Right off the bat you read that title and you are thinking to yourself, “What is ‘R’ going to stand for this time. Funny how much a letter can evoke pondering. Had I titled this the importance of Rhubarb, who knows what you would be thinking, but likely you would be thinking something about Rhubarb.  Hmm maybe my next post should be about Rhubarb Pie.

Training, no matter what the the method, has one goal. That goal is to Refine.

Be it bulk, strength, fat loss, speed, corrective, etc the goal is to raise you to another level of yourself. It is to perfect and polish your ability to the best level that you can. If you aren’t following the importance of ‘R’ then your efforts are all in vain.

The 4R list of success

Rest-”Freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility).”
Regeneration-”Renewal or restoration of a body, bodily parts, or biological system (as a forest) after injury or as a normal process.”
Recovery-”Restoration to a former and/or better condition.”
Reality-”The quality or state of being actual or true.”

The key to drive most of those things is balance in training. If you always rest, you aren’t training. If you push too hard all the time, you are never recovering, where is the balance?

Yakovlev's Fig 1

The Pusher

In your training program you have “The Pusher.” The pusher can be any internal or external factor that guides you to excel past comfortable levels of training expression.

The Coach
The Trainer
The Competition
The Inner Montage

All of the above can be leaders of the push towards conditioning and excellence. All above can be leaders towards your demise.

The Stressors

The Stressors can exist in physical training, but they can also exist in the realm of environment and mental. Meaning running long distance in hot polluted air while thinking about the fight you got in last night with your mother, is not helping bring forth the ‘R.’

The Healers

The overall problem is that there isn’t in most cases the factor of “The Healer.” For every push and stress you need an equal ‘R’ reaction.  Time and investment in the former always leads to snubbing of the later.

The Food
The Bed
The Foam Roller
The ART specialist
The Therapist

While some of the above doesn’t have to be literal, it all goes back to investment of your craft. People constantly invest in the wrong parts of progress. You can see this in every area of life.

Example of Investing Wrongly In Progress

-Doing aggressive intervals before having the ability to do progressive increase
-Disposing of rest times before imposing pause in training
-Utilizing superset training before understanding the basics of one move at a time
-Running for endurance before decreasing body mass and reading the body for impact

This kind of training is the equivalent of buying a cell phone on the basis of being able to have 10 people in a network, but you are lucky if your mom still calls and leaves that daily message about her favorite TV show.

You must walk before you run and you must regenerate for optimal recovery. It all ties together and being cheap in the beginning will leave you with half ass results in the end.

The Side Effects of Neglecting “R”

Obviously some things are specifically dependent on goals, but overall you can look for these side effects.

-Decrease in performance
-Decrease in desired body composition
-Decrease in sleep ability
-Decrease in strength
-Decrease in immune system
-Increase in stress
-Increase in sensitivity to mental and environmental factors
-Increase in fatigue
-Increase in stiffness and joint pain vs DOMS

Regulating “R”

A few logical reactions to training and stress will help you implement the “R” factor into your program.

-Higher intensity means higher rest time and a longer need for recovery
-A push is necessary for optimum advancement, but don’t expect such a linear advancement even with a balanced drive.
-Expect your greatest improvements to come after days of recuperation.
-Any decrease in nutrient value will lead in a increase of time need for optimal recovery. Because of this nutrient timing while in a hypercaloric state is crucial to obtaining maximum “R.”
-You can greatly improve the “R” factor with an extra focus on things like longer sleep, foam rolling, and proper warm up and cool down programs.

Tie it all together

When choosing or designing a program make sure that for all your actions you have set in place a recovery reaction. In doing so you will see tremendous improvement in RESULTS.

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Tracking your training progression (or degression) is one of the simplest but most overlooked tools you can have. It’s free and with tracking you can determine if what you are doing is paying off.

Dear Diary: “Today I totally blew at Bent over Rows but nothing prepared me for the leaking gas that came out on the third set right in front of shasha. Next time less weight.

Journal-Training day 12: “Tim said while I was doing chin ups that I dipped my pelvis forward too much and that my core was weak. God he is hot.”

Running Log-Day 182: “Today I  went up further on the mountain trail and then got harassed by an anteater, it was the weirdest thing. He just jumped out and said “F**K you I’m Anteater.” Calves felt good though, love that new massage stick,

So as you can see logging in your journal can be massively important to finding clues and noting progress.

We at FLzine have found some of the best logs on the net. This is paper/print only, not software as we are still evaluating some different gadgets.

Best Bang For Buck Log: BodyMinder Workout and Exercise Journal

Best “WTF does it cost that much” log?: The Fitness Log Book for Runners

Best “Right under your nose” log: Microsoft Documents>New>Templates>Logs

Best Stylish Log: Werkit training logs

Best “Everything but the kitchen sink” log: Arnie Baker

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What is it and why use it?

Creatine is the coming together of the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine.  So itself is not an amino acid, but the production of it requires amino acids. It is already occurring naturally in the body and you can also increase it with the addition of certain foods and supplementation.

Creatine acts in many different ways and provides positives to different processes ranging from faster regeneration of ATP, which is great for short burst energy,  to cell volume that can increase protein synthesis.  There is evidence it helps aid in faster recovery and general training performance overall.

It is cheap, researched, and bang for your buck one of the best supplements you can get.

How do I get it in the body?

Creatine transport happens on a daily basis in the body. Everyday you lose and gain a certain amount of Creatine.  It is thought that on average your body makes roughly 1 gram per day and, if on an appropriate protein based diet, you can gain roughly 1 -1.5 more grams depending on how much you stuff it away. Food wise, Creatine occurs in the largest amounts in red meats.

Supplement wise you have 3 main choices of Creatine supplementation.

Creatine Monohydrate (CM)
Creatine Phosphate (CP)
Creatine Ethyl Ester (CEE)

CP was thought to be the right way to go because the process of transfer for energy uses Creatine Phosphate, however that can’t be directly taken up into the muscle via supplementation, so supplementing with CP is useless.

CEE is supposed to be more efficient at smaller amounts and perhaps easier on the stomach, but overall hasn’t be research enough to say and tastes like ass.

So the winner, by a long shot, is CM. CM is the cheapest and most researched form of  Creatine supplementation and thus far nothing has been noted to provide better results.

Loading?

Loading and how to do it is actually very simple. It only became complicated because people don’t understand the difference between faster, better, and needed.

First off, you don’t have to load in large amounts for Creatine to work. You can take smaller dosages over a period of time and increase your saturation level. However, loading it in larger amounts could make you become saturated and have it work faster. The goal of loading is to top out your  levels of Creatine storage so that when using your energy stores you tap out less quickly.

There are a LOT of different loading methods out there and maintenance intakes for suggestion. Some of it is based in research and some is based in BS. All you need to know is a few things before we dive into the recommendations.

-Taking large doses at 1 time isn’t needed and could cause you to go running for the bathroom
-You can hit solid saturation levels by just starting out at a normal dosage and the stores get full overtime
-If you are going to go slow at loading you may take longer to feel/notice any effects
-Effects, in general, are not crazy or drug like. That is at best a little more energy, a little more “pump,” a few more reps, and a little better recovery. It also pulls water into the muscle so that “swole” may look a little better too. That is about it though, it isn’t miracle juice.

Dosage and Loading recommendations

Fast: 5g/20 days then 5g per day
Faster: 10g/10 days then 5g per day
Fastest: 20g/5 days then 5g per day

(this can be higher or lower depending on LBM and weight. For example, if female at 120lbs and 18% bf  15g/5 days and then 3g per day may be more than enough and decrease excess water retention if concerned. )

When to take it?

It is best taken around workouts, specifically pre/post-workout. Amount and what with can change based on  size, training goals, and dietary program.

How to take it?

You can take it via powder or capsule. The general method is via powder mixed in a shake.

Why would I not respond to Creatine?

There has been research that discusses responders versus non responders. While it isn’t known for sure there can be some various reason why you may not respond to creatine ranging from caffene useage, body fat levels, and just plain genetics.

Possible reasons for non responders:

-Possible correlation from more type II fibers
-Possible correlation between higher body fat percentage and creatine supplementation not working
-Possible that diets already so high in meats and protein just don’t notice effects based on an natural higher level of creatine
-Possible that caffeine usage could impede results.

Water retention?

Creatine draws water into the muscle. It shouldn’t really cause a negative effect much in the aspect of look, if anything it should help your “swole.” However, if at higher BF levels that “swole” turns into a look of “bloat” because you lack definition.

It is also going to increase physical scale weight. This shouldn’t be a concern unless you are freaking out over the scale in general or need to make weight for class.

Man or woman?

Both men and women can benefit from Creatine usages.

Is it safe?

Thus far there have been few problems reported with Creatine other than upset stomachs (from high dosing) and water retention. In short, don’t do anything stupid or that is not recommended and you will be fine.

Is it steroids?

No, not even close, not at all.

Will putting it in any liquid such as hot water or orange juice destroy its effects?

No.

Should I use Creatine if on a fat loss diet?

No problems with doing that, and as you could see their can only be benefits.

Click below to grab some Creatine!

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The best gym isn’t necessarily the one with the best equipment.  The best gym for one person is completely different for another.  Listed below are the best, and most unique gyms around the world. From pampered to raw, there is something here for everyone.

1. Gold’s Gym in Venice, California USA

The Mecca of Bodybuilding and home of Muscle Beach. Anyone who is anybody has trained at Gold’s Gym in Venice.  In fact, there is an entire webpage devoted to it, airbrush photos of jodie foster and all. At some point if you are a serious trainee you have to get there and train.

2. Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand

You aren’t going to find a more beautiful, helpful, and dedicated training environment anywhere in the world. While this is a huge gym for training for MMA and Muay Thai, there is boxing, yoga, and regular strength and conditioning that goes on as well.

3. Doug’s Gym in Dallas Texas, USA

It’s rundown, stained, and bare bones. It is one of the first real gyms to open up and I doubt much has changed since then. So what if it is old, you will likely get one the best workouts of your life. You may even see Chuck while you are there.

4. The Third Space in Soho, London UK

If Doug’s is bare, Third Space is the exact opposite. Pool, Weights, Pilates, Medical, Boxing, Wrestling, Spinning, Climbing Wall, Dojo, and more. 4 levels of anything you could want.

5.  Equinox in Greenwich New York, NY USA

Some people like their cardio with a spa. Equinox gyms are a chain and all of them have a very similar feel of leading strong with the style, usually soft with the training. Still, their elegance is something to be seen and experience at least once.

6. Westside Barbell in Grove City, OH USA

Strong doesn’t even begin to describe the lifters at Westside. If you don’t believe in lifting heavy, going hard, and challenging every muscle, joint, and blood vessel in your body, then go the F%#K home.

7. GymBox in London, UK

Pole Dancing, Boob Aerobics (yes I said boob), Parkour, Fighting, etc.  What more could you possibly want out of a gym?

8. The Anti-Gym in Denver, Co USA

I like this guy. I mean I am sure he says a lot of stupid stuff that is horribly wrong about training and nutrition, but you have to appreciate the no BS attitude he has about things. From what I have seen so far there isn’t too much he really has wrong, except I don’t think I would promote pot and drinking during training time for optimal performance. That’s just me though.

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By JC-JCD Fitness.com

This article is specifically regarding eating on the cheap given our current economic situation in America and the rest of the world.  The views presented are purely out of my personal experiences over the last year and how I managed to cram in the most food possible while being on a very limited budget.  I have spent most of the past year in a caloric surplus to add some quality weight after a prolonged period of not-so-smart dieting practices.  I know, I know I should have never had this experience, but like everyone else I am human and fail to think objectively at times.

So in regards to building lean body mass, we all know(or should know) that this requires two consistent variables: a surplus of calories and proper training.  Being as frugal as I am I decided to make a list of relatively cheap foods that have a long shelf life that would allow me to save as much money as possible for fresh foods.

Since I have come to be somewhat of a minimalist, here is my list of staples.

Non-Perishable Grocery List

•   Oats – You can buy a 9lb. box of oats from places like Sams Club and Costco for about 8 bucks a pop.  I bought 4 boxes about mid 2008 and still have plenty left to eat.  Oats are really simple to make and provide a good source of energy at the same time.  If you are into the whole grain thing, that is a plus too.
•    White/Bown Rice – I bought a 25lb bag at Sams for probably about 14-15 bucks(I cannot remember).  I have eaten so much rice over this past year and am still not sick of it.  I eat it sweet(milk, honey and brown sugar) and savory(think Chinese cuisine or with red beans).  I would normally eat about 150 to 200 grams of carbs worth of white rice post workout 3-4x per week.
•    Peanut Butter – This varies, but you can usually get a 7lb tub of peanut butter at Wal-Mart for 7-8 dollars I believe(prices seem to fluctuate).  I put peanut butter on everything from oatmeal, chicken, eggs, bread etc.  Peanut butter is very calorie dense and has helped me to stay in positive energy balance on many occasions.  Peanut butter does contain some “healthy” fats as well.
•    Protein Powder – I buy my protein from TrueProtein and last year bought 50lbs of their “recession whey” for about ~$240.  From my calculations, powdered protein is the most economical source of amino’s but not always the most tasty(see steak).  Of course protein powder is very handy and practical for all bodybuilders, fitness models and fitness divas alike.

Perishable Grocery List

•    Eggs – One of the cheapest whole food protein sources you can find.  It is not uncommon for me to polish off a dozen daily.
•    Red Meat – If you shop around you can find specials on the cuts that are going out of date or you can buy dark steaks.  The grocery store usually discounts this stuff to sell it before they have to throw it out.  I normally buy up what they have and freeze it for later consumption.
•    Frozen Chicken – Depending on the brand you buy, there are some good deals to be had if you keep your eyes open.
•    Cottage Cheese – My favorite source of protein.  I usually go through 4-6 tubs per week.  I almost always mix it with some kind of cereal and honey.  I love cottage cheese for the casein content and dairy products are a great source of calcium as well.
•    Fruit – Finding good prices on fruit can vary by the season.  I try to buy what is in season as it’s the most inexpensive.  I can usually buy a 3lb bag of small apples for 3-4 dollars.  I aim to eat a piece or two daily for general Zen-like health reasons.  There are many benefits to be had from eating fruit on a regular basis.  I do not care what those fructose Nazi’s say.  Fruit wont make you fat, only excess kcals will.  Whomever tells you otherwise is wrong.
•    Frozen Vegetables – I usually buy a big bag of broccoli 1-2x per month.  Frozen veggies are always less expensive than fresh.  When I buy fresh, I opt for onions as they are usually inexpensive and I use them a lot in my cooking.  I drop the onions when I cook for dinner dates though.
•    Potatoes – Pricing on potatoes is highly variable.  At times I can find a 20lb bag for 5 dollars and then at other times I can only find 10lb bags for the same price.  Potatoes are great for satiety and I usually eat 1.5-2lbs at one sitting.

Supplements
•    Fish Oil – A must on any diet.  I say take at least 3g per day.  You can pick these up at any grocer or health food store.  I recommend buying the Sams or Costco brand as they tend to be the cheapest.  You have no excuse not to be taking your fish oil.
•    Multivitamin/Mineral – Another cheap supplement that one should be taking just to be sure they are getting essential vitamins and minerals.

Of course this is not an exhaustive list.  These are merely the foods I call my staples.

The Look Great Naked Part

There is no need to give into the misconception that it’s expensive to maintain a healthy diet.  There is no reason to believe you have to consume certain expensive foods or give into the hype plastered all over the Internet and TV.  Whomever is telling you that is most likely misinformed or trying to sell you something you do not need.  I do not call myself a bodybuilder per se as I do not compete, nor do I plan to.  I simply train and eat the way I do because I desire to look great naked, as do most others.

My philosophy: As long as you train in a manner that is congruent with your goals, get enough protein and balance your intake, looking stellar with your clothes off is inevitable.

So the next time you find yourself in a pinch and in need of a cheap source of kcals, just remember to lean on these staple foods and you are sure to spare money for other important events such as training, dating, wedding crashing, couch surfing etc.

–
JC is the creator of the fitness resource JCDFitness.com.  If you can appreciate a relaxed, no BS approach to training and diet, then you may find his ideas about the fitness lifestyle to be very practical and applicable.

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by Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.

One of my favorite lines is, “I can pass by the weight room, smell the iron inside, and instantly begin to grow.” Simply, some people tend to thrive on very little exercise, while others seem to be incapable of making gains no matter how hard, long and frequently they train. This was referred to as one’s “tolerance to exercise,” a term coined by Arthur Jones years ago. One’s “tolerance” is high if more exercise is needed, and low if less is needed. There are many variables that can affect your exercise tolerance. Of course, “genetics” ranks highest on the list below, and you’ll notice several such factors. Others, on the other hand, are able to be manipulated in various ways.

• Red vs White Fiber Ratio
• Tolerance To Pain
• Level Of “Psych”
• Amount Of Rest Since Last Workout
• Perceived Exertion
• Amount Of Eccentric Stress (Which Causes Connective Tissue Microtrauma)
• Incentive Level
• Strength-To-Weight Ratio
• Time Of Last Meal (Energy)
• Type Of Foods Eaten At Last Meal (Glycemic Index)
• Use Of Ergogenic Techniques Or Substances
• Musculoskeletal Leverage Factors
• Motor Unit Recruitment Capabilities
• Skill Level At Exercise Being Performed (If Such Is Required; e.g., Cleans)
• Equipment Quality & Design
• Environmental Factors (e.g., Heat, Cold, etc.)
• Size Of Muscle Being Exercised
• Various Intra- and Extracellular Biochemical Factors
• How close you are to your maximum potential in size or strength

All these factors, and perhaps several more as yet undreamed of, will variably affect how frequently you should train each body part and how best to split your routine.

Several years ago, after chatting with Arthur and reading some of his thinking on the topic, I began charting other lifters’ reps at 80 percent max. I found that guys who were so-called “fast” gainers were only able to do 4-6 reps at 80 percent, while lifters who seemingly never made great gains were able to rep out at around 15-20 reps with 80 percent of their max. Apparently, so-called “fast gainers” have rather poor anaerobic strength endurance. This is explainable in part by the fact that they’re probably mostly white muscle fiber, which has fast twitch/low oxidative capabilities. Conversely, slow gainers are probably mostly red muscle fiber (slow twitch/high oxidative) and therefore may possess greater ability for rapid during-set recovery.

The problem is, however, that each muscle group’s tolerance to exercise probably differs. Each exercise you do for each body part can – and often does – possess an entirely individual rep ability at 80 percent max. To discern your specific tolerance level for each body part, follow these simple instructions:

1. Determine your approximate one rep maximum (1RM) for each exercise.
2. Load 80 percent on the bar (machine) & rep out with it for one all-out effort to see how many reps you can do.
3. Apply this information to the table below to determine each body part’s exercise tolerance.
4. Take into account ALL of the factors listed above that can affect your exercise tolerance.
5. Critically evaluate whether your predicted exercise tolerance levels stand up to what you know from experience to be true. Remember, “low tolerance” means that you probably make easy gains for that body part, and “high tolerance” means that you’re probably a hard gainer for that body part.

Here is an example of what I’ve found in regards to exercise tolerances for fast gainers, average gainers and slow gainers. Perhaps you’ll find these figures and estimations to be pretty close estimates. But perhaps you won’t. One thing is clear, you must look! Your continued progress toward your maximum potential may well depend on it!

Slow Gainers (usually predominantly red muscle fiber):

Days Of Recovery Required For Each Body Part Before Training It Again

Slow gainers often benefit most from 10 or more sets of 15-20 reps

Average Gainers (usually a mix of red and white muscle fiber):

Days Of Recovery Required For Each Body Part Before Training It Again

Average gainers often benefit most from 5-8 sets of 10-12 reps

Fast Gainers (usually predominantly white muscle fiber):

Days Of Recovery Required For Each Body Part Before Training It Again

Fast gainers often benefit most from 3-5 sets of 4-8 reps done explosively

By critically evaluating your individual muscles’ tolerance to exercise, you can more easily “fine tune” your training regimen to provide maximum gains in the shortest possible time. But don’t forget the other factors that may affect your recovery rate. Look at the list again (above). How have you accounted for each of these variable’s effect on your progress? Have you raised or lowered your reps and sets accordingly? Have you increased or decreased the frequency of your workouts commensurably?
Training intensity? Have you taken into account your ratio of white versus red fiber, and adjusted your exercise load and movement speed accordingly?

Why Can’t You Just Copy The Pros?

Why is it that most newcomers to bodybuilding, and even most intermediate level bodybuilders, can’t make continued gains using a split they copied from one of the pros? It’s quite simple, really. First of all, you must be truthful with yourself in answering some basic questions. Are you as fastidious as the pro you seek to emulate in all that you do? Your supplement schedule? Your diet? Have you as much time “in the trench” as the pro? How long have you been forcing your body to adapt to stress? Most pros have forced adaptations to their muscles and other bodily systems that have taken years to accomplish. As your body changes over time, your susceptibility to further change does as well. New forms of stress force different adaptive processes to occur, and each adaptation requires that different stressors and training schedules be devised in order to take your body one more step closer to its maximum potential.

So, as you change your body, your body demands different scheduling for further adaptation to take place. It isn’t simply a matter of piling on more pig iron to satisfy the progressive overload principle. It’s more complicated than that. One of the biggest mistakes all bodybuilders tend to make is that they do not build their programs with this important fact in mind. As you change, so must your training because your body’s “tolerance” to that level or type of stress has changed. And, how you split your training can be an important source of new adaptive stress to which you have not yet adapted.

Most bodybuilders are not “hard gainers” or “fast gainers” in all body parts. Further, as you get closer to your maximum potential — where all professional bodybuilders are — you may become a hard gainer, whereas earlier in your career your gains seemed to come easy. Or, maybe you’ve remained an easy gainer but have yet to discover the type of stress your body now requires to force continued growth.

Through experimentation, I assure you that finding your own level of “tolerance” (body part per body part) will make a big difference. Where to begin? Here are a few examples of how you can split your training program. Adjust them at will.

This article can be found originally at Dr. Squat: http://drsquat.com/content/knowledge-base/finding-ideal-training-split

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