Stuff I Heard:
Dr. Scott Connelly on Heavy Muscle Radio two weeks ago:
"The whole food pyramid is completely insane! . What it boils down to, in a nutshell, is that the less carbohydrate you eat the better off you are. "
(It's) "Amazing to me that mainstream medicine refuses to accept this premise. At the end of the day, you will get your ass kicked metabolically if you look at the food pyramid and jump for joy. "
Keep speaking the truth, Scott. Some of us are listening!
Stuff I Love:
Dave Palumbo's Hard Core Nutrition & Supplement Seminar (DVD)
Last week I was working on the column while "Dave Palumbo's Hard Core Nutrition & Supplement Seminar" played on the little DVD player on my desk. Funny me, thinking I could keep Dave in the background while I concentrated on writing... it didn't work. Finally I realized I had to turn it off as I kept finding myself watching Dave address a live audience listening to his seminar. My deadline was upon me. I concentrated on the column, knowing I'd have more time for the DVD during the week.
Now that I've watched and listened to it three times through, I'm more impressed with each viewing. Before any of you wonder if I'm just kissing up to Dave, forget about it! He would be the first to admit he's not the world's finest public speaker, but he's pretty damn good. Palumbo speaks in complete sentences, with no "like" or "ummm" or awkward pauses. A veritable flood of important data comes out of his mouth, in logical order, spoken with passion and a deep well of knowledge and experience.
Beginning with the importance of proper nutrition, the value of protein in the diet and its role in growing the body and your health, Dave uses real-world anecdotes and experience to bring science to a level all of us can understand. Of course he gets around to extolling the virtues of the ketogenic diet, but by the time the viewer understands ketosis, the natural progression of why it's the best diet for losing body fat is clear.
During the discussion of the importance of omega-3 and -6 essential fats and why a balanced ratio of them is critical, graphics pop up on the screen while Dave speaks. An alert viewer could copy them all down throughout the course of the DVD and have a nice Cliff Notes version to refer to in the future. At one point, a complete meal plan is even discussed. Palumbo provides invaluable information, notably because he details different calorie loads for differing bodyweights, and men compared to women.
This appears to have been shot between a year and a year and a half ago; the opening has a big ad for Muscular Development, and the Species line didn't yet include Fiberlyze (Dave announces it in this presentation). No booklet is included, so I don't know where or when this was shot and who the audience was. Of course, these details don't really matter, and if they're important to you, ask Dave in his Q&A thread.
I give Dave Palumbo's Hard Core Nutrition & Supplement Seminar an "A". The information is clear and it's delivered in an entertain fashion. For those who think he might hold back tips and information so that he could sell it his personal consultations, think again! Viewers will see and hear specific, detailed meal-by-meal breakdowns and they'll learn why things work as they do. Nothing is left out. This DVD replaces the many pages of threads and posts I've printed over the years; it's all here in one simple package.
On the shelf where you keep your countless workout and contest DVDs, this should be front and center.
$39.95 + shipping/handling from www.davepalumbo.com
SteelStretch Sports Performance Shirt
I'll bet the majority of you own and wear Under Armour shirts, sports bras, shoes, hats and other gear. I sure see a lot of gym bags with their logo, and as a clothing sponsor of the NFL, the brand is everywhere and hugely popular in the gym. But listen up; they have competition now in the form of the amazing SteelStretch shirt!
These shirts give the phrase form-fitting new life. When I hold a long-sleeve shirt in my hand it doesn't look like it would fit anyone over the age of 8, but it snugly and comfortably fits me (I'm a lean 200 pounds and wear size M-L!). SteelStretch is very different from any base layer garment I've owned and worn, and as an ex-competitive cyclist, I've worn many. Reinforced elbows are a nice touch and extra-long sleeves and body length are tremendous features. I can't sing the praises of these two aspects enough. Wearing my SteelStretch on the job in the gym-- moving around all the time, hefting plates and weights for people all day-- I feel warm when it's cold in the gym and comfortable in summer heat and humidity.
SteelStretch has no seams; composition is a blend of antibacterial nylon, polyester and elastane. This combination wicks moisture effectively; I'm never sweaty or uncomfortable. We all know that feeling of being trapped in a tight base layer shirt after a few hours; I've never experienced that with SteelStretch. And here's another feature I discovered: this shirt goes through the washing machine and a dryer (on gentle) with no shrinkage or other issues. To me this is important, as most of us are very unlikely to sort our base layers from all our other workout gear; no, it all goes into the washing machine in one giant lump of sweaty clothing, and SteelStretch comes out fine.
Did I mention SteelStretch shirts are only $24.95? The're available in long or short sleeves, sleeveless, and both the regular density and a cold-weather version.
This is my favorite base layer shirt ever!
Schiek Model 2004 lifting belt
What do you think happens when you take a budding powerlifter who's an experienced gym rat and Crossfit athlete, and convince her she should begin squatting and deadlifting with a lifting belt? Initially, Anne felt awkward with the belt on; after all, she didn't grow up wearing one in the gym as many of us have. She's lifted for many years without one, and in fact didn't even want to wear it. But for Rx Muscle and "Stuff I Like", she strapped on the Schiek 4 ¾" model 2004 and hit the squat rack for the last month.
Out of the gate, she was impressed with how comfortable she was in the belt, no matter how tightly she had it. Credit Schiek's patented downward angle fitting the natural shape of her back. With some practice, both her squats and deadlifts for max weight felt good, and soon she was hitting new PR numbers in both. Learning how to utilize the belt in the hole while squatting made a big difference, and having a belt that's strong, functional and comfortable proved important.
Anne recommends this Schiek belt for all max-effort lifting. Remember, lifting belts aren't fashion statements, so even though this is a good-looking piece of equipment, it's not meant to be worn on the treadmill, or doing curls! Belts are for your hardest lifts. Anne hasn't utilized it for good mornings or stiff-leg deadlifts yet, but her core squat and deadlift have certainly improved when she's going all-out.
www.schiek.com
New Stuff to Know:
Biotest - new line of Whey Protein
Biotest has announced a new line of whey proteins aimed at the economy market. Called Grow! Premium Quality Whey, it's available in standard 2 lb jugs in chocolate and vanilla flavors. They will have a natural flavor in the line soon. Biotest isn't kidding about the price; Premium Quality Whey is $24 per jug, $21 each if you purchase 4 or more. Knowing the high quality of their other proteins, and the pleasing taste their Grow! Line has always displayed, I'd be surprised if this wasn't delicious. Biotest protein powders have always been a bit creamy with nice texture, certainly pleasing to my palate. (Full disclosure: I used to write for Testosterone magazine, owned by Biotest, but haven't for several years).
Why this is interesting is that Biotest has always been a relatively expensive, higher-quality line; worth the price, but probably keeping them from the mass market. Is this the beginning of a new marketing campaign? Will we be seeing Biotest protein powder in supplement stores soon, or on the shelves of Sam's Club next to 10# bags of EAS protein? Whatever their motivation, I'm happy to see more high-quality protein at a reasonable price in the marketplace.
Biotest has another product I've been buying and using on a regular basis: Leucine. As more and more science and anecdotal evidence in he world of strength training points to the value of this amino acid in the diet of all gym rats (I'm using 5g pre-workout and 10g post-workout - any other successful protocols out there?), I keep wondering why more supplement companies aren't selling the powder. At the Arnold Classic Expo I found nobody selling leucine. I was quite surprised there was none even listed in anybody's lineup.
Biotest sells 450 grams for $25. Who else has leucine available in powder form?
https://www.t-nation.com/free_online_store
Beverly Nutrition - new Fat Burners
Beverly Nutrition has announced the release of two new fat-burning products, Lean OutTM and 7-Keto MuscleanTM. At the same time, they've issued a press release / FAQ explaining these two products, and why when "stacked together" they are so effective.
Beverly says metabolic acceleration is a primary feature of the Lean OutTM/7-Keto MuscleanTM stack. They state these two products contain ingredients clinically proven to increase the rate at which you burn calories (fat calories, in particular). Doesn't everyone say this?
The stack features Metabolic "steering" support. Beverly's R&D scientists say they have assembled a blend of ingredients in the Lean OutTM/7-Keto MuscleanTM combo that extracts fat from adipose tissue, then transports the fat to muscle tissue and the liver where it can be burned for energy. Almost sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?
Ingredients include 7-keto, green tea, caffeine, l-carnitine, bromelain, and grapefruit extract.. Anyone tried Lean Out and 7-Keto Musclean yet?
Holler at me at [email protected]. Tell me about new products you'd like to see tested.
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