Category Competitions

Fitness Events Are Dress Up Days

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555121_546164792080628_1302266811_nOne of the reasons why I look forward to working at and attending fitness and bodybuilding events is because I can indulge in a dress up day. In fact, women who attend such events are expected to come in attire that is blingy, tight, and skimpy. I have no problem with this since such threads are essentially forbidden in my normal daily life in the gym and as a physician. All the bright colors, heavy makeup, and sparkly jewelry I have hidden away are dug out for these events, and I have fun with it, especially since I really don’t dress up for Halloween anymore.

I have had non-fitness friends ask me what to wear to events such as the L.A. Fit Expo, or to local bodybuilding events. Honestly, the main thing is to be comfortable if you are a spectator, especially if you plan to walk around a lot. But if you are hell bent on “fitting in”, think form fitting and muscle hugging. That usually does the trick for men and women. Some people in the fitness world can push the envelope with clothing that is so tight and revealing that you may think you are being mooned or flashed when they pass by you. To each her own I guess, but I would never advertise my goodies to that extreme.

Many women have asked me where I have gotten my dresses, so I am providing a link to the main site from which I have purchased in the past.

http://www.amiclubwear.com/

Leucine In Older Athletes

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leucineA couple of months ago I was speaking with Ian Lauer who had just wrapped up the January 23rd edition of Physique Star Radio (Link can be found here: http://www.rxmuscle.com/physique-star-radio/physique-star-radio-2/10058-physique-star-radio-01-23-14-ian-and-dean-welcome-ifbb-pro-jason-postono-the-show-plus-jerry-brainum-is-back.html), and noted his excitement over the effects of leucine in maintaining muscle mass in older athletes. Jerry Brainum had highlighted the importance of leucine in protein synthesis pathways and had also mentioned the challenges of the older athlete in maintaining muscle mass due to early depletion of leucine stores.

In response to this information, and also since I am getting closer to 50, I decided to experiment a bit with bumping up my leucine intake. I went from 2 grams of leucine up to 8 grams per day, and have kept this up for about six weeks. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, but it seems that I am more solid and defined since bumping up my leucine intake. I haven’t changed my training intensity very much either. I am seriously considering boosting my leucine intake more as well, perhaps by another 2 to 4 grams to see if that makes a difference.

If you are considering adding leucine to your regimen, be sure to time it so that you ingest it when you take in a protein-rich meal. This will optimize protein synthesis in muscle tissue and enhance the anabolic effect. At this point I will enthusiastically support the use of leucine supplementation to preserve muscle mass in people over 40 who are involved in regular resistance training.

In conclusion, I am definitely a fan of leucine and will keep it in my regimen.

Contest Friendly Bread?

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Those of you who are well acquainted with contest prep are familiar with pulling down carbs and avoiding protein powder and artificial sweeteners during the week leading up to an event. For many of you, that week is characterized by Ziploc bags full of boiled chicken and asparagus. You may be having dreams about post-contest cheat meals and a big reunion with all the fun foods which were forbidden during your prep. But what about P28 Bread? Must you wait until after the contest to dive into a delicious P28 sandwich?
New P28 Bread label 2014
The general opinion is that wheat based carbohydrate sources and whey protein should be omitted from final week prep. However, I am not joking when I say that I ate a slice of P28 Bread every day during one final week prep, right up through the day I stepped onstage, and ended up taking a First Place national finish. As long as you do not experience belly bloat after eating P28 Bread, you should not have an issue with consuming it before hitting the stage. I will put out a disclaimer and say that you should check with your coach and follow whatever plan is in place, but if you are doing your own prep, you might want to consider incorporating P28 bread into that final week meal regimen.

To order these amazing products, go to https://www.p28foods.com/