Fitness Trends 2013

Here’s the next episode of the UNCENSORED Podcasts Season 2.

Today’s topic: Fitness Trends 2013

 

Regardless of what is coming for the rest of 2013 you can be sure it's all be done before

Regardless of what is coming for the rest of 2013 you can be sure it’s all been done before.

 

Fitness Trends 2013

Everything that’s old is new again, and this is always true in diet and fitness. Every trend you’ve seen in the past 10 years has already come to a rise and fallen decades earlier.

The low carb fad that hit in the 1990’s is at least the 3rd time low carb came into vogue. The low fat push in the 1950’s and 60’s had it’s first push 60 years before that.

Even fasting has been promoted as a healthy way to eat and stave off disease and sickness as far back as the late 1800’s.

Believe it or not protein was even regarded as an evil nutrient that should be eaten in very limited quantities. And conversely you can find information promoting very high protein diets in the 1800’s as well.

When it comes to strength training we’ve seen the recent popularity of self proclaimed ‘functional’ training such as cross fit. Traditional bodybuilding has faded and might be due for a resurgence.

Regardless of what is coming for the rest of 2013 you can be sure it’s all be done before.

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Muscle Is Forever

Here’s the next episode of the UNCENSORED Podcasts Season 2.

Today’s topic:  Muscle is Forever

Muscle Is Forever!

Muscle Is Forever!

 

The term “building muscle” is the most common term we hear when referring to an increase in muscle size. This however is not the most accurate way of imagining how a muscle actually increases it’s size. A better way to think of it is inflating and deflating a balloon, and increasing the ‘rubber’ of the balloon.

From there it gets a little more complex with the incorporation of muscle specific stem cells called “satellite cells”.

In todays podcast we review the claims of an interesting self experiment done by Nate Green who gained 20lbs of lean mass in only 28 days. We determine that it’s more correct to say that he actually ‘re-inflated’ the same 20lbs of muscle mass he used to have…and that it’s perfectly normal to expect to do this for anyone who has previously been 20lbs larger.

Fact is that once you’ve built the muscle you can always get it back even after years of taking time off. And it comes back FAST!

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His Photos Cost Him 100 Pounds: Interview with AT10 Winner Kris Wragg

Here’s your new interview with one of the winners from the 10th Adonis Golden Ratio Transformation Contest.

Today John talks to Kris Wragg who placed 5th in our last 12-Week Transformation contest.

Truth be told, Kris is no stranger to the principles of AGR. He had been following the principles of Eat Stop Eat  for quite sometime before he made the decision to begin AGR workouts.  Kris had seen great results from intermittent fasting but realized in order to take his physique from what he called “skinny-fat” to “amazingly defined” a transformation contest would prove most helpful.

Kris also shares insights on he developed his homemade,  yet “Professional-Level” images for under 100 pounds.

Check out  Kris’s AT10 Pictures:

Kris Wragg - 5th Place - Before Photos

Kris Wragg – AT10 5th Place – Before Photos

Kris Wragg- AT10-Transformation Image

Kris Wragg- AT10-Transformation Image

 

Kris Wragg - AT10 5th Place - After Photos

Kris Wragg – AT10 5th Place – After Photos

 

Kris’s Transformation Essay:

When I started AT10 I was just finishing off MBF and then I moved on to the category 3 workouts. Throughout the competition I followed the calories suggested by the AGR calculator and shed quite a lot of fat in the first 6 weeks, after that it slowed down a bit and towards the end I added in a bit of cardio in the last few weeks to try and maintain steady weight loss.

I found the fat loss fairly easy, some weeks were harder than others trying to maintain the calorie allowances, especially with social events, but generally I compensated with a fast day and my weekly average balanced out. Between me and my girlfriend we managed to create lots of tasty low calorie meals and even tasty high protein desserts for treats, I’ve especially been enjoying some homemade protein flapjacks with chocolate on.

The workouts were fairly hard going and I added in a chest booster in the middle as this seems to be a lagging part for me. I really enjoyed the Fibonacci pyramids although they were extremely tough and took a long time setting up adjustable dumbbells. I thought the workouts were pretty well rounded and hit the whole body hard but evenly.

Overall I am extremely pleased with my transformation over the last 12 weeks, my girlfriend has been doing the Venus competition and we have both made great changes to our bodies in the short period of time. We are off on holiday in a few weeks and we will both be looking fantastic in our swimwear thanks to our hard work.

 

Kris’s Transformation Interview:

See below to listen to Kris’s transformation podcast interview:

 

Diet and Fitness; a Moment In Time

Here’s the next episode of the UNCENSORED Podcasts Season 2.

Today’s topic:  Diet and Fitness; a Moment In Time

The amount of activity these people did make all of us in 2013 look lazy by comparison no matter how much you think you exercise.

The amount of activity these people did make all of us in 2013 look lazy by comparison no matter how much you think you exercise.

 

Diet and Fitness; a Moment In Time

The current view of what is necessary or acceptable from a diet and exercise standpoint is largely dependent on your surroundings and the era you’re living in.

Modern western industrialized societies can be described as ‘obesogenic’ as there is an abundance of cheap high calorie density food combined with a highly sedentary workforce. On a daily basis it would be easy to consume triple the amount of calories you burn, and many people do.

But has it always been this way?

How much more activity did people really do before the industrial revolution and could we really eat 4000-5000 calories every day without gaining weight? Is it possible to eat that much food and still be healthy?

We review a research paper that examine what life was like in the Victorian era in England. The amount of activity these people did make all of us in 2013 look lazy by comparison no matter how much you think you exercise.

They also ate significantly more calories than we do now, and didn’t gain weight. They were what we would call healthy and didn’t have the modern lifestyle diseases that we see today such as heart disease and diabetes.

This research from the Victorian era sheds some light on just how little exercise we really do, and how much more we’re really capable of. It also shows how your society and surroundings play a big part in how active and ‘fit’ you will likely become.

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The Battle of Perception: Interview with AT10 Winner Paul Tomlinson

Here’s your new interview with one of the winners from the 10th Adonis Golden Ratio Transformation Contest.

Today John talks to Paul Tomlinson who placed 4th in our last 12-Week Transformation contest.

Paul, a military fitness instructor was first introduced to  AGR when we met at at fitness workshop.  Recovering from an injury suffered during CrossFit, he was looking for a way to satisfy his “competitive edge” without the “wear & tear” of previous programs he had followed.

When I first  introduced  the  philosophy and workout concepts of  AGR with Paul he was skeptical, yet OPEN-MINDED.  As you’ll hear in his interview, he literally did a full-scale investigation of the AGR program including, measurements, training logs, body-fat analysis, etc.

However, when he finally conquered “The Battle of Perception”  he mentally embraced the transformation process.  Building positive habits, and following the workouts as instructed set the stage for some amazing results.  Scroll to the bottom of the page to listen to Paul’s interview.

But first, check out  Paul’s AT10 Pictures:

Paul Tomlinson - AT10 4th Place - Before Photos

Paul Tomlinson – AT10 4th Place – Before Photos

 

Paul Tomlinson Transformation Image

Paul Tomlinson – AT10 Transformation Image

Paul Tomlinson - AT10 4th Place - After Photos

Paul Tomlinson – AT10 4th Place – After Photos

 

Paul’s Transformation Essay:

Coming into this challenge I have to say I was quite skeptical. First, because I have been in the gym for 20 years and the only time I have seen any significant changes in my physique has been when I amped up my training to 2+ hrs/day, 5+ days/week. Second, I am a single father, of a 5 yr old, teaching for the Air Force, taking online classes for my degree, and still trying to be a Scouting leader and an active participant in a men’s small group.

Where was I going to fit in the extra time for the gym? Furthermore, I wasn’t willing or in a position to follow a body builder diet plan. What I have learned has really opened my eyes to my own personal fitness and self outlook. I work out less than I did last year (3-4 days/week, using lighter weights), have made small, simple changes to my diet (definitely not what I thought it would be) and find myself in better health today than I have been in over 20 years.

Before this transformation I was seeing a chiropractor once a week to manage pain and numbness from two bulging discs, pressuring the sciatic nerve. Today, I have no pain and only see the chiropractor once every 3-4 weeks. I feel so much more energized than I have in a long time, not to mention, much more confident. Thanks to AGR, at 44 I feel, and look, more like a 24 yr old.

 

Paul’s Transformation Interview:

To listen to Paul’s transformation podcast interview:

 

Patience, Persistence, & Perspiration: Interview with AT10 Winner Hans Gutmann

Here’s your new interview with one of the winners from the 10th Adonis Golden Ratio Transformation Contest.

Today John talks to Hans Gutmann who placed 3rd in our last 12-Week Transformation contest.

Hans’s Transformation is the epitome of a quote by author, Napoleon Hill.  The quote reads: “Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.”

During Hans’s 12-week journey he lost nearly 20lbs!  He stayed the course and was able to reward himself with a brand-new physique.  However, Hans’s isn’t stopping here…read onto find out his next goal.

But first, check out his AT10 Pictures:

Hans Gutmann- 3rd Place- Before Photos

Hans Gutmann- 3rd Place- Before Photos

 

Hans Gutmann- 3rd Place- AT10 Transformation Image

Hans Gutmann- AT10 3rd Place- Transformation Image

 

Hans Gutmann - 3rd Place - After Photos

Hans Gutmann – AT10 3rd Place – After Photos

 

Hans’s Transformation Essay:

I decided to enter AT10 to make myself accountable. I knew if I just shadowed the contest my self-discipline would be more apt to falter at some point. I also decided that I would jump in with both feet on the Adonis Lifestyle. I would follow the exercise and nutrition regimen as outlined, stick with it, and not question the process.

I worked from the Progressive Supersets and Final Phase modules and lifted nearly every day. I also followed the Reverse Taper Diet and closely monitored my caloric intake. I included the suggested 15% for labeling errors and saw my stalled fat loss pick up again.
I’d read many times in the AI Forums that Patience is the key. It sounds too simple to work but I guess I needed to learn it first-hand. Put in the hard work, follow the system, and it WILL work. When you see the same person in the mirror each day or even each week, you don’t see the changes – but they’re happening. As I progressed through the contest, I saw many of the topics discussed in the AI Community applying to me. For example, Permission to be Light. Initially, I thought I only needed to lose 10 lbs. to see myself in lean shape, but I ended up dropping nearly 20 lbs. with no loss in strength or size.
I am pleased with the outcome of my AT10 experience. Many of the RTD rules have become habits now and it gets easier as I approach golden proportions. A goal of mine has been to build a lean, strong body that I could be proud of on my 44th birthday next month and AT10 has helped me achieve that goal. Next stop: Golden Ratio!

Hans’s Transformation Interview:

To listen to Hans’s transformation podcast interview:

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