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Archives for August 2010

Adonis Index Transformation Contest #3

August 30, 2010 by

The 3rd Adonis Index transformation contest starts Wed Sept 1st and finishes on Nov 24th.

Cash prizes go to the top 6 contestants (top prize is $750) as well as other bonus prizes to be named later.

Contestants are judged on overall transformation and the change in their Adonis Index Ratio.

Starting ratio is considered as well as age and training experience.

You’ll have equal chance to win regardless if your goal is burning fat or building muscle (or a mix of the two)

I’ve revamped the workout flow of the main Adonis Index workout program for this contest and laid out how to follow the program and where to put the first ‘rage’ workout in.

I’ve also released the new muscle building foundation 12 week workout (which is the new workout component of adonis 3.0)

Depending on where you’re at in your training this new foundation workout might be the one for you to follow during this contest.

Here are my recommendations:

Novice:

If you’re a novice to weight training (less than 1 year experience) and you’re primary goal is building muscle (and you have minimal fat to lose) then you might want to use the 12 week muscle building foundation workout.

Advanced:

If you’ve already been through the main Adonis Index program you will likely benefit from moving to our Advanced 12 week ATS workout – This is the workout Rich Sigona used to take second place overall in the last contest.

To see Rich’s results CLICK HERE.

For most other experience levels the main Adonis Index Workout system will be the one to use.

If you’re already using the main system and you’re planning on continuing for the contest, I suggest following the new flow that I have put together for the contest. You can also add a ‘booster’ workout to assist any muscle group that you feel needs extra workout.

Keep in mind that the booster workouts are only meant to be added one at a time for each 4 week cycle. In other words, you’ll likely end up overtraining if you add more than 1 booster workout in any given 4 week cycle.

How To Enter The Contest:

Before pictures:

Front back and side shots, waist up shirt off…include a picture with the current days newspaper in plain view.

Measurements:

Height

Weight

Waist circumference

shoulder circumference

These pictures and measurements are the first part.

After pictures and measurements:

On Nov 24th take the same 3 pictures (with the newspaper in plain view in one extra pic)

Same measurements and a 250 word essay about your experience throughout the transformation

Once you submit your before and after pictures, measurements and essay you’re officially in the contest.

…

So between now and Nov all you need to do is take your before pictures and measurements and get to the gym!

Throughout the next 12 weeks we will be doing coaching calls to help you make the best possible transformation.

In the final week we will also coach you on taking an effective ‘after’ picture so everyone is on a level playing field.

In today’s podcast we’ll cover all of the contest info as well as some information about Adonis 3.0 and the Venus Index program.

John

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Building Muscle and Losing Fat

August 23, 2010 by

Most of us who workout are trying to build muscle, and along with that we’d all like to get rid of some fat too. One of the first and most common questions that comes up next is this:

“Is it possible to build muscle and lose fat at the same time”

The answer depends on what your definition of ‘building muscle’ is.

The look and size of your muscles is a transient state based on how many calories you’re eating, the type of food you eat, the supplements you do or don’t take, the drugs you do or don’t take, and the volume, frequency and intensity of your workouts.

If you change any one of these factors you’re likely going to have some change in the look and size of your muscles.

When it comes to fat loss you must eat less calories than you burn, this might also cause your muscles to be less hydrated (less full looking) than when you’re eating as much as you like. This doesn’t mean you’re losing muscle, it just means that they’ll be more full looking when you go back to eating maintenance.

Keep in mind that a muscle is over 80% water and the hydration status of your muscles plays a big part in how they look on a day to day basis. You can get refresher on what muscle growth is here: WHAT IS MUSCLE GROWTH

The question shouldn’t be: ‘can I build muscle and lose fat at the same time’ but rather ‘what will my muscles look like once I’ve lost the fat’

In todays audio lesson we’ll talk about the factors that go into muscle building and fat loss and why this muscle building vs fat loss question isn’t easy to answer.

We’ll also talk about government regulations on fat loss claims and why you might see and hear different claims online vs on television or in print magazines.

For a refresher on the calories required for weight loss go here: HOW MANY CALORIES TO LOSE WEIGHT

John

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Protein Synthesis and Muscle Growth

August 16, 2010 by

Many muscle building supplements market the concept of increasing ‘protein synthesis’. The assumption is that protein synthesis = muscle growth.

This is half right.

For a muscle to grow larger two things have to happen

1) An increase in protein synthesis (anabolism)

2) A decrease in protein breakdown (catabolism)

Regular weight training workouts can stimulate and net increase in protein synthesis and some research labs are measuring exactly what happens in your muscles after a workout.

In todays  audio lesson I interview a friend of mine Dave Gunderman who is doing his research on the protein synthetic effect of working out.

Dave will walk you through what it’s like to be in one of these studies, the basics of muscle protein synthesis and the type of workouts  that he suggests are best for maximizing protein synthesis.

John

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The Adonis Effect – True Accounts With Rich Sigona

August 9, 2010 by

If you’ve been listening to or reading our stuff for any length of time you’re likely aware of the concept of “The Adonis Effect” which is the reason we’re all working out and trying to take care of our bodies in the first place.

This effect is both external and internal, is psychological, physical, and psychosocial. It affects you and everyone around you.

The way you look and feel will change the way you see yourself and others, and the way others see you and how they act around you…and its ALL GOOD.

In todays audio lesson we’ll talk to our second place overall winner of the latest Adonis Effect transformation contest, Rich Sigona. One look at Rich’s before and after pictures is worth a lot more than 1000 words!

This is truly an amazing transformation.

We’ll talk to Rich about what it took to get to his new golden form, what it’s taking to stay in this shape since the contest ended and the profound changes it’s had on his life.

Some changes are subtle, some are more dramatic, but it’s all part of the reason we’re working towards our best bodies and it can happen to you too.

This is what it’s all about.

John

p.s. Make sure to click the “like” button. Thanks!

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Can Glycogen Loading and Eccentric reps Replace Steroids?

August 2, 2010 by

Lately we’ve been getting a few more pointed questions and discussions about advanced nutrition and exercise techniques. Two that have come up are:

1) What is the optimal level of glycogen for muscle growth

2) How do eccentrics affect muscle growth

Glycogen is the storage form of glucose and your muscles can store more glycogen after exhaustive exercise. In fact some muscles can store up to 3 times as much glycogen if an exhaustive exercise session is done followed by a surplus of glucose rich liquid is consumed.

This however is typically only done for endurance athletes competing in multiple events over multiple days. The research isn’t so clear on muscle growth and in fact it seems that glycogen levels don’t really have much to do with muscle growth.

If your goal is fat loss, then may notice that your muscles feel a bit less ‘full’. This isn’t anything to be concerned with as it’s normal to feel a bit weaker and a bit ‘flatter’ while you’re reducing calories in an effort to reduce bodyfat.

This is a transient state that will return to normal when you go back to eating maintenance calories.

Eccentric exercise is another issue that comes up with regard to muscle building. Every time you lift a weight you will be doing at least some eccentric work, but some believe that there is merit to focusing on the exact timing of eccentrics.

There is some merit to do focused eccentrics, however there isn’t much evidence to support overly deliberate eccentrics as a mainstay to a muscle building routine.

In both cases it seems that fancy lifting techniques are hypothesized and maybe even romanticized to be able to produce steroid like gains without using steroids.

The truth is the 2 main things that will produce the most muscle gains from a natural body are:

1) Consistency

2) Maximum Effort

Once you have these two factors mastered you can start experimenting with other concepts and theories to accelerate your gains.

In todays audio lesson we’ll go into detail about glycogen, eccentrics and muscle gaining and what the real drivers of muscle gaining are and how our focus and goals can end up in the wrong place.

John

Download Transcription: Can Glycogen Loading and Eccentric Reps Replace Steroids?

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