All the diet rules you need...

In trying out all kinds of diet and exercise plans over the last few years, I’ve come to the very shocking revelation: they’re all based on the same set of general principles.

We get bound up in leptin vs. insulin, cheat days vs. fast days, supplements vs. real food, calories vs. movement, and we lose sight of the real core of the process: eat well, move every day, and try to stay positive.

I’m no Mr. Universe by any stretch, but I’m not obese and have no heart condition (that I know of). I like food, yes, but there’s a limit to how much crap I can and will eat, and I think it’s important for everyone to know their limits in this regard. I haven’t been drunk in almost fifteen years, and it still shocks me how many people think that’s strange. It’s a decision I’ve made. I don’t preach abstinence from alcohol by any means...although by the same token not being drunk makes some parties a bit more annoying, when it’s clear the objective of everyone else is to be as excessive as possible.

Soapbox aside, I also know what damage alcohol does to you, so I elect to avoid it in those quantities. That should be a good enough reason, and at 37 years old I think I can just flat out say, “no, I choose not to drink,” and have that respected at face value.

Anyway, my point is that healthy living is not difficult and it doesn’t require a lot of sacrifice.

“But Steve,” I can hear you whining, “I’m [insert ethnicity here]! You can’t really expect me to live without [insert flower-based and/or gravy- and/or sugar-laden ethnic dish here]!”

Yeah, I do. Because chances are the only reason that food is so endemic to your ethnicity is that at some point your ancestors were impoverished and bulking up on white flour was the only way to stave off hunger. And now that we know that a cup of spaghetti has the same nutrient profile as a can of Coke, maybe it’s time to recognize it for what it is.

Am I saying stop eating spaghetti or perogies? No. I love them too. I’m saying stop serving pasta as a meal on its own, and observe a little common sense.

And yes, you can live without it. You’re human. I’ve gone a year without eating pasta, and so far the only adverse effect has been losing weight. So...your choice.

OK, here are the rules to live by, based on a culmination of pretty well everything there is to read online and off that’s become available in the last 20 years:

1. If it’s white, or was white, or could become white, don’t eat it. The exceptions are cauliflower and eggs. I personally also exclude milk from this list, but still substitute almond milk in my coffee.
2. If you must eat grains, do it in the morning when your cells need (and are primed to use) the fuel.
3. Eat meat and vegetables.
4. If a thing has more than three ingredients on the label that you can’t buy elsewhere in the store, don’t eat it. You won’t be able to break it apart. For example, if you see a sauce that’s made up of twelve ingredients, and one of those ingredients is guar gum, don’t eat it. If there’s no aisle in the store that shelves “guar gum,” why would you eat it?
5. Break a sweat every day. Preferably while lifting something. Preferably something other than yourself. Walking doesn’t count -- you should be doing that anyway.

That’s it. Five rules: Avoid sugar and starch; eat grains in the morning, tapering off by lunch; focus on vegetables and protein; don’t eat overly processed foods; get off your ass. Even if you just start with this, chances are you’ll find you have more energy and might even start to see some pounds dropping off. Don’t worry about calories. Don’t worry about which exercise is best for whatever. Pick up some dumbbells and put down the Ding Dongs. It will work.

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A Simple Body Fat Calculator

Here's a simple body fat calculator for estimating body fat for men (the one for women is a bit more complicated). The formula, which we got from Gastelu & Hatfield's Dynamic Nutrition for Maximum Performance, is as follows:

Take your morning waist measurement in inches (around the love handles, at the level of the navel).
Take your morning weight in pounds.
Calculate: (Total Body Weight x 1.082) + 94.420 = Weight Factor
Calculate: (Waist Measurement x 4.150) = Waist Factor
Weight Factor - Waist Factor = Lean Body Mass in Pounds
Total Body Weight - Lean Body Mass = Body Fat in Pounds
(Body Fat x 100) / Total Body Weight = Body Fat Percentage (BF%)
100 - BF% = Lean Body Mass Percentage

If you'd like to do a spreadsheet version we have one version set up especially for our Shape Up For Summer Contest, which you can download HERE. If you want to build your own, just set it up like this...[read more]

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Mid-Morning Energy Booster

Nothing energizes you quite like a good night's sleep.

But let's be realistic...sometimes that just doesn't happen, and you need a little extra shot of awesomeness to get through the mid-morning slump and power your way into the afternoon.

Generally speaking, something like a handful of almonds should be enough to keep you satisfied and keep your energy levels up. But when it's not, try a shake like this one...[read more]

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The Great Fever Saga (Spring 2012 edition)

My daughter has a cold.

OK, a bad one. She went to see the doctor on Friday to get her sling off (she fell off the couch a few weeks ago and broke her collar bone...aren't four-year-olds fun?), and she had a slight fever. The doc said her ears looked a little red, and if the fever lasted until Monday she should come in and get checked out for an ear infection.

The weekend went by, and by Monday morning she was bright and chipper. So, off she went to daycare like a little trooper with a snotty nose.

Then BAM! The phone call came just before 4:00. She had woken up from nap time with a fever of 102. So, off I went to save her (and subsequently found out that earlier in the day she had face planted and got a bloody nose...unrelated incident, but the broken collar bone had apparently reduced her willingness to use her hands to break her fall. I'm guessing she's learned that using your face is not a viable alternative).

I gave her a shot of Tylenol and kept an eye on her, but by 7:00 she was up to 103.8. That's...kinda high. So, following doctor's orders, we went to the hospital (since the actual doctor's office was now closed), thinking there might be some hidden infection.

By the time we got there the fever was easing slightly from some extra Advil. The nurse was kind enough to keep an eye on her in the waiting room, but by the end of about three hours the only real recommendation seemed to be increasing her doses of both Tylenol and Advil to aggressively keep the fever under control. So, having already committed to $8.00 in parking, I decided to use their Advil before going home and putting her to bed. The instructions: if it comes back up tomorrow, go straight to the walk-in clinic or her doctor's office.

I spent the night up every couple of hours administering medicine. By morning, her fever had clearly broken. Her temperature was down to 94.3, which is pretty typical for a fever break. She was a little dopey for the first part of the day, but I kept her at home just the same.

Good thing. Mid-afternoon, she crashed on the couch and woke up with...you guessed it...a temperature pushing 102 again. This time she was in hysterics, totally unsure what to do with herself. She had no idea what she wanted or didn't want. And it was getting worse. So, since it was pushing 4:00 again, I decided the walk-in would be a more likely bet than the doctor's office.

No dice. The walk-in was also closed. Taking all this into consideration, I elected to go back to the hospital.

The wait time in triage wasn't all that bad, but the nurse wanted a urine sample to see if maybe there was a bladder infection (she apparently neglected to put the coughing and runny nose on the report). Thing is, four-year-olds don't like to pee on command. And they really don't like to do it into a cup. She faked me out once ("Daddy I have to pee..." try...try...try... "I don't have to pee." Gah!), but about two hours into our residency she managed to produce a good sample.

This went into the nurse's urine sample collection box (who knew...there's an interesting niche market design concept, eh?), and we sat back to wait for a doctor. Of course, by this point her fever had all but disappeared from the first round of medicine I gave her, but she entertained herself with some colouring and a dose of Treehouse on the lobby TV.

An hour and a half later I walked by the triage nurse's desk and saw that the sample still had not been picked up. Of course I barked about this. I understand busy, and I get that a kid with no current signs of a dangerous fever will get bumped down the list behind the kid with the broken arm and the two or three helicopters that had come in during our stay. But come on...you can pick up the damn sample and at least get that underway!

Finally we got called in, and we didn't have to wait long to see an actual doctor. Unfortunately, he was clearly overworked and already pissy about having to tend to every snotty nose in the county. When he found out that my daughter had a cough and congestion, he closed his chart and said, "Oh, well that's obvious then. She has a cold. And kids with colds get fevers. We only do urine tests if it's not obviously upper respiratory."

Uh huh. So...the fact that her fever has lasted five days isn't alarming?

"Nope. She doesn't even look sick. They don't worry about infection unless it goes on for two or three weeks."

Uh huh. So...I'm just following her doctor's orders and bringing her in when it doesn't go down.

"Yeah. Parents tend to overreact with fevers. Just take her home, put her to bed, keep giving her medicine to keep it under control. OK, you can go now."

Wow...did I feel like an asshole for wasting that guy's precious time. I suspect the string of professionals before him didn't give any consideration to how much of my precious time I spent sitting around the waiting room at the hospital on their advice.

A lot of people have said I did the right thing, going to the hospital and having her checked out just in case. But from my perspective, I would really like it if doctors and nurses all got together and read the same guide books in terms of what to do in a situation like this. Several layers of conflicting advice does not make for a smooth treatment process for the young patient and the patient's impatient father.

They're right, of course. It's worth going just to be sure. But I probably should have trusted my gut instinct and said to myself, "self, you know this is a fever, and you know it's from the cold. And you know that in a few days if you just keep it down with Tylenol and Advil she'll be fine."

I took her to daycare again today. No fever for the first half of the day, and no phone call yet. We may be past the worst of it; it may come back after nap time. Either way, at least I know what to do with it if they do call.

And I got a nap this morning to catch up.

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The Shape Up for Spring Pre-Cycle

SHAPE UP FOR SUMMER CONTEST 2012

see contest rules

The Shape Up for Spring Pre-Cycle (two weeks)

If you're new to exercise, obviously my first piece of advice is to check with your doctor and make sure everything is running the way it should. It's not worth injury to get a beach body, and you may just be in shape to do some light walking to start out.

For a lot of us, getting into competition mode means breaking the habits of the last few months. Winter is brutal for many of us, especially in the north where it's often preferable to hang out inside and cozy up with a nice cup of hot chocolate. The net result, sadly, is a few months of general laziness, interspersed with a series of holidays (starting with Thanksgiving, we also have to roll through Hallowe'en, American Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas, New Year's Eve, Superbowl Sunday, and in my house my kid's birthday) that seem custom made to stuff us full of everything we DON'T need to be eating (and drinking).

This is often the reason those promisory New Year's resolutions go unfulfilled. There's just too much temptation around, and if you're already in the habit of falling off the wagon, your food addictions won't be tamed so easily. This is why, instead of targetting the New Year for our contest we've decided to target the launch of beach season. Four months is lots of time to cut back on the inches, and there aren't any significant holidays between the beginning of March and the end of June.

The best part is, you'll be in good enough shape that the likely barbecue and beer you'll be gorging on for Canada Day or Independence Day won't do a lot of damage. One day of free-for-all binging won't offset four solid months of awesomeness.

You're welcome to use absolutely any strategy you like. For myself, I plan on doing a strict set of graduated exercise routines designed to kickstart my metabolism. For those of you who are new to exercise, or (like me) just getting started up again after a long winter of "assal horizontology," my plan is super simple...[read more]

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What Really Causes Heart Disease?

Medical professionals are starting to come to grips with some startling facts regarding what really causes heart disease; and those facts are beginning to shake up not only the health industry, but the whole world of nutritional science.

In a recent article, Sott.net presented an astonishing confession by renowned cardiologist, Dr. Dwight Lundell. In it, Lundell boldly states what many professionals have come to suspect through purely empirical observation:

I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labelled "opinion makers." Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.

The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.

It Is Not Working! 

The fact that it's not working is precisely what has prompted this movement towards more careful scientific scrutiny of previously-held beliefs about diet and fitness. After all, as Lundell points out, all the statin drugs and reduced fat dieting in the world have not stemmed the tide of heart disease. In fact, with 25% of the US adult population taking statin drugs, more will die this year from heart attack and stroke than ever before. And even worse are the overall numbers: 75 million Americans currently have heart disease. 20 million have diabetes, and another 57 million have pre-diabetes. And these conditions affect younger and younger segments of the population each year.

Lundell's testimony is damning. It is, in fact, not working...[read more]

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Tips for Binge Drinkers

Happy St. Patty's Day!

While everyone on Facebook is busy posting about how much they plan on drinking today, we at The Man Sphere would like to remind everyone to drink responsibly. It's not a day for the celebration of blood poisoning.

That said, here are a few points to keep in mind:

1. Stay hydrated. Begin your bar-hopping with at least 500 ml. of water, and keep drinking water throughout the night.
2. Don't bother driving anywhere at all. Just get there, and get cabs.
3. Vitamin B complex and a couple of Tylenol prior to drinking will help stave off the hangover effects.
4. Gatorade, for its rehydrating and electrolytes, is essential day-after equipment to get rid of the hangover. Get some in your fridge today and be ready (for some reason, Powerade doesn't seem to work as well).
5. I'm pretty sure I don't need to remind you what happens below the belt with too much alcohol. But its friendly name is "whiskey dick." So I reminded you.
6. Steve's old-school hangover cure: A bottle of orange Gatorade, an x-large 4&4 from Tim's, two Advil and two Tylenol. A fried egg sandwich with cheese helps too.
7. Alcohol actually acts as a suppressant to testosterone, and therefore also growth hormone production. Continued heavy drinking forces the pancreas into overdrive to deal with the influx of sugars. Higher insulin production and lower testosterone levels cause fat storage, which in turn increases estrogen production to handle the distribution of excess fat (especially to places like the chest, belly, and butt); this is why a beer gut is so hard...it's the fat packed around the organs. By extension therefore, the ability to drink more than your buddies at any given event doesn't make you more of a man. It actually makes you more of a woman, in a very real biological and chemical sense.

Have fun, but drink responsibly. Know your limit. And above all, weigh the importance of one night of binging against all the work you're doing in the gym and the kitchen. There's nothing wrong with a good time...just keep it good.

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The Basic Diet Shift

SHAPE UP FOR SUMMER CONTEST 2012

see contest rules

The Basic Diet Shift (two weeks)

Man, do I love food.

No joke. I can eat a bag of Decadent cookies on my own in one sitting. Ice cream is like heroin to me. Chips...well, let's just say they have a seat next to Southern Comfort and cigarettes in the lobby of the hardest things I've ever had to give up.

Listen, we all know what is and isn't good for us. And we can go on and on at length about the dangers of sugar, preservatives, saturated fats, alcohol, and just about everything else that's tasty. But that doesn't make for a good strategy. It's too easy to just say, "I'll eat better tomorrow...or start next week."

What most of us need to do -- and I'm no super hero...I need to do this too -- is recognize what needs to change, and then change those things, a little at a time.

For my strategy in the contest, I'm taking a gradual approach to diet change. I can do this, because I know what works. I've done it before. But I like ice cream. Nevertheless, here's the plan...[read more]

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Aspartame Rebranded as AminoSweet for Better PR

"AminoSweet" almost sounds healthy

The makers of Aspartame, who are also responsible for the reprehensible existence of MSG, are rebranding the sugar substitute in an attempt to improve its profile.

Ajinomoto, the chemical, pharmaceutical, and food additive manufacturer responsible for Aspartame, has chosen to call the much-maligned product "AminoSweet." Marketed under popular brand names such as NutraSweet, Equal, and Candarel, Aspartame has become a staple in the calorie-conscious end of world dieting circles.

But can this move to a prettier name really do the trick for Aspartame? The chemical additive, while certainly a zero-calorie alternative to sugar, has been revealed in recent years to be associated with a host of illnesses. While it contains methanol--a deadly poison in its own right--it's what that methanol turns into in the body that causes the most concern.

Methanol, when digested, becomes formaldehyde, and although there may be jokes aplenty regarding "preservation," formaldehyde in the body is no laughing matter. It has been shown to be a highly potent cancer-causing agent, and can cause birth defects. On top of all this, Aspartame has been linked to neurological disorders, behaviour disorders, and has even been shown to cause the effects of diabetes to worsen over time...[read more]

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SHAPE UP FOR SUMMER CONTEST 2012

Three Month "Muscle Up" Beach Challenge

Alright gentlemen, here's new contest.

Can you beef up in time for beach season?

Our Editor-in-Chief, Steve Baric, says "YES!" In fact, he's so confident he can pack on the beef and trim his body fat that he's making a bet: starting March 26, 2012, he's going to lose more body fat and gain more muscle mass than any of you.

What's more, he's even going to take you step-by-step through his process, and show you how he's doing it. Even if the heaviest thing you've ever lifted is a quart of Ben & Jerry's Schweddy Balls ice cream, you'll get the raw play-by-play of how this transformation is going to happen.

Here's the game: March 26 is the starting date. No ifs, ands, or buts. No waiting for a Monday. No waiting for the first of the next month. No waiting for a special invitation. No waiting until you end up in the hospital.

This will be followed by a solid THREE MONTHS of killer workouts, easy (and delicious) diet changes, and a lot of fun. June 30 will be the cut-off date for the contest, with the votes coming in on July 1-2. We'll announce the winners on July 4.

There is a catch though: you have to beat Steve's numbers. And he's going all-out, so you probably won't be able to come close. But on the off chance that you do, he's willing to put up some cool prizes from Prograde Nutrition. Here they are:

First place (most overall improvement = biggest shift in body fat percentage): 1 "Ultimate Workout Package" from Prograde Nutrition (includes 2 bottles of Prograde Workout, 1 bottle of VGF 25+ multivitamin, 1 bottle of EFA Icon, and 1 bottle of Prograde Longevity anti-oxidant supplement. Retail value: $139.95)

Second place: 1 "Total Wellness Package" from Prograde Nutrition (includes one bottle each of VGF 25+ multivitamin, EFA Icon, and Longevity anti-oxidant supplement. Retail value: $84.95)

Third Place: 1 "Fitness Package" from Prograde Nutrition (includes one bottle each of Prograde Protein and Prograde Workout. Retail value: $64.95)

Best over-30 score: One-month supply of Prograde K20 natural testosterone booster (Retail value: $74.95)

Here's how you enter:

TO ENTER:

1. Take a shirtless front and side photo. These are your "before" pics.
2. Before 11:59p.m. Pacific Standard Time on March 26 (that's the day of our next issue), send us an email containing your name, address, and age, along with your photos, to contests@themansphere.com, subject line, "My Contest Entry." This will be your registration.
3. Download our tracking spreadsheet HERE (or visit http://themansphere.com/a-simple-body-fat-calculator/ and find the link in the article). This sheet contains all the detailed contest rules and your final submission entry form.
4. Work like a dog until July 1, tracking your measurements every week. At the end of the contest, submit a set of "after" pictures, along with your saved spreadsheet, via email. This will be your official entry.

That's it! How you lose the poundage is up to you, but you have to keep track of your numbers every week, and we need those photographs.

You have to be 18 or over, and live in Canada or the U.S. to participate in the contest. Of course, you can join in the fun anywhere in the world just so you have the support of your fellow fat burners. We just can't ship prizes overseas just yet.

For a full set of contest rules, download the free body fat tracking spreadsheet. No email or purchase required.

Contestants are free to use any diet and/or fitness system they choose. We are not responsible for any injuries resulting from poor nutrition or exercise, or any activity related to participating in this contest. It's fun...let's keep it that way. PLEASE CONSULT A PHYSICIAN BEFORE BEGINNING THIS, OR ANY OTHER, EXERCISE AND NUTRITIONAL PROGRAM, and STAY IN CONTACT WITH THEM THROUGHOUT, being sure to report any discomfort or injury, loss of sleep, or change in body function. This contest is meant to encourage a healthier lifestyle, and a bottle of protein powder is not worth risking permanent injury or a heart attack. Be smart.

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Early to Rise -- The New Protocol for Productivity

I've never been a morning person.

That changed by default, of course, when my daughter was born. We have a sort of rule in the house though: no getting up before 6 a.m.. Usually she's pretty good at sticking to this one, although she's still too young to tell time. When she's early, I send her back to bed, even if it's just for five minutes.

I don't know...maybe that's just for my own narcissistic need to feel like I'm in control of my time. It almost never works anyway.

Lately though, I've been reading up on productivity and following blogs by CEOs and other power players. I went through Eben Pagan's "Wake Up Productive" video course, and found a lot of what he had to say enlightening. But, to do all the stuff you're supposed to do in the morning for your "ritual," you have to get up pretty early.

Having just read a fascinating article by Peter Shankman on the subject, I'm starting to become convinced that early rising may have more to it than simply getting stuff done. I'm starting to realize that while I've forced myself out of normal sleep patterns over the years, only to be forced back into something similar through parenting, my daughter may be purely circadian. She may just be waking up when it's time to wake up.

Yes, even if it's 5 a.m..

My joke used to be, "I know there's a five o'clock really late at night; I had no idea there was one in the morning now too!"

That attitude is about to change. As I'm busily looking for a new job, the likelihood is increasing that I may need to commute into Toronto, putting downtown roughly an hour and a half away by various trains. I could drive it in an hour if there were no traffic, but we know what that's like getting into Toronto in the morning. Could be up to four hours if you hit it just right.

So how do I get in the morning ritual, exercise, and everything else in time to drive to Cobourg to drop my kid off at daycare, drive to Whitby, find a parking space, and hop the GO Train?

Yup. 5 a.m..

As an experiment is this early rising psychosis, I'm going to start nudging myself in that direction next week. Of course I'll have to start going to bed earlier; as it is, I usually don't go to bed until around 11:00. If I go at 10:00, I will wake up at 3 a.m. and be unable to go back to sleep.

What can I say? She's trained me to function on five to six hours of sleep, usually with a nap after lunch.

So we start by getting up right away. The idea is that if I'm tired enough, I should (in theory) be able to get to sleep earlier that night. In my experience, it takes less than a week to retrain a new schedule; but I promise myself I won't go to bed any earlier than 10:00 just on principle.

They say adding the extra hours in the morning makes you more productive. I still maintain that it doesn't matter if the extra hours happen early or late. But necessity may very well force me in the direction of early, so it's best to be prepared.

And if it doesn't happen that I need the commute, at least I'll get to watch a few sunrises on the deck...before going back to bed.

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TACFIT: Back in the Game

"What allows me to train 3x/day at 40 years old as intensely as I do isn't a secret formula. It's very simple. But it ain't easy. I strive every day to become the father my children deserve, the husband my wife deserves, the coach my students deserve, the athlete my teammates deserve, the servant my country deserves, and the disciple that God deserves. I continually fail. But I will never, ever give up." 

- Coach Sonnon (founder of TACFIT Commando)

Well, no more excuses. It's time to get back in the game.

As I wrote previously, I had a few more than significant interruptions in trying to get keyed up for TACFIT Mission 2. Rather than wrestle my way through with half-assed effort, I decided to just cut my loss and start over on August 1st.

I like starting on the first of something...Monday, first of the month, etc. Just something weirdly compulsive that I do.

Anyway, where I left off (July 5) I recorded the following stats:

Waist: 38
Weight: 200
BF%: 23.44%

In today's measurement, I can see where the intervening month of just general yard work has got me:

Waist: 39
Weight: 205
BF%: 24.69%

Time to get back on the wagon. I've done the first two No- and Low-Intensity objectives, and the first Moderate-Intensity one. I eased myself back in with only half sets, because I was doing them very slowly to get the movements right. The exercises are pretty complicated, but I can still hold my own. We'll see how that goes today with the High-Intensity workout.

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Summer Colds Suck

If you've been following on Twitter (@stevebaric1), you're probably already aware that I owe Paul a Chinese dinner.

Yes, I missed a workout. Actually, I've missed several; but not without good reason.

Last week when my parents were down, I ended up busier than I expected to be. That's not much of an excuse, mind you, but it turns into one when you have less than a week to tackle projects, keep guests entertained, watch your toddler (who you've taken out of daycare so she can visit her grandparents) and spend some time with your girlfriend...all while your air conditioner is completely broken down during one of the worst heat waves on record.

Add to that the fact that I do my TACFIT workouts at home instead of a nice air conditioned gym, and you can see a picture emerging. Plus, the Man Cave isn't finished, so I ended up sleeping on a love seat in the living room.

Add sleep deprivation to the whine list.

I know, I know. If I was really a tactical operative I would still have to train under harsh conditions. I suppose I could have gotten up at 5 a.m. and done the work outside.

Um. No.

So then (oh, it gets better), both my girlfriend and I wake up Friday morning with sore throats. By Saturday we both have something like a cold; her's knocks her flat, while mine is just starting to move into congestion as I write this.

Too bad. The problem with getting sick at the same time is you can't blame the other person for making you sick. Where's the fun in that?

Anyway, the a/c was fixed on Friday, so that's a plus. But as I explained to Paul, it's not easy to do a hypermetabolic workout when the indoor temperature is 92°, the relative humidity is 88%, and your head and chest are so full of goo that you get winded scratching yourself in bed.

Solution: write off Mission 2 and start it over again on Monday. That will give me time to recover my lungs, get the basement finished, and refocus my efforts on my long-term goals.

Assuming, of course, we don't suffer another major disaster in the meantime. Excuse me...I need to find some wood to knock. And down another Advil Cold & Sinus.

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TACFIT Commando Recruit Mission 1 Post-mortem

Well, yesterday I completed the first 28-day Mission of the Recruit level of TACFIT Commando. I have to say that on the whole I'm quite impressed.

I've got quite a bit more definition in my shoulders, chest, and legs. I did add ab and biceps exercises to the system, so I'm sure those have helped a bit. But you do really see the difference in the shoulders and chest. The lats seem to get their share as well.

But what gets measured gets managed, they say. For this cycle I only took a morning waist measurement (no weight). The results are what they are:

Day 1: 40.5 inches.
Day 28: 38 inches.

So, that's a reduction of 2.5 inches. Not the fastest result for a month, but the most consistent result I've seen so far.

To manage the next mission, I will be tracking weight as well, so Day 29's measurements are:

Waist: 38
Weight: 200
Body Fat: 23.44%

For this last one, there's a simple formula for estimating body fat for men (the one for women is a bit more complicated). The formula, which I got from Gastelu & Hatfield's Dynamic Nutrition for Maximum Performance, is as follows:

Take your morning waist measurement in inches (around the love handles, at the level of the navel).
Take your morning weight in pounds.
Calculate: (Total Body Weight x 1.082) + 94.420 = Weight Factor
Calculate: (Waist Measurement x 4.150) = Waist Factor
Weight Factor - Waist Factor = Lean Body Mass in Pounds
Total Body Weight - Lean Body Mass = Body Fat in Pounds
(Body Fat x 100) / Total Body Weight = Body Fat Percentage (BF%)
100 - BF% = Lean Body Mass Percentage

We're working on a calculator for the sidebar here so you don't have to do that much. However, if you'd like to do a spreadsheet version (I'll put one up later I'm sure), just set it up like this:

Column A:
Waist
Weight
Waist Factor
Weight Factor
LBM
Body Fat (lbs)
BF%
LBM%

Column B:
blank [input your waist measurement]
blank [input your weight]
=B1*4.15
=(B2*1.082)+94.42
=B4-B3
=B2-B5
=(B6*100)/B2
=100-B7

I know from using this and the Tanita scale at the gym that this method is accurate within about 4%. That's a big sweep, so if you're competitive you may want to be more accurate. For me, I need to track progress, so I can use a less accurate measure and a mirror to see if I'm getting there.

So there you have it. Only two more 28-day cycles to go at this level and I can take four days off. It's a long road, but it's working for me.

I have my reasons and my goals. How about you?

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Why Lean Beef?

There's some confusion about this whole lean vs. regular meat, so I thought I'd just take a second to clear something up.

First, the problem. The problem is, we're told over and over again that we need quality sources of protein. To this end, body building experts agree that meat is a necessary part of the diet. No matter what vegetarian sources have to say about veggie proteins, they just don't cut it for muscle building (they do make a good supplemental choice, however).

But then we're told to eat lean meats, like chicken and fish. Why? Isn't it true we're not supposed to be afraid of eating fat anymore?

Yes, that's basically true. We need fats in order to function properly and to keep the metabolism primed for burning fat. However, we should take steps to avoid trans fats and saturated fats, as these are not helpful to us in any way (in fact, they're quite dangerous over time). So why the emphasis on lean meat?

Basically it boils down like this: chicken and fish are excellent sources of protein, it's true. And both are essential sources of Omega 3-6-9 fatty acids (all three are necessary for good health, not just the Omega 3's). The last century of low-fat eating has caused a deficiency of these essential fatty acids in our diet, and they can only be replaced with proper nutrition. It turns out fish and chicken have these fats, so I don't often suggest people go with the super lean chicken breast all the time. Other cuts have fat value that is really important to your overall health.

However, beef provides something these other sources don't: iron. Iron is necessary for optimal health, especially if you're building muscle. Unfortunately, tasty beef is usually pretty fatty. That wouldn't normally be a problem, except that in fatty beef, the fat is a storage shed for all the hormones and antibiotics the steer is injected with. The hormones are especially problematic, because in order to create that lovely marbled texture that makes it so tender the animal is injected with estrogen.

Estrogen. Like, as in, the stuff that makes boobs. Estrogen in meat is a growing health concern across the board of course, but for men in particular it raises issues like man boobs, prostate cancer, and lowered testosterone levels. When you lower testosterone you lose muscle building power. And when that happens the whole house of cards comes down. THIS is the reason lean cuts of beef are recommended.

I try to hit two meals per week with beef.

Now, to be fair, if you go looking for organic, grass-fed beef, you can forgo the warning. Those steers are not injected with anything, and the grass feeding actually keeps them healthier. It also produces a more nutrient-dense cut of meat. However, the meat will also be a bit tougher.

Dealing with this last problem is simple:

For a roast, cook it at a low temperature for two or more hours, making sure to keep adding water. When it's done, the meat should practically fall apart for you anyway. You can also stew it in a slow-cooker, which will have the added benefit of producing a nice stock for you to use later.

For a steak, make sure to bring the meat up to room temperature. Cook it hot and fast. Rare beef (which most chefs will tell you is the goal for a nice tender steak) should have an internal temperature of 140 degrees.  Medium will be about 160, and well-done 170 (with lean meat, this would be the shoe leather stage). The reason for bringing it to room temperature first is because if you come right out of the fridge with it, the internal temperature will be much lower for a lot longer, forcing you over-cook the meat.

And for a quick tip: Shave about five to ten degrees off the above numbers. Remove the meat from the skillet or grill, and let it rest, covered on a plate, for about 10-15 minutes. The meat will continue to heat up, but it will tenderize as it rests, making a much more succulent slab of cow.

So, chicken and fish: whatever. Beef, lean cuts. Clear enough?

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Adding Mass Action to TACFIT

Some readers may know that I started into TACFIT Commando a little while back (actually, at writing it's exactly thirteen days ago). I've had a few personal requests to explain this program in a bit more detail, which I'm going to do shortly.

This week, I've decided to step above and beyond the TACFIT protocols to increase a bit of mass action. There are some areas where the program itself doesn't quite feel like it's building the way it could. Don't get me wrong. There are plenty of places where TACFIT kicks the hell out of muscles I never use. But let's start with the program outline first.

The whole system works on three levels: Recruit, Grunt and Commando. I'm at the Recruit level, which is the starting point. Nobody should start any higher than this, because there are quite a few coordination exercises that need to be taken incrementally in order to execute them correctly. Each level consists of 84 days of training (21 four-day cycles). You have a four-day cycle to relax after the first level before moving on to the next. 84 days is about three months, so you have a nine-month commitment to see this system through to the end.

Without getting into the background of the system, TACFIT is, first and foremost, tactical fitness. This means it has to meet the requirements of producing exceptional conditioning, high levels of mobility and excellent flexibility. It also has to be compact (i.e., not taking up more than a body length in any direction) and portable (i.e., not using any equipment). It is, for all intents and purposes, a bodyweight strength and conditioning routine.

TACFIT's "intensity wave" strategy provides the user with a four-day cycle of intensity. On Day One, the movements are basically mobility and flexibility exercises with no intensity. On Day Two, the same exercises are stepped up to provide something of a low-intensity calisthenic performance. On Day Three, a warm up of six exercises is followed by the "real" workout, and concluded with another set of six cool-down exercises for stretching out the muscles. Here, the core workout objective is "moderate" intensity, meaning harder conditioning and strengthening, but with a focus on perfecting the movements. The fourth day uses the same order as Day Three, but at a high intensity.

On days three and four, the core workout itself is comprised of six exercises. Each exercise consists of eight sets of twenty seconds each, with a rest period of ten seconds between sets. The goal is to get as many reps as possible within those twenty seconds (at the prescribed rate of intensity, of course). There's a one-minute break between exercises.

This sucker is fast, and it's full-body. I have to say, on the high-intensity days I've never felt so totally burned out from an exercise sequence...even to the point that I'm unable to execute Push Ups during the circuit! But the real beauty is this: after the moderate and high-intensity days, there are two days of active recovery, where you don't get to stop moving. The muscles and joints are still put through their paces and kept mobile so the body doesn't seize up in a flex the way traditional strength training programs often do. And in truth, once the first couple of high intensity days were done, the adaptation is noticeable...no day-after pain, and what is there gets worked out and melted off in the next day's no-intensity work. Beautifully planned.

Now, what I've noticed is that there is a lot of leg, shoulder, back and triceps work in this routine. That's great, and it really does make a difference in the overall burn (we very often concentrate only on the "front view muscles" like biceps, pecs and abs). But having said that, I also do need some work on the biceps and abs, and I wouldn't mind a bit more work in trying to manage those pesky Pull Ups.

*Tip: If you're like me and have that great combination of loose rotators and a sore back, Pull Ups can be tough to do. Get a door-mounted pull up bar and leave it up. When you walk by, fire off one to three reps. They will get easier over time, so you'll soon be able to do full sets.


To deal with this, I'm throwing in a bit of extra work, using similar protocols but mixing up the timing. So, while the TACFIT training goes in a four-day cycle, I'll be doing this routine on a Mon-Wed-Fri cycle to build additional strength and metabolic spikes into the process:

• Arms: Dumbbell Curls (8 sets of 20 seconds each: targeting 10 reps/set)
• Legs: Squats (with dumbbells) (8 sets of 20 seconds each: targeting 8 reps/set)
• Back/Arms: Pull Ups/Chin Ups (8 sets of 20 seconds each, alternating between exercises; as many as you can do)
• Abs: Crunches (8 sets of 20 seconds each: targeting 10 reps/set)

Slipping this little routine into the process actually serves two purposes. On the surface, it does provide a bit of extra targeting strength training for areas that aren't fully covered in the TACFIT Commando progam. But it also throws in some extra calorie burning activity while increasing muscle mass and core training that are outside the program itself. I've started off light with just 10 lb. dumbbells. You can gauge how much weight you should be using based on the first few sets of dumbbell curls. If you can't make it to 10 after the first two sets, you're probably using too much weight. It should be difficult, but not impossible.

Yes, there is a bit of overtraining here, but what we're going for is an adaptive response. Sometimes, that needs a bit of a kick to get started (and some recovery supplementation, like a good post-workout shake). Once the muscle building kicks in, the fat burning furnace heats up as well. I'll keep you posted as I go and let you know how that's working for me.

There's also an eating plan in the system, which I should probably start on sooner rather than later!

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The Latest on Aspirin and Heart Disease

Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only, and is not meant to replace the advice of a qualified health practitioner. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If this information is of interest to you, please consult your physician or qualified health care professional before implementing any advice contained herein.


The Canadian Cardiovascular Society has released a report geared toward clearing up some of the confusion surrounding the use of ASA (Aspirin) in the control of heart disease. ASA works as a blood thinner, keeping blood moving freely and preventing clots and clogging that could lead to heart attacks. In cases where people have suffered heart attack or stroke, ASA therapy may reduce the risk of a second occurrence by as much as 25%. However, the CCS also notes that many people make the mistake of taking ASA who really don't need to.

The three key recommendations in the clarification report are:

• A lifetime low dose of ASA is recommended for all people who have suffered a heart attack, stroke or peripheral arterial disease.
• ASA is not recommended as a preventative treatment for people who have not suffered some form of heart disease or other vascular disease, even in the presence of other risk factors such as diabetes.
• Anti-inflamatory drugs, such as Ibuprophen, are not recommended for people using ASA treatment, as the anti-inflamatory character of these pain killers can interfere with the function of ASA.

Not mentioned in this report, but worth mentioning here, is the further recommendation that while Ibuprophen can interfere with the anti-clotting properties of ASA, other treatments, such as Warfarin, krill oil and alcohol consumption can make these properties more dangerous. With anti-coagulant properties multiplied, minor cuts can take much longer to heal, and more significant injuries can become severely problematic.

With this in mind, however, let's take a quick note of some of the other therapies and what they do, just for the sake of interest:

Warfarin: This is a commonly-prescribed anti-coagulant, particularly for people with clotting issues already. Warfarin is a major blood thinner, and should not be taken without close medical supervision. To give you a sense of this, it's important to bear in mind that this stuff is used as rat and mouse poison. It acts by causing massive internal bleeding in the rodent, so they literally bleed to death as their organs disintegrate. That doesn't happen with people, but you shouldn't opt for this one for any sort of self-treatment.

Alcohol: I don't know anyone who treats alcohol as a treatment for anything, although significant research into the "shot-a-day" home remedy, as well as the antioxidant effects of red wine, is an ongoing field of study. Alcohol thins the blood, but you know all the other stuff it does that might not be considered medically useful, so approach this one carefully as well. Excess alcohol consumption (which literally means two beers a day) can interfere with fat transport, cause damage to the liver, and kill brain cells. When you note that eating red grapes (with seeds), or even just some blueberries, provides the same anti-oxidant protection as that glass of red wine, the benefits dwindle sharply.

Krill Oil: This is the new kid on the EFA block. Krill oil is being sold as a healthy alternative to fish oils for Omega-3 supplementation for three key reasons. First, its ORAC values (measuring antioxidant activity) are off the charts; way beyond any of the standard antioxidant treatments. At the same time, it has shown significantly more impact on pain and stiffness in arthritis studies, greatly improved cholesterol and blood glucose levels compared with standard fish oil, and is a powerful blood thinner that also prevents clotting. Second, it is farmed only for this purpose, so while fish oil supplements are usually "leftovers" from other processes (which can produce a lack of freshness, or even rancid products), the krill that is caught is really only applied to this and a few select purposes. The other advantage of this is that the source is so far down the food chain that it hasn't accumulated the toxins that predator fish (like cod and halibut, the main fish oil sources) accumulate through levels of feeding. Third, it's a highly sustainable source. Krill is only really consumed by large mammals like whales. It has little other commercial value, and so is not in danger of being wiped out by over-fishing. Human activity and catch limits have barely even dented this population. That's not to say they won't some day, but with careful management this is one of the most plentiful nutrient sources on the planet, and a far more ecologically sound option than fish oils. (See a more comprehensive outline of these benefits HERE.)

Ginkgo Biloba: This isn't a blood thinner. Ginkgo's popularity as a supplement for "brain function" may be a little misplaced...there's not as much clinical evidence to support its memory-enhancing properties as was once thought. However, where that assumption is derived from is worth noting. Ginkgo is a vascular dilator. This means it relaxes your veins and arteries, allowing a more relaxed flow of blood throughout the body. This in turn aids in oxygen uptake; and therein lies the theory behind its power to enhance mental function. In low doses, it can cause a slight headache (increase bloodflow will do that), but only for the first few days.

Ginkgo's property of enhancing blood flow does have other advantages, however. As a part of workout supplementation, this increased flow also enhances oxygen uptake to improve VO2 max levels for increased cardiovascular endurance and conditioning. It also creates a more open flow of blood to the muscles, which in strength training can have a beneficial impact on the transport of nutrients and oxygen to recovering muscles. And, for those who are concerned about sexual function (in both men and women), it functions in exactly the same way as prescription Viagra (note the side effect of the headache is the same), unless combined with a blood thinner. There are properties of fluid dynamics that may make thinner blood and relaxed vessels less effective for maintaining erection (thus the infamous "whiskey dick" when one consumes too much alcohol). It can also make cuts flow more freely, which is a bit of a risk as well. However, under normal healthy conditions ginkgo can make a beneficial addition to a natural supplementation program.

Remember, if you're looking at increasing blood flow any of these options should be discussed with your physician or cardiologist (or even urologist) under all circumstances. This is especially true if you plan on combining any of these. Know the benefits, but stay wary of the risks, and keep your doctor involved.

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Because you asked...

Apparently I have a few fitness buffs on my Facebook friends list, because I got half a dozen messages yesterday after posting a status update about Prograde's new "Fusion" sports drink mix. The biggest question was about my comment that Prograde uses "the highest quality ingredients, shunning the toxic fillers most store-shelf companies like to use."

What ingredients? And what's left out?

Well, for the sake of interest I took a peek at a couple of other labels online, just to see what was going on. Probably the most popular commercial brand out there is IsoFlex. I'll grant that as a nutrient profile, IsoFlex is pretty good. Each 30g serving delivers 27g of protein in 111 calories. What I can't figure out is their Carbohydrates. The label says 0.5g of carbs, but lists 0.5g sugar and 0.3g fibre (uh...that's 0.8g carbs, by my math). They also give other nutrients (Vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron) as percentage of "daily intake." This is a deceptive number, because there are so many variants of "daily intake" there's literally no way of knowing what the value actually is.

If you don't know, it's because there's a Daily Value, Recommended Daily Intake, Recommended Daily Allowance, and Optimal Daily Intake as baselines for different levels of nutrition and fitness.

Anyway, here's what's in IsoFlex:
Whey Protein Isolate Complex [Whey Protein Isolate, WPI97 (Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate), Alpha-Lactalbumin-Rich Whey Peptides, Synermune(TM) Colostrum], NOS Complex [Hyrdolyzed Vegetable Protein, Folic Acid, NAC], Glutamine Complex [Glutamine Peptides], IS Complex [Alpha Lipoic Acid, d-Pinitol, 4-Hydroxyisoleucine], real orange pieces, natural and artificial flavour, lactoferrin, acesulfame-potassium, sucralose, guar gum.

So, on the surface there's a lot of science-y sounding stuff in there. Basically, it's protein complexes enhanced with flavour (including artificial flavours) and sweeteners (neither is good for you...acesulfame-potassium is a known carcinogen, and sucralose, made from sugar and chlorine, has shown clinical relationships to shrunken thymus glands in rats). There's evidence, apart from these findings, that artificial sweeteners actually increase the risk of diabetes by "tricking" the body into thinking it's getting something sweet. Insulin is released, but it has nothing to bind (i.e. sugar). I'd argue the sweeteners are the most noxious of the ingredients on this list.

The fibre content likely comes from the guar gum, a plant-derived thickening agent. The most common reaction to guar gum is diahrrea and gas, but only because it is a dietary fibre. It doesn't appear to have any toxic side effects. Don't know if I'd say the same for "Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein" or "NAC" (what is that anyway?).

On to Prograde Protein (vanilla, for this note).

Each serving is 32g, delivering 24g of protein in 120 calories. It contains 2g of carbs, listed as 1g sugars and 1g "other," which means fibre and starch. It also lists actual amounts of other nutrients (you can read the label on the website).

Here's the ingredients list:
Whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, natural flavours, Aminogen(R) (maltodextrin and protease enzymes derived from Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae), rebaudioside A stevia extract, soy lecithin and salt.

Kind of a shorter list, eh? The maltodextrin and protease are enzymes necessary in the breakdown of protein. The nutrient profile also lists lactase, which is an enzyme used for breaking down lactose, the sugar in milk. Since whey is a protein derived from milk processing, both are valuable in improving the digestion and absorption of the product.

For what it's worth, the salt on the list provides 65mg of sodium.

The sweetener is stevia, a plant-derived sweetener that so far has not shown any negative side effects. The one time an experiment on rats did show toxic effects, the rats were fed half their body weight in stevia leaves daily. No human would ever consume that much, and of course that much sugar would lead to shock as well. By contrast, replacing the average amount of sugar in a North American diet with stevia would require consuming only four leaves a day. I will admin that there hasn't been enought testing to say it's 100% safe, but even empirically there haven't been any reported side effects linked to this product. The fancy name, "rebaudioside A stevia extract" is just a name for the extract itself. The plant is also called "rebaudiana," and this extract is one of two glycosides (sweeteners) produced by the plant.

Replacing two teaspoons of sugar with one packet of stevia in my coffee each day has contributed dramatically to my own weight loss. It has no insulin response, and so far appears to leave no traces or chemical residue in the body. It's not metabolized as far as anyone can tell. But the benefits profile is starting to stack up.

Anyway, the only other questionable ingredient in here is lecithin. Because it's soy-based, some folks might get their dander up. But soy allergies are usually caused by the protein, not the fat (which is what lecithin is). Lecithin is an emulsifier, so it keeps the components of the powder from separating when mixed with water or milk (basically serving the same function as guar gum). It's also a liptropic factor, being high in choline. This actually assists with fat transport, although here it's not used in high enough quantities to be a supplement on its own.

So there you have it. Prograde Protein is composed of seven ingredients, mostly protein, vanilla and stevia, with a few enzymes tossed in for easier absorption. This is what I mean by high quality ingredients and nothing toxic. And, for what it's worth, anyone who's tried one of these shakes has agreed it's by far the best tasting protein supplement out there.

Any other questions?

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Vince Dishes on Killer Abs

Vince Delmonte just posted a great article on his blog about his fundamental rules for abs development.
It's a bit of a departure from textbook muscle lore. Common understanding holds that overtraining muscles is a bad thing. But as Vince rightly points out, those rules are meant for amateurs to avoid injury. For more elite athletes, a certain amount of overtraining is actually warranted.
He also points out that abs are postural muscles. As such, they're under almost constant use as it is. As a result, merely working them to capacity as you would your biceps won't produce any adaptive response. Certainly nothing visible at any rate.
To do this, you literally need to work them beyond capacity on a regular basis.
Bear in mind that Vince's "sport" is modelling. Looking good is the goal, so overtraining doesn't affect function. This sams overtraining principle is exactly how the cast of 300 got so cut up.
And of course, you need to get your body fat well below 10% (preferably below 5%), which is NOT easy for most people. Still, check out the points in the article to get a solid jump start on your ab routine. You don't need to work it so hard if you're just looking for general fitness, but if you need a little extra shred for summer (or competition), it's definitely worth checking out.

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Watch Your Portions

If you ever put any time into reading labels on food, you'll know that there's a lot of valuable information there when it comes to sorting out how that food fits with your nutritional plan. However, there are some very deceptive practices that I find a bit underhanded.

For example, most cereals list Carbohydrates, but under that heading they display only fibre and sugar. If the total fibre and sugar doesn't match the total grams of carbs, whatever is left over is starch. Your body treats starch the same as sugar. So add that number to the sugar grams to get a real perspective on how much sugar is in your cereal. It's often much higher than you thought.

There's a tradeoff, of course. But I use this guideline: if the total of sugar + starch is more than the total fibre, I don't buy it. There may be lower sugar, but if once you add the starch the number gets up there, it isn't worth the simple carbs just to get some fibre. Eat regular oatmeal instead.

Portioning is the biggest deception on food labels. Every food label is listed according to a serving size, but experience shows that almost nobody follows that serving size. For example, a popular "no fat" cooking spray is allowed to say it contains no fat at all. However, the serving size on which that is judged is "1/3 Second Spray."

Ever coated a pan with this stuff? Did it really take only a third of a second? No, probably more like 3 seconds. And in that 3-second serving, there's fat. Plenty of it...and not the healthy kind either.

Cereal is another great culprit for this. Most cereals will give you a serving size of anywhere from 1/2 a cup to 1 cup. A cup of cereal is not a lot. So, chances are you're getting a lot more sugar and starch than you thought you were.

Do this: pour yourself a bowl of your regular cereal (no milk yet). Next, pour some more cereal into a 1-cup measure. Then pour your bowl of cereal into a big measuring cup and see how much you normally eat. I'm betting it's a lot more. Multiply the nutritional profile on the label by that serving size, and see what you get.

Then go back to bacon and eggs.

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