We hope you've all enjoyed the previous issues of The MuscleTalker. There's been loads of good comments…. but we're still yet to have requests for nutrition and training articles!
It's been a busy month of a lot of football talk on and off the board – so now let's get back to hard-core bodybuilding talk! Many members are on their summer holidays at the moment. I know you all want to train while away to get those muscles pumped up in the sun, but holidays are ‘holidays', i.e. a time to relax and chill. Our advice is to have a break from the gym and the bodybuilding lifestyle. Eating on holiday can be an issue, but just enjoy your food, eat regularly and keep nourished and you won't lose muscle.
*** Welcome Oasis ***
This month we welcome a new moderator to the General Forum, Oasis. He's a great guy with some helpful posts and polite manor. Oasis has been a loyal member at MT for over a year, so join us in congratulating him on his mod status.
Not been to MuscleTalk lately? Drop in for a discussion and fun! www.muscletalk.co.uk
Best wishes
James and Jason
*** July Nutrition Tip ***
*** Fats in the blood and fats in the body – by James Collier BSc (Hons) SRD
Some of you appear to be confused by some about types of fat and ‘fat' terminology is frequently misused. Hopefully these notes will help clarify the issue.
** Fats in the Blood
There are a number of fats in our blood which doctors measure to assess our heart disease risk. These are sometimes known as lipids, and the most common ones are discussed below.
Cholesterol is a waxy fat, made naturally in our bodies by the liver, and is an essential part of living tissues. Too much cholesterol builds up on the walls of arteries which supply the heart (coronary arteries). If these deposits become too large clots are liable to form, cutting off blood flow through the vessel causing heart disease.
A high cholesterol level can be inherited but it can also be affected by lifestyle, especially through lack of exercise and a poor diet. A raised blood cholesterol level is a main risk factor for heart disease.
Your total cholesterol level can be divided into subfractions to give a more accurate reading of what is going on in your blood. The two main subfractions are:
- LDLs – this is ‘bad' cholesterol and this level should be kept to a minimum
- HDLs – this is ‘good' cholesterol as it denotes cholesterol which is being returned to the liver for disposal. This level should be high
The problem with total cholesterol (TC) level is that it masks the subfractions. You could have a fairly high TC but this is because HDLs are high, reducing heart disease risk. Nevertheless, if your TC is very high it is likely that your LDLs are also raised.
Triglycerides are another fat in our blood. Doctors commonly measure these, as a high figure also increases your risk of heart disease.
** Fats in our Diet
Saturated fats generally come from animal sources such as meat and dairy produce, but are also found in some vegetable oils, margarines and processed foods. These fats should be kept to a minimum as they can be converted to cholesterol.
Polyunsaturated fats are abundant in sunflower and soya products. A high intake of these in proportion to total fat intake can help lower total cholesterol.
Monounsaturated fats are the favourable choice. These are very high in olive, rapeseed and avocado oils. Consuming more of these helps lower triglycerides, LDLs and total cholesterol, whilst keeping HDLs high.
Trans fats are found in hydrogenated oils and margarines and some confectionery. These should be avoided as can raise LDLs and reduce HDLs.
Omega-3 fats (w3s) are abundant in oily fish. Eat oily fish at least 3 times a week, as w3s help lower LDLs and triglycerides, whilst raising HDLs and helping to prevent clots forming. Oily fish include mackerel, sardines, pilchards, trout, and salmon.
Remember, all fats contain the same amount of calories. Aim to keep total fat intake reasonably low, especially if you want to lose body fat.
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To learn more about bodybuilding nutrition read the Informed Bodybuilding Nutrition ebook by James Collier BSc (Hons) SRD click here
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*** Training Tip ***
** Giant Sets – by Ozzy
Giant sets are a great training technique and will really test your endurance and strength. They involve the combination of several exercises for a single muscle group all performed in quick succession. The exercises should be staggered down from the most difficult to the easiest. As the exercise intensity decreases the number of reps increases.
Lets us look at giant sets for shoulders as our example: Select 3 exercises as a general rule of thumb. Standing barbell press is your main builder, then Smith machine presses as a second compound movement and lateral raises as your final exercise. Have the equipment set up prior to your set to minimise time between activity.
Begin with standing barbell. Perform 6 solid reps with good form, then immediately proceed to the smith machine where you complete 12 full reps with consistently good form. As soon as the weight has been set to rest make your way to the dumbbells and perform 24 solid reps with good form. All sets should be taken to or beyond failure, and if a spotter is on hand forced reps could be included to help push the muscles past their currently level of ability.
This style of training is effective due to the continuous load the muscle is under from different angles. By decreasing the intensity of each exercise you can increase the number of repetitions and therefore recruit more muscle fibres.
The articles in The MuscleTalker are for information purposes only and are the sole expressions of the individual authors opinion and are those not necessarily shared by the owners of www.MuscleTalk.co.uk