NOAC Newsletter

Nutrition Q&A, Part 5
By Dr. Eric Serrano & Scott Mendelson

Question #1

I aim to increase lean muscle mass toward the end of the year, which matches my diet of all out craziness due to the holidays. What can I do to maximize muscle mass while minimizing or even preventing putting on a bunch of body fat?

We have to answer this type of question about a dozen times every November, and each year we learn new stuff. There are some proven strategies to accomplish what you seek, and we agree that it’s smart to take advantage of larger food intakes by gearing your training toward building lean body mass. Hormones always must be taken into account, as they dictate success and failure. The amount of food and/or calories play a role, but keep the eye on the prize by considering hormone levels as well.

You can promote a highly anabolic hormonal status through a combination of hard training, high nutrient intake, rest, and supplementation. Missing any of these factors will put you on track to pack on the unwanted fat pounds. Hungry muscles stimulated by hard training will suck up excess available raw materials depriving fat cells from the materials they need to grow and multiply.

Build up muscles and starve fat cells

Our research indicates that amino loading with 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis around workouts and between meals leads to muscle accretion, which is the build up of amino levels in the bloodstream. This increased availability of raw materials combined with an uptake in anabolic hormones such as testosterone is a powerful muscle growing and fat burning combination that ensures excess food intake converts primarily to muscle, not body fat. Take advantage of amino loading between meals and when you workout to accelerate your muscle growth timetable.

Fill up fat cells with the right materials to shut down body fat accumulation

Your fat cells are the storage warehouse for excess materials. Fill up this space with good dietary fats and you can prevent accumulation of new body fat. The body is very smart. Load it up with tons of good fats and it will suck them up, filling cells rather quickly.

Alpha Omega was designed to provide all of the great benefits of Omega 3 while being engineered to maximize body composition improvements. Take 9–12 caps per day along with good fat choices with meals and watch the waist on your pants stay loose and your sleeves get tight with new increases in muscle! Loading up on the right combination of essential fats can also improve insulin sensitivity, making the body less likely to store body fat. The ratios and ingredients within the Alpha Omega—including several proprietary elements exclusive to the formula—weren’t chosen at random. For example, CLA, in the correct amounts, has recently demonstrated the ability to increase metabolic rate and related fat burning mechanisms.

I suggest that you pick certain weeks that you will have a much higher food intake and coordinate this with more training volume to capitalize on the extra raw materials and anabolic environment. Christmas offers great opportunities because you have extra time off from work and the availability of vast, tasty leftovers! Having more time to train isn’t the key here, but time to eat more frequently and relax elevates your training capacity by lowering stress hormones. It isn’t uncommon for some patients to see drops in body fat levels during the holidays and when on vacation compared to the normal grind due to a drop in stress levels.

Question #2

I like training heavy (2–4 reps typically), which has always worked well to improve my strength and physique. In the past few months, I’ve been stuck in regards to training, and I think that I’m losing some muscle. I thought overtraining may be my problem, but my muscles aren’t even sore following training. I’m doing four sessions per week at 55 minutes, which doesn’t seem like too much. Most times I don’t feel very sharp but generally sluggish, and I can’t figure out why because I’m sleeping eight hours.

Overtraining is one of the more common reasons behind plateaus or backslides in progress. Your situation differs from the typical case, as your volume doesn’t seem to be too high and you aren’t excessively sore. The source of your overtraining problem is likely stemming from overtaxing the nervous system. You mentioned staying in low rep ranges, which I gather means you’re using heavy poundages. While the sets may not inflict as much “damage” on the muscles as higher rep sets do, there is certainly a toll taken on the nervous system.

One of the great attributes to using a compensatory acceleration system is the use of relatively low loads for low rep ranges so that speed can be emphasized. In your case, being in the 85–95 percent of 1RM for every workout is simply too much for your nervous system to handle, at least at this given time. A change in training strategy is only one of the factors needed.

While overtraining is a major barrier to success, the training aspect is only one element. Many trainees do a poor job in the recovery department, making their training capacity very low and increasing the likelihood of overtraining. Nutrition, supplementation, and rest play a vital role in the success equation. Check out the power fat loss plan and macronutrient cycling for powerlifters articles on the EliteFTS.com site for powerful nutrition information.

Based on several years of research, amino loading with 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis accelerate both muscular and neurological recovery. The more advanced the athlete and the harder the training, the more important nervous system recovery becomes. We currently work with numerous professional athletes in multiple sports and collect detailed feedback in the areas of body composition as well as performance. Within the first couple of weeks of amino loading consistently, an overwhelming percentage of the athletes report they have a much easier time getting into and maintaining their high performance “zone.” Feedback includes improved hand-eye coordination, improved confidence, and decreased pre-competition anxiety. I think you will experience beneficial changes very quickly when you start the 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis pre- and post-training. Improvements in performance and recovery will come first, and shortly thereafter, your body composition will begin to improve.

Getting into and staying in the power “zone”

Strength athletes also have a “zone,” which in my experience is described as heavy loads feeling light when training. The ability to make heavy loads move quickly is a key to success and is a clear representation of the capabilities of the nervous system. Amino loading provides a powerful energy source to support repetitive bursts of peak power.

The lower your stress, the stronger you will be! We are well-equipped as humans to deal with acute stressors such as an argument with a stranger. Longer term or lingering stress from problems that just don’t go away are the ones that have a negative effect on anabolic hormone levels. Keep this in mind within your recovery picture. You should consider changing the training plan if stress is going to be high during the training week.

Essential fats play a more important role in the recovery process than many would think. Remember, the brain mass is made up of a high percentage of fats. The right mix of essential fats such as the Alpha Omega can help with cellular “fluidity,” which improves communication between cells

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
By Michael Tuchscherer

The following article is from chapter two of Michael Tuchscherer’s book, The Reactive Training Manual: Developing Your Own Custom Training Program for Powerlifting.

This chapter concerns the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) system in reactive training. Pay attention because if you don’t get this right, the entire system can be thrown off to a degree. This information is absolutely essential to making the program effective as you advance to higher stages.

RPE is how hard something feels to you at the time. It is a subjective measure of your strength at a given time. We rate this on a scale from one to ten. The higher the number, the harder the set felt. You can develop your own or use the one that we will discuss in this chapter. The main thing is that you’re consistent.

Let’s start with why you should use an RPE scale as opposed to a percentage program. Even though percentage programs are easy to use, they’re very limited in how accurate they can be. There are many things that throw off your percentages. The longer you go in a training cycle, the less accurate they become due to your own individual strength adaptation. Each athlete is different because of differences in training history, fast to slow twitch ratios, illnesses, good and bad days, and general sleep patterns. Basically, life happens, and you won’t always be 100 percent when you come in to train.

An RPE overcomes this stuff by allowing you to regulate training based on how hard a weight feels (which is all a percentage tries to do anyway). By using an RPE, you can regulate training more effectively and do so in a way that automatically takes into account all of the individual differences mentioned above.

If you’re curious as to what RPE is, here’s the scale that we use:

10: Maximal, no reps left in the tank

9: Last rep is tough but still one rep left in the tank

8: Weight is too heavy to maintain fast bar speed but isn’t a struggle; 2–4 reps left

7: Weight moves quickly when maximal force is applied to the weight; “speed weight”

6: Light speed work; moves quickly with moderate force

5: Most warm-up weights

4: Recovery; usually 20 plus rep sets; not hard but intended to flush the muscle

An RPE below four isn’t important.

Here’s how it works. You apply it to a set/rep range. For example, if you were going to do 5 X 5 at an 8–9 RPE, you know that you’re doing 5 X 5 with a weight that is between an eight RPE and a nine RPE. So you should select a weight that will allow you to do between one and four more reps than the set requires.

If the RPE system seems awkward at first, don’t worry. You’ll get used to it and be able to use it quickly. An easy way to gauge the RPE of a set is to ask yourself how many more reps you could’ve done with a particular weight. Here is where honesty is the absolute key! If you’re too macho and say, “Yea, I could have done one more” when you know that the set was maximal, your training will be thrown off. This tends to be tough for the training hotheads who always want to go heavy but also for the timid who are afraid to push themselves. You must be disciplined to use this method effectively!

There is also a chart that I developed that roughly correlates an RPE and rep range to a percentage. It should only be used as a guide, not to attempt to derive a max.

As you can see, for each rep range and the correlating RPE, there is a percentage. Eighty percent is where peak force is produced. Be careful with how much time you spend in the 90 percent plus area. The closer you are to the upper right corner, the more accurate the chart is.

Here’s how to use it. In the above example, you can see that we did 5 X 5 at 8–9 RPE. Using the chart, this roughly correlates to 70–7 percent. The next time you may want to pick a protocol that allows you to train in the 80–85 percent range or even the 90 percent plus range. The choice is up to you and how you want to program your training, but this tool can help you approximate how heavy you have been going in terms of percentage.

So using this knowledge, here is what happens to your protocols:

Volume (sets X reps)

• 6 X 3 at 8–9

• 6 X 2 at 8–9

Speed work ups:

• 8 X 2 at 6–7

Then work up to 1 X 2 at 8–9

• 5 X 5 at 9–10

• 6 X 4 at 8–9

Intensity

• 1–3 rep max

• 3 X 3 at 9–10

• 4 X 2 at 9–10

• 4–5 X 1 at 9–10

Just to reiterate, RPE allows you to regulate your training intensity based on your condition right now, not your last meet, yesterday, or even your last set. It allows you to quantify where your preparedness is at any given time. This is an extremely powerful tool and one that will be invaluable in the reactive training system.

Correcting and/or Preventing Muscular Imbalances
By Dr. Michael Yessis

Many articles extol the need for balancing the muscles. Much of this is warranted. The problem lies in how to do this and when it should be done. In some cases, it’s necessary to look at what actually constitutes an imbalance.

For example, many people recommend balancing the quads and hamstrings with a one-to-one ratio. However, this isn’t substantiated by kinesiologists who maintain that it’s necessary to look at the size of the muscle as well as its function (i.e. what actions does it perform).

A case in point is the recommendation to balance the shoulder muscles of swimmers by doing shoulder joint medial and lateral rotation. Doing these two exercises will balance the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder but will do little to balance the major muscles that move the arm, such as the pectoralis major and the latissimus dorsi for the pull phase.

To balance these muscles, it’s necessary to do arm flexion. This is the opposite action that uses the antagonist muscles and shows that a true balance is formed between the opposing muscle groups. Just doing lateral and medial shoulder joint rotation won’t tax the muscles to the same extent as when the opposite action is performed.

There have been some very interesting research studies done showing that the best athletes usually have imbalances. The more symmetrical and harmoniously developed the athlete is the less he will be able to achieve the highest levels. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t work on muscle balance. You should do this work in the general preparatory period (GPP). In season, it’s usually wise not to do such work because it may take away from the work needed for the major muscles that are critical to success in the sport.

The bottom line is that we shouldn’t get carried away with trying to balance the muscles to a finite degree, especially when we don’t know exactly what balance is needed. In doing this, it’s necessary to examine exactly what the primary muscles do and then perform some exercises that are in direct opposition to these movements.

The Hip Flexor Solution
By Andrew Paul

Due to a recent influx of hip flexor questions, I decided to put together a few thoughts on the issue. Hip flexor injuries are all too common, especially at the beginning of training camps. Athletes spend the entire off-season developing the posterior chain and getting big squat and deadlift numbers. While the posterior chain and its role in hip extension is very important, the hip flexors are usually forgotten.

Let’s first examine the major hip flexors. There are really three worth mentioning. The prime mover is the rectus femoris. This is a two joint muscle and acts as a hip flexor and knee extensor. The synergists in this case are the psoas and the tensor fascia latae (TFL). What is interesting is that throughout the range of motion, the synergists become the prime movers. Once the femur reaches about 90 degrees of hip flexion, the psoas takes over for the rectus femoris. This is because the rectus has reached a shortened state and is incapable of putting out a necessary amount of force.

Try this easy test. Stand up tall with your hands behind your head and your elbows wide. From that position, attempt to lift one knee past hip height while maintaining posture. There are a few compensation patterns to note. The first is if you just can’t do it period. Second, your TFL might cramp up. Think of it this way—if your psoas is weak, your TFL will attempt to carry the load, resulting in a cramp. Third, in order to raise your knee to the appropriate height, you lose posture, and finally, your hip tilts. This is the quadratus lumborum’s (QL) attempt to help in the fight.

The standing psoas strength test

Compensations

Inability to lift knee/TFL

Loss of posture

Hip tilt

This test is the basis behind Gray Cook’s hurdle step test in the functional movement screening, and all of the compensation patterns indicate a weak psoas. So what does this mean? That’s a good question.

In Shirley Sahrmann’s book, Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes, she talks about the role of synergists in movement. Her take is that when you have a continued muscular problem in a prime mover, look for a weak synergist. For example, if you have continued hamstring strains, you may have weak glutes. If you have continued pec strains, you may have a weak subscapularis. In this case, continued hip flexor strains equal a weak psoas. So what do we do about the problem?

In my article, “A Strength Coach’s Guide to Dealing with Pain, Part 2: The Knee,” I discussed many different strategies to lengthen the hip flexors. Now let’s talk about strengthening the hip flexors. It’s interesting to note that tightness, very often, is a result of weakness. Weak, overworked hip flexors shorten and contract in order to create the illusion of movement. An involuntary muscular spasm is the muscle’s best way of creating stability. Strengthening in this case will relieve the need to spasm.

Here is an easy, four step progression to strengthening the psoas. Again, to strengthen the psoas, we need to get our knee past 90 degrees.

Lying band hip flexion

Start with you knees past 90 degrees. This will ensure that actually get there to begin with.

Lying cable hip flexion

Standing hip flexion

Side standing cable hip flexion

With all of the development of the posterior chain and hip extension strength, it’s easy to forget about hip flexion. In his book, Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, Stuart McGill actually notes hip flexion power as being the most prevalent limiting factor in sprint speed, not hip extension.