Reader's Frequently Asked
Fitness and Bodybuilding Questions
I get
bombarded with e-mails from all over the world, from Japan to Argentina, and
it's interesting to see how small differences there are, really. Everybody
wants to know how to get stronger and more buff. Everybody wants to lose
bodyfat. Everybody wants to know if protein drinks really work.
I will do my best to give you the best building muscle tips and easy weight
gaining tips I can.
Still, there are some more specific questions that inevitably pop up from
time to time. Here are a few of them.
This is NOT a FAQ for the website in
general; that FAQ will be posted at a later date.
Q:
My friend has really peaked biceps while mine are not, while
we both curl the same weight. How come? What can I do to increase my peak?
A:
Unfortunately, the shape of muscle is largely determined by
genetics, so blame mom and dad. However, there are some things you can do.
The biceps consists of two separate heads, and by smart weight training you can
develop both to their limit. Don't expect to be able to solely pinpoint one
of the two, but you can shift the focus a little. One exercise I have found
particularly good for bringing out the peak is bicep curls with a straight
barbell, where you hold the bar with a more-than-shoulder-width grip and
tuck in your elbows against your sides. Experiment a little to see what
works best for you. Start with slightly less weight than usual and do 12-15
reps just to feel where the burn materializes. If that's where the lactic acid burn is at, you've found an
exercise that will work.
Q:
I have a horrible sweet tooth, but I need to get in shape.
What can I do to avoid going crazy?
A:
Use the window of opportunity immediately after your workouts to have a
handful or two of candy. As I've talked about before, that is the one time
when you should be eating something sugary to get your body back into an
anabolic state again. Make sure to get something sugary though, not fat.
Fat has a lot more calories per gram than sugar, and fat will slow down the
release of the sugars into your blood stream. Examples of good candy: Jelly
beans, sugar babies and reduced fat cookies. Examples of bad candy:
Chocolate, candy bars and peanut-butter cups.
Q:
You say I should do lat pulldowns to the front rather than
behind the neck. Why?
A:
To work the lats effectively, you must keep your back
slightly arched. By pulling the bar to the front, you're all but guaranteed
to keep the arch, while a pull behind the neck lends itself to cheating as
you get tired. Thereby you could routinely rob yourself of the benefit from
the last few reps of each set without even knowing it. In addition, it's a
more natural movement to pull the bar to the front. Your shoulders are at
a less vulnerable angle and as you get stronger you will avoid
cumulative shoulder injuries. This is only true for some people, but the
bad news is that you usually don't know if you're one of them until it's too
late, so play it safe.
Last but not
least, there is an important thing to notice about the lat pulls to the
front. You might be tempted to lean back too much when you get tired, thus
giving yourself an extra pull. Try to avoid this kind of swaying - sit
upright with a lightly arched back, and stay that way throughout the
exercise.
Q:
What are your thoughts on sports drinks such as Gatorade,
Hydra Fuel and such?
A:
I don't have any problem with them as long as they're
consumed in conjunction with hard, prolonged, muscle building exercise. Most sports
drinks are full of sugar and are formulated to replace lost fluid through
sweating, so they're not suitable for drinking with your dinner. In the gym
or on a field, they're perfectly fine. Just watch for artificial
ingredients. If the drink has a long laundry-list of suspicious-sounding
chemicals that you can't even pronounce, pick something else.
Q:
My friend is considering buying some steroids, but he is
concerned about getting ripped off rather than getting the real thing. Is
there any website that can help you identify the legit labels and such?
A:
Uh-huh. And I bet your "friend" is about your age and height
too, right? Look, here's another reason not to take steroids: It's
virtually impossible to know what you're taking. If the crook peddling this
dope fills a vial with liquid cleaning agent and slaps a realistic-looking
sticker on it, you wouldn't have a clue of what you injected until you woke
up in the E.R. If you're lucky, that is. I've seen sites where they
promise to show you the telltale signs of counterfeit labels, but guess
what? The counterfeiters read the same advice! The bottom line is that all
you have to go on is the word of the seller, and quite frankly, do you think
he cares more about your health than his own wallet? Really?
Q:
I just can't seem to hit my rear delts properly, and that is
getting more and more of a problem as my side and front delts grow. What
can I do?
A:
Try attaching a handle to the lower pulley on a pulley machine. Then
kneel on the floor with your side turned to the pulley. Grab the handle
with the hand furthest away from the pulley and lean forward so that you
support your upper body with your free hand against the floor. Let the
handle pull your other arm so that you feel a good stretch in the rear
delt. In other words, if you got your right side facing the pulley, you
hold the handle in your left hand while supporting yourself with the right
hand on the floor. You should be so far away from the pulley machine that
you have resistance even at your most stretched. Then simply pull the
handle out to the side as far you can without moving or swaying the rest of
your body. The only thing moving should be your shoulder and your arm.
This way you can experiment with different angles and slight variations to
hit the rear delts 100%.
Q:
How important is a warm-up, really? I know I'm supposed to
do at least 5 minutes on the bike before I hit the weights, but I have very
little time...
A:
Let me put it this way: If you can "afford" 5 minutes more of
watching TV, or 5 minutes of dozing after lunch or whatever, you'd be
better off spending those 5 minutes on a warm-up. Not only do you get your
body going so that it utilizes fat for fuel better, it also drastically
decreases your risk of injury - especially if you're planning on lifting
big. There's no justification for skipping something that can do so much
for your health and safety, unless you're a top-level executive who sleeps 3
hours per night and makes 15-minute appointments to play with your kids on
the weekends. If you're a mere mortal like the rest of us, who spends a few
hours in front of the tube now and then, you're making an active choice to
watch TV instead of looking out for yourself. And by the way, don't you
think a single torn muscle, with all the handicaps and rehab it involves,
makes up for the time you'd save by skipping the warm-up during your entire
life? Play it safe - always warm up.
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Natural Fitness Concepts
11310 Melody Dr. Suite #10-302
Denver, CO 80234
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