Triceps Excrise : Dumbbell One Arm Triceps Kickback

Starting Position:

• Stagger your feet with the left in front with knees slightly bent. Place your left hand on the left thigh for support.
• Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and bend the elbow at a 90-degree angle, pointing behind you with the upper arm not quite parallel to the floor.

Movement:

1. Contracting your triceps muscles, move your lower arm back until the weight is pointing away from your body, keeping the wrist firm.
2. Slowly return to the starting position.
3. After completing the set on the right side, repeat on the left side.

Key Points:

• Exhale while extending your elbow.
• Inhale while returning to the starting position.
• Your upper arm should remain stationary throughout the exercise.
• This exercise can also be done with one knee and one arm supported on a bench

Biceps Excrise : Dumbbell Alternating Biceps Curl

Starting Position:

• Sit upright in a chair with your legs bent, feet forward and your head a natural extension of your spine.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand with the arms hanging down at your sides and palms facing your body.
• Keep your wrists straight throughout the exercise.
  

Movement:

1. Contracting the biceps muscles, bend your right arm at the elbow while turning your wrist until your palm is facing the ceiling, stopping when the weight is just short of touching your shoulder.
2. Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of the elbow fully extending.
   

Key Points:

• Exhale as you lift the weight.
• Inhale while returning to the starting position.
• The upper arm should remain stationary throughout the exercise.

Shoulder Excrise : Two Arm Lateral Raise

Starting Position

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart with a slight bend in your knees.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms down at your sides and palms facing your legs.

Movement:

1. Contracting the middle shoulder muscles, raise both arms out to the sides, stopping when your arms are slightly higher than shoulder level.
2. Slowly return to the starting position stopping just short of the weights touching your body.

Key Points

• Exhale while lifting the weights.
• Inhale while returning to the starting position.
• You may also perform this exercise from a seated position.

Chest Excrise : Machine Compound Row (Back)

Starting Position:

Adjust yourself in the machine as per the instructions.

Reach for the handles and sit back until your hips and knees form a 90-degree angle.

Movement:
Contracting the upper back muscles, draw your arms back, leading with your elbows and keeping your chest lifted, stopping when you get a full contraction of the upper back muscles.

Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of your arms fully extending and just short of the weight stack touching.

Key Points:

• Exhale while lifting the weight.
• Inhale while returning to the starting position.
• Try to maintain a neutral spine throughout the entire range of motion and keep the shoulder blades squeezed together.
• Do not round the upper back or let the chest cave in.

Chest Excrise : Machine Chest Press

Starting Position:

Adjust yourself in the machine as per the instructions.
Hold a handle in each hand with your elbows at a 90-degree angle and the upper arm parallel to the floor.

Movemen

Contracting the chest muscles, extend the arms out until there is a slight bend in the elbow. Slowly return to the starting position stopping just short of the weight stack touching.

Key Points

Exhale while lifting the weight.
Inhale while returning to the starting position.

Ab Exercise - Double Crunch

I like the double crunch because if performed correctly, you can isolate the lower and upper region of the abdominals. Please note, contrary to popular belief, we do not have separate upper and lower abs.

Starting Position

Lie on the floor face up.

Bend your knees until your legs are at a 45-degree angle with both feet on the floor.

Your back should be comfortably relaxed on the floor.

Place both hands behind your head.

Movement:

Contracting your abdominals, raise your head and legs off the floor toward one another.

Slowly return to the starting position stopping just short of your shoulders and feet touching the floor.

Key Points:

Exhale while raising up.

Inhale while returning to the starting position.

Ab Exercise - Reverse Ab Curl

This exercise isolates the lower region of the abs. Don’t worry if you can’t perform a lot of them. Just keep practicing.

Starting Position

• Lie on the floor with your back relaxed and your hands on the floor by your hips.
• Keep the upper back pressed into the floor throughout the exercise.

  Movement
  

• Contracting your abs, raise your butt and gently roll your hips off the floor stopping when you feel a full contraction of the abdominals and can no longer lift your hips.
• Slowly return to the starting position.

  Key Points
  

• Exhale while lifting your hips.
• Inhale while returning to the starting position.
• Keep your eyes on the ceiling to avoid pulling with your neck.
• Your hands should not be used to lift the head or assist in the movement.

Ab Exercises - Vertical Scissors

Starting Position

Sit on a chair or bench with your legs extended in front of you.
Your hands should be under your glutes for balance.

Movement

1. Contracting your abdominals, lift your right leg as you lower your left leg.

2. Reverse the positions of your legs by lowering your right leg and raising your left leg, mimicking a scissor.

Key Points

Breathe rhythmically throughout the exercise.

Squeeze your glutes and hip muscles as you switch legs, but make sure to focus on contracting your abs (this is not a leg exercise).

BONUS: Abdominal Vacuum

This exercise is based on time and not reps. The Transverus Abdominis muscle is muscle that holds your abs tight and flat. It’s a thin sheet of muscle running along the sides of the abs and joins connective tissue behind it and is your body’s natural corset. When you suck your stomach in, you have just used your Transversus. This is the only muscle that can help pull the stomach inward.

Position yourself on the floor on all fours. Keep your back flat and maintain this position throughout the exercise.

Start by exhaling absolutely every bit of air from your lungs. Then, relax your abdomen and let it hang like a loose sling, but don't increase the arch in your lower back. Next, pull the navel in as if I just told you to suck in your stomach as tight as possible. Continue to breathe lightly through your nostrils, but make sure you’re pulling your navel in as tight as you can. Hold the contraction for 40 seconds but make sure it’s very tight. In time, you’ll notice the abdominal area pulled in and looking flatter. This exercise provides benefit with no repetitious movement.

Immediately return to the first exercise and repeat the program until 12 minutes is up.

Overtraining

Making a Difficult Diagnosis and Implementing Targeted Treatment

Arja L.T. Uusitalo, MD, PhD

THE PHYSICIAN AND SPORTSMEDICINE - VOL 29 - NO.5 - MAY 2001

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In Brief: Overtraining syndrome is a serious problem marked by decreased performance, increased fatigue, persistent muscle soreness, mood disturbances, and feeling 'burnt out' or 'stale.' The diagnosis of overtraining is usually complicated, there are no exact diagnostic criteria, and physicians must rule out other diseases before the diagnosis can be made. An orthostatic challenge shows promise as a diagnostic tool, but the subjective feelings of the patient remain one of the most reliable early warning signs. Prevention is still the best treatment, and certain subjective and objective parameters can be used by athletes and their trainers to prevent overtraining. Further studies are needed to find a reliable diagnostic test and determine if proposed aids to speed recovery will be effective.

Overtraining has for decades been one of the most popular topics in meetings and journals dealing with top-level sports. The problem has been well known for 70 years (1), but many specifics concerning overtraining are still very unclear. Researchers have tried to determine what happens to athletes when they begin to overtrain. How does the pathologic condition of the whole body progress? If the pathology and physiology of overtraining were better understood, we could have uniform criteria for the early recognition of impending overtraining and should be able to diagnose and cure the overtraining state with greater efficiency. Prevention is still the best cure, and athletes, coaches, and physicians need to recognize the early warning signs.

What Is Overtraining?

In medical literature, the word "overtraining" has had many meanings. It has been used to mean overload training, overreaching, and overtraining syndrome. Overload training, a few days of hard training followed by short-term fatigue, is an essential part of all athletes' training. The physiologic homeostasis of the body needs to be displaced by intensive training stimuli so that performance capacity can be improved, a process called reaching or supercompensation (2). Several days of intentionally heavy training are followed by some days of less intense training and rest to achieve supercompensation and peak performance.

The time needed for supercompensation is essential to recognize. If an athlete is not allowed to adapt before a new stimulus is given, a greater and progressive imbalance in homeostasis will occur (3). Reaching becomes overreaching when tapering the activity does not yield the desired supercompensation and fatigue is unintentional, resulting in performance decrement with or without other typical stress-related psychological, psychosomatic, and physiologic symptoms and signs. If the intensity and duration of the training are not reduced, overreaching leads to overtraining and overtraining syndrome, due mainly to long-term imbalance of physical training and recovery (figure 1). Overreaching differs from overtraining in its short recovery time. Recovery from overreaching can take 2 to 3 weeks, a safe time for tapering without a decrease in performance capacity (4). The recovery period in overtraining syndrome can take from many months to years.

Overtraining state can be used as a synonym for overtraining syndrome. Overtraining state, also called athlete's maladaptation state, includes performance decrement with other typical stress-related psychological, psychosomatic, and physiologic symptoms and signs that can be graded from mild to severe. A mild form includes low-grade psychological and psychosomatic symptoms (eg, anger, fatigue, tension, loss of appetite, or sexual unwillingness), some short-term sleep problems, and muscle fatigue. It can also include immunologic or hormonal disturbances such as menstrual irregularities. A severe form includes symptoms such as depression, severe long-term insomnia, long-term muscle soreness, or some abnormal sense perceptions. It has been proposed that the duration of overloading time that resulted in the overtraining state is directly proportional to recovery time and also to prognosis (5).

Further Definitions

Two types of overtraining states have been presented (6,7): sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic type is possibly the impending overtraining state, proposed to be identical to acute stress reaction. Individual cases (7) show that the overtraining state seems to develop idiosyncratically due to different training histories and possibly heredity factors. In some cases, the "sympathetic overactivity" phase is missing from the pathophysiologic chain, or could not be detected. The phase slowly progresses to autonomic nervous system exhaustion when intrinsic sympathetic activity presumably decreases in connection with decreased responsiveness of the sympathetic nervous system.

The parasympathetic type can be defined as an advanced overtraining state or an exhaustion state. It could also be called "athlete's burnout." Parasympathetic activity has been proposed to increase with physical endurance-type training, as analyzed by heart rate variability measurements (8-10). Parasympathetic cardiac modulation tends to decrease (7) in all types of the overtraining state (7).

However, there is no real evidence for the aforementioned theories. We do not know in which situations an athlete will demonstrate the sympathetic or parasympathetic type of overtraining state and if these types really exist. Is the type dependent on training modality, training history, individual properties, sex, age, or something else?

According to von Israel (6), the sympathetic type appears mainly in sprinters and power athletes and the parasympathetic type in endurance athletes. It is also possible that young and less experienced athletes tend to react in a "sympathetic" way and experienced athletes in a "parasympathetic" way. We have found both sympathetic and parasympathetic types of overtraining states in endurance athletes (7). It is possible that athletes react individually to overloading and exhaustive training, no matter what kind of training they do. It remains unclear whether athletes reacting in a sympathetic way could develop an exhaustion type of overtraining state if training were continued. Stress researchers have reported that men and women react differently to physical and mental stress; men favor the sympathetic type (11,12). In my experience this seems to be ambiguously so.

The overtraining state has also been categorized as either peripheral or central (5). The peripheral type can mean local overloading, for example, at a muscle level. The central type, more complex and more severe, includes muscle soreness and fatigue due to changes in the central nervous system.

Overtraining research has been very unsystematic, and the terminology and study protocols have varied from study to study. The different overtraining terms make the analysis of literature more complicated. In many studies the various types have not been differentiated, making results difficult to interpret. Physiologic signs and symptoms can be opposite in so-called sympathetic and parasympathetic states, complicating efforts to set uniform criteria for the overtraining state.

Etiology of Overtraining

Factors that influence vulnerability to the overtraining state can be classified as internal and external (table 1). An athlete's stress tolerance is determined by his or her adaptation capacity, coping strategies, and physiologic properties. The total quantity of internal and external stressors determines how an athlete will react. Some athletes are more vulnerable to "burnout" or overtraining, which makes the role of coaches and the self-knowledge of athletes very important.

TABLE 1. Factors That Can Increase Vulnerability to the Overtraining State Internal General health General nutrition Mood state Personality (type A) stressors Hereditary physiologic factors Age Sex Menstrual cycle External Intensity of physical training Volume of physical training Social, economic, and psychological stressors Training history Environmental conditions and time of year Food intake Sleep (quality and quantity) Infections Medication, alcohol, tobacco, or other substances Travel (jet lag, altitude)

Of the internal factors, personality types A and B influence stress tolerance and coping strategies (13,14), but it is not known how personality influences the vulnerability to the overtraining state in athletes. As mentioned before, men and women seem to be different in coping with stress and possibly in stress tolerance. The incidence of overtraining is higher in men (15), but both sexes seem to respond to short-term overload training in similar ways (16). Personal experience during an experimental overtraining study shows that women were more vulnerable to the overtraining state.

Of the external factors, a progressive increase in intensive training volume with a considerable increase in total training volume is the strongest cause, inducing an imbalance between an athlete's adaptive capacity and the recovery time required. It is not known whether the main cause is the increase in intensity or the volume of exercise training. According to Lehmann et al (17), the worst two things are training monotony without recovery or easier training days, and an increase in training volume. In studies by my colleaques and I (7,8), both an increase in volume of intensive training and an increase in total training volume were needed to induce the overtraining state in endurance athletes. Koutedakis and Sharp (15) reported that the overtraining state appears mainly during precompetition or competition season when increased intensive training volumes occur.

It is obvious that traveling (jet lag) and strong environmental conditions (eg, altitude, cold, or hot weather) are additional stressors for an athlete's body, increasing vulnerability to the overtraining state. A deficient calorie intake seems to decrease stress tolerance (18), and sleep deprivation seems to affect metabolic and endocrine function (19).

Central Adaptation

There are many theories but not much evidence about the origin and the pathophysiologic changes of the overtraining state.

Possible central pathophysiologic changes are hypothalamic dysfunction (20); changes in concentration and function of neurotransmitters (amino acid imbalance theory) (21); changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and pituitary function, and sensitivity to feedback from the periphery (22-25); decreased central command to skeletal muscles (26); and changes in autonomic nervous system function, which can have both central or peripheral context (7,27-29).

Hypothalamic dysfunction. The role of hypothalamic dysfunction in the pathophysiology, signs, and symptoms of overtraining is appealing; however, only a few studies cite it (20,22,23). Changes in noradrenergic, serotonergic, and/or dopaminergic activity in the brain (specifically in the hypothalamic and suprahypothalamic regions) can cause hypothalamic dysfunction, but the role of neurotransmitter changes in overtraining is unknown. It is assumed that chronic exercise training and stress may modulate the transmitter activity. The transmitters, especially norepinephrine and serotonin, also regulate pituitary hormone release during stress (30). Serotonin influences mood, sleep, temperature regulation, cardiovascular regulation, and higher brain functions.

Amino acid imbalance. An imbalance in amino acids could, in theory, lead to increased serotonin concentration in the brain. Prolonged and intensive exercise (21) and overloading exercise training periods (31) can increase tryptophan concentration and decrease the blood concentration of free branched-chain amino acids, leading to an increased concentration of brain tryptophan that is converted to serotonin. Some evidence has shown that chronic stress could also increase dopamine synthesis in the brain (30). On the other hand, animal studies have shown that reduction in central dopamine during exercise relates to increased fatigability (32).

Changes in the HPA axis. Sufficient evidence for the changes in HPA axis function and pituitary sensitivity in the overtraining state is missing. A very intensive training period during a normal training schedule seems to reduce maximal exercise-related concentration of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and growth hormone and tends to decrease maximal exercise-related cortisol concentration (23). Conversely, resting ACTH concentration seems to be increased after exhaustive marathon races (33), a finding identical to the increased ACTH seen in exercise-trained rats and their response to acute stress (30). This phenomenon with "normal" cortisol concentration is the supposed result of decreased pituitary sensitivity to cortisol feedback and not decreased adrenal sensitivity to ACTH (25).

Autonomic nervous system dysfunction or imbalance has been presented as one reason for the signs and symptoms of the overtraining state (34). Intrinsic nighttime sympathetic activity has been proposed to decrease following intensive training and in the overtraining state as a compensating response to increased sympathetic activity during daytime activity and exercise training sessions (34). The increased low-frequency power of R-R-interval variability on electrocardiogram during supine rest in overloaded and overtrained athletes (34,35) refers to their possibly increased sympathetic activity at the cardiac level during daytime (7). Maximal exercise-related sympathetic activity was also found to increase during short, intensive training, as evidenced by increased catecholamine levels (28,29).

Related to the changes in sympathetic activity, physical training has been shown to change adrenoreceptor sensitivity and density (36). This influences plasma catecholamine levels via the feedback loop and responses to interventions such as exercise. These changes have not been demonstrated to progress during the overtraining state.

Peripheral Adaptation

The ability of peripheral organs to receive information from the central nervous system has been proposed to change in the overtraining state (17). Some changes take place with normal physical training, and this phenomenon is called peripheral adaptation. The question is where the limit between normal training and overtraining lies. For example, in overloaded recreational athletes, adrenal sensitivity to ACTH can decrease (37). This could explain some findings of decreased cortisol release in overtrained athletes (20,38,39) during exercise or hypoglycemia.

Peripheral changes related to overtraining could be changes in sensitivity and hormone secretion of peripheral endocrine glands (eg, decreased adrenal sensitivity to ACTH (32) and decreased secretion of thyroid hormones (40)). Peripheral changes might also include decreased glycogen stores (41), decreased neuromuscular excitability (42), changes in adrenoreceptor sensitivity (36), changes in immunologic function (43-46), and, theoretically, heart and skeletal muscle cell dystrophy.

Koutedakis et al (26) found decreased concentric maximal voluntary contractions in quadriceps muscle in presumably overtrained athletes. At the same time, they found no differences in eccentric maximal contractions between overtrained and normally trained endurance athletes. The authors attributed the discrepancy to impaired excitatory central drive to the spinal motoneurons in overtrained athletes. Six weeks of intensive cycle training decreased neuromuscular excitability (42), but recovery had already occurred in 2 weeks, even if the performance capacity remained decreased. Different recovery of peripheral and central mechanisms could explain this finding.

Diagnosis of Overtraining

Unlike with diagnoses of most diseases, physicians have no exact criteria for the overtraining state. The diagnosis is based on three points: (1) patient history, (2) carefully ruling out other diseases, and (3) laboratory findings.

History-taking includes a careful account of symptoms and signs (see table 1). Changes in training regimen are of utmost importance. Performance decrement with an increased feeling of fatigue (subjective and objective evaluation) is the main sign of overtraining.

The overtraining state can only be diagnosed after clinical examination has ruled out other conditions. Diseases such as Addison's disease, anemia and other nutritional deficiencies, asthma and allergies, cardiac diseases (eg, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), diabetes or glucose intolerance, hypo- and hyperthyroidism, infections, muscle diseases, and psychiatric disorders can mimic overtraining.

Laboratory tests for differential diagnosis (table 2) and laboratory findings that can be connected to decreased performance capacity (table 3) (47-51) are helpful. Several laboratory parameters have been proposed to indicate an impending or actual overtraining state: a decrease in testosterone and increase in cortisol concentration, or a decrease in their ratio (52); decrease in nocturnal catecholamines (27); changes in catecholamine concentration in blood during rest and after exercise (53); decrease in maximal blood lactate concentration (53); decrease in plasma glutamine concentration (43,44); increase in uric acid and creatine kinase concentrations (reflecting overload at the muscle level) (53); decrease in the ratio of blood lactate concentration to ratings of perceived exertion (54); changes in morning heart rate (55); and changes in initial heart rate response to orthostatic stress (56).

TABLE 2. Laboratory Tests for the Differential Diagnosis of the Overtraining State First Step Hemoglobin, hematocrit, leukocyte count, thrombocyte count Erythrocyte sedimentation rate Blood glucose Sodium, potassium, calcium Alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase Thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone Electrocardiograph (ECG) Cardiac ultrasound Clinical ergometric/ergospirometric test (ECG, blood pressure, PEF/FEV1 blood lactate, Borg scale) Second Step Differential leukocyte count Ferritin Transferrin, albumin Creatine kinase Immunoglobulin (IgE) Orthostatic test and autonomic nervous system function tests Cortisol and testosterone (free testosterone) Third Step Estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone Adrenocorticotropic hormone (stimulation test) Catecholamines (urine) and catecholamine metabolites Magnesium, zinc Further specific examinations if needed PEF/FEV1 = Peak expiratory flow/one-second forced expiratory volume

TABLE 3. Recommended Parameters for Detecting Signs of Overtraining
Parameter in the Field	Sign of Impending Overtraining
Subjective Psychological Evaluation
Subjective fatigue ratings	Increased feeling of fatigue despite adequate recovery time (easier training of 1 day to 2 wk)
Mood state	Decreased positive and increased negative feelings
Muscle fatigue ratings	Increased despite recovery time (easier training of 1 day to 2 wk)
Perceived exertion during constant exercise load	Increased
Physical Performance Capacity
Heart rate during constant submaximal load	Increased
Time for a given distance with constant submaximal HR	Increased
Time for a given distance during maximal effort + HRmax, or	Increased; HRmax decreased
Time to exhaustion during constant velocity	Decreased
Power during maximal effort	Decreased
Cardiovascular Factors
Resting morning heart rate	Increased or decreased more than normal individual variation
Heart rate response* to orthostatic test in connection with decreased heart rate variability during standing after standing up**	Increased or decreased more than normal individual variation
Other
Weight and nutrition	Increased or decreased more than normal individual variation
Log of external and internal stress factors (other than exercise training)	See table 1
Parameter in the Laboratory	Sign of Impending Overtraining
Mechanical efficiency during submaximal load	Decreased
Maximal performance capacity (Wmax, VO2max, time to exhaustion***)	Stagnant or decreased
Nutrition and health status	See table 2
*Rest vs 3 min after standing—mean of a few heart beats, not the single value (66). **First standing minute excluded. ***Normal variation 2% to 12% in these parameters (74). HR = heart rate; HRmax = maximal heart rate; Wmax = maximal workload

There have been many proposals for tools that could be used to diagnose the overtraining state, but psychological symptoms and signs have been among the most sensitive indicators during very short to long-term training periods (16,57,58). Since the 1920s, psychological changes have been thought to be the main reason for the decrease in performance capacity of overtraining. Decreased positive feelings (eg, vigor) and increased negative feelings (eg, tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion) normally appear, even after a few days, during an intensive training period. The most sensitive sign seems to be an increased self-perceived fatigue rating. Furthermore, increased ratings of perceived exertion during exercise after only 3 days of overloading could indicate a central limit of increasing fatigue (58).

Monitoring Training Effects

Athletes often visit their physician after they have suffered from overtraining symptoms for weeks. In that situation, the symptoms and signs can be attributed to overtraining or detraining or both. Many classic overtraining signs, such as those associated with autonomic nervous system function, cannot be detected after a 1-week recovery. Therefore, if possible, training effects should be regularly monitored by certain objective and subjective parameters. Many factors, most of which are reviewed by Tremblay et al (59),have to be controlled when evaluating the importance of changes in follow-up parameters (see table 4).

TABLE 4. Factors That Should Be Controlled When Monitoring Intraindividual Training Effects by Measuring Physiologic Markers Standardized Conditions Time of day (47) Time of year Testing environment: humidity, temperature, light Use of caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, or other substances Nutrition and previous meal Medication Actual health Menstrual cycle Training history (48) Training volume and intensity during previous days (49) Time interval to previous exercise Quality and quantity of sleep (50) Stress level (psychological, social, economic) Methodologic Factors Posture Identical collection, transportation, storage, and analysis protocols Others Changes in blood volume (51) Changes in weight

Training history and a sedentary lifestyle have been shown to influence hormonal changes induced by 1 week of intensive training (48). Some training/overtraining studies (22,37,42) have been performed using sedentary people as subjects, but they are not comparable to studies of athletes.

Changes in plasma volume have rarely been taken into consideration when the influences of training and exercise on blood markers have been measured, but the change in plasma volume is considerable during exercise and as a result of exercise training (51). It is one of the main reasons why heart rate, hemoglobin, and hematocrit changes induced by exercise training are detected after a very short period. Some hormonal changes induced by one exercise session, and possibly also by long-term exercise training, can be explained by a change in plasma volume (60).

Concerning some blood markers such as catecholamines, the acute stress of venous puncture increases the values derived from plasma or serum. After the venous puncture, resting for 30 minutes is recommended before blood sampling. If taken sooner, the values should be interpreted to reflect a degree of psychological stress and physical pain.

There are no overtraining studies in which all the aforementioned factors have been considered. The recommendations for follow-up parameters are presented according to the existing information. These markers can be indicators of an athlete's starting to move from adaptation to maladaptation. In that case, coaches and athletes should be careful to limit the dose of exercise training and other stressors.

Physical Parameters

Natural markers of the training state include changes in performance capacity (time to exhaustion, maximal oxygen uptake, maximal lactate, maximal heart rate) and physical performance-related parameters during submaximal exercise (blood lactate, oxygen uptake, heart rate). Which of these parameters first shows adaptation incompetence? Normally, efficient long-term physical training should improve all maximal and submaximal performance-related parameters. Highly trained athletes, however, require a lot of well-planned training to register some improvement.

In a study by Billat et al (29), endurance-trained male athletes showed some improvement of maximal performance (economy, running velocity) during a normal 4-week training period. Overloading did not immediately decrease performance capacity, and 4 weeks of further overload training did not change any maximal physical-performance-related parameters. Only submaximal heart rate, which already decreased after the normal training session, showed a further decrease (29). This can be partly attributed to increased blood volume and changes in intrinsic heart rate, but also to changes in autonomic nervous system function. Others have reported identical findings of unchanged performance capacity during short-term overloading with a decreased submaximal and/or maximal heart rate (58,59).

The most sensitive physical parameters for follow-up of the training state and overloading seem to be changes in physical efficiency, mechanics, and coordination (16,63) in addition to heart rate changes during submaximal and maximal exercise. Increased submaximal heart rate is a definitive marker of insufficient recovery during a continuing exercise training regimen (detraining excluded). However, results of submaximal exercise tests can be misleading (64). Low heart rate during submaximal exercise does not exclude the possibility of the overtraining state (65), and low blood lactate during submaximal exercise can be evidence of both increased performance capacity and low muscle glycogen concentration (64,66). Therefore, it is also important to measure maximal physical performance in conjunction with submaximal tests.

Secretory Indicators

Many hormonal changes appear first during exercise or some other intervention rather than during rest. Therefore, the most sensitive parameters of an impending overtraining state could be exercise-related hormone concentrations if monitored in follow-up (39). Hormonal changes have not proven to be sensitive or specific indicators of the overtraining state, but many neuroendocrinologic changes are naturally evident during the overtraining phase. Reliable measures of hormone levels during maximal exercise require appropriate laboratory conditions, which are not always possible. For results to be meaningful, identical collection, transportation, storage, and protocols of analysis must be observed.

Serum testosterone. Concentration of serum testosterone has been shown to directly reflect training volume and intensity but is not specific for the overtraining state (39,67-70). Testosterone concentration has been shown to decrease following endurance exercise training (70); however, decreased testosterone release does not appear to stem from functional changes at the testicular level but rather to changes in the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis. Resistance exercise overtraining has not been studied as well, but testosterone concentration seems to increase with heavy training and overreaching in resistance-trained athletes (71).

Cortisol. The concentration of this stress-related hormone in serum can be postulated to change during the overtraining state. Findings concerning the changes of cortisol concentration during overtraining are controversial, reflecting different grades or types of overtraining state and individual differences in reaction types. Cortisol levels should decrease in hypothalamic dysfunction (20). Maximal exercise-induced cortisol rise has been reported to decrease with increasing training load and in the overtraining state (39). Saliva tests are preferred to serum tests if cortisol concentration is measured (25).

Catecholamine concentration. Findings of changes in catecholamine levels during overtraining are controversial. Increase in resting plasma norepinephrine concentration seems to reflect an increase in training load (39) and is not specific for the overtraining state. Intensive endurance training, however, seems to decrease exercise-induced catecholamine concentration (39,53). The behavior of stress hormone levels (maximal cortisol decrease and catecholamine increase) seems to be identical in overreached resistance- and endurance-trained athletes (28,71).

Plasma glutamine. Rowbottom et al (72) proposed an increase in plasma glutamine level to be a marker of long-term balanced training and a decrease in concentration to be an indication of overtraining (43,44). Glutamine is needed for optimal functioning of the immune system. Decreased muscle glutamine concentration, decreased secretory immunoglobulin (IgA) concentration (45), and changes in quality, quantity and function of white blood cells could be reasons for immunosuppression and susceptibility to upper respiratory infections in the overtraining state. However, Shephard and Shek (46) have concluded that immunologic parameters do not seem to be potential markers of the overtraining state in clinical practice.

Uric acid and creatine kinase. Plasma uric acid shows some correlation to anaerobic threshold, but creatine kinase concentrations, while they seem to react to acute overloading, are less reliable as potential indicators of overtraining (72).

Heart Rate

Measures of resting heart rate seem to be insensitive for the overtraining state, but a decreasing trend in heart rate variability during standing, in connection with a significantly increased or decreased heart rate response to standing up (orthostatic challenge), seems to indicate the impending overtraining state (7,65). Heart rate changes during an orthostatic challenge are recommended follow-up parameters of the overtraining state and may be a promising new diagnostic tool. Decreased heart rate variability during standing after standing up seems to be a change common to all types of stress reactions and overtraining states of athletes (7,65). Heart rate variability measurements, however, should be used carefully in individual follow-up because they are seldom reproducible (65) and require carefully standardized conditions. The ability to measure short-term heart rate variability during the challenge increases the sensitivity and specificity of the test for the impending overtraining state.

Contrary to this, heavy but tolerated training in a group of endurance athletes seemed to increase heart rate variability during standing, which strengthens the notion of heart rate variability as a promising diagnostic tool of the overtraining state (8).

Prevention and Treatment of Overtraining

Prevention is the best treatment for the overtraining state. Tapering the training regimen combined with rest, proper nutrition, and sleep help the body heal. Recognition and treatment of depression is important. Therapies such as massage and sauna baths can speed recovery.

Periodization of training with enough recovery should prevent overtraining (73) if other stressors and their influence on recovery are also taken into consideration (see table 1). Periodization means that correct loads of training stimuli are administered followed by adequate recovery periods. Periodization also diminishes the monotony of training when done over the short and long term.

Fifty-two training weeks of the year have been divided into phases of training emphasis called macrocycles. Each training week is called a microcycle (microcycles can be also longer—up to 10 days), and each microcycle includes both strenuous and recovery days in an appropriate proportion. Three or 4 microcycles compose a mezzocycle. Each mezzocycle consists of 2 to 3 microcycles with higher training loads and 1 recovery microcycle. Macrocycles with different training regimens can be classified as preparation, precompetition, competition, and tapering; all preparing for optimal performance in competition. As noted before, careful follow-up of athletes' subjective feelings and some objective parameters (table 4) are also an important part of prevention.

If the overtraining state persists in spite of all efforts to prevent it, effective treatment is needed. The best treatment is to rest and avoid sport activities for approximately 2 weeks. After the resting period, the patient can start light training. Athletes should try different sports, refraining from the training modality and intensity that caused the overtraining state. Training should progress very slowly, with the pace determined by carefully listening to the patient's feelings.

Athletes should forget the past and concentrate on the future. Otherwise, they can easily start comparing their performance and feelings to the time before the overtraining state, inducing a neurotic attempt to recapture the previous feeling. This can delay recovery and highlights the huge role of psychological factors in recovery. Professional psychological help is sometimes recommended for athletes who are seeking to overcome an overtraining problem.

Depression is one of the biggest psychological problems among overtrained athletes, and differentiation between primary depression and overtraining with secondary depression is difficult. Training history, discussions with coaches and other athletes, and a family history can help clarify this question.

Both primary and secondary depression need to be addressed with antidepressants and psychotherapy. Overtrained athletes, however, should get therapy for depression as soon as possible because it can speed recovery. This is only a hypothesis because there are no well-controlled studies about how antidepressant use affects recovery time. In secondary depression, the use of medication needs to be considered very carefully.

Adequate nutrition is one of the most important background factors behind a positive training effect and is also very important for overtrained athletes. If the diet is balanced, additional supplements and nutritional modifications have not been proven to speed recovery. The most common deficiency, especially in female endurance athletes, is iron. Zinc, magnesium, and calcium deficiencies have also been reported in endurance athletes, especially those who deliberately restrict their diets (75). In those cases, supplementation is needed.

The most commonly used supplements are the antioxidant vitamins C and E, but long-term, excessive intake of these vitamins can be harmful. Greater-than-recommended doses are not recommended even for overtrained athletes.

Amino acids are often used as supplements among athletes, but there is no consensus about their benefit. Research has not presented evidence for the benefit of valine, leucine, isoleucine, tryptophan, or glutamine supplementation among overtrained athletes (76). Future research is needed concerning this topic.

Adequate sleep is important during recovery. All additional stressors should be minimized. Traveling can increase tiredness, but in some cases, changing the environment and finding new hobbies can be good for recovery. Increased sexual activity may aid a recovering athlete, as it relaxes and modulates neurotransmitters beneficiently (77).

Massage, cryotherapy, and thermotherapy (including sauna bathing) are widely used to speed recovery. However, if an overtrained athlete feels exhausted and phlegmatic (parasympathetic type of overtraining), it is better to refrain from these therapies for several weeks. Powerful massage is also a type of exertion for muscles and may slow the recovery process. For phlegmatic athletes, caffeine can be used as a stimulant, but no evidence exists for its actual effects on recovery.

An All-Encompassing Approach

Unless tapering and adequate recovery time are built into a training schedule, overreaching can lead to overtraining. Objective markers for diagnosis of the overtraining state are few, but changes in heart rate variability during orthostatic challenge may be a promising new diagnostic tool. The subjective feelings of the athlete are still one of the most reliable indicators of an impending overtraining state. Until further studies reveal specific diagnostic indicators and confirm the efficacy of nutritional supplements, physical therapies, and psychotherapy as treatments, prevention is still the best cure.

BODY SPECIFIC: WHAT'S YOUR BODY TYPE

BODY SPECIFIC: WHAT'S YOUR BODY TYPE

Endomorph	Ectomorph	Mesomorph

Every one of us was given a genetic blueprint when we were born. That blue print was pre-determined by the physical and biological makeup of our parents. If Mom and Dad looked like Tarzan and Jane - great! On the other hand, if they were a little on the heavy side, oh well.

However, thanks to the science of nutrition and weight training exercises, we can alter our physical appearance. The key to doing this is knowing your body type and how it responds to nutrition and weight training.

There are three basic body types - Mesomorph, Endomorph, and Ectomorph. The characteristics of each one vary. Their physical features and the way they assimilate food determines which body type it is.

Mesomorph
The mesomorph has a natural muscular or toned build (male or female). Their body fat percentages are relatively low. Being that they are naturally muscular with a good metabolism, it's not as hard to put on extra muscle. However, the right type of calories and training must be there. The mesomorph must also include extra calories based on his or her activity level, if the goal is to put on more muscle size.

Ectomorph

This body type has a lean thin build and problems keeping weight on. The metabolism burns calories at a rapid rate. The Ectomorph can eat nearly anythingand get away with it. Most people wish they had this problem. In order for the ectomorph to gain weight, the muscles cells must be stimulated through weight-training. There must also be additional calories added to ensure maximum growth. 250 to 500 calories more per day is a good place to start. Check on the weight scale and measuring tape for reference. Also be sure to increase caloric intake to accommodate activity level.

Endomorph

The physical feature of the endomorph is natural body bulk. The body metabolizes calories at a slow rate. For this reason the endomorph must maintain a diet low in fat with a medium to low carbohydrate intake (not dropping below 100 grams of carbs a day). Aerobic work along with a structural weight-training program is a must in lowering body fat. There are also nutritional supplements that may enhance the metabolism.

WEIGHT TRAINING TIPS

WEIGHT TRAINING TIPS

BEFORE GETTING STARTED.

The most effective way to train and get into shape is through good preparation and taking all necessary precautions to train safely; especially when lifting free weights.

• I highly recommend consulting your physician prior to beginning any of these training programs.

• When you begin any training program, be sure to start off with a weight that you can control, one that is not too heavy for you to handle. Always begin with a lighter weight and gradually increase the amount of weight as you progress.

1. Motivation provides the energy needed until success is achieved. Success does not have to mean finishing first, but satisfaction that you've done your best and stayed focused toward your personal goals.

2. Always warm up properly. This can be done by spending 7-10 minutes on the exercise bike, treadmill, or walking track. Also be careful when stretching. Don't overdo it, especially when the weather is cool.

3. Muscle responds to resistance and stimulus. It doesn't know the difference between 100 lb. And 400 lb. So train the muscle by using proper form and technique. And keep the ego in check. When performing overhead pressing, rowing, or squatting movements, use a weight belt to protect the lower back.

4. In order to stimulate muscle mass, basic, explosive training of the muscle groups must be performed. For example, chest-bench press, shoulder-military, biceps-barbell curls, etc. Be mindful that it doesn't take a ton of weight to stimulate a muscle to grow, just the correct stimulus.

5. Many people use too heavy a weight during an exercise, resulting in imprecise, sloppy form, exercising their egos more than shocking muscles into growth.

6. It is the quality, not the quantity. Short intense workouts are more beneficial. A constant paced 40-45 minute workout using moderate weight, resting 30-35 seconds or less between sets accomplishes more than the heavy low rep, slow moving 2 hour workouts seen too often in gyms across the country.

7. It's smart to vary your training routine to keep the muscles stimulated.

8. Recuperation is key to results. Be sure to incorporate balanced rest periods into your training program. Remember training is approximately 25% of your fitness program. Nutrition, supplements, and proper rest are the crucial 75%.

9. It is permissible to miss a workout if you are physically under the weather. However, if you have had a long day, just cut back on the intensity and number of sets. For example, instead of doing four sets per exercise, only do two.

10. Put in perspective the philosophy, "no pain, no gain." The aim should be to train or stimulate, not annihilate. To train in pain could mean over-training or a possible injury.

NUTRITION & DIET TIPS

NUTRITION & DIET TIPS

1. Eat for what you are going to be doing, and not for what you have done. This means that the majority of your calories should be taken in during the active part of your day. Most of us are active between the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

2. Stay away from foods high in fat and complex carbohydrates such as pasta, potatoes, breads, etc. when your goal is to lose bodyfat or drop a few pounds. Drink plenty of water during the day. The recommended amount is 8 8 oz. Glasses daily.

3. Stay away from zero carbohydrate fad diets. These types of diet can cause memory lapse, slow bowels, fatigue, and the loss of muscle, which is important in burning fat.

4. Do not skip meals when trying to lose weight. This throws the metabolic clock off balance. As a child our bodies were programmed for three main meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). When that sequence is not being followed, the body throws up its own defense mechanism by holding on to fat to protect itself. The body will burn muscle for energy and save the fat just in case.

5. If you can't flex it, don't carry it. Keep a tab on the scale and mirror. If the bodyfat starts to increase, cut back. Let the last meal of the evening be fruit or a mixed salad with low calorie dressing. Don't forget the water.

6. Keep a nutritional calorie journal. By measuring your calorie intake, you will know whether to add or take away.

7. Compare labels for nutritional information on products when grocery shopping. Be especially aware of the fat and sodium content.

8. Eat four to five small meals a day instead of three large meals. The body will burn the calories more efficiently and the craving for food will not be as great. Keeping in mind that a meal can be the size of a banana, or apple, or bran muffin, or a cup of yogurt.

9. Never wait until you're starving before having a meal. You are most likely to overeat during that time.

10. Break the age old habit of eating everything on your plate. Especially when the portions are large. Leave with a slight feeling of satisfaction.

11. Feed your body quality nutrition. Proper nutrition accounts for 75% of who we are, and our aim should be - "you are what you eat." Quality in and quality out, or junk in and junk out. The body is on a quest, constantly generating new cells and tissue. That process is cut short; however, when empty and worthless calories are given in the body.

FAT-LOSS TIPS

FAT-LOSS TIPS

When you want to drop body fat (not muscle), there are four safe ways To achieve it:

1. First - lower your caloric intake by 250 calories a day. This can be done by eliminating foods you can do without such as sodas and sweets. Check the calorie content of such products to start the reduction there.

2. Second - increase your activity level. This can be done by incorporating 30 minutes of speed walking, treadmill, or cycling (see activity chart) each day of the week. The combination of aerobic training and weight training is the best way to shed body fat.

3. Third - include supplements to enhance the body's ability to burn fat such as the fat metabolism enhancer.

4. Fourth - system cleansing and detox program (see cleansing and detox). The seven day cleanse will rid the body of waste that can account for up to 5-10 lbs. The recommended supplements used can enhance the overall cleansing effect.

Also, don't forget the importance of including multivitamins and multiminerals in your daily diet. It's the foundation to every good health program.

EXERCISE TIPS FOR BEGINNERS AND SENIORS

EXERCISE TIPS FOR BEGINNERS AND SENIORS

Before starting an exercise program, get the o.k. from your physician first.

1. Walking is great to be used as an exercise program. Start walking 10-12 minutes to begin with. Within a week, increase to 20 minutes. The third week, go for 30 minutes. Afterwards you're on the way.

2. Do light stretching at the end of our walk. Injuries occur when cold muscles are stretched before warming up.

3. Be cautious when exercising. If you experience a feeling of dizziness, stop and call your physician.

4. Always keep some cool (not ice cold) water near when exercising.

5. Use caution when doing resistance training with free weights, selectorized or hydrolic equipment. First familiarize the body with the feel of resistance. Start with light weight or resistance.

6. Exercise to stimulate, not to annihilate. The world wasn't formed in a day, and neither were we. Set small goals and build upon them.

7. Do not exercise on a full stomach. Wait an hour or more.

8. Change your exercise agenda from time to time. Add variety. There's golf, bowling, gardening, hiking, washing the car, house cleaning, and family athletics fun like softball or basketball.

9. I recommend maintenance for the lower back/abdominal areas by doing crunches. This is a safe and effective way to keep these areas strong. If you're not familiar with abdominal crunches, call your local fitness center for a certified personal trainer. They will be able to help. Or tune in to TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network) on your local or cable station and watch for additional exercise tips.

10. When exercising, be sure to focus your attention on what you are doing. The mind and the body must be linked together. Too often people get hurt thinking about fishing while they're doing an overhead press. Stay focused!

CALORIC BURNING CHART

CALORIC BURNING CHART

(Calories burned per hour for each activity)
	Aerobic Class Bicycling Bowling Gardening Golfing Hand-ball Kick Boxing Rowing Running Skiing Stair Climbing Swimming Tennis Weight Training Walking	500 Calories Per Hour 500 Calories Per Hour 200 Calories Per Hour 200 Calories Per Hour 250 Calories Per Hour 600 Calories Per Hour 600 Calories Per Hour 550 Calories Per Hour 560 Calories Per Hour 500 Calories Per Hour 1,000 Calories Per Hour 500 Calories Per Hour 500 Calories Per Hour 500 Calories Per Hour 500 Calories Per Hour

ANATOMY GUIDE

ANATOMY GUIDE

PROTEIN MYTHS

PROTEIN MYTHS
Lies, fabrications and outright fiction everywhere you turn - you might think you're in the middle of a political party conference. No, it's just a general discussion about protein in an ordinary gym. At its core, protein is a simple nutrient. The amino acids from dietary protein represent the bricks that lay the foundation a body uses to create new muscle tissue; if you fall short of the appropriate protein intake, you won't grow. Simple, see? That's why protein has withstood the test of time among bodybuilders. It's vital for growth, and greats from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Ronnie Coleman have made it the cornerstone of their mass-building plans. Still, there's quite a bit of misinformation passed around at gyms and on the Web regarding everything from how much protein is needed, to how much can be digested, to what form is better for bodybuilding. Here, we sort through the fact and fiction for you, tackling the seven most common misconceptions and setting the record straight.
1 POWDERS ARE BETTER THAN FOOD Protein powders are easy to absorb, and absorption is an important part of the mass-building process. However, whole-food animal sources of protein, such as eggs, dairy, poultry, red meat and fish, have complete, though somewhat different, amino-acid profiles. Some are higher in certain amino acids than others, and this may be a reason why bodybuilders like Jay Cutler claim that serious mass can't be built without red meat. Cutler tells FLEX, "When I exclude red meat, I can't add the mass and grow like I do when I eat it daily and sometimes twice daily." Is it the iron, B vitamins or creatine in the meat? Maybe. It's also likely that the unique amino-acid combinations allow greater protein synthesis. For optimal mass gains, don't succumb to living mainly on powders. Choose a wide variety of foods and include powders before and after workouts, and at times when convenience is essential. The variable amino-acid concentrations among different foods may exert unique effects on you that result in better growth, as opposed to sticking with one or two protein foods or a couple of foods and a protein powder. 2 PROTEIN NEEDS ARE STATIC Bodybuilders trying to gain mass tend to stick to the same protein intake day in and day out. For example, a 200-pounder may eat as many as 300 grams of protein a day, with plenty of calories coming from carbohydrates in order to create a calorific surplus. Of course, protein and calories are the basics of muscle building. However, you can stimulate your body by mixing things up: one or two days out of every 10 or so, consume up to 400, 450 or 500 g of protein. Ideally, do this on training days to better stimulate growth. Changing levels - specifically, instigating a surplus of amino acids in the blood - can cause an increase in protein synthesis, the build-up of muscle mass in the body. Remaining faithful to the same protein intake day in and day out is OK, but varying protein intake with an occasional day or two of a very high consumption can lead to greater gains. 3 EVERYONE NEEDS A GRAM OF PROTEIN PER POUND OF BODYWEIGHT Although the typical recommendation of a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is as close to a rule of thumb as there is - which is why we often tout it in the pages of FLEX - it's not etched in stone. For true hardgainers who bust their butts in the gym, that number should be increased by 50%, to 1.5 g per pound of bodyweight. Keep in mind that you won't grow - regardless of how much protein you consume - if you are slacking in the gym or training like a wuss. The key is to match your protein intake with your training. If you're a beginner, you probably don't train as hard as someone with a lot of experience - and you probably shouldn't anyway - so you may be able to get by on slightly less than a gram per pound of bodyweight. If you are a hardgainer or train with intensity on par with your favourite pro, start with 1 g per pound per day, but don't hesitate to move it up from there if you fail to make significant visible gains. 4 YOU CAN DIGEST ONLY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PROTEIN PER MEAL Somewhere along the way, the idea that a body can handle no more than 30 g of protein per sitting wedged its way into nutrition circles. That's an old wives' tale. Do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger grew on 30 g of protein every three hours, the equivalent of eating only 115-140 grams of chicken at each meal? Think again. Protein digestibility and the amount your body can handle per meal is tied to how much you weigh and how hard you train. The more you weigh, the more you need; the harder you train, the more you need. In turn, the more you need, the more you'll be able to digest, absorb and assimilate. A 200-pound male will, in general, need more protein than a 160-pounder and should be able to digest more per meal. Digestibility is also linked to the amount of protein you consume on a regular basis. The more protein you eat regularly, the better your body becomes at digesting large protein meals. 5 DAIRY-BASED PROTEINS PROMOTE FAT GAINS This myth just won't go away. The idea that dairy-based proteins - semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, cheese and yogurt - lead to gains in fat or added water retention is, well, wrong. Dairy is perfectly fine. It's a great source of protein, and some research even shows that dairy, when combined with a low-calorie intake, could possibly coax fat loss. The dairy misconception could be connected to the fact that most cheeses, including fat-free cottage cheese and reduced fat sliced cheese, contain excessive sodium, which has the potential to initiate water retention. However, even that's overblown, because bodybuilders need more sodium. It drives glycogen storage and indirectly supports growth by interacting with potassium to turn on pumping mechanisms within cells that govern the exchange of nutrients that lead to muscle repair. Plus, sodium is not the culprit many mistake it to be. If you suddenly change your sodium intake, abruptly increasing it, water retention is likely to be the result. However, if you consume dairy on a regular basis and maintain a relatively consistent sodium intake, you will adapt and probably avoid noticeable fluid retention. 6 PROTEIN CAN'T BE USED AS AN ENERGY SOURCE This misconception relates to dieting bodybuilders. Some trainers advise against cutting way back on carbohydrates, insisting that a lack of carbs causes a loss of muscle tissue. However, by increasing protein intake while dieting, you offer your body alternatives to muscle tissue for use as fuel. Where a low-calorie or low-carb diet can cause muscle tissue to be broken down, an increase in protein consumption 'attracts' the body to use dietary amino acids found in protein as a substitute for those in muscle tissue. It does so by burning some amino acids directly and by a process known as gluconeogenesis, in which amino acids are converted into glucose. The myth breaker: increase protein when carbs go down, and you'll protect against muscle loss. 7 COMPLEMENTARY PROTEINS PROMOTE GROWTH A bowl of porridge yields 6 g of protein, a medium bagel provides 11 g and 280 grams of cooked spaghetti supplies about 16 g. That may be a fact, but the type of protein derived from nonanimal sources might not be the best at creating or supporting protein synthesis. That's because they are not complete proteins; they don't contain all the essential amino acids the body needs to build mass. The entire spectrum of amino acids, including all of the essential amino acids, can be found only in foods that are animal based. Poultry, fish, red meat, milk and eggs are best because they are complete proteins; they contain all of the amino acids the body needs to grow. The proteins found in nonanimal sources are called complementary, or 'junk', proteins; they lack sufficient essential and required amino acids that are ideal for creating anabolic and recovery environments within the body.

HOW TO GET BIG

A There is no "simple" answer to your question, but that doesn't mean getting big is overly complicated. If you're a beginner, the best way to get started is with a basic routine like some regularly featured in FLEX. However, the long-term "secret" is to get to know your body: what exercises it does and does not respond to, and what training frequency suits you best. For instance, I always found that my biceps grew quicker with barbell curls rather than dumbbell curls. As you progress, you must build piece by piece a blueprint that is custom-made for you in terms of exercise selection, volume of sets and reps, workout frequency and all the elements that constitute a total bodybuilding programme. Bodybuilding is an individual journey, and your ultimate goal is to be the one who knows exactly what is best for you. Although I stress that we are all our own best coaches, certain mass-building fundamentals work best for me and for others who have trained with me. Here they are. #1 The best routine I ever used was a three-days-on, one-day-off programme in which I trained the complete body twice in seven days. #2 For large bodyparts, such as legs and chest, do three or four exercises for four sets each. For smaller bodyparts, such as triceps and biceps, do two or three exercises for four sets each. #3 Use at least two heavy compound exercises (see the "Prime Movements" sidebar) as the core of your workouts for each major muscle group. #4 For developing quality mass, keep your reps in the six-to-10 range. If you go lower than six, you're getting into powerlifting territory; above 10, you won't be hitting the muscle with the level of intensity it needs for growth.
#5 To stimulate maximum response, use proper form throughout each rep with a full range of motion. It's the quality of the reps that builds muscles, not the amount of weight you can sling around in a haphazard fashion. #6 Listen to what your body tells you. On days it's not responding as it usually does (for example, your poundages are down and you feel lethargic), don't be afraid to cut back on your workload or stop the workout and go home to rest. Then commit yourself to coming back with renewed energy for your next workout. #7 You can't eat like a bird if you need to train like a horse to pack on muscle mass. The body works by the simple rule of "supply and demand". Eat six or seven nutritious meals a day, with the bedrock being that you should be consuming one gram of protein for each pound of bodyweight per day to meet the demands of hard workouts and muscle recovery. Follow these guidelines, believe in yourself, gauge how your body responds, change and adapt as needed and you'll nail down a template that is right for you. You'll soon be growing faster than a bodybuilding rumour!

PROTEIN CYCLING

PROTEIN CYCLING

PROTEIN CYCLING Implement this cutting-edge protein strategy for improved muscle gains "Take in a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day." That's the baseline held by the bodybuilding community as the gold standard for muscle growth. In the past few years, some bodybuilders have begun to raise the bar, consuming much more protein than that. Some take in as much as three times the recommendation. Does increasing your protein above the baseline result in greater gains in mass? Yes and no. Eating enough protein is a must for growth, and if you eat more than one gram (g) per pound of bodyweight, you'll certainly cover all your bases, ensuring that you don't fall short. However, eating more for the sake of it may not be as wise as cycling your intake of protein. In this article, I explain how to move your protein around — eating less protein on some days, more on others. This type of "protein cycling" is a great way to stimulate greater protein retention and muscle growth.

BASICS OF PROTEIN CONSUMPTION • Take in the protein baseline amount every day: 1 g per pound of bodyweight. The typical intake is highly effective at supporting muscle growth for hard-training bodybuilders. When you eat at least 1 g of protein per pound of bodyweight daily (200 g for a 200-pound bodybuilder), you're supplying your body with sufficient protein to rebuild and repair muscle tissue that has been damaged by training. When you rebuild and repair, the result is obvious — you grow. Regardless of whether you're training to add mass, dieting for a contest or taking a few weeks off from training, you should strive to take in the baseline recommendation. The exception to this is when you're following the protein-cycling guidelines explained in this article. • How much is too much? If you think you need 2 g of protein per pound of bodyweight, you would be consuming 400 g of protein a day if you weigh 200 pounds. That's a lot of chicken, meat and eggs. If you rely on protein powders, that's a lot of shakes (and gastric distress is one possible outcome of downing too many shakes). I believe that such high daily protein consumption is excessive, although it is common among many of today's pro bodybuilders. I don't recommend it because this practice demonstrates a misguided understanding of how muscles grow. Growth depends on a sufficient intake of protein — not on shedloads — and it is also correlated with carbohydrate intake. The right combo of carbs and protein tends to promote a muscle-building state better than a diet overloaded with protein and short on carbs. Those who go heavy on protein usually eat far too few carbohydrates. Regardless of a huge daily intake of protein, shortchanging carbs may prevent the body from growing optimally. Plus, there's a limit to how much growing a body can do no matter how much protein is consumed. I contend that 2 g of protein per pound of bodyweight daily is far in excess of any bodybuilder's threshold for growth. • How much is too little? P.W. Lemon, one of the world's most reputable protein researchers, has often stated that muscle building occurs with a protein consumption of roughly 0.7 g per pound of bodyweight a day (140 g a day for a 200-pounder). If you consumed less than that on a daily basis, you probably wouldn't make significant gains. Although 160 g might be enough protein for a 200-pound bodybuilder, FLEX still recommends 200 g for a trainer that size, just to be on the safe side. HOW TO CYCLE PROTEIN The best answer to the question of how much protein should be consumed daily may defy conventional wisdom. Although you will certainly get excellent results by eating 1 g of protein for each pound of bodyweight, you may get even better results from cycling your protein consumption. Here's a protein-cycling programme that you can follow for 14 days at a time. • STAGE ONE. For five days, eat less protein than usual. Contrary to popular belief, a bodybuilder won't shrivel up overnight if he takes in slightly less protein (0.7-0.8 g per pound of bodyweight; see "Protein-Cycling Schedule"). In fact, the body responds at first by shifting its metabolism to slow the loss of protein. In essence, when you eat less protein, your body quickly adapts and slows the rate at which protein is broken down. Slowing protein breakdown is a classic anticatabolic effect. Anticatabolism, or "muscle protection", is half the battle in supporting muscle growth. In theory, if you could induce an around-the-clock anticatabolic state, you'd grow like a weed. Temporarily decreasing your protein intake encourages just that — a strong muscle-preservation state. • STAGE TWO. Boost protein consumption after five days. In stage one, eating less protein caused a release of enzymes to ramp up anticatabolism. Now, after five days in that lower-protein state, switch gears. The additional protein, in the presence of enzymes that are slowing the breakdown of protein, can result in the "hyperstorage" of protein in muscles. Also, a change in protein intake from less to more triggers a strong increase in protein synthesis, a build-up of new muscle tissue. In stage two, consume 1.5-1.75 g of protein per pound of bodyweight each day (see chart). Do this for nine days during the two-week cycle. This is long enough for the body to benefit from a hyperanabolic state, an enzymatic environment that is favourable to rebuilding. FINALLY. If you want to try protein cycling, follow the ranges of daily protein consumption listed in the chart. At times when you are not protein cycling, stick with the gold standard: 1 g of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. Protein cycling may give you a slight advantage, but adhering to the basic FLEX protein recommendation will also help to ensure that you're feeding your muscles all they need for continued growth. FLEX

If you didn’t exercise when you were younger, it could be dangerous to start when you’re older.

If you didn’t exercise when you were younger, it could be dangerous to start when you’re older.

“Many people think they’re too old to start an exercise program,” says Tufts University’s Miriam Nelson. “They think it’s unsafe because they have heart disease or diabetes or because they’re too out of shape to start.”
You’re never too old to start, says Nelson. And she ought to know. In one Tufts study, the participants were frail nursing-home residents whose ages ranged from 72 to 98. After just ten weeks, strength-training improved their muscle strength, ability to climb stairs, and walking speed.¹ “When they see what a difference it makes, they’re thrilled,” says Nelson.
The same goes for people with chronic diseases. “People say they can’t exercise because they have arthritis,” she adds. “But we see some of the greatest benefits in people with arthritis. Exercise reduces pain and increases range of motion, strength, and mobility.”
That doesn’t mean that anyone can plunge into a bout of vigorous exercise, regardless of health history. In a recent study, ordinarily inactive people — especially men who had high cholesterol or angina or were smokers or obese — were ten times more likely to have a heart attack within an hour of exerting themselves (usually by jogging or heavy lifting) than at other times.² Anyone with multiple risk factors for heart disease should check with a physician and start slowly.
As for the all-too-common “I don’t have time to exercise,” Nelson responds, “somehow, you’ve got to make the time, or you’re going to have medical problems like heart disease, diabetes, or osteoporosis. And it will take a lot more time to deal with them than it takes to exercise.”

If you can’t exercise regularly, why bother?

If you can’t exercise regularly, why bother?

It takes ten to 12 weeks of regular exercise to become “fit” — that is, to improve your performance on a treadmill (a measure of your oxygen capacity). But your health can improve after that first brisk walk or run.
“Take a 50-year-old man who is somewhat overweight and typically has moderately elevated blood sugar, triglycerides, or blood pressure,” says Stanford’s William Haskell. “A single bout of exercise of moderate intensity — like 30 to 40 minutes of brisk walking — will lower those numbers.”
And not just while you’re moving. “If you exercise at, say, five o’clock in the afternoon, the improvement will be there the next morning,” he adds.
That may be why postal carriers (or others who are active at work) have a lower risk of heart disease than postal clerks (or others who are sedentary at work). “There’s not much difference in their fitness levels, but the carriers have lower blood sugar, triglycerides, and blood pressure,” says Haskell.
People should still try to at least follow the Center for Disease Control’s modest advice to get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most — or preferably all — days of the week, he adds. But if you can’t, don’t let that stop you from taking even a single walk.
“Every bout has benefits,” says Haskell.

No pain, no gain.

No pain, no gain.

“Many people still believe that you have to work at a very high intensity in order to get a benefit,” says the Cooper Clinic’s Steven Blair.
In fact, moderate-intensity exercise lowers the risk of dying just as much as high-intensity exercise. For example, says JoAnn Manson of the Harvard Medical School, “in the Nurses’ Health Study, women who regularly engaged in brisk walking reduced their risk of heart disease to the same degree as women who engaged in vigorous exercise. You don’t need to run a marathon.”
The trick is making sure that the exercise is at least moderate-intensity — that is, equivalent to walking at a pace of three to four miles an hour.
“You can vacuum at a very low pace or at a moderately intense pace,” says Blair. Running or jogging is, by definition, high-intensity. But walking, raking leaves, mowing lawns, dusting, and gardening may be either moderate- or low-intensity.
High-intensity exercise does have one advantage: it saves time. It takes less time to burn the same number of calories at higher intensity.
“You can jog for 20 minutes or walk for 40 or 45,” says Blair. “You pay your money and you take your choice.”
Does all the heart-pounding of high-intensity exercise do anything else for you? “Some things probably respond better to high-intensity and some may respond better to moderate-intensity exercise,” says Blair. “But in general, there doesn’t appear to be a lot of difference as long as you expend the same number of calories.”

A dozen other reasons to exercise

Sleep A 16-week exercise program (30 to 40 minutes of brisk walking or low-impact aerobics four times a week) improved the quality, duration, and ease of falling asleep in healthy older adults.1 Exercise may improve sleep by relaxing muscles, reducing stress, or warming the body. Gallstones Active women are 30 percent less likely to have gallstone surgery than sedentary women. In one study, women who spent more than 60 hours a week sitting at work or driving were twice as likely to have gallstone surgery as women who sat for less than 40 hours a week.2 Colon Cancer The most active people have a lower risk of colon cancer — in two studies half the risk — compared to the least active people.3,4 Exercise may lower levels of prostaglandins that accelerate colon cell proliferation and raise levels of prostaglandins that increase intestinal motility. Increased motility may speed the movement of carcinogens through the colon. Diverticular Disease In one of the few studies that have been done, the most active men had a 37 percent lower risk of symptomatic diverticular disease than the least active men.5 Most of the protection against diverticular disease--pockets in the wall of the colon that can become inflamed--was due to vigorous activities like jogging and running, rather than moderate activities like walking. Arthritis Regular moderate exercise, whether aerobic or strength-training, can reduce joint swelling and pain in people with arthritis.6 Anxiety & Depression Getting people with anxiety or depression to do aerobic exercises like brisk walking or running curbs their symptoms, possibly by releasing natural opiates.7,8 Heart Disease In one study, men with low fitness who became fit had a lower risk of heart disease than men who stayed unfit.9 In another, women who walked the equivalent of three or more hours per week at a brisk pace had a 35 percent lower risk of heart disease than women who walked infrequently.10 Exercise boosts the supply of oxygen to the heart muscle by expanding existing arteries and creating tiny new blood vessels. It may also prevent blood clots or promote their breakdown. Blood Pressure If your blood pressure is already high or high-normal, low- or moderate-intensity aerobic exercise — three times a week — can lower it.11 If your blood pressure isn't high, regular exercise helps keep it that way. Diabetes The more you move, the lower your risk of diabetes, especially if you're already at risk because of excess weight, high blood pressure, or parents with diabetes. In one study, women who walked at least three hours a week had about a 40 percent lower risk of diabetes than sedentary women.12 Falls & Fractures Older women assigned to a home-based (strength- and balance-training) exercise program had fewer falls than women who didn't exercise. 13 Exercise may prevent falls and broken bones by improving muscle strength, gait, balance, and reaction time. Enlarged Prostate (men only) In one study, men who walked two to three hours a week had a 25 percent lower risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate) than men who seldom walked.14 Osteoporosis Exercise, especially strength-training, can increase bone density in middle-aged and older people.15 Bonus: postmenopausal women who take estrogen gain more bone density if they exercise.