This is a subject I can say I have an opinion on, which sums up the reason I started this blog: to get across the things I've encountered so far in an area it's hard to deny is littered with bullshit and clever marketing by even cleverer marketing departments.
The reason I began changing my health was to better my life and shed the hideous amount of body fat I had. But, at the time, I saw the problem as being my 'weight'; my assumption was that if I drastically lost the weight, the body fat would drop also.
This is essentially a half-truth; whatever the means, losing weight will inevitably reduce body fat, but this is very much a contextual solution. I've never been slim, and I've certainly never been slight, but weighing in at 17 stone at 15 was a worry. At that size it's hard to define your build, so all you want to do is get rid of the fat slob in the mirror.
It pays to know that body fat essentially doesn’t way that much; doctors tend to advise men to have around 18% or less body fat, and women around 23% or less, though these parameters are not finite. There is a significant grey area, so to have say 5 or 7% more is not really a problem.
Throughout the ever changing history of fitness culture, it has generally been women and girls who have been aware of their weight, and as much of a cliché it may sound, the addition of weight to a slighter frame is enough to play on anyone's mind.
With guys it tends to be the other way round: men tend to have larger frames, are broader and thus carry more weight. We seem to see the reduction of body fat as more essential than weight loss.
My loss of weight was a dramatic one - I went from 17 stone to 12 in a very short amount of time - around three months - and this was from not eating much and walking a lot to school and around where I lived at the time. After that I ended up putting some of the weight back on, but soon got into using a gym and after three years, here I am.
The loss of body weight is a tentative issue - I would never pass on advice that directly prescribes immediate and dangerous weight loss, as I feel that anyone, guy or girl, can exercise enough to strip away body fat. If you base you're exercises solely on weight loss you run the risk of losing sight of a safe route, and no ones health is worth that risk. Someone may have a large build, have thicker set bones or simply be taller; all of these affect your weight.
So which one is more beneficial? In my opinion, focusing on stripping away body fat will help improve your health, your appearance, your self confidence and to some extent your body weight too.
The only advice I would ever use here is the same you would read anywhere else: to reduce body fat exercise to a greater extent that how much you eat, you’re body will burn the fat down to fuel the physical activity.
Keep the peace,
D R-Lincoln
Monday 10 December 2007
Poor Form: What's the Big Deal?
Over the years, since I began using a gym (which is about three years now - god, it feels alot longer) I've heard a lot about good and bad 'form'. Now, I'm the kind of gym-user who trains better alone - and I've trained in plenty of groups so far - so I tended to pick up new exercises and workouts from watching others, training with more experienced people, and through good old trial and error. And I still sometimes find myself half-way through a badly executed exercise, with the wrong muscle twinging, and a fairly embarrassed feeling flooding through me. However, I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so it helps me to make sure most of the time I'm performing a rep 'correctly' - and with such a busy lifestyle, I don't feel you need to spend three hours at the gym to feel satisfied - if I can work a muscle just as well in a single good rep than I can in three bad ones, then it's the best of both worlds.
But 'bad form' can be incredibly dangerous - I've read about and discussed plenty of cases where people have been injured (sometimes fatally) from trying to perform a maneuver incorrectly. We tend to forget we're lifting incredibly heavy weights, with our own brute strength the only thing stopping them from crushing us; what happens when you go one weight too high or find your control slipping?
As dramatic as that sounds, it can all be avoided. Gyms are generally fairly safe places all round, and if you keep in mind the following advice, you shouldn't have many problems:
The Right Weight: Make sure you are using a weight you know you can deal with - if you're increasing the weight try to do so in increments of no higher than 1.25 - 2.5kgs.
Take it Slow: Just take you're time, the speed at which you perform a rep does NOT affect the end result.
Use a Mirror: You may well hate seeing your reflection, but using a mirror can ensure your arms are twisting, lifting and holding in the correct way.
Know When to Stop: If it hurts a little, then it's just your muscles straining - if it hurts a lot then stop; simple as that.
Ask! Don't be afraid to ask someone that works at the gym you use - it may be embarrassing, but you will be getting professional advice. Trust me, it will do you wonders.
Hope this helps guys,
Keep the peace,
D R-Lincoln
But 'bad form' can be incredibly dangerous - I've read about and discussed plenty of cases where people have been injured (sometimes fatally) from trying to perform a maneuver incorrectly. We tend to forget we're lifting incredibly heavy weights, with our own brute strength the only thing stopping them from crushing us; what happens when you go one weight too high or find your control slipping?
As dramatic as that sounds, it can all be avoided. Gyms are generally fairly safe places all round, and if you keep in mind the following advice, you shouldn't have many problems:
The Right Weight: Make sure you are using a weight you know you can deal with - if you're increasing the weight try to do so in increments of no higher than 1.25 - 2.5kgs.
Take it Slow: Just take you're time, the speed at which you perform a rep does NOT affect the end result.
Use a Mirror: You may well hate seeing your reflection, but using a mirror can ensure your arms are twisting, lifting and holding in the correct way.
Know When to Stop: If it hurts a little, then it's just your muscles straining - if it hurts a lot then stop; simple as that.
Ask! Don't be afraid to ask someone that works at the gym you use - it may be embarrassing, but you will be getting professional advice. Trust me, it will do you wonders.
Hope this helps guys,
Keep the peace,
D R-Lincoln
Protein Supplements: Are They Really So Important?
Protein supplements or dietary supplements have become synonymous with weight training, and vice versa, and are widely viewed as a means of supporting muscle growth.
As a simple statement this is very much a fact; protein supplements DO help your muscles recover from resistance training, but alot of vague and misleading views and ideas still surround their use. Of course, this is a blog, it's a means of expressing MY views on this matter, and I would hope that the ideas tackled and discussed are simply a way of raising the issue, not viewed as the 'definitive answer'. BUT, as hard as it is to truly discuss protein supplements, I feel it's time to take the matter head on in a way I feel it just hasn't been covered yet...
Do athletes and young gym users really need protein supplements?
I beleive that protein supplements are used too much, especially by my peers. At 21, I am heading into the prime of my life and my health has never been as stable as it is right now. I regularly train at my local gym, here in the UK, around four times a week, and I run regularly to gain all my cardio - and as a result I use supplements very much contextually to my performance. If I've had a long workout session and don't have enough substantial protein available from other means (such as eggs or chicken for instance) I will take a protein shake to cover the minimum needed to let my muscles recover and develop.
The problem surrounding these products is that simply taking a protein shake or a pill-based supplement will grant you the body of an adonis and everyone will fight to the death to be your friend. No sales-respecting protein supplement company would promote their product with someone who doesnt have over-sized arms and bulging pecs - because the idea of a muscular body is an incredibly attractive one in a social climate that dictates that everyone is going to choke to death on a Big Mac as a 25-stone 30 year-old.
Most personal trainers and sports nutritionists would say that eating six to seven smaller meals a day is much better for you, simply because your constantly providing your body with enough energy and substance to keep you going, whilst at the same time sating the mental contagion of hunger. But keeping to this dietary routine can be hell for a young person, as you are either working regualrly or are studying/working together. In a world ruled by the almighty dolllar, one of these two lifestyle choices is held by most young people, which makes keeping to six or seven small meals a problem; it's simply finding the time to keep the process going.
And so a young person, frustrated by body fat, exhaustion and general discomfort with their self-image sees another ripped gym user swigging a protein shake and thinks "Hey, that could be the answer!". I've been there myself, many times; these products are fueled by a self-sustaining ideology that feeds off image and health hang-ups.
I've never pretended to be a guru on this kind of issue, like most people, my views are based on what I hear and on what I've experienced, and thankfully, I can say I had the foresight to look into supplements before I started using them. But if you havn't then don't feel too bad, most people don't.
The best advice that anyone can offer you at this stage - and this is advice, not sacrosanct law - is that you can get all the protein you need from natural sources like poultry, some fish, milk, and eggs, as well as many others. You can put together a healthy intake of food (I tend to avoid the word 'diet', as it has too many negative connotations) on a fairly reasonable budget, contrary to popular beleif. You don't need protein supplements - no one needs them - but they can help if used as part of an intake an suited to your metabolism as well as a workout program that is tough enough to require a little extra fuel to rebuild your muscles.
Check this blog out for an insightful take on this and other sports nutrition topics: http://msvusportsnutrition.blogspot.com
Any questions, comment or criticisms are always welcome in this environment.
D R-Lincoln
As a simple statement this is very much a fact; protein supplements DO help your muscles recover from resistance training, but alot of vague and misleading views and ideas still surround their use. Of course, this is a blog, it's a means of expressing MY views on this matter, and I would hope that the ideas tackled and discussed are simply a way of raising the issue, not viewed as the 'definitive answer'. BUT, as hard as it is to truly discuss protein supplements, I feel it's time to take the matter head on in a way I feel it just hasn't been covered yet...
Do athletes and young gym users really need protein supplements?
I beleive that protein supplements are used too much, especially by my peers. At 21, I am heading into the prime of my life and my health has never been as stable as it is right now. I regularly train at my local gym, here in the UK, around four times a week, and I run regularly to gain all my cardio - and as a result I use supplements very much contextually to my performance. If I've had a long workout session and don't have enough substantial protein available from other means (such as eggs or chicken for instance) I will take a protein shake to cover the minimum needed to let my muscles recover and develop.
The problem surrounding these products is that simply taking a protein shake or a pill-based supplement will grant you the body of an adonis and everyone will fight to the death to be your friend. No sales-respecting protein supplement company would promote their product with someone who doesnt have over-sized arms and bulging pecs - because the idea of a muscular body is an incredibly attractive one in a social climate that dictates that everyone is going to choke to death on a Big Mac as a 25-stone 30 year-old.
Most personal trainers and sports nutritionists would say that eating six to seven smaller meals a day is much better for you, simply because your constantly providing your body with enough energy and substance to keep you going, whilst at the same time sating the mental contagion of hunger. But keeping to this dietary routine can be hell for a young person, as you are either working regualrly or are studying/working together. In a world ruled by the almighty dolllar, one of these two lifestyle choices is held by most young people, which makes keeping to six or seven small meals a problem; it's simply finding the time to keep the process going.
And so a young person, frustrated by body fat, exhaustion and general discomfort with their self-image sees another ripped gym user swigging a protein shake and thinks "Hey, that could be the answer!". I've been there myself, many times; these products are fueled by a self-sustaining ideology that feeds off image and health hang-ups.
I've never pretended to be a guru on this kind of issue, like most people, my views are based on what I hear and on what I've experienced, and thankfully, I can say I had the foresight to look into supplements before I started using them. But if you havn't then don't feel too bad, most people don't.
The best advice that anyone can offer you at this stage - and this is advice, not sacrosanct law - is that you can get all the protein you need from natural sources like poultry, some fish, milk, and eggs, as well as many others. You can put together a healthy intake of food (I tend to avoid the word 'diet', as it has too many negative connotations) on a fairly reasonable budget, contrary to popular beleif. You don't need protein supplements - no one needs them - but they can help if used as part of an intake an suited to your metabolism as well as a workout program that is tough enough to require a little extra fuel to rebuild your muscles.
Check this blog out for an insightful take on this and other sports nutrition topics: http://msvusportsnutrition.blogspot.com
Any questions, comment or criticisms are always welcome in this environment.
D R-Lincoln
Drinking Culture: A Vicious Circle
A recent study by the University of Bath has warned the government that it's anti-drinking campaigns across tv, radio and other advertising mediums could backfire on a huge scale.
"Extreme inebriation is often seen as a source of personal esteem and social affirmation amongst young people", said lead researcher Professor Christine Griffin.
As someone who has been in both rugby and american football teams in the last two years at univeristy level, the drinking culture that surrounds sports teams is nothing new to me. As far as I know, this culture extends from small local teams of most sports, to semi-professional and professional teams; yet, regardless of the sport, and usually regardless of the level, drinking culture sometimes becomes more important that the action on the field.
Bath Univeristy's research is truly nothing new, but it does show that someone is willing to make a point I feel hasn't been covered anywhere near enough, especially by universities and colleges.
This in itself is a dangerous problem; universities are understandibly protective of their reputations and the elements which set them apart from their peers, such as their sports facilities and the athletes they 'produce', however this protective nature seems to tether these institutions to their own pride, as their teams feed their drinking reputations further.
Now, don't misunderstand my point here, not every team beleives in excessive drinking, but a good 85% of the teams who I have ever spoken to, competed against/with, or worked with have worn their drinking fraternities like a badge of honour.
As someone who has been on the end of many a messy circle, I know that in many cases, 'circles' (when teams sit in 'ring' and play drinking games under 'drinking rules') are harmless, and are a good laugh; but I know of alot of teams who view drinking with 'the team' as compulsory, not voluntary, and a means of determining the status of players within 'the team'.
I know of plenty of people who, like myself, chose not to join my university's rugby union team, mainly because the reputation for the teams drinking escapades was and is so intimidating, that I wanted no part of it. Who would want to be part of a team that beleives that drinking so much that you are out of your mind is a 'great' night out. Bullshit ideology like this is the kind of cancer that is rotting sports teams across the country, and is promoting and glamourising excessive drinking as a means of social ascension.
If you've even a drop of courage and have found yourself caught in the drinking culture of your team, ask yourself this: is fucking your body up for a team really worth it.
I know where I stand.
D R-Lincoln
"Extreme inebriation is often seen as a source of personal esteem and social affirmation amongst young people", said lead researcher Professor Christine Griffin.
As someone who has been in both rugby and american football teams in the last two years at univeristy level, the drinking culture that surrounds sports teams is nothing new to me. As far as I know, this culture extends from small local teams of most sports, to semi-professional and professional teams; yet, regardless of the sport, and usually regardless of the level, drinking culture sometimes becomes more important that the action on the field.
Bath Univeristy's research is truly nothing new, but it does show that someone is willing to make a point I feel hasn't been covered anywhere near enough, especially by universities and colleges.
This in itself is a dangerous problem; universities are understandibly protective of their reputations and the elements which set them apart from their peers, such as their sports facilities and the athletes they 'produce', however this protective nature seems to tether these institutions to their own pride, as their teams feed their drinking reputations further.
Now, don't misunderstand my point here, not every team beleives in excessive drinking, but a good 85% of the teams who I have ever spoken to, competed against/with, or worked with have worn their drinking fraternities like a badge of honour.
As someone who has been on the end of many a messy circle, I know that in many cases, 'circles' (when teams sit in 'ring' and play drinking games under 'drinking rules') are harmless, and are a good laugh; but I know of alot of teams who view drinking with 'the team' as compulsory, not voluntary, and a means of determining the status of players within 'the team'.
I know of plenty of people who, like myself, chose not to join my university's rugby union team, mainly because the reputation for the teams drinking escapades was and is so intimidating, that I wanted no part of it. Who would want to be part of a team that beleives that drinking so much that you are out of your mind is a 'great' night out. Bullshit ideology like this is the kind of cancer that is rotting sports teams across the country, and is promoting and glamourising excessive drinking as a means of social ascension.
If you've even a drop of courage and have found yourself caught in the drinking culture of your team, ask yourself this: is fucking your body up for a team really worth it.
I know where I stand.
D R-Lincoln
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