Easy Dieting and Building Body Mass

Over the past few decades, the Atkins diet has really hit the diet world with full force. This health phenomenon is based on The Atkins Diet, a book by Dr. Robert C. Atkins. His concept for weight loss is that we need to be concerned with the carbohydrates we eat, not the fat. Many people have found great success using the Atkins diet. However, it is not for everyone. Before you start the Atkins diet, or any kind of diet, talk to your doctor to make sure it is a good idea for you.

When you’re on the Atkins diet, there will be little calorie counting, but say good-bye to junk foods and processed foods. You will also be eating few carbohydrates and many foods high in protein. The theory behind the low-carb diet found with the Atkins diet is that by reducing your intake of these foods, you will enter a phase in your body called ketosis. During ketosis, your body will burn fat in the body for fuel instead of using the foods in your diet, which will in turn stop insulin production, which will in turn prevent more fat from being stored.

There are four main stages to the Atkins diet:
1. Introduction,
2. Ongoing weight loss,
3. Pre-Maintenance,
4. Maintenance.
Introduction,
During the first two weeks, you are in the introduction stage.
During this time, many people report losing 15 pounds or more, simply because carbohydrate intake is cut down to 20 grams every day. The only carbs you can have are low-carb vegetables, and even then they are very limited.

Ongoing weight loss,
The second stage, known as ongoing weight loss, will let you have 25 grams every day.

Pre-Maintenance,
You will then move on to pre-maintenance, in which you can try out other foods to see what carbohydrates you can add into your diet. After you’ve reached your weight loss goals, you may eat all good carbs, but the premise behind the diet plan is that you won’t want to eat these foods. Choosing healthy carbs will become a way of life.
Maintenance.
As with any diet, you’ll have to exercise in order to lose weight. Healthy lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, are also important. You must maintain the amount of carbs you are eating to sustain your desired weight.
Many people have called into question the safety of the Atkins diet due to its severe methods, and some say that the plan only makes you bounce back to your original weight as so as you hit the maintenance level. The key is to find something that works for you and your weight loss goals and that is healthy for your body.

Listen up!

There is protein in every living thing – Every organ, every tissue, every cell.  That includes every plant as well –fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes – all contain protein.

The human need for protein is roughly 20 to 40 grams a day.  The RDA is set at 56 grams a day, doubling the real need for “safety” reasons.

There is voluminous evidence demonstrating the health-damaging effects of too much protein, especially from animal and dairy sources.

So where do you get your protein? Ah, yes, the question on everyone’s mind.  It is amazing how much confusion there is on this subject.  The better question is, ”Where do you not get protein?” As mentioned above, protein is everywhere around us.  Every living thing is made of protein to some degree.  Protein is by far the most widely discussed and publicized nutritional requirement of our body.  The average American consumes over 100 grams of protein a day, three to five times as much as is necessary.  We all know that protein is an essential nutrient, but what most of us have not been told is that excessive amounts of protein are hazardous to our health.  The dangers of a high-protein diet are not commonly known by the general public because we have been fed more misinformation and propaganda about protein than any other category of nutrition.  A combination of badly outdated animal experiments and self-serving indoctrination disguised as nutritional education has left most people badly misinformed about our body’s protein needs.  Several generations of school children and doctors were taught incorrectly that we need meat, dairy and eggs for protein.  The meat, dairy and egg industries funded this “nutritional education” back in the early 1900’s and it became U.S.  government policy.  It is easier to meet our minimum daily protein requirements than most people would imagine…  with just fruits and vegetables.  Because much of what experts once believed about protein has been proven incorrect, U.S.  government recommendations on daily protein consumption have been reduced from 118 grams to 46 to 56 grams in the 1980’s to the present level of 25 to 35 grams.  Many nutritionists now feel that 20 grams of protein a day is more than enough, and warn about the potential dangers of consistently consuming much more than this amount.  The human body recycles 70 percent of its proteinaceous waste, and our body loses only about 23 grams of protein a day.

What happens if I eat too much protein?  Protein is an extremely important nutrient, but when we get too much protein, or protein that we cannot digest, it causes health problems.  The metabolism of proteins consumed in excess of the actual need leaves toxic residues of metabolic waste in tissues, causes autotoxemia, overacidity and nutritional deficiencies, accumulation of uric acid and purines in the tissues, intestinal putrefaction, and contributes to the development of many of our most common and serious diseases, such as arthritis, kidney damage, pyorrhea, schizophrenia, osteoporosis, arteriosclerosis, heart disease, and cancer.  A high protein diet also causes premature aging and lowers life expectancy.

I’ve heard that “complete proteins” are best.  Is that true?  The need to consume foods or meals containing “complete protein” is based on an erroneous and out-dated myth.  Due to lingering mis-information from a 1914 rat study, many people still believe they must eat animal products to obtain “complete protein.” And for other people, this fallacy was replaced by a second inaccurate theory that proper food combining is necessary to obtain “complete protein” from vegetables.  Both of these theories have been unquestionably disproved.

What is the best kind of protein?  By far the most usable and best assimilated protein is from plants.  Protein is an essential part of our (living) body and there is a difference between protein that has been cooked and protein in its raw (living) form.  One of the best-known studies of raw versus cooked foods with animals was a 10-year research project conducted by Dr.  Francis M.  Pottenger, using 900 cats.  The results dramatically revealed the advantages of raw foods over a cooked diet.  Cats that were fed raw, living food produced healthy kittens year after year with no ill health or pre-mature deaths.  But cats fed the same food, only cooked,developed heart disease, cancer, kidney and thyroid disease, pneumonia, paralysis, loss of teeth, arthritis, birthing difficulties, diminished sexual interest, diarrhea, irritability, liver problems and osteoporosis (the same diseases common in our human cooked-food culture).  The first generation of kittens from cats fed cooked food were sick and abnormal, the second generation were often born diseased or dead, and by the third generation, the mothers were sterile.

But I’ve been eating meat, eggs and dairy products for protein all along.  Aren’t humans meat-eaters?  Cooked meat is not a good source of protein.  The reason cooked meat is not a good source of protein for humans is both because it is cooked and because it is meat.  Actually, cooked meat is not a good source of protein for any animal (as laboratory tests have shown).  And meat in any form is not good for humans.  We do not have a digestive system designed to assimilate protein from flesh: We do not have the teeth of a carnivore nor the saliva.  Our alkaline saliva is designed to digest complex carbohydrates from plant food, whereas saliva of a carnivore is so acidic that it can actually dissolve bones.  Humans do not have the ability to deal with the cholesterol or uric acid from meat.  The digestive tracts of carnivores are short, about three times the length of their torso, allowing quick elimination of decomposing and putrefying flesh.  All herbivores have long intestines, 8 to 12 times the length of their torso, to provide a long transit time to digest and extract the nutrients from plant foods.  And all protein ultimately comes from plants.  The question is whether we get this protein directly from plants, or whether we try to get it secondhand from animals who have gotten it from plants.

But I thought that I get strength and energy from meat and protein?  Eating meat—or protein in general—does not give you strength, energy or stamina.  One of the easiest ways to dispel the theory that meat is required for strength is to look at the animal kingdom.  It is herbivores such as cattle, oxen, horses and elephants that have been known for strength and endurance.  What carnivore has ever had the strength or endurance to be used as a beast of burden?  The strongest animal on earth, for its size, is the silver-back gorilla, which is three times the size of man, but has 30 times our strength.  These gorillas “eat nothing but fruit and bamboo leaves and can turn your car over if they want to.  It would be hard to argue anyone needs meat for strength.  And protein does not give us energy.  Protein is for building cells.  Fuel for providing our cells with energy comes from the glucose and carbohydrates of fruits and vegetables.

As pointed out by John Robbins in Diet for a New America, many studies have shown that protein consumption is no higher during hard work and exercise than during rest.  Robbins writes, “True, we need protein to replace enzymes, rebuild blood cells, grow hair, produce antibodies, and to fulfill certain other specific tasks…  (But) study after study has found that protein combustion is no higher during exercise than under resting conditions.  This is why (vegetarian) Dave Scott can set world records for the triathlon without consuming lots of protein.  And why Sixto Linares can swim 4.8 miles, cycle 185 miles and run 52.4 miles in a single day without meat, dairy products, eggs, or any kind of protein supplement in his diet.  The popular idea that we need extra protein if we are working hard turns out to be simply another part of the whole mythology of protein, the ‘beef gives us strength’ conditioning foisted upon us by those who profit from our meat habit.” The National Academy of Science says, “There is little evidence that muscular activity increases the need for protein.” A 1978 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association warns athletes against taking protein supplements, noting, “Athletes need the same amount of protein foods as non athletes.  Protein does not increase strength.  Indeed, it often takes greater energy to digest and metabolize the excess of protein.”

How about this brief list of some of the world’s greatest athletes, all holders of world records in their field, who happen to be vegetarians: Dave Scott, six-time winner of the Ironman Triathlon (and the only man two win it more than twice); Sixto Linares, world record holder in the 24-hour triathlon; Paavo Nurmi, 20 world records and nine Olympic medals in distance running; Robert Sweetgall, world’s premier ultra-distance walker; Murray Rose, world records in the 400 and 1500-meter freestyle; Estelle Gray and Cheryl Marek, world record in cross-country tandem cycling; Henry Aaron, all-time major league home run champion; Stan Price, world record holder in the bench press;

Andreas Cahling, Mr.  International body building champion; Roy Hilligan, Mr.  America body building champion; Ridgely Abele, eight national championships in karate; and Dan Millman, world champion gymnast…  all vegetarians.  Surely if world-class athletes don’t need extra protein, you don’t either.

In summary, practically everything we have been told about protein is wrong.  We don’t need as much protein as we have been taught and consuming too much protein is hazardous to our health.  We don’t need to eat “complete protein.” Our body needs protein from raw foods, because the building blocks for our living cells need to be living instead of dead.  Cooked protein contains mutagens that are hazardous to our health, and some nutritional experts say cooked protein is impossible or very difficult to digest.  Cooked meat is not a good source of protein.  And protein has nothing to do with strength, energy or stamina.

But protein is important.  And our best source of protein is from the same raw fruits and vegetables that provide all the other nutrients—vitamins, minerals, enzymes and carbohydrates—we need.  The best way to get all these nutrients, including protein, is to eat a well balanced variety of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables.  When you consider the health problems caused by consuming too much indigestible (cooked) protein, it should drive home the point that our body is a living organism made up of living cells, and protein composes 15 percent of our body, therefore the protein we take in should be living rather than dead.  Consuming a high quantity of dead, cooked protein is similar to taking mega-doses of synthetic vitamins that we cannot assimilate.  We would do better to focus on the quality, rather than quantity, of nutrients, and ensure that the protein (and other nutrients) we consume is in a natural, living form that our body can assimilate at the cellular level and use to build healthy new living cells.

Hello everyone, how are you doing?  What have you been doing to improve yourself, and losing the weight you desire.  I certainly hope so.  If you still require assistance, please keep reading the posts.  Tips and tricks are really common sense.  The biggest tip I can ever give you is drink a lot of water.  Yes, you do go to the bathroom a lot.  But that happens until your body adjusts to the increased amount of fluids.  You can drink other fluids such as,juice.

So, remember to drink a lot of fluids.

Duncan Judson

http://comfyweightlossplan.com/?free-weight-loss-report=54

My friend and fitness author Jon Benson sent me this email. I have his permission to share it with you, despite the really personal details… turns out that he had a near-fatal event in the gym and wanted to share the story with his readers. I was blown away by what he did in the name of “preventative medicine”… so read this. It may just save your life.

Duncan

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My Medical Emergency; This Happened Today
by Jon Benson

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Sometimes you have to nearly lose it all to realize what you truly have.

I can honestly say that I have come close to death several times in my life. I’ve had my share of accidents, medical emergencies, and a near-fatal accident while driving.

But there was something about just laying on the gym floor today with two doctors hovering over me that gave me serious pause.

Time for some major reflection.

Now, before you get too alarmed (for those who know me, or just think I’m a pretty good guy… ; )… fear not. I did not have a stroke or anything like that, thank goodness.

What I did have was a major drop in blood pressure… so much that I came dangerously close to entering the “coma” zone.

I kid you not.

And trust me… I felt like I was slipping fast.

My girlfriend was there with me. I had her kneel down and, just like Spock in an old episode of “Star Trek”, I had her slap me several times in the face. Hard!

“If my eyes roll back, hit me harder.”

The doctor probably thought I was nuts… but I know that’s one way to elevate my blood pressure.

So, what happened? Am I falling apart at the relatively young age of 46? Is my dietary and exercise advise dangerous after all?

No… and here’s why:

I actually VOLUNTEERED for this.

Before you think I’ve totally lost my marbles, hear me out. If you listen to the rest of the story, you’ll see that not only has my advice been of great value when it comes to exercise and dietary strategy… it actually ended up saving my butt!

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Really Bad Genetics Meets
The Cath Lab:  A Wild Encounter
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First, the “volunteered for this” bit needs explaining… right? Right.

If you read my first book, published in 2004, called “Fit Over 40″ (read more at http://www.fitover40.com/go/duncan101) then you may recall that I went into great detail about my poor genetics and horrible health in my early and mid-30s.

Since then, and knowing exactly how bad my genetics are for such things as high blood pressure (oh, the irony!), heart disease, and stroke, I adopted the dietary plan and exercise routine I use to  this very day. The very ones I cover in “The Every Other Day Dietplan” and “7 Minute Body.”

(If you don’t have these books and want them, you can get both here… http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/duncan101 — oh, and I have a short video up on this page if you have not seen on a 1-minute fatloss tip… )

Now, let’s get real folks:  Dietary power and exercise MAY not be enough to overcome really bad genetics when it comes to certain diseases. And being ever curious, I wanted to know exactly how my own health was doing on my plan. So a month or so ago I paid a visit to the hospital to have some tests ran. All my yearly check-ups were okay, but I wanted a closer look at my heart… and I mean “literally”.

I wanted to be “cathed”… this is where they insert a camera into your heart, going up the femoral artery in your right leg, and take a look around. If they find anything dangerous, like a clogged artery, they can fix it right then and there with a stent. A stent is a metal device that presses plaque against the artery wall and opens up a clogged artery.

Of course I hoped I would not find such a thing… and certainly nothing worse. I mean, can you imagine?  “Mr. Benson, you need a quadruple bypass!”

I could not, that’s for sure… and I was fortunate because, as you probably guessed, I didn’t hear those words from my doc.

It’s hard to get a cath done as it’s a risky procedure. I can’t even tell you how I managed to pull it off … that’s how touchy the hospitals are when it comes to this kind of stuff. Afterwards, I volunteered to do 5-10 workouts at their heart care facility so I could hook myself up to some nifty gadgets. I get to watch my EKG (how my heart is functioning during cardio and weights… and it works like a charm!) and really nice doctor folks come by to check my blood pressure (which is always low) during the workout.

Yep… the doc and I wanted to put my workout plan to the test, I guess you could say. I wanted to do it just to make sure I was 100% healthy during my training. You never really “know” I suppose, so I was up for it. And my doctor wanted me to do it just in case what he found during the cath was serious. There’s a lot to this process, and there’s some details I don’t wish to cover for privacy sake… but anyway, back to my story.

It’s long, but it may save your life too. : )

—————————————–
The Good News… The Bad News…
And The Stupid Jon News!
—————————————–

Turns to find out I made a few mistakes… some pretty costly mistakes… but (get this) none of them had to do with my dietary or exercise plan.

During the cath, here’s what the doc said:

“Jon, your heart’s two primary arteries look good… hardly any obstruction at all. And they are nice and thick from exercise.” For a guy who has had a cholesterol level of over 400 before, and a history of heart disease in the family, this was really good news.

“However, your genetics are catching up to you in one of your arteries…. and you need to be more aggressive with your drug treatment to make sure we don’t have to go back in here one day!”

Er… what??

Yep… turns out that the only thing that saved me from a BYPASS (that’s right) was what the doctor called “an enormous amount of peripheral arteries formed from years and years of weight training and exercise.”

Wow.

“Look right here Jon…”  (He showed me my beating heart on camera… freaky…) “See all these arteries? Well the average person doesn’t have them. You do. Congratulations… you earned them.”

Wow again. And remember, I only workout with weights 3-4 times per week and my workouts are rarely over 21 minutes (time under the weight.)

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What I Did Right… And What
I Did Wrong… And Why This
Could Save Your Life
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So, listen up folks as I’m about to tell you everything I did wrong for the past several years… how it ALMOST cost me dearly (a bypass?… no thanks!)… how I managed to prevent it… and how I ended up on the gym floor today with doctors all around me.

It’s all related. And again, sorry for the novel-like email, but (again) this may save your life.

First, here’s what my excellent cardiologist said I did RIGHT:

1. Exercise:  “Jon, your exercise plan, to put it bluntly, saved you from a great deal of pain… in fact it probably saved your life as these blockages would have been far worse without it.” With it, I had only one artery with enough blockage to warrant the drug therapy that I should have been on for years… more on that in a second…

2. Dietary plan:  “Jon, your diet is perfect for this condition… low in carbs, high in protein and healthy fats is all anyone can do in order to help fight this genetic killer.”  Yep… again… prevention in the form of dietplan saved my butt. Or rather my heart. : )  But it wasn’t enough… at least for one artery. However, it WAS enough to prevent them from having to do surgery on me.

“Jon, the take-away here is simple:  Exercise and dietary plans, even the very best, may not be enough for super high-risk people… but in your case your lifestyle saved your life. And it certainly prevented you from having to have any serious surgery to correct a truly broken heart.”

Talk about EXCITING news… yep… you CAN beat this killer, even when you have MY horrible family genetics. However, like me, you may need some help… more on that in a second.

3. Blood pressure:  “Jon, your blood pressure is excellent. Your lifestyle and very low-dose diuretic has kept your formerly sky-high blood pressure (it was 200/110 when I was 32!) to an excellent 118/78.”  But you know doctors… even “excellent” isn’t enough and they recommended a stronger BP med for “my intense weight training.”

So, I listened… and ended up on the floor today. You see, many doctors do not realize the POWER of weight training compared to cardio. My blood pressure never budges during cardio, but less than 3 minutes into a resistance (weight-training) session it goes down like the stock market after a bad news day.

I mean SHOOTS down. I tried to explain this by letting the doctor see the veins in my legs… “Doc, my veins are MUCH larger than the average person’s… trust me, my pressure is fine.”  “Jon, just try it for a few weeks.”

Bad mistake…. like I said, I ended up on the gym floor today with a blood pressure of 72/45. If I hit 40, I’m literally in a coma. 5 points away… very scary. Needless to say the doc took me OFF these meds and let me do it my way:  With my Every Other Day Dietplan (low-carb most of the days) and good-old exercise.

If you have high blood pressure, I URGE you to take up weight training or resistance (body-weight or band) training. Of course, ask your doc about it first… but I’ve seen first hand for three weeks now how powerful my weight training sessions are compared to intense cardio sessions.

They are night and day folks… weights RULE. Cardio is good, but weights are best. Both of course would be the best course for ultimate health, but most people do far too much cardio and far too little resistance training.

—————————————–
Oops…
—————————————–

Now, here’s what I did WRONG:

1. Cigars:  “Jon, you cannot afford to smoke cigars… ever. They have lowered your protective HDL to a dangerous level. Stop NOW!” That’s all it took folks. Yes, I smoked cigars for many years, but fortunately I was never an addict. I quit that very day.

Guess what? 10 days later my HDL DOUBLED (no kidding)… and without drugs. Of course that’s not all I did…

2. Fat too LOW:  “Jon, you’ve lowered your dietary fat too low… this affects your HDL.”  Yep, I normally eat about 35% dietary fat… and I cut it down to 20% to help me get ready for a photoshoot. Now that I put it back to where it belongs, I still have my abs (yep!) and my HDL is raising as I type.

3. Stress:  “Jon, you are simply working too hard not to do some form of meditation or de-stressing.”  So I dove back into my meditation CDs. (I’ll tell you more about Holosync and my hypnosis CDs in my next email… very cool stuff.)

4. Advil:  “Jon, you take 4 Advil before you train? You’re nuts! That stuff can cause sticky plaque formations!!”  You know, I may never even had an issue if I had known this (and not smoked cigars) a few years ago. Live and learn!

5. And finally… oh, this hurt to hear… no drugs!  “Jon, if you want to make sure you beat this thing, you simply must take some meds to help.”  Okay, I resisted any form of statin drug for the past 15 years (drugs to lower cholesterol.) I opted to try natural stuff… but unfortunately for me I was never too consistent. And I paid the price.

So the doc and I came to a compromise:  I would take the LOWEST dose of statin along with 400 mg of CoQ10 (scary, but this was my idea, not his, and statins deplete this heart-friendly enzyme!) But I wanted a natural solution to the real issue:  small particle LDL. You see, I’ve known for years that I carry the gene that makes LDL “small”. LDL is not dangerous unless it is small… that’s why “total cholesterol” means nothing to me. I’ve seen folks have heart attacks with a cholesterol level of 130. No joke. But their LDL was super-small… like mine.

And guess what?  Dietplans cannot really help this. Well, they can HURT it (too many carbs, too many toxic fats, etc.) but they cannot shift the LDL from small to large.

For that, you need plain old niacin. Just a simple B vitamin… but in not-so-simple doses. In fact it’s considered a drug at the dose you have to take, and you should NEVER take niacin over 50 mg without a doctor’s supervision as it can be very toxic to the liver.

—————————————–
The Conclusion:  The Power
Is In Your Hands
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In conclusion, I’m A-Okay… my heart pumps and functions “like that of a strong 20-year-old” (my doctor’s quote) thanks to the extra arteries I developed from my exercise program (how cool!) … but in order to keep that one artery in check, I’m taking his advice and taking much better care of myself than I have been.

Today I learned that this does NOT mean taking blood pressure meds…thankfully… : ) But I had to make some changes. Some of them were “stupid” changes… sure, I know cigars are not good for you. I know you need good fats in your dietplan. I could have used common sense and figured out that 4-8 Advil on workout days was… well, stupid.

But the good news, which is what I choose to focus on, is this:  In the areas that 95% of people NEVER change, I didn’t have to change much at all.

Dietary plan and exercise.

Turns to find out that what I was doing works great… and it did, in fact, save my heart and quite possibly my life.

For more on my dietplan and exercise routine, go here:

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/duncan101

Thanks for reading, and I wish all of you good health!

Yours In Fitness,

J O N   B E N S O N

P.S.   I got lucky in many ways, but especially so when it came to my doctors. Both of my doctors are young and savvy enough to be up on the latest research on nutrition. They know NOT to buy into this “low-fat” nonsense for heart health. (I’d use a harsher word, but kiddos may be reading… : ) That only works for about 10-15% of the population. The rest of us need to lower our CARBS, not our fats… but the way I do it I get to keep my favorite carbs in my dietplan every week.

The little that I do eat keeps me happy as a clam, and keeps my heart nice and healthy too. A little bit of bad food will not hurt most people… but eating it every day can flat-out kill you.

Please… take this seriously. I promise, my dietplan and exercise routine is a PLEASURE to follow… but if you don’t follow it then find one that IS enjoyable for you to follow… and do it.

Life is too short, you know?

The article today is from my friend Jon Benson.  Jon can be a pretty

crazy at times but he know his stuff.  Jon said Duncan Publish this

article, so here it is your gonna love it.

7 Minute Science
The science behind brevity training
by Jon Benson, Author of 7 Minute Muscle
http://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/duncan101

A funny thing happened on the way to the promo…

(I always wanted to start an article like that.)

A few months ago I released a book whose title was more reminiscent of a line out of “There’s Something About Mary” than a serious work on fitness. “7 Minute Muscle” — yep, it’s getting more and more difficult to distinguish fact from parody.

Here’s the real irony:  Of the 27 testimonials I’ve received so far that I deem worthy of publishing on the web, over a dozen were from fitness professionals. I’m not talking about “doctors” with a gut as large as their paycheck. I’m speaking of men and women with both academic and real-world experience in the fitness and bodybuilding world.

There were exceptions of course. My friend John Berardi, while saying some nice things about the work, couldn’t endorse it due to the emphasis on shorter training sessions. That’s cool. Everyone has a different approach. But the overwhelming number of folks with consonants behind their names — those who read the book and applied the principles — had wonderful things to say.

There’s a reason for that:  The workout protocol is based on the science of hypertrophy as well as psychophysiology, the study of the mind/body connection.

I will delve into the mental aspects of the protocols in a later article. For now, since most of you are experienced, educated and (dare I say it) hard-core, let’s delve into the meat.

7 Minute Muscle is primarily a density-based training system. It demands varying rep ranges done within specific time periods. The protocol factors six of the primary variables of hypertrophy, or muscle growth:  Intensity, Load, Volume, Density, Time and Force. (Time includes rest intervals as well as the time required to perform a given task.)

A layman’s take on one of the basic laws of physics states that time and energy are interrelated. Doing the same amount of work in less time demands more energy, which translates into more power. While power is a factor in training, our interest is focused on forcing muscle growth and adaptation. This is also an element of time and energy. More energy expended in less time = more power.

If you break down the typical 3-4 set bench press routine, with reps starting at 12 and ending in the 4-6 range, with longer rest intervals between heavier sets, you’ll find that the aggregate weight lifted is “less” than a protocol like 7 Minute Muscle, which uses ‘less’ weight (easier on the joints) but demands more work in less time. In other words, X amount of repetitions done with Y amount of weight in just 5 minutes (phase 1 of our two-phase protocol) ends up being greater than your typical 3-4 set protocol, despite the fact that more weight is used in the latter.

Other routines, of course, utilize this factor of density. Vince Gironda’s infamous 8 sets of 8, EDT and so-forth. 7 Minute Muscle goes a bit further by varying rest, load factors and repetition range. Reps will vary from as low as one rep to as much as ten, and all of this is at the trainee’s discretion. They have only one objective: Increase the aggregate repetition count from one training session to the next. Since time is limited (broken down into two phases:  A Power Phase of no more than 5 repetitions and a Mass Phase of no more than 10 repetitions) the trainee is given a system that more accurately measure the seventh and most crucial factor of hypertrophy:  Progression.

More work in less time. Variable repetition ranges. Variable rest intervals. And all in seven minutes (for beginners.) Intermediate and advanced-level trainees are given 14 and 21-minute protocols if they wish to implement them. I myself rarely go beyond 14 minutes, as that is all that’s required to stimulate muscle growth.

I will cover health factors, cardiovascular work, ab training, and the science of mind and body in future articles. For now, give 7 Minute Muscle a shot. There’s nothing funny about it, except for the fact that you’ll be laughing all the way home from the gym as you finished your killer workout while your buddies were still warming up.

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[ Ed. Note:  Jon Benson is the author of four best-selling fitness and nutrition books:  Fit Over 40, Simply Eat, The Every Other Day Diet and 7 Minute Muscle, as well as the year-long M-Power Audio Series. You can read more about 7 Minute Muscle at

http://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/duncan101 ]

My good friend Jon Benson is sometimes nuts, read this email he just sent me.  He said I could share this if I wanted too, so!

I bet you didn’t know this …
Obesity…even being over fat… is a disease.
No, really.
At least that’s what several social groups wish you to believe. “Suffers Of Obesity” is just one of those groups. Their entire stance is obesity (which, btw, can be only 30lbs or so over your ideal body weight) is an actual disease.

Well, is it?

Yes… and no.

Comedian Ricky Gervais has a hilarious go at this stance… that obesity is a disease. You sometimes have to laugh, you know? ; )

“No… it’s not a disease… it’s greed. You just love to eat,” or so Gervais believes.

Well, in my first newsletter for 2010, a new decade with new ideas, I’m here to share a new idea with you:
We really need to redefine some words.

One of those words is “disease”.

Case-in-point: Wikipedia.com defines disease…

“In human beings, “disease” is often used more broadly to refer to any condition that causes pain, dysfunction, distress, social problems, and/or death to the person afflicted, or similar problems for those in contact with the person. In this broader sense, it sometimes includes injuries, disabilities, disorders, syndromes, infections, isolated symptoms, deviant behaviors, and atypical variations of structure and function, while in other contexts and for other purposes these may be considered distinguishable categories.”

Let’s think about that.

If you bump your knee against a sharp object, is this a new disease called “bumpuskneeitis?” Er… no. It’s an accident. Sure, it may ’cause’ a specific set of symptoms that could broadly (as in as broad as the back-side of a barn) be considered a “disease”, but … no. It’s an accident with biological consequences.
Social problems? So, if I decide to read 17 books on why my parents suck as a teenager and develop anti-social behavior, is this a “disease”? NO! This is the angst of youth combined, perhaps, with poor parenting! Sure, it can lead to mental issues that could be classified as “disease”, but guess what?
It’s totally within your control. No one force-fed the books to the teen. And no one is force-feeding you, or anyone you know.

That decision is yours and yours alone… and anyone, repeat ANYONE on the face of planet earth can change their behaviors and attitudes toward food.

Okay, some more thoughts on disease:

Let me give you a few examples of what is typically thought of as “disease”…
— Leprosy
— Cancer
— Hypothyroidism

We’ll just take three… there are thousands as you know.
Now, we can all agree that these three states represent true “disease”. The first you could catch by accident; the second is a combination of genetics, environment, and who-knows-what-else, and the third is almost always genetic.

One, cancer, is something you ‘may’ be able to do something about. For example, lung cancer. 90% of lung cancer patients contract the disease from smoking. Let’s just cover these 90%, shall we?
And folks, I’m asking for an open mind here…

Is lung cancer, in the case of the 90%, REALLY a disease?
Or is it a biological consequence?

Sure, “cancer” is a disease. But what caused it in this case? Something involuntary? Hardly. Something that could not be stopped?

No way.

The 90% caused it. Period.

Welcome to the real world.

So, I propose this: We redefine “disease” as an abnormal biological condition that we DO NOT have direct cause or effect over.

Airborne viruses: Disease. Obesity: NOT a disease.
And yes, lung cancer in chain smokers: NOT a disease; it’s a biological outcome. The end result should be treated
as a disease, of course, but come on: Where is the responsibility folks?

And yes, lung cancer in chain smokers: NOT a disease; it’s a biological outcome. The end result should be treated as a disease, of course, but come on: Where is the responsibility folks?

Life, if you want to live life live it fully and without fear, is ALL about taking total responsibility. That’s empowerment.

Anything less is… well, LESS.

In our example, lung cancer is no more a “disease” than, say, me hitting myself over the head with a hammer every day and causing brain damage is a disease.

Brain damage (not self-induced) = disease.

Brain damage caused by self-inflicted hammer-hitting = biological consequence. In this case of sheer stupidity!

Now, one could (and many will) make the argument that I had a “mental” disease that caused me to WANT to hit myself over the head with a hammer… but… well…

At this point we need to redefine the word “disease” in my opinion. Here’s why:

First, if this were the case, I could say that all criminals have a disease.  They all have a mental disease that makes them want to kill, steal… you name it.

This may in fact BE true… we do not know… but do we hold them NOT responsible if it is? No, we do not.
And that brings us back to obesity. Obesity and being overfat is not a disease folks…

—— > it’s a biological consequence.

And, with the exception of the extremely ‘rare’ cases of total glandular dysfunction from birth, obesity… your bodyweight… is your responsibility.
Period. End of story.

Sorry, but that’s the way the ball bounces.
Am I being mean? No. I was obese. I have a right to speak my mind about it, and trust me: My depression (a disease… sorta… some genetic, but a lot of it was caused by eating too much sugar) definitely aided in my obesity.

Then how come I’m not obese any more?

I found a better way to eat. I re-trained my body to crave this style of eating (and exercise) over stuffing myself with pizza and burgers every day.

Here’s what I use:
Click.Here———–> http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/duncan101
It torches bellyfat… and it reprograms the body and mind to use food as fuel…
especially if you use Jon’s “7 Minute Body” workout system (you can get it at
77% off after you pick up EODD on the page above… ; )

So be brave. Be fearless. And be responsible.

Oh… and be sure not to catch “internetemailitis”… its a disease that causes you to want to check your email more than 10 times a day.

I have it. So be careful… may be contagious. : )

P.S. Author Jon Benson documents his journey from obesity to total leanness in EODD. He had to overcome ‘real’ diseases, like pituitary failure from a high fever (i.e. viral pneumonia that almost killed him) and clinical depression (partially what he calls “his fault”; partially not… i.e. half disease, half biological consequence.) He KNOWS what you can do once you have a solid plan in place and a determined mind.

Then no “disease” can stop you… at least the ones that do not kill you.
So go for it… be brave, be responsible… and be lean!
click.here ——> http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/duncan101

Duncan

Every Other Day Diet

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/duncan101

You know, fitness and nutrition guy Jon Benson has a humorous way of putting things that we all need to hear. I received this email from him today and had to share it with you. It’s not only funny, it’s true.
Read on…

Duncan
———————————————————————-|
6 Strange Dietary Bedfellows
———————————————————————-|
What do these six things have in common?
— McDonalds
— Renee Zellweger
— Epileptic children
— Yours truly
— Most bodybuilding and fitness competitors
— Kiefer Sutherland
Give up?
All the above employ the strategies of the low-carb dietplan.
Recently researchers have found that low-carb nutrition plan reduced the number of seizures in epileptic children.
Most of the world’s leanest physiques get that way on a regimen, limited or not, of low-carbs and higher protein.
Even McDonalds is getting into the act.
Even Renee Zellweger.
Even Kiefer Sutherland.
Even me.
Kinda.

Read on and I’ll explain what I mean…
———————————————————————-|
Why Low-Carb Works
———————————————————————-|
When McDonalds starts counting carb grams in their food, you know someone is either jumping on a trend or finally seeing the light.
In this case, both — but it is a good thing. Low-carb dietplans. They work.
For the masses, they work because they are the easiest nutrition plan to follow when you’re busy.
McDonalds and stars like Kiefer Sutherland figured this out. The busy on-the-go guy or gal doesn’t want to make the time to prepare six meals per day and carry them around in Tupperware.

When choosing my own lifestyle nutrition plan, time and convenience played a major role. I looked at role models who were very busy, formerly obese, and very lean.
Most of them rely in some form or fashion on a low-carb strategy.
Low-carb also works, much to the hem and haw of traditional doctors and nutritionists, due to the way the body processes fuel.

For those of us fortunate enough to grow up on whole grains and very low-sugar mealplans, a moderate to higher-carb nutrition plan may work just fine.

But most of us grew up eating junk.

Processed foods, fast foods, and downright junk was the cornerstone of our dietplans. That puts your body on the “carb defense.”

After years of abuse the body becomes resistant to carbohydrates. The insulin they produce can cause all sorts of health issues, fat-burning problems, and more.

When carbs are removed, even healthy carbs like whole grains, the body has time to re-adjust.
In some cases, you can go back to a moderate-carb plan with whole grains and fruits after a period of time.

In others, you are a “low-carber” for life.
Guess which one I am?
Finally, low-carb works because you tend to eat less. Fat is very satiating, and most low-carb plans are fairly high in dietaryfat.

So, in recap:
— Easy and convenient;
— Metabolically important for carb recovery;
— Lower in total food volume (eat less)
Do not make light of that first point. Any plan that is not simple is one very few people will stick to. Making your plan simple and tasty is key, even if that plan is not “perfect” by nutritional standards.
click.here ——> http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/duncan101/video

EODD works so well because your carbs are low for “most” of the time. Not “all” of the time. And the times when your carbs are not low you can enjoy your favorite foods.

Personally I enjoy pizza and burgers on my non-low-carb days. You can enjoy whatever you want if you just keep it reasonable.

You see, there’s no need to diet-perfect.

Progress always trumps perfection.

———————————————————————-|
Why Low-Carb Fails
———————————————————————-|

There are two primary reasons for the failure of the low-carb nutrition plans: boredom and media bashing.

One causes irritability. The other, doubt. Unless you’re certain that your plan will work, you will eventually go off of it.

This is true of any plan, no matter how ideal it is. Certainty rules.
That’s why I believe in having a flexible, tasty plan like EODD.
Then boredom is easily solved.
I share my own unique ideas about “cycling” carbs and fats in the presentation here:
click.here ——> http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/duncan101/video

Using my cycle strategy you will rarely if ever become bored. And your body will burn more bodyfat too. It’s just a cheap metabolic trick…but boy, it works.

The second reason is media and medical bias. One study after another has proven that low-carb plans, even the Atkins plan, works and is safe to use for most people.

Check with your doctor first, of course.
I’ve seen researchers get down-right angry when the results come back. In one study, carried out for a full year, the low-carb plan out-performed the so-called “healthy” Dean Ornish plan.
Lower blood fats, more fatloss, and more energy were the results.

My preference always comes back to low-carb nutrition. I just cycle it in a way that allows me to get plenty of veggies, some grains, and ample fiber.

Even a slice of cheesecake here and there… : )
Hey…I said “low-carb”, not “low-life!”

P.S. One of these days the mainstream medical community will wake up to the fact that 90% of the population will never eat 15 servings of veggies per day.

While this may be “optimal”, it’s not at all practical. I’d rather give you down-to- earth practical nutrition advice that you CAN and WILL follow — and enjoy.
Makes sense, doesn’t it?
click.here ——> http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/duncan101/video

Duncan

Dieting and fat loss has become a goal for most of America population.  The obesity rate in America is now soaring over the 80% population.  Americans are beginning to understand the health complications that follow the bad eating habits of our fast paced society.  Diet plans are being forged everywhere, dieting is no longer a fad, but mainstream.

Do the well laid out diet plans consist of a properly balanced diet, or are these diets attempting to skip the necessary balance nutrition required to maintain the body.  A well-planned diet must consist of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and vitamins as a properly balanced dietary intake.  Many believe cutting out protein is the answer to melting away those unwanted pounds.

The main function of protein is to aid in the rebuilding of dead tissues and assist the growth of new cells.  Proteins have another important role to play in the body, these proteins assist the body generating hormones, and serums required by the body.

The belief that if meat is removed from the diet than proteins are removed from the diet. Proteins are derived from many sources in nature. Proteins are in many plants, and are as nutritious as animal proteins.  So, consider maintaining a calorie intake of 30 percent proteins from plants.  Plant proteins contain essential and non-essential amino acids necessary for the human body.

A normal diet as a rule must contain 30% of protein.  Research has discovered that a diet for a normally active individual must not contain any more than 30% protein.

Higher level activities, such as running, body building, general weight lifting, bicycling, and other strenuous exercises the body requires a higher amount of protein to build muscle, and continue to reduce fat.  Other important issues to consider are your actual weight, sex, age, and the overall physical condition of the body.

Diet planning requires balancing the amount of protein eaten in conjunction with your level of exercise, actual weight, sex, age, and the overall physical condition of the body.  The failure rate of dieting is very high, but by planning for the right amount of protein, and where the protein comes from can be a life changing.

Duncan Judson

I recommend Comfy Weight Loss Plan

Healthy Weight Loss Plan – Know The #1 Reason Why You Will Never Lose Weight In Any Weight Loss Program…

<ahref=”http://comfyweightlossplan.com/?free-weight-loss-report=54″>Healthy Weight Loss Plan – Know The #1 Reason Why You Will Never Lose Weight In Any Weight Loss Program…</a>

Can You Gain Muscle and Burn Fat at the Same Time?
– By Jon Benson, Author of “7 Minute Muscle”?
Many fitness pros just plain don’t believe that you can burn fat while building muscle at the same time. Every time I read an article by some doctor or expert claiming it’s “biologically impossible” to gain muscle on a hypocaloric diet (a diet low in calories) I just laugh.??I do more than make claims – I have proved this to be true many times. I’ve had my body fat hydrostatically measured during several peaks. In all but one I showed an increase of muscle mass and a decrease of body fat during a 12-16 week period. The one time I didn’t show an increase in muscle mass when was I was training the most in the gym. That may not make sense right now, but it will in a moment.

(Read the full article here:  http://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/duncan101/?page=gain-muscle-burn-fat)?

article 2

7 Minute Science
The science behind brevity training
by Jon Benson, Author of 7 Minute Muscle
http://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/duncan101

A funny thing happened on the way to the promo…

(I always wanted to start an article like that.)

A few months ago I released a book whose title was more reminiscent of a line out of “There’s Something About Mary” than a serious work on fitness. “7 Minute Muscle” — yep, it’s getting more and more difficult to distinguish fact from parody.

Here’s the real irony:  Of the 27 testimonials I’ve received so far that I deem worthy of publishing on the web, over a dozen were from fitness professionals. I’m not talking about “doctors” with a gut as large as their paycheck. I’m speaking of men and women with both academic and real-world experience in the fitness and bodybuilding world.

There were exceptions of course. My friend John Berardi, while saying some nice things about the work, couldn’t endorse it due to the emphasis on shorter training sessions. That’s cool. Everyone has a different approach. But the overwhelming number of folks with consonants behind their names — those who read the book and applied the principles — had wonderful things to say.

There’s a reason for that:  The workout protocol is based on the science of hypertrophy as well as psychophysiology, the study of the mind/body connection.

I will delve into the mental aspects of the protocols in a later article. For now, since most of you are experienced, educated and (dare I say it) hard-core, let’s delve into the meat.

7 Minute Muscle is primarily a density-based training system. It demands varying rep ranges done within specific time periods. The protocol factors six of the primary variables of hypertrophy, or muscle growth:  Intensity, Load, Volume, Density, Time and Force. (Time includes rest intervals as well as the time required to perform a given task.)

A layman’s take on one of the basic laws of physics states that time and energy are interrelated. Doing the same amount of work in less time demands more energy, which translates into more power. While power is a factor in training, our interest is focused on forcing muscle growth and adaptation. This is also an element of time and energy. More energy expended in less time = more power.

If you break down the typical 3-4 set bench press routine, with reps starting at 12 and ending in the 4-6 range, with longer rest intervals between heavier sets, you’ll find that the aggregate weight lifted is “less” than a protocol like 7 Minute Muscle, which uses ‘less’ weight (easier on the joints) but demands more work in less time. In other words, X amount of repetitions done with Y amount of weight in just 5 minutes (phase 1 of our two-phase protocol) ends up being greater than your typical 3-4 set protocol, despite the fact that more weight is used in the latter.

Other routines, of course, utilize this factor of density. Vince Gironda’s infamous 8 sets of 8, EDT and so-forth. 7 Minute Muscle goes a bit further by varying rest, load factors and repetition range. Reps will vary from as low as one rep to as much as ten, and all of this is at the trainee’s discretion. They have only one objective: Increase the aggregate repetition count from one training session to the next. Since time is limited (broken down into two phases:  A Power Phase of no more than 5 repetitions and a Mass Phase of no more than 10 repetitions) the trainee is given a system that more accurately measure the seventh and most crucial factor of hypertrophy:  Progression.

More work in less time. Variable repetition ranges. Variable rest intervals. And all in seven minutes (for beginners.) Intermediate and advanced-level trainees are given 14 and 21-minute protocols if they wish to implement them. I myself rarely go beyond 14 minutes, as that is all that’s required to stimulate muscle growth.

I will cover health factors, cardiovascular work, ab training, and the science of mind and body in future articles. For now, give 7 Minute Muscle a shot. There’s nothing funny about it, except for the fact that you’ll be laughing all the way home from the gym as you finished your killer workout while your buddies were still warming up.

———

[ Ed. Note:  Jon Benson is the author of four best-selling fitness and nutrition books:  Fit Over 40, Simply Eat, The Every Other Day Diet and 7 Minute Muscle, as well as the year-long M-Power Audio Series. You can read more about 7 Minute Muscle athttp://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/duncan101 <— read more here

Sincerely,

Duncan Judson

So here’s the million-dollar question:

“What’s the number one reason people do not work out?”

Is it lack of money? Lack of motivation? Perhaps they lack the ideal workout plan?

Nope. It’s TIME. Or rather the lack thereof.

“We know that 50 per cent of the population doesn’t [exercise] and the most commonly cited barrier to exercise is lack of time.” This quote comes from exercise researcher Martin Gibala, a kinesiology professor at McMaster University in Hamilton.

Gibala put his theory to the test in a study that was published in the Journal of Physiology. In it Gibala compared a group who exercised “traditionally” — 90 to 120 minutes per day — with another group exercising far less:  Only 20 minutes per day and only three days per week.

That’s a whopping one hour per week folks.

Did you know that Jon Benson’s “7 Minute Muscle” plan calls for only five 7-minute workouts with resistance training (weights or bodyweight) plus only 9 minutes cardio a few days per week?

And that actually works?  Yeah… you bet it does.

If you do the math, that’s about an hour per week as well.

This is the “Level 1″ workout. There are three levels depending on your goals and exercise tolerance.

Find out more here –

http://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/duncan101 <— brief is best!

Back to Gibala’s study:

In just two weeks both groups showed improvement in both exercise performance and oxygen uptake. (Remember, fat burns in the presence of oxygen.)

The kicker is that both groups were almost identical in their improvement. Why? Because the brief exercise group trained with greater focus and more intensity — exactly how Jon suggests you train.

This is just one of dozens of studies that confirm the benefits of shorter but more intense workouts.

However, there is a catch:  Train too hard and you will shut down your fat-burning furnace.

Your body perceives over-exertion done over an extended period of time as a sign of pursuit. It can trigger an ancient hormonal sequence that says, “I’m being chased by a tiger! Horde the fat!”

The body literally shuts down what it considers to be unnecessary activity in favor of self-preservation. And guess what? Burning off those hips and love handles is not a biological necessity.

You have to learn when to hit it hard AND when to rest and recover.

Finally, you have to put yourself into the proper mental state in order to see greater results in the shortest period of time.

Jon devotes an entire chapter to putting your mind into your muscle to make gains faster than ever befor in “7 Minute Muscle.” You can read more here –

http://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/duncan101 <— brief is best!

Just remember these three key points:

1.  Time is the greatest barrier to fitness.
2.  Workouts can be short and very effective.
3.  The body goes where the mind directs.

Sincerely,

Duncan Judson