Thirty days ago I received my shipment of Colossal bovine colostrum. It arrived neatly packaged and protected from damage in reflective padded packaging. The whole thing screamed of advanced technology!

Colossal is a colostrum supplement positioned to accelerate recovery and is the latest entry in the world of sport nutrition. Colostrum is the first milk all mammals produce when they give birth. It’s a complex liquid that nature designed specifically for the unique needs of the newborn. Colostrum is high in immune factors, growth factors, vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Its benefits can be utilized by all species at any stage of their life. Colostrum is intended to provide vital elements to newborns that are critical for their survival. Colostrum is not a new supplement. Like many things, the processing to a powder is a better business model but some of the key factors found is colostrum are potentially compromised.

The advantage of Colossal is that it remains a liquid form for your consumption preserving the growth factors of colostrum—this is a very significant but costly move.

The Colossal Experience

To determine the effectiveness of Colossal, I consumed 20ml in the morning and evening while continuing with my typical diet. I measured my weight in the mornings and kept track of morning soreness and my desire to train (exercise). I had to get out of bed a couple of times when I realized that I had missed my second feeding of Colossal.

I would like to report that I was 10kg heavier with more muscle mass or maybe report that I felt better all day long, but I did not detect any measurable physical or mental differences while taking Colossal. I had no change in body weight or percentage of body fat, and I was not stronger in any of my strength moves. Most certainly we could attribute this to inferior genetics or that I’m in the 5th decade of life. I will let you be the judge on that score.

Colossal needs to be refrigerated but it wasn’t overly big and fit comfortably in my refrigerator. Colossal has a neurtral taste and does can mix with other beverages.

My personal recommendation is that you try Colossal to gauge your personal response to the product. It is not expensive and the science is interesting, at the very least.

The post Can Colostrum Make A Difference In Your Life? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

“We have a field of sort-of-science in which hypotheses are treated as facts because they’re too hard too expensive to test, and there are so many hypotheses that what journalist like to call ‘leading authorities’ disagree with one another daily.” -Gary Taubes

It is that time of year for food promises, 30 day challenges, resolution challenges, and transformation challenges. I’m sure I have forgotten a challenge or twelve but you know what I mean.

“We have a field of sort-of-science in which hypotheses are treated as facts because they’re too hard too expensive to test, and there are so many hypotheses that what journalist like to call ‘leading authorities’ disagree with one another daily.” -Gary Taubes

It is that time of year for food promises, 30 day challenges, resolution challenges, and transformation challenges. I’m sure I have forgotten a challenge or twelve but you know what I mean.

Writing this piece is something I have been dreading for around a month. Nutrition and dietary practices are the most over-cooked (pun intended) and over-discussed piece of our health, wellness, and performance. Yet it remains the second highest priority behind sleep hygiene on my list. Food, the diet conversation, and nutrition continue to be debated, repackaged, and rediscussed to the point that my eyes and ears bleed.

I haven’t written a diet book or a paleo cookbook and I’ve barely been on a podcast, but I am going to share my perspective here, which only adds to the heap of shit sitting on your bookshelves and on your hard drive. However, this is a practitioner’s perspective based on three decades of meal planning, analyzing diet journals, looking at science, and talking to experts, yet mostly, and more importantly, observing what works with my own two eyes.

Individual differences absolutely exist, but incorporating the following concepts into your personal practice will, in general, make you feel better, look better and perform better.

“50 percent of what I am going to tell you is wrong, I just don’t know which 50 percent.” – Dr. Jacob Bigelow, Harvard School of Medicine (1820-1821)

We Are Built to Adapt to Shortages in Macronutrients

In Daniel Lieberman’s book, The Story of the Human Body, the biggest lesson learned is that our physiology is able to operate on various percentages of protein, carbohydrate, and fat.

While not ideal, all, some, or none of these macronutrients can be converted into energy. Should protein intake become sub-standard, muscle can be spared. Should carbohydrate or protein sources become scarce, the body can move to a fragile metabolic condition known as ketosis. It’s not pretty, but can be survived—it’s evolutionary. So, a balanced diet isn’t always possible but you’ll likely live in spite of it.

Thermodynamics Matter

With the help of the CrossFit movement, the Zone Diet became all the rage. Around 2009, the paleo diet was hitting high gear. Fast forward to 2018 and we have fully entered the ketogenic diet era. So who is right and who is wrong? A number of fans of each will sell you on the benefits and advantages of each, but for weight loss, it boils down to thermodynamics. All things being equal, if you create an energy deficit on any of these platforms you will lose weight.

I also think it’s a good idea to go without any food for at least 48 hours one to three times per year. If you fast longer than that your stress hormones will rise and your sleep will go to hell—check out the Minnesota Starvation Experimen if you’re interested.

Beware the Butter and Carb Intake

The use of healthy fats has become a bit of an confusing issue in recent years. You need not be afraid of fat but you shouldn’t buy the hype that a stick of butter in your coffee each morning will trigger beta oxidation and make you lean. All things being equal, 20-30% of your daily calories coming from fat is the sweet spot for most individuals.

Carbs aren’t the enemy, but your ability to handle carbs can be an issue. Excessive carbs can be the enemy and simple sugars are clearly detrimental. If you are uncertain where you fall in regard to carbs, I suggest you read Robb Wolf’s work in the book Wired To Eat. This guide details a seven day carb test to reveal your skill at handling various carbohydrate forms.

It’s also relatively safe to say that if you are more active, you will be able to handle additional carbohydrates. This carbohydrate conversation excludes the possibility of carbs playing a role in neurological health and a potential link to Alzheimer’s, type III diabetes, and dementia.

Protein Rocks

You will probably feel better with more protein. In looking at diet journals over the last five years, I have failed to find a female who consumed even the recommended daily amount for protein intake—fifty percent consumed 40-50 grams total per day. This group were exercisers and could not understand while they felt so horrible and had difficulty recovering between workout sessions. If you focus on getting the recommended daily amount of protein for two weeks I’m pretty certain you’ll feel better and your workout performance will improve.

Adopt Precision to Meet Your Goal

Precision is necessary for the last bit of improvement. If you want to get over the hump, or you are looking for that final 5% of improvement, you need to be precise with your intake. That means something like a Zone Block calculation or use precise macronutrient ratios based on your sex, weight, age, and activity level. There are multiple options, but to really run like a Swiss watch you need the precision.

Employ the Diet Industry with Caution

Big diet industry players, like Weight Watchers, tell us that the majority of their business this time of year is actually repeat business—kinda sad, really. What this reveals is something beyond the biology and physiology discussed here. What this repeat business shows is that using a proper diet really is more of a focus on behavior change, so make sure your behavior matches your goals.

The post Nutrition From a Practitioner’s Perspective appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I’ve found athletes at every level will go to extremes to improve their game. Powders, pills, lighter equipment, better shoes, expensive coaching programs, and banned substances.

How much would you pay for a performance enhancing drug (PED) that provided reduced body fat resulting in improved lean body mass? Or maybe it gave you faster reflexes, reduced inflammation, and increased your strength? How about something that would improve your skin, balance your hormones, and reduce your cortisol?

I’ve got a really good drug for you then, and it’s free. What is this drug, you ask? It’s sleep.

Skipping Sleep Is Bad for You

There is a negative to ignoring this PED and the consequences are significant. Sleep deprivation in some cases can lead to increased risk of cancer, reduced sex hormones, compromised immunity, and an increase of stress hormones along with insulin resistance. In addition, lack of sleep can cause an immediate risk for you and your loved ones when it comes to daily safety while driving your vehicle with a reduction in reaction time similar to that of drunk driving. When it comes to taking inventory of sleep rituals, most of us, including top level athletes, lack tracking the details of our sleep.

Identify Your Level of Sleep Deprivation

Homosapien is an amazing machine. Normally, we adapt so well to challenges that low levels of stress are tolerated easily. However, when it comes to poor sleep habits, things become more complicated. Some possible signs of sleep issues are:

• Hitting the snooze button—the most insane creation ever developed.
• Excessive tiredness upon rising.
• A powerful desire to nap.
• Experiencing brain fog.
• Microsleeps or dozing off at meetings, while driving (oh, Lord no), during movies, or after meals.
• Heart rate variability decrease. This would need to be examined over weeks or months, but if training load, diet, and lifestyle are consistent then this could be an indication of an issue.
• Snoring or other bumps in the night. Around four million people are walking around with undiagnosed sleep apnea. If you share a bed, your partner might be able to confirm your noises.

There could be other things indirectly related to your overall health like digestive issues, headaches, strong caffeine and/or nicotine dependency, and weakness.

“I’ve always loathed the necessity of sleep. Like death, it puts even the most powerful men on their backs.” – Francis Underwood

I’ve worked mostly on a default basis with sleep. If someone experiences ailments yet cannot recite their sleep practice over the last week, I assume their sleep could use some work. The good news is that surprisingly small changes can fix it.

Hacks for the Small Problems

These are my absolutes when it comes to fixing a sleep concern. Try all of these first before you move to more extreme approaches.

Consistent Bedtime and Same Rise n’ Shine

This means keep your bedtime and waking time within 30 minutes of your norm despite the day of the week and your schedule. It can be frustrating and a tad anti-social, but that Monday sleep hangover will be a thing of the past. Also, make certain the room is totally dark.

Cold Bedroom Thermostat (60-65° F)

Naturally our body temperature drops as the day ends. This is part of the biological signalling that we need to sleep. Sometimes our body stays too warm and dropping the temperature in the bedroom can trigger the sleep response. If your room is already too cold, and your roomie is keeping you in the frozen tundra, put on an extra blanket or wear socks to bed.

Final Feeding Three Hours Before Bed

Whenever possible you should stop eating or drinking three hours before bed. If you have the correct caloric intake during the rest of the day you should be fine.

“Two hours of sleep before midnight is worth four hours after.” – Charles Atlas

Cut Your Caffeine

Make it a rule to cut off your caffeine at noon each day. The halflife for coffee is around seven hours. A DNA test can reveal your level of sensitivity but most people consume much more than they need.

Limit Alcohol

While alcohol sounds like a good idea to help you relax in the evening, it will have a rebound effect and you will awake once the alcohol has been metabolized. At minimum, your deep sleep is impeded if you drink alcohol in the evening. Studies on students who drank after studying for exams performed worse than students who studied the same amount but did not drink alcohol. I’m not a choir-boy, but I can confirm all of this from my own personal experience. If you want restorative slumber be sure to minimize your alcohol.

No Screens One Hour Before Bed

If you must work on the computer, watch television, or use your smartphone within one hour before bedtime, consider using blue light spectrum glasses.

Exercise Earlier in the Day

Exercise can stimulate some individuals to the point of insomnia. If you get buzzed up after you workout then you should consider moving your session up to an earlier time of day.

Once you have checked off on all of the above, then log your sleep for 30 days and note how much better your look, feel, and perform.

Hacks for the Bigger Sleep Concerns

If you are still suffering for poor night night routines, you can introduce one of these practices. Only introduce one at a time and test your results.

• Consume some high glycemic carbohydrates with the evening feeding.
• Consume a small amount of casein thirty minutes before bed.
• Eliminate your afternoon nap or make it only a 5-10 minute power-nap.
• Meditate.
• Take a hot bath followed by a cool shower.
• Use a magnesium supplement, which leads me to a final point.

Sleep supplements are a no-no if you think taking them will make up for having a poor sleep routine. They could even be more damaging overall. For instance, melatonin is a hormone that triggers sleep, which does nothing for your insomnia and will inhibit your own melatonin production via the negative feedback loop.

Harness the Power of Sleep

This is probably isn’t the first article you’ve read on sleep and it probably won’t be the last. What I hope is that this article will inspire you to take serious inventory of your sleep habits and, if they are broken, you will commit to improving your sleep practice with a 30-day sleep challenge.

I’m a health and fitness practitioner, not a sleep scientist nor a physician. At the end of the day, if you have concerns or doubts you should consult a physician and discuss the need for a sleep study. Serious sleep issues need to be diagnosed by a sleep professional.

The post One PED You Shouldn’t Resist appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Motivation for change is usually inspired by disgust. Most of us are wired with a pride mechanism that is triggered during a sub par physical challenge. To help support our motivation for change is using sleep practice, healthful nutritional practice, movement practice, and introspection—the pillars of the Second Half Playbook. These pillars are supported with practices that are easy to do, but are also easy no to do. As a result, The Law of Compounding can make everyone a wellness millionaire.

“These are things that are easy to do, but are easy not to do.”

Jeff Olsen,The Slight Edge

After showing how the right lifestyle modifications can slow the aging process regardless of ourcurrent statusandhow an understanding of your physical strengths and your weakness is important to your success, I’d like to present some potential assessment options.

Knowledge can be a powerful motivator. I have discovered that the final straw breaking the camel’s back is usually because the person has become disgusted with themselves for some reason.

Staring at horrible lab numbers usually doesn’t do it. I’ve watched cardiac rehabilitation patients revolt over extra exercise time only to stampede to the door after class to reach the open air and an opportunity to smoke again.

Yes, falling short of expectation during physical tasks is usually humbling. There is something about being exposed during a physical assessment that is life changing. Stopping a 4:00 row test seeking oxygen or falling shy of expectations during a deadlift typically triggers our personal pride mechanisms, catapulting us to action.

The formula is simple. Complexity is not better. The more behaviors and practices that we try and shoehorn into the crowded calendar of the masters athlete, the more subpar the output.

The pillars, presented here in the order of importance, will focus on hacks, practices, and technology that support the Second Half hierarchy.

Sleep

Sleep is a the most critical of pillars. Less than 7-8 hours on a regular basis will, in short order, set the stage for everything from microsleeps during the day to blood sugar instability and cancer. Golly kids, you just can’t hide it with extra coffee, either.

Nutrition

At one point this would have been considered about 50% of the health and fitness equation. That is no longer the case. I’ve watched athletes with trashy eating habits change overnight. Social media has exploited this with the transformation selfie.

Physical Movement/Training

Our lives have become tech driven and comfort has become a priority. As a result, we have become softer, almost unrecognizable, and lack work capacity. As a youth, I looked forward to the battery of tests required in order to win the President’s Physical Fitness Award—real pull ups, push ups, sit ups, and running evaluations. Today, that award has been reduced to downloading a bogus certificate of participation.

Introspection and Social Elements

I spent 10-15 years using training pursuits as a way to hide from mental and emotional states. However, staying in the moment to get things right is as basic as it gets. If getting one hour right happens, then the next hour can become the focus—days become weeks, weeks become months, and months become years.

Why Compounding Works in Your Second Half

When people of lesser means learn someone they know is a millionaire, they brush it off with statements like “they must have won the lottery.” Less than 1% of the millionaires in the United States acquired their fortune as a result of winning the lottery. They acquired their money through planning, living below their means, consistently investing, and saving.

Regular and consistent investing takes advantage of the law of compounding. The law of compounding says that investing your money carefully and allowing it to grow at compound interest will eventually make you rich. Compound interest is considered one of the great miracles of all of human history and economics.

Your wellness multiplies following the same laws. Making easy, positive choices instead of using poor judgement and selecting less healthy decisions compounds your wellness.

Here are a few examples of simple things you can compound:

• Working out at 5:00 pm instead of going to happy hour
• Ordering a side salad instead of french fries
• Going to bed instead of watching the late news

These all seem like relatively painless, simple things to do, right? But that is also why they are easy not to do. This is why so many people fail to become wellness millionaires.

People wait for a magic pill or some inspiring gust of wind to transport them to health, fitness, and wellness when all that they really need to do is take the marginally more uncomfortable route repeatedly and consistently.

Sleep on it. You could probably use some rest, anyway.

The post The Pillars of the Second Half of Life appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

It’s a routine practiced every day in gyms and boxes across the land—exercisers finish a session and hustle to get in their post-workout recovery meal. For decades it’s been preached that the optimal window for post-workout calories is 30 to 60 minutes following that last rep.

Typically, we tote along our powders and shaker bottle and, because we don’t want to be sub-optimal, we rush the recovery powder into the shaker bottle and flood the whole thing with 8-12 ounces of water from the nearest source. If the stars all align, and we have the lid on correctly, we can begin to shake. Sometimes we make a mess, sometimes not.

Enter Vade Nutrition’s Dissolvable Protein Scoops, inspired by the frequent mess of post-workout protein preparation. Joe and Megan Johnson of Vade Nutrition created the pods using a food grade quality film to contain exactly one serving of their whey isolate.

A Quick Whey Protein Tutorial

Whey is composed of two components—the concentrate and isolate. Quality whey provides all the key amino acids for glutathione production (cysteine, glycine, and glutamate) and contains a unique cysteine residue (glutamylcysteine) that is highly bioactive in its affinity for converting to glutathione.

Unlike the slow release properties of casein, whey is easily absorbed and therefore preferred in the post-workout window of gains.

I Give the Pods a Thumbs Up

Initially, I was skeptical of the pods packaging, but I did find it rather handy to reach into the sturdy resealable bag to pull out a serving. It mixed easily in both my blender and a shaker bottle. Each serving provides 20 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, and 2 grams of carbohydrates.

My bag was a mix of vanilla and chocolate pods. The taste was good and I would give it 4 out of 5 stars when it comes to flavor and how easily it dissolved. Vade meets the standards for the Safe Quality Foods Program (SQF III), British Retail Consortium, and is FDA certification compliant. Clearly, the unique selling proposition here is the pod style serving. It’s also a clear winner in terms of mixing, and the taste is decent.

I think Vade’s Protein Scoops are a solid entry in the post-workout recovery product category and worthy of your consideration.

The post Convenient Nutrition: Protein Pods appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

“The journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step.” – Forrest Gump

With the right lifestyle modifications we can slow the aging process regardless of our current status. No matter what your condition, an understanding of your physical strengths and your weakness is important to your success. This understanding can only be gained by assessing your current status. This is you versus yourself.

“The journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step.” – Forrest Gump

With the right lifestyle modifications we can slow the aging process regardless of our current status. No matter what your condition, an understanding of your physical strengths and your weakness is important to your success. This understanding can only be gained by assessing your current status. This is you versus yourself.

Ideally, your assessments will include: laboratory results, anthropometric measures, a movement screen, a measure of strength, and cardiovascular power. Tech savvy individuals will consider the Polar Beat App fitness test (in-app $2.00 charge) and/or a heart rate variability (HRV) assessment.

Be aware, I am going to talk about direct medical and fringe medical issues here. I am not a doctor, however, I am going to direct you to undertake some physical fitness assessments. If you follow all, or some parts, of this it is 100% at your discretion—now, on with the show.

Build Your Wellness Map

Not so many years ago, if I was headed out on our nation’s highways and interstates I would visit my local AAA office and obtain a road map. The map would have detailed information regarding mileage between food, fuel, and overnight options along the way. The map was not a luxury item, in my opinion, it was a critical piece of information that saved time and resources.

These days, with the advent of the smartphone, we now turn on our maps app and have instant information on routes, fuel stops (including price per gallon), accommodations, and potential construction hazards.

In our quest to optimize our journey in the second half of our lives, we still need a roadmap of sorts. This type of roadmap is the knowledge of our current health and fitness. This permits us to make appropriate decisions so we can adjust our lifestyle practice.

Step 1: Laboratory Work

I joked one winter as I saw a long line of cars at the carwash that most vehicle owners probably care more about the dirt and salt rock on their car than they do about their lab work. I want you to think of lab work as looking under the hood of your automobile. While you might not see physiological changes, your blood can reveal important information about your baseline health and fitness.

Most contemporary physicians will honor your request to order specific lab work or you may want to consider any number of online lab services. Three labs that have provided good service historically are Private MD Labs, Life Extension, and Wellness FX. I personally use Wellness FX and have found their work to be consistent and their service to be excellent. They also offer consultants to assist with interpreting the results.

Whatever route you select, seek to include results of the following areas whenever possible:

• Cardiovascular system
• Metabolic system
• Liver function
• Kidney function
• Electrolyte levels
• Bone health
• Reproductive hormones
• Vitamin and mineral levels

If you do decide to go the DIY independant lab route, correct interpretation of your results is critical, so please seek a general practitioner for assistance with your results.

Step 2: Anthropometric Measurements

Basically, measure your body. Take measurements of your waist, hips, thighs, chest, and upper arms. It’s easy and handy to use a “smart” bathroom scale. These units will not only provide a measure of your mass, but will also provide a percentage of body fat reading via impedance. While “weight” is not a terrific metric, long term trends can be established and provide some insight on undesirable habits that keep us from progressing.

Step 3: Movement Screen

An overhead squat with a broom handle or PVC pipe will reveal to you all the parts of your body that need additional attention. Below is a photo of the standard you need to try to achieve. Try to fit into the bottom position mirroring this standard. If you have trouble meeting this standard, use the following list to target problem areas.

• Toes out: tight calves
• Valgus knees (knees collapse in): tight adductors/weak glute medius
• Knees out: tight adductors/weaker adductors
• Forward lean: tight hip flexors/calves/chest
• Rounded back: tight hamstrings/adductors
• Asymmetrical shift: tight adductors/poroformis on the side that buckles

If you know of a Functional Movement Screen (FMS) practitioner and prefer a different set of eyes, please feel free to work with them.

Step 4: Strength Evaluation

We are approaching the Second Half Playbook as an N of 1 clinical trial. We care little (at least initially) how we compare with a random sampling of individuals. We care only about where we are and where we are going.

If you don’t have access to a barbell and some weight plates, you might need to find a friend who does or get a pass at a legitimate gym. Strength is the ability to exert a force. Our strength assessment is the barbell deadlift. In everyday life, if you cannot pick up stuff, your independence long-term is diminished. Not skilled in the deadlift? Not a problem. Look for a hex bar (squat bar, trap bar) because it will make for an easy set up for deadlifting.

Still not ready? Skip this assessment and practice with a coach or make a future appointment with a professional to test your strength with the deadlift.

If the barbell does not appeal to you, then go with this next assessment instead. These are more a measure of strength-endurance, so they are time tested. Be very strict with your standard for re-testing purposes.

One minute of each exercise for max reps:

• Push ups
• Sit ups
• Strict pull ups

Step 5: Cardio Assessment

Our final assessment is a measurement of cardiovascular power, also known as VO2 max. VO2 max is the measurement of the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense, or maximal, exercise. It is measured as milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight. It is one factor that may help determine an athlete’s capacity to perform sustained exercise.

There are two ways to assess V02 max. The Dr. Ken Cooper’s 12 minute run test or the 4:00 O’Neil row test.

These are known as “field tests” because the performance (distance or time) is used to indirectly determine the person’s maximum oxygen consumption. It is important to standardize this test as much as possible—this includes, but is not limited to: the day and the time of day, movement execution standards, and readiness (rest and nutrition).

Equip Yourself

By using these assessments to determine where you currently stand, you will be better equipped to identify areas that may need to be strengthened, stretched, or mobilized. As we age, knowing what our bodies are capable of, and making improvements where we can, will only serve to keep us healthy and strong into future years.

Continue by reading The Pillars Of The Second Half Of Life.

The post The Second Half of Life Playbook: Assess Your Condition appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

“I go to bed healthy and I wake up with an injury.” – Father Time

“I go to bed healthy and I wake up with an injury.” – Father Time

Data now reveals that the majority of health and fitness is within our control, and Canadian research supports the squaring of mortality with healthy lifestyle practice. In my practice, I have found this to be absolutely true. But first, let me tell you about Darrell.

Why Darrell Lost His Groove

At the age of 67 Darrell has a bit of hail damage. Two total shoulder replacements and some arthritis in his knees make the mornings a bit of a challenge. He moves slowly and, while things aren’t perfect, three years ago it was far worse.

Darrell had ignored his roots. He played college football at the highest level, and had practiced everything from bodybuilding to bicycle racing in the years following his career. While things changed with a budding work life and a starting a family, he was still active and exercising.

Then, through years of work, the perception that he was “of age” had become the predominate theme and Darrell had become largely sedentary. Compounding his inactivity was his sloppy diet. The result? Fifty additional pounds of weight and a stiff, unathletic body. Clearly he was heading in the wrong direction that had a disastrous conclusion.

If you examine the passing of time we are, in fact, getting older. Sorry gang. Everything from sex hormones to connective tissue are less abundant and less effective.

The Western Journal of Medicine does not paint a rosy picture when it comes to aging:

“Physiological changes occur with aging in all organ systems. The cardiac output decreases, blood pressure increases and arteriosclerosis develops. The lungs show impaired gas exchange, a decrease in vital capacity and slower expiratory flow rates. The creatinine clearance decreases with age although the serum creatinine level remains relatively constant due to a proportionate age-related decrease in creatinine production. Functional changes, largely related to altered motility patterns, occur in the gastrointestinal system with senescence, and atrophic gastritis and altered hepatic drug metabolism are common in the elderly. Progressive elevation of blood glucose occurs with age on a multifactorial basis and osteoporosis is frequently seen due to a linear decline in bone mass after the fourth decade. The epidermis of the skin atrophies with age and due to changes in collagen and elastin the skin loses its tone and elasticity. Lean body mass declines with age and this is primarily due to loss and atrophy of muscle cells. Degenerative changes occur in many joints and this, combined with the loss of muscle mass, inhibits elderly patients’ locomotion. These changes with age have important practical implications for the clinical management of elderly patients: metabolism is altered, changes in response to commonly used drugs make different drug dosages necessary and there is need for rational preventive programs of diet and exercise in an effort to delay or reverse some of these changes.”

This preview is anything but encouraging. It is easy to see how we might want to throw in the towel. This is old school dogma. The current research paints a much better picture and here is what we now know about aging.

Seventy percent of what happens (healthwise) is under our control.

Let that sink in for a moment. What I am saying is the majority of what happens to us is under our control. If you told me I had a 70% chance of success in anything I’m going to fight you to be first in line. Those, my friend, are winning percentages.

I will concede that while it is not completely understood, aging on its own influences our genes and can trigger nasty things. But the lifestyle choices we make can influence this expression in our genes. The terms of our health, the duration of life, and certainly the quality of life, is driven by our lifestyle.

Canadian researchers found in the longitudinal study that individuals who implemented better health practices lived a longer, higher quality life and had less prolonged passings.

Here is what the study reported in a graphical terms.

The X axis is time to death and the Y axis is health/quality of life. The dotted arrows are lifestyle practice and medical advancements. Instead of a slow bleed to the end, death comes quickly. This squaring of the aging curve allows us to say, “Live long and die short.”

Not All Is Lost

Darrell’s story has a happy ending. Here are just two examples of how he improved his health profile.

Over the initial 12 months, Darrell’s weight went from 311 pounds to 255 pounds. Not only did he lose weight, but performing an up/down (going from a standing position to a prone position on the floor and then back up again) went from 25 seconds to 8 seconds.

This is not an overnight process and there are going to be setbacks, but Darrell’s improvements are not out of the ordinary. Improvements are attainable for all who seek them.

Take Action in the Second Half of Your Life

Welcome to The Second Half Playbook. This section, in cooperation with Breaking Muscle, is dedicated to the betterment of the 40-plus athlete.

We are always looking for hacks and practices that allow us to stay in the game of life for as long as possible. Stay tuned as we help bring out the best in you. If you have suggestions for topics that you’d like to see covered please email info@breakingmuscle.com and put Coach Rut in the subject line.

Continue by reading The Second Half Of Life Playbook: Assess Your Condition.

References:

1. Boss, Gerry R., and J. Edwin Seegmiller. “Age-Related Physiological Changes and Their Clinical Significance.” Western Journal of Medicine 135.6 (1981): 434–440. Print.

The post Why Age Is Only a Number appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Your training program should also include a level of objectivity. Without you or your coach holding your feet to the fire, you’re just chasing your tail. Today I’m going to share a few things for you to take into consideration when determining the effectiveness of your training program.

Having a coach to help you stay directed is a major component of training success.

Know Your Specific Goal(s)

Before I make some specific assessment recommendations, it’s important that you are detailed about your training goals. About 99% of people will say they want to “lose weight and get in shape.” That needs to become a more specific and detailed target. Here’s a list of steps to get you started.

1. State the goal in a way that is specific, measurable and realistic. “I want to lose fifteen pounds.”

2. State the trade-offs involved in achieving the goal. These are the uncomfortable parts. This step is about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Trading old bad habits for newer better habits. Examples:

• I can’t go out every Tuesday evening to the bar.
• I will not be able to go to eat four pints of frozen custard during the week.
• I will need to skip late-night television so I can get up in the morning.

3. State the benefits you get from working toward your goal. These are the good habits and things you are getting:

• I will be able to wear my old jeans.
• I will not grow weary in the afternoons.
• I will finally perform ten perfect push ups.
• I will sign up for that mountain bike race my friends having been asking me about.
• I will be healthier for the long term.

4. List the tasks required. This would include all the execution steps. For example:

• Make a specific shopping list.
• Prepare lunches and dinners in advance.
• Have water with me at all times.
• Have workout clothes ready.

5. Set a deadline. “I will lose the fifteen pounds in twelve weeks by the weigh-in date of …” You can also set interval deadlines.

6. Occasionally, it is appropriate to set a reward for an accomplished goal. A movie, afternoon off, a new book. But this reward should also come with a contingency: if you regress from your achieved goal within a twelve-month period, then there should be a penalty.

Know Your Training Load

Training load is a measure of your volume times the intensity. This is important in that you want to find your specific load for effective training. If you can only tolerate “X” minutes of training, but your friend needs double that to elicit a training adaptation, then you need to know that.

“Regardless of the assessments you select, it’s important to have a regular schedule to test your program against an objective standard.” 

Training load can be calculated easily by multiplying your training rate of perceived exertion (RPE) by your training time in minutes. You can use the ten-point Borg scale for your RPE. So if you trained 25 minutes at a RPE of 7, your training load would be 175. (25 x 7 = 175)

You can also use advanced methods if you have a heart rate monitor and a tracking website associated with it. Regardless of your tools, relating training load to assessment data is an important connection.

Do Assessments (From Easy to Complex)

Assessments are typically general or specific. Since most readers here seek general physical preparedness (GPP), I’ll focus on those. If your initial level of fitness is low, then you are what is commonly referred to as a novice trainee. You should anticipate crazy good improvement in most if not all of these measures. If not, then your program is broken and you need a different approach.

• Resting Heart Rate – As your fitness improves, so does cardiovascular function. By measuring your resting heart rate upon rising each morning a gradual lowering of pulse will be detected. Measure radial pulse upon rising or better yet, use HRV or a heart rate strap technology.
• Body Composition – An effective training program when combined with a performance eating plan will optimize body fat levels. Measuring body fat requires some technical equipment, along with a skilled technician. Retest (using the same method) every four to eight weeks initially.
• Morning Weight – The whole world owns a bathroom scale. Not the best metric, but it can be useful for observing a trend. Clients who also share their weigh-ins with a coach increase the level of accountability.
• Waist Measurement – While your weight might not change, your waist size typically will. You can also gather import health information by dividing your waist by your height. If your ratio is greater than .5, then you have some work ahead of you.
• HRV – I consider the measurement of HRV to be the most significant performance tool of the last decade. HRV provides a snapshot of the body’s current level of readiness while also revealing long-term improvements that are not necessarily detected via other means.

Take Performance Measurements

I divide performance test into two different tiers. The first tier is lower skill and appropriate for the majority of trainees. The second tier is for a more advanced trainee and athletes with exposure to more complex movements.

Tier 1

• Push Ups (max) – Perform as many as possible in good form without failing. Stoppage in the plank position is permitted. This is a power endurance test.
• Pull Ups (max) – Perform as many as possible without releasing from the bar. This is another power endurance test.
• 500M Row – Fastest time to complete 500m. The O’Neill rowing test can also be used. The O’Neill test is a general endurance measure.
• Tabata Squat – Measures readiness and general endurance fitness. Form is of a premium, so you need to be able to squat. Your score is the lowest number of reps performed in any of the eight rounds. Our minimum is fifteen reps. Note: Serious consequences can result from taking a deconditioned trainee through all eight rounds. When in doubt, four rounds will be more than adequate. 

Tier 2 (and Worthy of Further Consideration)

• 1RM Deadlift – Lower on the technical side, the deadlift measures strength in the pull. The problem comes when poor technique meets weak linkage and an injury results. Possible, but it depends on the athlete. If you have been exposed to other strength moves and are comfortable with them, then feel free to include these as part of your Tier 2 assessment. Just don’t go hog wild with every move.
• Vertical Jump or Long Jump – The tricky part of the vertical jump test is that an athlete could gain quality mass from a well-constructed program and this could result in reduced jump height. Using the Harman Formula you can determine the power produced: (Peak power (W) = 61.9 x jump height (cm) + 36.0 x body mass (kg) + 1,822)

Putting It All Together

Regardless of the assessments you select, it’s important to have a regular schedule to test your program against an objective standard. Novice athletes will improve quickly and can be retested every eight weeks. Depending on the goals, an advanced trainee should consider a quarterly assessment schedule. Without it, you are left with little or no objective data on the effectiveness of your program.

Check out these related articles:

• 7 Articles to Help You Choose a Good Coach
• Feedback From a Coach Can Improve Your Performance
• The Most Underrated Principle of Strength Training is Balance
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

Photos 1 and 3 courtesy of CrossFit Empirical.

Photo 2 courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Coach, How Do I Know if My Program Is Effective? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I guess I’m an awfully good sponge. I absorb ideas from every course I can, and put them to practical use. Then I improve them until they become of some value. The ideas which I use are mostly the ideas of other people who don’t develop them themselves. – Thomas Edison, when complimented on his creative genius

Since 2004, when I first proposed the overlaying of effort lifting with CrossFit GPP (the Max Effort Black Box aka MEBB), I’ve worked on numerous template designs. I’ve listened to athletes and coaches from various walks of life and different sports. The questions have come from those who just love CrossFit and want to do it better to the high school and college coach who wants to employ CrossFit but also needs more strength work. Several CrossFit Games participants have confessed to using my templates, and testimonials from multiple individuals are littered throughout my blog.

To date here’s what we know for certain occurs to the athletic fitness profile of MEBB users:

• Enhanced athletic fitness
• Improved CrossFit performance
• Improved athletic movement
• Better training variety
• Enhanced power and explosiveness
• Reduction in orthopedic stress
• Long-term improvement, with no theoretical limit
• Increases in lean body mass
• Flex use of components

But even given all that, I’m never quite satisfied with the status quo. So, I’ve been working on an advanced template. I’ve had this out in BETA in different variations since the spring of 2009, and I’m going to share elements of this program with you today.

Adding Speed and Volume Tiers

One thing I’ve fought constantly with the implementation of any of the MEBB templates was the overachieving, hyperactive, what-else-can-I-do personality. If I didn’t hand out additional assignments, these people will go off the rails and just do something random. This got me thinking that I needed to consider another way to harness that energy in a productive way. As a result, in addition to the effort tier, I have added a speed tier and a volume tier. Adding speed and volume are elements from a concurrent, Westside-style template.

Speed Tiers

These are sub-maximal loads (50% of 1RM) executed at maximal velocities. Examples of this would be 10 sets of 2 reps with 50% of the 1 RM squat with 1:00 of rest. Another would be a hurdle hop or high box jump. Westside barbell founder Louie Simmons has trained a number of sprinters with the concurrent method and speed tier work is an important element in those training plans.

Effort tier work (strength-speed) displaces the force-velocity curve by working on the force component. The speed (speed-strength) helps to further displace the curve by working on the velocity at which the force is applied.1

Volume Tiers

Volume tiers add dimension to muscle fiber, thicken connective tissue, and increase capillary density. Volume tiers are high-repetition sets reaching close to, if not to, muscle failure. Think bodybuilders. For the upper body, an athlete could perform 3 sets of 20 reps of suspended push ups. Bilateral lower body tiers are balanced with unilateral lunge patterns in the volume tier. Total body volume work is best accomplished with complexes using barbells or dumbbells.

Effort, Speed, and Volume

The advanced template concurrently trains power, speed, and muscle density components. The order is effort tier, speed tier, and finally the volume tier. A daily session might look like this:

1. Warm Up Moves
2. Hang Power Snatch 3 x 3, 3 x 1
3. Squats 8 x 2 @50% of 1RM
4. Suspended Push Ups 3 x RM
5. Glute Ham Raise 3 x 15
6. Post Stretch and/or Foam Roller

Weekly Template: 3/1, 2/1

To date our best feedback points to a three-on with one-day rest followed by two-on with one-day rest. We rotate two or three effort/speed/volume tier days with two or three CrossFit couplets or triplets.

I must note that selecting ideal CrossFit couplets or triplets takes a keen understanding of the athlete’s unique skill set. It’s not a perfect science, but let’s be frank, nothing in applied exercise science is or has been perfect.

References:

1. William J. Kraemer and Steven J. Fleck, Optimizing Strength Training: Designing Nonlinear Periodization Workouts. (Human Kinetics, 2007).

Photo courtesy of CrossFit Impulse.

The post Advanced Options With the Max Effort Black Box appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Assumptions and Limitations of This Program

This programming approach assumes an intermediate status as a weightlifter. If you are a beginner or have large technical issues, then this approach may not be ideal. I also believe that a solid strength base should be established prior to attempting this approach.

Advantages:

• Large return on investment
• Greater focus and intensity
• Good for masters-aged lifters with reduced recovery skills
• Good confidence builder, since you work with heavier loads every week

Disadvantages:

• Mechanics and technical skills ignored.
• Psychological stress from lifting heavier
• Heavier loads can sometimes lead to injury

Movements and Rotation

This minimalist approach to training takes on a Spartan look and feel while borrowing intensity from the Bulgarian lifting approach. Typically, I took a day for snatch work, a day for jerk practice, and a third day to check my progress through practice of all three Olympic lifts:

Snatch Day Movements Used:

• Hang Snatch (Pocket)
• Hang Snatch (Knee)
• Snatch (Deck)
• Front Squat
• Posterior Chain

Jerk Day Movements Used:

• Hang Clean (Pocket)
• Hang Clean (Knee)
• Clean (Deck)
• Clean and Jerk
• Jerk
• Back Squat

Snatch and Clean and Jerk Day

On this day I worked up to a projected opening or I performed 8 to 10 singles at 90%. At the point at which I was pulling from the deck, nothing less than 85% of max was employed. Other than squats this approach was and is all about singles and doubles. This approach for selecting load, sets and reps is useful:

The Weekly Rotation

• Monday: Snatch Session
• Tuesday: CrossFit
• Wednesday: CrossFit or Sled Drag
• Thursday: Clean Session
• Friday: Brief CrossFit or Sled Drag
• Saturday: Snatch, Clean and Jerk Session
• Sunday: Rest or Walk

CrossFit sessions should maintain and support the lifting objective, but not disrupt progress. My preference is for short efforts. Dragging a sled pumps the blood and excludes an eccentric load and is therefore helpful where another metabolic-conditioning work would be ill advised. In addition, if you are concerned about your health, fitness, and performance you should be utilizingheart rate variability measurements with your daily routine, especially with a program like I’ve outlined above.

Photo courtesy of Karl Buchholtz Photography.

The post The Max Effort Black Box Program Adapted for Weightlifters appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

And while I’ve had my successes with helping the aspiring athlete run faster, jump higher, and put more weight overhead, I derive the greatest pleasure from helping the family man or woman. He goes to work, he is likely in a relationship, and he has a family and probably volunteers in some capacity. These athletes have different stress and value systems. Elite performance and personal records are important, but not at the expense of other values.

I recently received the following e-mail, which was the genesis of my variation on the original MEBB – the Max Effort Black Box for the Family Man:

My name is Jason and I hope you are doing well today.

I think I am experienced enough to answer my own question, but wanted to see if you had two cents to add. I am going to begin the ME Black Box routine. (Thanks by the way!) However, as a devoted father of small children, and a husband and coach of recreational baseball, I will not be going to the gym on the weekends. I reserve those days for foam rolling, active bodyweight recovery, and family. So if I am trying to adapt the MEBB to a five-day program how do you feel about CrossFit M/W/F, ME Total on Tuesdays, and alternating upper/lower each Thursday? I know this does not fit the three-on-one-off parameters, so I may find myself needing a rest day towards the end of the week. I am looking for a starting point with the barbell.

Thanks for your time and I hope you have a great day.

The Nuts and Bolts

At this stage of the game I trust that everyone is familiar with the ME Black Box. The MEBB will provide the necessary strength and power stimulus to accelerate your fundamental strength and propel your CrossFit workout times and benchmark scores. But there are slightly different rules for the family man:

The Family Man MEBB Rules:

1. All training must be performed Monday through Friday.
2. No workouts are performed on Saturday and Sunday, as these are reserved for the family and other pursuits.
3. No workout can exceed 45 minutes.
4. Other healthy practices should be in place.

The Family Man MEBB Training Template

This template is quite simple. The athlete will us an A/B split:

• A = Max Effort (ME) Day
• B = CrossFit (CF) Day

Since there are five days for workouts and two primary focuses of training, there will be a week of three ME sessions followed by a week of two ME sessions. I have included the ME Day tier rotation information below:

Rep Rotations:

• Week 1 – 5 x 5
• Week 2 – 5 x 3
• Week 3 – 5 x 1

The randomization of your program is completely your call. If your relative strength is the limiting factor then you should only incorporate short duration CrossFit workout challenges.

I believe this training template offers even the busiest of family folks an opportunity to maintain top tier performance while maintaining a balance of family time. If you give it a try, come back and leave a comment and let me know how it’s working for you.

Photos courtesy of CrossFit Impulse.

The post The Max Effort Black Box Program for the Family Man (or Woman) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Within a year I was standing in a 1,200-square-foot gym in Santa Cruz, California with nine other fitness pioneers learning about CrossFit from the creators, Greg and Lauren Glassman. I was excited to put some of my new knowledge to work when I returned home, but quickly discovered that most all of my clients failed to demonstrate the strength necessary to executed most of the classics CrossFit workouts.

At the invitation of Greg and Lauren, I made several trips back to Santa Cruz. (This was an enjoyable and pioneering time in my career and life, but that’s another story.) While there, I observed that the best athletes and those finishing near the top of the leaderboard rankings also demonstrated better absolute and relative strength. For instance, after performing several high intensity METCONs for the certification groups, I watched Greg Amundson perform several singles of thrusters with 125kg while wearing running shoes. Strong guy!

Suddenly, it was clear as a bell. My athletes simply lacked the strength necessary to properly execute the workout of the day (WOD). So I began implementing dedicated strength training along with the CrossFit template design. As a result, I noticed that my clients’ loading moved closer to what was prescribed. That fall I was retained by one of the city’s best high school basketball coaches. Using this same approach, the basketball players’ strength improvements continued throughout the season.

With this the Max Effort Black Box (MEBB) concept was hatched.

The Components of the MEBB

MAXIMUM EFFORT (ME): A cornerstone to this approach is a barbell session where the athlete works with a load near his or her maximum. This will typically fall in the 90%+ range. Reps will range from 1-5. Max effort does not necessarily mean vein bursting or stroke inducing. This is typically coached as “your best effort” for the day.

MOVEMENT ROTATION: Taking a page from Joe Kenn, movement pools are divided into total body (T), lower body (L) and upper body (U):

TOTAL BODY (T): These movements include a combination of lower body and upper body. Typically ground-based and including a transfer of energy from lower to upper. These would be Olympic clean variations, snatch variations, push presses, and jerks. Deadlifts can be placed in this movement pool.

LOWER BODY (L): These movements include movements below the waist. Think squats (front and back), pistols, and trap bar deadlifts.

UPPER BODY (U): Anything above the waist. These include the press (vertical, horizontal, and incline), pull ups, push ups (difficult to overload), handstand push ups, and dips.

The first day of strength is a total body move, the next strength day is a lower body movement, and then finally an upper body movement. What occurs is a rotation of these ME days. On the first ME day, we perform a total body movement; on the second ME day, a lower body movement; and finally on the third ME day, an upper body movement.

There are three week and two week rotations with the T, L, and U movement tiers, moving from an introductory week to an intensification week of singles. If you are a novice strength trainee, then start with the three-week repetition rotation. You should also have a small movement pool and focus on squats, presses, and the power versions of the Olympic movements.

A three-week rotation reps looks like this:

Week 1: 5-5-5-5-5

Week 2: 3-3-3-3-3

Week 3: 1-1-1-1-1

The two-week rotation repetition works well with those who have been exposed to strength work:

Week 1: 5-5-5-3-3-3

Week 2: 3-3-3-1-1-1*

(*Total body movements stay with the 3-3-3-1-1-1 rep scheme to maintain rep quality when performing total body movement.)

Here is an example of a two-week movement pool rotation:

Day 1 – CrossFit Workout

Day 2 – Hang Power Clean (T) 3-3-3-1-1-1

Day 3 – CrossFit Workout

Day 4 – REST

Day 5 – CrossFit Workout

Day 6 – Back Squat (5-5-5-3-3-3)

Day 7 – CrossFit Workout

Day 8 – REST

Day 9 – CrossFit Workout

Day 10 – Supine Bench (U) (5-5-5-3-3-3)

Day 11 – CrossFit Workout

Day 12 – Hang Power Clean (T) 3-3-3-1-1-1

Day 13 – CrossFit Workout

Day 14 – REST

Day 15 – CrossFit Workout

Day 16 – Back Squat (L) 3-3-3-1-1-1

Day 17 – CrossFit Workout

Day 18 – REST

Day 19 – CrossFit Workout

Day 20 – Supine Bench (U) 3-3-3-1-1-1

The construction and selection of CrossFit workouts should “fit nicely” into the rotation of strength moves and should vary from brief to longer time requirements. Experience has demonstrated that brief challenges with a bias towards power produce a superior return on investment.

Photos courtesy of CrossFit Impulse.

The post The Origins and Application of the Max Effort Black Box Concept appeared first on Breaking Muscle.