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Metabolic damage: Is It Real?

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Metabolic damage is a topic that has heated up of late thanks to Dr. Layne Norton's videos on the topic. Today we will look at the second video in his series about Metabolic Damage. In this video Layne speaks about Metabolic Capacity. He explains how it works and how he fixes things when they've been messed up.

Listen to the video first if you haven't already.

[pro-player type='video']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY1DsZMNfNw[/pro-player]

What's the Deal?

Metabolic Damage is defined as a situation in which the caloric intake and cardio output is not proportionate to the weight loss or weight gain results.  Many coaches seem to think that simply lowering calories, cutting carbs and increasing cardio is the answer to getting their clients into stage ready shape.

What is Metabolic Capacity?

Anyone who wants long term fat loss and maintenance of that fat loss needs to be wary of metabolic capacity. The description of this is as follows. Two  are twins. They are genetically the same. They both have the same amount of body fat. One maintains their weight on 3100 calories a day while the other maintains their weight on 2100 calories. The one at 3100 calories is more readily able to cut down because they are at a higher starting point for calories. This is the metabolic capacity.

Get Through the Sticking Points

By starting out eating as many calories as you possibly can with as little cardio as possible and still losing weight, you can get through sticking points more easily. You will hit a sticking point every 3 to 6 weeks. This is stuff you should be paying attention to in the off-season.

Adding Calories in the Off-Season

By adding calories extremely slowly you will allow your metabolic capacity to grow. For some reason the body absorbs the additional carbs and fat added to the diet. There is no research on this, but Layne has seen it happen many times. Amazingly, you can be eating a lot of carbs and still not be gaining weight/fat.

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How Does an Old Guy Get Lean?

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When you go over the age of 40 building muscle and losing fat becomes more difficult if it hasn't already become a lifestyle for you. Testosterone levels are down and cortisol levels are up. These things conspire against you to keep the fat on your body. The fact that it is difficult to gain muscle at this age also contributes to the fat loss quandry.

Following an 5 step process will get you there.

  1. Use the IIFYM approach to eating. IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) is a very popular method of eating. It allows you to choose how many meals a day you will eat and the macronutrient ratios you want to hit and then you are able to eat things you normally wouldn't eat while trying to lose fat “if it fits your macros.” Make sure to aim for high protein intake. It is an amazing approach to eating that I have just begun to explore. I have an article planned soon regarding this eating program.
  2. Weight train daily. You need to do some pretty intense weight training when you are over the age of 40. You need to follow strict form to avoid injuries, but you should lift heavy and lift often. The intensity will spur on muscle growth by increasing the levels of testosterone and growth hormone in your system. Muscle helps to burn fat and that is why it is so essential to build and maintain muscle.
  3. Do cardio 4 times a week. To help keep fat loss moving forward do a cardio session 4 times a week. Do not over do the cardio. Keep the sessions under 30 minutes if possible. Use the HIIT method whenever possible as it continues to burn fat well into the future beyond the training session itself.
  4. Get enough sleep. Sleep is an essential element of your program. As we get older we tend to need less sleep. Please be sure to get lots of rest regardless of what you think you need. Not getting enough sleep has been tied to increase in fat.
  5. Drink lots of water. I recommend drinking at least 1 gallon of water a day. I personally aim for 2 gallons. It is a big commitment but it is extremely useful. Be careful to spread your water intake out over the course of a day. The water will help you burn fat and will keep your muscles full and powerful.

If you stick religiously to the five steps above and are consistent you will see changes in your body. It is hard work after the age of 40, but do not give up. Push yourself and the results you get will make you very happy.

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Monday Madness: Chest training explosion

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chest-workout-for-massMy chest is an area that is lagging for me. As a result, I have come up with the chest training explosion workout to help grow some serious muscle. I have managed to tighten up the chest area and get some definition and now I am working on mass.

Supplemental and Main Workouts

I have had to split my chest training into two workouts — a supplemental chest workout and then a chest training (where I also train my triceps during the same workout). I do this because I need extra attention to my chest.

The Technique Used

I focus on an intense squeeze during every exercise. After reading an interview with Mr. Olympia, Phil Heath, I utilize Hammer Strength machines a lot during my chest training. I can do single arm lifts with these machines where I pause at the top to really squeeze the muscle. I can also do two arm lifts and get a great squeeze on the muscle as well. The Hammer Strength machines let me work my chest hard without a spotter.

The Main Chest Workout

Exercise Repetitions Sets
Decline Bench Press 8 to 10 4
Flat DB Flyes 10 to 12 4
Flat Bench Press 8 to 10 4
Hammer Strength Iso Lateral 12 to 15 4
Cable Cross Over 10 to 12 4

The workout starts with 4 sets of Decline Bench Press. Dorian Yates always began his chest workouts with the Decline Bench Press. It really tears up the chest muscles when done correctly. I start with a lighter weight and increase to a very heavy weight over the 4 sets. As the bar reaches the top of the motion I squeeze my pecs towards the middle. I exaggerate the movement by acting as though I am going to push my hands together but let the friction of the bar keep my hands in position.

I move on to the Flat DB flye for 4 sets. I keep my elbows bent. I use a medium weight. I focus on controlling the weight in both directions. I squeeze hard throughout the motion.

After the Flat DB Flye I do a Flat Bench Press. I change between the barbell and the dumbbell each session. I lift heavy enough on this. I focus on a good squeeze and control on the way down, explosive on the way up.

Moving on to the Hammer Strength machine and using both arms at the same time. I squeeze hard at the top and use a 3 second descent for the weight.

I finish up with the Cable Cross Over. I do it like a Most Muscular pose.

The Supplemental Workout

Exercise Repetitions Sets
Hammer Strength (1 Arm) 12 to 15 4
DB Press (Arms Together) 12 to 15 4
DB Bench Press 5 to 8 2
Pec Dec Flyes 12 to 15 4
Push ups (feet elevated) 15 2

I use the supplemental workout one morning during the week. I start out doing the Hammer Strength machine one arm at a time. I get a massive squeeze at the top by holding for 2 full seconds. I move on to the DB Press but do it in a special manner. I put the two dumbbells in a position where they are touching each other. I focus on keeping them touching as I press them upward together. I then move on to 2 sets of Dumbbell Bench Press. I go very heavy on this, doing just 5 to 8 repetitions. I then do Pec Dec Flyes for 4 sets. I get a massive squeeze in the front. I focus on keeping my elbows perpendicular to the floor. I finish off with two sets of push ups with my feet elevated.

The Goal

2012-09-30 08.46.30By hitting the chest muscles twice a week but with two different approaches I am gaining mass and tightening my chest muscles. While I have a LONG way to go as far as the mass goes, that is coming along. I have managed to get definition in my chest and have lost much of the fat I tend to carry there.

By working the muscles very hard I have managed to tighten things up nicely. I am proud of the results I have been getting. I now have plans in place to build mass that involves eating well and training even harder than before. I feel if I could tighten up like I did I can certainly grow by working harder.

I can tell you that this approach is working for me and will work for you as well if you give it your all. Nobody said bodybuilding was easy. That's a big part of the fun for me–having to work very hard.

Please note that you may not want to use the supplemental workout if you don't feel you are recovering well. Recovery is important. You have to get full recovery in order to grow. Pay attention to what your body is telling you and then train accordingly.

Conclusion

I am hoping you will try out my Chest training explosion workout and give me some feedback. If you try it, please leave a comment and let me know how it goes.

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Saturdays Will Be Sharing Days at Fitness Expose

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saturdaysharing-changesHere at Fitness Expose we are always striving to find new information to share with you. Friday's used to be YouTube video day. I would record a rant about something and then post it here for you to enjoy. That will still happen at random, but now Saturday will be video day.

Saturday Sharing was born more than a year ago as a way to get you all to share my content on your blog. It was a miserable failure to be quite honest. Now I am going to use Saturday to share my thoughts on bodybuilding and fitness with you. I will record a video each week and post it here. I will tell you as raw as I can what I feel about the subject being covered. It is completely non-scripted. It comes right off the top of my head…I am getting things off my chest.

If you enjoy the video I ask that you share it with others. If there are topics you want to hear about, let me know by sending me an email. I will do my best to answer any questions you have.

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Let’s look into metabolic damage

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Dr. Layne Norton (@biolayne) has recorded 3 videos about metabolic damage. They have caused a major uproar in the industry. Today I want to review the contents of the metabolic damage video, not for entertainment purposes, but to help Layne spreads the word. I normally embed the video much lower in the article, but today I want to be sure you've seen the video. If not, please take the time to listen to the video before you continue reading this article.

BioLayne Video Log 9 – Metabolic Damage

[pro-player type='video']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk[/pro-player]

Layne Speaks for Himself

The points Layne makes in this video pretty much speak for themselves. He presents them clearly and concisely. I want to just address the issues that really hit me as someone who has gone through a contest preparation cycle twice.

Metabolic Damage Defined

Layne discusses how he is a big believer in science, but based upon the nearly 1,000 people he has worked with he knows certain things to be true yet doesn't have the scientific evidence to back it up yet. Metabolic damage is one of those things. Layne sees this problem as one of the biggest issues for long-term body fat loss.

Metabolic damage is defined as the point where your metabolism is so repressed that you lose the ability to drop body fat without starvation. Layne then gives the example of a mythical bikini or figure competitor who has a coach. This coach has put them on what is essentially a starvation diet — 900 calories a day and 2 to 3 hours of cardio a day and yet they do not lose weight. This is because they have destroyed their metabolic capacity.

Always Preparing for a Contest

A typical scenario is there is a bounce back after a show. The competitor gains weight and fat. They have already caused a problem for their metabolism. They then want to compete in another show and have to start dieting down again. The problem is that their body won't let go of the body fat.

By always preparing for the next contest you never give your body a chance to bring the metabolism back to its maximum capacity. That's the purpose of the off-season. Layne gives an example of a guy at 15% body fat and needs to lose 25 to 30 pounds for the stage. If one guy is maintaining their weight at 250 grams of carbs per day or the person maintaining their weight on 500 grams of carbs per day, which one is able to get stage lean easier? It is obviously the one with the 500 grams of carbs per day.

How do you fix this?

Layne has some good recommendations for fixing the metabolic damage that has already been done. The first thing he tells you is to stop competing.

He takes you at your baseline of calories and macronutrients and then slowly adds carbs at a rate of 5 grams per week. As your carb intake increases your body weight (for some reason) does not increase. The body somehow just absorbs the small change in carbs. He continues to build this until he gets you to the point where you gain some weight. He then keeps you at this level because you are now at a good set point.

Layne gave an example of a client of his who he used this approach on. She started at 800 calories a day and 2 hours of cardio per day. After 18 months she was maintaining her weight on 325 grams of carbs per day, a woman who weighs close to 110 pounds. She improved her metabolic capacity so much that getting lean was easy for her.

He also recommends that you should be doing 3 to 4 HIIT cardio sessions a week and to avoid doing a ton of LISS cardio. He says that LISS cardio has been shown to damage the metabolism.

Think It Over

This video really made me think. I have always wondered if we were possibly making trouble for ourselves by dieting the way we do. I saw this potential in action in my own progress.

When I first started taking weight off I utilized a place (seems they are no longer in business) called PhysiqueTransformation.com. They had a very detailed system. You were required to log everything you eat. They would grade you. The goal was to get as close to the macronutrient ratios they set as possible. If you got it spot on you got an A+. This got me thinking about the importance of the macronutrients. Clearly their system was focused on them. Another thing their system did was recommend calorie increases or decreases over time. After the first 2 weeks of logging food the system would begin to recommend a plan of action. Ironically, for me, it kept raising my calories yet the weight kept coming off.

My second experience was when I plateaued on my weight loss. I had lost 40 pounds and was stuck. Chris Albert of Metroflex Gym Long Beach took me under his wing. The first thing he did was increase my calories for 2 weeks and make me eat a lot of food. I began to lose weight almost immediately. It was pretty crazy.

I am glad that I have not fallen for the extremely low carb dieting plans that are out there. I have always been suspicious of them and now I seem to be vindicated by what Layne says in this video. What are your thoughts?

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