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CATEGORY: diseases/epilepsy TECHNICAL: * SUMMARY: This paper describes the ketogenic diet in regard to epilepsy treatment. It does a fairly good job at mentioning some of it's properties and effects. It also lists some of the questions that still puzzle the medical community about why it works so well. To this point, they still don't understand it at all really. The article lists some of the side effects of the ketogenic diet as being "cognitive", and "allergic". The cognitive aspect is only an issue until adaptation occurs. I find now that, when I run under ketone metabolism, it is much easier for me to concentrate and focus on whatever task I am working on. The allergic reaction reported is not due to the diet itself, but rather due to the way it is clinically administered. Instead of consuming normal fats, the status quo is for patients to be treated with MCT oil (a non-natural manmade oil). Why? -- I have no idea.. Presumably it's because they can make money off of selling you MCT oil as opposed to just letting buy wholesome foods in the store. I think the thing that really brings home the point that the pharmaceutical industry controls american medicine is this line: "then perhaps a medication could be developed that would simulate the biochemical effects of the ketogenic diet." I think it's silly to spend so much effort in building a drug to do something that food can do already. What a waste of time. Besides, even if they do synthesize a drug to simulate ketogenic diets for epilepsy treatment, will it still have all of the *other* benefits of the diet? Like weight loss, immune system boost, cardio-vascular health, diabetes, cancer, rhett syndrome, MS, etc., etc.. Why re-invent the wheel? Mother nature (and evolution) has already solved the problem for us.. ------------------------------------------------------------- Adv Pediatr 1997;44:297-329 The ketogenic diet: 1997. Swink TD, Vining EP, Freeman JM There has been a dramatic resurgence of interest in the ketogenic diet during the past several years. For many children with difficult-to-control epilepsy, the diet presents an alternative approach to trying multiple medications. The ketogenic diet's current success rate, when properly executed, greatly exceeds that of the medications which have recently become available. Its side effects, both cognitive and allergic, appear fewer than most available medications. The ketogenic diet is also cheaper than most new anticonvulsants. Even though we now know that the diet works, we still do not know how it works. Nor do we know how most anticonvulsants work. The mechanism of action of the ketogenic diet appears to rely on a fundamental change in the brain's metabolism from that of a glucose-based energy substrate to a ketone-based substrate. This change is, in some fashion, critical to the maintenance of seizure threshold. Why should the source of the energy make a difference in seizure threshold? The change in seizure threshold appears to occur without affecting the brain's ability to carry out its normal complex functions. Could the brain's utilization of an energy substrate for seizure control be different from its utilization of energy for normal brain function? If so it should it be possible to study the metabolic differences between the two and develop a biochemistry of epilepsy, which is differentiated from the biochemistry of normal cognition and function. The ketogenic diet is successful in controlling or ameliorating a broad spectrum of seizure types and etiologies. Perhaps then, common metabolic pathways, independent of seizure type, are used in the initiation and spread of electrical seizures. Based on clinical experience and limited research data, it would appear that different seizures and different epilepsies must have metabolic pathways in common that make them susceptible to treatment with a common metabolic therapy. If we could understand how the ketogenic diet "works," how changing from a glucose substrate' to a ketone body substrate is anticonvulsant, then perhaps a medication could be developed that would simulate the biochemical effects of the ketogenic diet. Such an approach would be a major departure in the study of the neuroscience of epilepsy. The ketogenic diet offers a new paradigm to think about epilepsy and its treatment, and perhaps will stimulate new approaches to this still often devastating condition. Publication Types: * Historical article * Review * Review, tutorial PMID: 9265974, UI: 97410925 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Study shows high fat, low carb diet helps epileptic children December 8, 1998 (CNN) -- A 70-year-old, unconventional diet helps many epileptic children, especially those who don't respond to modern medicines, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. In a study involving 150 children with difficult-to-control epilepsy, researchers followed the patients on a ketogenic diet for a year or more. More than half of the patients had a 50 percent or greater reduction in seizures and a quarter experienced a 90 percent improvement. "Our study shows that despite new and improved anti-convulsant medications on the market, the ketogenic diet is still a viable option for children with difficult to manage epilepsy," said John M. Freeman, principle researcher of the study and professor of pediatric neurology at Johns Hopkins. Originally developed at Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic in the 1920s, the ketogenic diet was used before the advent of modern anti-convulsant medications to curb seizures in epilepsy patients. The diet requires exact and careful measurements of all food and calls for high fat intake and low carbohydrate consumption, which causes a condition called ketosis. Ketosis occurs when the body burns the fat supplied in the diet because there is a limited amount of glucose to burn. Ketones, products left after the fat is burned, build up in the blood and inhibit seizures, although exactly how is unknown. At the beginning of the Johns Hopkins study, children had an average of 410 seizures per month and had gotten no relief after being treated with an average of six anti-convulsant medications. After a year, 55 percent of the original patients remained on the diet and 27 percent had a greater than 90 percent decrease in seizures. "Occasionally, children who have uncontrollable seizures go on the diet, remain seizure free for two years, and stay that way even when they have stopped the diet, never having to take more medication. Something is healed. If we knew what and how it healed, then we might know what causes epilepsy," Freeman said. However, the ketogenic diet shouldn't be the first line of treatment for epileptic children, Freeman said. Seventy percent of the epileptic patients can gain control of their seizures with one medication. For children whose seizures don't respond to medication, the diet is an effective alternative, but Freeman cautions that it should be used only under controlled circumstances with the appropriate nutritional and medical supervision.

As mentioned in an earlier thread, I plan to send some of the research I've posted to a health oriented forum and mailing list I used to help run. Each week, there will be some information related to keto diets, paleo diets, general nutrition, training, or disease presented here in the Horsepower Gain Support Group. At the top of each post will be a short header that provides the type of information (category), a rating as to how technical an article is (technical) and in some cases a brief summary of my opinion on the piece (summary). The summary was provided as a convenience to people I used to help who were not concerned about the nuts & bolts, but just wanted the jist. My guess is that this stuff will start some hearty debate. So, without further ado, lets get on to the meat! (Posted for Little Mo's benefit..) :cool: TJ :cool:

Looks good Nik, but you left out the most important addition.. The rainbow in the window :grin: :cool: TJ :cool:

Some studies make an attempt to say there should be, but others don't agree. I think the jist is that you just have to have ketones in the blood (IE: simply be ketogenic).. I am about to start a weekly series of posts that will eventually post everything I have collected in my 7 year period of research. (stuff I used to post to my old health mailing list and forum..) I will include some epilepsy stuff for you in the first weeks installment.. :cool: TJ :cool:

It gets REALLY easy to stick with the low-carb/high-fat lifestyle after a year or two. When you cheat, you just end up feeling like total crap. It's great negative reenforcement :grin: :cool: TJ :cool:

My father owned a construction business when I was younger. As a result I did alot of construction and carpentry. I must have cut thousands of dados, rabbits, and miters.. Best carpentry pick-up line: "Hey baby, wanna play mortis and tenon?" :razz: :cool: TJ :cool:

Yep, pretty amazing isn't it? Gives a whole new meaning to "juicing" doesn't it.. Just think about it bro, we're both "on the juice" now.. Seriously though, it is just about the most effect natural technique you can do to aid the body in recovery post workout (which is actually what anabolic steroids do..). I will post the science behind why it works in the future. It's based on an effect called "insulin rebound" described in the biomed literature. Excellent! Let me put it to you this way, after putting all of my research into recovery and my training program (which I am slowly posting in another thread) I have NOT hit a plateau. We're talking 4 years of constant strength improvements.. It's freaky.. That's when you'll notice it too.. After 8 hours of sleep (and the HgH that was released the night before) you'll see the effects of enhanced recovery. You'll wake up and think you could immediately hit the gym and start rep-ing out.. You're not a dork bud, that's what body builders are supposed to do.. You don't get bigger, then whats the point, eh? Me, if I don't get stronger, I lose motivation.. That's why I meticulously monitor my power output at each session.. If you do a cyclical low-carb thing (as I have suggested before) you will get REALLY lean without losing muscle mass. If you load the grape juice + protein after each session you will recover and grow. Just remember to drink lots of water after you consume the grape juice.. It helps to load the glucose as stored muscle glycogen. Just be careful not to get too enthusiastic and start overtraining. The "insulin rebound" can help you recover very quickly and that power can psych you out into thinking you can go harder and longer. Avoid the urge, or you'll defeat the enhanced recovery and start overtraining -- stopping progress in its tracks.. Yup, but only "pure" grape juice will work properly. It's pure glucose. The cocktails are "fructose syrup" based and they cannot load as glycogen in the muscles without being processed by the liver first (and that takes too long for the insulin rebound effect..) Just make sure the label indicates no fructose, or fructose syrups.. You can go and buy MCT oil from your local GNC.. It's basically extracted from coconut milk. The only trouble is that it's SUPER expensive. If it gets too costly, just drop it from the shake and use the only the flax oil and protein.. The coconut is the best thing to use if you want the pre-workout energy boost though :wink: Chicken is better, it's lower in tryptophan. Turkey is good in your dinner meal -- before bed. It will help you relax. *Absolutely* No carbs/sugars before bed. It will hamper your HgH release and you will not recover properly. Yep.. The fattier the better. Give yourself an hour (atleast) before going to bed though. You want some of the fats to be digested before sleeping. Saturated fats increase serum testosterone. That, in turn, increases HgH output while you sleep. Eggs, meats, that sort of thing. Grill up some ground beef, or pork chops or something.. That's what I do.. (that Foreman grill is a life saver..) If you don't have enough time for a full meal before going to bed, you can take some more of that MCT oil, or coconut milk at that time too.. (if you prefer to drink your evening meal..) Good choices!! Healthy fats, good protein, and fiberous veggies are an excellent dinner choice. Nope, eggs (and shrimp) are very safe with regards to cholesterol. Suffice it to say that the lecithin inside of them will keep the cholesterol emulsified and you will have no worries about blockages, etc. I eat eggs every day and the last time my cholesterol was tested it was 120. (with my HDL _higher_ than my LDL at 51 to 49..) TGIF Bud!! :cool: TJ :cool:

Hey Mo! Whuzzz shakin'? Then you eat eggs with margarine and MSG Seriously, don't sweat the small things. Every once in a while you're going to get some unhealthy stuff. That's just a consequence of eating out. In general, you'll be able to keep to the safe stuff most of the time, and as long as you stay low-carb you'll be alright. The way I look at it is this: Low carb comes first, then paleo is the next most important. Just do your best. Absolutely. Opt for the more natural stuff any time you can. The most important things to avoid (from a man-made point of view) is hydrogenated oils and fructose (or high-fructose) syrups. Those are the reallllllly bad ones and are usually clearly marked on products that contain them. Like I said, unless you eat out more than you eat at home I don't see it being too big of a problem. Besides, the spin on MSG has been changing alot recently. Isn't the modern medical industry lovely? They put out their research on ketogenic diets and list things like "ratios" and MCT oil treatments for epilepsy. To be honest, the ratio is whatever fat-carb-protein ratio you need to stay ketogenic all of the time. They suggest 75-25 fats vs. everything else. And that will certainly keep you ketogenic, no matter how much you eat. However, over time, you'll see you can decrease the ratio a bit and still stay in ketosis. As far as MCT oil goes, there's no reason the medical industry uses it other than they can make money off of it. The MCT's are simply extracted from coconut milk/oil. You can get the exact same effect by eating fats from other sources -- meats, nuts, seeds, etc. It's just that the pharmaceutical companies are prohibited from patenting meats, nuts, and seeds. That's what the common misconception is. Atkins and ALL ketogenic diets do _not_ rely on proteins. That's the pop-diet culture take on them. In fact, low-carb diets actually only work if they are more "fat" oriented. My specific diet, for example, is about 60-65% fats, 30-35% proteins, and about 5% carbs. Hardly protein oriented, wouldn't you say? :grin: In regards to epilepsy, there's very little difference between children and adults. You see, the reason the keto-diet appears to work so well is that it changes brain metabolism from glucose to ketone. That seems to be the magic bullet that stops the brain "misfires".. I will post some of the research I've dug up on this topic. In fact, I am thinking about running a weekly "keto info" post in this section of the forum. As I've told others, I used to run a web site and mailing list that helped people with this lifestyle as it relates to training, fitness, disease, and nutrition. Might as well post some of that info here for you guys! (my extended biker family, ha ha ) Yep.. Stay on this lifestyle long enough, and you'll no longer need the meds. You will be able to ween yourself off of them after about 2 years (or so..) More to come... TGIF!! :cool: TJ :cool:

No sweat Mo.. That's the beauty of the keto+paleo diet. It all makes sense because it's based on common-sense evolution. Remember' date=' you don't have to follow _that_ particular menu.. I just provided it as an example of what I do. The ingredients are more important than the recipes.. (Like I said, I am no master chef, ha ha) Don't give up hope.. That is pretty typical.. My hunch is that you tried it "cold turkey".. Many people have trouble with it when attempting it that way.. Try to ease your way into it, and you'll see it's much easier to stick with it.. And bread is the worst.. It's heavily processed mono-ploidal wheat.. Your man has done quite alot of research in finding low-carb sugar alternatives. He's the best source for info on how to handle the occasional sweet tooth.. To be honest, I don't even crave sweets any more. In fact, I don't even have a taste for carbs.. I usually only eat sugary food when it's "politcally correct" to do so... (like a piece of cake at a birthday party) Don't misunderstand.. I'm not talking about man-made foods as in "prepared". I'm talking about man-made in the sense that it cannot possibly appear in nature.. You know, you don't find many "natural" seedless grapes. Or many candybars growing on trees.. etc. I eat out atleast 3 times a week (including breakfasts). It's not how it's prepared, it's how "natural" it is.. Ok, shoot! Pistachios are fine, cashews are fine. They're just not as good as the other nuts and seeds I suggest (walnuts, pecans, almonds, and pumpkin seeds..) Any nut that you can eat raw and unsalted is a "healthier" nut.. Love 'em... You can have as much salt as you want. I lift weights with religion and too much salt causes me to cramp. So, I keep a very tight control on my sodium-potassium ratio. Basically 50-50. "No-salt" tastes like salt and is almost pure potassium. It's much cheaper to just sprinkle that stuff on my food than swallow potassium pills.. Pork, Lamb, Turkey, Chicken, Salmon, Tuna, Shrimp, Crab... (the list of meats is basically endless..) Then cheer up.. Ketogenic diets are PERMANANT, and TOTAL cures for epilepsy. In fact, I could dump tons of research on you that shows that ketogenic diets applied for 2 years have eliminated all siezures in children that were totally non-responsive to the traditional drugs.. (and suffered grand mal seizures..) Yep.. Get ketogenic (or get your Boy ketogenic) and you will most likely never experience a seizure ever again.. Then be really happy, because now you have a means for helping a good chunk of your family be free of the affliction.. :grin: TJ :grin:

Hi Moriah, Yep.. Basically you can think of it like this: I try to only eat low-carb things that I could find if the only technology I had available was a stick and a rock.. Crazy eh? What this means is, I prefer: 1) low in carbohydrate and sugar foods 2) foods that are not man-made or have little man-made components in them 3) foods that could be eaten raw or with as little preparation as possible. So, as your guy Swampy can tell you, pretty much anything that is heavily grain or dairy oriented is off the list. (these fail all 3 above) Meats, nuts, seeds, and fiberous veggies are the primary staples. Whole meats: bacon, steaks, shrimp, etc. are better for you than processed meats: spam, sausages, etc. etc. Raw veggies are better for you than the types that have to be prepared. Good: tomatos, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, carrots, avocados, olives, etc. Bad: potatos, beans, rice, soy, wheat, etc. The same goes for nuts/seeds. Good: pecans, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, etc. Bad: peanuts, cashews, etc. The low-carb stuff provides the "ketogenic" portion of the diet. The "non-manmade" stuff falls into the paleolithic category, and the last aspect of my diet is the "cyclical". Basically it means that once in a while (say once a week) you come off the low-carb stuff and eat some, preferably healthy, carbs. The reasons why are pretty detailed, but the most important is that it prevents metabolic slowdown in the thyroid.. Good choices for carbs are non-starchy veggies, and low-in-fructose fruits. Good: grapes, almost every type of berry, melons, citrus, etc. Bad: bananas, pears, apples, etc. Truth be known, when I carb, I usually do it with not-so-healthy stuff. (like fried and breaded foods). But, in general, I do it so infrequently that it doesn't hamper my health. I guess you could say that my "cheats" are more for mental health than physical, ha ha. Sure, in fact, I can give you an example of my "cut diet", which is the one I use to shed bodyfat after a "gain cycle" where I am eating like a horse and attempting to gain power in the gym.. Keep in mind, this diet is only an example. There are MANY other alternatives for ingredients and spices. I'm am no master-chef, so my meal plans tend to be boring.. (guess I need to find a gal who's a good cook! ha ha) [i'm e-mailing it to Carlos, he can get it to you..] To be honest, I never encourage people to live this lifestyle just for the "exterior" reasons. Many use it because they want to look better. However, that's not the true benefit of the approach.. It's really better from a health and longevity point of view. (anti cancer, anti viral, etc. etc.) It might. It depends on what you mean by genetic. Bear in mind that many of the things that modern medicine brands as "genetic" really aren't. Much of the time that's just the label the medical industry attaches to afflictions they do not understand (nor want to..) It will certainly make him stronger, healthier, and more better adept at dealing with any health issues he may have in the future.. You wouldn't believe the problems I've seen associated with the low-fat high carb diet and young children.. (and the really bad side-effects associated with milk, cereal, and juices..) I know I plan to raise my future children (if I am blessed to have some) with the same lifestyle I lead now. I will give them a bit more carb than I eat, but nothing processed or man-made.. :cool: TJ :cool:

Good idea. In Texas, if you make a mold claim now, your house is un re-sellable. (there has been so much fraud in mold claims..) :cool: TJ :cool:

<note to self, get Redd drunk on carbs and beer...> TJ

As promised, here is a new (advanced) 3-day per week program. It's something I developed a few years back via independent research and is based off of 3 important topics in strength and muscle development: periodization, evolutionary fitness, and holistics. This approach is quite different than what is commonly preached, and may strike some as odd. The most obvious difference is that, even though you hit a muscle group once a week, you only use that exact pathway once a month. For instance, you will do a bench press one week, an incline press the next week, a decline press the following week, etc. All of these lifts train the pecs, tris, and deltoids, but do it from different angles and, thus, use different portions of those muscles. This provides the best overall development and strength, but gives the muscle (specific pathway) a chance at maximal recovery. This is the basis behind "periodization", which avoids overtraining and helps prevent those nasty plateaus that most people suffer from when seriously involved in a weight program. (I haven't hit a significant plateau in 5+ years) Keep in mind that the days are not set in stone. If you can't train on mon, wed, and fri, then feel free to vary the days. In fact, "randomization" can be your friend. You know, one week you train on mon, wed, fri - the next week you train on tue, thu, and sat. It's all about keeping your body guessing so you can defeat its natural homeo-stasis. This is the basis behind "evolutionary fitness" Another difference: you will do the lift in a "holistic" way. After a brief warm-up (that may involve stretching), you do an 85% work set, take a break, a 75% work set, take a break, and a 45% work set. This scheme targets the fast twitch, medium twitch, and slow twitch fibers, which provides stimulus for the entire muscle. This provides maximum development and, thus, also protects against injury. One thing I like to do is "cycle". For instance, I'll do the 85% work set for one lift, and while that muscle is resting, I'll do the 85% work set for another lift. While resting from the second lift, I'll go back for the 70% work set of the first lift, etc. Cycling between pairs of lifts is an excellent way to keep your gym time short and allow for proper inter-set resting. Try to do the lifts in the order provided as much as possible. I've structured them so that the heavier "compound lifts" are performed first (they are the most important). After compound movements come "isolation movements", which require less energy and are easier to complish after a certain amount of fatigue has set in. You'll see what I mean if you reverse the order - the compounds are hard to do when tired.. The most important thing to do is to perform each lift with the strictest of forms. If not, you risk injury. I've studied exercise kineseology for quite a while now, so I can give anyone advice on how to perform these exercises. If you have difficulty performing a lift, shoot me an e-mail and I will try to explain or even point you to an equivalent you can use as a substitute. The same goes for the equipment you use. It doesn't matter whether you use free weights or machines (though machines are safer for a solo lifter). The most important thing is the "improvement" that you try to make each week. Give 100% to try to get atleast 1 extra rep for each set of each lift each time out. If you can go up 3-4 reps, then add about 5% to the weight and go back to the original rep count. For example, if you start out doing 6 bench presses in your 85% workset at 100 lbs. and you manage to get to 9 reps -- then increase the weight to 105 lbs and drop back to 6 reps. This is another type of periodization, and you should be able to make consistent progress with this scheme. However, if you can't, don't panic. If you get stuck in a plateu or go backwards, then you may be overtrained. Relax, and don't panic. Just stop the set and give that muscle group extra rest for the next time out. Rest is important, and when you are not in the gym, do your best to rest, relax and de- stress. (try to get to bed early too!) After lifting, you're done for the day. The best way to make consistent gains, aid in recovery, and kill any sweet tooth you may have while low carbing is to do a "post-workout" shake. I've mentioned this before. It's basically 1 cup of grape juice mixed with 1 cup of water and 1 serving of egg protein powder (or other protein supplement). Mix up the stuff and take it with you. As soon as you're done with the lifts, gulp it down and go and hop on an exercycle and pedal SLOWLY to warm down. After 10-15 minutes of cooldown, hop off the bike and head home. Avoid eating dinner for atleast 45 mins after taking the shake in the gym. This will allow your body to uptake the glucose into the muscle more effectively - aiding in recovery, almost like a steroid.. It also helps kill any sugar cravings, atleast in me.. So, without further ado (with example logging notation imbedded): *************************************** WEEK #1 *************************************** LOWER BODY(MON) UPPER BODY(WED) MIDSECTION(FRI) *************** *************** *************** Dumbbell Deadlift Overhead Press Bent Over Row ----------------- -------------- ------------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 8 @ 85% +1 | +5 lb. 6 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% -1 | + 15 lb. 12 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 24 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | Single Leg Extension Standing Machine Shrug Rotary Curl -------------------- ---------------------- ----------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 8 @ 85% | 10 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 16 @ 70% | 20 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 32 @ 45% | 40 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | Lying Leg Curl Decline Flyes Twisting Crunch -------------- ------------- --------------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 0 warm-up 8 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 20 @ 0 | 16 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% +2 | +10 lb. 20 @ 0 | 32 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | Seated Calf Raise Triceps Extension Reverse Wrist Curl ----------------- ----------------- ------------------ 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 15 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 12 @ 85% | 25 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 24 @ 70% | 35 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | 48 @ 45% | Hip Adduction Front Raises Lat Bar Pullover ------------- ------------ ---------------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 16 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 24 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 48 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | *************************************** WEEK #2 *************************************** LOWER BODY(MON) UPPER BODY(WED) MIDSECTION(FRI) *************** *************** *************** Leg Press Incline Press Front Pulldowns --------- ------------- --------------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 8 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% -1 | + 15 lb. 16 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 32 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | Back Raise Dumbbell Shrug Preacher Curl ---------- -------------- ------------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 30 @ 0 +1 | 10 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 20 @ 0 | 20 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 40 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | Lying Single Leg Curl Crossover Cable Flyes Incline Situp --------------------- --------------------- ------------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 0 warm-up 8 @ 85% | 10 @ 85% | 20 @ 85% | 16 @ 70% | 15 @ 70% +2 | +10 lb. 20 @ 70% | 32 @ 45% | 25 @ 45% | Rotary Calf Raise French Press Barbell Wrist Curl ----------------- ------------ ------------------ 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 12 @ 85% +1 | +5 lb. 6 @ 85% | 12 @ 85% | 24 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 24 @ 70% | 48 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | 48 @ 45% | Side Bend Lateral Raises Dumbbell Pullover --------- -------------- ----------------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 24 @ 70% | 6 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 20 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 24 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | *************************************** WEEK #3 *************************************** LOWER BODY(MON) UPPER BODY(WED) MIDSECTION(FRI) *************** *************** *************** Barbell Deadlift Decline Chest Press Lat Pulldown ---------------- ------------------- ------------ 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 8 @ 85% +1 | +5 lb. 6 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 16 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 32 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | Leg Extension Seated Shrug Dumbbell Curl ------------- ------------ ------------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 8 @ 85% | 10 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% -1 | +15 lb. 16 @ 70% | 20 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 32 @ 45% | 40 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | Seated Leg Curl One-arm Butterfly Machine Crunch --------------- ----------------- -------------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 8 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 20 @ 85% | 16 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% +2 | +10 lb. 20 @ 70% | 32 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | 40 @ 45% | Standing Calf Raise Rope Pulldown Hammer Curl ------------------- ------------- ----------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 8 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 16 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 32 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | Rotary Torso Reverse Flyes Radial/Ulnar Flex/Extension ------------ ------------- -------------------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 16 @ 70% | 6 @ 85% | 25 @ 85% | 32 @ 45% | 12 @ 70% | 25 @ 70% | 24 @ 45% | *************************************** WEEK #4 *************************************** LOWER BODY(MON) UPPER BODY(WED) MIDSECTION(FRI) *************** *************** *************** Hack Squat Bench Press Chin-up Pulldowns ---------- ----------- ----------------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 8 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% -1 | + 15 lb. 16 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 32 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | Back Raise Barbell Shrug Cable Curl ---------- ------------- ---------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 30 @ 0 +1 | 10 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 20 @ 0 | 20 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 40 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | Kneeling Leg Curl Seated Butterfly Leg Raise ----------------- ---------------- --------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 0 warm-up 8 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 20 @ 0 | 16 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% +2 | +10 lb. 15 @ 0 | 32 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | Incline Calf Raise Triceps Press Barbell Reverse Curl ------------------ ------------- -------------------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 16 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 12 @ 85% | 24 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 24 @ 70% | 48 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | 48 @ 45% | Hip Abduction Upright Row Seated Row ------------- ------------ ---------- 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 10 @ 50% warm-up 15 @ 70% +1 | +5 lb. 6 @ 85% | 6 @ 85% | 25 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 12 @ 70% | 35 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | 24 @ 45% | Quick explanation of notation: 15 @ 70% +1 | +5 lb. - Means 15 reps at 70% of maximum weight (1RM), - an actual weight should be written into your log, not a percentage - +1 means that you were able to get one extra rep the last time out (modifier) - +5 means that you are currently lifting 5 lbs heavier than baseline (modifier) :cool: TJ :cool:

No sweat bud! The frequency isn't that big of a deal. To be honest, a better indicator of trouble in the urinary tract is the color of the urine stream. It should be as clear and odorless as possible. If it's super dark yellow and pungent, that could be a sign of problems. (unless you've just taken a large dose of vitamins or something..) Once every two hours isn't a big deal at all. I go much more frequently than that -- however, I'm also stricly low-carb/keto/paleo which means I retain very little H2o No sweat bud.. No point in re-inventing the wheel, ya know? That's the reason I dish out this info in the first place, so people don't have to cut through all of the flotsam and jetsam to find the facts.. (like I did) :cool: TJ :cool:

Yo bud! Whatcha got for me? A little bit. Yep, there can be. However, it takes a VERY significant amount. You'd probably have to get yourself a 55 gallon drum and a straw --- if you know what I mean. Lemme put it this way. As a bodybuilder, you're trying to increase muscle cell size as much as possible. Cellular fluid becomes a big issue (pardon the pun). Each gram of stored muscle glycogen carries 4 grams of H2o with it.. (hence the "hydrate" part of "carbohydrate"). So, if you're using the post workout grape juice + protein thing you need to make sure to chase it with atleast 4 times as much water as the grape juice (basically). Keep in mind that, if you sweat profusely during workouts, you'll need to take in that much more. Hold off until the end of your workout if you can, and then load all of your water at that point. It will give you a better insulin-rebound effect and at the same time prevent the nausea that can accompany a full stomach when lifting. I consume atleast 5-6 16 oz. bottles of teas, waters, and cool-aids each day. That should give you an idea about what your baseline would be... :cool: TJ :cool:

Stock K&N's come over-oiled.. I had to clean mine with a recharger kit and "lightly" re-oil it to make any use out of it.. :cool: TJ :cool:

That's exactly what came to my mind when I was reading this.. You're probably super-sensitive to mercury.. Be careful! :cool: TJ :cool:

Thanks for sharing the love bud! :razz: TJ

Hey Nik, I'll reply to this post more completely tomorrow. You've said some things in here that I have experienced as well (we've all had those hilarious experiences..) Right now, though, I'm gonna hit the hay. I've been battling the worst case of food poisoning I've ever had. Been fighting severe cramps, and vomiting since 8 am. :sad: L8r Bud! :cool: TJ :cool:

Awesome bud!! Good luck! :cool: TJ :cool:

Not from the research I've seen bud. In fact, the only safe way to consume soy in the research I've read is distilled (as in soy sauce..) :cool: TJ :cool:

In my opinion, Soy is a no-no. It has a protein in it which inhibits the enzyme (proteatase, if I remember correctly) which is responsible for breaking down proteins into amino acids for transport from the digestive tract into the blood stream. Basically if you eat a steak with soy, you not only miss out on the protein from the soy -- but from the steak too. Nitrogen balance is very important for anyone training, so I would avoid anything that inhibits protein uptake. Incidentally, this is why Asians in Asia are physically smaller than Asians in America. We eat less soy here than they do there.. :cool: TJ :cool:

In general' date=' protein powders make me gag. That's why I usually cut them with something to spice up the flavor. One of my favorite things to do is mix in some coconut milk, flax oil and stevia powder. 1) Coconut milk is full of medium chain triglycerides, which metabolize like sugars (ang give you tons of energy) but are saturated fats and, hence, increase serum testosterone. 2) Flax oil is essentially pure omega-3 fatty acid which prevents cancer, viral infection, and diseases of degeneration. It is best when consumed with saturated fats and proteins (hence, good in a protein shake..) 3) Stevia will sweeten the whole concoction up and make it taste like a pina colada, but is completely carbohydrate free and will prevent fat gain and all of the other negative side effects of sugars.. To be honest, I only use egg. It's less allergenic than whey and is also more bio-available. (trouble is, it's more expensive too..) Yep, and mono-unsaturates too! (avocados, olives, and their virgin oils) An excellent source! I eat nuts with just about every meal. (usually a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup). Not only are they fantastic for you, healthwise, but they also increase your healthy dietary fiber intake. If I'm trying to grow and I don't get enough fiber, I can get pretty clogged up on those mega-calorie diet plans I had to eat to put on weight. Here are some good nut choices 1) pumpkin seeds, raw/unsalted - almost as much omega-3 EFA as flax seed oil 2) walnuts, raw/unsalted - similar nutrient content to flax, but with a much better taste 3) almonds, raw/unsalted - great fiber content, and the trace levels of arsenic enhance immune response in the human body 4) pecans, raw/unsalted - great fiber content and is my personal favorite from a taste point of view.. (we grow some beauties down here in Texas :grin: ) Absolutely. Nuts and seeds are far better for you than dairy, and will provide large amounts of the nutrients that are deficient in your current diet. What's funny is that very FEW people are actually allergic to nuts. This is because, as humans, we have evolved on them for millions of years. What most people are allergic to are things like peanuts -- which are actually not even nuts (they are legumes!) You sound like me.. When I started lifting, I weighed 158 lbs. (not exactly bulky at 6'0" tall, ya know? ) Don't sell yourself short Nik, you have alot to contribute in many other ways. Youngster! ha ha. You have had some fantastic results my friend! To reach 300 lbs. in such a short time is amazing. I can only average about 10 lbs/year when I'm actually trying to add mass and gain weight. This is exactly what I've found in my years of experience as well. And, that's why it burns me up to see the "personal trainers" at my gym giving out such bunk advice. (both on diet and training). This is precisely why I want to put together some concise material on training and nutrition to help others. So that they won't have to do all of the footwork or go through all of the trial and error that I have had to do. One of these days I will share a JAMA study with you that proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that roid rangers need not even lift to gain muscle mass. I had to laugh when I read it, and have used it to ridicule some of my "cheating" buddies in the gym... Yep.. That's what I've noticed. You know, Nik, I think if we work together, we can create some guidelines that could really help the young athlete/novice-lifter out. At the same time, our wonderful friends here on the forum could benefit as well. Believe it or not, I've spent about 2-3 years studying exercise kinesiology and neuro/musculo/skeletal science. In that time, I've learned some really interesting things about the human body, and it's helped me immensly when it comes to making strength and power gains in the gym. Here are some of the most interesting things I've found: 1) Muscle cells are like light switches. They are either on or off. There is no fine control built into the human body that allows a muscle cell to exert subtle forces. It's an all or nothing thing. When a particular muscle exerts more force at time A vs. time B it's because there is greater "recruitment" at time A than B. 2) There is only one way to improve recruitment, and that is through innervation. Simply put, if you use a muscle enough (like train it weekly) the body will grow more nerve tissue in it and this increases the ability of your nervous system to "recruit" more of the cells in the muscle. Innervation is the primary system at play when a lifter increases his power without size/mass increases and is also key to things like improved balance, and finer muscle control, and better leverage. 3) Growing a muscle cell happens in 2 primary ways. The first is multi nucleation and the second is increased myofibril growth. Muscle cells are somewhat unique in the sense that they can have more than one nucleus. In fact, as a muscle cell gets used repeatedly an adaptation the body will make is to add more nuclei to it. Myofibrils are the filimaments that actually give the muscle tensile/contractile strength. The more myofibril a cell has, the more of a pull it can exert when it is recruited. Recruiting a cell constantly (as in training it) will cause it to grow more myofibrils. (or increase the length of the myofibril is has). When a muscle atrophies, it can lose myofibril and cellular fluid. However, it does not lose the extra nuclei. This effect can be seen as "muscle memory" when people take a layoff from the gym and manage to get back up to full strength in a much shorter time than it took to build the muscle initially. 4) Increased cellular size (like what bodybuilders are seeking) is more a function of cellular fluid than myofibril or multi-nucleation. Of course, as a bodybuilder gains strength with his/her size, he/she will also multi nucleate and add myofibril. However, the key for size is to increase the cellular fluid at the same time. Power lifters, on the other hand, should attempt to keep cell size to a minimum, so that they can compete in a lower weight class. (obviously, ha ha) -- By the way increased cellular size is best acheived by loading glucose/protein post workout (with water) when cell walls are permeable and will allow very rapid uptake, as I mentioned to you a bit earlier. 5) There are 3 primary types of muscle cells/fibers. Type-I "fast-twitch", Type-II "medium-twitch", and Type-III "slow-twitch". Type-I fibers are the primary fibers at play for "impulse strength", like 1-2 reps at max power. They fatigue very quickly. Type-II fibers are anaerobic fibers which are recruited for powerful exertion but over a longer period of time. Type-III fibers are aerobic fibers, that are primarily low force but high endurance. Put simply: powerlifters use more Type-I fibers, bodybuilders rely more on Type-II fibers, and marathon runners use Type-III fibers almost exclusively. I always encourage people to train all 3 types of fibers whether they are powerlifters, bodybuilders, or endurance athletes. 6) All 3 fiber types can grow, multi-nucleate, and add myofibrils. In general, though, type-II fibers are the ones that tend to carry more cellular fluid. Type-III fibers (also called red-cells) tend to store more triglyceride (cellular fats) for fuel. This is why chicken breast is "white meat" and lean, while chicken legs are "dark meat" and fatty. A chicken will only fly when threatened (impusle movement) versus walking around constantly (aerobic movement). The program I have designed over the years for myself actually targets all 3 types. 7) Human muscle cells primarily Hypertrophy and only Hyperplasia when injured. Basically Hypertophy is "Muscle cell expansion", and Hyperplasia is "Muscle cells splitting into two". So, in general, people (unlike rats, etc.) actually have all of the muscle tissue they will ever have in their bodies by the time they have reached adulthood. (this is the effect we call "genetics", since people who naturally have more muscle cells to start with will get stronger and larger faster than those that don't). The only exception to the hyperplasia rule is when injury forces the repair of lost muscle tissue -- like a laceration, dog bite, whatever.. #7 above is the main reason I asked about your successes lifting to the point of soreness. Post-lifting muscle soreness can be attributed to damaged cell membranes (they burst and dump the cellular fluid and contents) or unflushed lactic acid. I believe the reason I (and you) see better results lifting to the "damage point" (and hence soreness) is because we are tapping into the hyperplasia system of the human body to repair damaged or lost cells. Believe it or not, you're the only person I've talked to about this. I usually give out loads of advice to my gym buddies, but never really ask them about these sorts of things. Unfortunately, alot of the people in my gym cheat with performance enhancing substances, so they would throw off my data if I were to use them as candidates. You, on the other hand, are more like me in this regard. The more natural, the better! It gets to be almost a sixth sense, doesn't it.. I've been low carb so long that I can actually feel the difference when I am able to load muscle glycogen post-workout. It feels like a shot of nitrous.. (figuratively speaking of course.. ha ha) If you have any nutrition questions I'll do my best to field them for you bud! My whole point in this effort is to help others so they don't have to make the same initial mistakes I made. To be honest, what I've found is that the power-lifter diet is the best one for bodybuilding too. The only true difference between acheiving power and acheiving size and definition is the amount of calories you have to take in. If you're looking for mass, you REALLY have to feed it.. The same foods and timing apply though. No sweat bud.. Get some sleep. You know how important rest is when it comes to success in the gym.. :grin: L8R G8R, :cool: TJ :cool:

One of these days I plan to write something up about using the low-carb/high-fat lifestyle as a means for athletic performance enhancement.. (You know, using it for mass gain, or strength gain, endurance gain, etc..) I've already read tons of articles about the use of cyclical keto diets by professional athletes geared toward key sports. (and just as many research papers..) However, Nik, I wanted to take this opportunity to ask you a question. I've been lifting now for about 8 years, and you've been clearly doing it for longer. Our motivations are different (size vs. power/weight), however I think I could gain some valuable insight by comparing notes with you. One thing I've always been curious about is this: For me to improve my impulse strength and anaerobic power, I generally have to hit a muscle group to the point where I have enough tissue damage to feel "sore" the next day or so. Have you noticed this in your years of experience? Seems like I get the best consistent improvements when I work to a sort of "damaged" state. If I just go " to failure" (which is the wonderful catch phrase of the decade :roll: ) I tend to stagnate. The low carb/high-fat thing actually helps me recover more quickly -- due to the increased testosterone output of being ketogenic. However, I was just curious to see if you noticed a similarity in your efforts to gain mass.. :cool: TJ :cool:

1) Lethargy/sleep after each meal 2) Slow healing, difficulty healing from wounds 3) Unsatiable craving for water/chronic thirst Could very well be true.. Put simply, fat gain.. If you put on fat really fast (and very easily) when you're on a gain/growth cycle then look to remove the dairy, grains and other simple carbs. WAT (white adipose tissue) is the bad stuff, and BAT (brown adipose tissue) is the good stuff.. You can add BAT by exposing yourself to the elements during the winter (or supplementing with ephedrine and xanthines..) To be honest, there's very little difference in the two. They're both simple starches and both will jack up your estrogen levels to a degree. Better complex carb choices are the veggies and fruits I mentioned above.. Good luck cuttin' out the dairy bud! :cool: TJ :cool: