Download a transcript of this episode
Show Topics:
1. [2:34] Bodyweight vs. Free Weight Training
2. [8:10] Powerlifting
3. [19:19] BJJ & Paleo Fitness
4. [28:49] Accommodating Resistance for Weightlifting
5. [35:52] Training Shoes
6. [41:58] Paleo & Slow Burn
7. [48:42] Fitness Starting Point
Questions:
1. Bodyweight vs. Free Weight Training
Ken Says: Hey guys. I’ve been doing the Stronglifts 5×5 program for months now (free weights, compound movements, squat, deadlift, bench press, rows, etc.) and am finally starting to get close to an intermediate level of strength. That said, I’ve been looking a lot at bodyweight training lately and have played around with it a few times. It really feels good to me and leaves my body feeling ready, energized, and functionally strong in a way that free weight training rarely does.
What I’m wondering is, how strong can one get doing purely bodyweight/leverage training, assuming you work out around 3 hours per week like is typical with stronglifts? How does bodyweight training compare with free weights in terms of reaching your genetic potential for body composition? If you had to choose purely one method of training over the other, which would you pick?
Thanks so much. Keep on keepin’ on.
2. Powerlifting
Toby Says:
Robb,
Been listening for about 6 months, although all the food talk, and the Chipotle visible from my office window seems to stimulate my appetite—sometimes I have to stop the podcast to get a carnitas bowl with avocado.
Saw your powerlifting numbers, very impressive. A few questions: Am assuming your numbers are equipped, what are you raw PRs? Were you paleo prior to competition?
I’ve been powerlifting for the last year and have seen some great gains due do the dedicated training but am still working out the diet/ideal weight details. I’m 6 foot and range between 245 and 265 pounds, currently 260 with 23% body fat. In 2008 I was 260 with 35% body fat, and compared to now, weak.
I got you book last fall and followed Paleo pretty strictly, especially no dairy, grains or legumes. In about three months I’d dropped to 245, the lowest I’d been in a few years… but was very weak, I was missing lifts I’d hit when heavier.
Frustrated, I started pounding the dairy and upping my fat intake… In three months with dedicated training I’d increased deadlift from a hard 425 single to an easy 465 double: Bench from under 315 to tripling 315. Unfortunately in three months I’d packed on the pounds as well; my weight exceeded 260 and my new jeans were getting tight.
The biggest benefit for me from Paleo is the anti-inflammatory effects of Omega-3 and the removal of grains. If I slip have a few beers or bread, I feel like an old man.
I’d like to compete at 242 but would like to keep the strength at the lower weight and don’t feel I can train/recover without dairy.
What diet/training advice can you suggest?
Thanks.
3. BJJ & Paleo Fitness
Doug Says: Been paleo since December and it’s been a life-changing experience for me. Your podcasts are an amazing resource. I wanted to ask you to comment on BJJ and how it relates to paleo fitness and to get your general advice on how to integrate some of your exercise philosophy into conditioning for grappling. Thanks!
4. Accommodating Resistance for Weightlifting
Jeff the Paleo Playboy says:
For Mr. Everett,
Accommodating resistance in the Olympic lifts: Thoughts?
5. Training Shoes
Graham Says: I know you are not an orthopedist, but how important are the right shoes beyond having arch support? My myokinesthisial therapist calls weightlifting shoes, five fingers, and dress shoes nothing but gimmicks in the light of what’s comfortable or form fit. What shoes do you use? Love the podcast.
6. Paleo & Slow Burn
I’m eating paleo and doing metcons with kettlebells and bodyweight exercises. I’m trying to build strength and size and cut fat. It is working very well. A guy I know said I should check out Slow Burn (Hahn). Basically, low reps to total muscle failure. How would that methodology fit in? What results do you get when you do that?
7. Fitness Starting Point
Primal Druid Says: Hey Robb (now with 80% more Greg!). I’m a 33 year-old man who just got into the paleo way of life and wishes he’d found it a lot sooner. I began this journey at a whopping 340 pounds in the worst shape of my life and am now sitting at 294. Still overweight, but after about 3 months of paleo living, that’s not a bad loss, I think.
There was a time in my life when i was in very good shape. I played soccer, engaged in martial arts, and swam competitively. I’d love to start getting back into those sorts of things as well as starting a crossfit program more well-rounded than doing the Bear Complex once a week at my gym, but I know that I’m in no shape (yet) to pull that off.
What do you suggest as a good benchmark for fitness for people like me who were (or still are) dangerously overweight? What would you say is a good model for what we should be able to do in order to consider moving past “eat right and work out a little bit” and more into “destroy myself in the gym a few times a week and not make an fool of myself.” I’d like to one day get myself to the point where I can move my body around without my weight being too much of a detriment (maybe even a bit of gymnastics) but right now I’m still stuck in a shape that resists putting my ass above my head. What do you guys think?
Thank you so much for indexing the time on there! Makes it much easier to navigate if we’re only searching for a specific thing.
What David said … thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Regarding “Slow Burn”, “Body By Science” and the like. I think it’s misleading information and outright dangerous for people who don’t know much about the body and how it works.
I always advise my clients if they want to become healthier, slow aging and stay injury free they have to develop their movement quality, coordination, mobility, speed, power and applicable strength (movement sophistication, not body building). Movement sophistication and flow quality is key! Think MovNat, gymnastics, Systema, dancing etc. I don’t want to have “strong” muscles while being a motor moron (what most folks are when they do nmachine training). I always say: Stay away from machine training. Use ropes, kettlebells, pull up bars, rings, clubbbells, sprints, bodyweight stuff, yoga, biomechanical exercises.
But what if you are a motor moron or sick, obese, injured?
In this case you have no business doing any fitness or athletic training! Do rehab first. If your body is ready for serious training then go for it. Not earlier. Otherwise you are asking for trouble.
Physiotherapist Gray Cook talks a lot about this. “Fitness is not a predictor of durability. Movement is”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75-c_xYHZHQ&feature=player_embedded
Can you get the body you want in 12 minutes a week? Read carefully: “the body you want”. I can get the body I want with not moving at all and go on a low calory crappy food diet. Or with getting anorectic. Depends on what body I want. 🙂
You want to be capable and and healthy? 12 minutes won’t gonna work, It’s bullshit.
Physiotherapist Doug Kelsey about Body by Science:
“Exercising once per week is tantalizing and I’m sure works as described by Dr. McGuff. But for me, it’s boring. I want to move. I want to challenge my balance, speed, agility, coordination as well my strength, flexibility and power. I want athletic conditioning; not body building. (…) his routines provide little to no challenge to balance, coordination, speed, or agility. If you expect to keep your speed, you need to train for speed; keep your agility, train for it. You become what you do and do often.”
http://www.exerciseology.me/doug_kelseys_blog/2009/05/can-you-get-the-body-you-want-in-twelve-minutes-a-week.html
Matt Schoeneberger and Jeff Thiboutot debunk the dubious claims that Fred Hahn makes about his Slow Burn training. Good read.
“If you don’t want to read the entire article and you just want to know what we think of the book and its recommendations, here you go; We feel that this book is filled with misleading, incorrect and unsubstantiated claims regarding the benefits of a type of exercise referred to as Slow Burn. Therefore, it is not worth reading.”
http://speedweightlossbook.com/book-review/fred-hahns-slow-burn-fitness-revolution/
Those quick-fix-take-the-blue-pill dudes make me angry. Health problems? Why change your diet, do movement sophistication, improve your sleep in short: change your life? Just take some pills, eat crap, do 12 minutes of machine training to ruin your coordination and believe you are in great shape.
If people want to do this that’s fine with me. Really. Provided they know what they are doing and why. But I can’t understand why you Paleo guys who put lots of effort in optimal nutrition and other “inconvenient” lifestyle changes promote this silly “get- top- results- with- minimal- effort”- sham .
I listened to all your podcasts. I really appreciate your work. You’re doing a fantastic job. I recommend your book to doctors. But this time I was dissappointed.
Wow Andrea, I appreciate the lengthy comment but I’m not sure how I failed by recommending Theory To Practice. Do I think Slow burn is a comprehensive approach to fitness? No, I siad as much.
Ease up Meine Freunde, this “Paleo guy” does recommend movement complexity, I also see a real world need for efficiency. If you ever make it to chico you can see a large, functioning gym with these practices in place.
I utilize 100% HIT techniques to exercise, many times incorporating machines. Oddly enough my coordination hasn’t been ruined at all? As a matter of fact, I spend a fraction of the gym time most people do and get easily 3x the results.
I’d say the paranoia-inducing knee jerk propaganda that you need to do all exercises on one leg standing on a Bosu ball or surrender ALL locomotive ability is the sham, NOT scientifically principled HIT-training.
If you find HIT boring or unfulfilling on some deep self-actualization level, by all means go pursue some other activity. But don’t claim the approach itself is useless or “dangerous” because its worked for MANY people, myself included.
Not once was it called dangerous, nor was it called useless. If you like hammers, cool. I like a whole tool box.
Jerry was responding to Andrea who, indeed, called HIT dangerous.
I’m slow, but up to speed now.
Sorry Robb, that wasn’t directed at you at all. I was referring to Andrea. You’re very open minded about this stuff and I agree with you 100%. I like HIT now…but is it the best thing to do for EVERYONE, probably not. You’re 100% right.
Some HIT-folk are cultish with this stuff, and thats not me. I just believe its a valid form and wanted to present a “pro” example. 🙂
Thanks man, I was like “kreiki” how do I have EVERYONE mad at me on this!!
Robb – I thought your answer was extremely well balanced. I loved the Louie Simmons quote you shared.
“Everything works, nothing works forever.”
I did Pavel 5×5 for 10 years. Now I’m doing HIT. For how long? Until it stops working.
Thanks, it’s funny, I had. HIT hater busting my balls for not bashing hit sufficiently, then I had a HIT Jedi mad that I was bashing the approach!
Love it.
I think Jerry was replying to Andrea, who used “outright dangerous” re Slow Burn and BBS.
Me, I’m just back from my first session with a trainer who uses BBS protocols. I’m way happy with it, because as Robb says in the podcast, I’m currently “orthopedically challenged.”
Andrea figures I should be in rehab, but having *done* rehab, I don’t see how it’s a good solution for building overall fitness.
What a fantastic exchange. Thanks for the web site Robb. Just finished Body by Science and after lifting for 25 years and just going through some injuries, it makes complete sense…for ME. I like how you leave that part of your fitness philosophy open to individual preferences. Our backgrounds and personalities shape our motivations. I am going to try this for a while and see how it works. All the best. I appreciate all the opposing views here.
i don’t think it’s a zero sum game. as rob alluded to, sometimes life happens. right now, i don’t have the time to work out more than twice a week and the last couple of weeks i’ve worked out once for 20 minutes. i count myself lucky in that i know i can maintain good body comp as well as a good base for when i’m ready to get ramped up again when life slows down just a bit, whether that’s 2 weeks or 6 months for now. btw, if ppl are doing these slow burn protocols with a good paleo diet, the body comp will still be continue to get better. my bf’s dropping still even though i’ve cut back to a third of the volume i was doing several months ago. i don’t think anyone’s saying that these protocols will save you from a crappy diet. what it will do is maintain the muscalature and body comp and give u a good strength base to start with if you opt to do something more strenuous later.
Andrea,
I don’t know where you are getting a lot of your info from but the idea that a high intensity weight lifting workout will ruin your coordination is completely unfounded. If you are skilled at a sport or activity becoming stronger will only aid your coordination. Can you become stronger by investing 12 minutes of high intensity training into your life? You betcha. Is 12 minutes optimal? I don’t think so and I never said as much. I promote about 15-30 minutes of HIRT.
RE: What Robb said about “movement complexity,” the need for this – whatever it really is – has no scientific foundation. If I’m wrong, I’d appreciate it greatly if you or Robb could present some scientific information, not people’s opinions, on it.
There is no such thing as general balance, coordination, agility, etc. All these terms are specific to the specific sport or movement itself. This is not my opinion. If you really want to know about this concept, pick up a copy of the textbook Motor Learning and Performance: From Principles to Practice by Dr. Richard A. Schmidt
From the book:
“A common misconception is that fundamental abilities can be trained through various drills or other activities. The thinking is that, with some stronger ability, the athlete will see gains in performance for tasks with this underlying ability.
For example, athletes are often given various “quickening” exercises, with the hope that these exercises would train some fundamental ability to be quick, allowing quicker response in their particular sports.
Coaches often use various balancing drills to increase general balancing ability, eye movement exercises to improve vision, and many others. Such attempts to train fundamental abilities may sound fine, but usually they simply do not work. Time, and often money, would be better spent practicing the eventual goal skills.
There are two correct ways to think of these principles. First, there is no general ability to be quick, to balance, or to use vision. Rather, quickness, balance, and vision are each based on many diverse abilities, so there is no single quickness or balance ability, for example, that can be trained.
Second, even if there were such general abilities, these are, by definition, genetic and not subject to modification through practice. Therefore, attempts to modify an ability with a nonspecific drill are ineffective. A learner may acquire additional skill at the drill which is, after all, a skill itself, but this learning does not transfer to the main skill of interest.”
Slow Burn training is by no means a “quick fix.” It sounds like you’ve never gone through a HIT workout before. And if you think about it, what’s wrong with a quick fix if it works?
Lastly, the purpose of a SB training program is to make you stronger so that you can go out and better enjoy and excel in any particular activity. Or not.
Fred- subject high motor unit systems to lactate and we reduce maximum force/power production. This is why the training of folks like sprinters and OL are monitored so closely. That aside, what I’m mainly referring to here is Crossfit style training wichita does NOT emphasize brevity, but ever growing volumes of work. We can do more work, or more complex work. if you look at the work of Seiler you will find that the neuroendocrine response to exercise is larger for novel/complex movements than for ingrained and or simple.
Robb,
First let me ask you this, what specifically is it about a HIT/SB workout that makes you say it is not a comprehensive fitness program?What does it lack? And could you cite scientific references for your answers please. Much appreciated.
If what you meant by your first sentence was, by subjecting the FT MU’s to lactate or lactic acid buildup, you reduce the ability to produce force within the muscles (IOW training to failure) you reduce power/force output then I get it. Sure you do. But you wouldn’t train like that when O lifting or sprinting since the end goal of O lifting or sprinting is NOT increased hypertrophy. But hypertrophy is the end goal of HIT and by training to failure we ensure FT recruitment. I am sure you are well aware that training fast does not necessarily engage the FT MU’s, right? ST MU’s are fully capable of rapid movement if the force requirements are low comparatively.
Slow Burn/ HIT training doesn’t emphasize brevity per se. It is brief because it needs to be. If I read you correctly, you said that CF emphasizes ever growing volumes of work. For what purpose? How much volume eventually? When do you recover fully? This is something I really don’t get. Why would one try to manipulate exercise so that you can perform more and more volumes of it?
And of course the neuro-endocrine response is larger to complex movements as opposed to simple. Squats obviously involve more muscle mass than leg extensions, therefore, there is a greater NE response. I don’t see where Seiler has anything published on the subject BTW. But the question is, so what that it does? HIT includes complex movements on a regular basis as well of course. And given what I have read of his work, Seiler advocates HIT – 90%+ VO2 – for endurance athletes, but very little of it. I’d agree. What you have to get endurance athletes to realize is that the would do better if the total volume of their training was less.
Other than the fun and enjoyment of competition, from a physiological standpoint, what is the main purpose of Cross Fit?
Thanks Robb.
Fred- it’d take me hours to reply properly to this, I’ll try to get to it in a podcast. In short, the training modality should be pocked based on goals. One size does not fit all.
Thanks for the feedback, guys. I do feel like I’ve come a long way, but you hit the nail on the head, i’m just antsy to get onto something more engaging. I know I *can* get back to martial arts at this weight, but I also know from experience that I won’t get as much out of it as I would if I wait a bit.
Thanks for the help, guys. I’d say that earns Greg his other 20%.
Thanks so much for the extended answer to my question! For the record, I’m a fourth degree purple belt, but I wasn’t just interested for myself, but for training partners and people at multiple levels. Your response was extremely helpful.
What happened to Andy?
He’s doing other projects Kyle.
Love the training themed podacast! Was hoping you guys would cover this stuff more frequently.
Damn, you just shitted on GG. With spectacular form. My favorite topic was my Roy Nelson question, but now it’s the BJJ post. What knowledge you guys speak. I remember watching Rashad Evans get ready for Rampage. Rashad’s GG snobby trainer poopood Rampage running 5 miles to train, because Rashad’s training was based on “science”
You know, parachute sprints, Airdyne crushers…basically any kind of circuit training.
Thank you for validating my thoughts. Training to fight is the best training to fight. And get strong. I don’t know why more top level fighters are not paying you for advice. You should see if you could get a guest spot on the Jason Ellis show. Could expand your audience…Then again his type A shit could spin you out…Then an Ellis Mana Ellis vs. Wolf fight…I would pay to see that!
He has a big ego, and I’ve been a fan since Whiskey, but I would take RW.
Thanks so much for the great info!
I’m going to grab some weightlifting shoes for squats and O-lifting. Any recommendations for a good pair?
Dowin
Why are carbs necessary for powerlifting? And what should you be aiming for exactly? I imagine something like 1.5g of protein per lean body mass, 200g of carbs (from sweet potatoes, rice or something like that) and the rest fat? Totally to something like 3k calories?
We talked about this amigo, on a mass gain folks can only absorb so much protei/fat.
I agree on the carbs and mass gain, for practicality, taste, anabolic aspect of insulin etc, which is why I was so shocked to hear matt lalonde recommend a keto diet for bulking? I’m glad you clarified this, any idea why lalonde recommends that given those issues?
Also, I believe the term you’re looking for where you are low carb with carbs around training is a ‘targeted ketogenic diet’ or TKD.
I also think there’s a big distinction between HIT (one heavy set to failure) and superslow (3-10 second eccentric and concentric tempo), the former can make for good variety in training or be good when you don’t have a lot of time to train, the latter seems to be more based on dogma and the slow tempo limits how much you can lift and seems to make a lot of big claims it can’t back up, which is typical of hahn.
Mat explained the why’s of keto for mass gain in his interview thread.
I’ll check that podcast out, thanks Robb. Totally agree with you on O lifts btw. Are there any lifts comparable to the sheer transferability (is that a word?) of O lifts to sports?
I want to do boxing/judo and at the moment I’m doing powerlifting but will transition into O lifting after I have decent PL numbers.
I checked back through it and saw it was because a n=6 study suggested that eating over 100g of fat per day increased testosterone. But this doesn’t say anything about why carbs should be at a ketogenic (<100g/day) level does it? If you're say 175lbs and looking to get bigger, say you're eating 1.5g/lb of protein, 100g of fat for the testosterone boost, that's only around 2000 calories? Even if you double the fat to 200g that's still only 3000 calories? Surely an extra 200-300g carbs would be beneficial right?
So I can see why matt suggests a high fat bulk, but still not sure on why low carb?
Hugo,
Slow rep training – not superslow – asks the lifter to use heavier, not lighter weight loads than when doing a standard Nautilus 2/4 rep tempo. In Nautilus you’ll use weight that renders failure in 8-12 reps. In Slow Butn it is more like 3-6 reps. The tempo is slower because the weight is heavier.
And what specific claims have I not backed up?
If you allow yourself to fully fat adapt, you don’t need carbs at all. Check out the work of Dr. Jeff Volek. Most athletes will not allow themselves to fully fat adapt and therefore they talk about VLCKD with disdain. It can take as long as 6 weeks for full fat adaptation. Also take a look at the work of Dr. Jay Wortman.
Fred-
You are really coming out swinging here! You are amongst friends oddly enough but here’s the deal: Crossfit and similar GLYCOLYTIC based activities NEVER allow for adaptation to fat as a primary fuel source. It’ll wrk for lifting weights, doing cardio, but repeated bouts of glycolytic work will upregulate glucose production via cortisols action on gluconegenesis. You will notice tha tin this review, Steven Phinney mirrors this finding:
http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/1/1/2
Glycolysis runs on glucose. Do a lot a glycolytic training sans adequate glucose and one will have significant problems.
RE: BJJ conditioning. I fully agree on that the skill level has enormous effect on how hard physically is for you. The better you are, the easier it is. When I roll with someone like Demian Maia, I’m thrashed after 5 minutes, but he is like he just woke up or something. Rolling is physically taxing when you go against a guy who is better than you, or if he is much bigger or stronger than you without being completely clueless skillwise. I love BJJ and I’ve been doing it and teaching it for years now, but when I say to BJJers that live stand up wrestling with takedowns (nogi or gi) is the best conditioning for BJJers, usually they get upset.
When preparing for competition or an MMA fight, we step up the intensity and amount of sparring and mix it with some circuit training. Circuit training is done together with sparring or heavy pad, bag work or right after it, but only in relatively short periods of time. 10-20 minutes total is enough imo. Low intensity road work or rowing for 30 mins or so in the morning to speed up the recovery.
Robb, G –
Sweet #72, fellas! I especially resonated with the discussion on sport-specific conditioning — another area where beginners and intermediates look to, and attempt to emulate, the training regimens of the elite/advanced — and flop miserably. The advice of “train your sport first” is so very often overlooked or ignored completely. Get strong in the gym; condition with your sport — just look at the success the Oregon Ducks football team (under the awesome S&C coach, Jimmy Radcliffe) had with that simple formula. Why? It just friggin’ works.
And a big thanks for the shout out, too. Funny thing: just after I’d finished listening to the podcast, I ran into Whole Foods for some grub material, and saw this quote above the raw nut bins –
“One of the problems with writing a cookbook is that recipes exist in the moment.” Thomas Keller
In Physical Culture, as in the culinary arts, there simply is no place for dogma. Carry a big (big!) toolbox, and let n=1-driven goals be thy lode star 🙂
Hell-yes. Keep it up Keith! You are my #1 stop in the am internet read-a-palooza.
Here’s some useful data to assess how much yams/sweet potatoes people need to eat to ingest between 100-200 grams of carbs PWO:
Normal potato and sweet potato have ±20 grams per 100 gram.
A yam has between around ±27gr per 100 gram.
Parsnip has ±17gr per 100gr.
Cassava(yucca root) has ±38gr per 100gr.
Beets have ±10gr. per 100 gr.
Correct me if I’m wrong.
Hey Tom, I’m just wondering where you guys got these numbers from? 100g+ of carbs PWO. Did you simply experiment with yourselves and your clients to determine the amount of carbs that was optimal for each one, and just average it out?
My recovery is fine and my lifts are progressing nicely but ever since I started SS I’ve been mentally exhausted. I can’t concentrate, I can’t remember things, I suffer from brain fog. And I suspect that I’m either not getting enough carbs in general or that I’m not fat adapted yet (Fell off the paleo bandwagon for a few weeks when relatives stayed over).
So what I’m going to do is start eating 100g of sweet potatoes (in fry form awww yeaaa) PWO. And about 80-100g of carbs on non workout days. And I’ll keep increasing the amount weekly by say 50g till I feel mentally alert and cogent again.
P.S. Are your relatives bastards as well?
robb elaborated on this in the podcast 😉
Rob mentioned that he liked the “A6 Tiger” shoes. Anyone know what exactly those are?
Google search came up with Onitsuka Tiger by Asics which seem to have many different models. Nothing with “A6”, though?
Thanks
that’s it.
Robb,
Tons of different models of Asics Tigers:
Ultimate Tiger
Ultimate 81
Mexico 66
Serrano
Tai Chi
Colorado 85
Any idea which you like?
what would you call the leangains approach? not exactly body by science but still high intensity, reverse pyramid training, whats your oppinion on this with regards to the results one can hope to achieve on that?
Not quite enough volume for me, plenty of volume for Martin.
Hey Robb, do you recommend the weightlifting shoes for powerlifting as well?
Thanks!
hmmm…depends, but certainly not for DL’ing. Squat, maybe.
Robb, I seem to have missed that. I actually read the Anabolic diet last night so I have some idea of what to do in terms of protein and carbs BUT I’m still confused how much CARBS I should be eating on workout days and non workout days.
And the reason WHY we need carbs anwyay. Is it simply to replenish our tapped out glycogen reserves, and to increase insulin levels to maxmimze muscle recovery?
What do you recommend specifically? 100g of CARBS on workout days PWO? And on non work out days..?
The only thing I’m confused about is that, I’m sure you’ve answered that in one of the previous podcasts (And I’m sifting through them as I type this) but please answer that. How many carbs do you eat on workout days and non workout days and WHY.
thank you as always
I bought a pair of Vibram FiveFingers 4 weeks ago. They are hands down the best pair and most natural feeling shoes I have ever worn. Use my VFF for gymnastics, walking, sprinting, sled pulls and general everyday use. Weightlifting is another animal, for that I use my weightlifting shoes. Agree wtih what is said in the podcast not one shoe fits all occassions. Once again thank you Robb for your great book and the information you put out in your podcasts. I am learning a lot and using a lot of the ideas you put across which have massive positive affects in my life.
Robb,
Thanks very much for answering my question.
It seems that many people want the same things. You could probably help a lot of people if you came up with suggestions to cover the common requests and put it on the web.
E.g. want to look like Brad Pitt from Fight Club? Eat this, Train like that and sleep this way.
Sedentary person who wants to lose 20# of fat without spending too much time in the gym? Do XYZ.
Want to get as strong as possible? Then do …
This is a very cool idea. Sort of like the flow chart thing Robb mentioned a while back…
i can see this being helpful but some, if not most, of us aren’t genetically predisposed to get some of the bodies we would “want”. i am 6′ 235 and heavily muscled. i’ll never get a brad pitt body because my body would never let me, just as a person, 6’2 160 couldn’t easily get to brock lesnar status without some chemical help. throw in leptin setpoints and other mechanisms that determine these things and it gets really complicated.
My post was not aimed at Robb’s training philosophy in general (which I agree with most of the time. On olympic weightlifting and BJJ I have no opinion anyhow because of lack of knowledge and experience.) I made no comment to HIT in general.The topic was Body By Science and Slow Burn. It all depends on how you define important physical abilities. Important for longevity and performance that is. I posted the links for a reason: read the full texts and you will get more information (I didn’t want to make my post too long).
Interestingly most comments didn’t refer to what I actually wrote but talked about things that I didn’t even mention. So any meaningful dialogue is impossible.
Beth, rehab works well for developing a good level of overall fitness – if you do it right. As -in my experience- the majority of “rehab experts” are as bad as the majority of “nutrition experts” it takes a good deal of time and learning effort to know what is helpful and where you find a good physiotherapist or rehab trainer. PT Doug Kelsey is a good example – he’s helped a lot of injured and deconditioned people to get back in good shape.
http://www.sportscenteraustin.com/raves
Kelsey reported about his own journey from severely injured and barely able to move to getting back to high level performance: “Rebuilding DK”.
http://sportscenteraustin.blogs.com/the_view/rebuilding_dk/
Sports Scientist Tom Kurz sums it up perfectly: First, fix faults
http://tomkurz.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/first-fix-faults/
“My observations tell me that the key to a great and lasting performance improvement is not in trying harder but in removing obstacles. In other words, fixing faults pays more than overcoming them. “
Hi Robb,
My dad thinks I’m going to develop the same heart disease and diabetes issues he has, because he says my blood numbers look just like his. I am a lean 19 year old and he is a lean 57 year old, and he doesn’t do paleo at all, while I do.
Over the span of one year before Paleo to after, my triglycerides stayed exactly the same at 47, my HDL 38 –> 57, LDL 128 –> 138. (Total 198). When I was got the test I was eating about 100g of carbs a day, sometimes a bit fewer. The only difference in our bloodwork is that he had an abnormal VLDL particle size test and angiogram, which I have not had. He says that when he got these numbers, he started taking statins.
Despite being very skinny and active, he’s developed pre-diabetes and heart issues and has taken several medications. My dad feels that much of this is genetic, and is concerned that the fat content is worsening my inevitable genetic path ETC.
I didn’t get a CRP, but he says his CRP was insanely low despite these issues.
I tried to explain that it’s possible to mess with the LDL based on daily grams of carbohydrates, but he didn’t believe me.
How can I reassure him that I’m not a 19 year old who needs statins? What’s the next test to get to disprove him? And aren’t these numbers hugely influenced by diet, even loads of carbohydrates?
Thanks for all the awesome work you do,
Dan
podcast!
Follow-up (this is Dan again): This must be too hopeful to imagine I could get two podcast questions answered back to back, but I’ve been meaning to ask this for months: unless I’m mistaken I’m not sure you’ve ever honed in one a diet for diabetics specifically, beyond the obvious first step of doing strict Paleo.
How many grams of carbs per day should a recovering diabetic eat? How long would my dad have to stay 100% strict for diabetes to improve? Should he avoid nightshades and so on, since diabetes doesn’t seem quite the same as an autoimmune disease? Any thoughts on things to watch for in exercise during this process? And is it true that eating carbs after fat during a meal can slow their absorption? (this is something my dad seems to think, thought I’d clear it up.)
As I said above my dad is just barely in the diabetic range, but is a skinny 168 at 5’9.5″ and claims he eats about 80g of carbs a day, though of course there are small amounts of grains in there.
Other random facts that seem confusing to me, given that he’s managed to develop diabetes: he eats remarkably litle, and his staples are often tortilla chips and gluten-free protein bars. (The bars being gluten-free is just a coincidence, it’s hard to get him to buy paleo so far.)
I promise that if you answer both of my questions above, I will retreat into obscurity forever and ever. I’m sorry I don’t have a more awesome handle.
Thank you!!
Dan
Lifting shoes.
What is your take on barefoot squatting?
As an Arnold fan from way back, I have books with photos of him famously squatting massive weights barefoot?
Many bodybuilders claim squatting barefoot works so much better for them.
Shoes may allow you squat more and make it easier, but perhaps it might not be in our best interest to make it easier?
I tend to OL in shoes, squat barefoot or minimalist shoes. But honestly, I switch that up a ton.