We start this week’s Friday links post with Mark Sisson.  Am I really that big of a Mark Sisson fan-boy that I have to link to him every Friday?  Ummm, yep.   So take a look at Mark’s article on How To Increase Testosterone Naturally.

Martin Rooney, known for training combat athletes of various disciplines, hosts the most unique Bachelor Party you’ve ever seen!  Check out the Bachelor Party Video.

Rusty from Fitness Black Book is known for his in-depth posts about building a lean and strong “hollywood” body.  Check out this interesting post on Rep Tempo As It Can Relate To Fat Loss.

How to wrap your hands was always an issue for new clients in my kickboxing classes.  To get some guidance from the Art of Manliness (including instructional video), click here.

Enjoy the weekend!

If you receive my daily emails, you’ve already read the post below.  But the email responses I received from this were so much greater in number than usual, that I thought I should post it to the blog as well.  I’m not sure why this story struck a chord with so many people.  Perhaps we can all relate to enduring (or ignoring) pain and discomfort for the sake of a greater good.  And perhaps we all know that there is a dangerous fine line we walk, where ignoring the damage can eventually lead to permanent injury if we let it linger for too long.  That being said, I hope you enjoy my story of 48 stitches. . .

I stood across the ring from my karate instructor’s top black belt student.  My instructor threw us each a three foot long stick.

“Fight!”

Fight.  That’s all he said.  No details on the level of contact we should use.  No clarity on the rules of engagement.  Just “Fight!”.  I was 17 years old.

I rushed the black belt with a forehand swing of my stick.  He parried easily and we ended up chest to chest – too close to swing the sticks.  I reached up with my off hand and grabbed him by the throat.  He stepped to my inside, dropped his hips, and tossed me through the air with ease.  But we were too close to the trophy case. . .

My left foot smashed through the glass of the trophy case.  I rolled onto the floor and landed on my stomach.  As I looked over my shoulder, I could see the bottom of my foot but not the top of my foot.  And the top of the foot is where all of the damage was.

I remained calm.  I didn’t get a visual on the true extent of my injury, so I didn’t panic.  Everyone in the room either helped apply first aid or reassure me that everything was alright.  We went to the hospital.

I left the hospital with my wound treated and my foot bound in a heap of gauze and bandages.  I still hadn’t seen the damage.  And I was still calm.

The next morning I had to clean my wound.  So I undressed my bandages and here, for the first time, I saw the true extent of my injury.

48 stitches.  My foot was swollen in hues of purple, blue, and green.  The laceration ran from my middle toe to around my big toe.  I was lucky I still had toes.  It looked like the foot of Frankenstein.

I felt light-headed.  I got short of breath.  I panicked.

And then I regained my composure, cleaned the wound, and dealt with reality.  I walked with a cane for several weeks.

Often, we ignore the extent of the damage we have done to ourselves.  Whether that be from poor diet, lack of exercise, drug use, or being a workaholic.  And ignoring the facts serves us – it allows us to soldier on.  It allows us to not panic.  And it allows us to keep going when we really need to stop.

But eventually we have to look at the wounds we have created.  We have to see the harsh reality.  And then we have to get a grip, clean the wound, and deal with it.

No matter how far down the wrong path we have gone, we can always turn back.  It’s never too late to change.  It’s never too late to start cleaning the wounds.

We might need a cane for a while.  But eventually, if we deal with reality and change course for the better, we’ll walk with a spring in our step that we never had before.

We’ll be better than ever.

Train Hard,
Vic

If you enjoyed that story, you can get daily emails from me were I talk about my life as a soldier, lawyer, and pet owner (Coda makes for good story telling), and how the lessons I’ve learned can apply to your fitness challenges.  To register for this email newsletter click here.

How has allowing yourself to temporarily ignore pain or injury served you?  How has it made things worse?  Let me know in the comments below.

A recent article from AOL Health cites a study from the University of Washington that found that the percentage of obese shoppers is almost 10 times higher at low-cost grocery stores compared with more upscale stores and that poverty is the key reason.  The article is basically claiming that obesity is an economic problem.

Having shown that is is possible to eat healthy on less than $5.00 per day, this article doesn’t sit right with me.

It’s kind of like saying that crime goes up as ice-cream sales increase.  Is there some hidden ingredient in that pint of Haagen Dazs that drives people to criminal acts?  Or is there another variable – summertime – that links crime and ice-cream and is the true impetus of the higher crime rate?  It’s obvious that the long hot days of summer are the missing link and ice-cream sales and the crime rate are not connected.

Similarly, I’m suggesting that it is not poverty that is driving obesity but another “missing link” that is connected to both.

And that missing link is education.

And to be clear, I acknowledge economics will play a large role in where you purchase groceries – you won’t be shopping at Whole Foods if your income is low.  But even at a discount grocery store, you can make the choice of apples over Apple Jacks.

Having hit some tough economic times myself recently (remember, I’m bankrupt!) I understand the challenges of eating healthy on a tight budget.  Below are a few tips that have helped me keep things as healthy as possible without breaking the bank.

1.  Prepare your own vegetables. I love the convenience of pre-cut veggies.  Broccoli florets in a bag, pre-washed baby spinach in a bag, pre-peeled carrots in a bag – all great for time saving in the kitchen.  But you do pay a higher price for the time saving.  So if you are in a situation where your money is tight, then you have to spend another currency – your time.  Buy the whole head of broccoli and cut it yourself.  Buy loose spinach leaves and wash and cut them yourself (I like to use scissors).  Peel your own damned carrots.  The extra labor will keep things lighter on your wallet.

2.  The incredible edible egg. You can get a dozen large eggs for about $2.00 in many grocery stores.  And don’t waste any of that money you spent – eat the damned yolks!  They are proven to help you lose belly fat…

3.  The other white meat. Pork loin is almost always significantly cheaper than chicken breast or beef.  So if you’re down with the swine, it can be a cheaper source of protein.

4.  Bend the rules. I’m not a big fan of dairy.  And I’m not a big fan of potatoes.  But these are two sources that can really stretch your food dollars.  So go ahead an buy that big-ass bag of potatoes.  Go ahead and get that gallon of whole milk.  Although these diversions from my normal recommendations might not be ideal for fat loss efforts, they are still a hell of a lot better than cheap bread or pasta.  And they are WAY better than some pre-packaged mac and cheese or ramen noodle crap.

I’m going to stick my neck out there and say that poverty is not an excuse for obesity.

I’ll stick it out there even further and say that neither is lack of education – libraries are still free and as long as you can read, the basic knowledge of a healthy diet is easily accessible.

What do you think?  Is there a link between poverty and obesity?  What tips do you have to eat healthy on a budget?  Let me know in the comments below.

I’m back, sharing a few links to take you into the weekend.

Once again we start the Friday link-fest with Zach Even-Esh.  To read Zach’s sarcasm drenched piece about his frustrations with today’s low tolerance for discomfort CLICK HERE.

Ever think of using sliders in your workouts?  No, not some tiny nasty fast food burger. . . the kind of sliders you can use to move furniture.  Still not sure what I’m talking about?  Then check out this post from the Diesel Crew.

Zits suck!  If you’re still popping pimples take a look at Mark Sisson’s post Primal Advice for Acne Sufferers.

Here’s a classic post from personal development blogger Steve Pavlina on comparing chess to changing habits.  To read Steve’s post, click here.

And to wrap things up this week, we have an awesome medicine ball drill by Eric Wong.  I love making people stare at me at the park when I do stuff like this.  To see what I’m talking about, watch the video here.

Have a great weekend!

I’ve heard it from plenty of clients, “Vic, I’ve stopped eating bread, avoid pasta like the plague, and haven’t had even a nibble of cheese is over a month and I’m still not losing weight.”  When I hear this, I know there is something lurking in their dietary habits that is sabotaging their weight loss efforts – without them even realizing it.  There are items they are not even recording in their food journals because they feel it somehow doesn’t count.  Well the proof is in the waistline.  If you are taking care of the “big items” like bread, pasta, and dairy – but still aren’t losing weight – be on the lookout for these three hidden culprits of weight gain.

1.  Salad dressings. Why clients think they don’t have to list the dressing they put on salads in their food journal amazes me.  All of that creamy crap is ruining the healthy deliciousness of that spinach salad with asparagus, cucumber, grape tomatoes, and red peppers (my personal favorite salad combo).  So steer clear of Ranch, Thousand Island, Caesar, and any other salad dressing where dairy is obviously a main ingredient.  To be sure you stay on the proper path to weight loss, I actually recommend that you avoid ALL prepackaged salad dressings due to the unpronounceable ingredients that are nearly inescapable with store bought dressings.  The only salad dressing that gets my seal of approval?  Home made balsamic vinaigrette: 3 parts extra virgin olive oil, 1 part balsamic vinegar, spices of your choice, shake the shit out of it and enjoy.  Delicious!

2.  Alcohol. So you stopped drinking beer, you’ve stepped way back on the wine, and you’re now cutting your Jack Daniel’s with water.  All of those adjustments are fine and good, but if you are not reaching your weight loss goals the booze has to go.  Having just two drinks has been shown to drop the body’s fat burning ability by as much as 73%.  When alcohol is consumed the body converts it to acetate.  The acetate then becomes your body’s preferred source of fuel – which means your body is NOT using body fat for fuel.  See De Novo Lipogenesis, Lipid Kinetics, and Whole-Body Lipid Balances in Humans After Acute Alcohol Consumption, Siler, Neese, & Hellerstein, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999; 70: 928-936.

But the main reason that I recommend you steer clear of alcohol is because it lowers inhibitions.  You don’t have to be staggering drunk and end up in the drive thru to see the effects alcohol can have on your will power.  That one glass of wine can easily turn into a second glass with a cheese tray.  It’s too much potential for a slippery slope in the wrong direction so my recommendation is to abstain from alcohol during fat loss efforts.

3.  Diet Soda. I know, I know. . . there are no calories in diet soda so how can it hinder weight loss?  It’s because that artificial sweetener that makes you fall in love with Diet Coke confuses the hell out of your body.  The body’s natural regulatory systems that control hunger and weight get all out of whack when it has to process the sugary taste without the expected caloric intake.  See Artificially Sweetened Beverages: Cause for Concern, Lugwig, Journal of the American Medical Association, 2009; 302: 2477-2478. Science and facts aside – my experience with clients has always been that weight loss efforts are hindered when diet soda remains a part of the diet.

As they say, the devil is in the details.  Often seemingly harmless diversions from the plan can add up to crush your fat loss efforts.

What are some things you’ve eliminated from your diet that you weren’t expecting to have an impact, that have helped you reach your weigh loss goals?  Let me know in the comments below.

Big thanks to everyone who submitted their recipes for the first GymJunkies recipe contest!  It was tough to narrow it down to my three favorites, but here are the three dishes that I cooked for the final taste taste:

Buffalo Chicken Chili by Lanell

Steak a la Chez Wolf by Julie

Thai Shrimp Salad with Mango Dressing by Nancy

The buffalo chicken chili had great flavor without being unbearably spicy-hot.  The mango dressing was delicious with the Thai shrimp salad.  But without a doubt, the Steak a la Chez Wolf was my runaway favorite.  Strawberries cooked with balsamic vinegar?  Amazing!  And combined with the sauteed spinach and the steak that I cooked medium rare, Julie’s steak recipe was the clear winner.  Congrats, Julie!

To download a PDF version of all of the recipes that were submitted before the deadline, click the link below:

GymJunkies Recipe Contest 2010

Thanks again to everyone who shared their favorite healthy recipes!

Sure the contest is over. . . but if you have more healthy recipes you’d like to share, let me know about them in the comments below.  No rules this time – let ‘em fly.

I’ve decided to start (restart) a weekly post where I link to great articles and videos from other websites.  So every Friday be on the lookout for my top 3 – 5 picks for the week.

This week we have underground training expert Zach Even-Esh breaking down the kettlebell Turkish Get Up.  Check out the video here: Zach’s Turkish Get Up Video.

Another great video comes from Henkin Fitness demonstrating a sandbag exercise called the Tornado.  And don’t squawk to me in the comments about how this drill is bad for your back.  Use appropriate weight (read “light” weight if you are new to the movement) and start off with low reps.  Take a look at the video here:  Tornado Drill Video.

Leave it to Nate Green to talk about bench pressing, turning off your phone, and finding the g-spot all in the same post.  Read all about it in Nate’s article on The Life Changing 80/20 Rule.

If you want muscle gaining advice from a true master, be sure to check out Dan John’s article titled An Old Piece On Muscle Gain.

And last but not least, one of my health and fitness heroes Mark Sisson talks about how to quit grains.  Eliminating grains from your diet is a crucial part of your fat loss efforts, so be sure to read Mark’s article on How To Quit Grains.

That’s it for this week.  Everyone have a great weekend!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. . . Friday June 18th is the FINAL day to get your entry in for the first GymJunkies Recipe Contest.  Be sure to give me your best healthy recipe by clicking here!

Yes, you can workout too much.  Particularly when combined with the typical demands of modern society – long commutes, stressful jobs, financial pressures, family obligations, subpar nutrition, and inadequate sleep patterns.  A taxing exercise program can actually be a detriment unless it is complimented with intermittent recovery periods.  Which of the following early warning signs of exercise burnout do you recognize in yourself?

1.  Your numbers have not only plateaued, they have gone DOWN! If you are lifting less weight or less reps than you used to, you might be looking at burnout.  If you are taking longer to complete specific drills (you are slower) then you might be looking at burnout.  This is why keeping a workout journal is crucial.  You can always look back at previous performance and make an educated guess about what it effecting your training.

2.  You are irritable AFTER your training. I notice this one in myself more than any of the other warning signs.  We all go into a workout stressed on occasion.  But when after the workout you feel just as irritable as when you started, or worse – MORE irritable, you might be headed for burnout.

3.  You cannot focus on the task at hand. Sure we all can get distracted from time to time in even the best of conditions (attractive members of our preferred gender in tight workout clothes tend to do that to us).  But when you can’t separate your deadlift from your dry cleaning, you have a problem.  Not only will your workout be complete shit, you are running the risk of injuring yourself.  Speaking of injury. . .

4.  You injure yourself doing a routine movement. You’ve been squatting for years without any problems and then one day on a warm up set you tweak your back.  And you tweak it bad.  Injuring yourself on a lift you’ve done hundreds if not thousands of times with sub-maximal loads is a sure sign that you are approaching burnout.  Hell, let’s face it, you are burnt out at that point.

5.  Your motivation is in the toilet. You have zero desire to exercise.  You do it only because years of being in the gym have it ingrained into your very being.  And worse yet, you don’t want to take the time off to get the rest you need.  Just thinking about being away from the gym makes you feel guilty.  As hard as it may seem, you need rest more than you need the training.  Take a week off and see how refreshed you feel.

Ebbs and flows are part of the natural cycles of all life.  Whether it’s the rise and fall of the tides or the wax and wane of the moon, periods of effort are always complimented by recovery in nature.  Despite all of our technological advances, we humans are no different.  Yes, train hard.  But compliment that training with appropriate recovery periods.

What are some things you notice when approaching training overload?  What do you do about it?  Let me know in the comments below.

Food is fuel.  But it’s much more enjoyable when it’s tasty fuel.  Plain chicken breast and broccoli will definitely get the job done, but we all enjoy some flavor.

So let me know your favorite healthy recipe in the comments below.  I’ll pick my 3 favorite recipes, make each of them next weekend, and then declare one “winner” next Monday (June 21st).  The winner will receive a rare and oh-so-sexy “Treadmills Are For Gerbils” GymJunkies T-shirt so give me your recipe today!

Here are the rules:

1. You must put your recipe in the comments of this post. Don’t email it to me.  Don’t put it in the comments of another post.  And to all of you stalkers out there, don’t mail it to my home address.  List your recipe in the comments of THIS POST.

2. You can only submit ONE recipe. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.

3. You must submit your recipe no later than 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time on Friday, June 18th. Late entries will not be considered.

You know you have a favorite dish that is healthy and tastes great.  Let me know about it in the comments below!

Yep, that’s me looking a little light headed from a tough set of deadlifts in the picture above. I was probably in the best shape of my life when that picture was taken. Do you know how many protein shakes I drank to get into that kind of shape?

Zero.

I’ve always advocated getting your protein from real food and not some magic powder. But occasionally I would bend and give the use of protein shakes a “maybe”, especially for hard gainers trying to pack on muscle.

Well not anymore.

The July 2010 issue of Consumer Reports puts some popular-brand protein shakes through some tests and found that they contain toxic heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. How much of the metals? A few of the brands were clearly over the maximum recommended limits and some were admittedly within the range that is considered “safe”. And to be completely fair. . . they also noted that some “real” foods, including my beloved spinach, contained cadmium due to absorbing the metal from the environment due in large part to the use of cadmium-containing phosphate fertilizers.

So what does this mean for YOU?

It means do your homework. Read the Consumer Reports article (be sure to also read the links in the left sidebar). And then do some additional research if something doesn’t sit right with you. And then make your own decision.

For me it’s pretty simple. . . If the ingredient list has words in it that I have to sound out like a third grader, I don’t want to eat it. And yes I can pronounce arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury just fine. Those ingredients are just icing on the heavy metal cake and reinforce why I don’t want to eat it.

So what do you think? Do you use protein shakes? If not, how do you get your protein? Let me know in the comments below.