Archive for August, 2009

Episode 147: Samuel L. Jackson Beer and a Fat Loss Supp Debate

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On August - 30 - 2009

Get this Week’s Episode:

MP3 Download/iTunes/RSS/Odeo


Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee (Twitter), Dr. Jonathan Fass,

and Leigh Peele

FitCast NEWS

  • Language
  • Anthony Renna Interview about Strengthandconditioningwebinars.com
  • Talk to us in the comments
  • Voicemails! 978-633-3488
  • Jon blogged…
  • What up Leigh Peele?

Mailbag

  • Hi everyone. Since I found the FitCast last year I have enjoyed every podcast. I especially enjoy the guests you have had on the show.My question is in regards to glute strain. I am 49 years old and have been working out regularly for the last year and half. About 3 weeks ago I started having this pain in my left glute with the what feels like a very tight calf muscle. My doctor has so far ruled out disc issues but feels it may be strained gluts muscle(s). The pain is worst first thing in the morning and eases up after I  have been up and moving for a little bit.  I have been doing lots of stretching and foam rolling and my doctor has advised me to not do any training for awhile.Would you explain a little bit about this type of injury and suggest what should be done for rehab. Alos what should I be doing to prevent this from happening again?

    Thanks and keep up the great podcasts. -Rob

  • First off, great show guys, I’m lovin it. So, my question is probably for Leigh as it relates to fiber. It seems to be added into every conceivable food now. Granola bars, tortillas, breads, I wouldn’t be surprised if they start adding it into meat at this rate. My query is whether these foods are ok to eat or should we just stick to good ol’ fruits and veggies?. They are still processed but I’m wondering if getting the extra fiber would be good. Just thought they were kinda interesting. Thanks for any info.

    All the best,

    Sean

  • Hey guys,
    This question is for Dr. Fass. For several months now, I’ve been having some numbness and/or nerve pain on my right leg/hip. Nearly 100% of the occurrences are while I’m driving, but sometimes it does happen while I’m seated at my desk during my day job. It doesn’t come on while I’m training, except I have noticed a difference in strength/proprioception, i.e. I’m weaker and less stable doing single leg deadlifts on my right leg vs. my left. I’ve been going to the chiropractor for regular ART and also do Zhealth joint mobility and foam roller work on my own (with little improvement). Is there anything else I can try on my own or am I going to have to break down and get an MRI
  • (Kevin to Leigh) I was trying to find creatine articles ( long story ) i ran across this article http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8929583
    caffeine negates creatine’s effects. is it valid?
    thanks
    kevin Gus
  • Hi, I recently got a bodyfat percentage test at the gym I train at (John Wooden Center at UCLA). In case you were wondering, it’s 10.5% reading.
    It was on a bioelectrical impedence measurement system.
    I have heard that around single digits bodyfat, the abdominals start to show. I might be a suggestion of definition, but frankly, they are still mostly hidden under my layer of fat.
    Are results from this machine reliable? Or should I get calipers done instead?
    Thanks, John Conkle
  • Do you think that fish oil or flax oil is more important? I’ve read that one is more easily used by some people’s bodies. Also, should flax oil be cold pressed or not? With or without flax particulate? Thanks. -Jon
  • Hey Guys,I was wondering what you thought about hoodia. I was looking into getting some, but then thought I would ask you guys about it. If not hoodia, is there any hunger suppressant out there that is safe? I am trying to lose some fat so I have lowered my total calories, but am starving throughout the day. I’ve only dropped to 2,200 kcals, but I am still very hungry. Thanks for any help.-Shane
Interview about Strength and Conditioning Webinars:

click me

Episodes

Episode 146: 100% All Natural with Tom Venuto

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On August - 23 - 2009

Get this Week’s Episode:

MP3 Download/iTunes/RSS/Odeo


Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee (Twitter), Leigh Peele

and Tom Venuto

FitCast News

  • What Up Leigh?
  • StrengthandConditioningWebinars.com
  • I wanted to update you guys about last weeks show.  I made up my mind and picked a training goal and program.  I’m one week into it and I feel good and motivated to continue with it.  Thanks to calling me out on the show last week.  Kevin, I now know how you must have felt getting called out by Alwyn Cosgrove during that seminar about your training inconsistency.  I was shocked when you guys called me out like that at the end of the show and at the same time  I was instantly motivated to go train and reach my goal.  I now know the power of accountability.  I did set up a blog, like you suggested,  which I will track my progress along the way.  Here’s the link if you want to check it out http://commitedtraininig.wordpress.com/
  • (note: I’m still learning how to set the site up so that’s going to be a work in progress).
    The mental side of dieting and training is such an interesting and important part of the fitness industry which is why we need more people like Tom Venuto to address it.  The goal setting and belief systems reframing information in Tom’s book alone make it a valuable resource.
    Thanks for the support and keep up the good work,
    Eddy R, NY

Questions for Tom Venuto

  • Tom, most people know you as a fat loss expert and a fitness writer but you have a long background in serious bodybuilding. Why dont you start out by telling us about your bodybuilding background and your philosophy about bodybuilding
  • Do you think has the sport of bodybuilding gotten a bad rap?
  • I’ve got a question for Tom: what do you say to all the haters who dismiss BB as a dysfunctional sport of pure vanity?

    I am a 22 year old female making my way slowly but surely towards the stage as a figure competitor, hopefully for the first time this November.  It just seems like a natural progression for me: I love lifting, and I’ve got the support and knowledge of a regional champion bodybuilder who is conveniently friends with John Berardi :)

    HOWEVER, I have a really hard time explaining to people what I’m training for (“physique competition…a bodybuilding sort of thing,” I usually say), and an even more difficult time explaining why! I have come to compare it to running a marathon (the lofty fitness goal of the day, it seems)…except that I prefer weightlifting to running ridiculous distances.

    Sometimes I feel like I’m completely downplaying and disrespecting the sport, however. How do you explain  to the general public the what & the why of BB, and why they should respect it?

    Best,
    Nicole

  • there have actually been some debates on the forums about whether body building is even a sport at all; whats your response to the people who say its not a ‘real sport’
  • What is your favorite template for putting on mass? for example body part split routines seem to have fallen out of favor, so what are your thoughts on split routines? versus full body training or simple 2 way splits like push/pull, or upper/lower.
  • Tom, how do you train – what are your own personal routines like today and why did you choose to train that way?
  • It seems that steroids are constantly in the news whether its baseball or pro wrestling or the olympics or bodybuilding. What are your feelings about steroid use in sports today
  • Hey Tom (and TheFitCast)! I finally got BTFFTM and am already loving it. As a former trainer and continuing exercise physiology and nutrition knowledge hound, I was wondering if you could recommend any good resources for me to check out? Books? Journals? Databases (besides PubMed!)? Thanks! -Alison
  • When are we going to see you on the stage again tom?
  • Finally what have been working on? Any upcoming projects?
Episodes

Episode 145: The Return of the Fails with Mike Robertson

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On August - 16 - 2009

Get this Week’s Episode:

MP3 Download/iTunes/RSS/Odeo

Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee (Twitter), Jonathan Fass,

and Mike Robertson

Housekeeping

  • Comebacks Comments
  • Facebook Question of the week

Mailbag

  • Mike,
    What is the most frustrating thing you’ve come across and/or dealt with in the fitness industry, either as a trainer, facility owner, or athlete?

    Thanks,
    Jimi Varner

  • Hi Kevin,I was listening to some older episodes of TheFitCast and heard that
    you made some shakes with diet soda. How do you mix these? Eg, a
    blender, shaker bottle, or just stir with a spoon? I typically use a
    shaker bottle but I’m afraid that it would foam up too much?

    Thanks!! -Erika

  • I have a question about my foot. I play rugby, and whenever I make a rapid change in direction (which is frequently) the top part of my foot begins to hurt. I googled the foot and the the area that hurts is the inferior extensor/tibalis anterior tendon. I’m not sure if it’s those parts that hurt, but it’s the general area. If it helps, it only hurts for a half a day or so, and only when I put pressure on my toes like when I walk. Appreciate any help, as I do enjoy being able to walk. -Blaine
  • “]Hey man, love the show and i wanted to send a question in to you guys but i kept getting error messages. Anyway i hope this will do, i’m about to ship out to Army Basic Training in about 2 weeks and wanted to know everyones take on the excessive amount of pushups and situps which make up the army’s fitness test and training. I know that situps are in fact a terrible exercise regarding lower back health and was hoping to get some insight on ways to perform the exercise with as little risk as possible. Thanks alot the Fitcast rules! -Donnine
  • I need some tough love advice.  My last girlfriend told me that I had commitment issues.  I knew she was right, I just never thought that it would be in regard to training.  I’ve been experiencing the same prodblem over and over again…
    I read an article or book on training, I get excited and I really buy into the system and the potential results it will produce.  I get all amped up to put the priciples and methods into action and then it happens.  I get to the workouts….I start to panic, I get nervous…”do I really want to spend the next 16 weeks using this program… well maybe I’ll just do Phase 1.”  Then I start to analyze wheter Phase one is going to be hard enough…”I don’t see any ab work, when do I get to do heavy rack lockouts for my Tri’s?”
    The next day I read another article that has different parameters and looks more fun so I’ll disregard the previous program but then it happens again “this program has too much volume, where is the prehab work, I thought I was supposed to be doing 10 sets of 3?”
    Meanwhile I just go down into my basement and do some pushups with my feet elevated and 30lbs of weigh thrown in a backpack that I’m wearing and I’m wondering “wouldn’t this be easier if I just went to a gym and had access to heavy weights?….Are these at- home workouts of single leg variations/push-ups, rows and chins effective  enough and worth saving time from going to the gym? …..or should I be drivning the 45min round trip to the annoying commercial gym that I’m locked into a contract with and doesn’t even have a power rack;  but at least I can be doing heavy BB box squats, deads, cleans, heavy pressing, etc.”
    I need you guys to give me some tough love and tell me to just deal with my Freudian issues, and jealousy over the ignorant guys taking NO-Explode doing curls in the power rack while I swallow another fish oil and wonder how I’m going to fit in my mobility, activation, soft tissue work, prehab exercises, let alone get my training in while adding fillers, timing my rest periods, and slugging down my peri-workout shake all in under 30min…..
    Is ignorance really bliss? or am I just focusing on this one girl and the long-term commitment when I really should just be having fun and dating around?   “wait, I thought I was talking about training.”
    Have fun with that one, you might want to have Jon read this one Kevin j/k.  Love the show keep up the good work.
    Eddy R, NY
  • hey kevin, love the show.
    you dont have to answer this question on the show, but i was wanting your opinion. i’ve been into working out and fitness for about 3 years. i am starting to think i should pursue a career in fitness, there are two ways i can do it, either through a private college which will make a me a personal trainer/strength and condition coach in one year. or i can do a 3 years applied science degree in exercise science. just wondering which one i should do, also if i did the personal training now i might regret not doing the degree when i was young (im 19).
    hope this made sense, harry (See episode 139, 138 on the state)
  • My question is for you and Jonathan and/or possibly for your guest Mike Robertson. It pertains to the neck. Ever since I can remember, I’ve had issues with forward head posture. I have worked to correct my pelvic tilt – bringing it pretty much back to neutral, and have also had quite a bit of success with fixing my kyphosis by working on T-spine mobility thanks to Mike Robertson & Bill Hartman’s Inside Out dvd. But my forward head posture has barely budged! My neck flexors don’t seem to be weak, but it feels like the neck extensors are very tight or short and I have very little flexion ROM at the cervical spine. Any tips you can offer?
    Thanks and keep up the great flow of info at the FitCast!
    - Bob Parr
Episodes

Episode 144: Pre Workout Sex

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On August - 9 - 2009

Get this Week’s Episode:

MP3 Download/iTunes/RSS/Odeo


Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee (Twitter), Jonathan Fass,

Tony Gentilcore and Leigh Peele

Sponsor

FitCast News

Mailbag

  • Hello Kevin and everyone else,
    I was wondering if you could talk about the physiological differences between former fat people and people who have never been overweight and how that effects training and diet. For example, take two people who train regularly and are about the same size. The former fat person will have more fat cells then the “regular” person, even if they are empty, which could be affecting certain hormone levels. I’m sure there are other differences as well and if so, how should the training and dieting plans be changed for former fat people. Also, there are former fat people who were only 30 lbs overweight and those who were 130 lbs overweight so could you discuss if the degree of former fatness matters.
    Thanks,
    Jesika
  • I dont know if i heard it on one of your shows but, Dips for tri development, the ones where you use two benchs put plate on your upper thieghs and dip between two benchs, good or bad and if bad why. -Myron
  • Guys
    Reading an article on the net, it stated that having sex frequently will increase your testosterone levels naturally. It sounds like a lot of fun, but if you have sex, does testosterone increase in a way that may help you develope more muscle mass? I know the question is very broad, but it is an interesting topic. Have sex, rest, work out. Have sex, rest, workout. Better than steroids, right? Hope you can talk about the subject. Wish you the best from Mexico.
    Ruben
  • As a very strict vegetarian I struggle to get adequate protein. This hasn’t been a huge issue in the past, but now that I’m strength training 3-4 times a week, it is more of an issue. I’m so confused though.

    While the specific recommendations for intake vary (depending on who and what you read), it is the recommendations per body weight that is confusing me. Some things I have read have said (for example) 0.75g protein per kg, meanwhile other things say 0.75g protein per lb.

    Using the 0.75g and my weight (64kg/ 141lb)
    @ 64kg = 48g protein
    @ 141lb = 105g protein

    There is a huge difference between these two recommendations when you place them side by side!

    Could you clarify this please?

    Thanks!
    Christie

  • What shoud i do for tight deep hip muscles?
    It has become obvious I need help with this.  Any ideas you have would be very much appreciated.  Any help appreciated.
    I am very grateful for your help.
    yours truly, Lacey
  • I walk on off days to help with training recovery. I use a X-vest to increase the load and therefore increase my heart rate. I have read that you should not load body weight movements beyond 10-15% of your body weight to avoid stress on the joints. For example, if you weight 165lbs, the max weight would be 16-25 lbs in a weight  vest. Any truth to this?
    Thanks,
    Jeff
  • (Leigh to Kevin) Any chance of a “Where are they now?” episode in which you guys interview and give an update on past co-hosts? -Alison

Round Table

Episodes

Destination Abs: The Training Program

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On August - 4 - 2009

the-fat-loss-troubleshootBy: Kevin Larrabee, CSCS

Another two weeks down. This sh*t is getting easy folks. I could follow Leigh’s nutritional guidelines forever. I even had a couple beers on Friday and I am still looking leaner. Guys, this is cool. I feel like there is actually some light at the end of the tunnel and definitive abs will be visible by the end of summer. Hell yes. I know I am kind of incoherent right now, but it is because this has been a long ass journey, 149 days so far since we began.

In terms of training (as I promised last week) the workouts that I have designed have consisted of 4 main exercises with 2-3 accessory exercises at the end of the workout. Workouts last no more than 60 minutes (excluding warm-up). For example, on the back/bi day my training will look something like this:

  • A) Weighted Chin-Ups
  • B) Chest Supported Row
  • C) Lat Pull Down
  • D) Face Pulls
  • E) Reverse EZ bar Curls
  • F) Cable Hammer Curls

I have found T-nation’s, “Best of” series to be very helpful when needing to mix things up. This was the case especially on my arms/abs/refeed day. Here are the links to the articles:

Down the line Leigh and I will be discussing the training more and how it changed throughout the different phases of the program. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section and I will answer them.

Leigh Peele has put together the nutrition portion of this program and I have constructed the training program. If you haven’t read her book The Fat Loss Troubleshoot, you have no idea what you are missing. Leigh has a no bull shit approach when it comes to this stuff. If you are one of those dieters who has smothered the furnace that is your metabolism, Leigh’s book will do the trick to get that fire stoked.

Destination Abs

Episode 143: Baseballs and Southerners

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On August - 2 - 2009

Get this Week’s Episode:

MP3 Download/iTunes/RSS/Odeo


Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee (Twitter), Jonathan Fass,

and Leigh Peele

Sponsor

FitCast NEWS

Mailbag

  • (From Mark) Our dear friend Tracy is at it again. Here she’s getting some free marketing for her NY club from a local news station. The crap that comes out of her mouth, though… it’s priceless. My favorite quote is… “I knit the muscles and re-engineer the muscular structure against genetics, against problem areas, to really give women what they want.”http://ny1.com/content/ny1_living/health/103135/celebrity-fitness-instructor-opens-up-tribeca-studio/Default.aspx
  • Nice site. just found it after seeing Tracy Anderson for the first time on CBS Early Show. I searched “Tracy Anderson workout bullshit” and you site came up. Keep up the good work. -Kevin Mullins
  • First off, I admire your work and appreciate that you’re always on a path towards self-improvement. I am a 55-year old female, 5 foot 4 inches and 180 pounds. I have been eating clean, weighing and measuring all my food, and maintaining a calorie range of 1200-1400 with a 40/30/30 split. I am doing 3 days of total body high-rep weight training and 3 days of interval cardio for about 45-60 minutes 6 days a week with one rest day. I am changing my workouts every 3 weeks and feel like I’m doing everything by the book. Nevertheless, the scale hasn’t budged. I dropped 2 inches the first two weeks and have seen no progress in the scale or my measurements in the last 3 weeks. What gives? I’ve had my thyroid checked and the doctor relayed that everything is normal. I’m feeling frustrated and could really use some help. Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer!!Sincerely,Laura
  • Here’s a question for Jon. In the latest Mythbusters artical on T-Nation Mark Young discussed how muscle weakness may not actually be due to a weak muscle.  He mentioned how the thoracic nerve in the neck can cause shoulder weakness.  I tried the exercise he recommended and it worked instantly.  I was able to do shoulder presses and side lateral raises for the first time in a long time.
    I was wondering if Jon could elaborate on this issue and if there are any other exercises that I should be doing or avoiding to help get my shoulder stronger.
    On a side note.  What actually happens when you “throw your arm out” while playing softball. And is there anything that I can do immediately to regain arm strength after this happens.
    Thanks,
    Eddy R, NY
  • Hi, all. I’ll get straight to the point, but first I have to say that I love the show. I have a couple of questions: First, you talk a lot about clients having poor glute strength. How do I know if this applies to me, and what do I do about it? Are there other commonly-weak areas that I should be looking out for? Also, how do I go about finding a “real” (i.e. not commercial) gym? I’m in Chicago, so I know they exist, but am not sure where to start looking for them. Thanks for all the great information!
    Anna
  • Hello Kevin! I love your show and I have been listening since the beginning. I have a question about how to lose muscle mass. I have been training (weight programs and intervals for cardio) for almost a year now. I have gone from 155 to 125 (I’m 5′4″). I don’t know the body fat numbers but I have lost a lot of fat and gained a lot of muscle. Now that I am the size that I want to be, I feel that some part are too muscle-ly for the look that I want, specifically my shoulders, biceps and calves. How can I lose some of this muscle mass but still remain active and maybe even continue to improve my fitness.Thanks a lot,- Jesika
  • So I see this phrase all over the place “Exercising without accurately monitoring your intensity is like driving a car without a speedometer”. How true is this? Could the FitCast team please discuss the necessity of HR monitors? When, if ever, is it a necessity and when is it just more gadgetry distracting from the real goal, working out.
    On a related note if you can get Mr. Fass to go off on one of his tangents where he morphs into Dr. Fass that would be great. Love it when Dr. Fass starts hurling knowledge like 500ton nuclear warheads. I walk away singed but smarter. -mark
  • What are your thoughts on barefoot training? I tried jumping barefoot but it was too painful so I’m jumping roping in socks in the meantime. I’ve been deadlift in flip flops and I do feel it made a difference in my form in a positive way. I recall seeing Arnold squating with flip flops on and I’ve read some recent articles about training barefoot or with flip flops and I wanted to get your 2 cents.ThanksMatthew
  • Hello,What are your thoughts on JUST chocolate milk as a post-workout drink for a natural bodybuilder wanting to something effective and affordable? -Chris Allen
  • Hey Kevin &co. (whatup, Leigh?)I love the deadlift. But I’m having a problem. The “grippy” part of my gym’s brand spanking new trap bar is like coarse grit sandpaper. Between the rough grips and the amount of weight I’m pulling, my sets leave my hands shredded. Blisters under calouses, and they never heal before the next deadlift workout.I’ve thought about wearing gloves, but… I can’t quietly mock people for wearing gloves if I’m wearing them too. Today, in a back corner of the gym, I found these little straps with metal hooks. You wrap them around your wrists and then hook the hooks under the trap bar grips. I gave them a try, and not only did it help my hands, but it also made the weight I was pulling feel much lighter.

    Clearly this is a cheat, and I’m not feeling real proud, but at the same time, with the weight I’m lifting, my hands never get healed. Can you guys tell me how using the grips alters the effect of the lift, and tell me if I’m negating the total body impact of the deadlift? Is it enough to just add more weight? I could tell my forearms weren’t getting the same workout.

    Thanks guys. I look forward to the podcast every week. Keep up the good work. -MT

  • Hi Yall… (Kevin…try a Texas accent this time). I have a personal question related to how to break up with your trainer, in a GOOD way. I’ve been training with a gentlemen for the last year who had done a good job in regards to getting me into working out (I lost a BUNCH of weight in 2008 with a medical ketosis program with no exercise, he followed up by getting me addicted to exercise). But I’m finding that I’m outgrowing him… he is inconsistent, has me on no plan and just makes up the training during our sessions, with about 40% of his time spent texting or joking around with other trainers. He recently told me he is going independent (he currently works for a gym) and he wants me to follow him… however…I do not feel like it is in my best interest to do so. HOW do I tell him that I want to stay at the current gym (close to home) and not hurt his feelings/ hurt his chances of being successful independently… a buck a minute is a lot to pay to have someone screw around for 20min…BUT I do love the guy and don’t want to offend him. BTW, insert obligatory “you guys are great, thanks and all that” here :) …
Episodes

Connect with Facebook



the-fat-loss-troubleshoot


The FitCast is a Free Weekly Podcast. If you enjoy the show and would like to support us you can Donate through PayPal. Thank You for Your Support!