Olive Oil - it keeps getting better

A recent study has shown olive oil to help protect against liver damage.

This is yet another benefit to the Mediterranean superfood, which also include:

-          Improving lipid profiles

-          Being an excellent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory

-          Lowering blood pressure

-          Regulating blood sugar levels

-          Reducing the risk of cancer

I currently consume about 6 tablespoons per day of olive oil as part of my offseason diet plan, and I include it in all of my clients diet plans, regardless of whether it’s a fat loss plan or a muscle gain plan.   

If olive oil isn’t part of your current diet, I highly suggest adding it. 

It’s a calorically-dense food though (about 120 calories per tablespoon) so use accordingly.

    

Reeves Deadlift Variation

I think I posted a video of these last year, but with a standard Oly bar so a much wider grip. John had me do 8 sets of 8 of these today, with the ez-bar and more explosive.

This was after 8 sets of 8 on db rows, and 10 sets of 10 on donkey calf raises. Ouch!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWjZM7PxbSA

New Article up at T-Nation

LINK HERE:
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/nutritional_leverage_the_dieting_edition

Post-pregnancy Client

"Half marathon finish time... 2:11:33!! That's an average pace of 10:03 min/mile. Never could have accomplished that 25 lbs ago (for the record, I'm now 14 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight)! Thanks for the awesome diet plan!!"

-B. Lannon

on second thought

Based on a variety of factors I will NOT be competing at the Arnold Amateur in March next year. I will instead put my full focus into the Jr Nationals again, in June.

I'd like more time to make improvements in my physique before I step onstage again, and holding off until Jr Nationals gives me an extra 14 or so weeks of offseason to do that in.
There are other factors, but that's the biggest one.

client email, plus Jamie Eason

Perhaps you guys are getting sick of my client testimonials, so along with this one I'll include a Jamie Eason photo for your viewing pleasure.

Hopefully things balance out.


"After following his work with Dave Tate and checking into several of his articles and Q&A online, I knew Shelby Starnes was the guy I wanted to hire to make myself accountable to a fat loss plan. He was responsive, had a sense of humor, and knew when to be encouraging and when to be demanding in his e-mail responses to me as part of my twelve-week progressive fat loss plan.

Twelve weeks and 22 pounds later, I am an incredibly satisfied client. I would happily recommend Shelby to anyone looking for expert nutritional guidance, coaching, and most of all, results! In this industry, after all, you are nothing without your results--so it's not too hard to understand why Shelby is so busy!

Thanks Shelby!"

-Justin K.

First I felt nauseous, then I got a headache, then I was dizzy. And that was just halfway thru the workout.

Dave Tate mentioned in his log that I sent him a leg workout last week. It was one of the tougher ones I've done, and the DOMS lasted almost the whole week (I train legs once per week - on Mondays). I actually sent that workout to two people - Dave and another friend of mine - and neither were able to complete it. I sent it to them out of love, obviously.

Well today I trained legs again and this workout blew last week's out of the water. It's another John Meadows concoction (see his article on leg training that I just posted earlier in my log today) and it was BRUTAL.

Here it is for anyone looking to try it. If you do, please write in and let me know how it went. For anyone interested in checking out more of John's work, this is his website: www.mountaindogdiet.com


THE WORKOUT

leg curls - 2 sets of warm up - then 4 sets of 15 reps. Do all rest pauses. So let your legs straighten, relax, and curl. You won't be able to use as much weight with this style. Also, have someone gently push down on your lower back while doing it, or you can drive your hips into the pad as you do these to better isolate.

Leg press - 3-4 warm up sets of 20 reps. Feet a little wider than shoulder width, and a little higher than usual on platform. Again this will be a lot of hams the first few sets, before your quads start screaming. After warm ups, do sets of 15. Keep pyramiding up in weight until you can't get 15. I want this to take around 4 sets to accomplish.

Smith machine lunge - 4 sets of 15 on each leg.

(AT THIS POINT I WAS READY TO THROW UP - I COULD HAVE WENT HOME AFTER THIS AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD WORKOUT)


Squat - 1 warm up then 3 sets of 15. Go fairly wide and turn your toes out like a duck. Go down to parallel, not below that. Go down with a 2-3 second descent. This will be very hard after doing the other stuff, but it will destroy your legs.

(AT THIS POINT I WAS STILL NAUSEOUS, BUT ALSO STARTED TO DEVELOP A HEADACHE AND WAS GETTING DIZZY TOO.. BUT QUITTING IS FOR PUSSIES... OR DAVE TATE)

Dumbell stiff legged deadlift - 3 sets of 12. Flex hams and glutes at the top - come all the way up. Go down nice and slow and stretch everything out.

(I FORGOT MY NAME AT THIS POINT. ALL SENSES WERE BLURRED)

Hyperextensions - 1 set to failure. Do only your bodyweight. Every rep you come up, I want you squeezing your hams and glutes. Try to get at least 45 reps…it's only 1 set, so kill it.

(I STARTED SPEAKING IN TONGUES AT THIS POINT AND MY HEAD ROTATED AROUND 360 DEGREES ABOUT 3 TIMES.)

I finished off with some stretching for hams and quads and then slowly hobbled to the locker room.

John Meadows Leg Training Article

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/enormous_and_strong_legs_the_mountain_dog_way

Aspartame and Blood Glucose Homeostasis

Q: Shelby,
For fat loss you recommend cardio on an empty stomach. I like to do drink a lot of tap water before I run. Is it on to mix this with crystal light? Will that have any negative effect on fat loss?

---

A:   Generally speaking, no.

I wouldn't drink a TON of it though, as there might be a slight inhibition of lipolysis... but a liter or so should be fine.

Here's an abstract of a study that looked into the response of aspartame on glucose homeostasis in normal and diabetic individuals:



Abstract
Twelve normal subjects and 10 subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were given, in random order at intervals of greater than or equal to 1 wk, three drinks of the same beverage: one unsweetened, one sweetened with 400 mg aspartame, and one sweetened with 135 mg saccharin. The amount of sweetener approximated that in 1 L of sugar-free soft drink. Plasma glucose, insulin, and glucagon were measured for 3 h after ingestion of the test beverage. Plasma glucose declined slightly throughout the test period, probably due to fasting, with no differences between the three treatments. Neither sweetener affected peak insulin levels in subjects with or without diabetes. Analysis of area under the curve showed that mean insulin levels were statistically significantly higher after aspartame than after saccharin or unsweetened beverage in normal subjects only, but the magnitude of the difference was small and unlikely to be of physiological importance in the absence of differences in glucose levels. Furthermore, the differences could largely be accounted for by a decrease in insulin values after both unsweetened beverage and saccharin, with no change from baseline after aspartame. Glucagon levels showed time-to-time variation but no overall differences. We conclude that ingestion of aspartame- or saccharin-sweetened beverages by fasting subjects, with or without diabetes, did not affect blood glucose homeostasis.

Demonstrating Strength

Apologize
Defer to others
Avoid shortcuts
Tell the truth
Offer kindness
Seek alliances
Volunteer to take the short straw
Choose the long-term, sacrificing the short
Demonstrate respect to all, not just the obviously strong
Share credit and be public in your gratitude

(courtesy of Seth Godin)

American Heart Association - Heart Profilers

This is a pretty cool, free tool put out by the American Heart Association. 
Knowledge is power!

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/The-Heart-Profilers_UCM_304738_Article.jsp



"Sign In and create your FREE personalized profile. It's 20 minutes toward a better understanding of your heart treatment options. By registering, you or a loved one can become more involved in your care by reviewing treatment options, possible side effects, success rates and questions to ask your healthcare provider. You also have access to medical journal articles and research studies written in an easy-to-understand format. Select a topic below and start today!
Atrial Fibrillation | Cholesterol | Coronary Artery Disease | Heart Failure | High Blood Pressure
 
Developed by the American Heart Association and leading science and medical experts, the Heart Profilers are your trusted source of information. Be more confident with better-informed decisions.
Now Microsoft® HealthVaultTM-compatible! HealthVault lets you collect, store, and share health information online. With HealthVault, you control your own health records, so you can share your health information with family, friends, and healthcare professionals, and have access to online health management tools.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why Use the Heart Profilers?
Customized. You'll be asked to complete an in-depth questionnaire. Then, the Heart Profilers use the information to create a personalized report that's unique to you.
Complete. Your report will contain the key information you need to fully understand your treatment options. It includes a summary of options, potential side effects, success rates and a list of relevant medical journal articles and research studies.
Convenient. You don't have to wade through search engine results and visit dozens of Web sites.  Instead, you'll find virtually all the information you're looking for in one place, from a source you can trust. All the information has been thoroughly reviewed by a panel of American Heart Association cardiologists.
Confidential. Your personal data is kept completely private. It's encrypted for maximum security and won't be shared with anyone else without your specific consent. "

First Post

This blog will serve to chronicle my own bodybuilding endeavors (diet, training, supplementation, competition, etc.) as well as display my work with clients and their accomplishments.