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Dr Group on Making America Healthy Again

Check out this article by Dr Group.

HOUSTON, Texas (Dec. 15, 2016) – Americans spend over $1.5 trillion every year on health care. With insurance premiums and deductibles skyrocketing, the U.S. health care system remains among the worst in the world. In 2014, the Bloomberg index ranked America’s health care system #50 out of 55 countries.

According to the Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center, nearly 70 percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug daily and more than half take two. This trend isn’t without grave consequences. In 2014, prescription drugs were responsible for nearly 48,000 deaths. Further, The British Medical Journal warns that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America.

Dr. Edward F. Group III, CEO of Global Healing Center, has studied the root cause of disease and poor health in America for over 20 years and has determined that our current health care system does not align with promoting wellness and prevention-based medicine.

rest of the article:

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/make-america-healthy-again/

StrongFirst.com Training program template

Craig Marker over at StrongFirst recently wrote a great article about training for their certifications, SFG1 and SFG2.  This group is very well researched and has had lots of success training individuals.  I listen to them and experiment.  As you may know, I enjoy Paval Tsatsouline’s work and StrongFirst has been his most recent project.  Anyway, the article describes cardio training methods for passing the snatch test for their certifications (100 snatches in 5 minutes with a certain bell) and a kettlebell pressing program which will allow you to press bigger bells.  It is based off of Russian training protocols that allowed strength to be gained and maintained for a long, long time.

This article is written with an eye towards kettlebell training but it can be used for any modality.  I have recently pursued strength training through the barbell after achieving 1/2 bodyweight kettlebell press on each side.  In January I am moving to a mixed training modality of kettlebells, barbell, running, and cycling.  I love simplicity and minimalism.  I prefer to minimize equipment use.Ie…I like the idea of a weight, you, the gound and effort. If you want to press something overhead, get it from the ground and put it overhead. Therefore I am going to be training the kb getup, overhead press with the kettlebell, the floor press with a barbell, the zercher squat (barbell), and of course the barbell deadlift.

Now to the point.  I have been using training cycles for beginners as described by Marty Gallagher, Pavel Tsatsouline, and Mark Rippetoe.  After running into this Craig Marker program I have decided to use it over the next year to improve my lifts further while not burning myself out.  In order to simplify the training I decided to create an excel spreadsheet so that I could simply add in my current max and the program would quickly calculate the percentages throughout the program.

Excel – Strongfirst Strength Template 45lb bar- Wave.xlsx

Excel – Strongfirst cardio.xlsx

Note that the cardio is suggested upwards of 30 minutes in the article, I kept it at six weeks so that the two programs would be of similar length.

I am thinking about adding two weeks prior to this cycle. They would be for speed work. I would increase from 40 percent to 60 percent over the two weeks period. This would also allow you to run this program 6 times a year with 4 weeks off for recovery, vacation or life in general. 

What are your thoughts on this?

These templates are based upon a 45 pound standard bar.  My wife and I are going to be training together.  Due to this I will be creating spreadsheets for barbells of other weights.  

I hope you all find StrongFirst, check them out, and enjoy these templates.

simple truths

While i was cleaning today i ran across a step tracker thing.  This, while seemingly unimportant Item, unleashed a firestorm of thought.  You see, this is the reason that America is not fit, and this is the result of a population that does not want to face facts.  Now…I am an unapologetic American.  I am a constitutionalist to the core and I joined the service in order to stand up for these ideals (I know…the military is being used improperly).  The beauty of the constitution is the fact that it is based upon ultimate truths.  Those truths are simple and include the following.  

Men are best left to govern themselves.

Men gravitate towards power

Some government is beneficial for society.  

The best way to ensure that men do not become tyrannical is to bind them to certain rules (our constitution) and to have the power separated within the federal government as well as between the federal, state, and local level.  

That educated men should be able to choose their representatives through a constitutional republic system.

When individuals in power choose to ignore these simple truths their motives are likely impure.

This is certainly not a complete list, but as mentioned above the system is based upon truths.  Men will try to consolidate power and use their position to screw over those who choose not to participate in government.  This is a simple truth.

Now, how does this relate to a step meter thing?  

Well it’s simple, we live in a country where our fitness experts tell us to walk to become fit and healthy.  

This is bullshit.  

While walking has health benefits it is certainly not effecting any sort of dramatic change on anyone.  The simple truth is that the human body requires intense physical efforts applied regularly and proper nutrition in order to maintain proper health.  

Intense physical activity is based upon fitness level and can be improved upon regularly through training.  

The step walker meter training bullshit is simply pandering to the lazy, unhealthy, and weak.  It’s a simple thing people can attach to themselves to feel better about themselves without actually doing any hard work.

There is nothing attractive about being overweight and obese.  It is unhealthy and it is costing the healthy American’s dramatically.  The insurance payments that healthy individuals pay are going to the obese peoples healthcare bills.  Individuals have every right to be obese or healthy, to each their own, but you do not have a right to make me pay for your poor choices.  

Furthermore, American society would be far better off if we expected health and wellness and promoted those things which actually produced health, wellness, strength of mind and spirit.  Instead we pander to the obese idiot who knows they should be eating better and working out harder.  Our pandering allows these individuals to feel good about themselves because they strapped a damn step counter to their side and counted the 200 steps they took while ordering Mcdonalds as a fitness accomplishment worth noting. 

Superior fitness is hard, health and wellness is not, the simple truth is that if we expected ourselves and the others around us to be healthy, and promoted it as possible and built individuals up mentally, then we would have a much better society that faced reality instead of a society that believes we are healthy yet largely relies upon pharmaceuticals to keep ourselves alive.

Eat real food

workout regularly

do difficult things

be healthy – mentally and physically – you might find you like it.

Throw away your damn step meter – it’s stupid

pH in conventional meat

This is a quick paper that I wrote for my Meat Processing class.  It is based upon conventional animal (beef) meat.  These meats are typically grain fed.  Conventional beef animals are castrated, finished (fattened) on corn, and harvested (pc term for slaughtered) young in order to retain a flavorful, juicy, and tender product.  Castration, corn finishing, and slaughter young (1-2 years old typically) all lead to the above qualities.

The consumer often believes that grass fed and finished, beef is not as tender, flavorful or juicy.  I have eaten primarily grass fed/finished beef for the last several years and would strongly disagree.  Just as the agriculture industry has responded to the above traits, they will respond to the consumer demand of  healthier food.  If the consumer were to choose the product based upon health traits then we would all have grass fed/finished beef.  Then the product would decrease in price and become widely available.  Anyway, it’s an interesting, short topic that I hope you enjoy.  I guess I’ll go to class now so I can turn in my paper.

Introduction

The color of beef is an important factor for the consumer. Two proteins determine the color of fresh meat. These proteins are hemoglobin and myoglobin. Blood contains hemoglobin while meat contains myoglobin. The fresh beef at the grocery store should consist of 80%-90% myoglobin and 20%-10% hemoglobin. Vascular blood is largely drained from the carcass prior to the product becoming meat. The remaining hemoglobin is found in the blood that is stored in the meat itself. This percentage range gives beef the pleasing color that the consumer is accustomed to. The pH of the meat prior to harvest, as well as the changes afterwards, have an effect on the color of meat. A high pH (more alkaline) will cause the meat to be darker. The meat appears darker because there is less light reflected as well as the ability to see the darker red color located deeper in meat.
The informed customer knows that meats tend to be to tougher when the color is darker. As pH lowers (becomes more alkaline) meat becomes darker and therefore tougher. Typical meat is dark cutting at a pH of 6.0 after 30 or more hours post harvest. Some consumers may see meat as dark cutting meat while having a pH lower than 6.0. In the event that the customer does not understand important steps in choosing meats, the customer may ask the individual selling the meat. The person selling the meat should be well versed and able to explain the important attributes to the consumer. If the purveyor is unable to give a concise but detailed report on the choosing of meats, the consumer should consider shopping elsewhere in order to retain the highest quality meats as possible.
pH in Meat
The scale that is used in order to determine if something is alkaline or acidic is pH. Anything less than 7 is acidic and anything greater than 7 is basic. 7 is neutral. The further from 7 you get the stronger the acid or base is. The pH in meat is an important factor. The final pH, after rigor mortis, affects many aspects of the quality of the meat for the consumer. These factors include tenderness, color, flavor, and shelf-life. The typical meat pH is 5.4 – 5.8. As pH increases, the following occurs; tenderness decreases, meat becomes darker, quality of flavor decreases for individuals, and the meat becomes more likely to be infested with bacteria therefore leading to spoilage quicker.
How does beef becomes dark?
Upon harvest, lactic acid is produced causing an increase in acidity due to the bodies’ inability to remove these products. Lactic acid production continues due to stored energy reserves of the animal, thus lowering the pH into the 5.4 to 5.8 ranges. The reader may relate to lactic acid through personal experience. Lactic acid is the cause of the muscular pain after a strenuous workout. The live body decreases this lactic acid allowing the body to maintain an appropriate pH, however the carcass is unable to purge this lactic acid therefore decreasing the pH of the meat. Stress to the animal prior to harvest decreases energy stores necessary to produce the lactic acid; therefore, the meat is unable to lower the pH sufficiently. Electrical stimulation of the carcass increases the rapidity of rigor mortis and therefore allows the product to reach the final pH quicker. Sufficient glycogen stores are required for the meat to reach the appropriate pH level.
A few causes of dark beef are as follows; pH above 6.0, bull meat, length of time since harvest, rapid cooling of the carcass.
Minimization of factors contributing to dark meat
In order to decrease the incidence of dark meat we must ensure the animal does not use up glycogen prior to harvest. Glycogen stores allows the muscle to continue functioning, creating lactic acid, after the harvest of the animal. Therefore, we must focus on ensuring the animal is not stressed (physically or psychologically) through cold weather, disease, or increased activity/stress. Handling of the animal through transport, holding, and harvest should be as calming as possible. Prior to harvest the animal should have two to three days of rest in order to restore appropriate glycogen stores. Some animals have increased excitability; this trait should be culled from the herd.
Conclusion
The pH of meat is highly dependent upon the glycogen stores in the animals’ muscle prior to harvest. The greater the glycogen stores available the lower the
pH of the meat will be. A higher pH, due to decreased glycogen stores, leads to meats that are darker, tougher, and off-putting in taste. These meats may taste gamey to the individual. This is because game meat is often tougher than production meat. Low stress handling of the animal and a 2-3 day rest period prior to harvest helps the animal recuperate glycogen stores. The glycogen stores leads to increased lactic acid production after harvest that leads to tender, flavorful, well colored meat for the consumer. Meat is a major portion of the US agriculture system, and producing a product that pleases the consumer is of paramount concern. At this time a large percentage of American’s choose their meat products based upon flavor, tenderness, and cost. The agriculture industry has responded accordingly and the manipulation of the pH of the meat is an important factor in the production of those meat traits.

America Diatetic Association’s Attempt to Block Access to Alternative Nutrition (Forbes article)

As a Marine, health enthusiast, Paramedic and Natural Chef (health and wellness emphasis) I am appalled by the actions of this group. The very idea that you would limit an individuals right to speak openly and to claim yourself as the sole provider of health related nutritional information for the “express purpose of limiting market competition for its Registered Dietitian members” is baffling (quote from the article posted below).

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” – Hippocrates

Nutrition is health. Hippocrates knew it and so did Thomas Edison.

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” – Thomas Edison

Nutrition is extremely important. I practice, emphasize and speak of health and wellness through natural foods (holistic/alternative nutrition) and physical fitness. I have found this to be extremely beneficial. My body feels healthy and strong. I share this information on this blog and also with friends and co workers. Many of which come to me for advice. If the American Dietetic Association had their way what I have been doing would potentially be criminal.

We as a nation are facing an obesity epidemic that has never before been seen. This epidemic has happened while on the watch of the American Diatetic Association. We must allow for competing ideas on nutrition in order to combat this trend. The holistic (alternative) nutrition world needs to band together and form a coalition with standards and licensure to ensure that they are able to be taken seriously in the publics eye.

Remember: Your health is your responsibility.

Without further ado here is the article.

Exclusive Leaked Documents: American Dietetic Association is Intentionally Using State Legislatures to Block Alternative Nutrition Providers and Restrict Free Speech

I found this article through the Foundation Fitness Facebook page.

Muscle Confusion

The theory that an individual requires large amounts of different exercises in order to continue to gain strength and skill is a fallacy.  In truth the body only requires a few core exercises along with a skillyfully planned manipulation of three variables.  weight, density, volume.

Weight is varied through different means, but typically through a cycling of the weights from light to heavy and back again.  Each time reaching a peak or personal best, then lowering the weight and working your way back up again past the  initial PR.  

Density is varied through how quickly you work through a workout.  Density is varied through the amount of time you rest between workouts.

Volume is how many times you list a particular weight.  

Muscle confusion does not require a constant changing of exercises.  All this does is ensure that you become semi-good at lots of things.  If your goal is greater strength you should focus on a few exercises and vary them as above.  

Example:

I love kettlebells.  It is difficult to vary the weight of a kettlebell when there are such large jumps between.  Therefore I vary density and volume.  On a typical three day a week workout plan you may have a heavy, light and medium day.  All days use the same weight kettlebell, however the volume of the exercise changes.  Therefore if I am doing kettlebell clean and presses, my heavy day will be 75 presses/side total, my light day will be 30, and my medium day will be 50.  These are one through russian ladders as pavel tsatsouline discusses in his book Enter The Kettlebell.  Once i work up to the overall numbers I then attempt to condense those movements into a shorter period of time.  Therefore, constantly changing density and volume.

If I am doing a free weight exercise you may follow the above principles, however you also have the ability to change the weight regularly.  This is done through cycling your workout.  Starting out light and working to a PR, then dropping the weight and working back up to a new PR.  Pavel also discusses this in Power to the People.  

So, in truth, you don’t need a thousand exercises fixing each tiny little thing that is wrong with your body.  You need a few great exercises that work your entire body.  You also don’t need to worry about “muscle confusion” as the trainers attempt to sell you their product.

Just pick a few good exercises and work hard on them.  Progress will show up.

My exercises that I have chosen are the deadlift, kettlebell clean and press, swings, snatches and Turkish Getups.  

Check out the links at the top of this page for more information on these exercises and cycling of your workout.  There is also a lot of info about food and wellness.

32kg (70lb) kettlebell

Welcome to the family.
Time to get back to work.

Food Desert

Thanks clip art world.

Big Push and a Big Pull: Fitness made simple

Fitness programs should be simple and goal oriented.  Even if the goal is general fitness.  My goal is heavy presses, heavy deadlift, heavy getup and a high level of cardio.  I will achieve this goal through a big push and a big pull day.

A big push and a big pull works the entire body.  Heavy presses, coupled with a heavy deadlift will work your body quickly and efficiently.  Add in some turkish getups as well as some swings and snatches and you can have an entire workout in short order.  Modern day fitness programs rely on constantly changing the workout.  Some modern day fitness instructors rely on the ignorance of their client in order to fleece their gold from their clients.  Our “modern” age would have us believe that we require an expert for everything.  Fitness is not this way.  

If you want to get stronger, lift heavier things more often.

If you want to lose fat, eat healthy and real food, less of it, once a day if possible, lift heavy and perform high intensity cardio…and prioritize sleep.

The human body moves in two major ways.  Through a big push and a big pull.  As individuals we either pick things up from the ground or put things overhead.  Two movements cover the basis of movement for human strength.  The deadlift works the entire posterior chain as well as the core in particular.  The press covers the rest of the body.  In addition to these two movements I suggest adding in swings/snatches for high rep high intensity cardio as well as the turkish getup as a great movement to teach the interconnectedness of the human body.

Due to the fact that individuals can only do a few things well at any given time, my workout program has been broken down into two routines covering only 4 days a week.  A big push and a big pull day.

Big Push Day

Kettlebell Turkish Getups x 3 minutes with a focus on irradiation, tension, and form.  More for tension practice and time under the bell.  Only three minutes in order to allow me the full use of my faculties while pressing.

After the getup my focus turns to ladders of kettlebell clean and presses.  Heavy ladders of kettlebell clean and presses in a heavy, light, medium format as described by Pavel Tsatsouline in ‘Enter the Kettlebell’.  Increasing the weight as you become comfortable with the full heavy day of presses.

It sounds simple but remaining focussed during the presses can be tough.  It is important to focus on the correct movement throughout.  

Odd as it may seem, the final presses that I do often feel like my strongest.  This is because the fatigue that begins to set in forces me to use my entire body to press the bell.  By using the entire body I mean that I tense my entire body more thoroughly.  Not kipping or cheating the bell up.

Big Pull Day

Big pull day starts with the deadlift.  There’s a multitude of ways to focus on the deadlift.  I perform sets of 5 in the standard prescribed by Pavel Tsatsouline in ‘Power to the People’.  I will have increase the weight with each workout while cycling the weight overall.  This will allow continuous progress.  Furthermore, I will have a heavy day and a lighter day.  The heavy deadlift day will start with the workout weight for 5.  drop 10% for another 5, then drop another 10% for the duration of sets of 5 until form breaks or most likely to a total of 5 sets.  The light day will consist of the same, but with the last sets not going over 4 sets.  The amount of reps/sets will decrease as the weight increases, peaking with a new PR of 1-3 reps.  At this time I will cycle the workout weights down and then increase once again to progressively heavier lifts.

After this is completed I perform swings or snatches to finish out the day.

The Goal

The goal of my program is to be able to deadlift 400 pounds, press the 106 pound kettlebell with each arm, do a getup with the 106 pound kettlebell, and snatch the 53 pound kettlebell 200 times in 10 minutes. I currently weigh 165 pounds at 5’10.

The Plan

For the next few months It is my intention to bring my deadlift up to a 300 pound range for sets of 5 as well as to become comfortable with the 70 pound kettlebell.  At that point I will increase the press to the 88 pound kettlebell and work on the 106 pound kettlebell until next December while bringing the deadlift to the 400 pound range.  

While I work on the 70 pound press and until I get the deadlift up to the 300 pound range I am going to have a 5 day workout program.  Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will be dedicated to pushes.  Tuesday and Thursday’s are dedicated to the pull.

My 4 day program is as follows.

Monday – getup and “heavy” presses (upward of 5 sets of russian ladders to 5, 75 total presses/side)

Tuesday – “light” deadlift and swings

Wednesday – off day

Thursday – getup and “medium or light” presses (5 sets of russian ladders to 3 or 4, 30 or 50 presses/side depending on how I feel)  Will lean towards medium presses.

Friday – “heavy” deadlift and snatches

It is my belief that this program will allow me to reach a high level of strength and general fitness over the next year by applying everything that I have learned in terms of fitness and nutrition.  

Check out the top of the page in order to find quick links to previous articles.  There is lots of information about cycling of your workout and nutrition.