 100 pounds one time, then you need to use a weight that is at least 65 pounds when doing squats for reps. Do two interval “fat loss” workouts a week. This can be sprints or high-intensity training with weights (circuits or pushing a weighted sled).

Mistake #2: Not Prioritizing Training the Posterior Chain.

Men and women alike often ignore the muscles on the back side of their body in favor of “mirror” muscles like the upper arms, abs, and chest. Big mistake. Prioritizing the posterior chain allows you to train the largest muscles in the body that have the greatest effect on your metabolic rate. Optimizing strength and function of the posterior is particularly important for women for the following reasons:

• Women are at a disadvantage when it comes to leaning out our thighs and glutes. Studies show that women tend to lose fat from the upper body first when doing an exercise program, but have a much harder time losing lower body fat than men.
• Women’s bodies preferentially store fat in the hips and thighs for pregnancy, but they also have a greater number of alpha receptors in this region than men, which inhibits fat loss.
• Women are especially susceptible to strength imbalances between the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles (quads being strong and hamstrings being weak), which can lead to poor movement patterns and chronic pain.

Solution: Strengthen the posterior chain by doing multi-joint exercises, with a focus on lower body and total body lifts such as squats, deadlifts, step-ups, and lunges. Include single-leg training, hamstring curls, and back extensions to ensure balance. Throw in some high-intensity interval workouts to target the alpha receptors in the hips and thighs and enhance fat loss from the lower body.

Mistake #3: Eating High-Carb All of The Time.

You probably know that carbohydrates that are refined, processed, or have added sugar will do your physique no good. But, what you might not know is that planning all your meals around carbs, even if they are “healthy” whole carbs can be a problem for many women because of how our metabolisms work. At rest, women’s bodies rely more on burning glucose (from carbs) for energy than men (who burn more fat). In addition, women rely on fat for fuel during exercise to a much greater degree than men. This means that women’s bodies are set up to be metabolically flexible and be able to switch between burning fat and glucose with ease—a state that is beneficial for body composition and avoiding low energy levels. However, research shows that overweight women, especially those who are sedentary, have poor metabolic flexibility, which means their bodies have a harder time using fat for energy.

Solution: Two things can improve metabolic flexibility. First, reducing the proportion of calories you get from carbs in favor of protein and fat will improve metabolic flexibility. For instance, if you’re eating 55 to 70 percent of your calories from carbs, reduce carbs to 40 percent, increase protein to 25 percent, and fat to 35 percent. You could also try eating lower carb on days when you don’t work out and higher carb on workout days. Second, exercise is critical for women because it capitalizes on the fact that our bodies favor burning fat during vigorous activity.

Mistake #4: Getting Rest Intervals Wrong.

1. a rookie mistake that both men and women make is to choose machine-based exercises and then sit on the machines while they are resting. This is all-around bad: Bad etiquette, bad choice of exercises, and bad for your body since you’re not working hard enough to benefit from a passive rest.
2. trained women recover faster than men and they need shorter rest intervals. This is due to the fact that women’s bodies rely on aerobic energy pathways more than men and we deplete ATP and glycogen more slowly, but are able to generate energy at a faster rate.
3. not resting at all is also a problem. You have to allow time for anaerobic energy substrates like creatine phosphate to regenerate when doing heavy strength exercises, which takes about 3 minutes. But, women tend to carry the “no rest” metabolic mindset too far and apply it to strength workouts.

Solution: When training for strength in the big lifts use 2 to 3 minute intervals. For maximal attempts, give it at least 3 minutes. For high-intensity weight training workouts, feel free to use circuits with no rest, but alternate upper and lower body lifts. Advanced lifters may benefit from supersetting exercises, such as different squat variations (wide stance squats followed by close stance with heels elevated) using 10 to 30 seconds rest. With intervals, research suggests that women will benefit from submaximal sprints at 80 to 90 percent of maximal with a 2:1 or 3:1 work-to-rest ratio. If you’re doing 1-minute intervals, rest 20 to 30 seconds.

#5: Slashing Calories.

Cutting calories drastically (to the 1,200 a day range) is one of the worst things you can do if you want to lose fat. Fairly quickly, the body will downregulate your metabolism in order to preserve the fuel stores, and you’ll burn fewer calories daily. Top it off with needing to fight off hunger with willpower, and you’ll elevate cortisol. If you’re training hard in an effort to get things moving again, high cortisol will become a chronic problem and you can throw your hormones completely out of balance.

Solution: Never slash calories intentionally. Instead, figure out a way of eating that allows you to stay satisfied and avoid hunger. Most people find that higher protein, lower carb diets allow them to naturally eat less without trying because the protein leads to a better release of hunger-reducing hormones.

Mistake #6: Fearing Dietary Fat.

1. if you’re not eating fat, you’re probably eating carbs, and we already covered the problems with an all-the-time high-carb diet.
2. filling your diet with beneficial fats (nuts, seeds, meat, fish, eggs, dairy, avocado, coconut oil) provides nutrients so the body can produce brain transmitters, build bones, repair tissue, and have a healthy metabolism.
3. fat is critical for reproductive health in women because it’s used to manufacture hormones and improves gene signaling that regulates hormone balance.

Solution: If you’re in the habit of avoiding fat, start adding a little bit of good fat to every meal. First, pick your protein source. Does it naturally contain fat? For example, fish, whole-fat yogurt, or an egg all contain protein and fat, so you’re all set, and now all you need is to add a vegetable or fruit. If you’re eating fat-free yogurt or very lean meat, add some nuts, seeds, or an avocado for fat. Top it off with veggies or a bowl of berries and you’re in business.

Mistake #7: Ignoring that Exercise Is the Best Way To Solve Most Problems

Research into women’s physiology shows that many of our problems can be prevented or solved if we exercise the right way. Consider the following benefits of exercise on women’s health and well being:

• Physical activity reduces breast cancer risk because it improves estrogen metabolism and enhances immune function, lowering inflammation.
• Bone loss, fat gain, and health complications like high blood pressure are not inevitable as women age even though they are all associated with menopause. Research shows that a combination of strength training and conditioning can prevent all three, while also reducing risk of related problems, such as diabetes and heart disease.
• Women have higher growth hormone levels, a fact that women can capitalize on for better body composition, less belly fat, and healthier skin, hair, and nails. We experience a large increase in GH with certain types of exercise training.

Solution: If you’re new to exercise, or have been doing the same old cardio workouts forever, don’t be afraid. You don’t need a complicated lifting program or have to do all-out sprints at the track. What you do need is a plan every time exercise. Your plan should include what exercises you plan to do, weights, and the number of reps, sets, and rest periods you need to do. For interval training, the intensity needs to be relative to your conditioning and skill.

Here are a few ways for novices to begin:

• Try walking vigorously up a hill, and then leisurely back down. Repeat 4 to 10 times.
• Do 30-second to 1-minute long intervals on a bike. Start at a moderately high intensity so it feels “somewhat hard.” Use rest intervals that are the same duration as work intervals. Work up to doing “hard” intervals in which you go almost all-out.
• Try stair walking. Go to a stadium and walk up the stairs as fast as possible. Come down under control. Repeat 4 to 10 times.

Exercise and nutrition shouldn’t be complicated, but they should be individualized. Put in the effort to learn the basics. Figure out what works for your unique genes. This method does wonders for making fitness and health a fun part of your life rather than a struggle.

Shaping Your Arms

Many women struggle with flabby arms, commonly called batwings. This is simply an accumulation of body fat and lack of muscle development. You can have nice shapely arms by incorporating 3 essentials:

1. Quality Nutrition 
2. Resistance Training 
3. Cardiovascular Work Quality Nutrition for Shaping Your Arms 

In order to lose the excess body fat you have to eat right. This involves cutting out the obvious junk food and including more whole and natural foods. Eating a small balanced meal every three hours works well at stabilizing your blood sugar and curtailing cravings. I know the carb-craze is still in high gear, but there is a lack of quality carbohydrate information available. You can eat carbohydrates and lose weight. I have a ton of e-clients that are living proof. A balanced meal contains a protein, carbohydrate, and fat.

Resistance Training for Shaping Your Arms Resistance training will build the muscles, giving curves and shape to the arms. It will not create huge bulky arms, which is commonly feared among women. The more muscle you add to your arms, the leaner they will appear, as muscle takes up less space than fat and it's denser To work the back of your arms (triceps), try the following:

Overhead Extensions  - Stand up or sit in a chair and hold a barbell or dumbbell over your head. In a slow and controlled manner, lower it behind your head, keeping your elbows close to your head. Once you have lowered the bar as far as you can, bring it back to the starting position, contract the triceps, and repeat the movement.

Lying Triceps Extensions -  Lie on your back on a bench and hold a barbell extended out in front of you. Slowly and in a controlled manner, lower the bar right past your forehead, keeping your elbows close to your head. Once you have lowered it as far as you can, bring it back to the starting position, contract the triceps, and repeat the movement.

Bench Dips -  Place your palms on the bench or chair behind you. Extend your feet out in front of you, toes up and bend your knees. Slowly and in a controlled manner, keeping your elbows stationary and close to your body, lower your body down as far as possible. Be sure to keep your body close to the chair or bench. Using the triceps, rise back and contract your triceps, and repeat the movement.

To work your front of your arms (biceps), try the following:
Barbell Curls- Hold a barbell in front of you with your palms facing outward. In a slow and controlled fashion, curl the bar up toward your chest area, squeeze your biceps and release. Repeat the movement.

Alternate Dumbbell Curls - Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body. In a controlled manner, curl each one up individually and rotate the wrist so your palm is facing your shoulder when the curl is in the contracted position. Slowly release and repeat.

Cardiovascular Work for Shaping Your Arms Cardio is the back up method for losing body fat, with nutrition being the first. Use cardio to burn extra calories and stored body fat, but don't use it as the sole element in losing weight. Keep a balance of nutrition and cardio in your program to keep the body off guard and constantly responding. Begin cardio with 3 to 4 days a week for twenty minutes and slowly progress days and minutes each week. Doing so in this manner will prevent too much muscle loss and burnout. You want to make small changes each week to keep the body responding. Dramatic changes can cause the body to REACT.

Bodybuilding with Diabetes

The symptoms of diabetes may begin slowly and hard to identify at first. They may include fatigue, frequent urination, excessive thirst, and a feeling of becoming sick. When there is extra glucose in the blood, one way the body gets rid of it is through frequent urination. This loss of fluids can cause excessive thirst. Diabetes can also cause other symptoms such as blurred vision, slow healing of skin, sudden weight loss, genital itching, and gum and urinary tract infections.

People who suffer from diabetes must take extra precautions when wanting to exercise. These people should not exercise outside on very hot or humid days due to the increased risk of heat stroke or exhaustion. If you are exercising in warm weather , dress in loose-fitted clothing or special fabrics that promote heat loss. To prevent dehydration, drink a cup of cold water before and after exercise. If your exercise session lasts longer that thirty minutes or if you sweat alot, drink water during your workout. Make sure that you know the warning signs of heart problems such as jaw, arm, and chest pain, dizziness, nausea, irregular pulse, and unusual shortness of breath during exercise. Exercise, along with good nutrition, helps decrease body fat, which helps normalize glucose metabolism. Exercise also helps lower coronary risk factors such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong disease which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Without adequate insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream leading to increased hunger. In addition, the high levels of glucose in the blood causes the patient to urinate more, which also causes excessive thirst. Within five to ten years after diagnosis, the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas are completely destroyed and no more insulin can be produced. Type 1 diabetes can happen at any age, but it usually begins with people under the age of twenty-five. The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown and only accounts for around 5 percent of the new cases formed each year.

Previously known as noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. 90-95 % of people who have diabetes have type 2. People with type 2 diabetes produce insulin, but either do not make enough insulin or their bodies do not use the insulin it makes. Type 2 diabetes typically occurs after the age of forty years. A resistance to insulin develops, often accompanied by excess weight and leaving the pancreas unable to produce enought insulin to compensate.

Hypoglycemia is the clinical syndrome that results from low blood sugar. The symptoms of hypoglycemia can vary from person to person which can become severe enough to need treatment. Classically, hypoglycemia is diagnosed by a low blood sugar with symptoms that resolve when the blood sugar returns to a normal range. While patients who do not have any metabolic problems can complain of symptoms suggestive of low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia usually occurs in patients being treated for type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Patients with pre-diabetes can also have low blood sugars on occasion if their high circulating insulin levels are further challenged by a prolonged period of fasting.

Living with diabetes is not fun, but by taking preventative care of yourself, you can do the things you want to do in life. Exercise and proper nutrition are very important to steps in recovery and you never know, maybe you didn`t have diabetes after all, you just needed a lesson in nutrition.

Testosterone and the Heart

If you are a man, at some point in your life you are likely to be a candidate for hormone replacement therapy. As we age, our testosterone levels decline, and with them often a number of physical and psychological characteristics. It has long been understood that low testosterone levels can be linked to reduced libido, sexual dysfunction, diminished energy, and a reduced overall sense of well-being. For these reasons, replacement therapy with testosterone drugs is a strong and steadily growing area of medicine for aging men.

Beyond these basic facts, testosterone remains a controversial drug. Its abuse is linked to changes in the body that may increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, and partly because of this, the potential benefits and risks of testosterone replacement therapy have long been the subject of much debate. Is this therapy actually safe?

In recent years, evidence has been surfacing that testosterone replacement may actually reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Usually isolated in scope, these papers concern many favorable changes in cardiovascular health markers, such as the management of triglycerides and cholesterol.

One of the first potential benefits of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) -  is the management of triglyceride and cholesterol levels. As detailed in a growing number of studies, testosterone replacement therapy consistently improves the lipid profile in men with hormone deficiency. The most consistent endpoints of improvement appear to be a reduction in total cholesterol, a reduction in LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol, and a lowering of serum triglycerides. The improvements in lipid profile appear to be more pronounced in older men, although both young and old populations tend to show improvements in serum lipids when testosterone is given to correct a deficient state.

The effect of TRT on HDL (‘good’) cholesterol levels is less consistent. Studies giving testosterone gels, patches, or the longest-acting ester (testosterone undecanoate) tend to show improvement or no consistent effect on HDL. Studies with the more common esters such as cypionate and enanthate tend to show minor decreases in HDL during therapy, likely owing to the brief supraphysiological peaks for several days after administration. Note that HDL is often improved when TRT is combined with exercise and other lifestyle modifications.

Androgen deficiency is associated with an increase in certain inflammatory markers that can support the progression of atherosclerosis. Testosterone replacement therapy has been shown to reduce some of the same inflammatory mediators, specifically TNF-alpha (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and IL-1B (interleukin-1beta). Inflammation in the vascular system is an especially important concern with heart disease. For one, vascular inflammation is associated with the deposition of arterial plaque, a key component of this disease. Inflammation of the blood vessels may also damage the arteries, making them both thicker and weaker. Scarring may be noticed, and blood flow may be reduced. All of this can restrict blood flow and reduce the heart’s blood pumping capacity. By helping to reduce the production of TNF-alpha and IL-1B, hormone replacement therapy may reduce inflammation, vascular damage, and the chance for atherosclerosis. Again, instead of seeing a neutral or ‘negative’ effect, we find a specific improvement in the cardiovascular disease risk profile with the administration of this drug.

A growing number of studies have linked androgen deficiency to insulin resistance, as well as increased abdominal obesity. These two factors are also common with men suffering from cardiovascular disease, and may directly contribute to (among other things) endothelial cell dysfunction and vascular damage. Androgen substitution has been shown in several studies to reduce midsection fat deposits, increase glucose tolerance, and improve the overall metabolic state. It has additionally been postulated that due to the important role of testosterone in managing insulin sensitivity, androgen deficiency may be a contributing factor to adult-onset (type 2) diabetes. Likewise, the substitution of testosterone in aging men with hypogonadism might reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes.

The endothelium is a layer of cells that lines the blood vessels throughout the entire circulatory system. These cells are responsible for managing the passage of some materials in and out of the blood vessels, and supporting the flow of blood through the system. Endothelial cells play a role in vasoconstriction and vasodilation, they regulate certain inflammatory processes, and they’re involved in blood clotting and in supporting the formation of new blood vessels. Endothelial dysfunction is linked to androgen deficiency in men, and may result in elevated blood pressure (hypertension), vascular ‘stiffness,’ and significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Likewise, replacement of testosterone in men with a deficiency has been shown to improve endothelial function, blood vessel dilation, arterial vasoreactivity, and blood flow.

One additional important ‘endpoint’ of improvement to this therapy appears to be an increase in endothelial progenitor cell activity, which helps repair damage to the vascular system.

 Traditionally, most physicians are extremely cautious with testosterone drugs. Many family doctors are very willing to prescribe estrogens to their female menopausal patients complaining of symptoms such as sexual dysfunction, but when it comes to their male patients with similar complaints, the response is often different. Many of these same physicians are much more willing to prescribe a drug like Viagra than the basic male androgen testosterone. Some mistakenly consider testosterone to be ‘too dangerous’ to give most of their patients, and reserve its use for extreme cases. And when testosterone is considered, it is given only for a very narrow and specific set of psychological or physical symptoms.

It seems clear that we can no longer paint testosterone as simply a ‘bad’ hormone for the cardiovascular system. While excessive high-level elevations of this hormone may indeed damage an individual’s cardiovascular health, we have strong evidence that within a certain physiological range, it may also protect the cardiovascular system from some of the same health issues. As such, its replacement may indeed turn out to be very important medical intervention for millions of men across the country, helping us to not only live better— but also live longer.

After all this time, it appears that this very controversial hormone, the same steroid demonized in the media, might actually help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in aging male patients. The study we reviewed this month is, likewise, something all men should take to heart— literally.

Kai Greene: Back Workout

When Phil Heath won his second-straight Mr. Olympia title at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, he had a lot of people to thank in his victory speech. Kai Greene, the man who took second, figured prominently because, as Heath said, “Kai gave me everything I could handle tonight.”

Unless Heath was privy to the numbers on the judges’ scorecards, he knew how close it was based only on crowd reaction—and when the place went ballistic every time Greene was called out, Heath had every reason to worry. The pose that got the biggest rise out of the crowd: Greene’s rear lat spread. Not only did he display freakishly huge lats that nearly went down to his hips, he also presented them in exquisite detail. Every few degrees he moved his arms, the landscape of his back musculature completely transformed; with his elbows drawn tight to his rib cage, it looked as if two giant seashells were buried under his skin, facing each other across his spine.

The key to building these fan-favorite muscles that nearly earned him a Sandow, according to Greene, is a combination of relatively light weight, high volume exercise, and a deep mind-muscle connection.

“The mind-muscle connection is the No. 1 factor in training,” Greene says unequivocally. “Practice posing between sets or anytime. Eventually, your mind and muscles will speak the same language.”

In addition to posing between sets, Greene uses iso-tension and takes each rep through a full range of motion, feeling a full stretch of the lats on every negative portion before lifting the weight back up.

THE WORKOUT

• Exercise Sets Reps
• Lat Pulldown 4 10-12
• Low Cable Row 4 10-12
• T-Bar Row 4 10-12
• Machine Row 4 10-15
• One-Arm Dumbbell Row 4 10-15
• Deadlift 4 12-15 

"Visualization is an essential bodybuilding tool, but also an essential tool for success for life in general," Greene says.

Quick Tip: "I go by feel," Greene says. "The weight is just a tool. Do you focus on the hammer or the nail? You better focus on the thing you're trying to hit."

Build Massive Legs with Post Exhaustion

This post-exhaustion routine is set up so that the most neurologically demanding exercise is performed first instead of last (which makes perfect sense, if you think about it). Secondly, the reps and tempo of each exercise are varied. The idea is to knock off as many motor units from the motor-unit pool as possible. Also, make certain that all your weights are pre-set so you don’t inadvertently get some extra rest by messing around with the poundages.

Post-Exhaustion Leg Growth Routine

A1. Barbell Hack Squat: 3 x 6-8, 50X0, no rest
A2. 45-Degree Leg Press: 3 x 12-15, 20X0, no rest
A3. Leg Extension: 3 x 12-15, 2012, rest 180 seconds

A1. Barbell Hack Squat
This exercise was brought to the bodybuilding world by Russian wrestler Georges Hackenschmidt. Hackenschmidt had sought to develop an isolation exercise for the quadriceps, and he succeeded. However, in Hackenschmidt’s heyday, exercise machines weren’t exactly commonplace. Hackenschmidt invented the exercise with a barbell in mind, and the so-called Hack Squat Machine wasn’t developed until years later.

A very-low-cost alternative to back squatting, the Hack Squat will promote top-level growth in the vastus medialis. Granted, using a barbell instead of a machine makes it a little uncomfortable, but its effectiveness overrides any comfort problems.

In order to perform a true barbell hack squat, you need a barbell and an adjustable rack so you can place the barbell at an optimal height for picking up and racking the bar. Your heels should be elevated by at least one and a half inches (the depth of a two-by-four) so you can squat with a straight back and your hips are under your shoulders in the bottom position. (It’s better to use a wedged board instead of a two-by-four so the exercise is more comfortable for your arches, but a two-by-four will do). Place the two-by-four or wedged board on the ground under the middle of the power rack. Set a barbell on the rack so it is about four to six inches lower than your gluteal line. Standing with your back to the bar, grab the barbell, preferably with straps (this is one of the few exceptions when you would use straps).

Walk forward until your heels rest on the board. Initiate the squatting motion by allowing your knees to travel as far forward as possible, without allowing your glutes to move back. Keep a slight arch in your lower back. Once your knees have gone as far forward as possible, lower your hips to the bottom position of the squat. Be sure to keep your back upright by pushing the bottom of your sternum up. Don’t allow your shoulders to round forward, and be certain your hips are under your shoulders in the bottom position.

After doing the prescribed number of reps, move directly to exercise A2. Don’t take any rest.

A2. 45-Degree Leg Press

The problem with using leg press machines is that they build nonfunctional strength. However, since the focus of this article is hypertrophy and not necessarily functional strength, an exception is allowable in this case. The standard 45-degree leg press machines work fine for this workout.

One point to remember when you do leg presses is that when you extend your hips and knees, make sure to keep the tension on your thighs by going to 95 percent of knee lockout. To prevent any dizziness, make sure you breathe in during the eccentric contraction and exhale on the concentric contraction. Again, the key is to keep the tension on the muscle at all times.

By the time you finish this exercise, you’ll want to rest, but not yet. It’s time to go directly to exercise A3.

A3. Leg Extension

As a general rule, leg extensions should be avoided because they expose your knees to undue stress. However, when your legs are pre-exhausted from the previous two exercises, you won’t be able to use much weight on them and the stress will be minimal. Also, this is not the type of workout you would perform year-round.

If possible, use a machine that overloads more of the middle of the strength curve, as that’s where the quadriceps are the strongest in this movement. Keep your head in a neutral position and don’t grip the handles too tightly, as that would raise your blood pressure and increase the likelihood of dizziness. Furthermore, try to follow the tempo prescribed. Often when trainees go through this excruciating routine, they start getting sloppy with the tempo by the time they get to this exercise. It’s best to guess light and complete all the reps rather than going too heavy and ending up looking like a penguin having an epileptic fit.

By the time you walk/wobble off this machine, you’ll probably feel quite nauseated. That’s quite normal because of the high lactate levels you’ll have generated. The good news is that high levels of lactate are linked to high levels of growth hormone.

Now, take a three-minute rest before repeating the tri-set. When you’ve gone through it three times, you’ve had enough. Do this routine for six workouts, working your legs once every four or five days.

This routine is very demanding physiologically and psychologically. Make sure you don’t eat anything more than a light meal within two hours before, as it’s easy to become quite nauseated from this routine.

To break through training plateaus it’s often necessary to shock your muscles into growth. Post-exhaustion tri-sets such as this one will do just that!

More Sleep Can Double Your Testosterone Levels

Older men can sometimes double their testosterone levels by getting more sleep, according to a human study that Plamen Penev of the University of Chicago.

Nearly all of us probably get too little sleep, mainly because we are seduced every day by the technology around us. It enables us to generate light at night, provides us with 24-hour entertainment and information through electronic media, and makes it possible for us to have contact with each other whenever we want. Every evening, when our body tells us that it’s time to sleep, we can also do a thousand other things instead.

Too little sleep messes up our hormone balance. It makes our body less sensitive to insulin for example. Dutch researchers recently showed that after just one night of four hours’ sleep, young men’s insulin sensitivity went down by 20 % and that of diabetics by a quarter.

In the latter case, lack of sleep is clinically relevant, so doctors could advise diabetics who react insufficiently to their medicines to get more sleep. “Sleep duration might become another therapeutic target to improve glucoregulation in type 1 diabetes”, the Dutch researchers say.

Testosterone is also affected by amount of sleep. That’s not so strange, as our bodies make much more testosterone when they’re asleep than when they’re awake. We’ve taken the figure below from the study mentioned here. It shows how much testosterone is present in the blood of 22-32 year-old men while asleep and during the rest of the day.

The better men sleep, the higher their testosterone level rises while they are asleep.

In the average male over forty, the testosterone level goes down by 1-2 % per year, but researchers occasionally come across men in their eighties with a testosterone level you’d expect in a young man. Add to that the fact that many older men – but not all men – sleep less and less deeply as they get older, then you automatically think of the idea that Plamen Penev wanted to test in his study: does the testosterone level decrease in older men because they sleep less?

More sleep can double your testosterone level

Penev based his theory on, among other things, research done by Eve Van Cauter, a sleep researcher at the University of Chicago who has celebrity status in the field of endocrinology. Van Cauter discovered early in the 21st century that men in their forties make less testosterone while sleeping than men in their twenties.

Penev measured the amount of testosterone 12 slim, healthy, non-smoking men aged between 64 and 74 had in their blood in the morning. He also got the men to wear a small gadget around their wrist, which enabled him to see how many hours per night the men slept. That varied from 4.5 to 7.5 per 24 hours. The longer the men slept, the figures below show, the more testosterone there was circulating in their blood.

The men that slept the least had a testosterone level of 200-300 ng/dl. That’s a normal amount for men of this age, but it’s on the low side. The men in the study who slept the most had a testosterone level that was twice as high: 500-700 ng/dl. That’s a level you’d expect in healthy young men.

“These findings suggest that complaints of poor or insufficient sleep in otherwise healthy older men can be associated with a more pronounced age-related androgen decline”, writes Penev. “Eliciting such sleep complaints in the physician’s office may facilitate the judicious interpretation of lower testosterone levels in the older male patient.”

Before men consider doing testosterone therapy, they might first measure the amount of sleep they get. And ‘measuring’ is different from ‘guessing’ or ‘estimating’. Most people overestimate the number of hours that they sleep. This was also the case in Penev’s study. The men thought that they slept seven and a quarter hours per day on average, but Penev’s recordings showed that they only slept six hours a day.

Muscle Growth and Vitamin D

Vitamins are typically associated with protective functions that support overall health and wellness. For example, vitamin C has antioxidant properties that mitigate the many negative effects associated with oxidative damage to biomolecules such as DNA within the human body. Vitamin D is somewhat different. Like other vitamins, it promotes overall health— but it also plays an active role in promoting muscle growth and strength.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble, steroid-like vitamin that functions as a prohormone— aiding manydifferent processes such as the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous, promoting bone health. Furthermore, low levels of vitamin D—which are prominent in the western world— correlate with several diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Some of the muscle-promoting properties associated with vitamin D apparently stem somewhat from the similar chemical structure between vitamin D and steroid molecules like testosterone— as studies have shown vitamin D can bind the androgen receptor, perhaps mimicking some of the muscle-building properties of testosterone. Vitamin D can also bind and activate the vitamin D receptor— which directly regulates the expression of hundred of genes, with several of the genes turned on by vitamin D directly involved in generating muscle growth and strength.

Among the genes regulated by vitamin D, a few appear to be involved in the production of testosterone. A study by Wehr et al. investigated the association of vitamin D levels with testosterone in over 2,200 men. The study showed a strong correlation between vitamin D levels and testosterone.The group with the lowest vitamin D levels had the lowest testosterone measurements, and the group with the highest amount of vitamin D possessed the highest testosterone.

Interestingly, Wehr et al. also found that higher levels of vitamin D produced lower amounts of the sex hormone binding globulin protein (SHBG). Since testosterone circulates in the bloodstream bound mostly to SHBG and only a small fraction is unbound— and thus biologically active where it can activate the androgen receptor— vitamin D's ability to lower SHBG levels will give way to greater testosterone activity.

Thus, vitamin D not only increases the production of testosterone but it also increases testosterone activity by diminishing SHBG's inhibitory influence on testosterone function.

Since the production of vitamin D can be produced in the human body by exposure to sunlight, the differences in sunlight-induced vitamin D production should vary throughout the year. Thus, in another part of this study, Wehr et al. further validated the relationship between vitamin D and testosterone production by uncovering the tight correlation between vitamin D levels and testosterone production throughout the year.The researchers demonstrated that high vitamin D production in the summer months corresponds with greater testosterone levels, and vice versa during the winter months.

Altogether, this study highlights vitamin D's capability to raise or maintain testosterone levels. The research emphasizes the importance of consuming enough dietary vitamin D—especially during the long winter months, when exposure to sunlight is diminished and the need for dietary vitamin D is the greatest— in order to stimulate or maintain testosterone production.

In addition to increasing testosterone levels, vitamin D has been shown by researchers at the Dutch company Organext Research to stimulate the expression of the androgen receptor in isolated skeletal muscle cells. The increase in androgen receptor stimulated by vitamin D promoted the proliferation of muscle satellite cells into new muscle fibers, potentially leading to increased muscle growth. In addition to the influence of vitamin D on the androgen receptor, the researchers found that the anabolic steroid nandrolone decanoate stimulated the expression of the vitamin D receptor in isolated skeletal muscle cells— and that the combination of nandrolone decanoate and vitamin D had a overwhelmingly synergistic effect on satellite cell conversion into muscle tissue in isolated skeletal muscle cells.

These results suggest that consumption of vitamin D along with anabolic steroids should be extremely influential on muscle growth. What's more, given that anabolic steroids have negative side effects that are amplified by consuming large quantities of these drugs, ingesting smaller doses of steroids supplemented with vitamin D should mitigate some of the side effects associated with steroid use while still stimulating significant increases in muscular size and strength.

All in all, vitamin D's ability to increase the amount of testosterone and androgen receptor should powerfully stimulate muscle growth— not only by initiating satellite cell proliferation, but also by cranking up protein synthesis in muscle tissue— considering that testosterone and the androgen receptor function cooperatively to stimulate muscle cell protein synthesis.Anti-Aromatase Activity

According to an investigation by Krishnan et al., vitamin D considerably decreases the expression of the aromatase enzyme— most potently in fat cells. Since aromatase activity in fat cells can decrease testosterone levels by catalyzing the conversion of testosterone into the estrogen-like compound estradiol, vitamin D's ability to decrease aromatase represents another mechanism in its arsenal for increasing testosterone.

In the above study, mice were given large quantities of the steroid molecule androstenedione— which can be converted to the estrogen-like molecules estradiol or estrone by aromatase. Some of the mice were also given a daily injection of vitamin D, while the control group received no vitamin D injections. The mice that received vitamin D showed a significant decrease in the expression levels of aromatase and a lower amount of estradiol or estrone, specifically in fat cells, compared to the control group that received no vitamin D.

In addition, the researchers in this study showed that vitamin D diminishes aromatase levels and activity in isolated human breast cancer cells, which is a cell type that typically expresses large amounts of the aromatase enzyme. This finding implies that vitamin D functions similarly in humans by diminishing the quantity and activity of aromatase. Moreover, the researchers also investigated the influence of vitamin D in combination with aromatase inhibitors such as Arimidex on aromatase activity, also in isolated human breast cancer cells. Interestingly, their results showed that vitamin D enhances the effect of aromatase inhibitors. Since some bodybuilders and athletes consume aromatase inhibitors during anabolic steroid cycles to prevent the conversion of steroids into estrogen, vitamin D in combination with aromatase inhibitors should more potently decrease aromatase's ability to convert anabolic steroids into estrogen—thus preventing some of the unpleasant side effects associated with anabolic steroid use such as the development of breast tissue, also known as gynecomastia.

In conclusion, vitamin D has the powerful ability to regulate the expression of specific genes that are intimately involved in muscle growth. Moreover, most people appear to have suboptimal amounts of vitamin D due to dietetic inadequacy and a lack of sunlight exposure. Consequently, vitamin D is evidently a necessary and influential supplement for the athlete, bodybuilder or recreational weightlifter for gaining muscle and increasing strength.

Alcohol and Steroids. Drinking While On A Cycle.

For centuries, people from various civilizations and societies have enjoyed alcohol as a way to unwind from the day and experience a slight level of bliss for a short time. In many countries, alcohol is being served with most meals. Alcohol is a uniter as well as a divider, and responsible for the conception of many of us reading this article today!

Alcohol has a place in society and in many lives and it is important to know about joining alcohol and anabolic steroids.

In bodybuilding and fitness, it’s another story. Alcohol dehydrates muscles that you are trying to hydrate when you consumpt of a lot of water. Alcohol depresses your immune system, which must be ramped up if you want to remain healthy to combat the rigors of your workouts without becoming ill. Alcohol contains a great deal of empty calories which detract from that waistline and deliver the dreaded “beer gut” that no bodybuilder wants to possess. Alcohol saps motivationand introduces a relaxed state to the bodybuilder that needs a bit of a hurried or frantic enthusiasm to wake up and go to the gym.

Bodybuilders use post-cycle therapy (PCT) drugs to help to fight the hormone imbalance that occurs following a 10 to 16 weeks cycle. Following a cycle, estrogen levels tend to be over limit, which leads to bloating and a dreaded puffiness of tissue under the nipple called Gynecomastia. Testosterone tends to be low, as do energy levels. The libido of a bodybuilder will plummet, as his body hasn’t been required to produce any natural testosterone for the past several months.

Most bodybuilders use Clomid, Tamoxifen, or other compounds to help fighting these side effects and to help restore normal and optimal hormone functionality of the body. The body is at a particularly vulnerable time for damage and disruption during that post-cycle therapy period. The use of alcohol during this time is probably more potentially damaging than at any other time in the year. Alcohol rises estrogen levels and drops down testosterone levels. This directly defeats the purpose of the PCT drugs. Additionally, the oral PCT drugs can be very toxic to the liver, as they are essentially oral anabolic steroids.

Alcohol also has a detrimental effect upon the liver. It’s not a great idea to be placing such undue stress upon the organs, particularly when the end results could be lost muscle. You’d better running two orals – an equally dangerous idea – because it would at least lead to some new muscle gains!The bottom line is that alcohol does not belong near bodybuilders and in particular, the bodybuilder in post-cycle therapy. Set your priorities and decide if being a successful healthy bodybuilder means more to you than drinking.

How to prevent age related muscle mass loss

Is a loss of strength, mobility, and functionality an inevitable part of aging? No, it’s not. It’s a consequence of disuse, suboptimal hormone levels, dietary and nutrient considerations and other variables, all of which are compounded by aging. One of the greatest threats to an aging adult’s ability to stay healthy and functional is the steady loss of lean body mass – muscle and bone in particular.

The medical term for the loss of muscle is sarcopenia, and it’s starting to get the recognition it deserves by the medical and scientific community. For decades, that community has focused on the loss of bone mass (osteoporosis), but paid little attention to the loss of muscle mass commonly seen in aging populations. Sarcopenia is a serious healthcare and social problem that affects millions of aging adults. This is no exaggeration. As one researcher recently stated:

“Even before significant muscle wasting becomes apparent, ageing is associated with a slowing of movement and a gradual decline in muscle strength, factors that increase the risk of injury from sudden falls and the reliance of the frail elderly on assistance in accomplishing even basic tasks of independent living. Sarcopenia is recognized as one of the major public health problems now facing industrialized nations, and its effects are expected to place increasing demands on public healthcare systems worldwide”

Sarcopenia and osteoporosis are directly related conditions, one often following the other. Muscles generate the mechanical stress required to keep our bones healthy; when muscle activity is reduced it exacerbates the osteoporosis problem and a vicious circle is established, which accelerates the decline in health and functionality.

What defines sarcopenia from a clinical perspective? Sarcopenia is defined as the age-related loss of muscle mass, strength and functionality. Sarcopenia generally appears after age 40 and accelerates after the age of approximately 75. Although sarcopenia is mostly seen in physically inactive individuals, it is also commonly found in individuals who remain physically active throughout their lives. Thus, it’s clear that although physical activity is essential, physical inactivity is not the only contributing factor. Just as with osteoporosis, sarcopenia is a multifactorial process that may involve decreased hormone levels (in particular, GH, IGF-1, MGF, and testosterone), a lack of adequate protein and calories in the diet, oxidative stress, inflammatory processes, chronic, low level, diet-induced metabolic acidosis, as well as a loss of motor nerve cells.

A loss of muscle mass also has far ranging effects beyond the obvious loss of strength and functionality. Muscle is a metabolic reservoir. In times of emergency it produces the proteins and metabolites required for survival after a traumatic event. In practical terms, frail elderly people with decreased muscle mass often do not survive major surgeries or traumatic accidents, as they lack the metabolic reserves to supply their immune systems and other systems critical for recovery. There is no single cause of sarcopenia, as there is no single cause for many human afflictions. To prevent and/or treat it, a multi-faceted approach must be taken, which involve hormonal factors, dietary factors, supplemental nutrients, and exercise.

Dietary considerations

The major dietary considerations that increase the risk of sarcopenia are: a lack of adequate protein, inadequate calorie intake, and low level, chronic, metabolic acidosis. Although it’s generally believed the “average” American gets more protein then they require, the diets of older adults are often deficient. Compounding that are possible reductions in digestion and absorption of protein, with several studies concluding protein requirements for older adults are higher than for their younger counterparts. These studies indicate that most older adults don’t get enough high quality protein to support and preserve their lean body mass.

There is an important caveat on increasing protein, which brings us to the topic of low level, diet-induced, metabolic acidosis. Typical Western diets are high in animal proteins and cereal grains, and low in fruits and vegetables. It’s been shown that such diets cause a low grade metabolic acidosis, which contributes to the decline in muscle and bone mass found in aging adults. One study found that by adding a buffering agent (potassium bicarbonate) to the diet of post-menopausal women the muscle wasting effects of a “normal” diet were prevented. The researchers concluded the use of the buffering agent was “… potentially sufficient to both prevent continuing age-related loss of muscle mass and restore previously accrued deficits.”

The take home lesson from this study is that – although older adults require adequate intakes of high quality proteins to maintain their muscle mass (as well as bone mass), it should come from a variety of sources and be accompanied by an increase in fruits and vegetables as well as a reduction of cereal grain-based foods. The use of supplemental buffering agents such as potassium bicarbonate, although effective, does not replace fruits and vegetables for obvious reasons, but may be incorporated into a supplement regimen.

Hormonal considerations

As most are aware, with aging comes a general decline in many hormones, in particular, anabolic hormones such as Growth Hormone (HGH), DHEA, and testosterone. In addition, researchers are looking at Insulin-like Growth factor one (IGF-1) and Mechano Growth factor (MGF) which are essential players in the hormonal milieu responsible for maintaining muscle mass as well as bone mass. Without adequate levels of these hormones, it’s essentially impossible to maintain lean body mass, regardless of diet or exercise.

It’s been shown, for example, that circulating HGH declines dramatically with age. In old age, HGH levels are only one-third of that in our teenage years. In addition, aging adults have a blunted HGH response to exercise as well as reduced output of MGF, which explains why older adults have a much more difficult time building muscle compared to their younger counterparts. However, when older adults are given HGH, and then exposed to resistance exercise, their MGF response is markedly improved, as is their muscle mass.

Another hormone essential for maintaining lean body mass is testosterone. Testosterone, especially when given to men low in this essential hormone, has a wide range of positive effects. One review looking at the use of testosterone in older men concluded:

“In healthy older men with low-normal to mildly decreased testosterone levels, testosterone supplementation increased lean body mass and decreased fat mass. Upper and lower body strength, functional performance, sexual functioning, and mood were improved or unchanged with testosterone replacement”

Contrary to popular belief, women also need testosterone! Although women produce less testosterone, it’s as essential to the health and well being of women as it is for men.

The above is a highly generalized summary and only the tip of the proverbial iceberg regarding various hormonal influences on sarcopenia. A full discussion on the role of hormones in sarcopenia is well beyond the scope of this article. Needless to state, yearly blood work after the age of 40 is essential to track your hormone levels, and if needed, to treat deficiencies via Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Private organizations like the Life Extension Foundation offer comprehensive hormone testing packages, or your doctor can order the tests. However, HRT is not for everyone and may be contraindicated in some cases. Regular monitoring is required, so it’s essential to consult with a medical professional versed in the use of HRT, such as an endocrinologist.

Nutrient considerations:

There are several supplemental nutrients that should be especially helpful for combating sarcopenia, both directly and indirectly. Supplements that have shown promise for combating sarcopenia are creatine, vitamin D, whey protein, acetyl-L-carnitine, glutamine, and buffering agents such as potassium bicarbonate.

Creatine

The muscle atrophy found in older adults comes predominantly from a loss of fast twitch (FT) type II fibers which are recruited during high-intensity, anaerobic movements (e.g., weight lifting, sprinting, etc.). Interestingly, these are exactly the fibers creatine has the most profound effects on. Various studies find creatine given to older adults increases strength and lean body mass. One group concluded: - “Creatine supplementation may be a useful therapeutic strategy for older adults to attenuate loss in muscle strength and performance of functional living tasks.”

Vitamin D

It’s well established that vitamin D plays an essential role in bone health. However, recent studies suggest it’s also essential for maintaining muscle mass in aging populations. In muscle, vitamin D is essential for preserving type II muscle fibers, which, as mentioned above, are the very muscle fibers that atrophy most in aging people. Adequate vitamin D intakes could help reduce the rates of both osteoporosis and sarcopenia found in aging people  leading the author of one recent review on the topic of vitamin D’s effects on bone and muscle to conclude: “In both cases (muscle and bone tissue) vitamin D plays an important role since the low levels of this vitamin seen in senior people may be associated to a deficit in bone formation and muscle function” and  “We expect that these new considerations about the importance of vitamin D in the elderly will stimulate an innovative approach to the problem of falls and fractures which constitutes a significant burden to public health budgets worldwide.”

Whey protein

As previously mentioned, many older adults fail to get enough high quality protein in their diets. Whey has an exceptionally high biological value (BV), with anti-cancer and immune enhancing properties among its many uses. As a rule, higher biological value proteins are superior for maintaining muscle mass compared to lower quality proteins, which may be of particular importance to older individuals. Finally, data suggests “fast” digesting proteins such as whey may be superior to other proteins for preserving lean body mass in older individuals.

Additional Nutrients of interest

There are several additional nutrients worth considering when developing a comprehensive supplement regimen designed to prevent and or treat sarcopenia. In no particular order, they are: fish oils (EPA/DHA), acetyl-l-carnitine, glutamine, and buffering agents such as potassium bicarbonate. There is good scientific reason to believe they would be beneficial for combating sarcopenia, but data specific to sarcopenia is lacking. For example, EPA/DHA has been found to preserve muscle mass (e.g. is anti-catabolic) under a wide range of physiological conditions. The anti-inflammatory effects of fish oils would also lead one to believe they should be of value in the prevention or treatment of sarcopenia. In general, fish oils have so many health benefits, it makes sense to recommend them here.

Acetyl-l-carnitine also offers many health benefits to aging people, and data suggests it should be useful in combating this condition. More research specific to sarcopenia is needed however.

Glutamine is another nutrient that should be useful in an overall plan to combat sarcopenia. Finally, data does suggest strongly that bicarbonate and citrate buffering agents containing minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium can reverse the metabolic acidosis caused by unbalanced western diets. However, I hesitate to recommend this particular strategy as it does not address the root cause, which is the diet itself. Much greater health benefits will result from improving the diet over simply adding in this supplement. In addition, there are potential problems that could result from excessive intake of buffer salts, such as hyperkalemia and formation of kidney stones.

Exercise Considerations

Exercise is the lynchpin to the previous sections. Without it, none of the above will be an effective method of preventing/treating sarcopenia. Exercise is the essential stimulus for systemwide release of various hormones such as GH, as well as local growth factors in tissue, such as MGF. Exercise is the stimulus that increases protein and bone synthesis, and exerts other effects that combat the loss of essential muscle and bone as we age. Exercise optimizes the effects of HRT, diet and supplements, so if you think you can sit on the couch and follow the above recommendations…think again.

Although any exercise is generally better then no exercise, all forms of exercise are not created equal. You will note, for example, many of the studies listed at the end of this article have titles like: “GH and resistance exercise” or “creatine effects combined with resistance exercise” and so on. Aerobic exercise is great for the cardiovascular system and helps keep body fat low, but when scientists or athletes want to increase lean mass, resistance training is always the method. Aerobics does not build muscle and is only mildly effective at preserving the lean body mass you already have. Thus, some form of resistance training (via weights, machines, bands, etc.) is essential for preserving or increasing muscle mass. The CDC report on resistance exercise for older adults summarizes it as: “In addition to building muscles, strength training can promote mobility, improve health-related fitness, and strengthen bones.”

Combined with HRT (if indicated), dietary modifications, and the supplements listed above, dramatic improvements in lean body mass can be achieved at virtually any age, with improvements in strength, functionality into advanced age, and improvements in overall health and general well being.

Hopefully, the reader will appreciate that I have attempted to cover a huge amount of territory with this topic. Each sub-section (nutrition, hormones, etc.) could easily be its own article if not its own book. This means each section is a general overview vs. anything close to an exhaustive discussion. Below is guide to web sites that offer additional information regarding the topics covered in this article and should (hopefully!) help fill in any gaps.

To prevent or treat sarcopenia:

• Get adequate high quality proteins from a variety of sources as well as adequate calories. Avoid excessive animal protein and cereal grain intakes while increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables.
• Get regular blood work on all major hormones after the age of 40 and discuss with a medical professional if HRT is indicated.
• Add supplements such as: creatine, vitamin D, whey protein, acetyl-l-carnitine, glutamine, and buffering agents such as potassium bicarbonate.
• Exercise regularly – with an emphasis on resistance training – a minimum of 3 times per week.