Tuesday, 19 February 2013

Strength Fiction

Strength [streNG(k)TH]- The quality or state of being strong.

Strong[strO^NG] - Having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks.


Now these are words that are grossly misinterpreted  in gyms across the world.  Along side 'functional' and 'tone' there are no words thrown into sentences more often that highlight more distortion than these.

Lets put a little truth in our fiction.

Lifting a weight of 20kg and putting it down again, in no way can be seen as physically demanding.  Your baggage allowance on flights is 20kg and everyone moans about how little that is.

Lifting a weight in relation to your bodyweight and how the lift is performed can separate the boys from the men when talking strength in the gym.  The best thing about lifting is the blatant truth and genuineness of the iron, it is what it is.  You cannot lie about your lift and nor can the iron falsify your strength, its a perfect measure.

A few goals for the aspiring lifter, and for those who want to be taken seriously when it comes to lifting, you want to work your way to lifting some considerable weight before you can justify calling yourself strong.

The deadlift, the king of all lifts in my books personally: You got to lift a solid 2.5 times your own bodyweight before you can jump on the 'strong wagon' and even then you are only just beginning.

The benchpress, the exercise every man must compare to "What do you bench hey?" this question can either strip or crown a man of his 'hood':  A good bench starts at 1.5 times your own bodyweight.

The squat, the father of all lower body exercises: A good measure is a solid 2 x your own bodyweight to hit the ground running

The weighted pull up, My personal favorite : A solid goal is to work to 66% of your bodyweight as an addition to your pull.

I could list 10 more standards that are applicable to considerable strength in the gym, but I think my point is pretty clear.

Strength is something that is aspired to, strength is a skill that time is devoted to not just something acquired after a couple sessions in the gym as a recreation.  Strength is trained for, specifically.

Do not be afraid to realize how much potential you have within you, discover it, fight for it and unleash it.  You will love your body and embrace its capabilities while breaking down barriers and ascertaining new heights.

"If we did all the things we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison
                                                                                                                             


Thursday, 07 February 2013

Man VS Poison

You will never catch me promoting the latest weight loss miracle or elaborating on the newest nutriment out there.  Never mind the crash diet that my neighbours, best friends, daughters, school teacher lost 40kg over in two weeks and lived happily ever after.

Its fair to say I express straight up truths, no pink tea cosies and fluffing of the facts.

I have been covering a lot on the realities of our beloved staple crops of late and thought it time I get it out there that eating healthy could in fact be silently destroying you.

A year ago I terminated wheat, gluten and soy from my diet where ever humanly possible.  I am not obsessive in any sense, I do slip the bad in with the good every now and then like most humans.  However I can identify what is quietly turning me into a bio hazard on the inside.  I eat clean wherever possible and my body reaps the untold benefits of separating the sinful foods from the saints.

For those who know no better, wheat is not what it was 50 years ago and has been genetically modified far beyond what is safe for human consumption. Wheat undergoes sterilisations that are toxic to humans.  If you don't suffer from celiac disease or suffer an intolerance towards this crop it should still be avoided.  The trendy 'love handles'  worn by 80% of our population is a clear cut result of love for the malt.

This portent crop that we are adoringly shovelling daily leads to obesity.  Its that simple.  Overweight? suffer from IBS? Stomach pains? acid reflux? fatigue?  Its your best friend the burger bun.

Wheat increases your blood sugar more than any other food, it contains an appetite stimulant gliadin which spikes your sugar levels more than a chocolate bar would. Leaving you craving more of this vicious tripe, and causing a roller coaster ride of sugar highs and lows.


The moment you go cold turkey on the wheat bar your blood pressure will reduce, improved cholesterol values have been shown, relief from arthritis, increased energy, increased sex drive and the all important weight loss.

Put the wheat back on the shop shelf and notice how you snack less and crave less.

Another "health" marvel that is taking the world for a ride is soy "the perfect food". Sorry society but you are being blind sighted by the "health experts"  We are being told that soy has been used for thousands of years and its foods provide complete proteins.  This in fact is a myth.  It once was used in the 11th century by the Chinese who quickly discovered its radical compounds and gave it up for the rice paddies.

Organic soy where fermentation takes place over a long period to reduce 'anti-nutrients' is the only soy the markets should be pushing, yet this somehow got confused with the 'soy' we all know so well punted across every cereal, nutriment and food on our shelves.  Dive a little deeper and this unregenerate little phenomenon will leave you with not only a bad taste in your mouth but a an inside that will despise the hand that feeds it.

We all know soy contains phytoestrogens, if that were not enough to stop you from pulling the box off the shelf let me enlighten you.  Yes this plant compound does decrease testosterone levels and increase estrogen,  causing 'moobs' in men (the infamous man boob) and literally kills sperm cells, whilst also reducing the assimilation of copper, calcium, iron and other important minerals.

Being someone who trains regularly, a hardgainer and someone who excitedly indulges in protein to keep my muscle happy, the biggest concern for me, is that soy interferes with protein digestion and absorption.  So downing that protein shake after training (made from soy) is as pointless as taking a bikini to a ski lodge.

99% of soy beans are genetically modified and the pesticides that are laden over the crops are packed with carcinogens.  Would you like digestive distress with a side of thyroid dysfunction whilst we top that with cancer causing compounds?

Soy increases your vitamin D requirements and it blocks the synthesis of thyroid function.  With all this information out there for the masses and coaches, dietitians and nutritionists warning clientele on a daily basis why do we still choose to consume these diabolic foods.

The perfect health food? Science agrees that perhaps only for lab rats.