Smoking Ban=Fewer Heart Attacks

A smoking ban in Pueblo, Colorado resulted in 41% fewer cases of heart attacks.  Surrounding areas showed no change in incidence of heart attacks (see chart below), leading researchers to believe the workplace smoking ban was directly responsible.  This data makes a strong case for the damage caused by secondhand smoke.

You can read the study at the CDC website.

Weight Training Basics: Free Weight vs Machines

Free weights simply refers to barbells or dumbbells--weights which are not attached to any cables or machines.

Machines, on the other hand, can include about any piece of equipment which provides resistance to a muscle or group of muscles.

Genearally speaking, free weights are superior to machines for developing a lean muscular physique.  When you train with free weights, several muscle groups have to work together to stabilize your body.  This is a clear advantage for building strength, power, and muscle.  Free weight lifts are also more likely to resemble movements you do in sports.

Machines have two primary uses/advantages:

*Safety: Generally speaking, resistance training with machines does have less risk of injury.  This makes them especially useful in some situations (the elderly, those with medical problems, etc).
*Isolation: Some machines are great for isolating a specific muscle through its complete range of motion. 

Machines do have their uses, but none of them can compete with free weights.  Free weights require you to learn proper technique, but it's definitely worth it. 

I'll talk more about designing a workout routine in my next article.

Natural Pizza?

Just in time for New Year's resolutions--Pizza Hut's "natural" pizza.  I feel silly after all of these years of eating artificial pizza. 

Just eat this "natural" pizza along with a few diet pills, wash it all down with diet soda, and you'll be well on your way to your health goals for 2009!

Yes, I'm gifted in the fine art of sarcasm. 

Seriously: if you want to have pizza once a week, go ahead--an occasional "cheat meal" is not going to hurt you (as long as you are consistent overall).  But don't start thinking pizza is health food.   

Squat Like a Girl

Nike: Leave Nothing

This is a pretty cool motivational commercial:

Genetics and Weight: "When Fat is Not Your Fault"

I saw this on yahoo yesterday:

I clicked through the link, which leads to an article entitled When fat is not Your Fault.
Here's an excerpt from the article:

For 84 out of 100 days, a handful of male identical twins volunteered to consume an extra 1,000 calories per day for a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Theoretically, every guy should have gained the same amount—about 24 pounds—because it takes 3,500 additional calories to put on 1 pound. Instead, each twin gained about the same number of pounds as his twin, but there was a dramatic difference in gain between the twin sets. Some packed on as many as 29 pounds, whereas others saw the scale go up as little as 9.5 pounds. These findings and others have led scientists to estimate that at least 40 percent of our weight may be determined by the genetic cards we're dealt.

My Response:

I don't think anyone can (or should) belittle the role genetics plays in obesity.  Weight issues, like many other medical problems, tends to run in families.  I would, however, like to make a couple of observations:

*We can't blame America's obesity epidemic on genetics.  There has been a dramatic increase in obesity over the last twenty years--the human genome has not changed that drastically in two decades. 

*We have to take personal responsibility and do the best with the genetic hand we've been dealt.  For example: I have a high risk for skin cancer.  I will never have a tan.  I've accepted this, and I take appropriate steps to reduce my risks (sunscreen, etc).  Likewise, you can still do your best to be healthy--even if you are genetically predisposed towards weight problems. 

Funny: The Future of Bodybuilding

Weight Training Basics: Compound vs Isolation Movements

wYou may see me refer to compound vs isolation movements in future articles.

Let me explain what this means:


Compound movements are lifts which involve multiple joints and muscle groups.  Examples include squats, bench press, and deadlift.  The squat, for example, trains the quadriceps, hamstrings, and other muscles.  The knees, hips, and other joints are involved in the lift. 

The Squat--A compound movement

Isolation movements involve only one joint and target one specific muscle group.  The curl (pictured below), for example, only involves the elbow joint and the bicep muscle when performed correctly.

 

Curls--Isolation Movement

A well designed program (like Muscle Gaining Secrets) puts more emphasis on the compound movements.  Isolation movements have their place, too, but it is wise to do the compound movements first while you still have the most energy. The key to gaining muscle is to get stronger in the main lifts (like squat and deadlift).

Michelle Aguilar: Biggest Loser Season 6 Winner

Michelle Aguilar is the current winner of Biggest Loser (Season 6).  The 26-year-old assistant director from Ft. Worth, TX started the competition at 242 pounds and lost 110 pounds for a 45.45% weight-loss percentage, claiming the show's $250,000 grand prize.

New Study on Sugar "Addiction" in Rats

“Our evidence from an animal model suggests that binging on sugar can act in the brain in ways very similar to drugs of abuse."

A University of Princeton study reveals sugar may have some of the same addictive properties as drugs. 

Rats that binged on sugar experienced a surge of dopamine, the chemical associated with the "high" caused by illicit drug use.  The rats also experienced withdrawal symptoms when deprived of sugar.

Read the whole article HERE.

My Thoughts:

*The researchers readily admitted the limits of this study.  It was done on rats, and the results may not apply to humans. 

*I'm not really surprised by the study's findings--it makes sense that sugar would stimulate the brain's pleasure centers. 

*I'm all for research which might help us understand obesity and other health problems.  I just hope we don't use this information to blame poor eating habits on "sugar addiction."

Dieting Tips: Surviving the Holidays

‘Tis the season to eat! Here are a few suggestions on surviving the holiday feeding frenzy:

Stay in the Gym

You may not be able to get in the gym as much, but don’t completely drop out! Even a few gym sessions will burn some of those calories and keep you in the habit of training.

Go for the Protein

Reach for the ham or turkey when you have your Christmas meal. Protein can convert to sugar (and thus fat), but the process is inefficient compared to simple carbohydrates (sweets and processed foods). The more protein you eat, the less room you’ll have for the foods that easily turn to bodyfat.

There’s another advantage to eating meat. It digests fairly slowly compared to carbohydrates. This will slow your meal’s conversion to blood sugar, which is healthier.

Plan to Cheat

We can’t keep strict diets 24/7, especially during the holidays. The good news is you don’t have to.

One meal is not going to change your bodyfat level. The human body simply cannot create or break down fat that quickly. In other words, one meal isn’t going to make a difference in the long run. A few planned cheats will allow you to enjoy the holidays without wrecking your long-term goals.

LASIK: My Experience With LASIK Eye Surgery

I’ve been meaning to write about my experience with LASIK eye surgery.  Here goes.

I was about eight when I first realized there was something wrong with my vision.  The problem was discovered during a vision test at school.  I was near-sighted, meaning I could only see things near to me.  Thus began the glasses-wearing era (pictures locked in a safe in a top secret location).  Every year we’d return to the ophthalmologist or a new pair of frames and progressively stronger lenses.  My vision was pretty bad, so I needed my glasses to function—not just to read.

My parents allowed me to switch to contacts when I was fourteen.  I used extended wear contacts, meaning I could sleep in them and only had to take them out every so often.  I absolutely loved the new freedom of life without glasses. 

My vision kept getting weaker as I got older.  I was not legally blind or anything, but I couldn’t see without glasses.  The prescription strength on my contacts was about minus six or so.  To give you a 20/20 idea, I think this means I could see at 20 feet what others could see on the surface of the moon.

My vision did stabilize, but I encountered another problem.  My extended wear contacts were starving my eyes of oxygen.  This means veins were beginning to encroach on the surface of my cornea to compensate.  My doctor told me I had to stop wearing extended wear immediately.  If veins grew onto my cornea, it could permanently damage my vision (think about it—a vein stretches across your cornea this burst—not good).

So, beginning around age twenty, I had to switch to daily wear lenses.  Better than glasses, but I didn’t like taking my lenses out every night.  It was a royal pain.

I heard about refractive surgery a few years after graduating college.  I looked into it, but there was a problem.  I wasn’t a good candidate for radial keratotomy (RK) because my vision was too weak.  But some new techniques were being used, so I decided to wait a year or two to see what medical technology would come up with. 

I learned about LASIK a year or two later.  I was referred to Dr. Michelson (who now has his own practice called Michelson Laser Vision).  I learned that LASIK could correct my vision—in fact, it could correct vision problems even more severe than mine.  I was also a good candidate because my vision had been stable for a few years.

Then came the worst part: having to wear glasses again.  Contacts, you see, slightly alter the shape of your cornea.  In order to get proper measurements, one must wear glasses for three days.  I endured wearing my thick spectacles, which made my eyes look like tiny beads. 

Dr. Michelson consulted with me, got the needed measurements, and we scheduled surgery.

We first did my left eye.  They started by putting a few drops of anesthesia in my eye, and I lay down on the operating table a few minutes later.  They placed some type of rubber sheet on my face, which forced my eye open.  Next they used some type of apparatus to open it even wider.  I could not feel any pain, but it was creepy to see all of this stuff being done to my eye.  But I was sick of corrective lenses, and I knew I could endure twenty or thirty minutes of this in exchange for a lifetime of vision. 

Another device made the small slice of cornea.  The “flap” was pulled back, and they started zapping me with the laser—still no pain.  The “flap” was eventually put back in place, and they waited for it to re-set.

The whole thing was over in less than thirty minutes. 

They put a clear plastic covering over my eye after it was all over.  I was also given some painkillers to help with the post-surgical discomfort.  It really wasn’t that bad—kind of felt like I just swam in a pool with too much chlorine.  Another very small price to pay for a lifetime of vision. 

I came back to the office the day after the surgery.  I was already seeing 20/40, and I was seeing 20/15 after a few weeks. 

I got the right eye done once I was comfortable with the progress of the left eye.  Everything went just as smoothly.  My right eye healed a little more quickly, but my left eye is a little bit stronger (I’m guessing my right eye is 20/20 or 20/25). 

I would have been satisfied with less improvement than I received.  I would have been OK with needing glasses to read or drive.  But I ended up with perfect vision.  

It's been over ten years since I've had LASIK done.  I have zero regrets--it's one of the best things that's ever happened to me. 

Arnold vs Ronnie

I ran across this video months ago.  It compares Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman.

Many people (including yours truly) prefer the bodybuilders of the 70's to the current champions.  There was more emphasis on symmetry back then.  Now it's all about freakish size.  Yes, they all used steroids (past and present), but I can only imagine how much higher the dosages are now.

In case you are wondering, this blog isn't really about professional bodybuilding--it's more for those who just want to get bigger, stronger, or leaner.  Having said that, many of us got interested in weights after seeing professional bodybuilders like Arnold.

Study: Cancer to Become World's Leading Killer by 2010

According to the World Health Organization:

Cancer will overtake heart disease as the world's top killer by 2010, part of a trend that should more than double global cancer cases and deaths by 2030, international health experts said in a report released Tuesday. Rising tobacco use in developing countries is believed to be a huge reason for the shift, particularly in China and India, where 40 percent of the world's smokers now live.

Full Articles:

Google News

Yahoo Health News

My Comments:  Another reason to put down those cigarrettes!

Related Post at KuyaKevin.com:

Cigarettes and the Bible

Oprah, Southern Obesity, and an "Outsider's" Perspective

According to an internet article I just read, Oprah Winfrey has publicly revealed her weight--200 lbs.  As we all know, her weight issues have been the talk of tabloids for decades.  Twenty years ago she dropped down to a size ten by going on a liquid protein diet.  Her weight has fluctuated ever since.

I'm not writing this article to promote celebrity gossip.  Instead, I see Oprah as a public case study of America's obesity epidemic. 

I remember the first time I returned to the States after living here in the Philippines.  I had not been in America for a year and a half.  One of the first things I noticed was the massive girths of my fellow countrymen--it was shocking.  Filipinos, of course, tend to be smaller in stature.  But I'm not talking about height or frame size.

It was the first time I had seen my own country from more of an outsider's perspective, and it was eye-opening to say the least.  Statistics confirm my observation--about 30% of Americans are obese.    Oprah is originally from Mississippi, located next to my home State of Alabama.  Our States top the nation in obesity rates. 

As I've mentioned on my other blog, I completely disagree with Oprah's spiritual views.  Having said that, I hope she can continue to bring awareness to the problem of America's expanding waistlines. 

Workout Tips for Beginners

Tip #1: Think of Your Body as a Single, Whole Unit

Many people have a fundamental misunderstanding of the way the human body works. 

Last week I saw a few of my friends in the gym.  I asked them what kind of routine they were doing, and they told me they had spent an hour doing nothing but sit-ups and cardio.  “Why?” I asked.  “Because we want to make our tummies smaller,” they replied.

“It doesn’t work that way,” I said.  “If you want to reduce the size of your waists, you need to train your whole body.  For starters, this will burn a lot more calories than sit-ups.  It will also increase your muscle mass, which will increase your overall metabolism.  As your muscle mass goes up and your bodyfat level goes down, your waistline will shrink.”

After hearing my explanation, my friends allowed me to put them through a simple routine of basic lifts (squats, dumbbell bench press, etc).   

Let’s imagine another scenario: what if you asked me how to ad size to your arms?  My answer would be something like this:  "Why not focus on getting a bigger body?"  In would encourage you to work on getting stronger in the basic lifts, which will result in an overall increase in mass.  Trust me—if you gain ten pounds of muscle, you’re going to end up with bigger arms.

Do you see where I’m going with this?  We have to think of our body as a single unit, not as individual parts we want to grow (or shrink).  Whether you want to get smaller and leaner or bigger and more muscular, this truth applies.   If you are going to work out, you need to plan to train your whole body. 

I’m not saying you have to train your whole body every workout (though such routines can be effective).  But you do need a training routine (selection of lifts) that targets all major muscle groups over the course of a week.

If you are a new trainee I'd recommend a good program like Muscle Gaining Secrets to get started.  

Move Review: Bigger, Stronger, Faster

Synopsis:

Christopher Bell and his two brothers were typical kids of the 80’s. They grew up watching Hulk Hogan, Sylvester Stallone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Like their idols, all three of the Bell brothers began lifting weights. Christopher’s brothers even pursued wrestling careers, and used steroids to enhance their performance. Bigger, Stronger, Faster explores the impact of steroid use on Christopher’s family and America as a whole.


My Reaction:

This movie hits close to home on many levels. Christopher is my age, and like me, he’s a formerly chubby kid who to turned to weights in his teenage years. I can also relate to his admiration of Hogan, Stallone, and Schwarzenegger (I bought Arnold’s Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding) when I was a teenager.

I think this is the best documentary I’ve ever watched. Here are a few of my impressions:

*I’m embarrassed by the amount of time and money our government has put into the “steroid problem”—is this really a national crisis? All we have to show for their efforts is legislation based on zero research.

*There’s a great deal of hypocrisy in the way America looks at steroids. Getting corrective eye surgery is not cheating, but steroid use is. We pay millions to watch athletes to perform at super-human levels, but we get upset when they use every means necessary to do so.

*The people you “meet” in this movie are fascinating case studies. They represent our obsession with both physical perfection and false hopes.

*I love the way Bell exposes the media hysteria regarding steroids. Bell neither promotes nor condemns steroid use. Instead, he attempts to present both sides of the issue.

If you want to see a brutally honest look at the steroid issue, buy this movie.

Note: Just in case you are wondering, I've never used anabolic steroids.  At some point I may talk about this issue in more detail.  

Study: Exercise Helps Overweight Chidren with Anger

A recent study observed 208 formerly sedentary children (7-11 years old) who participated in an after school exercise program:

"Exercise had a significant impact on anger expression in children," said Dr. Catherine Davis, clinical health psychologist in the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine. "This finding indicates that aerobic exercise may be an effective strategy to help overweight kids reduce anger expression and aggressive behavior."

"I think if teachers could see that exercise helps kids control their behavior and get along, they would be the top proponents of physical activity for kids," said Dr. Davis, noting that other studies suggests overweight children are more likely to be bullies and to be bullied. High levels of anger and hostility have been associated with delinquency in children, cardiovascular disease in adults and metabolic syndrome - which can lead to heart attack, stroke and diabetes - in adolescents.

These quotes were taken from sciencedaily.com.  You can read the whole article here.  

Training and Muscle Soreness

There’s one thing beginners can count on after a good weight training session—soreness.  I still remember the first time I did a “real” workout as a teenager.  I was so sore that I could barely lift my arms the next day.  I still get sore, though nothing like that first workout.

This phenomenon is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).  “Delayed” because the soreness is often worse a day or two after you lift.  There are medical theories as to why it happens, but there’s no real consensus (as far as I know).  Seems to have something to do with lactic acid, micro trauma to the muscle, the muscle’s healing process, or maybe all of the above.

Here’s one thing I have to remind new trainees of: the muscle soreness gets less severe after a few weeks.  Unfortunately, many give up after just a few sessions because they think they’ll be in a constant state of severe soreness.  I challenge newcomers to train for at least a month before deciding whether or not it is for them—it will take that long for their bodies to really begin to adapt.

Even experienced lifters have to deal with this—my legs are sore right now.  But you get used to it, and even learn to welcome it.

Here are more random thoughts on muscle soreness:

*Beginners should start out slowly and gradually increase their workout intensity.  I know a first-timer will get pretty sore from just a few sets, so I adjust his/her training accordingly.   

*If you are really uncomfortable you can take pain reliever, but don’t make it a regular habit.

*There will be times when you don’t get particularly sore after a workout (especially after you've been training for a few weeks)—this doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t train hard enough.  Soreness is not directly correlated with the effectiveness of your workout. 

*Soreness should be in the muscle, not the joints.  Joint pain is not a normal part of training.  If your joints are constantly hurting, it’s time to see a doctor.

The Biggest Loser and Body for Life

I enjoy watching the Biggest Loser.  The transformations that take place are amazing and inspiring.  If ever you need some motivation, check it out.

The Biggest Loser reminds me of the Body for Life challenge, which started about ten years ago.  It never reached national television, but it was promoted through MuscleMedia magazine (complete with videos, etc).  Like the magazine, the contest was basically a tool to promote EAS supplements.  Regardless, it was an innovative idea that inspired many to achieve higher levels of fitness.  

I participated in Body for Life as a way to challenge myself.  I didn't win anything, but I learned a great deal about diet (my plateus in fat loss lead to my discovery of low carb dieting).  Entering the contest also gave me a great deal of motivation and focus. 

These contests remind me of the body's amazing ability to transform in a relatively short period of time.  Crash diets, of course, don't work.  But significant changes can occur after a few weeks of hard training and a carefully planned diet.