Heavy weight Training Makes You Bulky: A Fallacy.
Nov 30th
It is a general perception that heavy weights make you bulky, and likewise low weights with high reps are best suited to stay thin. Posters of bodybuilders on gym walls and bodybuilding magazines are to be blamed for the above statement. Any individual, who wants to be fit and healthy, would approach a gym to pursue his dream and after watching the bodybuilding posters would be petrified to join that gym, as I have heard many of them suggesting me when they come to enroll that they would never wish to grow to such monolithic proportion. We should be very clear that in most of the cases the huge muscle bulk we see in bodybuilders in gym wall posters and in bodybuilding magazines are all steroid users. In addition, they also belong to the genetically elite group which means that building muscle is relatively easy for them. Whereas, average men/women like many of us who want to be fit and pose a healthy body, cannot build muscle to such gargantuan proportions, as we lack the genetic potential when compared to the above mentioned athlete and importantly we would never dream of supplementing with steroids as that would defeat the whole purpose of flaunting a healthy body. On the other hand, I have seen many who are afraid to supplement with whey protein, at the least, for they fear that to be a chemical which helps in building huge muscles. However, it requires many years of consistent and diligent effort to possess a descent physique, lest a herculean physique. In addition, proper exercise programming integrated with a well supported nutritional plan, and supplementation is also paramount to build a muscular body.
It is a very well known fact that weightlifters, power lifters, track and field athletes are the ones who train with heavy weights. For example, as quoted in Dr Mel Siff’s books Facts and Fallacies of Fitness, Boris Becker (two time Wimbledon winner) Ben Johnson (world class sprinter) and Mike Powell (long jump record holder) all trained with heavy weights. If you can recall how Becker was on the tennis court, you can notice that he was one of the most athletic player till date. It also suggests that he was not in any way a man who possessed monstrous muscle belly. It is also very well known that power lifters and weight lifters are no way closer to the muscle belly which bodybuilders pose though they train with heavy weights in relation to bodybuilders. Likewise, power lifers and weightlifters rarely indulge in executing high number of repetitions for any given exercise. They are most of the time lifting super heavy weights for very less repetitions, as their training is aimed towards strength, power, and skill rather than hypertrophy. In addition, among the bodybuilding community, it’s a rarity to find a bodybuilder who trains very heavy. Also, if we watch any of the training videos of these elite bodybuilders we see that they experiment a lot by doing various exercises and they also tend to play around with different repetition range(usually moderate to high repetitions). Naturally, performing high repetitions which bodybuilders more often engage in cannot be executed with heavy weights. Dr Mel Siff very clearly sums up when he says, “Most bodybuilders have found that training with moderate to moderately heavy weights, rather than with maximum weights is a better way to enhance muscle hypertrophy. Moreover, the majority of top bodybuilders use anabolic-androgenic steroids deliberately to accelerate hypertrophy, because it is the aim of their training to become massively bulky. Olympic weightlifters, on the other hand, who often train with extremely heavy weights, do not develop this enormous hypertrophy, simply because strength and power, not bulk, are the primary goals of their training”.
He further adds “massive hypertrophy is not the automatic result of heavy weight training-instead this is a result of the appropriate genetics, an appropriate training programme, careful nutrition and very often, supplementation with legal and illegal ergogenic aids.” Most of my gym clients train with heavy weights for low reps. As a result none of my clients are huge carrying monstrous muscle belly. In addition, none of us indulge in the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids. So, stop whining and lift heavy weights, for the results will speak for themselves which you will never regret. And do not commit yourself to perform high repetitions, for you may develop unwanted(sarcoplasmic) hypertrophy.
PS: To read more on sarcoplasmic(unwanted) hypertrophy, please read the blog entry titled Functional Training and Its benefits.
Spot Reduction: A Bodybuilding Myth.
Nov 6th
“You know my friend was very sure that high repetition of abdominal situps, crunches, or any other abdominal work will help us tremendously to trim down the waist. His gym coach was also of the opinion that if you want to burn fat in and around the love handles, you will have to do high repetitions of side bends and side twists as well as the rotating device which is a staple in many gyms. So coach, what do you have to say about that?” I have been continually asked the above query by newbie’s who join my fitness facility. I have always experienced that whenever my body fat is to the lowest, my lower back goes for a toss. It stiffens abruptly, thus not allowing me to do any kind of direct abdominal work. So if you see my pictures where I am exhibiting a shredded midsection, you should also know that in the later stages of reaching lower levels of body fat I never did any abdominal work whatsoever, but I still posed a shredded midsection.
Let’s see what Dr Mel Siff, one of the groundbreaking fitness scientist, had to state about this bodybuilding myth: “What they are claiming is that local or spot reduction is possible with high repetition exercise, something which has never been shown to occur to any major extent by any research to date. All that the high repetitions are likely to do is increase muscle bulk, more especially in the advanced athletes or novice to heavy training. He further adds, no amount of situps without a decrease in caloric intake will trim your waist, so don’t believe all marketing hype about these miraculous midriff trimming toys which benefit the coffers of the marketers far more than the shape of your body.” It definitely doesn’t surprise me when Dr Mel Siff vehemently ridicules these claims. Dr Mel Siff precisely states that spot reduction, generally, doesn’t occur. You can ask any learned fitness trainers on this planet and they would invariably suggest that burning fat at a desired region is far from true.
You advice people that spot reduction is a myth and they are going to mistrust you. Somehow, the belief that you can reduce your waist size by doing regular abdomen work is ingrained in our beliefs, for it is very difficult to tackle that issue. Individuals who have trained for a longer period in a gym set up and if they would have introspected on this issue, very clearly they would have realized that spot reduction won’t occur no matter what fancy exercise you do. So beware of the ad which tells that these set of exercises or some particular gadget is going help you to build a shredded midsection.
Likewise, even the fitness model or the bodybuilder who is promoting the trash device in a TV commercial knows very well that these contrivances would not help us in anyway whatsoever, for he would have reduced his calorie intake and performed high intense workouts for a considerable time to acquire that shredded look. For example, the sauna belt which is now touted to produce amazing results and give us a six pack is an absolute fraud. How on earth can a vibrating belt reduce your fat? Scientific research nowhere suggests that such a miracle occurs. I can’t believe when people have come to me and asked whether they would be of any benefit using the belt. I still find them not to believe my words, and moreover, they want to give it a definite try, as they all want an easy way-out. Sooner or later they will realize that it will not help them in anyway.
In addition, how are these companies which promulgate these products making huge money? They are making merry on our weaknesses and are thus capitalizing on our laziness. We all want instant results without any effort. It is time we face the fact. We all know that Rome was not built in a single day. This reminds me of the the famous quote by Joe Girard, a famous motivational speaker, which I read almost every day, as it is pasted on our gym wall: “The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs… one step at a time.” I do hope you understand the above statement, for it generates immense insight.
So what on earth do we have to do to burn the fat? Do we have a way out? Contextual calorie reduction, regular exercise, avoiding junk altogether will pave the path towards possessing a trim waist, but not by doing innumerable repetitions of abdominal situps, crunches, or using some junk (sauna belt) device. I know that this debate is far from over. It is just a minute attempt to send the right message.
Cross Training
Oct 20th
“Cross training refers to training in different ways to improve overall performance. It takes advantage of the particular effectiveness of each training methods, while at the same time attempting to neglect the shortcomings of that method by combining it with other methods that address its weaknesses.” Wikepedia further adds “cross-training in sports and fitness refers to the combining of exercises to work various parts of the body. Often one particular activity works certain muscle groups, but not others, cross-training aims to eliminate this. Running for example is excellent for endurance, and prolonged use of large muscle groups in the legs. A runner may lift weighs in order to build muscle and increase upper body strength, things that running cannot provide.”
We see from the above definition that cross training means integrating several methods of exercises. You may ask me, why can’t I religiously follow some exercise pattern such as hitting the gym? I agree with that notion, as some of them would love to lift weights, and some would like to run and some would love to involve in some other method of physical activity. One thing which is common among all individuals who involve in some or other form of exercise in their daily routine suggests that they all would have involved in some kind of sport early in their lives and that would have subsequently prompted them to continue with any form of physical activity in the later stages of their lives. For example, I was passionately involved in various sports activities like kho kho, badminton, table tennis, and running which inflamed me to be physically active all my life, and I choose to lift weights to stay fit and healthy. But what about the majority of them who don’t like to exercise? Who cannot religiously follow a set pattern?
Write your own rules.
Be your own coach; Write the rules; create your own regime. There are numerous avenues to lookout for and create a suitable program. For example:
Monday’s-gym
Tuesday’s- swimming,
Wednesday’s- outdoor activity (go to a local ground, jog and perform high intense interval sprints),
Thursday’s- gym again,
Friday- bicycling,
Saturday- a long walk or any group game.
The above written workout is a sample routine. One can tune them to their needs. For example we could hit the gym thrice in a week, swim twice in week, and the sixth day we could run. There are numerous possibilities which means that we have various tools at our disposal. But more importantly what we need is to have the right mindset to work out on a regular basis. Moreover, involving in such varied activities doesn’t allow any place for boredom, and we can look forward to the following activity with genuine interest. And there are immense possibilities to improve on ourselves when it comes to reviving our workouts. For example, we could try to lift more weights in the gym, strive to swim faster than before, bicycle longer distances at the same time span etc.
I know that we all would always like to sit back and relax all the while. But as Voltaire, French revolutionary writer, had said, “Indolence is sweet and its consequences bitter.” What Voltaire meant was that we could sit around all the day lazily, but at the same time we should also be prepared to confront multitudinous forms of illnesses. Augmenting the above statement by Voltaire I would love to quote Adelle Davis (American Pioneer in the field of nutrition): She says, “As I see it, every day you do one of two things: build health or produce disease in yourself.” So we see that Physical activity is a must for us. Human body is designed to perform various activities. So, we should strive to take advantage of being physical fit and enjoy supreme health. As the confidence the individual carries who is physically active is tremendous. Moreover, it doesn’t take more than hour’s of physical activity everyday to stay fit. There is one rule of thumb though; the workout which we perform has to be intense enough to yield positive benefits. Last but not the least, the physical activity performed should be strengthened by a well balanced diet. Again it is not necessary to make our diets cumbersome but treat the act of eating lightly. I personally don’t count my calories, as eating becomes very tedious which would result in disliking our meals. A well balanced diet would mean adequate amount of proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. Importantly, splitting our three square meals to five or six smaller meals would serve us better to include all the above nutrients in our diet and it would also help to stabilize our blood sugar levels in a much better way. In addition, it will serve us undoubtedly well if we abstain from junk food, alcohol, and cigarette smoking.
Above all, strength training invariably underpins whatever approach we consider to perform on a daily basis. I emphatically state this for the very well known benefits we can gain from weight training. So, other forms of exercises like running, swimming, an hour’s play of a game such as football, basketball should complement strength training; importantly, for the reason that, as stated above, strength training has the innate ability to address the weaknesses which we come across when we perform other form of exercises.
PS: We at Ironcult have involved running and various other strongman workouts on every Friday’s like tyre flipping, sledge dragging, yoke walk, sledge hammer, and various sand bag workouts. I am also encouraging my clients in the gym for regular bicycle outings on Sunday’s. What I am suggesting that is I have been trying to bring in a cross training approach in my gym. Why so? An individual’s chances of continuing in this varied form of physical activity are much better than just performing anyone activity. Also, as stated above, human body is designed to perform various activities, so why should we constrain ourselves? After all, variety is the spice of life. Embrace fitness as a daily ritual and execute various modes of exercises. And believe me; you will never regret treading the fitness path.
Gym Etiquette
Sep 4th
3 things to avoid while exercising.
1) Talking on the cell phone while exercising.
2) Reading news paper while exercising.
3) Chatting while exercising.
Talking on the cell phone while exercising.
Two of the above mentioned activities require the act of conversing which is very distracting to the mind. For example, you may really be affected if you get a distress telephonic call from someone while exercising. It will adversely affect your workouts, as very quickly you can go out of focus . So talking in the cell phone should be avoided. It is most desirable to switch off the phone till you finish your workouts.
Reading newspaper while exercising.
This demonstrates that the one who is reading news paper is not concentrating enough on the workout at hand. Any individual who is serious about training will neither read nor undertake any other activity other than completing the workout religiously. He/she at the most would like to hear some stimulating music which would rev up their workouts but rather spend worthless time reading a magazine.
Chatting while exercising
It is again one of the hindrances which can negatively affect your workout. Conversing about your workout with your workout partner is appreciated if it is done with good intention. Otherwise, chitchatting concerned to any other topic is uncalled for. Conversing will not help you in any way to concentrate better, rather it will show the sign that you are not working hard enough and not creating the mind body connection.
The above discussion may sound to be of very little significance, but it can make a huge difference in the results which you gain in the gym. If you happen to see men/women in your gym who are exercising seriously no doubt they are bound to have a better body than who is spending time on the cell phone, or reading news paper, or chatting while exercise. It is the intensity in your workouts which matter the most for better results, and how do you go about it is by concentrating better at the job at hand.
Why using a stop watch is very productive?
Aug 26th
It has been 7 years since I have been training people, and I have found that the more you think deeply about exercise routines the more you come up with fascinating information. However, I have to proclaim that there are different sources which I have leaned on to learn about physical fitness. Pardon me, for I have digressed from the topic of discussion. To pull back things together, let’s discuss about one very important tool in training and in what way a stop watch will help in our exercise routines.
When it comes to winning the fat loss race for any individual, or a fitness enthusiast seeking a fit body, or an athlete who wants to excel in his sport, what differentiates them from others is the intensity factor which plays an important role. In other words, it is TIME which is one of the most important determinants to intensify your workout, and the one which will help in their respective endeavors to succeed. Take for example; running, swimming, resistance training, or performing (HIIT) everything is based on time.
Let’s take running for example. Generally, running is touted to be the best method for fat loss. It is true to a larger extent as many have found it to be productive, but, more importantly, what happens when we time- pace the workout? For example, what if we are asked to sprint 100 meters followed by rest for a minute done for several rounds? It would yield tremendous result. A typical jogging routine say for an hour or so, wouldn’t really help in fat loss whatsoever. As the body gets accustomed to the routine it becomes efficient in burning fewer calories to perform the same work. In addition, this type of low intensity exercise might promote loss of muscle bulk, strength, and power. I believe I have deviated again, for it is beyond the scope of this topic to discuss about the drawbacks of aerobic training.
Whereas, when you perform the above mentioned routine and tweak it with little changes, it is bound to create wonders in your physique. It is not only running but consider your resistance training routine, when you start taking notice of the rest interval , you will strive to better the workout the next time when you perform the same routine by reducing the rest period. It means that jotting down the routines is a very important tool in a gym parlance. You will understand your regimes better, as you perceive your routines in a very subtle but different way. When you learn to demand less time to complete your exercise routine, you will see that your body looks better sculpted, as you would have lost some amount of fat. Also when we start thinking about creating routines in a time-paced perspective there is a whole lot of possibilities which arise for our taking. It means that we get innumerable choices to change our routines in a very productive way.
Why on earth should we be thinking to change the routines? It is because any newbie will notice results instantly as soon as he/she gets into a resistance training regime. But our body adapts soon to the demands we impose on it and that is when we need to make frequent changes in our routines, for if we do not add variety into our routines we hit a plateau soon, and the apparent fat loss or muscle gain wanes. And INTENSITY if you ask any fitness trainer is the most important factor in determining the effectiveness of a routine. How do you intensify your workouts? The answer is very simple: Buy a stopwatch. TIME as discussed above is one of the best methods to reinforce our exercise routines. For example, perform pushups, jump ropes, burpees, sprinting 100 mts or 400mts for several rounds within a fixed time and record the number o f reps which you obtain, and the next time you perform the same routine try to beat your previous personal record. And do not worry much as the results will be eager to speak to you.
Train smart and enjoy the sweat.
Who Is Vineeth?
Aug 12th
I had said that I would share a similar story (David Smith) with you. Vineeth is a 19 year old college student whose height is 5.7 and weighed 108 kilos when he enrolled in my gym. Right now, he is 77 kilos which means that he has lost substantial amount of fat in a period of 9 months and that is to say he has lost nearly 68 pounds. I couldn’t believe my eyes, as I hardly remembered the way he looked when he started to frequent the gym. Upon my request he brought his before picture, and my gym members and I were both astounded as the difference was and is markedly visible. However, I had earlier thought that this kid like many others would lose his interest and would quit coming to gym sooner or later. To my surprise, he didn’t stop and hung on to enjoy the pain and pleasure of working out.
In the meantime, I had expressed my concern to him that he should take things under control, and that weight should be lost now or it will be never, as I thought once if he secures a job his priorities would change forever and it is very unlikely that he would think about his health and weight. Life unexpectedly turns out to be very busy when we embark into an unknown territory called WORK. I have to reiterate that he, surprisingly, took my words seriously and continued coming to the gym, as I have rarely seen individuals consider their weight to pose a huge problem, for they do not know that it can lead to serious health maladies like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart ailments, etc. Blood pressure and diabetes which are termed as silent killers can wreck havoc in our health and well being, and it should be known that obesity plays a major role in contributing to the above mentioned illnesses.
On the contrary to the above stated reasons, I am very happy for Vineeth as he continues to impress me, for he seems to have realized the labor of working out and eating healthy food for better health, well being, and weight management. He diligently frequents the gym which has to be appreciated. Stories of these kinds should not go unnoticed. It is for us to take notice of it and appreciate the work.
Furthermore, I am glad to express that I neither suggested him to take any fat loss pills nor put him under those endless cardio sessions. I instructed him to avoid eating out and see to it that he eats unprocessed food and eats protein in every meal of his. As far as his routines are concerned, I integrate resistance training with high intensity interval training (HIIT) combined with strongman workouts. It is a time-tested approach, as martial artists train much similarly and it has proved beyond any doubt to be the best mode for fat loss. Also, I vividly remember him not able to a single box jump because of his weight, but it is now heartening to watch him do most of the body weight exercises with ease. Above all, what is important is that Vineeth and many others have continued to lose weight which is very gratifying.
By the way, enjoy watching his before and after pictures.
PS: We neither use nor recommend the usage of fat loss pills and steroids at Ironcult. Fitness building has to be approached from inside-out. Our bodies are temples and thus should be treated justifiably, and we should try to lessen ego’s gratification and not abuse the body by using various chemicals. Bruce Lee says, “Showing off is fool’s idea of glory.” Though Bruce Lee was a world class martial artist, you can identify the humility he carried by observing the above statement. We as individuals will appreciate our efforts either in losing fat or in building muscle if we do it the hard way, as there lies no shortcut. It is time we realize that fitness and health should be a way of life rather thought as something which can be achieved overnight.
David Smith Will Inspire Us All.
Aug 6th
Here is another story of great success. Four and half years ago David smith weighed a whooping 650 lbs. He has lost more than 400 pounds through regular eating and proper exercising. If you listen to the video, you will know that David was obese for many years, and it took him more than two years to shred all the fat. What is more inspiring is that David never succumbed to weight loss surgeries, but the excess skin had to be removed via surgery.
There lies self doubt whenever we want to achieve a milestone in our lives. During those times due to negativity and self denial we tend to go deep down the drain. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up,” says the great scientist Thomas Edison. I often look at this quote by Thomas Edison and tell many of my gym members that we should never give up on our goals. The above statement by Edison makes loads of sense, but we fail to always realize the potential we have in ourselves and give up on our pursuits half way.
I am going to share an interesting fat loss story which occurred at my training center in the coming week. I am also going to share his before and after photos, as a proof to his great achievement. As a matter of fact, it really surprised me to look at his before photo. Meanwhile, you enjoy the story of David Smith, he will inspire you.
Who is Dr Mel Siff?
Jul 22nd
I have stated Dr Mel Siff’s name in my previous entries several times. You have might have all been wondering who this man is? And why is that I quote him frequently in my writing? My answer to this query is because I am indebted to him, as he has enkindled in me to understand many concepts relating to fitness science in an exceptional way which most of the fitness experts I read have failed to do.
Dr Mel Siff was a sport scientist and a biomechanist who specialized in applying these disciplines to enhance human performance, fitness, and injury rehabilitation. His Master degree in Applied Mathematics was awarded suma cum laude (highest honor added to diplomas and degrees for work that is considered to be of highest quality) in brain research. He has presented papers internationally at conferences in sports science, physiology, physiotherapy, sports medicine, psychology, engineering, ergonomics, physical education, linguistics, and communication. He has published widely and lectured in several countries, including the U S A, England, Israel, Australia, and the Far East. He was also a former weightlifter who received university, provincial, and national awards for many years, he was the chairman of the South African national weightlifting team in 1983 and 1984. After several visits to Russia he wrote the magnum opus Super training which is arguably the definitive treatise available on human performance. He died at the age of 59. It is a great loss for the fitness community, as Dr Mel Siff had continued to work tirelessly to expose the myths involved in training and had encouraged others to think analytically, as it will help us all to understand fitness science in a better way.
My deepest gratitude goes towards one of the greatest mind in fitness field: Dr Mel Siff. . It has been many years I have been fascinated with fitness. Meanwhile, to satisfy my hunger relating to fitness science I have read and have been reading numerous books. And, after reading several books I have to state that I have reached the crest of fitness books. Reading Mel Siff’s magnum opus Super training and Facts and Fallacies of fitness, it feels that my much awaited questions regarding fitness and nutrition have all been answered. No matter how many books I read on bodybuilding, fitness, and nutrition I still had a sense of void in my questioning mind. But, the perspective which Dr Mel Siff provides is very thought provoking and unparalleled. I am unable to fathom the number of years of research Dr Mel Siff would have dedicated to have completed this encyclopedic books. I have to say that the books written by this man by all means are an eye opener. His works will continue to evoke in us a sense of wonderment and will help us to scrutinize each and every aspect of fitness with our eyes wide open, as he has dwelled deep into the realms of fitness science which is unmatched.
This man will continue to educate us all. Though we have lost him, his legacy will continue to live through his books which will continue to help us in a very important aspect of our lives: Fitness.
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