Dazzler's actual diet and exercise series!

[Dazzler]

Hi guys.

The previous thread did not go according to plan so I have made a new one.

In this series you can expect regular updates on various tips and tricks I believe to be highly beneficial to use in one's fitness and nutrition endeavours, coming from a fellow personal trainer and nutritionist.

I have been into fitness for quite some time, and have experience with clients both online and in-person.

You can expect to find only substantiated principles and methods here - no myths. Actually you can expect to see debunking of myths from time to time.

As a miscellanous addition to the thread I may include various workout footage so that you can take a glimpse into what I get up to!

Stay tuned for updates!

OK. Just kind of in the mode of "enough is never enough" with diet and exercise...I find for example lately my morning routine is egg salad on potato bread, a cup of coffee (almond milk/half and half depending what I feel) and a banana, along with vitamins....pretty good at 6AM, no? By 10AM my stomach's telling me I'm starving again...Lately I've been putting in water rather than giving in, but still...I feel like something's missing, even tho I feel like I'm generally eating enough each day.

I understand how you are feeling, psychologically exercise and nutrition are difficult because they are slow processes. We all have idealistic goals in mind and action plans to reach them, however the primary obstacle is how long it will take. This can lead to incorrect conclusions on what is going on and how to deal with it.

From your sample diet I cannot help but notice a low fat intake. This is a common trend among bodybuilders and people who generally train for physqiue purposes. The name itself is literally a term for adipose tissue, so it may be natural to many to think negatively of it. In actuality, fat is a very important component of one's diet. One of the roles of fat, among many, is optimising hormones. As you can imagine, a low fat diet will be far less optimal for hormonal optimisation, meaning that hormone-related side effects can take place. One of them can actually be elevated hunger - I find it's a common trend among increased appetite and low fat diets. There are a multitude of potentially negative effects from low fat diets, so it may be worth ensuring that this is not an issue.

Otherwise I would say that you are along the right lines from the progress you are reporting.

 

[Dazzler]

10th February 2017 - Pull Ups vs. Chin Ups?
I'll start off with a very basic exercise question that many people ask, and that is generally along the lines of: which is more effective, pull ups or chin ups?.

Firstly, for those unaware, the primary difference between each movement is grip positioning. A supinated (palms facing body / underhand) grip implies a chin up. A pronated (palms facing away / overhand) grip implies a pull up. When your palms are facing each other, this is known as a neutral grip. It's up to you which movement you classify neutral grip pull ups / chin ups in. This is the general basis I have found to be most logical.

Secondly, there is no doubt that one movement is stronger than the other. When performing a chin up you have an underhand chin positioning which is a significantly stronger position to be in. When using an underhand grip you are involving more muscle groups to a larger degree, making it easier to perform repetitions. In contrast, when performing a pull up you are relying a little more on forearm and grip strength, as with any movement that demands an overhand grip.

There is a general consensus, which in my opinion is an overcomplicated one, in that pull ups are superior for back development and chin ups are superior for bicep development. The problem with this theory is that its basis is primarily grip positioning and grip width, so as to say that an overhand grip will involve the biceps less and a wider grip will involve the back more, et cetera.

In the pull up your range of movement is increased to an extent, in that you are able to stretch the upper back to a larger degree than you would a chin up. At the very bottom of a pull up, when your arms are fully extended, you have more freedom to stretch your back, which may bring about the argument that pull ups are better for back development. Is this entirely true? Technically, yes. Notably, no. There is very little chance anyone, especially beginners, will notice any significant differences in back development between the two. This can still be achieved on a chin up, and this factor alone will provide no significant difference.

The theory that grip width enhances back development is, again, a negligible factor. Yes, your back may be involved to a slightly larger degree on a wide grip pull up vs a narrow grip pull up. Is it worth thinking about in bed at night? No. If anything, an excessively wide grip can be detrimental to the shoulders, which is due to the factor I listed above in that the back can be stretched more efficiently. The reason for this, anatomically, is due to adduction (arms being brought towards the body from the side), which requires the shoulders to be involved to a slightly greater degree. This makes pull ups a potentially less optimal movement for those with shoulder issues, however that's another topic in and of itself. Most people will not find this to be an issue.

An overhand grip will be more difficult to use than an underhand grip, and the simple reason is efficiency. Gripping something with an overhand grip will place a larger demand on forearm and grip strength. An underhand grip will involve the bicep to a larger degree, potentially making grip strength less of a limiting factor. However again, the difference in bicep involvement between the two movements is negligible. Often times a beginner's limiting factor in their pull up progression is bicep strength, despite pull ups supposedly targeting the back more efficiently. It's logical when you think about it - the biceps are a much smaller muscle compared to the upper back, which has multiple muscle groups anyway. Heck, a part of the chest is involved in the movement, however much like many theories this is also a negligible factor.

It could be argued that someone looking to do as many repetitions as possible would benefit more from chin ups, whilst someone looking to enhance their grip strength would benefit more from pull ups - as they would with any overhand vs. underhand movement. However the question at hand is not which is more suitable for me? Therefore I will leave this out of the equation.

So, the idea you should implement into your brain is that the whole thing is blown out of proportion, the differences are negligible and both movements are essentially the same thing - only with a few very minor anatomical differences which will present no difference in development in most people. Both movements are fantastic and both will contribute towards both back and bicep development, as there is no getting around how important these muscles are in both.

 

[Sensualswitch10]

Increasing Vertical Leap

I'll be turning 40 in November, and I have a goal. A friend told me he read somewhere that approximately 1 in 1,000,000 people can dunk a basketball on a regulation (10 foot) hoop at 40 years or older. I don't have a source and I'm not sure if what he said is true, but I'm guessing a very small fraction of the population can actually do it. I'm currently a few inches short, but I think it's within reach if I lose my excess flab, currently about 15 pounds and do some training specifically to increase my vertical. I'm 6'4" and my target weight is 185 pounds. When I was in my early 20's two handed dunks were pretty easy, so it's not like I'm trying to do this for the first time, it's just been a while.

Do you have any suggestions for a regimen designed for increasing vertical leap? Is there an optimal time period beforehand to start the training? I feel like if I start now, I'll burn myself out by the time November rolls around. Right now I'm just focusing on getting to my target weight, but eventually want to start the specific training. I assume some plyometrics (box jumps etc) and maybe some weight training to build leg power, but not sure what combination would be ideal. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Dazzler]

I'll be turning 40 in November, and I have a goal. A friend told me he read somewhere that approximately 1 in 1,000,000 people can dunk a basketball on a regulation (10 foot) hoop at 40 years or older. I don't have a source and I'm not sure if what he said is true, but I'm guessing a very small fraction of the population can actually do it. I'm currently a few inches short, but I think it's within reach if I lose my excess flab, currently about 15 pounds and do some training specifically to increase my vertical. I'm 6'4" and my target weight is 185 pounds. When I was in my early 20's two handed dunks were pretty easy, so it's not like I'm trying to do this for the first time, it's just been a while.

Do you have any suggestions for a regimen designed for increasing vertical leap? Is there an optimal time period beforehand to start the training? I feel like if I start now, I'll burn myself out by the time November rolls around. Right now I'm just focusing on getting to my target weight, but eventually want to start the specific training. I assume some plyometrics (box jumps etc) and maybe some weight training to build leg power, but not sure what combination would be ideal. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi there. Thank you for your question.

Your goal weight is reasonable and you have the right idea in reducing body fat to increase athletic performance. With regard to functional athletic performance, e.g. vertical leap, excess body fat will make this more difficult.

You also have an appropriate understanding of increasing your vertical leap with plyometric and resistance training - these are both fantastic methods to increase your vertical leap. I am going to assume that you have a basic understanding of this type of training, and your primary question is which exercises may benefit you. If you have already achieved this goal then it is simply down to reconditioning your body to be able to do it again. You shouldn't have as much difficulty as a fresh beginner.

Barbell Squats - down to parallel angle, focusing on progressing with weight. These develop overall lower body strength and will assist with leg power.
Weighted Lunges - with a barbell, holding dumbbells, etc, will all be effective here. Similar to barbell squats.
Calf Raises - while holding weight, without weight or machine assisted, strengthening the calves as their role in the vertical leap is high.
Box Jumps - you are correct here in that box jumps are beneficial, however if you perform box jumps from a seated position to minimise momentum you can isolate the lower body and enhance lower body strength without momentum playing a role. This means when you come to dunking, where momentum will be used, you'll find it easier.

As with all of these exercises you may include a pause at the bottom, while under maximal contraction, to enhance the difficulty and leg strength development. It is worth noting that these are auxiliary exercises, meaning to say that they will help achieve the goal but not achieve it for you. You may also benefit from some additional hamstring exercises if you feel you need it.

 

[Dazzler]

12th February 2017 - Can veganism work for athletic performance?

Firstly it is important to establish what veganism is. For those unaware, veganism is a lifestyle which excludes products deriving from the animal kingdom, extending to non-food items such as animal-derived cosmetics and leather/silk clothing. However due to the nature and purpose of this thread I will solely be focusing on the dietary side as well as its correlation with exercise.

A vegan diet, as highlighted above, excludes all animal products as well as their biproducts. This means to say that dairy, eggs and other biproducts are excluded as well as the actual meats. Consequently a vegan diet consists of plant-based foods.

The surrounding notion behind veganism is that it is less optimal for athletic performance due to the exclusion of animal products, usually suggesting that the lack of animal protein is detrimental to performance. Some may also argue that veganism is unsuitable for physique-related goals as the exclusion of animal products can make a well-rounded physique more difficult to achieve.

Thankfully, this is untrue. I will very briefly underline why this is untrue with a couple misconceptions on veganism and some potential deficiencies vegans may face and how to remedy them. Please be aware that this is a brief summary and there is a lot more potential depth to this topic, however the majority of the debunking can be found below.

No animal protein = amino acid issues?
One of the most common arguments is backed with something along the lines of amino acid profiles. Protein deriving from animal products such as meat, fish and dairy have complete amino acid profiles. Without going into too much detail, this means to suggest that the protein is "complete" and has adequate quantities of each necessary amino acid for protein to perform its function. This means that if all of your protein comes from animal products, amino acid profile is not even a mild concern.

Oppositely, a diet consisting of plant-based protein is often criticised on grounds of having an "incomplete" amino acid profile. Thankfully this is a misleading claim, as no protein source is "incomplete" - just less optimal in that some amino acids are contained in lesser quantities than others. This does not make them bad sources of protein, it just means that you need to combine your protein sources to ensure that you are getting the full benefit. It's a very simple fix - combining a variety of protein sources, e.g. nuts, beans, grains, hemp, soya, will ensure that this criticism is misplaced. Fifty grams of plant-based protein with the same amino acid profile as fifty grams of meat protein will have the same effect - it's illogical to assume otherwise.

No animal protein = no good physique?
With an adequate combination of a variety of sources, the protein you consume will ultimately yield the same effect as its animal-product counterpart. Therefore as long as you are taking this into consideration your results will be the same.

The common deficiencies related to sporting performance.
The most notable one is creatine, responsible for providing bursts of energy during short intervals. Vegans will inevitably become deficient in this area, and while supplementation is not entirely necessary, it may facilitate adequate sporting performance in activities such as weight training and sprinting.

Another possible deficiency is calcium, vitamin D and vitamin b12 - which are responsible for the maintenance of healthy bones and a healthy nervous system, crucial to sporting performance. The reason for the potential deficiency is that animal products are far more ideal for these nutrients - vitamin b12 in particular. Many conventional breakfast cereals contain these nutrients by means of fortification, and supplementation is also easy to come across.

So the bottom line is that veganism can be made optimal for sporting performance as there is no logical basis behind the argument that it can't be. All it takes is a little optimisaton and awareness of the potential downsides and how to prevent them from hindering performance.

 

[S1]

Here's a random question. My doctor suggested that I eat gluten free and low sugar to cut some weight. I asked her if the benefit was that gluten free diets are also usually low carb. She said no, it's because of how gluten is made today, that it inflames your gut. Anyone ever heard of this?

 

[Dazzler]

Here's a random question. My doctor suggested that I eat gluten free and low sugar to cut some weight. I asked her if the benefit was that gluten free diets are also usually low carb. She said no, it's because of how gluten is made today, that it inflames your gut. Anyone ever heard of this?

Hi there. Thank you for your question.

Gluten intolerance is a common issue among many populations, much like lactose intolerance, as technically speaking they are "unnatural". However many people are able to get away with consuming gluten without any issues, so long as there is no underlying intolerance. If you feel as though this may be a problem them yes, gluten free may benefit you. A lot of people face varying degrees of symptoms from gluten intake.

You can feel free to cut down on sugar - health wise this is a good idea. However without an appropriate calorie intake (deficit) you'll experience no weight loss, sugar or not.