Apollo Fitness Barbados

Nark's Coconut & Raisin Oatmeal Cookies!

2011-09-16T22:40:00.000-04:00

NarkSide: September 16th 2011

Hey all! It's September 16th... 7 days before my birthday. September, for me, is my 'peak month': i.e. the month where I push myself extra hard to be in peak form, so I can celebrate my birthday in my best shape ever. As such, my diet gets extra tight at this time.

If you guys have been following my "Dieting should never be boring" series, you'll know that 'tight', for me, doesn't equate to 'tasteless'.

I thought I'd show you how I get a 'sweet treat' in on night's like tonight when I'm craving something of the sort. Here goes!!!

Ingredients:

6 packets of splenda (or the equivalent in stevia OR 1/2 cup honey)
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried coconut
1/2 cup rum
1/2 cup quick oatmeal
1/2 cup multigrain flour (rye, cracked wheat, corn grits, barley flakes, rolled oats, rye malt, sesame seeds, millet)
1 cup vanilla protein powder (Or plain if you prefer a milder taste)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup apple juice
Water (as needed to achieve correct consistency)
Pam Cooking spray
1 sexy toothpick

Pre-directions:

Add rum to raisins... and allow the raisins to soak (covered, and refrigerated) overnight.

Directions:

Drain the Raisins, and save the fluid for later use.
Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and stir evenly.
To the dry ingredients add apple juice, the rum-flavored fluid from the raisins. Stir until evenly mixed. (NB: If the mixture isn't moist enough, add just enough water to achieve the desired consistency.)
Cover the mixture, and let it sit for 20 minutes.
Fold in the raisins by hand, until they are just about evenly distributed.
Next, grease a flat baking pan with cooking spray.
Using a spoon, start dropping the cookie dough onto the baking pan.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place baking pan into oven, and bake cookies at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
When the 15 minute timer goes off, poke the middle of one of the cookies with a toothpick to assess doneness. The toothpick should come out clean. (NB: should it not be clean, turn the oven off and let the cookies sit in the still-hot oven for 5 minutes more).
Let cookies cool for 10 minutes before removing from baking pan.
Stuff yourself without losing your abs. :-D

Enjoy!
And Happy Birthday to all of your Libras and Virgos out there!

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums
Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

NarkSide's Tuna Burger Recipe!

2011-07-20T17:03:00.001-04:00

NarkSide: July 2011

^^Suggested serving: #OmNomNom!
Hey all!

Recently, some followers of the NarkSide forum and Facebook asked that I share recipes for some of the dishes that I post in my "Dieting should never be boring album."

i.e. Some of foods I cook daily.

I thought I'd start off with something simple... so here goes!

Tuna burger recipeBy Corey Springer

Ingredients:
-3 cans albacore tuna
-1 large onion (Diced)
-1 large sweet pepper (Diced)
-3 cloves garlic (Diced)
-2 tbsp salsa...medium spiciness
-1 lime
- Binder (organic kamut flour, organic oat flour, organic soymilk powdery) to desired consistency
-Pinch of baking powder
-Water to desired consistency
-star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, & fennel powder to taste

Directions:
-Shred tuna chunks to make it more malleable
-Halve the lime... Squeeze the juice over tuna. Cover, and allow it to 'sit' for 5 minutes.
-mix all dry ingredients together
-Add small amounts of water until flour is sufficiently saturated to act as a binder
-fold in onions/peppers/garlic
-shape mixture into patties
-grease grill and heat

-when hot, place tuna patties on grill/grill pan
-cook until brown on one side. Press, and flip.
-Repeat on other side
-plate

-Enjoy :-)

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness ForumsApollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

7000 sit-up Challenge for June 2011!!!

2011-07-19T01:15:00.003-04:00

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=165257250207729

^^The 7000 sit-up challenge.

I created the challenge to give people an incentive to workout harder (or start working out) in the month of July.

I also gave 'em free diet and training advice to support their goals...as part of my 'give-back' initiative.

350 people have confirmed participation... but truth-be-told, it's gone viral. Hundreds more in my country alone are doing it. People on blackberry messenger have told me that their contacts have spread it to their contacts. Some soldiers in the middle east told me they spread it to their mates... so it's been hectic but fun.

...and, more so, humbling.

'Cus, I mean, there are middle-aged mothers doing it as well (mainly because their daughters are doing it), and they're taking time out of their day to hit their quota. So days when I don't even feel like working out (as it happens from time to time) I remember that some little old lady across the ocean isn't punking out.

As of tonight, July 18th, I've hit 6000 sit-ups. 13 days to go... and only 1000 reps more to be done. I may end up around the 10k mark

Last month I started a push-up challenge that went similarly viral. Hopefully next month we'll be able to build on the same drive...and encourage a couple hundred people to get up and be more active.

How the Challenge has affected me personally:
Thus far I've found that the challenge hasn't negatively affected my body composition, or my recovery. I was training twice per day leading up to it, so I was already operating at a high work capacity. So, I'm getting a little harder as it goes on.

What I've found tho is that my core is way stronger, and I feel 'better' overall. I've experienced no soreness at all over these past 18 days ( - strange... I know). The latter is a surprise for me, as I hadn't prioritized or seriously trained core since I needed to bust through the 500lb deadlift barrier in 2005 or so. Sure, I tossed in some abs here and there...and did box jumps/planks/plyos as part of my conditioning work or the bootcamp classes I teach... but no serious direct work.

As to my previous injuries: My back is feeling healthier... and so are my hips.

The plan is to hit up the chiropractor at the end of July to get re-aligned...and then, I think I'm going to see how this increased core stability carries over onto my deadlift.

Next month, I think I'll make the challenge a squat challenge...and I'll switch my training over to the Smolov squat routine to compliment this.

August is going to be an interesting month... for sure.
Anyway... just wanted to share it with you guys here.

Regards,
-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums
Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

PS! --> Commemorative T-shirts for this challenge have been released! Get yours today!!!! ---> http://www.cafepress.com/NarkSide/7892847

Challenge Tees
^^Completed the challenge? Get the shirt!

Fitness Success... Life Success: One Simple Formula.

2011-06-29T15:25:00.002-04:00

Fitness Success... Life Success: One Simple Formula.
by Narkissos & dukkitdalaw

NarkSide: June 29th 2011

Good evening all.

I'd like you to repeat after me: "I am the best."

img src: fallforward.wordpress.com

...I AM the best!

So many times, while we're feeling on top of our game, something just reaches out and drags our butts back down to earth. Sometimes, that thing drags us even further. We find ourselves, no longer looking at the stars from the clouds...but rather, trying to dig ourselves from the belly of the earth so we're able to at least see the grass. Yep, many times, we fall from the mountaintop, hit rock bottom...and then, when we feel that we can't get any lower, the floor falls out from underneath us.

And, we wonder: Just how the FUCK did we get here?

A minute ago, weren't we sitting at 8% bodyfat, KILLING it in the gym? How did we find ourselves on the couch, painfully fat... attempting suicide with a cocktail of chips and cake?

How?

Who cares?

I don't.

What *I* care about is getting back up to the top of the mountain.

So... let's get back to the top:

Realization:

Corey:
While trying to float like a butterfly, it's easier to get stung by a bee. Reaching for the sky makes you an easier target. This isn't to say "stop trying." Rather, this is to say "keep trying"...but expect people to take aim at your back.

img src: fluxuryb.com

Some people will aim at your back, & content themselves with riding on your coat tails. Others, will drag you back into the dirt with them.

Alex:
Success only comes to those who know themselves. You can only get so far off of riding piggy back.

Acceptance:

img src: www.insightzonecoach.com

Corey:
Friends & loved ones may fall under the category of "Some people". In your darkest time, you may find solace in strangers. But, again, expect this...and persevere.

Alex:
Friends are nice to have. Family can "usually" be depended on. But the only person in this world who is 100% always there for you, through shit storms, hard times, sunny days, and long nights.... is yourself.

img src: mommysalad.com

When you learn to communicate with yourself... when you learn to trust in your choices, and accept your mistakes... you will have one hell of a friend.

Persevere:
Alex:
When you come across hard times, hard choices to make, or are just plain at a loss for what to do in life.... asking someone for advice is the norm. But its a simple fact, most people give bad advice. Most people cannot relate to someone on different levels. Most people are simply put; stupid and self absorbed. They have their own problems. So yes, ask for advice. Then go with your own instinct.

img src: gemmastone.org

Learn to trust your instincts. Your heart and mind working together are a powerful combination. Whether its work, fitness, what to cook for dinner or relationships; you need to trust in yourself. Accept- your choices. Grow- from your experiences and mistakes.

Persevere - through whatever life throws at you.

Grow:
Corey:

Accept.
Grow.
Persevere.

This is the formula for success. This is the key to satisfaction. Whether 'success' be defined by self-love or by gobs of money in the bank, this mantra is the key to accessing it.

img src: beliefnet.com

Copy this template into your life. Apply it to your fitness.

Apply it to your job.

Apply it to your search for peace and self-actualization.

Persevere, and enjoy. God bless.

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums
Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

-Alex Gelsinger
Writer
PottyMouth
Inspiration

Deliberate leg training...for deliberate growth.

2011-06-13T01:25:00.000-04:00

NarkSide: June 13th 2011

"How can I get a pair of legs like yours?"

"How can I get a butt like yours?"

I get questions like these just about every time I step into the gym... or toss on a pair of shorts. Hell, jeans are no protection from questions like this either.

(...not that I'm complaining mind you.)

img src: bfptees.ca

I used to be unsure of how to answer that question.

But, then I started to watch other people train. Wasn't hard to see then why so many people have stick legs

What I found missing from a lot of trainee's workouts was the deliberate execution of movements.

Sure, there are a lot of guys who move a ton of weight. But, out of that flock you're sure to find a pretty large percentage of guys who don't have the mass to show for the weight they move.

Why?

One reason is that their form sucks... so a lot of other muscles are brought into play.

Another reason is that they use momentum.

(Yet another reason is that they just plain hate the feel of a couple hundred pounds crushing their spine...but that's a discussion for another day lol!)

Momentum and form are the two facets that we'll be discussing today.

Here are a few vids I'd like you to check out. This may be a no-brainer, but I'll make the request anyway:

Do ignore the fact that there are small chicks in 'em.
And, hell, if you fixate on the fact that it's a chick giving you instructions, check out their thighs, compare 'em to your own...and then STFU and listen.

Dumbbell full squats, pause front squats, hip-dominant deadlifts etc:

You Tube

'half'-squats:

You Tube

Pause squats:

You Tube

You Tube

You Tube

It's a no brainer.

Try training legs in a deliberate manner, and I gaurantee soreness and growth.

Take-home points:

Use Full ROM
Use tight form
Deliberately contract musculature
GROW.

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness ForumsApollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

Cheat Meals? -

2011-05-29T10:19:00.004-04:00

Cheat Meals? Yay or Nay?"
by Sha Sha Gabor
[Edited by Narkissos]
Written for: The NarkSide

Cheat meals... Who needs 'em? No, I mean seriously... do we 'need' them?

A couple of years ago I remember Chris Rock stating that Americans have too much. He said it was evident from the rise in food intolerances that Americans have too much. He then asked how Somalians would react if packages of powdered milk were dropped off in regions where the people had little food... He queried whether or not they would refuse the milk on the basis that they were lactose intolerant.

img src: zazzle.com

Westerners are privileged to be able to eat for desire as opposed to necessity. It’s only when one embarks on a performance based diet that our emotional dependence on food is exposed.

...and boy is it ever exposed.

At its simplest, a meal should consist of protein, carbohydrates and fats which provide essential vitamins and minerals, right? However, due to social conditioning, we have all these stipulations on what a meal is. For some it’s the temperature of the food that defines it as a meal, for others it’s the inclusion of dessert, for others it’s the type of macronutrient that determines which meal it is and the list goes on.(1)

Caption: Meal or Snack?
img src: fullplate.tk

This is where the concept of the cheat meal comes into the argument:
For anyone who is undergoing a strict nutrition regime, the changes can be mentally arduous. In many cases, people have to challenge the social conditioning that has occurred for decades. Like Pavlov’s dog, there seems to be a physiological reaction that accompanies certain stimuli. In my case, lunch and dinner do not feel complete unless they are sealed with a sweet dish of some sort. Apparently this is due to my upbringing in America. In order to overcome this, I have begun doing the following after some meals:

Gargling with artificially flavoured mouthwash.
Eating a little sugar free jello or drinking hot sugar-free Robinsons squash to convince the brain that the meal is done.

Hopefully these are just interim measure until my brain creates new patterns.

Caption: "Food for many a Westerner is like a scent"
img src: slashfood.com

Food for many a Westerner is like a scent. It has an emotional stamp which is where the cheat meal and the concept of rewards come into play.

I do believe that cheat meals have a physiological benefit as well. Using myself as an example (again) - I LOVE chocolate! Hotel Chocolate and Green and Black are top of the list. After going for long periods of time without chocolate, when I do eat it, the sensation is phenomenal and I only need a little to satisfy the sweet tooth. Anything over "a little" and I begin to feel ill. This is great news (- as odd as THAT sounds)! It means that overtime, my body will adapt mentally, physically and emotionally to chocolate so that it can be incorporated sparingly (- when I’m not prepping for shows that is). In this sense, the cheat meal is working to reconditioning my approach to chocolate.

I’ve also heard rumours that they cheat meal can sometimes shock the body into increasing the metabolism which does make sense. I have no personal experience with such however.

Continuing:

Caption: Don't let this be true about you!
img src: my.opera.com/hungryghost/blog/One thing I have learned about the cheat meal is that it needs to be sensible. If your diet has no dairy or gluten because you are intolerant to them, eating a cheat meal with dairy and gluten is just dumb. FACT! If the portion sizes in your diet are moderate, eating a ‘super sized’ meal is just dumb. FACT!

In short:

Caption: The human body is an amazing machine
img src: cmst1a0743347.blogspot.com/

The human body is an amazing machine – as is the brain that controls it. It is down to each individual to find the ‘cheat meal’ solution that works for them and take ownership of their neuro-linguistic association with food.

Take ownership TODAY!

-Shaherah Jordan
Client of: The NarkSide

All Rights Reserved

References
1. Wansink, Payne, Shimizu. "Is this a meal or snack?" Situational cues that drive perceptions. Appetite. 2010 Feb;54(1):214-6. Epub 2009 Oct 4.

Failures, squats, assholes, and broken things.

2011-05-26T00:58:00.000-04:00

NarkSide: May 26th 2011

Forewarning: really, I should have entitled this blog entry " 'try' and 'do'...both should matter to you"; but then I might've gotten caught into a rant-free mode...punctuated with rainbows, unicorns, and candy.

And...you know as well as I do: Candy makes you fat. Fuck that.

*clears throat*

The real world, vs the fitness world - why the difference?
Firstly...IS there a difference?

There must be. I say this because the things I've experienced in the "real world" clash so heavily with the things I see daily in the fitness world.

People, in the real world, are assholes... Point blank.

img via: wordboner.com

"No, no Nark...that's just mean!"

...But is it?

For one, I know that if I treated my clients the way people treated others in the real world...I'd have no clients.

In my past relationships, and even within interactions with my family, I've seen a common theme: people don't (generally) appreciate effort unless it transcends into the achievement of a goal. I've heard other people echo a similar sentiment where their interaction with family and significant others is concerned.

Personally, I remember a significant other putting it ever-so-eloquently by saying: "there is no try...there is only do". (Yes...apparently within bastardized Star Wars quotes one can find the answer to all relationship issues. Thank you dear heavenly Yoda.)

img via: montaraventures.com

No "trying" means: if you try to communicate an emotion, but it doesn't effectively carry over, then you've failed to communicate. Later you'll hear, "you never communicate."

No "trying" means: if you attempt to clean a room, and your attempt to do so doesn't meet a pre-set standard (regardless of it being your best) you will have failed to clean. Later you'll hear, "you never clean."

And, I say "Never" because arguments are always fed with absolutes.

^^Saw what I did there?

img via: shutupandwearit.com

On the flipside, "real people" become clients...and in so doing get transported to the magical fairytale commonly called the gym. At the gym, people expect the rules of reality (as they enact and follow in "real life") to bend. If a client were to go to the gym 6 days per week...diet 7 days per week, but cheated on their diet or missed a weight-loss goal, would telling 'em "you suck" be fitting?

No... It wouldn't.

If a client capable (in your estimation) of squatting 300 pounds for 20 reps failed at the 15th rep (for whatever reason), would you berate them for their lack of follow-through?

Not if you wanted a.) To see them succeed in their goals, b.) To keep 'em as clients.

So why is it acceptable in "real life?"

*pauses*

No answer?

That's because it SHOULDN'T BE asshole!

img via: thepqnation.com

"Ok Nark...but how does this relate to health and fitness man?!"

It doesn't.

...Or maybe it does, in the same way that everything we do, think, and feel about ourselves and bodies affects our pursuit of health and happiness.

To those of you out there dedicating your time and energy to self-improvement I have to say this: there is no shame in failing. Fitness is a lifestyle choice - a journey of a lifetime. Failure is an opportunity to learn...so embrace your shortcomings. Learn from them, and grow as a person. Ripped abdominals will follow suit.

img via: www.getnarked.net

^^They have no choice but to.

To the rest of you...stop being assholes. They stink.

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums
Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

"Thank You Corey" - No... Thank YOU.

2011-05-14T01:21:00.002-04:00

by Corey Springer
NarkSide: May 2011

Hi all.

I guess it's about time for one of my rants. I'm sorry to disappoint however, as I have none. Today's piece, is all unicorns and rainbows...as I'm just so VERY thankful right now.

It's 1:06 a.m. in Barbados.

My phone just rang.

Weird number... almost seemed like too many digits. I didn't get to it in time to answer it... so it went straight to voicemail.

Given that I work with people all over the world via GetNarked.net and NarkSide.com, I figured that it was one of my clients.

Rang up the voicemail to verify.

Truthfully, while I expected that it'd be one of my clients... I didn't expect what I encountered.

What DID I run headfirst into?

The WARMEST thank-you, that I've received in a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, long time...and it came all the way from Australia at that.

It went:

"Hey Corey...It's James. I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you personally for all the hard work you put into me and my template.

I just wanted to call you to thank you personally.

I hope I didn't wake you up... I just wanted to thank you.

Everything's going very well...

I've found something now that I'm interested in, and I'm going to continue it.

Thanks mate."

1:06 a.m.

^^me.

My day is made.

My week is made.

Heck... that may have made my year.

We shouldn't live life expecting anything in return I was taught.

When something does come, we should be grateful.

Today... I am.

Thank YOU James.

And thanks to each and every one of you gents and ladies who keep reading my blogs, and supporting my businesses.

All the best!

- Corey “Narkissos” SpringerOwner of: “The NarkSide” Fitness Forums,Apollo Fitness Barbados, &; NarkSide Apparel.

Chromium Increases Insulin Internalization

2011-04-13T15:08:00.000-04:00

Chromium Increases Insulin Internalization

Evans GW Bowman TD

J Inorg Biochem (1992 Jun) 46(4):243-50

The effects of chromium chloride, chromium nicotinate, and chromium picolinate on insulin internalization in cultured rat skeletal muscle cells was examined. Insulin internalization was markedly increased in cells cultured in a medium that contained chromium picolinate and the increased internalization rate was accompanied by a marked increase in the uptake of both glucose and leucine. The effect was specific for chromium picolinate since neither zinc picolinate nor any of the other forms of chromium tested was effective. The increased insulin internalization rate may result from an increase in membrane fluidity since chromium picolinate and to a lesser extent, chromium nicotinate, increased the membrane fluidity of synthetic liposomal membranes.

And, in case this thread gets cluttered... here's more reading material:

Longevity Effect of Chromium Picolinate - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...05&postcount=2
Chromium and other insulin sensitizers may enhance glucagon secretion - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...06&postcount=3
Effects of chromium picolinate supplementation on body composition - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...07&postcount=4
Chromium improves insulin response to glucose in rats - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...08&postcount=5
Enhancing central and peripheral insulin activity as a strategy for the treatment of endogenous depression - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...09&postcount=6
Chromium picolinate and life-long insulin sensitivity? - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...10&postcount=7
Chromium in human nutrition: a review - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...11&postcount=8
Effect of chromium supplementation in diabetic patients - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...12&postcount=9
Effects of dietary chromium picolinate supplementation on growth - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...3&postcount=10
Chromium picolinate in preservation of bone density - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...4&postcount=11
Effect of chromium picolinate on growth - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...5&postcount=12
Longevity effect of chromium picolinate--'rejuvenation' of hypothalamic function? - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...7&postcount=13
Effects of chromium picolinate on beginning weight training students - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...9&postcount=15
Nutritional ergogenic aids: chromium, exercise, and muscle mass - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...1&postcount=17
Efficacy of chromium supplementation in athletes: emphasis on anabolism - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...2&postcount=18
Chromium and other insulin sensitizers may enhance glucagon secretion - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...3&postcount=19
Fish oil and Chromium for treatment of congestive heart failure? - http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showp...4&postcount=20

Narkissos's follow-up commentary:

http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showpost.php?p=41718&postcount=14
http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showpost.php?p=41720&postcount=16

The number one exercise you have to be able to do.

2010-12-07T14:42:00.001-04:00

The Number One Exercise you HAVE to be able to do

...for your own sake.

by Johan Simu
The NarkSide, July 2010

I spent many years training as the stereotypical meathead, spending loads of time on the "show muscles". Bench pressing, dumbbell pressing, curling. For legs I doubt anyone has leg pressed or hack squatted more than me. I certainly also did my fair share of deadlifting, rowing and hitting the triceps as well, with a sprinkle of quarter squats throw in, especially during the periods when I focused on powerlifting. In short having no fucking clue what the hell I am doing.

Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing particularly wrong with those exercises, what was wrong was the way I was doing them and what I didn't do. I didn't do any overhead pressing because I was gripped by the fear of overtraining after hearing the mantra time and again that one shouldn't go heavy in both bench and shoulder press. I never gave a rats ass about flexibility, I never pushed the depth of my squats and fooling myself into believing that my squats where actually deep and nice. I never had any coach that told me "you are doing this wrong" and since I trained in commercial gyms most of the time I was usually one of the strongest guys around and people never corrected me.

Whenever I got stronger in the legs my knees threw in the towel, whenever I got my bench over 350 lbs my shoulders revolted. If I was pulling 450+ in the deadlift my back started aching. That didn't stop me though, I would just wrap my knees like a mummy and go through the pain and stop all shoulder movements and just blast on with benching, thinking my shoulders where "overtrained".

Pain, frustration and going stale in lifts was the inevitable result. I was damn lucky to never injure myself seriously, even though my shoulder problems at its worst prevented me from benching for half a year. Turns out spending a bunch of years doing the compound lifts with bad form, while spending 90% of the day hunched in front of a computer, has a tendency to make you stiff as Rocco Siffredi while on the set.

So what does all of this got to do with the one exercise everyone should be able to do? Well it turns out there is one exercise that pretty much challenges flexibility and stability in every damn part of the body. The overhead squat! It is the undisputed king of full body movements. If your hip flexors are tight, if your hamstrings are tight, if your thoracic spine makes you look like Quasimodo, if your shoulders are inflexible or if you lack shoulder stability, then you will simply not be able to do an ass to grass overhead squat! There is no other exercise that singlehandedly challenges each and every one of the common problems most gymrats suffer from. If you can ass to grass overhead squat, chances are you never have shoulder, knee or back pain. If you can't its very likely you are suffering from it.

So next time you go to the gym you better try overhead squatting. Nothing is easier in theory, walk out with the bar as when squatting normally, but with a grip that is outside of the rings. Push the bar up behind your head and squat. Now like I said chances are you wont be able to do this. If you are like me, the first time you try it what will be going through your head "How the fuck am I ever going to do this fucking exercise" while you are almost toppling over after sinking down perhaps 1 inch into the squat.

The second thing going through your head will be "Fuck this and fuck that shitty article, I don't need and fucking overhead squat pussy shit. Stick it up your ass! I'll just wrap my knees, tighten my belt and struggle through the pain when benching. OH squats are for girls".

For girls indeed, I know few things that are more humbling than the knowledge that there are tiny Chinese women and kids, weighting perhaps 120 if soaking wet, overhead squatting over 350 lbs while you can't even do it with the bar. In short, they make you look like a god damn bleeding vagina. I don't know about you, but I don't want to run and buy tampons every time I watch the Olympics. I'll rather go to town and master that mofo! The day you can overhead squat your bodyweight is the day you will have less pain, and can switch from tampons to a pad.

I am a firm believer in SAID(Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands ), its a fancy way of saying if you do shit, the body will get better at it. So how does one get better at overhead squatting, well you can probably guess it! You fucking overhead squat and squat and squat. You need to get that hunched back straight, you need to get that hip flexor lose and those hamstrings longer. Every workout, every single workout, you should start by overhead squatting. Pushing yourself as deep as possible each and every time. Over time you will be able to hit parallel and then ass to grass.

To accelerate it a bit you should also do some accessory stretches and squats.

Hitting deep squats while holding on to a power rack and really focusing on keeping back arched and knees pushed out stretches shit better than nothing else. Like in this video at 3:15

Progress to wall squats as shown in 6:24 in the above video.

Do the wall squats with arms hanging between the legs, with a broomstick overhead and with a broomstick on your shoulders. This will teach you to keep chest up. Do them DEEP, it will stretch the shit out of the hip flexors.

Start every workout with shoulder dislocates. You can do it with bands like this guy:

You can also do it with a broomstick (my favorite), with a towel or whatever you got handy. DO NOT get the idea to do it with a barbell though.

Doing extra stretches for hip flexors and groin wont hurt. Hit these two stretches a few times a week.

If you really feel like it, throw in a bunch of hamstring stretches as well. But from my personal experience hamstring stretches are very inefficient, while just squatting deep will fix it by itself.

Doing all of this wont cure AIDS or fix cancer, but it sure as hell will make your shoulders, knees and back feel like a million bucks again. Give it 10 weeks at least!

-Johan Simu
Co-admin of: The NarkSide

Self Pity

2010-12-03T04:08:00.001-04:00

Self Pity

by Jan Merritt,

Contributing writer to The NarkSide, on Sunday, August 29, 2010 at 1:44pm

*woosah*

*inhale*

*exhale*

Here goes:
Now i am no poet ...and neither am i a writer, but when i have something to say, i have no issue with putting pen to paper ...so please afford me a few minutes, as i shall make this very short and to the point.

The other night while talking to my chica Lucinda, the conversation gravitated towards the issue of self pity.

Now there are basically two forms of self pity (NB: I loathe both forms). These are:

1.) Self pity based on true personal conflicts and unhappiness, and
2.) Self pity based on the thoughts and opinions of others.

Today, we shall look at both.

SELF PITY - True personal conflicts and unhappiness

This basically relates to those folks who dislike or hate things about themselves because THEY hate THEMSELVES. It maybe that they think they are too fat, or too uneducated... or it may be that they hate the negroid texture of their hair or (something like that).

"...how is wallowing in self pity (and saying "woe is me") going to change anything??"

Ok FINE - none of us is perfect ...If you do not have the skills to accentuate the positive, thereby downplaying the importance of the negatives, how is wallowing in self pity (and saying "woe is me") going to change anything??

The short answer? It won't!

There are so many gyms in BIM[1].

They range from the backyard gym, to the swanky expensive ones. How is it that you are still on the couch cuddling with a bag of snacks feeling sorry for yourself?

Do you think you will wake up one morning and be skinny?

"HELL. NO."

What you NEED to do is this: open the phonebook (or ask a friend for direction)... and you get yourself to a gym. Link up with a personal trainer. Do what needs to be done!

It takes work, but it'll be worth those pounds you can lose.

Never got those CXCs[2]? Join a class, a study group, or something.

"GO GET THOSE PAPERS! - No one will hand them to you."

Heyyyy there is even UWI[3].

You may be slightly crazy by the time you get through up there, but at least you'll have that diploma or degree. (i'm kidding)

Just thinking about not being qualified and complaining about not being able to get the job you need will solve nothing!

"...I rock my dreads like nobody's business and i'm cool with them."

Now as crazy as this may sound, there are still folks who believe that if your hair isn't straight there is no hope for you. We live in 2010 yes?

I rock my dreads like nobody's business and i'm cool with them, but if for some reason you should have a problem because your hair isn't staright enough, perm it, straighten it, cut it off or something. Everyday you will just wake up and look at it and complain?

THINK IT'LL CHANGE OVERNIGHT? - I don't.

So of you women may be involved with a "no good man". You know the type I mean ladies.

The type that causes you to exclaim outloud everyday:

"why do you do this (or that) to me", or
"why don't you love me anymore"...uugghhhh.

What are you doing slouching around the house in your sweats looking like a broken down drag queen. Put on those heels, get your hair and nails done, slip into that nice lil red or black dress (the one that knows how to hug all those curves) and step out into the night.

Give him an ultimatum: Either shape up, and act like he knows you deserve the best, or he can pack his shit and bounce. Don't worry this goes for you men too... There are a load of "No-good women" out there as well. Don't stand for it.

SELF PITY - Based on the opinions and thoughts of others

Now i shall be super brief with this because if i get too caught up in this part of the note, i shall surely have a conniption.

Simply put: If your self-awareness is based on what someone else thinks of you, then you need to adopt my mantra of "fcuk the ppl".

"...maybe someone else told you that anorexic bitches are cute?"

"FAIL!"

So suppose you ARE, 200 lbs and YOU believe you are beautiful... what gives anyone the right to tell you otherwise?

Why? So, so all of a sudden, you start to pity yourself ...and wanna go from a size 20 down to a size 2. Not because you want to, mind you, but because someone else said you should. Maybe someone else told you that anorexic bitches are cute?

FAIL!!!!

So what if someone out there thinks your skin isn't perfect, or that your hair isn't straight enough?

*ARE YOU HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE?!*

Why should your standards, appearance or self-awareness be gauged and defined by what someone else thinks is cool, or fun or "normal"?

Why do people always feel the need to conform?

The basic thing is that you can be happy and self pity so went out with "pepperseed bags" people. Change is good and it's possible if it's what YOU want. No sense in feeling sorry for yourself when there are options out there. However, you should never feel worthless because someone thinks you are. YOU DO YOU. For those who don't like it, they can roll the fcuk on.

That is all.

-Jan Merritt

P.S: For those who may read this and think i am a bitch for saying "fcuk the people", thanks so very much for being so kind. And yes Corey, a good rant is like oxygen, thanks to you as well.

Glossary:
1. Bim: Colloquial name for Barbados
2. CXC: The Caribbean equivalent of "O-Levels".
3. UWI: The University of the West Indies

If I had a time machine...

2010-05-23T11:45:00.000-04:00

If I had a time machine...

by Johan Simu
The NarkSide, May 2010

I am not the oldest, biggest or the strongest mofo around. In fact I am only 25, my guns doesn't measure much more than 16 inches and my best deadlift is just a shy bit more than 500 ibs. But I have been training seriously since I was 16-17 years old and I have done pretty much all mistakes one can do on the way. That's the reason my arms are just 16 and my dead is just 500 after all, despite training hard for over 8 years. Someone doing things right from the beginning can easily surpass my level in as little as 3 years or shorter. So what message would I leave myself if I could send myself a email 8 years ago?

1. Information overload/training ADD.

There is so much information floating around, accessible by everyone, that it is incredibly hard to stay focused. When I started training I read the muscle mags religiously. Every month I saw a new articles with tempting titles like "Build a monster back with Ronnie's routine", "Gunz like Priest, here is how" or any random permutation of the name of a pro mixed with the name of a muscle group. Arnold's good old Encyclopedia of bodybuilding was my bible. As a beginner you can pretty much gain by jerking around any way you feel like in the gym, so even though I randomly jumped from Priest biceps blaster routine to Levrone's huge delts supreme program to Arnold's contest prep I could still make some gains. But those gains where much smaller and came slower than if I had been more consistent.

I still occasionally suffer from training ADD, jumping from Doggcrapp(yeah it IS spelled like that!) training to Westside templates to linear periodization with far to little time spent on each. Always with the feeling that THE magic routine is out there that can give me massive gains in the shortest amount of time. So what have I actually learned from all that? That almost any training program that isn't obviously stupid(more on that later) will give good gains, IF one sticks to them for long enough. Stop second guessing the program you are on, just go with it for at least 2 months and see what happens. I guarantee the gains will be better than if you switch to something new every week!

2. Doing the same week after week.

Now it sounds like I am contradicting point one. But let me explain, for a while I trained with a guy that was obsessive compulsive about his routine. He would walk into the gym day after day, week after week, year after year, going through the exact same motions, with the exact same weight and for the exact same reps and sets. He even admitted to me that if he skipped an exercise he would get anxious like hell thinking the workout was wasted. No surprise he looked exactly the same year after year. Don't get me wrong though, this guy had a awesome body and was a competitive bodybuilder, but he had stalled completely!

If you want to grow stronger and bigger, and that's why you're in the gym in the first place, then you have to progress! Doing the same weight for the same reps in the same exercise for weeks in a row is a complete waste of time. Your body has already adapted to that load and it won't respond to it anymore. You have to add weight or squeeze out one more rep every time you walk into the gym. If you can't then its time to make a change. Making a change doesn't mean jumping on another training program however, because every good training program has progression built into it!

3. Recognizing the obviously stupid.

Just copying Leverone's glute maximiser workout isn't the same as following a decent training program. We have all heard it a million times, a good training program is based around the compound lifts, and how many time's haven't we ignored it and sunk into the temptation of wasting weeks on concentration curls, triceps kickbacks and garbage like that? Don't ignore it anymore! What should then be include in a good training program?

* It should involve Squats, deadlifts, rows, chins, military presses, bench presses, cleans and not necessarily much else. It might not be as sexy as doing 28 different curls to hit every angle of the muscle. But it sure works better.

* Progression should be built into the program, with that I mean that there should be a clear approach to how one increases weight on the bar week to week. A example would be that every Monday you should do 5x5 in the Squat and increase weight on the bar with 5 lbs each week. When you reach a point where you can't do that anymore you should switch to 3x3 and continue increasing weight. Another approach might be to switch out the exercise when the plateau is reached for a similar compound exercise, switch Squats with front squats, deadlifts with rack pulls, chins with pull-ups etc etc.

* The body should be worked through multiple times a week. Don't do a split where you have a day for arms, a day for shoulders, a day for chest etc etc. Every workout should include a squat variation or a heavy pull(deads or cleans) or a heavy press. Every muscle in the body is worked to some extent doing these exercises, trying to split the body into isolated muscle groups and working them separately is a illusion. Unless you are 5'8, 220 lbs at sub 5% and ready to step on-stage there is no reason to worry about isolation.

* Deloads, the program should include a light week every third to fifth week.

4. Proper form

Spend the time to learn proper form in the compound lifts. Find a local weightlifting or powerlifting club, talk to the old guys that seem to know what they are doing. I wasted years after years squatting and deadlifting like an idiot and only now have I managed to correct that after over half a year of struggling! It only took me a spinal disc hernia, busted knees and reoccurring shoulder pain to realize I was doing the exercises wrongly. Be smarter than I was! If you are in doubt and have no one to advice you, then videotape yourself to see how your form is. You might be surprised!

5. Back down every now and then.

This point is worth repeating. Deload! We who love training and consider it one of the most important things in our life has a weird tendency. Whenever we hit the wall we tend to push harder and harder. If we realize one week we have regressed, the first thing we think of isn't to back down for a week and let the body recuperate. No we instead go at it like mad and increase our efforts. I can not count how many times I have done this, just to crash and burn and lose all motivation. If you walk into the gym and feel weak after a bunch of awesome weeks, don't be hard on yourself and assume you are not training hard enough. Just do light weights for a week.

6. You're not as advanced as you think.

Countless times I have done the mistake of believing I have reached the point where I need very advanced routines to progress. Contemplating breaking the year into different macro cycles, all kinds of advanced intensity waves. Then reality always hits me like a mac truck, I am no where near that point yet! Unless you bench 400+ and squat 500+ then don't worry about any advanced waves or whatever. K.I.S.S rules supreme. Something as simple as working to a 5 rep max one week, a 3 rep max the week after and a 1 rep max the third week, followed by a light week and then starting over again, is "advanced" enough for 50% of lifters and to advanced for the rest! No reason to emulate how the eastern European coaches designed their 2 year plan to prepare their athletes for peaking at the Olympics. For us non Olympic athletes simple programs simply works better because we have not yet reached a point where our performance is so close to our genetic limit that we need to go towards extreme measures to squeeze out another pound. To be honest most of us will never reach that point.

If we look at the Bulgarian weightlifters, at the elite powerlifters or even good old Arnold's twice a day contest prep routine form his book. Then we have to realize these people have spent years and years working up to that level of work. Their programs are tailored for them, with their massive recovery ability that have resulted from years of slowly increasing training frequency and volume. If we where to jump straight into that, then we would crash and burn within weeks.

7. Diet is important, but not more important than a proper program.

On bodybuilding forums one can often read that diet is responsible for 80% of gains while training is much less important. On powerlifting forums one can read the exact opposite. So where is the truth? The truth is, as long as you get enough protein and enough calories and most of the things you eat are decently clean(i.e don't follow the big mac or mentos diet) then you will gain muscle and strength. Eating enough doesn't have to mean eating 5000+ kcal as many claim, or 500 grams of protein a day. Enough is different for everyone, but a decent rule of thumb is 30-45 calories per kg of bodyweight(13-20 calories per ib) and 2 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight(about 1 gram/ib). If you easily get fat start at the lower range of calories and have a larger proportion of the kcal from fat, if you have a hard time gaining weight start somewhere in the middle and work your way up until you start gaining strength consistently.

A shitty diet will ruin the best training program in the world, and the shittiest training program in the world will give no gains if the diet is crap. Pay attention to both, but keep both simple and realistic!

8. Set realistic goals.

If a program promises 50 pounds on your bench bench in 5 weeks, then its bullshit. Small, consistent gains is what build a big, muscular and strong body. 2.5 pounds increase per week means 130 pounds per year, that by itself is a massive gain. The longer you have trained, the harder each increase becomes and the more important the small increments become. If you did 300 pounds in the squat last week, do 302,5 this week! Don't snort at the small plates. Keep your goals realistic, adding 25 pounds in ten weeks on a compound lift is a realistic goal, adding 100 pounds in the same time frame isn't.

9. Enjoy life

Training is important, but having a balanced life is even more important. Walking around stressing yourself to hell about having that beer while watching the game will just break you down mentally. There is more to life than lifting, having a life outside of the gym won't limit your gains. But it will do a lot to make you happy. Don't let the hunt for more muscle turn into a life consuming obsession.

-Johan Simu
SuperModerator of: The NarkSide

All Rights Reserved

Gadal Model Management Inc. endorses Apollo Fitness Barbados!!!

2010-03-09T16:59:00.003-04:00

In a world consumed with “keeping up appearances”; a billion dollar industry based on aesthetics and things; gadgets; diets and fads to make you look good, wisdom has come to dictate that “looking good” is nothing more than the end result of being healthy and adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits.

If the pressure to look good for the average person were not enough; for the individual like the celebrity; recording artist; actor and model, whose very careers depend on how they look , the pressure to always be perfect is immense.

At Gadal Model Management Inc. we have prided ourselves in being one of the few Model Agencies in the region to successfully place models in major international fashion markets. To do this successfully is no small feat and takes a lot of teamwork; talent included to achieve positive results in what is often a very short time-frame.

In order to do this we need the very best on the team to get the best out of the model talent in the shortest space of time possible. We have found the team at Apollo Fitness to be very helpful in this regard and the results achieved with the models we have entrusted to their training and direction in the area of health and nutrition have been nothing short of phenomenal. The accuracy of the programmes developed for each individual model in their care is seen in the transformation that takes place in a very short time, (provided that the steps are carefully followed and the model is dedicated and consistent) is very evident.

If you are a Model serious about your career and are prepared to work hard the team at Apollo Fitness is an essential ingredient in your arsenal. For us at Gadal where the best is a must, Apollo Fitness is our first step in creating the best models both physically and mentally in the region and beyond!

R. Graham Edwards
Chief Executive Officer
Gadal Model Management Inc.
http://gadalmodels.com/

Uk-based Fitness Magazine quotes Corey Springer! - Feb 2010

2010-02-07T16:34:00.002-04:00

Why everyone should own a treadmill!

2009-12-07T22:29:00.000-04:00

Why everyone should own a treadmill!
by Corey Springer

NarkSide: December 2009

Hey guys... Here we are, at the end of another year. We had a great run didn't we? It'll be Christmas in a short while and, as I was making out my own Christmas wish list, I thought I'd make a suggestion for the ultimate stocking stuffer: A treadmill.

"Um... What?"

You heard right. I'm going to get myself one... and I think you should as well. :)

We've discussed the benefits of cardio to great lengths. Still, I know most of you blanch at the thought of waking up at an ungodly hour to road-walk or hit the gym for

cardio. There must be a solution though... right?

There is. It's called "a treadmill". :)

I think having a piece of equipment at home is vital. But, let's talk about the options for a minute:

Stairmasters/Stair-steppers cost too much (and they're unsuitable for people just starting out, as they're easily misused)
Stationary bikes are VERY uncomfortable (especially around the crotch area... You know what I'm talking about)
Rowing machines take up *way* too much space

Treadmills happen to be cost-effective, stable, easy to use, and especially safe for beginners. I mean, what could be more natural than walking?

4 reasons why I think everyone should have a treadmill:

1. You don't have to worry about getting wet.

However, when you're outside you do. Road-running/walking means exposure to the elements, as well as exposure to the exhaust fumes from vehicles.

Ew.

It also means having to deal with uneven gradients, too-hard surfaces, and sometimes wet and slippery surfaces.

Not cool.

2. You can control the pace

...and you can push yourself a bit harder than you would if you were on the road by yourself.

Admit it: How many times have you been out on the road literally dragging your feet behind you? For me, I've lost count of the number of times.

Truth-be-told, if I don't have a running partner with me, my 'run' looks more like a jog. That's the honest-to-God truth! On a treadmill however, you can't automatically slow down when you get tired. The automated pace requires that you keep up... thus taking the work-out to a higher level of intensity.

And while we're on the topic of intensity:

3. You have control over the level of intensity

"Up the incline!"
"Up the speed dammit!"
"Set it to a random program!"

Sorry... the cardio-addict in me came to the surface for a minute. :)

*Breathes*
*Continues*

There are multiple ways via which the intensity of a work-out on the treadmill can be manipulated. Personally, I like to mess around with the inclines. I've found that higher inclines really target the butt and hamstrings (which, incidentally, are problem areas for most people)... Also, I've found lower inclines, coupled with longer strides, great for the muscles of the core.

Additionally, most treadmills offer you the option of programming in a pre-set work-out. These programs are great for interval training (and fat-burning)... Another benefit is that they allow for a warm-up and warm-down period, thus preventing injury.

And while we're on the topic of injury prevention:

4. You can prevent injuries

As previously mentioned, running outdoors means exposing oneself to uneven, and overly hard terrain. These conditions frequently hasten wear and tear of the joints. But that's not all. Running outdoors also usually means dodging obstacles like potholes. The spontaneous changes in gait and other adaptations made to prevent falling are out of question for people who already have joint/motility issues... and also for the overweight.

On the flip side, the treadmill's surface tends to be even... and a number of them are padded, thus reducing stress on the knees and ankles even further.

Let's re-cap:

We can avoid getting wet.
We can eliminate the need to leave home at ungodly hours in order to get our cardio work-outs in.
We can prevent injuries
We can control the pace, incline, and duration... thus controlling the intensity.
We can burn fat and get lean and sexy.

I mean really... what are you waiting for?

Get yours today. :)

- Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of: "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums,Apollo Fitness Barbados, & NarkSide Apparel.

How to stay Fit (not fat) in College!!!

2009-12-07T19:18:00.000-04:00

How to stay Fit (not fat) in College!!!
-Avoiding the 'freshman 15'
by Corey Springer

NarkSide: October 12th 2009

"Chug, Chug, Chug, Chug, CHUG!!!!"

*wild cheering ensures*

Sounds familiar? Of course it does. Partying during the college years is a well-established norm. During this time, partying is synonymous with heavy alcohol consumption... the practice of which contributes (in a large way) to the weight-gain experienced by many during the college years.

Weight-gain triggers don't end there however, as the college period is also marked by horrible eating and sleeping habits... each of which contribute in their own way to the phenomenon researchers call the "freshman fifteen".

The good news is that there are ways to avoid this weight-gain. There IS hope.

7 weight-gain halting tips for college students:

1. Be conscious of what you're eating.

A lot of the stuff offered at the cafeteria tends to be unnecessarily high in calories. However, it is usually possible to find low-calorie alternatives. Inquire with your cafeteria's staff as to whether they carry healthier alternatives.

2. Swap high-fat side dishes for healthier ones.

...and skip the fried food and deserts altogether!

Swap those greasy fries for a baked potato... Or, better yet, a salad. With your salad selection, be cognizant of the additional calories that dressings and toppings add. Absolutely NOTHING ruins a salad like an overuse of toppings. These additions may increase the calorie count of a salad by TEN TIMES![1]

That's right... ten times.

3. Exercise hard daily.

...especially before going out to party. A hard exercise session depletes the muscles of glycogen (i.e. carbohydrate stores). Carbs consumed in the hours which follow exercise are generally used to replenish glycogen. Of course there's a limit to how much an individual can store, so one shouldn't go overboard with one's carb consumption.

4. Graze.

College students often make the mistake of eating infrequently. Oftentimes they get into a 'work groove' and forget to eat. Subsequently they experience bouts of low blood-sugar, which lead to bouts of binge-eating. While binging, individuals aren't judicious in their food selection... and so they end up loading up on hundreds of sugar and fat-laden calories, of little nutritional value.

The solution?

Eat smaller meals at regular intervals through-out the day...rather than succumbing to infrequent, but overly large, binges.

5. Learn to say no!

This one is a really tough one for some. College-age individuals are always trying to please someone... I guess the same could be said about people of any age... but for argument's sake, let's focus on the college-aged individual.

Eating and drinking are highly social activities. This is especially true at college. Think about how many times you've arrived at a party, and immediately someone hands you a beer or a rum and coke. Think about how many times a parent or friend has sent you home-made cakes or cookies. Think of how many times your room-mate has asked you whether you wanted in on a late-night pizza run. We as a society are ALWAYS eating... and we feel most comfortable when others around us happen to be eating as well. So, we drag them in.

Eating is meant to be functional as well as enjoyable. To preserve these precepts one must make a conscious decision to eat/drink only when you want to or need to... as opposed to whenever someone decides that you should.

Learn to say NO!

6. Lay off the booze.

Notice: I didn't say "stop drinking"... because I KNOW that particular snippet would fall on deaf ears. :)

What I'm suggesting is a moderate approach to drinking. Remember, liquid calories add up in a BIG way.

Some things you can do to cut back include:

(Where possible) Avoiding hard liquor. (Avoid shots at all cost!)
Choosing lighter liquor (vodka for example) over rum (and other high sugar liquor)
Choosing light beer over normal beers
Choosing calorie-free chasers (e.g. sprite light, coke zero)

7. Take a one-month break from partying every semester

"A whole month Nark?" - Hell yes!

Properly applied, a strict diet and exercise routine for one month can result in over 10 lbs of pure fat-loss. That's right, TEN POUNDS!

"But I'll be missing out Nark!" - I can't say that I agree.

You owe it to yourself to put in the effort. Heck, fat-loss aside, there are so many other health benefits to be derived from a 'break'. I consider this one-month period my 'me time', and so should you!

In closing:
It is possible to balance staying in shape with having a great time... And I'm speaking from experience here. Numerous additional benefits can be derived from staying in shape. Research indicates that increased cognition[2][3] and creativity [3][4], as well as an improved ability to cope with stress [5] are all effects of the regular inclusion of exercise. Who wouldn't want those perks? It would be just INSANE to skip regular exercise!

Avoid those unnecessary pounds of flab guys!

Good luck!

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of: "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums,Apollo Fitness Barbados, & NarkSide Apparel.

References:

1. "High-Fat, High-Calorie Salad Shocker" http://www.vibrantglow.com/2007/09/h...d-shocker.html

2. Tomporowski, Phillip D.; Ellis, Norman R. "Effects of exercise on cognitive processes: A review." Psychological Bulletin. Vol 99(3), May 1986, 338-346.

3. Blanchette, David M., Ramocki, Stephen P., O'del, John N., and Casey, Michael S. (2005). "Aerobic Exercise and Cognitive Creativity: Immediate and Residual Effects." Creativity Research Journal, 17(2&3), 257-264.

4. Steinberg, H., Sykes, E. A., Moss, T., Lowery, S., LeBoutillier, N., and Dewey, A. (1997). Exercise Enhances Creativity Independent of Mood. British Journal of Sports Medicine 31(3): 240-245.

5. "Exercise Fuels the Brain's Stress Buffers." - http://www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=25

6 Painless Holiday-Fitness Tips

2009-12-07T14:22:00.001-04:00

6 Painless Holiday-Fitness Tips
by Corey Springer

NarkSide: December 2009

December's here, and you know what that means: Parties, dinners, alcohol, cakes, and candies. Personally, I'll be dieting hard straight up until January... but I'm pretty sure that 'diet' is the last word you want to hear at this time of year. I can't say that I blame you either. Holidays are supposed to be fun-filled times spent with friends and family... not stressing over counting calories and the like. That being said, there's no reason why you can't enjoy yourself AND stay fit. All it takes is a little attention to detail. With this article I'm going to share 5 tricks that I personally use to stay in awesome shape even during the holidays.

Let's get cracking!

1. Stay Active

A no-brainer right?

The empty gyms at this time of year argue otherwise. People simply don't seem to want to work out when the holidays approach. However, everybody wants to look good in that outfit on new years eve... right? With exercise you can have your cake and eat it too. (I'm sorry... I REALLY wanted to throw that cliche in there lol)

Try to avoid skipping work-outs. Heck, make your time more efficient by planning all of your work-outs in advance. We all know how much time shopping takes up. So try to get your work-out in first each day. Put it last in the day and you run the risk of never making it to the gym.

It also helps to set a goal. Yes... even during the holiday season. Heck, it's ESPECIALLY important at that time. Right now, I've set a goal of clean eating until Christmas at the very least. Think about what you want to achieve, and set a small goal to suit. It'll go a LONG way in keeping you on track!

2. Watch your Alcohol intake.

I can hear you now: "C'mon Nark... Holidays are made for getting plastered". I've got to admit, I like to get a couple beverages in during the holidays... but my aim is to avoid going overboard. Holiday drinks (like eggnog for example) tend to be loaded with sugar, and alcohol. Some (again, like eggnog) compound the already high amounts of sugar and alcohol, with high amounts of fat.

Remember my article "Cut Liquid Calories... Cut bodyfat"? Well liquid calories REALLY add up. Alcohol also tends to inhibit our impulse control, so while drinking we tend to snack even more than usual.

Try limiting the number of alcoholic beverages you consume at outings. Also, try alternating between an alcohol beverage and a non-caloric one (like a diet coke). This'll save you a BUNDLE of calories over the course of a night.

3. Say no to gravy.

Gravy... tasty but evil. We tend not to think about it when we're piling it on... but the calories here REALLY add up. Think about what goes into making it: fats, or fat drippings from meat... these are the primary components. A typical serving of gravy can add almost 400 calories to a meal. Bear in mind that 400 calories is the average calorie total of a full meal.

To compound this, we usually add another 400-700 calories from our actual meal... plus another 300-400 calories from holiday beverages. So we're looking at 1000+ calories per sitting. That's half of the average person's daily requirements in ONE sitting. And you know that you'll be repeating this feat a number of times per day during the holiday.

So... Do your waistline a favour.

Ditch the gravy!

4. Practice control

...Portion control that is.

Now... I understand that this may not be as easy at parties as it is in the comfort of your own home, but neither does it have to be overly complicated. The easiest trick is to start by filling half of your plate with veggies. That effectively cuts your calorie intake for that meal by almost half. Next, allot 1/4 of your plate to proteins... and the other 1/4 to carbs.

Try to avoid consuming high-glycemic carbohydrates (highly processed carbs like cakes and pastries) only. If you're going to consume 'em... make sure that they don't account for anymore than half of your allotted carb count for that meal.

5. One for the ladies: The 'clutch trick'

Ok... This isn't one that I use personally, as I'm not a female. But, as a people-watcher, I've seen it effectively put into practice. Basically the trick involves the type of purse (or bag) you take with you to parties. The suggestion? Ditch bags with straps. When you have a bag with a strap, the bag gets slung over one shoulder... leaving both of your hands free to grab snacks and drinks. I know most of you have been there (and I do mean guys as well): whereas you mindlessly eat as long as there's stuff being served. It's easy to pound 1500 calories in this manner. Quick fix? Tie one of those free hands up with a clutch purse. As you can only hold either one drink or one entree at any one time, your mindless binge is seriously curtailed. And hell, you don't even have to think about it.

6. One for the guys: a vanity affair

Ok... we're back on track. Here's a tip that I use year-round! What is it? Fitted clothing! That's right... fitted shirts, and jeans. Form-fitting clothing can be a serious deterrent to over-eating at holiday outings. I mean, who wants to have a gut hanging over their belt in the middle of schmoozing? I certainly don't.

Vanity? Sure.

Practical? Very.

In parting:

Well, that's it... my 6 tips and tricks.

There are many other tricks that one could employ to avoid over-eating during the holidays. These 6 tips are some that I've found really effective however. There is no reason why one can't enjoy the holidays without undermining all the hard work you've put in all year.

Get out there and enjoy yourselves people!

Happy Holidays!

- Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of: "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums,Apollo Fitness Barbados, & NarkSide Apparel.

Bootyful Buns and tight, lean thighs in 8 weeks!

2009-11-09T00:21:00.000-04:00

Bootyful Buns and tight, lean thighs in 8 weeks!
-or your money back!
by Corey Springer

NarkSide: November 7th 2009

Hello all.

Over the months I've received a lot of your questions regarding building the perfect pair of buns. You know the type I'm referring to: The stop-and-stare-and-forget-to-breathe-as-she-passes-by type of butt. Well... your wait is over! Your journey towards a perfect butt starts today!

Just about anybody can benefit from stronger, sexier buns. From the functional perspective, strong buns can prevent back pain... an affliction which 75% of society suffers from.

In this article, I'm going to lay out one of my MOST effective booty-shaping work-outs from start to finish. All you've got to do is follow it to the letter... 3 times per week, for 8 weeks. That's it.

A tip: Take a day of rest in between each work-out. You'll need it.

Exercise 1: The glute bridge

Beginning:

End:

You guys may remember this exercise, as I introduced it a previous article: "Narkissos resurrects the dead(-lift)". In this article however, we'll be using this exercise as our primary warm-up. By directly targeting the glutes, via this exercise, we ensure that they'll be firing correctly during our work-out.

Target: 2 sets of 15-20 repetitions.

Rest between sets: 30 seconds

Tips and tricks: Pause for two seconds at the point of peak contraction... and then release slowly, lowering yourself back to the start position. Upon reaching the starting position, don't pause... immediately return to the end position for a peak hold.

I've got to warn you... This. Will. BURN!

Your hamstrings should be slightly taxed as well if you've done this correctly.

Exercise 2: The plie squat

Beginning:

End:

Ah... the plie squat. We'll be using this exercise as our secondary warm-up.

This exercise? This exercise is an inner-thigh KILLER!

Say good-bye to THAT problem area!

Target: 2 sets of 20 repetitions.

Rest between sets: 30 seconds

Tips and tricks: Pause for two seconds at the point of max stretch... and then slowly return to start position. Upon reaching the starting position, don't pause... immediately return to the deep squat position for a peak hold.

Searing pain.

Loads of it!

Exercise 3: The dumbbell front squat

Beginning:

End:

With our warm-ups completed, now we get to the REAL meat of the session. This may be an unfamiliar move for many of you, but this brute here is one of my all-time favourites. Why do I prefer this movement to the standard barbell squat? Well because the weight is held in front of you, your center of gravity shifts... imbuing the exercise with a frontal-thigh-specific focus.

The short story? This exercise addresses the entire frontal thigh, including the area just above the knee... which is a problem area for a number of women. Flabby thighs be gone!!!

Target: 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

Rest between sets: 30-60 seconds

Exercise 4: The leg-press - Feet positioned high on platform.

Beginning:

End:

Everybody's seen the standard leg-press. This variation however, specifically targets the butt and hamstrings ( - the rear of the thigh - ). How does it do that? Well, it's like the exercise which precedes it... but in reverse: By placing the feet high on the platform, the center of gravity is shifted rearwards... thus the exercise becomes posterior-specific.

Target: 3 sets of 20 repetitions.

Rest between sets: 30-60 seconds

Tips and tricks: Due to the position of your feet, you'll need to push through your heels. To ensure that your heels remained grounded, a trick I use with clients is to have them curl their toes towards their instep. This ensures that the heel remains in contact with the platform through out.

Exercise 5: The Bulgarian Split-Squat

Beginning:

End:

Wicked... I know!

Because of that, I'm not going to tweak this movement at all. It's brutal enough as is!

Target: 2 sets of 10 repetitions (each leg) per set.

Rest between sets: 15 seconds (i.e. enough time to switch legs)

Exercise 6: Good-Mornings

Beginning:

End:

Target: 2 sets of 15 repetitions

Rest between sets: 30-60 seconds.

Execution: Begin this lift by resting a barbell across your shoulders. Pinch the shoulder blades together slightly to assist in keeping the bar in place. My preferred stance for this lift is about shoulder-width stance. Exhale... and slowly bend forward at the hips ( - all the while inhaling -) until your torso is just about parallel to the floor. At this point, your lungs should be full of air... thus supporting core stability. Slowly return to the fully upright position, all the while clenching your butt muscles.

Exercise 7: Dumbbell Stiff-leg Deadlifts

Beginning:

Midpoint:

End:

Target: 2 sets of 15 repetitions

Rest between sets: 30-60 seconds.

Execution: Again, my preferred stance for this lift is approximately shoulder-width. Grab two dumbbells using a neutral grip (i.e. palms facing body). With a very slight end in the knees, slowly bend forward at the hips... lowering the dumbbells until you feel an intense stretch in your hamstrings and/or butt ( - whichever comes first -). Slowly return to the fully upright position, all the while clenching your butt muscles.

Exercise 8: Unilateral hip extension static hold

Peak Contraction:

Most of you are accustomed to seeing women in the gym executing this exercise for endless repetitions... never really achieving much of anything. I'm not going to let you waste your time here... so we're going to do something atypical. We're going to do just 2 repetitions of this exercise on each leg. That's right... just two! There's a catch though. I want you to hold the peak contraction until your legs shake uncontrollably. Deal? Let's get cracking then!

Target: 2 sets of 2 repetitions (on each leg)

Rest between sets: 30-60 seconds.

Tips and Tricks: Each repetition should be held for 20-30 seconds. Try to breathe normally through-out. Do NOT get tempted to hold your breath.

Exercise 9: Kneeling Lateral Hip Abduction

Beginning:

End:

Target: 2 sets of 20 repetitions (each leg) per set.

Rest between sets: 15 seconds (i.e. enough time to switch legs)

Exercise 10: Standing Hip Abduction

Beginning:

End:

Target: 2 sets of 20 repetitions (each leg) per set.

Rest between sets: 15 seconds (i.e. enough time to switch legs)

And that's a wrap!

Remember... three times per week ( - every other day -) for 8 weeks.

You can do it!

Regards,

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums
Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

Abs in 8 weeks? AB-solutely!! - Part 2

2009-11-08T04:48:00.001-04:00

Abs in 8 weeks? AB-solutely!! - Part 2
by Corey Springer

NarkSide: November 8th 2009

And we're back for another core-melting installment!

Part 1 was a piece of cake wasn't it?

*Loud silence ensues*

Breathe!

C'mon... Breathe! I was just kidding. I know just how brutal it was.

Hm... Well... I... really don't mean to scare you guys but, that...that was just the warm-up.

From this point on, we step into a world where mere mortals never venture.

Are you guys game?!

(BTW: The correct answer is AB-SOLUTELY!)

Now we get down to the REAL meat of the matter. Let me introduce to you Abdominal Anarchy (c2) - "The Finisher".

c2: all advanced moves... all ridiculously hard.

Let me suggest this to you now: if you're not physically up to this challenge, do another two circuits of the c1 work-out... and skip this (harder) circuit altogether!

/end disclaimer.
_________________________________________________
c2 - Exercise 1: The side plank

Start:

Finish:

Yep... we're bringing out the big guns from the very beginning! We'll be doing one repetition of this exercise on each side... holding the peak contraction for 30 seconds (on each side).
_________________________________________________

NB: Our advanced readers out there can do the elite version of this static hold instead of the above version:

_________________________________________________

c2 - Exercise 2: The plank

Start:

Finish:

The plank looks easy... but it really isn't. Heck, you'll find that out on your own soon enough. Our goal here is a 30-second hold at the 'Finish' position. Make it happen!

c2 - Exercise 3: The plank - push-up position

Start:

Finish:

Looks like a push-up right? Don't be fooled!

This exercise is like the push-up's abusive step-father!

It's BRUTAL! It's SO brutal that I'll take two 10-second holds here... each with a different arm extended. (i.e. you'll do one 10-second hold with the left arm extended... and then you'll repeat with your right arm extended).

By now your core should feel like it is no longer your own. We're not done yet though... We JUST GETTING STARTED!

c2 - Exercise 4: The spider-crawl.

In this exercise we basically move from a totally upright position, to a modified plank position... all the while bending our legs only minimally. Basically, you're 'walking' on your hands until you've reached full extension. Sounds hard?

'Hard' is an understatement!

Start:

Mid-Point:

End:

Upon reaching full extension, I want you to hold that position for 10 seconds. Don't worry, it's soon over.

...well, at least that's the story I'm sticking with!

c2 - Exercise 5: A full hand-stand, from the 'frog' hand-stand position!

Start:

Mid-point:

End:

"Nark... are you serious?"

Yes.

Hell Yes.

At this point, it doesn't matter how long you can hold this end-position. Whether you get there or not, we WILL move on to the next exercise in this circuit. However, it's important that you try. I mean, hell... you've come this far, why give anything other than 100% now?

c2 - Exercise 6: Pseudo-Spiderman

30 seconds of crawling around like a crazed costume avenger. You'll look absolutely ridiculous... Just about as ridiculous as the the burning this movement will generate in your core. Do NOT take this exercise lightly!

c2 - Exercise 7: The "crab-back" and modified "crab-back".

"What the hell Nark?"

You asked for it... and now we're delivering gatdammit!

The crab-back is a childhood favourite of mine which I rediscovered while working out with some gymnasts a decade or so back. I can't tell you just how important stretching the core is for people who spend most of the day sitting... particularly where injury prevention is concerned.

Nothing stretches the core quite like this exercise. Trust me!

Position 1:

Position 2:

Position 3:

We'll be using this 3-part move to stretch the abs, obliques, and hips. Each position will be held for 10-20 seconds, for a total of a 30-60-second crab-back.

c2 - Exercise 8: The modified "Flag".

Now you'll see why we call this circuit the "Finisher". Our last exercise is absolutely insane. If you can't get it done, I really won't hold it against you.

The standard 'flag' ends when the trainee's body is parallel to the ground (and perpendicular to the pole). However, we've added a twist to the movement. In our version, the 'end' is that point where the torso is parallel to the ground...and the lower-body is parallel to the pole.

SICK... I KNOW!

Start:

Mid-point:

End:

I'll take whatever you can give me here... be it a 1-second hold at peak contraction, or a 10-second hold.

Having completed the circuit, take a 3-minute rest and then repeat it once more... if you can.

Kudos to you if you've made it this far.

Regards,

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums
Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

Abs in 8 weeks? AB-solutely!!

2009-11-08T04:44:00.000-04:00

Abs in 8 weeks? AB-solutely!!
by Corey Springer

NarkSide: October 12th 2009

I promise that this isn't another one of "those" articles. You know the type I'm referring to: Articles which promise unreasonable (and some would argue, IMPOSSIBLE) results in an unreasonably short space of time. I know, I know... they're attractive. Articles like that seem to speak to our innermost desires. The supplements they inevitably push have the "it factor". But do they honestly work? No... So let's move on to some things which do!

Here are the things I'm going to assume:

I'll assume that you want a lean and sexy mid-section.

I'll assume that you've been pushing hard at the gym, following the last four installments of our "Lean and Sexy 101" series.

I'll assume that you're stoked and ready to take your work-outs to the next level.

So why sit around waiting for the next 'sure thing'? There are only two more months left in the year 2009 after all.

Let.

Us.

OWN.

Them!

_________________________________________________
NB: If you're just joining us for the first time, I encourage you to check out the "Lean and Sexy 101" series:

Part 1: Killer shape-up tips - "Groove your way forward".
Part 2: Killer shape-up tips - "Get your Game Face on".
Part 3: Killer shape-up tips - "Run, baby Run!".

...They're chock-full of tips and tricks to bring you up to speed. :)
_________________________________________________

So how DOES one go about changing one's body in 8 weeks? I'll show you! Let me introduce you to Abdominal Anarchy (c1) - the core-blasting circuit work-out which WILL kick your ass!

c1: The general 'warm-up'... 5 exercise which you may know, executed in a way you may not recognize.

Exercise 1: The basic crunch.

Start:

Caption: Basic = Easy... right?

Finish:

Caption: Trust me when I say that he's only smiling because he doesn't know what's coming next.

Here, you're going to do as many repetitions as you can (with good form) for 30 seconds. Then we'll move on to the next exercise.

Exercise 2: Oblique static hold

Peak contraction:

Caption: See what I'm mean? That smile is quickly fading.

Again, we'll be executing this movement for time... However this time around we won't be doing multiple repetitions. What I want you to do is to hold the contraction for 30 seconds on either side.

That's right... ONE rep on either side.

Trust me when I say this won't be as easy as it looks!

Exercise 3: Leg raise w/ hip thrust

Start:

Mid-point:

End:

Here we'll be doing 10 reps (or as many repetitions as you can [with good form] over 30 seconds). Sounds easy huh? Well, wait until you see what I have planned for the REST of your session!

Exercise 4: Jack-Knife Static Hold

Peak Contraction:

Here we go again, frying that core at its very core. We'll be doing one repetition of this movement... which we'll be holding for 30 seconds. After you've experienced our version of a core meltdown, we'll move on to the next exercise in this circuit. Can you say BURN?!

_________________________________________________

NB: Our intermediate-level readers out there can do the mid-level versions of this static hold instead of the above version:

_________________________________________________

NB: Our advanced readers out there can do the elite version of this static hold instead of the above versions:

_________________________________________________

Exercise 5: Jack-Knife

Start:

End:

I figure by now that you're ready to send a hitman my way. While I wait for the doorbell to ring, I'll accept no less than 10 repetitions of this exercise from you. You've got 30 seconds to work with... so if you can exceed 10 repetitions, DO SO!

I know you're fatigued as hell, but you've got to keep it tight.

Keep that chin tucked in to your chest and remember to breathe, breathe, breathe!
_________________________________________________

NB: Our advanced-level, ab-ninja readers out there can do the elite version of this static hold instead of the above version:

Start:

End:

_________________________________________________

Winded? I expect you are... but we aren't finished as yet! I'll allow you 60 seconds of 'rest' at this point.

"How gracious of you Nark".

No... not really. Here's what I want you to do when you're 'resting':

Active Rest AKA 'The Vacuum':

Yep... this is exactly what it looks like: I want you to lay on your back, with your feet together... and I want you to extend your arms overhead, reaching as far as you can. While reaching, I want you to exhale and suck your stomach in. When you've fully emptied your lungs, your stomach should be sucked in as far as it can go. Upon reaching this point, I want you to hold it for 10 seconds... and then release slowly, inhaling at the same time. Repeat as many times as you can during your allotted 60-second break.

Then it's back to the grind. I want you to repeat this entire circuit three times. That should take you approximately 15 minutes. i.e. half of the total duration of this work-out. If you think that was brutal, wait until you see the other half of the work-out!

In our next article, we'll be introducing c2 - "The Finisher" - a core-killer like NONE OTHER!

Stay tuned!

Regards,

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums
Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

Narkissos's killer shape-up tips!!! Part 3!

2009-10-13T16:18:00.001-04:00

Narkissos's killer shape-up tips!!!Part 3
by Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of: "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums,Apollo Fitness Barbados, & NarkSide Apparel.

October 12th 2009

Dear Readers,

October's here... and the temperature is slowly dropping in my part of the world. Everywhere around me I see people dragging their butts behind 'em. Gym-enthusiasts seem to have lost their enthusiasm.

Well I'm here to tell you guys to SNAP OUT OF IT!

I assume you've read the previous two installments of this series, and have been hungrily awaiting the third (and final) article in this series. Your wait is OVER! Let's get this party started!
_________________________________________________
NB: For those of you are now joining us, here are links to this series' previous two installments... Narkissos's killer shape-up tips:

Part 1 (tips 1-3): http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9992
Part 2 (tips 4-6): http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9994
_________________________________________________

7. Need motivation to move daily? Then start a running club!!

Let's face it... running kicks major ass, literally AND figuratively! The motion burns a hell of a lot of calories, as it heavily recruits a lot of musculature... particularly those of the core, hips, buns, and thighs... i.e. our problem areas. Need an endorphin boost? Then just about nothing beats a good all-out sprint. On a budget? Then hit the park. Running doesn't cost much in and of itself... it requires very little equipment, and can be done just about anywhere!** Running just rules.

( **NB: For the sake of joint preservation, please avoid running on uneven and overly hard surfaces. Also...Please select footwear appropriate to your activity.)

So where's the catch? Well, it's the same for any form of exercise: Motivation. People often complain that they "can't" motivate themselves to start or adhere to the activity. As regular readers of the NarkSide, you know that I don't believe in coddling... however, I've had my moments of impaired motivation myself. I've found that even the most hardcore athlete has 'em... and even said athlete can benefit from the structure and support that a group can lend. At the very least, it's great for a change of pace... and we all know that a change, however small, can help us bust through plateaus. So, let's get some plateau-busting action going!

6 simple start-up tips:

Think about what you're trying to achieve, and set goals.
Connect with like-minded individuals, and bring only those individuals on board.
Discuss and implement a running schedule that each of you can stick to.
Plan your distances in advance.
Sub-divide your group into smaller groups based on individual fitness levels (re: pace-setting)
Set up a notification system to alert your group to cancellations.

_________________________________________________
8. Circuit-train!

And no, I'm NOT talking about those generic, bordering on geriatric, circuits that some health clubs have set up for self-processed couch potatoes. Those things are obsolete. Health clubs generally set up those useless little circuits so they can pack as many people as possible into each square foot of the gym. Logic would dictate however that a 5 dissimilar people, with dissimilar builds, workout experience, and goals would not benefit equally from the same workout... particularly where, as is typical for health club circuits, the resistance and machine settings aren't adjusted to the individual.

No... for the purpose of this article, we're talking personalized circuit training: exercise with purpose. Cookie-cutter work-outs SUCK!

That being said, why circuit training?

Why? Because it works... particularly for our purpose: getting in shape quickly.

Let's face it... most of you have full-time jobs or classes. Ergo, most of you require work-outs that are efficient, and not overly time-consuming. Workouts don't get much more efficient than circuit training! With circuit training, one gets the benefit of moderate resistance work as well as that of aerobic work... via keeping one's heart-rate up. What's not to love?

Sample circuit-training week:

Monday: Back; abs; Biceps

Hyper-extensions -- 10 repetitions
Horizontal Pullups -- 10 repetitions
Crunches -- 10-15 repetitions
One Arm Dumbell Rows -- 12-15 repetitions
Lat Pulldowns -- 15 repetitions
Laying leg-raises -- 10-15 repetitions
Barbell Curls -- 15 repetitions

NB: Rest 60 seconds, then repeat 3 times.

Wednesday: Chest; Shoulders; triceps

Dumbbell Pullover -- 12-15 repetitions
Dumbbell (floor) Fly -- 12-15 repetitions
Dumbbell Floor press -- 12-15 repetitions
Kneeling Lateral Raises -- 12-15 repetitions
Kneeling Overhead Press -- 12-15 repetitions
Kneeling Bent-Lateral Raises -- 12-15 repetitions
Triceps Kickback -- 12-15 repetitions

NB: Rest 60 seconds, then repeat 3 times.

Friday: Legs; abs

Squats -- 20 repetitions. (Use dumbbells if bodyweight alone isn't a challenge)
Hyper-extensions -- 10 repetitions
Decline sit-up -- 10-15 repetitions
Dead-lifts -- 10 repetitions
Step-ups -- 10 repetitions (each leg)
Reverse Hyper-extension -- 15 repetitions
Standing Calf Raises -- 20 repetitions

NB: Rest 60 seconds, then repeat 3 times.

Suggestions: Add aerobic work on alternating days. 45-90 minutes should do the trick!
_________________________________________________
9. Cycle EVERYTHING!
"Everything Nark?"

Yes... everything: from calories, to protein, to fats, to carbs, to training intensity/duration... cycle it all!

The best way to avoid getting stuck in a rut in life, is to add variety. Why would we approach fitness in any other way I ask? Most trainees don't have an answer... though their motivating factor is plain: it's easy. Yes, it's easy to get up and do the same thing everyday. It's easy to complain about it as well. It's easy to eat the same thing every day... boring yes, but easy... much easier than putting some thought into it. Much easier than scouring the grocery aisle for something new, 'exciting', and low-calorie to incorporate into one's diet... again, much easier than doing a little research on a new approach. It's 'easy' to look the same way for years on end... but hell, I doubt any of you is actually satisfied with just that, though you behave to the contrary. Let's nip it in the bud. Let's have a targeted approach!

Cycle your training:

Weeks 1-2: Low volume, low frequency weight-training

(NB: 4 days per week, 2 exercises per body part, training each body-part once per week)

Weeks 3-4: High volume, high-frequency weight-training

(NB: 6 days per week, 3-4 exercises per body part, training each body-part twice per week)

Week 5: De-load

(i.e. moderate weight-training: 3 days per week, 1 exercise per body part, training each body-part once for that week)

Cycle your diet:

Weight-training days: Moderate protein; High carbs; Low-fat
Cardio-only days: High protein; Low carbs; moderate fat
Off-days: Moderate protein; Low carbs (vegetables only); High (healthy) fats

Cycle your cardio:

3 days each week: high volume/duration cardio
3 days each week: low volume/duration (high intensity)

_________________________________________________
Part of the reason I wanted to write this series, is because of the number of people I see struggling in gyms across the country. Hopefully you guys internalize these tips, and use them to the best of your abilities. I'm looking forward to seeing some KILLER transformations over these coming months... so don't let me down. :)

Good luck all!

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums
Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

"Debunking New-age Cardio Myths."

2009-10-12T13:41:00.001-04:00

"Debunking New-age Cardio Myths."
by Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of: "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums,Apollo Fitness Barbados, & NarkSide Apparel.

October 12th 2009

Hi all... Narkissos here.

Recently one of my readers sent me an article and asked for my input on it.

I thought I'd share my responses, as well as some related thoughts in article format.

Basically the article stated:

No one needs to do more than 30 minutes per day.
If you aren't seeing results, then (automatically) you're doing too much cardio.
Doing a lot of cardio will cause injury. Weight-training will prevent injury.
If you find cardio boring, then you're doing too much cardio.

As you guys know, I have a huge problem with absolutes and blanket statements... so the precepts of this article irritated me to no end.

So...Here are my thoughts:

_________________________________________________
Myth 1. "No one needs to do more than 30 minutes per day."

Let me say firstly that this is an overstatement.

Secondly, it's plain wrong.

Duration is a facet which the successful dieter needs to manipulate in order to remain successful. Much like any stimuli applied to the body, we adapt. Even 30 minutes of hard-hitting cardio (though I doubt most people are doing intense cardio) daily is going to result in a plateau at some point. A successful dieter will add incremental increases each week, or every 2-4 weeks... so as to prevent plateaus, thus keeping fat-loss going.

Similar precepts apply even if the primary goal for cardio was heart-health.

The InterAmerican Heart Foundation suggests 30-50 minutes (warm-up and warm-up inclusive) 3-4 days per week. The Irish Heart Foundation suggested 30 minutes per day at 50-75% of maximum heart rate... however it's website also notes that "Adults who maintain a regular routine of physical activity of longer duration or greater intensity are likely to have greater benefits."

As per these recommendations, 30 minutes would be acceptable but not optimal.

My suggestions: Adjust your cardio duration to your level of experience/fitness firstly. i.e. If you're a beginner, stick to 15-20 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio daily... increasing as your fitness level increases. Secondly, tweak the duration of your sessions to fit your goals.
_________________________________________________

Myth 2. Not seeing results? Then you're definitely doing too much cardio.

If you aren't seeing results, and by 'results' I mean fatloss, the first place an exercising individual should look is at one's diet... not the duration/frequency/volume of workouts. As many trainees hate cardio with a passion, over-doing it is simply seldom a concern. True, some trainess are cardio-holics... but these do NOT represent the average trainee.

Obesity figures support the position that the average person does NOT like to exercise. Logic would dictate that one would suggest that individuals exercise more, not less.

Anyway, I've digressed.

I find myself needing to refer to the most basic of fitness equations: "[calories expended] > [calories ingested] = fat-loss".

In 2004, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization stated that the average American consumes 3,790 calories per day... over 1350 of which came from fat. That's a LOT of fat and calories, given that the RDA has been suggested to be 2000 calories... A near-2000 calorie surplus on average.

While a lot of individuals are aware of the the RDA... the numbers referenced really don't make an impact, as a number of people don't understand them.

Let's put these figures into perspective, starting with the above-mentioned 2000 calorie surplus.

Measuring the surplus in exercise units, it would take approximately 6 hours for the average person to burn 2000 calories on the treadmill.

That's right... 6 hours.

I sincerely doubt that many of my readers are doing more than an hour of cardio per day.

6 hours is simply unimaginable!

Referring again to the "[calories expended] > [calories ingested] = fat-loss" equation: Clearly logic would dictate that the facet which one would attempt to revise first is "calories ingested".

My suggestion: Not seeing any results? Fix your diet. Exercise more (within reason). Eat less.

_________________________________________________
Need help?

Then check out my diet quick-fix threads:

"Diet For A Lean Body This Summer!" http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1758
"The Lifestyle Approach to a Lean, Muscular Physique." http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1487
"Acceptable foods list: food choices and quantities." http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4948
"How Many Calories Do You Need??" http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showthread.php?t=245

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Myth 3. Doing a lot of cardio will cause injury. Weight-training will prevent injury.

Firstly 'a lot' is relative.

Secondly: Yes, doing *too much* cardio can cause injuries... but so can too much weight-training. Heck, so can under-eating (re: poor nutrition). Injury prevention is about finding a balance between resistance training, nutrition, aerobic training, flexibility/pliability, and the application of common sense... not depending on any individual variable.

Over-emphasizing any individual facet won't 'prevent injury'.

Injuries result from over-use, over-exertion, as well as over-reaching. With regard to over-use, the number of consecutive days a muscle is heavily utilized tends to be correlated to risk of injury. i.e. If you are consistently placing a high demand on musculature daily, the risk of injury will be high.

This risk can be reduced by cutting down on the number of consecutive days of training, thus increasing time allotted to recovery. With regard to aerobic training in particular, risk can be reduced by alternating upper-body-dominant cardio days with lower- body-dominant cardio days. e.g. On one day you can row, and on another day you can stair-climb.

Some psychological factors also influence the risk of injury. Some studies have shown that athletes who overly aggressive, stressed, or otherwise tense are at greater risk for injury than their relaxed peers. Personally I've seen an athlete tear a muscle clean off the bone simply because he showed up at the gym pissed. He followed his standard warm-up. The only factor dissimilar to his usual work-out was his agitation. Stress is real!

Other factors which may increase the risk of injury are muscular imbalances, muscle tightness, and "trigger points". "Muscular imbalances" refer to abnormalities in muscle strength, size, and length. An imbalance may affect load distribution, which may, in turn, increase the risk of joint trauma. In my experience, particularly where antagonists are concerned, muscle tightness/stiffness directly relates to increased injury risk. Stiffness tends to result in a shorter antagonist... which, as a result, 'pulls' on the areas it opposes. This tension affects changes the range of motion of limbs and joints, thus increasing localized stress and the risk of injury.

Trigger points are thick knots located in fascia tissue "sheath" surrounding a muscle. These knots can be caused by poor shoes and equipment, poor exercise biomechanics, localized trauma, poor flexibility, the repeated use of range-of-motion shortening actions (e.g. Sitting at a desk for hours at a time) and related exercises etc. These painful knots can shorten the usable range-of-motion of a muscle/joint... thus increasing the risk of injury.

One would realize that not one of these risk factors is directly related to aerobic exercise specifically. One would also realize that not one of these risk factors pegs weight-training as a solution. Utilize common sense...and find a balance. Resistance exercise, aerobic exercise, and flexibility training are essential to remaining injury-free. 'Balance' refers to putting equal effort into each of these.

Some common sense suggestions:

Monitor daily for signs of fatigue.. and avoid training when you are tired.
Choose appropriate footwear.
Use appropriate training surfaces.
Pay attention to exercise biomechanics.
Utilize stretching and trigger-point therapy (aka self-myofascial release) to prevent injury.
Find a balance between weight-training and cardio.
Consume enough calories and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to support your activity.

_________________________________________________

Myth. 4 If you're getting bored, you're doing too much cardio.

Rubbish. :)

What, you were expecting a long and detailed rebuttal?

Well I'm sorry to disappoint you there. That last myth was just too asinine to validate wasting words.

I will say this however: Humans are easily bored.

We find a number of activities 'boring'... however, we continue to enroll in these activities (e.g. jobs; school) because the benefits of these activities are seen as desirable.

My suggestion: Primarily, condition yourself to view cardio in the same light as other essential activities. Secondarily, find ways to make cardio enjoyable. Take it outdoors if need be. Make it a family activity... or one which you share with your significant other. Just get it done!

I realize that I've run out of 'rant' for that article, but before I run out of space let me address a couple more myths:
_________________________________________________
Myth 5: "If you aren't sweating during cardio exercise, then you aren't getting its full benefits."

Now this myth is one that I hear WHEREVER I go. Heck, if you ask the average gym rat why he's at the gym, you're sure to hear at least 1 out of each 5 respond with "to work up a sweat". Where the correlation between sweat and fat-loss/results came about, we may never know however.

What trainees don't seem to get is that the process of sweating itself is nothing more than the mechanism by the body cools itself. This process is NOT indicative of how effective a workout is... as exercises which result in even mild sweating may result in the burning of a substantial amount of calories.
_________________________________________________
Myth 6. If you don't have 30 minutes for cardio, then you might as well skip it.

I know, I know... The first myth mentioned 30+ minutes of cardio. Truth-be-told however, every single minute of activity you can dedicate to exercise each day counts! Even if you don't have 30 minutes for cardio, skipping your session would be a personal disservice!

My suggestions: Plan ahead so as to make the best use of the time you CAN dedicate to cardio. 10-20 minutes of all-out hill sprints, burpees, HIIT treadmill or elliptical work, or skipping can go a long way!

That's it for today guys!

Narkissos out!

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums
Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

References:

"FAO Statistical Yearbook, 2004 Vol. 1" http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0205m/a0205m00.htm
Retrieved: 12th October.

"FAO Country Profiles: United States of America". ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/008/a02...of-America.pdf
Retrieved: 12th October.

"Physical Activity". The Irish Heart Foundation. http://www.irishheart.ie/iopen24/phy...vity-t-73.html
Retrieved: 12th October.

"Search for calories burned by various activities." http://calorielab.com/burned/
Retrieved: 12th October.

"Beat the flu to a bloody pulp."

2009-10-12T03:19:00.001-04:00

"Beat the flu to a bloody pulp."
by Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of: "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums,Apollo Fitness Barbados, & NarkSide Apparel.

October 12th 2009

Hi all. As you guys may have heard, I'd recently been rendered infantile by some killer bug. I really thought this was it for me this time around.

"Drama queen"?

Far from.

I've had dengue fever four times thus far, two episodes being within weeks of each other last year. This episode of God-knows-what was far worse than any bout of Dengue fever that I'd ever had. So, I was mentally preparing myself to kick the bucket.

I don't normally rush to the doctor when I'm feeling infirmed, but this time around... I did.

I was loaded up on antibiotics, and a bunch of other crap... that left me feeling worse and worse as the ailment progressed.

Over a week passed, and I was still feeling like absolute crap. Each day, my friends and peers would be asking me "How do you feel?" "Are you any better?" My answer each day? No.

I mean hell, aren't medications supposed to make you feel better?

A friend told me "well maybe the medication isn't working... Maybe you need to go to the doc again for more medication, or a different prescription". My dad echoed the same sentiment.

It was on one of these really bad days, while waiting to meet St. Peter at the pearly gates, that I experienced a should've-would've-could've moment of absolute clarity.

"Maybe the medication ISN'T working".

Maybe, it never really works.

Maybe we over-medicate, and under-estimate the negative effects of doing so.

Maybe we over-apply drugs, while under-applying supplements, sound dieting knowledge, and basic common sense.

Don't get me wrong... The point of this article isn't to bash the medical field, or to suggest that you stop taking your medications.

The point of this article is to provide an alternate view... as well as a supplementary approach towards the maintenance of optimal health. Yes... even during flu season.
_________________________________________________

Disclaimer: I'm a chronic asthmatic... and I have been for 26 years. Yes, I've used diet, exercise, supplements, and common sense to beat my asthma. However, please note once more: I am NOT suggesting that you stop taking medications.
_________________________________________________

Intro to the flu

Influenza (typically called "the flu"), is a viral infection. Viruses are small infectious organisms which need to enter a living cell to replicate. Viruses hijack the host cell, altering the cell's normal functions.

Sometimes this hijacking results in cell death. Sometimes, viruses simply leave some of their DNA behind. When the cell is agitated/activated, by whatever standard metabolic process, the virus may begin replicating again... causing disease.

Our body has a number of defenses against, and responses to, viral attacks.

For one, when viruses enter the body, they trigger an immune response. Should we survive a viral infection, some our white blood cells (the cells which attack and destroy the virus, and infected cells) 'remember' the virus... thus they're able to to quickly identify and rectify subsequent infections by the same virus. This process is called immunity.

In this article we'll discuss how one can fortify and support these defensive and response-mediated mechanisms.

I won't be separating this suggestions into sections... as some of these measures are both preventative and reactive.
_________________________________________________

Strike 1: Load up on Phytochemicals/Phytonutrients.

Phytonutrients are biologically active protective chemicals found naturally in plants. The nutrients are contained in the chemicals responsible for the colour of the fruits and vegetables we

eat. As colours are easily recognizable, dieticians often suggest that dieters eat a range of colours. This allows for a a range of phytochemicals... and, subsequently, a range of benefits.

Some phytochemicals are immune-boosting.
Some are metabolism-boosting. Some are antibacterial, while others are antiviral. Still others prevent against oxidative damage... while supporting cellular repair.

All of these benefits are of particular interest during the flu season.

Examples of foods high in flu-busting phytonutrients:

Foods containing the chemicals sulforaphane, isothiocyanate and idoles:

broccoli
brussels sprouts
cabbage, kale
cauliflower
bok choy
watercress

Foods containing the chemical Allium:

onions (all kinds)
garlic
leeks
shallots
chives

Foods containing chemicals called anthocyanins:

berries
plums (and prunes)
red grapes (including derivatives: raisins, grape juice, and red wine) cranberries
pomegranates

Foods containing the chemical lycopene:

Tomatoes (and tomato products)
watermelon
pink grapefruit
Apricots
pink guavas

Food containing chemicals called carotenes:

Carrots
pumpkins
mangos
apricots
cantaloupe
sweet potatoes

Foods rich in Vitamin C and related flavanoids:

citrus fruits
peaches
nectarines
pineapple
papaya

Foods rich in lutein and related phytochemicals:

green beans
avocados
kiwi fruit
green peppers
honeydew melon

Foods which are rich in various (other) types of phytonutrients:

Seeds (e.g. flax seeds)
Tea
Cocao/Cocoa/Chocolate

NB: We'll discuss more of these foods in the "anti-inflammatory section of this article".
_________________________________________________

Strike 2: Avoid pro-inflammatory foods!!!

As stated in my earlier article "You are what you assimilate", gastric and intestinal irritation can negatively affect health. Thus it would make sense if one cut out all sources of gastric irritation if disease is to be treated and/or prevented.

Examples of Pro-inflammatory foods:

Food high in sugars
Heavily processed carbohydrates
Grains (in people who are allergic to grains)
Dairy (in people who are allergic to Dairy)
Fatty Red meats (and foods high in arachidonic acid and omega-6 fatty acids)

_________________________________________________

Strike 3: Add anti-inflammatory foods!!!

If inflammatory foods are correlated to an increased risk of illness, then it can be said that anti-inflammatory foods may reduce your risk of illness. Furthermore, should illness manifest, they may speed recovery... or, at the very least, reduce the subsequent discomfort felt during the period of convalescence.

Examples of Anti-inflammatory foods:

Bananas (Bananas can correct 'leaky gut', thus preventing nutrient malabsorption).
Berries (Berries add quertin, an immune-supporting anti-oxidant, as well as other phytochemicals and fiber)
Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids (Flaxseed oil, fish oil, fatty fish, walnuts, pumpkin seeds etc.)
Soy protein/Tofu/Soy Milk (Research shows that foods high in soy isoflavones may reduce systemic inflammation).

_________________________________________________

Strike 4: Stock up on supplements!!!

B-complex vitamins: Stress mediation.

The b-complex vitamins:

Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Vitamin B3 (niacin or niacinamide)
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine/pyridoxal/pyridoxamine/pyridoxine hydrochloride)
Vitamin B7 (biotin)
Vitamin B8 (inositol)**
Vitamin B9 (folic acid)
Vitamin B12 (cobalamins/cyanocobalamin)

Viruses enter the body via a number pathways. Some viruses are stopped in their tracks almost immediately upon entry. Generally the factor which influences the severity of the manifestation of a viral invasion is immune health. Stress is a factor which can negatively impact immune health.

Enter the b-complex vitamins! During times of stress, b-complex vitamins are heavily utilized by the cells of the body. This can make the body more susceptible to sickness. Logically their supplementation should reduce the risk of illness. Even where illness manifests, b-complex vitamins can help mitigate feelings of lethargy and fatigue... they may also positively affect headaches which manifest.

Suggested dose: 800 mg per day

**NB: Inositol, has been de-classified as a 'vitamin'. However, for the purpose of this article, it's been included.
_________________________________________________

Dietary Fiber: Does more than "keep you regular"

As shown in my earlier earlier "You are what you assimilate", intestine health heavily affects immune health and function.

Keeping everything regular and free-flowing is necessary where both preventing illness, and dealing with illness is concerned.

With reference to illness which have already manifested, maintaining digestive health may prevent the overgrowth of bacterial agents... which, if allowed to proliferate unimpeded, may make an already crappy bout of the flu even more so.

Suggesed dose: 30 grams per day
_________________________________________________
Echinacea: Wonder herb?

Wonder herb indeed!

This herb has been shown to reduce the virus-induced secretion of pro-inflammatory chemicals. Its effects don't appear to be limited to specific viruses either! To the contrary actually, as a study showed that inflammation-inhibitory effects were prevalent even in the presence of viruses such as rhinoviruses 1A and 14, the influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus types 3 and 11, as well as the herpes simplex virus type 1. Echinacea has also showed potent virucidal activity against viruses with membranes, thus indicating its potential as a multi-functional flu-fighter.

Suggesed dose: 1000 mg, thrice daily (during periods of illness).

NB: I only suggest using echinachae during times of stress and illness. It's very effective on the short-term... but less so on the long term.
_________________________________________________
Ginger:

Ginger?

That's right!

Research shows that the herb ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc) might have potential clinical applications as a preventive agent against (and therapeutic application for) influenza infection. We aren't however discussing the small amounts one would consume in herbal infusions. Effective dosages for this herb are in gram amounts... so the application of a powdered form of this herb is necessary.

The plus side?

It's really cheap.

Suggested dose: 3gr per day
_________________________________________________
Horehound: Egyptian expectorant.

The herb White Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) is very effective against coughs. It acts as an expectorant as well as a soothing tonic to the throat. The herb's use has been documented as far back as ancient egypt. It's natural, versatile, and importantly, DOESN'T TASTE LIKE MEDICINE!

To me, that latter point is the most important.

Histal?

No thanks!

Suggesed dose: 10 to 40 drops of the extract in water, 2 lozenges, or 1-2 grams of dried herb or infusion, three times daily (as needed).
_________________________________________________
Vitamin C: The go-to guy?

Vitamin C... the first thing most people reach for during cold and flu season. However, the jury is out as to whether vitamin C is actually useful in flu prevention. That being said, studies have shown that mega-dosing can reduce the severity and duration of influenza episodes. Anything that can reduce my downtime is gold in my book! My suggestion? Stock up on it!

Suggesed dose: 8000mg-10,000 immediately at the onset of illness; 3000-5000 mg per day during the flu season.
_________________________________________________

Vitamin D: The go-to guy's bosom-buddy

Vitamin D doesn't come to mind when most people think about preventing/treating colds and flu. However, some schools of thought actually attribute the development of influenza to Vitamin D deficiencies. Whether is actually the case is yet to be established. However, studies do show that people with low serum levels of vitamin D report more cases of cold or flu. So it would appear that fortifying one's vitamin D levels may significantly reduce the risk of influenza infections.

With regard to optimal dosing, studies find the current RDA to be ineffective for flu prevention. Dr. John Cannell, in his paper "Epidemic Influenza And Vitamin D", hypothesized that a dosage of 5000 IUs per day may prevent influenza.

NB: The current RDA for Vitamin D is 400IUs.

In 2008, the Public Health Agency of Canada started study investigating the role of vitamin D in severe seasonal influenza. In 2009 this organization publicly stated that it would be adapting said study to the H1N1 virus.

My suggestions? Do some 'practical investigations' of your own! This is another supplement I'd stock up on during the flu season.

Suggesed dose: 35 IUs per pound of bodyweight.

NB2: For a 140 lb female that'd be 4900 IUs. For the 180 lb male, that'd be 6300 IUs.
_________________________________________________

Whey Protein: Not just for muscle-building.

Cold-processed whey protein isolate sits near the top of the muscle-building supplement pyramid. However, we're not looking at this supplement as a muscle-builder today. No, today we look at whey in a different light... that of an immune-booster, as well as an easy-to-digest food substrate. The latter property is of special consideration, as the nutrient malabsorption is a common occurrence during times of illness.

Whey's immune-boosting properties are highly documented. The ingestion of whey protein has been shown to drastically increase levels of the antioxidant gluthatione in tissue... particularly that of the heart, liver, and spleen. Dröge and Breitkreutz (2000) stated:

"The immune system works best if the lymphoid cells have a delicately balanced intermediate level of glutathione. Even moderate changes in the intracellular glutathione level have profound effects on lymphocyte functions. Certain functions, such as the DNA synthetic response, are exquisitely sensitive to reactive oxygen intermediates and, therefore, are favoured by high levels of the antioxidant glutathione."

NB: "Lympocytes" are a type of white blood cell which has two primary forms/functions: the production of antibodies in the humoral immune response; participation in cell-mediated immune response.

Suggested dose: 20% of allotted calorie intake. [Bounous & Gold (1991)]
_________________________________________________

Zinc: the "Terminator" of trace minerals.

"What are you talking about Nark?"

I'll tell you what I'm talking about!!!

If Arnold Schwarzenegger was a mineral, he'd be zinc-coloured. Seriously!

Zinc is involved in numerous metabolic processes. You think of it, and zinc's involved. The mineral plays a crucial role in literally hundreds of enzymes and biological functions. Where it isn't the primary character, it's the co-factor to the primary character... playing the supporting role in numerous biological processes.

Here's a short-list of this mineral's call to fame:

Necessary for growth and cell division
Necessary for fertility (via regulating the activity of the reproduction system)
Improves perception of taste, smell and appetite
Essential for skin, hair and nail health (Zinc participates in skin regeneration)
Active in the maintenance of healthy vision
Necessary for the synthesis of insulin
Active in the process of blood formation
Contributes to the timely healing of the wounds
Maintains the proper functioning of immune system (particularly where the T-cells are concerned)

To say that this mineral is a power-house would be an EPIC UNDERSTATEMENT! Added to its obvious immune benefit is its ability to stop diarrhea in its tracks! Diarrhea is often one of the most uncomfortable and inconvenient parts of influenza infection. With zinc, you avoid having to add more medicines to your arsenal. Kiss Kaopectate and Pepto-Bismol good-bye!

Suggested dose: 50 mg per day
_________________________________________________
Other Supplements worth investigating:

Allium sativa
Panax quinquefolium
Eleutherococcus senticosus
Andrographis paniculata
olive leaf extract
Isatis tinctoria
Sambucus nigra
larch arabinogalactan
Astragalus membranaceous
Baptisia tinctoria
vitamin A
N-acetylcysteine
DHEA

_________________________________________________
Referee's notes!

You are NOT a victim... so you've no reason to throw up your hands and act like one. There are many measures which one can implement to prevent illness, as well as to speed recovery from illness. My suggestions?

Take advantage of the above suggestions from the very first sign of illness. Hit it hard, and you just may succeed in knocking those little germ bastards out!

Regards,

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums
Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

References:

Barnes, Powell-Griner, McFann, Nahin. "Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults: United States, 2002." CDC Advance Data Report #343. May 27, 2004.

Barrett, Harahan, Brown, Zhang, Brown. "Sufficiently important difference for common cold: severity reduction." Ann Fam Med. 2007 May-Jun;5(3):216-23.

Bounous G, Gold P. "The Biological Activity Of Undenatured Dietary Whey Proteins : Role Of Glutathione." Clin Invest Mod. 1991 Aug;14(4) :296-309.

Bounous G, Kongshavn PA, Gold P. "The Immunoenhancing Property Of Dietary Whey Protein Concentrate." Clin Invest Med. 1988 Aug;11(4) :271-8.

Cannell. "Epidemic Influenza And Vitamin D". Complementary Medicine/Alternative Medicine News 15 Sep 2006.

Dröge, Breitkreutz. "Glutathione and immune function." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society (2000), 59, 595–600.

Fanti P, Asmis R, Stephenson TJ, Sawaya BP, Franke AA. "Positive effect of dietary soy in ESRD patients with systemic inflammation--correlation between blood levels of the soy isoflavones and the acute-phase reactants." Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2006 Aug;21(8):2239-46.

Ford JT, Wong CW, Colditz IG. "Effects of dietary protein types on immune responses and levels of infection with Eimeria vermiformis in mice." Immunol Cell Biol. 2001 Feb;79(1):23-8

Vieth R, Bischoff-Ferrari H, Boucher BJ, Dawson-Hughes B, Garland CF, Heaney RP, et al. The urgent need to recommend an intake of vitamin D that is effective. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:649-50.

Hathcock JN, Shao A, Vieth R, Heaney R. Risk assessment for vitamin D. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:6-18.

Heimer, Hart, Martin, Rubio-Wallace. "Examining the evidence for the use of vitamin C in the prophylaxis and treatment of the common cold." J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2009 May;21(5):295-300.

Hodgson JM, Ward NC, Burke V, Beilin LJ, Puddey IB. "Increased lean red meat intake does not elevate markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in humans." J Nutr. 2007 Feb;137 (2):363-7.

Huang SM, Wu CH, Yen GC. "Effects of flavonoids on the expression of the pro-inflammatory response in human monocytes induced by ligation of the receptor for AGEs." Mol Nutr Food Res. 2006 Dec;50(12):1129-39.

Imanishi, Andoh, Mantani, Sakai, Terasawa, Shimada, Sato, Katada, Ueda, Ochiai. "Macrophage-mediated inhibitory effect of Zingiber officinale Rosc, a traditional oriental herbal medicine, on the growth of influenza A/Aichi/2/68 virus." Am J Chin Med. 2006;34(1):157-69.

Kennedy RS, Konok GP, Bounous G, Baruchel S, Lee TD. "The Use Of A Whey Protein Concentrate In The Treatment Of Patients With Metastatic Carcinoma : A Phase I-II Clinical Study." Anticancer Res. 1995 Nov-Dec;15(6B) :2643-9.

Kent KD, Harper WJ, Bomser JA. "Effect of whey protein isolate on intracellular glutathione and oxidant-induced cell death in human prostate epithelial cells." Toxicol In Vitro. 2003 Feb;17(1):27-33.

Kontopidis G, Holt C, Sawyer L. "Invited review: beta-lactoglobulin: binding properties, structure, and function." J Dairy Sci. 2004 Apr;87(4):785-96.

Lopez-Garcia E, Schulze MB, Fung TT, Meigs JB, Rifai N, Manson JE, Hu FB. "Major dietary patterns are related to plasma concentrations of markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction." Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Oct;80(4):1029-35.

Lukacik, Thomas, Aranda. "A Meta-analysis of the Effects of Oral Zinc in the Treatment of Acute and Persistent Diarrhea". Pediatrics Vol. 121 No. 2 February 2008, pp. 326-336.

Micke P, Beeh KM, Schlaak JF, Buhl R. "Oral supplementation with whey proteins increases plasma glutathione levels of HIV-infected patients." Eur J Clin Invest. 2001 Feb;31(2):171-8.

Minehira K, Inoue S, Nonaka M, Osada K, Yamada K, Sugano M. "Effects of dietary protein type on oxidized cholesterol-induced alteration in age-related modulation of lipid metabolism and indices of immune function in rats." Biochim Biophys Acta. 2000 Jan 3;1483(1):141-53.

Panush RS, Veloso ML, Weiss S, Bielory L. "Mechanisms in adverse reactions to food. The joints and muscles." Allergy. 1995;50(20 Suppl):74-7.

Parodi PW. "A role for milk proteins and their peptides in cancer prevention." Curr Pharm Des. 2007;13 :813-28.

Roxas, Jurenka. "Colds and influenza: a review of diagnosis and conventional, botanical, and nutritional considerations." Altern Med Rev. 2007 Mar;12(1):25-48.
Sasazuki, Sasaki, Tsubono, Okubo, Hayashi, Tsugane. "Effect of vitamin C on common cold: randomized controlled trial." Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jan;60(1):9-17.

Sharma, Anderson, Schoop, Hudson. "Induction of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines by respiratory viruses and reversal by standardized Echinacea, a potent antiviral herbal extract." Antiviral Res. 2009 Aug;83(2):165-70. Epub 2009 May 3.

Ströhle, Hahn. "Vitamin C and immune function". Med Monatsschr Pharm. 2009 Feb;32(2):49-54; quiz 55-6.

Suter PM. "Positive effect of dietary soy in ESRD patients with systemic inflammation--correlation between blood levels of the soy isoflavones and the acute-phase reactants." Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2006 Aug;21(8):2239-46.

Turner, Bauer, Woelkart, et al. "An evaluation of Echinacea angustifolia in experimental rhinovirus infections." The New England Journal of Medicine. 2005 353(4): 341–348.

Vieth, Bischoff-Ferrari, Boucher, Dawson-Hughes, Garland, Heaney, Holick, Hollis, Lamberg-Allardt, McGrath, Norman, Scragg, Whiting, Willett, and Armin Zittermann. "The urgent need to recommend an intake of vitamin D that is effective." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 3, 649-650, March 2007

WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants. Vol 1. World Health Organization 1999:125–35.

Feeding Your Feelings: Overcoming Emotional Eating

2009-09-20T20:43:00.000-04:00

Feeding Your Feelings: Overcoming Emotional Eating
By M. Sunset Sealy
[edited by Narkissos]

NarkSide - Sept 14th, 2009

I had a pretty rough week last week. In between family emergencies, personal trials and business difficulties, I felt just about ready to kill someone.

Anyone.

My gym routine failed all week, and my eating habits were a complete mess.

If I ate three good, solid meals all week, I ate a lot.

When my appetite did choose to rear its head, I realized that I was craving things like ice cream, chocolate, or lasagna.

You know what I mean: the comforting, fattening, feel-good crap.

Luckily for me, time, money or situations did not allow me to indulge... but the entire experience really got me thinking about how easy it is to “feel hungry”.

It REALLY made me realize how moods and emotions, influence (and/or control) how and what we eat.

Heck, by the time you calculate how much time you’re going to have to spend on the treadmill to get rid of that stupid indulgence, you’ve already had 1000 depression, heartache, anger, or boredom-lace calories.

AND, top it off, you feel guilty to boot.

Good going.

"Yay me!"

*sighs*

Many of us (and I’ll be honest here, I’m mainly addressing women even though men are at fault as well) fail to realise that food not only fills our stomachs... it satisfies our feelings.

And, if we don’t pay close attention to this, we are liable to eat the wrong things whenever we feel like.

Major life events — such as unemployment, health problems, the death of a loved one, relationship issues and divorce — and daily life hassles — such as a stressful work commute, bad weather and changes in your normal routine — can trigger emotions that lead to overeating.

But why do negative emotions lead to overeating?

Some foods may have seemingly addictive qualities. For example, when you eat enticing foods, such as chocolate, your body releases trace amounts of mood- and satisfaction-elevating hormones. That "reward" may reinforce a preference for foods that are most closely associated with specific feelings.

Related to this is the simple fact that the pleasure of eating offsets negative emotions.

One thing we must always realize however, is that these good feelings are only going to last a short while... and then the negative feelings return. Along with them comes a real and pressing hunger... because you have eaten nothing substantial.

Food can also be a distraction.

If you're worried about an upcoming event or rethinking an earlier conflict, eating comfort foods may distract you. But again, this distraction is only temporary. While you're eating, your thoughts focus on the pleasant taste of your comfort food, and then, when you're done overeating, your attention returns to your worries. You now bear the additional feeling of guilt as I mentioned before.

"Yay me!" part 2!!!

*double sigh*

It's something that we become introduced to at a very early age. Jane Jakubczak, a registered dietitian at the University of Maryland states: "Oftentimes when a child is sad, we cheer them up with a sweet treat. This behavior gets reinforced year after year until we are practicing the same behavior as adults. We never learned how to deal with the sad feeling because we always pushed it away with a sweet treat. Learning how to deal with feelings without food is a new skill many of us need to learn."

So how do we combat this? First of all, it is important to recognize the differences between emotional hunger and physical hunger.

1. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly; physical hunger occurs gradually.
Physical hunger doesn't just jump out and attack you like a stealthy ninja. Physical hunger is something that builds as time goes by. If at any point you are 'suddenly' hungry or 'suddenly' need to have a certain thing, this is a craving, driven by emotions.

Shut. It. Up!

2. Emotional hunger tends to be specific.
"I'm so hungry. The only thing that can fill me now is a double chocolate chip ice cream sandwich!"

Well if that's the only thing that can fill you now that you're ever so hungry, you're just eating to quiet down whatever it is that's really nagging you.

When you are eating to fill a void that isn't related to an empty stomach, you crave a specific food, such as pizza or ice cream... and only that food will seem to meet your need.

I'm sure you've experienced it.

You may even have tried eating something else, but only when you eat that one particular thing, are you honestly 'satisfied'.

When you eat because you are actually hungry, you tend to be more open to options.

3. Emotional hunger is impatient.
You want it, and you want it now. Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave; physical hunger can wait.

4. Physical hunger has a limit.
Even when you are full, if you're eating to satisfy an emotional need, you're more likely to keep eating. Your brain almost 'disconnects' from your stomach and emotions, and only when your feelings have settled will you stop.

When you're eating because you're hungry, you're more likely to stop when you're full.

5. The guilt. Oh God, the guilt.
Emotional eating can leave behind feelings of guilt: Immense, intense guilt.

Eating when you are physically hungry does not.

Now that we know how to identify the sneaky bastard, how are we going to manage the emotional eating?
One of the most important things is to try to recognize what triggers this kind of eating in is.

Try to pay attention to what you're going through at the time you decide to drown yourself in a tub of rocky road.

Keep a food journal: Write down what you eat, when you eat and why you eat it.

As time goes by, you may begin to see a pattern emerging that will tell you where the emotions kick in and therefore where you start losing your head for the sake of your stomach.

Try to find other things to do to occupy your mind. Instead of unwrapping that kit kat, take a walk, go see a movie, listen to music, read a book, play a video game or call a friend.

If you think that stress relating to a particular event is nudging you toward the refrigerator, try talking to someone about it to distract yourself. Make a list of things that you can do instead of eating and try to stick to this list.

Call in the troops if you have to: Make your friends aware of your goals and stick together. Sometimes a little help can go a long way.

As hard as this next tip may be, you're just going to have to suck it up and do it:
STOP.
STOCKING.
COMFORT.
FOODS.

Yes, I said it. Stop picking up that tub of ice cream "just in case company comes over".

Stop buying bags of candy "for the kids".

Who are you trying to fool? The fact of the matter is that if it's not there, you won't eat it.

Go do some knitting while the urge passes. Don't go grocery shopping when this feeling hits you either. If you feel hungry or upset, postpone the shopping trip for a few hours so that these feelings don't influence your decisions at the store.

Don't skip meals!
When you miss your regular meals, you'll find it much easier to binge, especially if something is bothering you. Eat at your regular hours as much as you possibly can.

After all this is said and done, it really does just boil down to being focused, staying in control of yourself and making a conscious decision not to fall off the wagon. It's never worth it in the end.

Stay Strong!

Regards,
-StrawberrySun81
Client of: Apollo Fitness Barbados

Narkissos's killer shape-up tips!!! Part 2

2009-09-20T19:41:00.001-04:00

Narkissos's killer shape-up tips!!! Part 2
by Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of: "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums,Apollo Fitness Barbados, & NarkSide Apparel.

September 2009

Summer's just about over in my part of the world. As a result, the gyms are seeing less and less patronage. But I mean hell, just because summer's over doesn't mean that you don't need to ditch "operation lean and sexy". i.e. Opportunities to show off that hot body don't dry up because the weather changes. Keep that in mind my friends!

"Lean & Tight" is sexy year-round!

With that in mind: Having followed part 1 of this series, I'd fathom that you guys should be primed and ready for 'level 2'. So let's get to it.

(NB: For Tips 1-3, see this link: http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9992)

4. Get competitive!

Research shows that adding an element of competition to an endeavor can increase an individual's levels of commitment, motivation, and enjoyment, of said activity[1][2].

Personally, I've found that the addition of some competition tends to be the catalyst: turning a good work-out into an absolutely awesome one.

The great thing about competition in the gym, is that it can take on so very many forms.

On squat day, it can take on the form of "largest number of quality reps achieved at [insert weight]".

On cardio day it take on the form of "fastest outdoor sprint" etc.

There's just SO much that can be done.

Don't have a training partner? Borrow one.

That's right... Borrow one: Walk up to the person who you most want to look like, and (politely) ask if you could work in with them for the day... and, try to keep up.

Should that person not be interested, you're left with the option of mimicking the person's work-out from your corner of the gym... attempting to exceed everything that they've done.

Heck, there really isn't even a need for another party... oftentimes I compete against myself.

"How the hell do you do that Nark?! Damn your guru dribble! Dammit. Dammit. Dammit!"

*smiles*

(Sorry... sometimes I honestly crack myself up. I can honestly hear some of you saying exactly that lol.)

*clear throat*

Continuing: Beating yourself.

This really isn't as psychotic as it sounds. Well, maybe it is in a sense.

Basically, this requires that you constantly surpass every total you've logged in previous work outs.

e.g. If you Squatted 200 lbs for 5 sets of 10 reps (i.e. 50 reps total)... Then I expect you to try to achieve 60 reps in the follow-up workout.

If you've done weighted hill sprints up a 50meter incline in 20 seconds... I expect you to push to complete it in 15 seconds. etc.

Compete and WIN!!!

You'll continue to win even after you've left the gym.

5. Be One-sided!

I've found that most people tend to have one side of the body which is bigger and stronger than the other. Additionally, a lot of people (namely sedentary individuals) have issues working/recruiting certain muscle groups.

The solution to each of the above problems?

Uni-lateral work.

i.e. Working one side of the body (via single-arm, or single-leg exercises) at a time.

Single-leg/Single-arm exercises can be GREAT plateau blasters as well.

I find unilateral training works so very well because it places heavy demands on the target musculature... as well as the core musculature used in maintaining torso stability.

"But Nark... Don't 'normal' barbell movements place heavy demands on the target musculature?"

Sure... It does.

But oftentimes standard lifts, particularly where a muscular or postural balance already exists, tend to recruit secondary support musculature.

Basically, the body seeks the easiest route via which the exercise can be completed.

Unfortunately, 'easiest' isn't necessarily optimal for our purposes. Oftentimes imbalances are simply exacerbated.

That's where unilateral work comes in.

"Ok, ok... So what exercises can I incorporate?"

I'm glad you asked really.

Instead of Barbell Squats, work quadriceps with:

Dumbbell/Barbell Lunges (either static or walking lunges)
Bulgarian Split Squats
Dumbbell Step-ups

Instead of Dead-lifts/leg-curls/hyper-extensions, work hamstrings with:

Single-leg Dumbbell Dead-lifts
Single-leg Hyper-extensions
Single-leg Standing/Laying Leg-curls

Instead of Barbell Rows and Lat-Machine Pull-downs, work the muscles of the back with:

One-arm Dumbbell Rows
One-arm Pendlay Rows
One-arm T-bar rows
One-arm Dumbbell Pullover
One-arm Lat-machine pull-downs

Instead of Barbell shoulder presses, work the muscles of the deltoid complex with:

Single-arm Arnold presses
One-arm Lateral Raise
One-arm Dumbbell/Cable Front Raise
Single arm Dumbbell Overhead press

For biceps, ditch the barbell curl, and instead use:

One-arm Dumbbell Preacher curls

For triceps, opt for the:

One-arm overhead dumbbell extension

For calves, try a single-leg variant of any calf exercise you're currently doing.

Remember this line from the the preceding article? "Make it random... make it hard, make it interesting."

Step it up!

6. Stop counting reps

Confused?

Don't be.

Yes, I've said in previous sections and articles "beat [insert number] repetitions!".

However, I'm really not one for numerical fixations... as my clients and training partners soon realize.

Why not?

While structure (via working through specific pre-set rep ranges) is great, it can set some people up for failure... and I'm not talking about the good kind either.

The mind is very powerful. Still, it's heavily influenced by the commands and concepts we allow to filter through.

If you approach a challenging weight with a preconceived number of repetitions in mind, then you WILL shut down (mentally and physically) at that number... even if there's a possibility that you could've gotten another 2 or 3 repetitions on your own.

These two or three missed repetitions are often the difference between success and stagnation where fitness is concerned.

So my tip? Think more, but think less.

i.e. Project free will into your set... and ditch numerical fixations.

Previously I used to imagine myself doing a set prior to actually executing the set. In so doing, I primed my body to follow my mind.

Now a days, I just leave my mind blank... 'cept for the safety protocol running in the background which (via enforcing proper exercise form) prevents injury.

Other than that, it's just me and weights, repping until absolute failure.

Try it.

You might just like it.

Turn your limitations off!

Regards,

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums

Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

References:

Tauer, John M.; Harackiewicz, Judith M. The Effects of Cooperation and Competition on Intrinsic Motivation and Performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol 86(6), Jun 2004, 849-861.
Reeve J., Olson B., Cole S. Motivation and Performance: Two consequences of winning and losing in competition. Motivation and Emotion, Vol 9, No. 3, 1985, 295.

Narkissos's killer shape-up tips!!! Part 1

2009-09-20T19:40:00.000-04:00

Narkissos's killer shape-up tips!!! Part 1

by Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of: "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums,Apollo Fitness Barbados, & NarkSide Apparel.

September 2009

I've been told that I draw people to me when I step into a gym. Gym owners and gym-goers alike tend to gravitate towards whatever I'm doing, most of the times emulating what I do when I'm doing it. At first it was very, very odd. I mean hell, sometimes it seems like a dance scene from High School Musical 2. Having pondered over it quite a few times, I've come up with the reason.

I simply have a motherload of FUN when I'm at the gym.

No matter how gruelling the work-out, I have a blast. So, the purpose of this article is to share some of the tweaks and tricks I use to make it fun for me.

All Aboard!!!

1. Get in the groove.

A lot of the time I work out in silence... Namely because I find the experience to be a cleansing one. You know, because being in the office, commuting, and even being at home can be annoyingly loud.

However, there are times when I'm in the mood of music.

Music can be empowering (where a boost is needed), and it can be distracting (where distractions are warranted). Each of my music moods is different... So my playlist differs accordingly.

During hard cardio for example, I'm a hard rock fan.

During long-duration cardio, I like steady-state grooves.

There really isn't a need to limit your music taste to your workout mood either, as many external factors tend to influence one's work-out. Heck, many of us exercise to mediate the stress caused by these external factors. So, why not use music to support that process?

e.g. If you're having an "unpretty" day, where you feel insignificant, make sure your playlist includes songs like:

"Beautiful" (Christina Aguilera)
"Legs" (ZZ Top)
"Portions for Foxes" (Rilo Kiley)
"Baby Got Back" (Sir Mix-a-Lot)
"From a distance" (Bette Midler)
"Everything Little Thing She Does Is Magic" (The Police)
"Lovely Day" (Bill Withers)
"September" (Earth, Wind & Fire)
"Social Butterfly" (Kim Herold)
"Bonafied Lovin" (Chromeo)
"Calabria" (Enur)
"Disturbia" (Rihanna)
"Just Dance" (Lady GaGa)
"Summertime" (New Kids on the Block)
"Desperado" (Linda Ronstadt)

2. Be random as hell.

"Random?"

Yes.

"What are you talking about Nark?"

Anything.

Everything.

From weights, reps, range of motion on exercises, exercises themselves, the order of exercises, type of cardio, straight sets, to drop sets.

It doesn't matter what... just mix it all up!!!

Make it random... make it hard, make it interesting.

We're incredibly adaptable creatures. Surviving in this constantly-evolving world requires exactly that.

So why would we approach fitness any differently?

Consider stagnation in the gym being akin to going extinct. Let's not go the way of the dinosaurs!!!

Here are a couple examples of my mix & match approach to training.

A mixed and matched workout split:
(Weeks 1-2)

Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Abs & Cardio
Wednesday: Chest; Delts; triceps
Thursday: Calves & Cardio
Friday: Back; Biceps
Saturday: Cardio
Sunday: Rest

Weeks 3-4:

Monday: Chest & Triceps
Tuesday: Lower Back & Hamstrings
Wednesday: Cardio
Thursday: Quadriceps & Calves
Friday: Back & Delts
Saturday: Cardio
Sunday: Rest

Weeks 5-6:

Monday: Lower Body
Tuesday: Cardio
Wednesday: Upper Body
Thursday: Cardio
Friday: Lower Body
Saturday: Cardio
Sunday: Rest

A mixed & matched Chest workout example:

Chest work-out 1:

Decline dumbbell Presses: 10 sets (of 10 reps):

Chest work-out 2:

Decline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets (of 6-8 reps each set)
Decline Fly: 3 sets (of 8-12 reps each set)
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets (of 12-15 reps each set)

Chest work-out 3:

Flat Barbell Bench press: 5 sets (Set 1: 10 reps; Set 2: 10 reps; Sets 3-5: 1-6 reps)
Vertical Bench Press: 3 sets (of 10 reps each set)
Flat-bench Cable Flies: 3 sets (of 10 reps each set)

Mixed and Matched Cardio sample:

Monday: Interval training (e.g. intermittent sprinting and walking)
Tuesday: Continuous Low-to-moderate Intensity (e.g.
Wednesday: Interval training
Thursday: Continuous Low-to-moderate Intensity
Friday: Interval training
Saturday: Continuous Low-to-moderate Intensity
Sunday: Active Rest (i.e. Moderate out door activities like swimming and paddle ball)

Interested in discussion pertaining to mixing it up? Then check out these active threads on the NarkSide message board!!!

Got Videos?!

3. Get into a routine.

"What the hell Nark? Didn't you JUST tell us to mix it up?"

That I did... Now hear me out.

Planning workouts ahead of time can cut down on your gym time, making each session more effective.

Personally, I customize templates for each of my clients which detail each workout for 12+ weeks.
Heck, I take it a step further... sometimes tweaking these templates each weekend, based on the previous week's performance(s). It takes the guesswork out of the gym experience.

Anyway, back on topic: Having a pre-workout plan means that you know what you need to do.

All that's left to be done, is to do it... and to do it as hard as humanly possible.

There's no time wasted thinking "what should I do next?"

Structure allows individuals to focus... and focus translates into results.

So, if you want results... get some structure!

Not sure how to about structuring a routine? Well here are some active training log running on the NarkSide forums right now!!!

Need advice on tweaking your current routine? Then ask a question in our forums:

That's it for this week guys and gals!

Stay tuned!!!

Regards,

-Corey "Narkissos" Springer

Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums
Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

A newbie's introduction to fitness.

2009-09-20T19:38:00.000-04:00

"Fear Time Ends now". Part 1

"A newbie's introduction to fitness"
by Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of: "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums, Apollo Fitness Barbados, & NarkSide Apparel.

September 2009

Virginity... We've all been there.

Unsure of self.

Unsure of what's right or wrong... what's acceptable, and what'll have us ostracized quicker than Oprah takes to fail at a fad diet.

Unsure of what the next step is.

Heck... most of are unsure of what the *first* step is.

And, this is what today's article is about: Starting up a fitness journey from scratch.

I'm sure you've noticed, the chubby chick standing in the corner of the gym staring, wide-eyed (and, some may argue, wild-eyed) at the numerous exercise stations. She, afraid to touch

anything, touches nothing.

Are you her?

Well, this article is for you.

Fear time ends now!

I repeat: Fear. Time. Ends. Now.

Getting started: Your first course of action? Choose a gym.

Logical first step?

Well, many people don't think so.

Many people are discouraged before they even venture to start... and, as such, fail prior to even starting.

"But can't I just buy the newest exercise video?"

Sure you can.

And then you can buy the next... and the next... and the next.

What will you have learned, 'cept maybe how to replicate exactly what the instructor on said video shows you?

What will you have learned about adaptation and change?

I'd fathom nothing.

"But Nark... can a gym really teach me more than a video?"

Sure.

We're creatures of habit... Creatures who are products of socialization.

Gyms provide platforms via which numerous concepts can be exposed, shared, assimilated and/or discarded.

I've been involved in fitness for well over a decade, and I *still* learn new things when I go to the gym.

Modifications to exercises to make them more effective.
Periodized work-out ideas.
Mobilization concepts.
Stretching concepts
Cardio concepts

Each of these represent dynamic, and ever-changing facets of fitness. Each of these are things which you can take away with you, and apply to your own personal fitness journey.

Join a gym.

You'll find people who know what they're doing... as well as people who, like you, are just learning.

Knowledge is power... and support is empowering.

To find both knowledge and the support in one place is well worth stepping out of your comfort zone.

Getting started: Step two? Get a personal trainer.

"Gatdamn Nark... Do you know how much one of those costs?"

Yea... I do.

Do you know how much knee, shoulder, back, or hip surgery costs?

Incidentally, injuries to the first three of those areas are the ones most common in newbies.

Think about it.

How many of you have pals who joined the gym only to drop out shortly after, after having hurt their back?

How many of you know people who seem to 'tweak their shoulder' every couple of months?

I'd guess that percentage to be around 50%.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyway...back on topic: I'd suggest that new trainees work with a personal trainer for at least the first month of working out.

And... I do mean 'work'.

Work your ass off, assimilating all the information your trainer can provide.

This info will mean the difference between you progressing or regressing.

Two VERY common mistakes made by beginners are:

Performing exercises with horrible form.
Performing exercises with too much weight.

Not having a foundation of knowledge where proper exercise technique is concerned contributes to the former.

Having a personal trainer gives you that foundation... thus preventing injury and subsequent stagnation.

Not sure what to look for in a personal trainer?

Then check out "Certification Does Not Equate To Knowledge: How To Find A Qualified Personal Trainer" by Nicolle Sisia, research and development team member at GetNarked.net.

Getting started: Step three? Get stronger!

This section is dedicated to female readers in particular... as a common mistake most of them make, is in working out with little to no resistance.

We've debated the whole "weights will make me look like a man" rubbish in previous articles.

An especially good read, which I'd encourage you all to check out was: "I Lift Weights Like A Girl. Try to keep up" by Sunset Sealy, research and development consultant on getnarked.net.

http://www.getnarked.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9555

The above article's footnotes?

Lifting heavy things = good.

Lifting heavy things turns you into a man = ridiculous myth

Think on this: Women wear high heels... Why?

Cus it makes their butt and calves look STUPENDOUS!

Let me pause for a bit, as stupendous-looking butts really do bring a tear to my eye.

*pauses*

/end moment of respectful silence.

Right.

So... What are the butt and calves?

What makes 'em so damned full and curvy?

What makes 'em desirable?

I'll answer that: Muscle.

They're both shapely muscles.

Muscle gives 'em their shape... Fat does not. A little fat gives 'em that succulent coating... The issue is, a lot of people have a lot of fat, and very little muscle. Fat droops... Muscle does not.

Fat dimples.

Muscle does not.

Are you following the general thought here?

More on the bubble-butt equation:

High heels force both the muscles of the butt and those of the calves into a contracted position... a perpetual contraction that whole world happens to find sexy at that.

Nobody thinks "well that is a manly pair of buttocks" when you're strutting in those heels.

And, well, if they do... then it's time for you to hit the squat rack!

Back on topic: Get stronger.

And I mean this in both the literal and figurative sense.

Weight-training requires both physical and personal strength... and, as such, builds both physical and personal strength.

Committing to building weight-training, is akin to committing to being a stronger person.

So... get strong.

"But Nark... HOW?!"

How?

"Yes. What exercises when? C'mon man... stop speaking in riddles already!"

Ok, I'll break it down.

Muscles get stronger when they're challenged and overloaded.

Overload can be accomplished via multiple forms of stimuli.

The most straight-forward?

Resistance: i.e. via adding more weight.

Volume: i.e. via adding more sets and repetitions of an exercise.

Now that we've examined the 'how', lets put things in perspective.

Which of the below lower-body exercises do you think works the most muscle?

The dumbbell Squat
The leg-extension
The glute blaster
The adductor machine
The abductor machine

I'll answer that for you:

The squat works the muscles of the outer thigh, butt, frontal thigh, rear thigh, inner thigh, and hips.
The leg extension works the muscles of the front of the thighs.
The Glute blaster works the buttocks
The abductor works the muscle of the hips and outer thigh.
The adductor works the muscles of the inner thigh.

As the squat works more muscles, then logically, squatting results in a stronger butt and thighs than any of the other listed exercises.

If this is indeed the case, then why is it the norm to find female trainees opting to skip squats... instead, choosing to plow away at the other listed exercises endlessly?

We'll investigate the 'why' further, in a follow-up article.

In the mean time, let me give you the short answers.

The short answers:

Fear (of becoming 'manly')
Ignorance

My challenge to you: Step four? Get Smarter!!

There is a wealth of information out there. This isn't just a NarkSide plug... but rather an actuality. You owe it to yourself to read, read, and read some more.

Don't let fear and ignorance rob you of the body you desire.

Anyway, that's it for this week.

Until next time.

Regards,

- by Corey "Narkissos" Springer
Owner of:
"The NarkSide" Fitness Forums
Apollo Fitness Barbados
NarkSide Apparel

Want NarkSide products?

2009-08-29T17:37:00.000-04:00

Of course you do!

Now, NarkSide stuff is One click away!:

URL: http://www.cafepress.com/NarkSide

Get Your NarkSide t-shirts today!!!

-C

Certification Does Not Equate To Knowledge: How To Find A Qualified Personal Trainer

2009-08-26T03:04:00.000-04:00

Certification Does Not Equate To Knowledge: How To Find A Qualified Personal Trainer

by Nicolle Sisia
[edited by Narkissos]

NarkSide - 22nd August 2009

I spend COUNTLESS hours in the gym. I run, kickbox, lift, you name it. While I’m there, I take note of the personal trainers who work one-on- one with clients who are looking to shed pounds, get healthy, heal from injury, etc.

How lucky are they to have the money to get that type of SPECIFIED, PERSONALIZED attention?

I stress the words “specified” and “personalized” because far too often, while personal trainers are certified on paper, their depth of knowledge appears less than proficient.

For example, I was at the gym this morning and saw the Rico Suave of trainers.

He sauntered in, hair slicked back, checking himself out in each mirror he passes.

Behind him trailed a woman who appeared to have never even seen the inside of a gym prior.

Strike One: The trainer failed to assess the skill level of his client.

I saw the “trainer” hand her a dumbbell, briefly explained the exercise he wanted her to perform, and then allowed her to try it on her own.

During her first rep, I watched her arch her back in a way that made me cringe.

“GOOD!” says the trainer.

"Good God!" said my conscience.

Strike Two: The trainer failed to be hands-on.

After the third rep I watched as the woman, now gasping for air, flailed her arms and moved her body in a manner which did not in any way mimic the intended exercise.

"Good God!" my conscience screamed again.

Enter STRIKE THREE: The trainer is a "cookie-cutter fitness" disciple.

I watched as this debacle continued...via the “trainer” moving his client from exercise to exercise at a rapid-fire pace.

She struggled too early in each rep scheme, and he did nothing to help her.

He didn’t correct her form.

This led me to believe that :

a) He doesn’t care or
b) He isn't smart enough to notice

I bring this story to your attention because, according to msnbc.com, industry experts believe that there are between 40 to 400 personal training certifications available.

Some of these can be done online, over the weekend or by simply reading a book while taking a test.

When you are paying a trainer a pretty penny, would you want to hear that he doesn’t know the anatomical difference between his ass and his elbow?

A Few Tips to Consider:

1. Look before you leap: Look at the trainers in your gym. Do they have a strong client base? I suggest that you speak to some of their clients for opinion and feedback.

2. Meet with them first: LISTEN TO THEM. Do they sound like they know what they’re talking about? Do they get all of their information off health and fitness websites? i.e. Do they are merely regurgitating what they read?

Do they actually KNOW the information?

Just because they are “certified” does not mean they have proficiency in this area.

3. LOOK AT THEM: I would NEVER pay a trainer who is out of shape.

THIS IS THEIR JOB!

They should look and act the part.

A doctor doesn’t show up for work in flip-flops and a bandana.

In my opinion, a trainer NEEDS to exude professionalism.

A trainer is responsible for you looking healthy... and should, by extension, look healthy themselves.

4. Schedule One Session: See what you think. Don’t fall into gym “specials” or “packages” that lock you into a certain number of sessions.

Who wants to get stuck paying for time with a moron?

5. Ask questions... Serious questions: What certification do you have? Where did you get it? What types of courses did you take? How long have you been training? How many people have you helped to reach their goals?

Go ahead, ask!

If you’re serious about making changes, you want a support system that will help you make positive advances.

The Bottom-line:
Listen... truth be told, I’m not a trainer.

I have been given advice from trainers who consider fitness magazines to be the Holy Grail.

On the other hand, I have also spoken with those who live and train like it’s their job and don’t have a single degree in health and nutrition.

Don't get me wrong... It’s not being suggested that you accept advice from the 47-pound waif at the gym who only eats egg whites and runs three hours each day.

What I'm asking is that you remember what your mother always told you: Don’t believe everything you hear. See, hear, and evaluate a trainer's merit for yourself.

Regards,
-Greeniz515
Apollo Fitness Barbados Research and Development

4 reasons why you're fat and I'm not.

2009-08-10T02:13:00.000-04:00

4 reasons why you're fat and I'm not.

By Corey Springer
AKA "Narkissos"
Owner of: Apollo Fitness Barbados & "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums.

Written: Saturday 8th August 2009

Summer's winding down. Looking around I see that the majority of the people who promised themselves that they'd be in shape for summer (or that they'd get in shape during summer), are still fat.

"I wasn't eating that much man", I often hear. Those of you who've read my article "Cut Liquid Calories... Cut bodyfat." could probably easily poke holes in that defense.

Most people simply don't realize how quickly (liquid) calories add up.

Anyway... that topic's already been covered.

Today, we take a crack at the other areas where people generally slip-up.

Slip-up 1: Inhaling your food.

Due to our hectic lifestyles, we've been socialized into the unhealthy habit of lightning-speed eating.

I mean, heck... some of you only get 60 minute lunch breaks. Who has time to chew right?

/sarcasm

Unfortunately studies[1] do show that our attempts at "being more productive", via eating rapidly, tends to result in a higher consumption of calories as compared to people who eat at a leisurely pace.

Eating too quickly circumvents the satiety signal, so one is prone to pile in loads of fattening calories before your brain registers that your stomach is full.

My solution: Find a quiet corner, outside the office/classroom if possible, pop your head phones in... relax, and chew. Dedicate at least 15 minutes of your lunch hour to actually eating and enjoying food.

This brings me to another tip: eat foods that you enjoy. Even in the most restrictive types of diets, there's sure to be foods that you enjoy. If there are none, then it's time to change your diet.

Slip-up 2: Eating too slowly.

"Hell Nark, you're confusing me now. Didn't you say eating slow was good?!"

Yes, I did.

But, it's situational.

Speed-eating when you're alone and pressed for time, can and does result in weight-gain.

The same is also true for eating to slowly... while in groups.

Numerous studies outline the powerful effect that socialization has on calorie intake.

It has been shown that the higher the number of individuals present at a meal, the higher the amount of food consumed, per individual, for that meal[2][3][4][5][6][7][8].

It doesn't stop there however. In addition to a higher overall amount of calories consumed, a higher fat intake has also been correlated with group meals[9].

More food plus more fat?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where this is heading.

That's right.

Right around the navel!

My solution: Make judicious appetizer selections. A study done in 2007 showed that a fatty soup ingested prior to the main course induces the feeling of being full... and also slows gastric emptying [10][11].

The study found that the feeling of satiety could reduce calorie intake, for that meal, by up to 20 percent [10][11].

Another study showed that some fats, namely unsaturated fats, exert a much stronger "anti-face-stuffing" effect.

These fats are converted to a compound called Oleoyl-ethanolamide (OEA) by cells in the upper region of the small intestine. OEA then activates the brain circuit which controls satiety.

"Enough with the science-speak already Nark!!!"

Alrighty.

The footnote?

Eating a small low-carb, 'fatty' appetizer prior to your main course can prevent over-eating in the social setting.

Ditch the garlic bread, and reach for the asparagus wrapped with prosciutto instead.

Slip-up 3: Eating until you're full.

"What Nark? Aren't you supposed to eat until you're full and then stop?"

No actually.

This is especially true when this behaviour is coupled with speed-eating... and excessive concomitant liquid-calorie consumption.

Why is that?

Well, by the time you feel 'full' you would've already piled in far more calories than you need[1].

My solution: Portion control, portion control, portion control.

As speed eating and other negative eating behaviours circumvent the satiety cue, you really can't depend on these signals to determine when a meal should end. Instead, I suggest

adhering to a specific number of calories per meal. Calculate, or estimate, how many calories you need per day. Divide this total over the number of meals you tend to have per day. The

figure this generates is your caloric goal per meal. When you've reached that goal, then the meal is over. It's that simple. Numerous 300-500 calorie meal examples can be found online.

Where in doubt, feel free to check out the Healthy Recipes section on Getnarked.net. Complete calorie breakdowns can be found there.

Slip-up 4: Eating while distracted.

Food psychologists call the act of unconscious snacking, usually occuring while watching television, "mindless eating". Here they blame this action on the brain, as opposed to the stomach: Basically people overeat without noticing. The brain goes on auto-pilot and people eat to the pace of what's going on in front of and/or around them. If it's a television show that they're engrossed in, people will snack unconsciously until the show ends.

Studies show that eating in front of the television can cause people to eat up to 40% more calories as compared to eating in an undistracted state.

Consider the calories in small portions of some of your favorite snacks:

Pringles (1 oz): 160 calories
Pretzels (1 oz): 107 calories
Twinkie (1): 150 calories
Hershey kisses (3): 75 calories
Oreo cookies (3):160 calories

It'd probably take me 3 minutes to ingest any one of the above-listed snack portions. Multiply that by the number of 3 minute slots which fit into the amount of time you spend in front of the television.

Let me help you put into perspective:

The average length of a movie is 90 minutes.. right?

That's 30 3-minute slots.

At 160 calories per slot, that's easily 4800 calories!!!

That's right... TWICE the average person's daily requirement ...all consumed all in one snacking session.

My solution? Try to get out of the habit of snacking while relaxing. Try relaxing with low-calorie or no-calorie beverages instead. When I'm working at my computer, which is a time I'm prone to snack, I have tea/cocoa sweetened with splenda or stevia at regular intervals. Sometimes I have a diet coke, with a splash of lime and loads of ice. Heck, I'm sipping on one right now.

The take-home message:

The take-home message?

Our people are getting fatter and fatter by the day. Our jobs are less physically demanding. We commute by vehicle everywhere. We barely find time for exercise...and, on top of that, we gorge ourselves while sitting on our asses for hours at a time.

C'mon guys... recognize the behaviours which are hindering your progress.

Take action.

Don't let another summer pass you by!

Regards,

-Corey Springer
AKA "Narkissos"
Owner of: Apollo Fitness Barbados & "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums

References1. Maruyama, K. et al. The joint impact of self-reported behaviours of eating quickly and eating until full on overweight: results of a cross sectional survey. The British Medical Journal, 2008;337:a2002.

2. de Castro JM (1990) Social facilitation of duration and size but not rate of the spontaneous meal intake of humans. Physiology and Behavior 47, 1129–1135.

3. de Castro JM (1991) Social facilitation of the spontaneous meal size of humans occurs on both weekdays and weekends. Physiology and Behavior 49, 1289–1291.

4. de Castro JM (1994) Family and friends produce greater social facilitation of food intake than other companions. Physiology and Behavior 56, 445–455.

5. de Castro JM (1995) Social facilitation and inhibition of eating. In Not Eating Enough: Strategies to Overcome Underconsumption of Field Rations, pp. 373–392. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences Press.

6. de Castro JM (1997) Inheritance of social influences on eating and drinking in humans. Nutrition Research 17, 631–648.

7. de Castro JM (1997) Socio-cultural determinants of meal size and frequency. British Journal of Nutrition 77, Suppl.1, S39–S55.

8. de Castro JM & de Castro ES (1989) Spontaneous meal patterns in humans: influence of the presence of other people. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 50, 237–247.

9. de Castro JM & Brewer EM (1992) The amount eaten in meals by humans is a power function of the number of people present. Physiology and Behavior 51, 121–125.

10. American Gastroenterological Association (2007, May 23). Fatty Soup As Appetizer Means Eating Less For Dinner. ScienceDaily.

11. University of California - Irvine (2008, October 10). How Fatty Foods Curb Hunger.

12. Jennifer L Temple, April M Giacomelli, Kristine M Kent, James N Roemmich and Leonard H Epstein. Television watching increases motivated responding for food and energy intake in children. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 2, 355-361, February 2007

Related Articles by Corey Springer:
"5 things you can do to make your work-outs work"
"You are what you assimilate!" by Corey Springer
"Getting a Grasp on the concept of Dieting" by Corey Springer
"10 Excuses Fat people make & 10 rebuttals" by Corey Springer

"I can't drink water!" by Corey Springer
Busting Weight-loss Myths the NarkSide way.
Can't lose the fat? 3 things 75% of you are doing wrong!
"Cut Liquid Calories... Cut bodyfat." by Corey Springer

5 things you can do to make workouts work for you!

2009-07-23T11:57:00.000-04:00

5 things you can do to make workouts work for you!

By Corey Springer
AKA "Narkissos"
Owner of: Apollo Fitness Barbados & "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums.

Written: Wednesday July 15th 2009
Re-written for: Kurama Magazine

Hey all. Today’s article comes to you courtesy of lazy clients the world over.

I'm currently typing this up mid-stride on the treadmill. Why?

Well, I incurred a slipped disc just over a week ago... the second in 3 months mind you... and, as part of my rehabilitation my chiropractor prescribed one hour of cardio per day.

That's right...no bed-rest... No laying on my back bemoaning my misfortune. One hour of cardio per day. Clearly she's trying to kill me right?

On top of that, she prescribed mobilization exercises and stretches thrice per day. Is that all? Hell no. My doc added self-myofascial release (i.e. self-induced deep tissue torture) on top of all of that.

A long story made short?

She made me accountable.

She cleared me to return to weight-training two days ago... so now we're tossing an elite workout on top of the rehab.

Counter-intuitive much???

While plodding away here, sweat blinding me, my mood's turned quite bitter.

Why you ask?

Well while I plod away here in pain, a bunch of excuses I've heard from 100% healthy clients all came flooding back.

"[Insert exercise] doesn't work for me."

"I don't 'feel' [insert exercise]".

"I can't"... blah, blah, blah!

Enough already!

What. *Can*. You. Do?! That is my question to you.

In a sea of "can't"s... What *can* you do?

*pregnant pause*
*Client refuses to make eye contact*
*silence ensues*

Ok... Let’s not turn this into a guilt trip. That isn’t what this article is about.

Proceeding under the assumption that your excuses will be horribly poor... let's try to make your workouts work!

Pet Peeve #1: "the treadmill does nothing for me!"

Yea.. of course it won't "do anything" if you set it to warp speed and then proceed to grab on to the bars while your feet chip along uselessly.

*pauses so the imagery can sink in*

I see this approach utilized in ALL gyms... all gyms, without deviation.
Just like lifting heavy things, people like to brag about their maximum(s). In this case, they talk smack about how fast they can go.

They turn the most natural form of exercise into a farce.

So... How can you make it productive?
This may be a novel concept, but bear with me.

It’s called: WALKING!

Let me extrapolate a bit further.

I’d like you to:

Increase the treadmill’s incline
Lower the treadmill’s speed (to one where holding on isn't required)
Let go of the hand rail
ACTUALLY WALK!

Complicated?
No.
Many times more effective?
Hell yes.

What makes it ‘better’?
I’ll tell you.

Holding on for dear life:

Negates torso twisting
Reduces the need for conscious torso stabilization
Reduces arm pumping and scapulae retraction (etc.)

... thus reducing muscle recruitment.

Reduced muscle recruitment equates to reduced calorie expenditure, and reduced substrate utilization.

Need I say: /Fail?

Pet Peeve #2: "The gym is boring!"

And being fat is exciting?

I KNEW I was missing something all these years!

/end sarcasm.

Seriously speaking though: Who needs a gym?

You can work out at home.

For less than $100 you can set up a callisthenic Utopia: 1 swiss fitness ball, 3 resistance bands; 1 floor mat; and a couple pairs of dumbbells.

That's all you need.

Not a home-body? Then take it outdoors!

Make the world your gym.

Parks, beaches, car-parks... Possible gym alternatives are endless!

Pet Peeve #3: "Cardio is boring man!"

...but apparently so is work and school. Yet still you go there 8 hours per day, 5-6 days per week.

What's 30 minutes of cardio by comparison?

Why does cardio need to be boring anyway?

When I think about cardio, I think about it in the same manner as I think about sex... and any other thing that I consider essential to my way of life.

Would you do sex the same way, day in and day out?

If you answer 'yes' to this question... then this is the wrong article for you.

Kindly scroll up to the upper right of this window...and click the 'X' that you find there.

*pauses*

Back to the topic at hand: I'm sure you don't do sex the same way every time... You like to keep it interesting and fulfilling.

I'd suggest that you approach cardio in the same way.

...but, keep your clothes on please. LOL

Take up a new sport.
Walk outdoors.
Utilize trail runs and hill sprints.
Push your car for a couple lengths of the car park of the gym.
Flip tires.
Take a sledgehammer to a large tire...and smash the fucking hell out of it.
Jump rope.
Wrestle with your kids or significant other.

Again, the options are endless!!!

Pet Peeve #4: "I don't have the time!!"

When I hear this one, I usually immediately start to stare at the ceiling... waiting for an archangel to smite me for having unkind thoughts.

It never happens fortunately.

Anyway... I'd put this question to you: How much television do you watch?

Heck... I've got a couple more questions:

How much time, outside of work/school, do you spend in front the PC?

How many nights do you hit the bar with your mates?

How many times per week do you go to the movies?

Do you have time for video games and/or computer games?

If any of these options consume more than 15 minutes daily... then you have MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO EXERCISE.

It doesn't take 90 minutes per day... 30 minutes will do.

Find me 30 minutes, and I'll find your inner slim person.

Pet Peeve #5: "I don't have a clue what I'm doing!"

An FYI: You're in good company... as most people who join gyms have no fucking clue what they're doing.

Heck, most of the people who've been going to the gym for years still have no clue.

I've come and found people doing the same shit day in and day out for 2+ years... who look the same way 2 years later.

Sometimes they aren't to blame entirely. Most of the time however, they are.

Some people stick with personal trainers who do nothing for 'em. Why? Because they've become comfortable with said individual.

Some people have personal trainers who train 'em really well... but have no clue when it comes to dieting. So these people lose no fat.

Some people come to the gym simply to socialize.

The good thing is, you don't *have* to be one of these people. You have a hand in whether you fail or succeed.

My advice to you would be that you decide why you're there from the minute you first join.

Pick a personal trainer who has a track record of getting people in shape... not the most ‘fun’ and ‘out-going’ personality in the gym, unless they are one and the same.

There will always be obstacles... many of them, of our own making. Success comes when we recognize and surpass these roadblocks.
I’ve given you the tools. The ball is now in your court.
Good luck!

-Corey Springer
AKA "Narkissos"
Owner of: Apollo Fitness Barbados & "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums

Related Articles by Corey Springer:
"You are what you assimilate!" by Corey Springer
"Getting a Grasp on the concept of Dieting" by Corey Springer
"10 Excuses Fat people make & 10 rebuttals" by Corey Springer

"I can't drink water!" by Corey Springer
Busting Weight-loss Myths the NarkSide way.
Can't lose the fat? 3 things 75% of you are doing wrong!
"Cut Liquid Calories... Cut bodyfat." by Corey Springer

"Attention-seeking Bitches" by Corey Springer

2009-07-15T16:39:00.001-04:00

"Attention-seeking Bitches"
...Children masquerading as adults, or bullies masquerading as victims?

By Corey Springer

Written for: The NarkSide; Wednesday 13th May 3:35 a.m.
Re-Written: Wednesday July 15 2009 for Kurama Magazine

Confused as to why I would be writing about relationship issues?

Don't be.

Health is about synergy... i.e. a sum of parts, each area influencing and supporting another.

Relationship issues affect how we function.

Relationships affect how our bodies work.

So... today's rant is about relationships!

I'm *very* sure many of your have been on the receiving end of erratic behavior(s) in your relationships. Anyone who has spent but five minutes perusing the NarkSide relationship forum would probably come to the very same conclusion: Crazy bitches abound. I use 'bitches' in an extremely generalized manner for this discussion... as 'bitch behavior' isn't limited to any one sex at any one time. Let's face it... guys and girls both get their undies in a bunch.

That being said, anecdotal evidence would suggest that attention-seeking behavior is surprisingly frequent in adult relationships.

"Really Nark?"

"Yes dude!"

Oftentimes significant others seek to be the "the center of attention" so as to alleviate feelings of inadequacy.

Again:
"Really Nark?"

"Yes dude!"

However, as the underlying problem remains unaddressed, 'relief' is temporary at best. Ergo, the cycle repeats itself indefinitely: low self-confidence, self-esteem, low levels of self-worth and self-love... followed by the manifestation of attention-whoring... followed by a 'high'. This high is, of course, followed by an abysmal crash.

No kidding right?

However, nothing is 'clear' or 'obvious' where irrational behaviors are concerned. So, for the sake of this discussion... let's *not* take anything for granted.

To re-cap:

Both males and females are whiny as f*ck
Attention-seeking behavior is common as hell
Attention-seeking behavior = Epic fail.

Continuing....

Let's explore the different types of attention-getting behaviors!
_________________________________________________
Recognizing attention getting personae:

Mr./Mrs "Why me":
This individual may feign or exaggerate an illness or injury... possibly even causing or inviting subsequent injuries. This attention-whore's special skill is in manipulating people through their emotions... especially manipulating that subsequent feeling of guilt. Apparently it's very difficult not to feel sorry for someone with a plausible "poor me" tale.

SuperDude:
This individual dashes in to "rescue" people whenever the opportunity arises... well, whenever one arises that he/she can use to their self-glorification. Said individual gets off on basking in the glory of his/her 'humanitarian' actions...preying on any person unlucky enough to be suffering in their vicinity.

The HandyMan:
This person puts themselves 'in charge' all the time. To some, this paints the person as 'reliable' or 'dependable'. However, helping people is but a means to an end for this individual... as being the center of attention is the primary goal.

Manipulative Bitch:
This individual may exploit relationships, manipulating others with guilt and distorting perceptions... twisting words and misquoting is this individual's strength. While said individual may not do any physical harm, emotional injury is a given. A common attention-seeking ploy by this individual is to claim he/she is being persecuted, victimized, excluded, isolated or ignored.

Mr./Mrs. Dramatist:
Every incident is an opportunity worth exploiting where this individual is concerned. It doesn't matter how insignificant the argument is... it can be exaggerated and, if necessary, distorted to a 10 on the Richter scale.

"Aint-got-time-for-shit"Man:
This individual is the absolute busiest person in the world... or so he/she says. Everyday routines, which Joe Average would regard as not being worth sharing, are relayed in a larger-than-life fashion. The world is their audience... and their tale is always epic. This oh-so-busy person, who never has a moment to themselves (though they seem to find a moment, or 15, to impress the world with their story-telling skills), let it rip whenever he/she has a chance... of course, never too busy to tell you how busy he/she is.

The Fucking Fake :
This person is always on the defense. Whenever they are outwitted, this person automatically reaches for the denial escape hatch. *Wham* *Pow* - counterattack - *duck* *run* *re-direct*

Counterattack delivered, this person then switches the convo on its head... claiming to be the victim. The most effective method of feigning victimhood is to burst into tears. Significant others are supposed to stop arguing and hand you a tissue and a shoulder to cry on... aren't they?

Joe Bi-polar:
This guy/gal is hysterical. She/he switches from boisterously happy to miserable as f*ck, and back again...almost at the drop of a hat. Don't be confused however... This behavior is meant solely to keep those around him/her on their toes: never complacent... always tripping over themselves to cater to this individual's needs. Joe BP remains at the center... clearly the most important person in someone's universe.

Threatening Tommy:
One of my favorite personalities really. Threatening Tommy (also called 'Tommie' where relevant) threatens their significant other with uncharacteristic behaviors. e.g. Threatening Tommie and her beau Joe have an argument. Tommie threatens to go to the bar and get wasted. What's uncommon and 'unbalanced' about that? Well the threat of getting shitfaced aside, Tommie actually has no intention of going to the bar. Her sole intention is to goad a reaction from Joe... to see if he "really cares". Disturbed much?

Dastardly Dan:
Also known as "Dannie" where feasible. This individual threatens to do stupid things...and does 'em. "Joe... You don't give me any attention, so I'm going to go to a bar and bang the first guy I see!" Psycho-much? Yep. But this personality is also frequent-much. I think this is the personality that guys (and i can only speak as a guy) fear. Anyway, I've digressed here. Dan(nie) thrives on the immediate self-gratification derived from attention received...regardless of the source. "Danger...it's no stranger".
_________________________________________________

Ok... So it's been established that it is likely that some facet of attention-seeking behavior will occur.

It *is* an established norm after all.

We've outlined the ways in which said behavior manifests.

But... what *is* it?

Lynne Forrest, in her article "The Three Faces of Victim: An Overview of the Drama Triangle" outlined 3 personae... each of which appears to be part of the psyche of an attention-getter.

So... would it be correct to say that an attention-getter has a divergent personality?

**(That's Nark-Speak for: "THE BITCH IS CRAZY!!!)**

Along this vein, some would label attention-getting behavior a facet of narcissistic personality disorder.

"Di-vergent".

"Di-sorder".

Di-sease?

Maybe.

I leave you with those questions.

Regards,

-Corey Springer
AKA "Narkissos"
Owner of: Apollo Fitness Barbados & "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums

"Stop fucking around: 6 things you can do to make workouts fucking work for you!" by Corey Springer

2009-07-15T16:21:00.000-04:00

Stop fucking around: 6 things you can do to make workouts fucking work for you!

By Corey Springer
AKA "Narkissos"
Owner of: Apollo Fitness Barbados & "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums.

Written: Wednesday July 15 2009 for Kurama Magazine

Yep another rant. I'm coming to your mid-stride on the treadmill. You see, I recently incurred a slipped disc just over a week ago... the second in 3 months.

As part of my rehab my chiropractor prescribed one hour of cardio per day.

That's right...no fucking bedrest... No laying on my back bitching. One hour of gatdamned cardio per day.

On top of that I'm supposed to do prescribed mobilization exercises and stretches thrice per day. My doc added self-myofascial release (SMR) on top of all of that.

No bullshit excuses. No laying down on my ass ringing a bell so my maidservant could come wipe my ass.

Nope... None of that.

My Chiro made me accountable.

She cleared me to return to weight-training two days ago... so now we're tossing an elite workout on top of the rehab.

Counter-intuitive much?

While plodding away here, sweat blinding me, my mood's turned quite bitter.

Why you ask?

Well while I plod away here in pain, a bunch of excuses I've heard from 100% healthy clients all came flooding back.

"[Insert exercise] doesn't work for me."

"I don't 'feel' [insert exercise]".

"I can't"... blah, blah, blah!

Enough already!

What.

*Can*.

You.

Do?!

That is my question to you.

In a sea of "can't"s... What *can* you do?

I've been called antagonistic before.

No skin off MY back.

So... humor me.

What. *Can*. You. Do?

*pregnant pause*
*Client refuses to make eye contact*
*silence ensues*

Ok.. Let not turn this into a guilt trip. Let's proceed under the assumption that ALL your excuses are BULLSHIT.

Proceeding under this assumption... let's try to make your workouts work!

Pet Peeve #1: "the treadmill does nothing for me!"

Yea.. of course it won't "do shit" if you set it to warp speed and then proceed to grab on to the bars while your feet chip along uselessly.

*pauses so the imagery can sink in*

I see this bullshit approach in ALL gyms. Just like lifting heavy things, people like to brag about their max. In this case, they talk smack about how fast the can go.

They turn the most natural form of exercise into a farce.

So... How can you make it productive?

Try ACTUALLY FUCKING WALKING!

Let go of the gatdamned handrest, up the incline, lower the speed to one where holding on isn't required... and ACTUALLY WALK!

Foreign concept... I know.

"How unconventional Nark."

Fuck it.

Holding on for dear life negates torso twisting, torso stabilization, arm pumping, and scapulae retraction (etc.)... thus reducing muscle recruitment.

Reduced muscle recruitment equates to reduced calorie expenditure, and reduced substrate utilization.

Need I say: /Fail?

Pet Peeve #2: "The gym is boring!"

And being fat is exciting?

I KNEW I was missing something all these years!

/end sarcasm.

Who needs a gatdamned gym?

Seriously?

Work out at home.

For less than $100 you can set up a calisthenic Utopia: 1 swiss fitness ball, 3 resistance bands; 1 floor mat; and a couple pairs of dumbbells.

That's all you need.

Not a home-body? Then take it outdoors!

Make the world your gym.

Parks are your friend gatdammit!

You.

Have.

No.

Excuse.

Pet Peeve #3: "Cardio is boring man!"

...but apparently so is work and school. Yet still you go there 8 hours per day, 5-6 days per week.

What's 30 minutes of cardio by comparison?

Why does cardio need to be boring anyway?

When I think about cardio, I think about it in the same manner as I think about sex... and any other thing that I consider essential to my way of life.

Would you do sex the same way, day in and day out?

If you answer 'yes' to this question... then this is the wrong article for you.

Kindly scroll up to the upper right of this window...and click the 'X' that you find there.

*pauses*

Take up a new sport.
Walk outdoors.
Utilize trailruns.
Push your car for a couple lengths of the car park of the gym.
Flip tires.
Take a sledgehammer to a large tire...and smash the fucking hell out of it.
Jump rope.
Wrestle with your kids or significant other.

Hell, the options are endless!!!

Pet Peeve #4: "I don't have the time!!"

When I hear this one, I usually immediately start to stare at the ceiling... waiting for an archangel to smite me for having unkind thoughts.

It never happens fortunately.

Anyway... I'd put this question to you: How much television do you watch?

Heck... I've got a couple more questions:

How much time, outside of work/school, do you spend in front the PC?

How many nights do you hit the bar with your mates?

How many times per week do you go to the movies?

Do you have time for video games and/or computer games?

If any of these options consume more than 15 minutes daily... then you have MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO EXERCISE.

It doesn't take 90 minutes per day... 30 minutes will do.

Find me 30 minutes, and I'll find your inner slim person.

Pet Peeve #5: "I don't have a fucking clue what I'm doing!"

An FYI: You're in good company... as most people who join gyms have no fucking clue what they're doing.

Heck, most of the people who've been going to the gym for years still have no clue.

I've come and found people doing the same shit day in and day out for 2+ years... who look the same way 2 years later.

Sometimes they aren't to blame entirely.

Most of the time however, they are.

Some people stick with personal trainers who do nothing for 'em... Why? Because they're comfortable with 'em.

Some people have personal trainers who train 'em really well... but have no clue when it comes to dieting. So these people lose no fat.

Some people come to the gym simply to socialize.

The good thing is, you don't *have* to be one of these people.

You have a hand in whether you fail or succeed.

My advice to you would be that you decide why you're there from the minute you first join.

Pick a personal trainer who has a track record of getting people in shape... Personality be damned.

You want results, not a fucking cuddle-buddy.

Pet Peeve #6: "This shit fucking hurts!"

Get over it.

/end

This has been a NarkSide rant.

Regards,

-Corey Springer
AKA "Narkissos"
Owner of: Apollo Fitness Barbados & "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums

"You are what you assimilate!" by Corey Springer

2009-07-15T15:25:00.001-04:00

"You are what you assimilate!"

By Corey Springer
AKA "Narkissos"
Owner of: Apollo Fitness Barbados & "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums.

Written: Wednesday July 15 2009 for Kurama Magazine

"You are what you eat", the old adage goes.

As a regular subscriber to the NarkSide, you know just how little stock we put into cliches.

So, in true NarkSide flair, let's scrap that cliche... That's right. Wipe that line from your minds.

Swap it instead for a little piece of reality I like to call: "You are what you assimilate".

You are what you absorb... Not just what you cram down your throat.

This isn't to say that my previous rants (i.e. if you eat shit, you'll look like shit) are negated however.

I see you fatties... piling the pizza and cheesecake in, literally eating yourselves to death.

What's that?

A collective chuckle from the world's health nuts? Don't think for a moment that you've been left out of this rant.

Me: Aims.

Me: Fires.

Me: Scores!

So many of us in the health and fitness lifestyle take intestinal health for granted... indiscriminately piling gobs of protein and carbs into our stomachs in the hopes of adding lean muscle.

We exist on the flip side of this discussion... ironically mirroring the very behaviors we demonize... via ingesting similarly large amounts of supposedly healthy foods with absolutely no regard for form or function.

"But it's healthy Nark."

Really?

Gorging is healthy?

Thanks for the tip bub.

To clarify and correct however: The results, surprisingly, are pretty similar.

Indiscriminate food ingestion, regardless of whether the food choice is 'healthy' or 'unhealthy', leads to bloated/distended abdomens, flatulence, lethargy, and poor elimination.

"But how could that be Nark? Surely we're more healthy than they", the health nuts among you must be saying.

"Who gives a rat's ass Nark? I can pop some antacids and be fine in the morning", the couch potatoes are saying.

Memo to both groups: "Shut yer trap"... You're both equally wrong!

Undigested food sitting there rotting there in your gut is the same, whether it is of healthy origins or not.

Ergo the generation of toxins et. al. will be similar... Again, regardless of its origin.

Your digestive tract...that 30-foot tube which people tend to take for granted, is the foundation of your health.

What?

Let me be more clear: neglect (and/or abuse) your digestive tract, and expect your health to degenerate.

Simple.

Well... it should be simple... but, as is human nature, we tend to over-complicate things.

We allow ourselves to be governed by our taste buds, as opposed to our actual needs and responses.

e.g. Individual A is lactose intolerant, as well as allergic to grains.

Milk products give her flatulence, gut distension, lethargy, and sometimes diarrhea.

Grain products give her water retention (which denotes a systemic allergic reaction), and lethargy.

Systemic allergic reactions lead to impaired glucose tolerance.

Impaired glucose tolerance leads to increased visceral fat.

Blah, blah blah.

Will she, knowing any of this, cut the offending foods from her diet?

Generally no.

The media and society teaches us that 'everything's ok in moderation'.

The actuality is, however, that this is BULLSHIT!

Let me reiterate: This. Is. BULLSHIT!

Would you down arsenic because it "tasted good"?

I'd fathom not... However, that's basically what most people do.

And this is with regard to both 'healthy foods' and unhealthy ones alike.

Guys you've got to remember that this 30-foot tube you take for granted exists to deliver the substrates necessary to sustain life.

This tube needs to be in good condition to deliver needed nutrients to their critical absorption points.

Irritants irritate.

Irritation impairs assimilation.

Let's again refer to our opening statement: "You are what you assimilate".

What happens when assimilation is impaired?

Let me give you an abbreviated rundown:

Bloating, belching, burning, flatulence after meals
Otherwise unexplainable headaches
Indigestion, diarrhea, constipation
Systemic reactions after meals (e.g. itching, water retention)
Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea after taking supplements
Rectal itching
Weak or cracked finger nails
Dilated capillaries in the cheeks and nose (in non-alcoholics)
Skin eruptions, post-adolescent acne, or other skin irritations such as rosacea
Iron deficiency
Chronic intestinal infections, parasites, yeast, unfriendly bacteria
Undigested food in the stool
Greasy stools
Skin that’s easily bruised
Fatigue
Depression
Lethargy
Amenorrhea (absence of menstruation)
Chronic vaginitis (vaginal irritation)

Additionally, there is a school of thought which attributed other symptoms, such as impotence, loss of libido, infertility, muscle atrophy, cramps, joint pain, arthritis, autoimmune disease, vitamin B12 deficiency, chronic fatigue syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome to malabsorption.

Major Causes of impaired digestive health:

Stress
Poor and imbalanced diets. (NB: 'Imbalanced' in this instance refers to a too-heavy inclusion of sugars, starches, and 'unhealthy' fats.)
Food allergies or sensitivities
Frequent antibiotic or drug use
A poorly function immune system (NB: stress, including emotional stress can contribute to this. Poor eating habits can as well.)
Intestinal infections
Parasite infestation
Systemic/Gastric Inflammation

(NB: a number of these are either related to or exacerbated by a poor diet.)

Steps to maintaining/improving digestive health:

1. Choose high quality, fresh and (freshly) frozen foods

Cutting down on canned/boxed foods, I've found, can lead to dramatic improvements in gastric health. Preservatives et. al. are highly irritating.

2. Chew thoroughly

Digestion of carbohydrates (starches, sugars) begins in the mouth via chewing, and the release of saliva and enzymes. Most people rush through meals, subsequently not chewing thoroughly. As a result, when food reaches your stomach, digestion is harder than it should be. The same goes for proteins. While the digestion of proteins doesn't start in the mouth, the process of proper mastication can make digestion faster, easier, and more thorough.

Chewing is the first and, some would argue, most important stage of proper digestion.

3. Boost Hydrochloric acid output.

The second most important stage of digestion occurs in the stomach. What compound plays the ultimate supporting role in this enviroment?

You guessed it... Hydrochloric acid (HCl)!

While HCl does not by itself digest food, it initiates and supports the process.

It triggers the enzyme pepsin to break down proteins.

HCl also destroys pathogenic bacteria and parasites, eggs and larvae.

Heck, HCl also prevents colon bacteria from moving up into the small intestine.

Can you say bad-ass?!

It is both your primary signaling agent, as well as your first line of defense.

It can only do its job if it's present in appreciably adequate quantities however... and this is where an increasing number of people meet their first issue.

Due to high-stress lifestyles and poor dietary habits, more and more people are producing less and less HCl.

Part of the solution can be found in supplementing with Betaine HCL and pepsin... This can be further augmented by reducing stress levels.

However, let's face it... most of us can't fathom doing less in a world that demands more.

At the very least however, you can add these supplements to boost HCl output, and digestive efficiency.

4. Supplement with digestive enzymes.

Digestion: Digestive enzymes assists the body in breaking down foods.

Assimilation: They can also improve the body's ability to extract nutrients from foods.

Digestion + Assimilation: The basis of our entire discussion today.

To reiterate: You are what you assimilate.

I generally suggest going with two digestive enzyme formulas:

1. An all-in-one formula (which includes Lipase; Amylase; Cellulase; Lactase; Invertase; Malt Diastase)

2. A needs-specific formula. (e.g. If your protein intake is high, you'll need to supplement with an additional protease formula...)

As a self-professed carnivove (lol) I've found great personal success with bromelaine as my primary digestive enzyme.

I'd suggest that you assess the type of dieting style you subscribe to (whether it be keto-dieting, moderate-carb, vegan etc.), and supplement digestive enzymes to suit.

5. Prebiotics/Probiotics Power!!!

Your intestines house loads upon loads of bacteria. Some are 'good', others are 'bad'. The ratio of 'good' to 'bad' generally dictates the state of our intestinal health. An imbalance favoring

the 'bad' bacteria can lead to leaky gut, an overabundance of bacterial pathogens, an overgrowth of yeast (e.g. candida) and illness.
Supplementing with probiotic-rich fermented foods and drinks add healthy microflora to your intestines, tipping the balance of 'good' and 'bad' towards 'good'. Adding susbtrates (like

organic apple cider vinegar) which feed the 'good' bacteria, can assist... so can utilizing specialized Probiotic supplements.

6. Fiber up and water down!!!

Yet another argument for the conscious ingestion of water I'm afraid.

This tip incorporates the inclusion of fiber however...as the two go hand in hand.

While all of the preceding tips relay ideas for maintaining health... I'm afraid that they are more or less useless if those backed up pipes aren't cleared.

Here's where fiber and water come in.

Fiber can be broken down into soluble and insoluble types... both of them being important to digestive health.

Basically, fiber adds bulk to stools... decreasing the transit time throught the intestinal track.

Insoluble fiber, which remains unchanged through-out, assists in the elimination of previously undigested matter which may have stuck to the intestinal wall.

Soluble fiber has the additional benefit of being a prebiotic... i.e. it feeds the 'good' bacteria.

Its byproducts (i.e. short-chain fatty acids) also offer numerous health benefits.

As stated above, water and fiber go hand in hand.

Soluble fiber attracts and absorbs water... thus increasing the bulk and softness of stools.

Water is as much of an essential component to proper elimination... as elimination is to assimilation.

Stay hydrated!!!

8. Give your digestive system a break.

While I'm not a fan of fasting, I *have* done it on multiple occasions. As a bodybuilder, and avid fitness enthusiast, it would seem counterintuitive to eat nothing. Truth be told, I'm not telling you to eat nothing. I'm simply suggesting that, for a spell, you ingest foods that won't irritate your digestive tract.

Simple pseudo-fasts can be done in this manner:
[Duration: 2 weeks]

For a 180lb male:

Meals 1-6: 2 scoops hemp protein + 1 cup berries + 1 cup unsweetened hemp milk + 1tbsp flax meal + 1 tbsp hemp oil [stevia + cinnamon to taste]
Prior to workouts: 10grams Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
Post-workouts: 10 grams BCAAs

For a 120-140 lb female

Meals 1-5: 1 scoop hemp protein; 1 cup hemp milk; 1 tbsp almond butter; 1 tbsp flax meal [+stevia + cinnamon to taste]
Prior to workouts: 5 grams BCAAs + 1 cup berries

Post-fasting, we'd follow low-stress re-introduction phase: [Duration: 2 weeks]

For a 180lb male:

Meal 1: 1 scoop whey protein isolate + 1 cup berries + 1 cup unsweetened hemp milk
Meal 2: 3-4 soft-boiled eggs
Meal 3: 4 oz steamed tilapia; 2 cups steamed broccoli; 2 tbsp oilive oil
Meal 4: 2 slices ezekial bread; 2 tbsp organic almond butter
Meal 5: 4 oz steamed tilapia; 2 cups steamed broccoli
Meal 6: 1 scoop whey protein isolate + 1 cup unsweetened hemp milk; 1 scoop flax meal

For a 120 lb female:

Meal 1: 3 soft-boiled eggs
Meal 2: 1 slices ezekiel bread; 1 tbsp organic almond butter
Meal 3: 3 oz steamed tilapia; 2 cups steamed broccoli; 1 tbsp olive oil
Meal 4: 2 scoops hemp protein; 1 cup hemp milk; 1 tsp cinnamon
Meal 5: 3 soft-boiled eggs

Additional Resources:

Narkissos's gut-health supplementation regime:

Taken with every meal:

Bromelaine 1000mg
Betaine HCL 1000mg
Pepsin 20 mg
An all-in-one formula containing: Lipase; Amylase; Cellulase; Lactase; Invertase; Malt Diastase

Narkissos's "Health-never-tasted-so-sweet" shake:**

1 cup unsweetened Hemp milk
1/2 La Yogurt lowfat unsweetened probiotic yogurt
1/2 cup "Irresistibles" Whole frozen Strawberries
2 scoops (30gr) "Jarrow Formulas" Hemp protein
2 scoops (30gr) Flax meal powder
2 dashes of cinnamon powder
6 ice cubes
Splenda/Stevia to taste

**Based on Sunset Sealy's "Breakfast Shake"

Happy assimilating guys!

Regards,

-Corey Springer
AKA "Narkissos"
Owner of: Apollo Fitness Barbados & "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums

"Getting a Grasp on the concept of Dieting" by Corey Springer

2009-06-29T16:31:00.000-04:00

Getting a Grasp on the concept of Dieting
By Corey Springer
AKA "Narkissos"
Owner of: Apollo Fitness Barbados & "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums.
re-written: Monday June 15 2009 for Kurama Magazine

Summer's Here!
Time to worship the sun!
Time to strip down to the bare essentials: flaunting that tight midsection, those sharply detailed arms, thighs and buns.
...Physical perfection!!!

Well... technically that's what's supposed to happen.

However if you're the average person working a nine-to-five, summer just seems to sneak up on you doesn't it?

I understand.
Honestly I do.

You try to keep in the gym year round. You do your crunches, and you eat 'healthily': ‘Healthy’, a concept which changes by the day.

We’ve all heard:
"Fats are Bad"

"Carbs are Bad"

"Carbs are Good"

"Fats are good"

"Sugar is a no-no"

"Fructose is big ole YES!"

"Too much protein causes kidney failure!"
There’s so much information out there, and so much of it (re: carbs being labelled *both* bad *and* good) is contradictory. So who do you listen to?!

We've all felt that confusion: If everything's 'bad', then what do we eat?

I'm here to tell you that you are not alone in your confusion.

I am here to tell you that confusion is a mass-marketing ploy to sell more products.

Thus, infomercial’s sole purpose isn’t 'information' (as the prefix 'inform' would suggest), but confusion via information overload... and subsequently, the sale of whatever new product their marketing geniuses come up with

/ends rant reluctantly.

This article is a compilation of facts. Its purpose is to educate: to highlight some of the 'basics' so to speak. At the end of it, you should have a sounder grasp of on the concept of dieting.

Part 2: “What do I take?!?!?”

This is usually the first question I receive.

Not: "How should I eat?", or "How should I train?"

But: "What do I take?"

I attribute this question to years and years of brainwashing by supplement sales men.
I believe that the consumer is at this point less than confident with their ability to achieve the results they want without some form of psychological crutch.

This is not a direct lash at you the consumer...

This is just a statement of acknowledgement.

For over a decade supplement producers have attempted to lull us into the belief that supplement 'A' would serve as a magic pill: fat-loss in a bottle.

A decade, and a couple thousand dollars, later we're still dissatisfied... but none the wiser.

Here're my thoughts: Use your supplements if you will... but use them wisely.

Supplements have legitimate application:
·Convenience: Supplements are convenient. Meal replacements for example are good on the go. The essential minerals and vitamins can be supplied in a standardized manner, making the reaching of pre-set daily requirements easier.

·Concentration Boost: Supplements, thermogenics specifically, can give that much needed boost both inside and outside the gym. This is especially pertinent to those of you who are employed a sector which requires high levels of concentration. These individuals tend be mentally drained by the time they reach the gym. This boost in concentration can benefit low-carb dieters specifically, as a reduction in carbs consumed tends to leave some a bit disoriented.
·Energy Boost: No one can discount the noticeable kick in the rear-end that some supplements can supply!

This being said though, supplements can only provide building blocks.

Benefits are derived from your hard work.

Part 3: My thoughts on cutting calories...

My thoughts are: A distinction needs to be made between 'cutting' calories (i.e. caloric restriction), and starvation.

Making this distinction seems to be especially hard.

This is compounded by an inability to comprehend that weight-loss is fuelled by activity... which is in turn fuelled by food.

The latter is note-worthy, as it denotes that starvation is actually counterproductive.

Part 4: Fat-loss equation: Calories in

The above equation is at the root of the fitness industry.

Whenever you ask a supposed fitness professional, this is the generic answer which you'll receive.

It is true to some effect... but it is easily abused.

...Especially by those new to dieting.

'More is better': this is the general thought process that pervades the modern world.

However, such thinking is counterproductive here...

This holds special significance with regard to the abovementioned caloric deficit.

Simply put, too large of a caloric deficit puts you in starvation mode.

I suppose similar can be said by too high of a caloric output... as too much cardio can be almost as 'damaging'... comparatively speaking.

This isn't to say that one should scrimp on cardio... but rather that one shouldn't overdo it.

Neither should one think that doing cardio will fix a junk-food filled diet.

...Because it won't.

Ok...so where does this leave you?

A number of different schemes come to mind.

Each centers around calculating your approximate Basal Metabolic rate.

A guide to calculating such can be found here.

After calculating your required calorie intake and formulating your diet (which should supply adequate protein; carbohydrates; and fats)... the next step would be to add activity.

A caloric deficit can be achieved by:

a. cutting calories

or

b. adding activity... without changing your calorie intake.

I prefer the latter.

Cardio should be performed 3-6 times per week, with each session lasting between 30 and 45 minutes.

Cardio timing will depend on your however.

Some claim that cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is optimal.

I've tried various times, and my opinion is this: cardio performed at ANY time is better than not doing cardio at all.

Personally I do 30-45 minutes of cardio directly after completing my weight-training workout.

This brings me to another topic...Low energy levels generally reduce potential energy output... as we are able to complete perceivably less and less activity.

Cutting food intake too low, and maintaining an inadequate food intake for too long, slows the metabolism.
A slowed metabolism, coupled with post-starvation binge-eating (which so often occurs) results in rebound fat gain... Additional fat is gained as the metabolic rate is now slower than it was before.

Thus, starvation is basically equivalent to shooting oneself in the foot... and the knee... and the elbow.. and the hip... and the head lol.

The correct way is to 'feed the fire': i.e. split your allotted, and appropriate, calorie intake over the course of the day... consuming relatively moderate-calorie meals every 2-3 hours.

Jumpstart that metabolism... Get to eating!

This brings me to another thought...

Part 5: Weight-train!!!

What... A no-brainer?

I'd argue otherwise.

A number of people seem opposed to it.

"Oh... it's boring"

Or: "I don't wanna get too huge"

Or the consummate female trainee: "I don't wanna look-a like-a man"

My replies?

*pseudo-slap upside the head*

It's boring... so is going to work, yet you go there 8 hours out of each day because you deem it necessary to your existence.

How is your health any less important?

"I don't wanna get too huge"... Poor excuse.

'Getting huge' requires years of dedication.

'Getting huge' requires years of doing everything right ('everything' being diet; training; etc.)

'Getting huge' is something that most people have nothing to worry about.

The above applies to the female trainee who has had society drill into her head that weight-lifting is equated to the development of masculinity.

This simply is not the case.

It is difficult for women to put on a lot of muscle

Further, the small amount of muscle you can plausibly gain will go a long way in increasing your metabolic rate... thus, keeping you leaner even at rest.

Add this to the fact that muscle is that which gives women curves... not fat.

Sure fat blankets curves... making structures more aesthetically pleasing...

...but these structures are composed of muscle.

So want a curvier butt?

Weight-training is your answer!!!

Part 6: Stop punishing yourself!

I think we as humans are gluttons for punishment.

Further, we seem to enjoy punishment at our own hands.

Often I hear the terms 'good' and 'bad' used by my clients:

"Today I was good".. "Today I was bad".

To me these terms just enforce a cycle of self-hate and self-punishment.

...And neither has a place in anyone's fitness vocabulary.

...Not with regard to diet that is.

When you foul up MOVE ON!

Learn from the experience: the triggers to your indulgence.

But don't punish yourself.

In the same vein, don't use a temporary weakness as an excuse for cheating regularly.

If starvation is akin to shooting oneself in the foot, cheating regularly is akin to shooting oneself in the head.

This brings me to the whole concept of:

Part 7: 'Cheat Days'.

I honestly don't believe in such.

I do realize that this may come as a shock to you... as so many fitness professionals support such.

But then again, i hold very little stock in the opinions of fitness professionals.

The fact of the matter is many of them thrive on repeat business.

By 'repeat' i mean continual.

i.e. They are minimalists: giving you moderately effective advice, as opposed to optimum advice... and you get the bare minimum (with regard to results) by extension.

Cheat days inforce the consumption of junk food.

Very seldom does an individual indulge in one cupcake.

One begets two... two begets a box.

My advice?

Add an extra helping of vegetables if you're feeling hungry.

If you have a legitimate craving (as some women may have during their periods)... and it's tearing at your mind... have that piece of chocolate.

Just don't get into a structured cycle of cheating.

Because the habit is hard to break once established.

Trust me on this.

What about sugar-free stuff you say?

Or 'light' stuff?

Sugar-free does not denote calorie-free.

Light does not mean sugar free.

Indulge sparingly... because at the end of the day the calories add up.

And finally:

Part 8: Take it one day at a time!

We live in a global culture of instant gratification.

Our bodies however have not evolved to respond in this manner.

..Thankfully that is.

In the same manner that one cannot get fat overnight... One cannot expect to get in shape overnight.

Embark on this journey with that in mind.

Take it one day at a time.

Learn from your body.

Revel in your new found strength(s).

Pat yourself on the back where deserved.

Forgive yourself where you foul up.

Good luck!

Regards,

-Corey Springer
AKA "Narkissos"
Owner of: Apollo Fitness Barbados & "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums.

"I can't drink water" By Corey Springer

2009-06-15T23:10:00.000-04:00

"I can't drink water"
By Corey Springer AKA "Narkissos"

Saturday, June 13th 2009: The NarkSide

Hi all.

I guess by now you guys expect a rant from me each and every time I pick up the trusty old pen.

Today's article will be a bit different however. No sarcasm from me... No berating.

Just information.

So let's get to it!

Fluid needs

Water... How much do we need?

This is a heavily debated area in the field of fitness. Some professionals spout the "eight (8) glasses per day mantra"... others claim that we get enough fluid from whole foods to be fully hydrated[1].

Some claim that the heavy consumption of caffeinated beverages, as is the societal norm, leads to dehydration. However, Grandjean et. al. (2003) argued that there was no difference in levels of hydration (measured via hematologic or urinary indices) when the non-consumption of caffeine was compared to caffeine consumed at moderate levels[1]. Appreciably, it can be argued that 1.4 mg (per kg of bodyweight) to 3.13 mg (per kg of bodyweight), as was the range investigated in this study, bears no relation to 'normal' caffeine consumption... as individuals characteristically consume much higher amounts per sitting.

Putting it into perspective:

Coffee drinkers in the USA consume an average of 2.6 cups of coffee per day [2][3]. This translates into an average of 363.5 mg of coffee per day [2][3]. Personally, my coffee intake is MUCH higher.

Grandjean et. al. (2003) also surmised that hydration levels, again measured via hematologic or urinary indices, remained unchanged by comparsion... regardless of whether plain water composed 100%, 50%, or even just 25% of total fluid intake per day.

Let's not join this debate however. I'm pretty sure that long after we're all gone, they'll be *still* debating.

Let's approach this topic from another perspective: staying lean.

As discussed in my previous article ("Cut liquid calories...cut the fat.) dieters tend not to factor in the significant

impact that liquid calories have on weight-gain. Studies have shown a 300% increase [4] in the consumption of sugar-laden beverages. 300%!! This increase has been tied to equally concerning shifts...namely: an increase in insulin resistance (and related afflictions), and an increase in obesity. Children and adults alike walk past the water cooler, and opt to pop a soft drink instead.

Why?

"I can't drink water...it has no taste."

Ok... you're right. Water has no taste.

I won't sit here and preach to you about the health benefits. Heck, I won't argue hydration.

I'm going to go out on a limb here with this one and state: If you don't like it, don't drink it!

"WHAT?!"

"Has Nark gone MAD?!"

Breathe people... Breathe.

Let me expand on my previous statement.

If you don't like it... don't drink it (plain).

Enter Lemonade and its brethren!

A friend came to me just yesterday with a horror story. She'd had a terrible sugar crash that very day, which had left her nauseous, shaking, and scared as hell.

As a sugar-junky, she really couldn't seem to find the willpower to switch to a non-sweetened beverage. So, she needed an option.

I suggested lemonade.

She listened to the solution with raised eyebrows.

At the end she asked: "So... you'd like me to swap one sweetened drink for another?"

I smiled and relayed the recipe: Lime juice, water, and stevia.

The explanation?

1-2 tbsp lemon juice + 2-4 packets stevia + ice + water = a diet beverage with a twist.

The pros?

No artificial sweeteners (this is a concern with diet drinks)
Less than 1 gram of sugar per serving (ergo no influence on blood sugar levels)
Lemonade is thirst-quenching.
It's tasty as hell! ("Water tastes bad"? Now you have no excuse!)

The cons?

You no longer have anything to bitch about.

Take home message:

There're LOADS of natural beverages that you can make: Mauby, Sorrel... the list is extensive!

If you "can't drink water"... then don't drink it (plain)!

Kill two birds with one stone people!

Health, quite literally, never tasted this good. :)

Regards,

-Corey Springer
AKA "Narkissos"
Owner of: Apollo Fitness Barbados & "The NarkSide" Fitness Forums.

References:

1. Grandjean et. al., The Effect on Hydration of Two Diets, One with and One without Plain Water. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 22, No. 2, 165-173, 2003.
2. Schreiber et al., Measurement of coffee and caffeine intake: Implications for epidemiolgic research, Preventive Medicine, 17:280-294, 1988
3. Chou, T., Wake up and smell the coffee. Caffeine, coffee and the medical consequences, West. J. Med., 157:544-553, 1992
4. Harrington. The Role of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in Adolescent Obesity: A Review of the Literature. Journal of School Nursing, v24 n1 p3-12 2008

Can't lose the fat? 3 things 75% of you are doing wrong!

2009-06-09T01:52:00.000-04:00

Can't lose the fat? 3 things 75% of you are doing wrong!

By Corey Springer AKA "Narkissos"

Monday, June 8th 2009: The NarkSide

Hey all... It's just after midnight and, instead of sleeping, I've just spent the last couple of hours

listening to a friend lament about how he was finding it impossible to lose weight. He pointed fingers in every direction, 'cept at himself.

"Man, I'm kinda eating close to plan. I'm almost working out daily. I try not to snack... Man. I DON'T KNOW WHY I CAN'T LOSE THE WEIGHT!"

"Kinda"?
"Almost"?
"Try not to"?

His three sentences told me more about his eating and work-outs habits, than an hour of dialogue did.

It told me that he half-assed it.

Most people do.

Most people approach fat-loss as a system of balances: Take a little from here, add it there and voila!

...a six-pack.

If it worked like that however, each and every one of you reading this would have a six-pack...whether you wanted one or not.

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty.

I'll call this rant "Half-assing 101": The GetNarked edition.

Half-assed act #1: Being a boozer.

What's wrong with a little alcohol? Not much... 'a little' being the operative term. Research shows that those who consume a single alcoholic beverage once per week are less likely to become absolute lard-asses. On the opposite end of the spectrum, those who drink socially (i.e. 4-6 + drinks) increase the risk of becoming obese by 50%.

Compounding this would be the practice of adding high-sugar beverages (commonly called chasers/mixers) to alcoholic beverages. These beverages can contain caffeine (which impairs glucose

uptake when consumed alongside carbohydrates), as well as high fructose corn syrup (which, in itself, is more fattening/damaging than sugar alone).

The combined effect?

Fat-ass... in a cup!

Referencing 'a little' once more:

Raise your hands if you think you're "doing enough". i.e.

Raise your hands if you think that you should be seeing more results (with regard to weight-loss) that you are currently seeing.

*pauses*

Now...raise your hands if you can honestly say that you consume only one drink per week.

I'd fathom that there are no raised hands at this point.

Half-assed act #2: Thinking that doing "extra exercise" can offset the deliterious effects of your binges.

...as it really doesn't.

I've lost track of the number of times I've walked into a gym, trained a client, trained myself, done my cardio, and walked out...leaving the same chick plowing away on the elliptical.

Her rationale?

Well... either she binged for 3 days and now is trying to 'work it off'... or she anticipates binging, and is trying to create a deficit prior to doing so.

How silly is that?

No... Seriously.

HOW. Silly. IS. that?

Let's put this in perspective: A 'normal' person consumes anywhere between 1500 and 3000 calories per day.

A binge-eater may consume 10,000-20,000 calories per sitting... Note that I said: PER SITTING!

So... 3 binges per day, for 3 days (as per the typical weekend binge)... comes up to.

...well, you can do the math.

Granted... the body can't assimilate all of those calories in one sitting. However, you can be sure as hell that it WILL try!

That being said, I can't fathom how any logical-thinking individual could possibly believe that hopping on the treadmill for 90 minutes the following day could 'counteract' the damage they did during the binge.

As we tend to burn an average of ten calories per minute during intense exercise, it would take 16 hours of cardio to 'counteract' a single binge-meal.

Let me reiterate: one (1) stuff-my-face-til-it-hurts session = 16 hours of cardio.

*pause*

Raise your hand if you've tried to 'burn off' a previous day's indiscretion.

Half-assed act #3: Dealing with one bad habit at a time...

...as opposed to addressing all of your issues at once.

Nark: "Why haven't you cut out the junk food?"
Fatty: "Man, stop giving me a hard time... at least I've started to drink more water."

Nark: "Why aren't you doing your cardio mate?"
Fatty: "Hell man, isn't enough that I'm lifting weights a couple times per week? That's a step!"

I call this this the 'mediocrity celebration' act.

We're taught at school that taking things one step at a time leads to ultimate success.

In the corporate world however, it is the multitaskers who are most successful.

Fitness follows similar ground rules: If you attempt to cover all your bases, but fail at one of two over the course of time, you're going to be WAY more successful than someone who addresses one of two issues, but fails anyway.

Research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine supports this exact position. In a study of over 200 people who smoked, didn't exercise much, and ate high-sodium junk food (thus leading to hypertension), one group was asked to quit smoking, cut back on dietary sodium, and to add exercise... all at once.

Another group addressed bad habits... one at a time.

At the end of 18 months, the group where individuals tackled all of their problems simultaneously had the higher success rate.

No kidding 'eh?

Ok... let's recap:

Show, via the raising of hands, how many of you drink.

Show, via the raising of hands, how many of you use exercise as a band-aid to cover your dietary boo-boos.

And lastly: Show, via the raising of hands, how many of you approach the resolution of your fattening habits in a mediocre fashion.

By now, nearly all of you should have your hands in the air.

However, I need you to do one more thing, so we can render this exercise complete.

Here it is... our magic solution:

Step 1: Bring that palm down to face level.

Step 2: Examine it.

Step 3: Now... Slap yourself.

Step 4: Review each of the 3 steps outlined in this article.

Step 5: Repeat steps 1-4 three times.

Good luck all!

Regards,

-Corey Springer
Owner of The NarkSide
Owner of Apollo Fitness Barbados