How often in real life are you pushing forward with your hands with your back braced off a flat surface? My guess would be, probably never. So, if that’s the case, why do so many people put so much emphasis on the bench press? In real life power is gathered from the ground, and is very rarely done straight out perpendicular to the body. Taking the example of an NFL lineman, when pressing with his arms, he’s doing it at an incline angle. Also, if he’s completely upright he’ll most likely end up on his back. He gathers power through his feet and transfers it through his body. Training should reflect this where the majority should be done standing, with seated or lying down being more secondary or supplemental options.

Jaime Gamache M.Ed., CSCS, is Owner and Head Strength Coach of The Way Human Performance Institute ( www.thewayhpi.com or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/pages/The-Way-Human-Performance-Institute/117742824954659 )

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Whether you believe in evolution or creationism, one fact remains: human beings were designed to move from the ground up.

In the health club/nautilus culture, machines were designed with the intention of working every major muscle group in an isolated way with the theory that fitness is achieved by the collective summation of the parts of the body. Functional training takes an oppositional stance of the body acting as a whole and disregarding the strength of a single muscle group over others.

The invention of these machines has led to a host of exercises where the feet are no longer in contact with the ground (ie. leg extensions and leg curls). Excessive use of these machines creates strength where the focus of that strength is not at the point of contact with the ground, but at a point around the ankle. This creates unnatural or unbalanced torque on the knee. Exercises of this type are called “open chain” because the direction of force is not at the farthest point of the lever arm (ie. hand or foot). ”Closed chain” exercises are by definition the opposite, and maintain the foot in contact with the ground. Squats, lunges and even leg curls on a stability or medicine ball are all examples of closed chain exercises.

Jaime Gamache M.Ed., CSCS, is Owner and Head Strength Coach of The Way Human Performance Institute ( www.thewayhpi.com and www.facebook.com/pages/The-Way-Human-Performance-Institute/117742824954659 )

We would like to introduce our newest contributor Jaime Gamache M.Ed., CSCS. He is Owner and Head Strength Coach of The Way Human Performance Institute www.thewayhpi.com located in Cranston RI.

“Toning” is a myth.

Repeat, it doesn’t exist.

Toning only happens in printers.

It’s a word made up by the fitness industry to trick uninformed women (which I’m sure there are none of reading this) into believing that strength training using the same methods as men will cause them harm or to blow up like bodybuilders (which is such and easy process, why wouldn’t everyone do it?)

Well, to put the cart before the horse, as most of you know, putting on quality muscle takes years and years of training. Professional bodybuilders spend most of their lives in the gym and female bodybuilders are no different. The average woman walking into the gym will never even change their muscular circumference, never mind adding bulk.

The reason for this is that when women strength train, at a muscular level they perform a process called “Enervation”. In simple terms, this means that women develop neural pathways that allow them to access and activate muscle cells they already have.

The average person only effectively uses about 30% of the muscle in their body, pro athletes have been found to use up to 50%. The theory for this is that while adrenaline allows women to lift cars off their children, repeated occurrences of that magnitude would have devastating effects on our bones and ligaments. Men and women are born with a certain number of muscle (and fat) cells. This number never changes, regardless of training. While women enervate, men’s muscle cells get thicker. The key ingredient in the difference is testosterone. Testosterone is what allows men to create more muscle mass and while women do have some testosterone in their bodies, most don’t have enough to allow for bulky muscle to develop.

In a practical sense, this means that while on the average, women will not generate the same force that men will. This is more true for upper body strength than lower body strength where it has been shown that women display proportionate strength to mass ratio in the lower body. But, from a tactical standpoint, women can generate considerable force and power when performing the same type of functional training as their male contemporaries.

Jaime Gamache M.Ed., CSCS, is Owner and Head Strength Coach of The Way Human Performance Institute ( www.thewayhpi.com and www.facebook.com/pages/The-Way-Human-Performance-Institute/117742824954659 )

ANS Diesel T is a unique formula combining a high dose of protodioscin, d-aspartic acid and ovine placenta to boost testosterone levels for physique and performance improvement.

D Aspartic Acid has been shown in human studies to increase testosterone by 42% in as little as 14 days. D-aspartic acid is an amino acid present in the neuroendocrine tissues of humans, playing a role in the synthesis of both LH (luteinizing hormone) and testosterone. LH, is secreted causing a subsequent release of testosterone from the testes. D-aspartic acid is synthesized when aspartate racemase converts L-aspartic acid into D-aspartic acid. This conversion occurs in the testes as well as other tissues throughout the human body. Supplementation with 3 grams (3,000mgs) per day, orally, resulted in a 42% testosterone increase while raising LH by 33%.

Protodioscin from Tribulus Terrestris is believed to directly stimulate the release of Luteinizing Hormone (LH). LH is an endocrine hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland in the brain. This hormone travels from the pituitary gland down the leydig cells of the testes where it stimulates testosterone production. Testosterone is considered the KING of all muscle building hormones. But tribulus in general is not capable of exerting such effects on the human endocrine system. Of the many saponins contained in tribulus, only protodioscin is capable of eliciting this prolific influence on testosterone production.

Ovine Placental Powder increases the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland. It activates Leydig cell steroidogenesis via LH.

This is a great combination for increasing natural testosterone production.

For many people Tribulus seems to work but the results where often inconsistent and it didn’t always meet expectations. Why is that you ask?

The answer, as it has been many times before, is in the lack of consistent and proper standardization that unfortunately runs rampant in this industry. The lack of standardization for Protodioscin has lead to what we believe to be a grave inconsistency in each batch produced by other companies. Some batches have a higher content and thus deliver some results, while others do not. However, no other product has EVER been standardized to the level that BioRhythm has used for Androbolix.

Protodioscin from Tribulus Terrestris is believed to directly stimulate the release of Luteinizing Hormone (LH). LH is an endocrine hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland in the brain. This hormone travels from the pituitary gland down the leydig cells of the testes where it stimulates testosterone production. Testosterone is considered the KING of all muscle building hormones. But “tribulus” in general is not capable of exerting such effects on the human endocrine system. Of the many saponins contained in Tribulus, only Protodioscin is capable of eliciting this prolific influence on testosterone production.

Forget everything you ever thought you knew about Tribulus Terrestris. The true anabolic potential of this powerful extract has FINALLY been unlocked, and BioRhythm Androbolix is proud to introduce to you to the true perfection of Tribulus Terrestris. Standardized and repeatedly verified to contain an unprecedented 300mg of Protodioscin.

D Aspartic Acid has been shown in human studies to increase testosterone by 42% in as little as 12 days.  D Aspartic Acid has potential for use in a several different ways.  Older men can use it to bring testosterone levels up to levels they had when they where younger.  Both younger and older individuals can use it to help build muscle and get leaner (testosterone will help with both).  And it can be used as a component of post cycle therapy to help get testosterone levels back on track.

D-aspartic acid is an amino acid present in the neuroendocrine tissues of humans, playing a role in the synthesis of both LH (luteinizing hormone) and testosterone. LH, of course, is secreted causing a subsequent release of testosterone from the testes. D-aspartic acid is synthesized when aspartate racemase converts L-aspartic acid into D-aspartic acid. This conversion occurs in the testes as well as other tissues throughout the human body. Supplementation with 3 grams (3,000mgs) per day, orally, resulted in a 42% testosterone increase while raising LH by 33%.

Look for this compound in two new products from Muscle Sport International.  One product will be a protein containing the researched amount of D-Aspartic Acid.  The other will be a capsule delivery system.

Most protein users are aware of the recent consumer reports article regarding heavy metals present in some protein powders.  The brands with the largest amounts of metals where EAS Myoplex and Cytosport Muscle Milk. 

On a positive note the brands we have chosen to support at Performance Nutrition are free of these toxic metals.  You can continue to use Optimum Health Pro Complete 40 and Intek Evolution with confidence.  

Consumer Reports purchased 15 protein powders and drinks and tested multiple samples of each for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Levels in several of the products could, with just three servings a day, result in daily exposure to arsenic, cadmium, or lead exceeding USP limits.

Of the 15 protein drinks tested, three of them contained very worrisome levels of arsenic, cadmium and lead.

Which Protein Drinks Fared the Worst?

Three daily servings of the ready-to-drink liquid EAS Myoplex Original Rich Dark Chocolate Shake contained an average of:

·              16.9 µg (micrograms) of arsenic

·              5.1 µg of cadmium

The proposed United States Pharmacopoeia’s (USP) limits for these two toxins are 15 and 5 µg respectively.

The worst of the products tested was Muscle Milk Chocolate powder, which contained all four toxic metals; three of them at the highest levels of all products tested.

Muscle Milk’s Vanilla Crème contained slightly less lead, but still exceeded the USP lead limit of 10 µg.

A fourth product, Muscle Milk’s liquid Nutritional Shake Chocolate, also tested high in arsenic, providing you with an average of 14.3 µg of arsenic per day, which is very close to the USP limit.

Arsenic and cadmium appear to be the most problematic here, as the levels of these two compounds in some cases exceeded maximum “safe” limits. However it’s worth noting that, ideally, you don’t want to ingest these toxins at ANY level, as even low-dose exposure can contribute to lingering health problems.

Prevention is clearly your best defense when it comes to protecting yourself against heavy metals and other toxins.

Fortunately, preventing exposure to toxins like arsenic, cadmium and lead is possible by making sure you’re eating as much organic foods as possible, and using protein drinks that are free of heavy metals.  We recommend Intek Protein Evolution and Optimum Health Pro Complete 40 as two of the safest, high quality, great tasting protein products available.

While we cannot recommend any of the low quality, commercial protein shakes on the market, we strongly believe that whey protein powder is a very healthful supplement to your diet and an excellent source of protein.

Whey protein has been linked to a variety of health benefits, including:

·              Helping your pancreas-produced insulin work more effectively, which supports balanced blood sugar levels

·              Promoting healthy insulin secretion

·              Helping to promote your optimal intake of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals needed for your overall wellness

·              Supporting your immune system, as it contains immunoglobulin

·              Helping you preserve lean body tissue (particularly during exercise) as it delivers bioavailable amino acids and cysteine

·              Maintaining blood pressure levels that are already within the normal range

So keep in mind, protein drinks can be quite beneficial, whether you’re working out and want to increase muscle or using them to supplement an otherwise healthy diet, but quality is everything, and drinking something that’s contaminated with heavy metals won’t do you any good.

Making sure that the product you buy fulfills the healthy criteria mentioned in this article (Such as Pro Complete 40, or Intek Evolution) will ensure that you’re getting the safest, healthiest protein supplement possible.

If you shop for your supplements at discount stores you may be seriously shortchanging yourself because those products typically use cheap synthetic isolates.

Millions gorge themselves on synthetic vitamins, only to acquire and die from degenerative diseases.

You see, isolated vitamins are partial vitamins, combined with other chemicals. They’re a low-end alternative to whole, real complete food.  When you remove a part from the whole, you get ‘Synthetic,’ ‘Isolated,’ or ‘Fractionated’ pieces of the whole, but it’s simply not the same. 

There are four problems with synthetic vitamins…

1. Nature intended for you to consume food in WHOLE form because all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes are together in one package. They work synergistically to give your body the nutrition it requires for optimal health. 
2. Your body only absorbs a small percentage of an isolate form of vitamins and minerals – and it utilizes even less. You get the best bioavailability in whole food form.
3. Synthetic vitamins often give you massive quantities of some nutrients (usually the most inexpensive ones) and insufficient quantities of others, not balance.
4. You can experience side effects of synthetic isolates from the additives and the unnatural state of the synthetic supplement.

You’ve heard it before… Fast food and a sedentary lifestyle can be a disaster for your health.

Don’t let your multivitamin add to the collateral damage.  In fact, you want to be sure it makes a real and significant contribution to your health, especially if you’ve already adopted healthy lifestyle practices.

Check out ANS Natural Vita Greens for a good whole food based multivitamin.

Inflammation promotes blood vessel disease, heart attack and stroke. Researches found that a low-carbohydrate diet reduced markers or inflammation and blood fats better than a low-fat diet in people with MS. MS is a group of symptoms linked to poor metabolic health that include insulin resistance, abdominal fat deposition, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low HDL (the good cholesterol), inflammation, type 2 diabetes and blood-clotting abnormalities. Low-carb diets reduced inflammation and improved blood-clotting regulation better than low-fat diets in people with MS.

Soy foods, such as tofu, soy meat substitutes, soymilk, soybeans and soy ice cream contain chemicals called isoflavones that bind weakly with estrogen receptors on the male reproductive system. Most studies showing negative effects on the male reproductive function used animals. A study found that men who ate two servings or more a week of soy foods had lower sperm counts than men who ate less soy. The soy had no effect on ejaculate volume, sperm structure or sperm activity. The most effected were obese men. The effects of soy protein on male reproductive function and testosterone levels are highly controversial.