[quote]JSMaxwell wrote:
Given your recent post about carbs I would like your most up-to-date thoughts on carbs in the diet of a fat, out of shape beginner.
Are carbs in the morning and right before training still appropriate?[/quote]
The fatter you are, the less carbs you should eat. A fairly simple strategy I use is this:
If someone is of a pretty high fat level (above 20% for men 25-30%+ for women) I limit carbs to veggies for the whole day except for pre-workout where up to 50g can be consumed.
If someone is of an average body fat level (12-20% for men, 17-25% for women) I allow fruits with 2-3 times a day (roughly 30-50g of carbs per intake) plus the pre-workout carbs.
If someone is between 8-12% he can have the fruits mentionned above plus 1-2 portions of low-glycemic complex carbs like integral bread, sprouted grains bread, sweet potatoes, etc.
If someone is lower than 8% it is a day to day thing.
[quote]nickj_777 wrote:
Hey CT I came across a photo of you doing a pistol squat and was wondering if there was any merit in doing them? [/quote]
That was from an article called ‘‘The MacGiver workout’’ which basically explained how to train when you have limited (or no) equipment (in my case it was based on an actual experience being stuck in an hotel with next to no equipment).
I wouldn’t use them if better options (squats, deads, lunges, etc.) were available, but if you have no other option they can be useful.
[quote]Francois1 wrote:
I saw the European Championships in weightlifting yesterday. Apart from being amazed by the strength on display, not to mention the muscular size of the weightlifters themselves, I noticed that most of the competitors were very young. Early to mid twenties actually.
Since you have a background in OL, perhaps you could explain why weightlifting appears to be a young man’s sport, as opposed to powerlifting. Are the bodies burnt up quicker, or is it the flexibility factor? Is it perhaps strength, though that would not explain why powerlifters are peaking at a later age.[/quote]
Well, it actually depends on the country.
Countries who use a more aggressive training approach (based on what the Bulgarian started… training the lifts 2-3 times a day, going up to your daily max at least 3 times a week) tend to have lifters who peak early but burn out quickly due to the excruciating stress of the program.
But you also have countries that tend to have lifters perform well into their thirties. These are normally teams who use a wider variety of training exercises and do more work in the 75-85% range instead of the 92-100% one.
Although it is a fact that we tend to lose speed and power at an earlier age than we do strength.
[quote]StraightEdge wrote:
Hey CT,
On May 12th, until the 19th I will be camping out due to a mandatory credit for school. The food that they are supplying us, is insufficient to say the least. It will be right in the middle of a bodybuilding contest prep(contest is the 26th of June). I was wondering what you recommend for exercise as to what to do for avoiding atrophy, and not halting fat loss. I was thinking of buying a bunch of protein bars that are very low on carbs, and trying to use that to try to make the best with the situation that I’ll be in. Thanks for any input if you have any![/quote]
Well, obviously bodyweight exercises can be used. Push-ups, chin-ups, bodyweight lunges, bodyweight squats with a pack sack, etc. And I might suggest beef jerky instead of protein bars. I normally don’t like jerky because of all the sodium an nitrates, but for one week, they can allow you to keep up your protein intake.
But the best strategy is to use a ‘‘hell week’’ approach the week PRIOR to the activity. Double your training volume. This way you are less likely to detrain during the activity as the body will use this time to recover rather than atrophy.
As for the fat loss, I wouldn’t worry about it. As you mentioned you will not have that much food available and you are likely to do a lot of walking. No way are you not going to lose fat.
[quote]kg wrote:
coach, when i squat im always strong out of the hole but the top 1/3 of my lift is where it slows or ends up being a grind. what would cause that to be my weakness and how do i strengthen it.[/quote]
Which lifts? Do you have long limbs compared to your torso? Are you naturally explosive or not? Give me something to work with here![/quote]
sorry bout not giving more info. wasnt sure what you needed. but the lifts i am referring to are both back squat and front squat. As far as limb length versus torso i would say im balanced not too long or short compared to torso. but i would say im naturally explosive. i have always had a high vertical and good sprint speed but sucked at long distance. i have just found it odd that i can explode the weight up but my weakness is always at the top half.
[quote]StraightEdge wrote:
Hey CT,
On May 12th, until the 19th I will be camping out due to a mandatory credit for school. The food that they are supplying us, is insufficient to say the least. It will be right in the middle of a bodybuilding contest prep(contest is the 26th of June). I was wondering what you recommend for exercise as to what to do for avoiding atrophy, and not halting fat loss. I was thinking of buying a bunch of protein bars that are very low on carbs, and trying to use that to try to make the best with the situation that I’ll be in. Thanks for any input if you have any![/quote]
Well, obviously bodyweight exercises can be used. Push-ups, chin-ups, bodyweight lunges, bodyweight squats with a pack sack, etc. And I might suggest beef jerky instead of protein bars. I normally don’t like jerky because of all the sodium an nitrates, but for one week, they can allow you to keep up your protein intake.
But the best strategy is to use a ‘‘hell week’’ approach the week PRIOR to the activity. Double your training volume. This way you are less likely to detrain during the activity as the body will use this time to recover rather than atrophy.
As for the fat loss, I wouldn’t worry about it. As you mentioned you will not have that much food available and you are likely to do a lot of walking. No way are you not going to lose fat.[/quote]
Thanks for the advice, CT, I will definitely use the “hell week” approach, and will stock up on beef jerky. Again thanks for your input.