Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
Fuel For A True Alpha Workout
If your stomach can handle it, it’s always a good idea to fuel up before a strength training workout. This is true, especially in the morning, when you’re a little groggy. It’s vital that you stay focused and have enough energy to sustain a high intensity, True Alpha Workout. It’s always good to include come complex carbohydrates, as these will convert to glucose. This is vital, as your body will often have very low glycogen levels and the glucose will provide a quick energy boost and the fuel you need to get you through that tough workout.
Your body may already have some stored glycogen AKA your muscle fuel, but this fuel source may only last for 30 minutes or so, especially when you’re muscles are working to the max. The carbs you eat, will make sure that you’ve got two fuel sources and will act as your fuel backup. Make sure you choose carbohydrates that are healthy and not filled with the wrong fats or sugar. Something like steel-cut oatmeal with maybe some Banana pieces and a few walnuts is a great source of carbohydrates that is good for you and can help you with filling you with energy. Read the rest of this entry »
“Genetic” Doesn’t Necessarily Mean “Inevitable”
Thanks to widespread knowledge of diseases caused by specific genetic mutations, such as hemophilia and sickle cell anemia, it’s widely presumed that “genetic” = “inevitable.” Whatever our genes “say” we are, we are… or will become. However, a lot of what we attribute to genetics, is actually an interaction between genes and environment. Our genetic makeups determine our predispositions for certain traits (or diseases), but our environments influence the outcomes.
Longer Sleep = Longer Life
A couple of weeks ago, Rick blogged about the importance of a good night’s sleep for the production of anabolic hormones (growth hormone and testosterone, natch!). As it turns out, copping your zzzzs may do more than just improve the quality of your life – it may also improve the duration. According to a new study, published in the journal SLEEP, men with insomnia face an increased risk of death. Here are some of the highlights:
Workout booster in a can
Looking for a way to enhance your workout? Try slamming an energy drink before hitting the gym, suggests a recent study published in the August issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Since hitting the shelves, energy drinks have continued to grow in popularity. But who would have thought that drinking one right before your workout could actually help you gain more muscle mass, lose more fat, and enhance your cardiovascular fitness?
Water and Weight Loss
James and Rick highlighted the importance of drinking water in Alpha Male Challenge, but didn’t go so far as to suggest it could boost weight loss. This was logical, as – at the time – there really wasn’t much direct evidence that it would help with anything but hydration. As they put it, “…it’s difficult to confirm whether drinking a glass of water before a meal really helps satiate hunger…“
Since the AMC was published, however, evidence has emerged that suggests drinking water before meals really does boost satiety… and subsequent weight loss.
Last year, a study published in the prestigious journal, Obesity, found that subjects on calorie-restricted diets lost approx. 2kg more when they consumed 500 ml water before each meal. As explained by obesity researcher/blogger, Peter Janiszewski, Ph.D.:
6 om dagen!
Just so you know, “6 om dagen” was the title of a campaign by the Danish government to encourage the consumption of more fibrous, non-starchy vegetables and fruits (“6 om dagen” means “6 a day”). Evidently, it was fairly successful – which comes as no surprise to me. Personally, I think the public service announcement on the right (click to enlarge) is positively inspirational!
Who says you shouldn’t play with your food!? 
But I digress… as James and Rick point out in Alpha Male Challenge,
“Fruits and vegetables provide the bulk of the carbs needed to fuel Alpha performance. They have a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, as well as fiber…People who eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily have half the cancer risk compared to to those who eat only two servings.”
Sleep Your Way to a Better Body!
Can you sleep your way to a better body? Sleep is essential if you’re a guy involved in an intense resistance training program like Alpha Wave Basic Training. Tough physical exertion requires full replenishment of lost energy and recuperation of broken-down body tissues. If you want a better ratio of muscle to fat, you have to make sure that your endocrine system is effectively releasing growth hormone. Deep sleep is when your body’s hormone release becomes most active and lively.
According to experts at the National Institute on Aging, deep sleep is vital for aging men and the release of muscle-building hormones. Less deep sleep, independent of age, can play a part in lower growth hormone levels in middle age and beyond. Research conducted at the University of Chicago suggests that lack of sleep may also play a huge role in age-related testosterone loss. Scientists found that the more sleep mature male subjects got, the higher their testosterone levels the next morning.
Most sleep experts recommend that adults get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep per night to help maintain optimum health. True Alpha Males engaging in an intense physical fitness regimen like the Alpha Male Challenge might need even more. Gauge how energized you feel during the day and adjust your sleep schedule accordingly.
Now go hit the pillow!
The Colbert Report: “Thought for Food”
This isn’t supposed to be a humor blog, although I couldn’t resist posting Stephen Colbert’s humorous take on two (related) topics that I find distinctly unfunny: the so-called “sport” of competitive eating and the current fad for extreme, gross-out fast-food/chain restaurant sandwiches.
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Thought for Food – Kentucky Tuna & Grilled Cheese Burger Melt | ||||
|
||||
Get Out of the Car!
I live in a fairly “walkable neighborhood.” My house in SE Washington state is within 6 – 10 blocks of a number of stores, restaurants and other businesses. Practically everything I need is within a 20 minute stroll. I can even walk to the gym.
And walk there, I do. And I have to admit, it’s an odd experience. This isn’t because I’m unused to walking (far from it), but because – day after day - I’m virtually the only one doing it. The only folks I typically see on foot are the ones getting out of their cars in the store/strip mall parking lots. And even that’s too much walking for some… for example, there are always 7 – 8 cars snaked around the drive-thru lane at the Starbucks on the corner.
Wash – and Watch – Your Hands in the Gym!
Ok kids, it’s gross-out time. I put most of this post below the fold, in deference to the squeamish. The rest of you, however, should consider this as a test of your “Alpha” status – if you can cope with the “ewwww factor,” then you’ve got what it takes.
