Alcoholics Anonymous

A great article for those who insist on kissing the bottom of a bottle…

Consider Your Goals

Want bigger muscles?

Alcohol consumption, according to British researchers, decreases the use of glucose and amino acids by skeletal muscles, which adversely affects energy supply and “impairs the metabolic process during exercise.”

This is likely due to the body’s conversion of alcohol to acetate, explained earlier. Subjects who regularly drank alcohol had comparatively smaller cross sectional areas of type I, IIa, and IIb muscle fibers to their occasional and non drinking counterparts, which may be due to progressive functional and structural degradation of skeletal muscle.

Studies have also shown that alcohol consumption retards protein synthesis. (Remember, hypertrophy relies on protein synthesis.) Also, when ingested with your otherwise “clean” bodybuilder-friendly meal, alcohol can stifle healthy metabolic functioning.

Want to get stronger?

Alcohol, a central nervous system depressant, can kill the strength gains you’re seeking. Regular consumption is linked to inhibited coordinative abilities and the resultant muscular weaknesses that follow, and as mentioned above, strength gains associated with hypertrophy in more experienced lifters will be harder to come by due to protein synthesis coming to a standstill like rush hour traffic on the I-5 in L.A.

Want stronger bones?

Researchers at Tufts University concluded that two or more drinks per day can lead to lower bone mineral densities (BMD).

Want to stay healthy?

Alcohol is also an immunosuppressant. It’ll be harder to avoid that cold everyone in your office seems to be catching, which translates into lost training time and crappy eating (i.e. ginger ale, sodium infused microwavable soups, and saltines) as you recover. Oh, and we’re not mentioning the missed time at work, which means less time on TNation, scoping out the latest training and nutrition advice. Hey, at least you’ll be home on your own computer instead of violating your workplace’s acceptable internet usage policy.

Want to lose weight?

Alcohol is calorie dense, packing 7 kcal per gram. So if you’re looking to peel off that stubborn layer of fat that covers your midsection, the answer is quite obvious if you’re a drinker. You should strongly consider cutting back, or preferably halting consumption altogether.

Trust me, it won’t take long to notice the weekly or daily subtraction of hundreds, or potentially, thousands of calories. Beer can range from 60 to 250 calories per serving; one shot of liquor contains up to 200 calories – and when you’re tossing that in a sugary fruit juice or soda, you’re looking at hundreds more calories per drink!

Want to stop bedwetting?

I say this in all seriousness, because alcohol inhibits the pituitary glands production of vasopressin, also known as anti-diuretic hormone, or ADH. ADH’s main role is to regulate extracellular fluid volume via renal handling of water, leading to a decrease in urine formation.

Did you ever “break the seal” or piss your bed while passed out? If you answered “yes,” not only are you not allowed to crash at my house, you likely drank enough to affect ADH secretion, thereby seriously limiting your couch-surfing options.

Want to sleep better?

Studies have shown that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep patterns are disrupted by alcohol consumption, and as we all know, sleep, or lack thereof, affects the secretion of Testosterone and growth hormone. Blood alcohol content of just 0.10% – which a 200-pound male can achieve, if he consumes four drinks in an hour – was shown to delay REM sleep and disrupt sleep throughout the night, due to alcohol withdrawal.

Want to avoid hangovers?

Hangovers are a misunderstood phenomena. Researchers have theorized that hangovers are nothing more than alcohol withdrawal. Though that’s a plausible hypothesis, hangovers are most likely the result of acetaldehyde, which is a product of alcohol metabolism.

Additionally, congeners, which are preservatives that add color to liquors such as brandy, wine, and whiskey may exacerbate hangovers. The rate at which you consume alcohol, the quantity you ingest, and how your body metabolizes alcohol may also determine the severity of your hangover.

Home remedies such as gulping an electrolyte enriched sports drink with a handful of Ibuprofen before bed following a night of heavy drinking to old skool “hair of the dog” (slugging an alcoholic beverage upon awakening) have been suggested to prevent and overcome hangovers, but remain anecdotal.

Unless you’re a hardened alcoholic or Keith Richards, you’ll likely be sacked by the resultant headaches, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, which will also throw a toolbox full of wrenches in your training program and diet. The effects of a hangover may linger for few days, sapping you of the requisite energy to complete a vigorous workout.

Want optimal brain functioning?

Unless your day consists of XBox Live and soap operas or you stuff junk mail in envelopes for a paycheck, you’re going to need your brain to function at a high level. Alcohol inhibits that acutely and long term.

Mental acuity and behavior are adversely affected by alcohol, and rather than write a thesis on the topic, I’ll highlight just some of the things alcohol does to your brain.

Alcohol decreases the excitatory actions of the neurotransmitters and boosts the inhibitory actions of the neurotransmitters, thus reducing brain activity. Studies have shown that alcohol also triggers a powerful dopamine response and affects serotonin receptors. And yes folks, it can cause brain damage; just refer to the image to the left.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/ditch_the_6pack_to_build_6pack_abs

For the ladies!

Another good read from YahooHealth…

This one describes 4 things that women generally avoid doing in the gym that actually hinders results.

1. High-intensity training.

All that time coasting on the elliptical at a comfortable pace probably hasn’t done much for your body, says Panama-based trainer Belinda Benn, creator of the Breakthrough Physique home fitness system. In fact, the biggest mistake women make in their training is not exercising with enough intensity, she says.

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is typically a 10- to 20-minute workout that alternates short, intense bursts of activity with moderate-exertion recovery periods. “High-intensity interval training  is the best way to improve your overall fitness, burn fat, and stimulate your hormones for a stronger body,” says Benn.

How to tell if you’re training hard enough? Look to your body for clues, Benn says. Good indicators are sweating, increased heart rate, and lactic acid production (i.e., feeling the “burn”) during exercise. Moderate muscle soreness for up to a few days post-workout is also a good sign. “If you feel nothing,” Benn says, “you probably didn’t work out hard enough.”

2. Heavier lifting.

For most women, a typical weight-training session equals light dumbbell exercises, says Toronto-based strength and conditioning specialist Craig Ballantyne, creator of the Turbulence Training Program. But doing fewer reps with more weight—say, 8 reps per set with a 15-pound dumbbell, instead of 15 reps with an 8-pound one—will burn more fat, he says. Lifting heavier will also increase your strength and muscle definition.

Start by swapping out your normal weights for slightly heavier ones, and gradually work your way up.

3. Upper body workouts.

Women tend to store body fat around the waist, hips, and thighs, so that’s where they typically focus their exercise efforts—neglecting their upper bodies, Benn says.

But you can’t spot-reduce fat, and sticking with what’s easy can stunt your progress, says Benn. Because you may feel weak while attempting pull-ups for the first time, Benn suggests doing the hard stuff at the start of your workout, “when you’re freshest and feeling mentally strong.”

“Focusing on underdeveloped muscles will improve the contours of your body,” Benn says.

4. Training with a barbell.

Think barbells are synonymous with back-breaking chest presses? Not so. “You can do a tremendous workout just with a barbell,” Benn says. “If you’re holding a bar rather than using two separate weights, it forces you to get your body  in sync.”

Barbells are great for both upper- and lower-body exercises. Balancing one across your shoulders while doing squats, lunges, or walking lunges helps develop posture and balance, Benn says.

If you’re flirting with a barbell for the first time, go as light as you need to. Even 10 pounds is a good start.

Bonus tip:

If you’re worried you’ll bulk up with any of these exercises, consider your body type. Benn says women generally fall into two categories: those who build muscle easily, and those who don’t. If you build muscle easily, she suggests emphasizing high-intensity exercises. If you develop muscle slowly, you’ll benefit from spending more time on heavy lifting.

 

Full article

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/fitness/4-things-women-should-be-doing-their-fitness-training-arent

Exactly why we have you do planks

Just another reason to get up and hold one…

 

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/training-day/201102/no-more-crunches-abs-olutely

Find your abs in 2011

Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.

• Fill your diet with lean sources of protein, low fat/fat free dairy,  slow digesting carbs  whole grains, and low fructose fruits.
• Ditch the empty calories found in sugary drinks, belly busting baked goods, candy, and alcohol.
• Drink plenty of water. More water in, more water out.
• Purge your kitchen refrigerator and cabinets of any items that will keep your abs out of sight.
• Aim to eat 4-6 balanced meals per day, spacing them about 2-3 hours apart.