Let’s settle this once and for all: Single set vs multiple sets

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I have been working in the fitness industry for over 20 years and have always worked hard to seek out the best science founded information with which to develop both my clients’ and my own workouts.  One of the confusing topics I have waded through many times over is the ongoing debate in the strength training and bodybuilding communities as to whether a single set of an exercise is superior for building size and strength than training with multiple sets.  I have always worked out using multiple sets and gotten great results from that type of training.  I am, however, not so short sighted as to assume that because I got great results that it was “causation” instead of merely “correlation.”

I hear it all of the time:

Client:  “Jason, I started doing crunches and I lost 3 inches off my midsection!”

Me:      “Did you also change your food intake and your cardio training?”

Client:  “Well, yes, but it was the crunches that made me lose the inches!”

The inherent demand for logic and reason that my brain imposes on me precludes me from formulating a steadfast opinion without having done my due diligence in research first. So I offer you a look at the some of the information I have used to formulate my opinion on this much talked about debate.

The idea that a single set of an exercise might be more effective than traditional multiple set training was first popularized in the 1970s by Arthur Jones, inventor of Nautilus strength training equipment. It was Jones’ belief that a single set per exercise taken to the point of failure was the most effective type of training for improving both strength and size. This type of training is often called HIT or High Intensity Training and was made famous by the late Mike Mentzer (He called it Heavy Duty Training) and 6 time MR Olympia Dorian Yates. In a series of published articles circulated throughout the strength and bodybuilding communities, Arthur Jones wrote about what he believed to be the superiority of single set training.  This subsequently sparked heated debate on the issue that continues to this day.

The debate drew the attention of exercise physiologists around the world, resulting in a growing body of research data examining the issue. However, despite an abundance of research studies physiologists were not able to resolve the issue. The main problem was that the research was equivocal; some studies supported the idea that a single set was more effective than multiple sets, other studies found multiple sets produced greater increases in strength and size, but most studies found no statistical difference in results between the two training methods. In short, there was no consensus in the research.

In general most research indicates that multiple sets tend to produce somewhat larger increases in strength and size. However, the issue is that the difference in results between the two has not been large enough to definitively say that multiple sets are superior. On average multiple sets produce a few percentage points greater increase in strength and size, usually in the range of 2-10%, but this difference has not been large enough to be statistically significant (statistical significance is important to show that the results are not just a matter of chance).

With research unable to declare a clear winner the debate continued unabated. Despite the lack of consensus the physiological community generally accepted multiple sets to be superior to a single set, which drew some very vocal and deserved criticism from a few scientists.

In response to these critics a number of “meta-analyses” have been conducted by researchers in recent years to see if the conflict could be resolved. A meta-analysis is essentially a study of studies. It is a way of analyzing the results of multiple studies on the same research hypothesis to see what can be learned by looking at the entire body of research data as a whole versus the examining the results from individual studies. A meta-analysis can often more powerfully estimate the “effect size”, the true difference in results, in comparison to the smaller “effect size” of a single study. Measuring “statistical significance” is different than measuring “effect size”. The advantage of measuring effect size via a meta-analysis is that it may reveal actual differences that were missed by examining the statistical significance of the results of the individual studies comprising the meta-analysis.

Let’s have a look at these meta-analyses and see if they have finally put to rest the whole single set versus multiple set debate.

Strength Studies

The first meta-analysis was conducted by Rhea et al (4) in 2002. Examining 16 studies Rhea reported that 3-set training produced superior results to 1-set training. In 2003 Rhea et al (5) conducted another meta-analysis, this time of 140 published studies, and concluded that 4-sets produced maximum strength gains in both trained and untrained subjects. Both of these studies received some criticism due to the criteria Rhea used for study inclusion and also for his statistical analysis methods.

A third meta-analysis conducted in 2004 by Wolfe et al (6) of 16 studies found multiple sets to be superior to a single set in trained subjects and in programs lasting 17 to 40 weeks. As in both Rhea’s meta-analyses, Wolfe’s study received some criticism for his statistical analysis methods.

Aware of the criticism of the previous three analyses, Kreiger (3) conducted a fourth meta-analysis in 2009 specifically designed to improve upon the limitations of the previous studies. He examined 14 studies with 92 effect sizes measured across 30 groups of subjects comparing 1-set, 2-3 sets, and 4-6 sets. He found that 2-3 sets produced 46% greater increases in strength than 1 set in both trained and untrained subjects. Interestingly, he also found no difference in results between 2-3 sets and 4-6 sets. Performing more than 3 sets did not produce a greater increase in strength. Kreiger’s study strengthens the findings of both of Rhea’s previous studies. There were some differences between Wolfe’s findings and Kreiger’s findings in terms of the effect of volume of training but Kreiger’s study also strengthened Wolfe’s finding that multiple sets produce superior results to a single set. Finally, a 2010 meta-analysis of 72 studies by Frohlich et al (1) found single set training to be the equal of multiple set training for short training periods but multi-set training to be superior over longer periods of training.

In summary, there is now a consensus in the research literature supporting the idea that multiple sets are superior to single set training for increasing muscular strength.

Size Analysis

All of the meta-analyses cited above examined differences in strength gains; none examined the issue as to whether single or multiple-set training elicited greater muscle size gains. Increases in strength are caused by both neural and hypertrophic changes and it is possible that the superiority of multiple sets for increasing strength might be due to a greater neural effect and not hypertrophy. It is possible that multiple sets might be superior for increasing strength but not size so this issue needed to be resolved also.

In 2010 Kreiger (2) addressed this topic with another meta-analysis designed to determine if multiple set training elicited greater muscle hypertrophy compared to single set training. Examining 55 effect sizes across 19 groups in 8 studies he found that multiple sets produced 40% higher increases in muscle hypertrophy regardless of the training status of the subjects or the length of the training program. Kreiger also concluded that the 46% greater increase in strength from multiple sets revealed in his earlier meta-analysis was largely due to greater hypertrophy and not neural factors.

Interestingly, while Kreiger found no significant difference in hypertrophy from 2-3 sets or 4-6 sets he did find a trend for greater hypertrophy with 4 or more sets. One weakness of his analysis was a limited number of studies that utilized 4 or more sets so he stated that no definitive conclusion could be reached as to whether 4 or more sets was superior to 2-3 sets for inducing muscle growth.

Summary

The debate as to the superiority of single versus multiple set training has been on-going for around 40 years. High intensity training (HIT), originally popularized by Arthur Jones in the 1970s, promotes the idea that single set training is superior to traditional multi-set training for improving both strength and size. Until now research on this topic has been equivocal and unable to resolve the dispute. However, six recent meta-analyses have confirmed that multiple set training produces greater increases in both strength and size than single set training in both trained and untrained subjects.

References:

1. Frohlich M, Emrich E, Shmidtbleicher D., Outcome effects of single-set versus multiple-set training- an advanced replication study. Res Sports Med. 2010 Jul;18(3): 157-75

2. Kreiger JW., Single vs. multiple sets of resistance exercise for muscle hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Apr; 24(4): 1150-9

3. Kreiger JW., Single versus multiple sets of resistance exercise: a meta-regression. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Sep; 23(6): 1890-901.

4. Rhea, MR, Alvar, BA, and Burkett, LN. Single versus multiple sets for strength: a meta-analysis to address the controversy. Res Q Exerc Sport 73: 485–488, 2002.

5. Rhea, MR, Alvar, BA, Burkett, LN, and Ball, SD. A meta-analysis to determine the dose response for strength development. Med Sci Sports Exerc 35: 456–464, 2003.

6. Wolfe, BL, Lemura, LM, and Cole, PJ. Quantitative analysis of single- vs. multiple set programs in resistance training. J Strength Cond Res 18: 35–47, 2004.

7.  Trainingscience.net  Single set versus multiple sets – New research 2012

 

Originally posted 2014-11-23 05:43:19. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym!

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Client:   “Jason, what’s the best exercise to get six pack abs for summer?”

Jason:   “Do lunges into the kitchen, snatch the box of Coco-Puffs out of the cupboard and then tricep-press it into the trash can.”

If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me that question, I would be writing this blog from the cabin of my G5.  The cover of every single fitness magazine purports to have the “Answer to your tight, toned midsection” on page 73.  Crunches, side bends, the infamous Ab-Lounger, along with all of the rest of the ridiculous exercises that are claimed to magically squeeze the fat off of your core, are outstanding examples of the brilliant psychology of popular media at work.  Those brilliant advertisers know exactly what the common consumer is looking for and with the help of a contest ready model and few key words, they lure you into buying the newest issue of “Muscular Mythology Monthly.”

The very nature of being human is to subconsciously seek the path of least resistance. Everyone wants the quick fix, the easy way out and it isn’t because they are consciously choosing to be lazy; it is because their own bodies are seeking homeostasis.  Although I often joke about the fact that in America we have remote controls for our car stereos, (I don’t want to have to reach that extra 13 inches to change the station) it is just a sign of the times, that we as humans are always seeking to find a way to get the job done with less effort.  With that being said, despite the common consensus, if you want to change your body in either form or function, you have to EARN it by forcing the body to change.  This begins with understanding how our amazing bodies actually work.

I am not going to bore you to death with a physiology or biochemistry lesson, but I will give you a simple analogy to help with this whole “6-pack” debacle.  The average American is ignorantly of the belief that if one works the muscles of the midsection, the overlying fat (read: muffin top or spare tire) will magically disappear.  The truth is there is no such thing as spot reduction of fat.  Well, unless you have a really sharp pair of scissors, but that is another blog altogether.  The ridiculous belief that working a muscle in a given area will reduce the fat on top of it, is just as ridiculous as the notion that pressing the gas pedal in your car will engage the brakes.  Just because the gas pedal and brake pedal are REALLY close to each other, doesn’t mean they have any interaction what so ever.   If this thought process held true, auctioneers would have the most chiseled faces in the world.   The most entertaining part of this whole scenario is that, while there is no such thing as spot reduction, there IS such thing as spot increase.  So all the crunches and side bends in the world won’t decrease the flab on your abs, but it WILL increase the muscle in that part of your body, thereby pushing your fat out further and making you look 8 months pregnant.  Unless that is your goal, I would say stop trying to squeeze the fat off and maybe eat a little less food so you lose fat all over your entire body.

But what do I know, I don’t even have my own personal jet…

Originally posted 2014-11-23 05:42:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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3 Reasons NOT to Wear a MMA Altitude Training Mask

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I suppose if you are dressing up for Halloween as Bane, it might be a good idea to strap on one of those fancy MMA high altitude simulating masks, but if it doesn’t happen to be October 31st, there is a pretty good chance all that mask is doing is making you look like an idiot.  All the rage these days, training masks that have been popularized by the psuedo-science laden MMA magazine advertisements and Facebook ads alike, don’t hold up to the stringent demands of real science. Let me drop some actual knowledge on you about these  masks so you can better choose your workout gear going forward and hopefully avoid those nasty looks people keep giving you..

What do these masks promise to do for the unsuspecting user?

• Improved oxygen uptake
• Improved anaerobic capacity
• Increased lung capacity

The claims by the manufacturers of these masks are loosely attributed to the mask simulating training at high altitude (because the breathing restriction aspect of the mask allows less air/less oxygen in each breath) which allegedly causes the user to have lung efficiency adaptations.

So now we know what the claims are, let’s take a look at the science to see if it supports these claims.

• Improved oxygen uptake – This one falls apart REAL quickly. The basic principle of the oxygen deprivation mask is riding the tails of LLTH (Live Low Train High) principle…. i.e. you wear the mask only when you are training to simulate altitude. This has been proven false. In the study, “Is Hypoxia Training Good for Muscles and Exercise Performance?” authors Vogt and Hoppeler clear this up by stating, “… A common feature of virtually all studies on “live low–train high” is that hypoxic exposure only during exercise sessions is not sufficient to induce changes in hematologic parameters. Hematocrit and hemoglobin concentrations usually remain unchanged with “live low–train high.”  Next…
•  Improved anaerobic capacity – In the study “Effects of intermittent hypoxic training on aerobic and anaerobic performance. ” authors Cable and Morton found that hypoxic training (using a mask or training at altitude) had, “no enhanced effect on the degree of improvement in either aerobic or anaerobic performance.”  Damn you science!!!
• Increased lung capacity – All right, last chance here training masks! On the third and final chance at bat, the training masks actually deliver….well…kinda.  It is true that there indeed is an increase in lung capacity due to the restricted nature of these masks, however, that increase did NOT lead to an increase in any of the important aspects of performance such as VO2MAX or anaerobic capacity. Darn!

While it might feel like I am here to bash the entire genre of altitude simulation/MMA training masks, the reality is I am just trying to be a clear voice of science founded reason on the topic.  I think it is important to note that while the above info beats down the mask’s ability to back up the claims of the marketers out there, it does actually have a very viable use for MMA athletes.  Wearing these masks makes it hard to breath and “smothers” the user so that they have to adapt psychologically to wearing them and thereby become prepared should an opponent block their breathing in a fight(this is legal to do in MMA) it won’t have as dramatic of an impact on the training mask user.  See, one good point after all!

If you don’t mind looking like a dork and you want to improve your mental game for MMA, then a training mask might be the thing for you!  Everyone else, keep on doing whatever you were already doing…

Originally posted 2014-11-23 03:26:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Grappling With Kettlebells: How To Unleash The Cardio Beast

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So you want to get in better cardio shape for your next competition and jogging on the treadmill just isn’t getting the job done.  You aren’t sure what to do and you don’t know what the best options are. Well, let me help you out a little bit.

Kettlebells.  That’s your answer.  Period.

 

While most people think they are reserved for strength training, the reality is, kettlebells just might be the best cardio conditioning tool you can use. How so?

One study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2010, Farrar et al. found kettlebells to “be a useful tool with coaches and may improve cardiovascular fitness of their athletes.” The study used the 2-arm swing with a 16kg kettlebell and had their subjects get as many repetitions as they could in a 12-minute timed round. They monitored VO2 Max and heart rate.

VO2 Max was found to average 65% maximum capacity and heart rate averaged at 85% max in the subjects tested. Now, there are many different ways to train with kettlebells and with a swing being one of the most popular, this study suggests two things:

1. Yes you can create, and even enhance your cardiovascular capacity using kettlebell training.
2. Kettlebell training will most likely produce a cardiovascular effect at a high intensity with a high heart rate, and therefore the amount of time you will be able to work will be much shorter in an interval-type manner.

Simply stated; the training effect of kettlebells versus long, steady-state cardio is different and will produce a different training effect. During the kettlebell circuits you are at a high intensity training your heart rate, VO2 max, and strength endurance. Because of the high intensity, it cannot be sustained for too long. In slow-state, long duration cardio your maximal heart rate will be much lower than 85% and so will your VO2 Max, so your body will be able to maintain exercising for the duration you choose.

You may be overjoyed that you can increase your cardiovascular capacity and get a great training effect in a shorter amount of time than spinning your wheels on a treadmill; so YES you can replace your machine training for some old-school iron.

Here is one of my favorite quick kettlebell circuits that will definitely get your heart rate up, get your breathing heavy and the sweat dripping:

A1: Kettlebell Deadlift – 30sec (Rest 15sec)

A2: 2-Arm Swing – 30sec (Rest 15sec)

A3: Kettlebell Deadlift to Squat – 30sec (Rest 15sec)

A4: 2-Arm, 1-Arm, 1-Arm Swing – 30sec (Rest 15sec)

A5: Kettlebell Deadlift to Squat to Press – 30sec (Rest 15sec)

A6: Alternating Kettlebell Swing – 30sec (Rest 15sec)

After completing the circuit, rest one to two minutes and then complete the circuit again for a total of 2-3 rounds.

 

There are others who need longer duration types of cardio to specifically train for a sport or a competitive running event, and those who associate a “good workout” with exercise duration. If you feel slightly bummed that kettlebell training is not exactly the same as long distance cardiovascular training and you’re worried about your endurance slipping, then simply do both.

For the competitive athletes, take a day off from one of your longer cardio training days and add in a kettlebell circuit. It will help your jiu jitsu and fighting sports by increasing your strength endurance, VO2 Max and also being able to train at higher heart rates.

Originally posted 2014-12-15 07:34:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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5 HUGE mistakes women are making in the gym

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While I would never want to do anything but encourage more women to hit the gym for their own fitness goals, I do have a hard time keeping my mouth shut when it comes to some of the insanity that goes down once they get there.  Getting great results from your time in the gym really isn’t all that complex, unless you make it that way yourself.

Ladies, high five for your continued efforts to better yourselves! Along the way on your fitness journey, please try to keep a few of the following items in mind:

1. Please, for the love of all that is holy, stop working your abs all the time. Your abdominal muscles, just like all of the other muscles on your body, do NOT need to be beaten down every single day. Should you challenge your core muscles?  Absolutely!  Just try to work them the same number of times per week as you would your back or shoulders.  Think Goldilocks and the 3 bears – not too much, not too little.  (Oh and stop thinking you can magically spot reduce the fat in your midsection by working your abs, cause it doesn’t work that way!)
2. You are doing waaaay too much cardio. If you are doing 90 minutes of cardio every single day of the week in an effort to lose fat to fit into your favorite pair of jeans, you might want to KNOCK IT OFF! The truth is that while a great way to build aerobic endurance should you be entering your first 5k run, cardio will never be able to match proper nutritional intake when it comes to fat loss. You’ve heard the phrase, “Abs are made in the kitchen” right?  Well, it just might be the most profound statement out there when it comes to fat loss.  Eat better and you’ll look better.  Cut back on that cardio and put more effort into your diet.  You’ll thank me later.
3. Stop changing your workout every couple days. I know patience is a virtue that you were not blessed with, but come on!  Stick to a routine for no less than 4 weeks before you decide it isn’t working for you.  Nobody gets results the first time they try a new program and that includes YOU, so relax and stick to the one you already have and maybe you’ll start seeing the results you were hoping for.
4. You are doing too many exercises for your booty. Yes, I know it is one of your focal points.  Yes, I know you think “More is better.”  No, doing 47 different movements for your rear will NOT magically make you look like J-lo.  Whether your goal is to lose some fat off the rear or to build up some muscle down there, too much is exactly that: too much. (Please see number 1 above)  If you want better buns, you need to include two things in your workouts: Squats and sprints.  That’s it!
5. Stop thinking that lifting heavy weights will make you get HUGE. Every bodybuilder out there hates you because they know the truth is to build big muscles you have to spend YEARS beating the crap out of your body and stuffing your face with huge amounts of food.  Choosing to use the 30lb dumbbells instead of the 5lb ones might be the smartest thing you can do to fast forward your results.  You’ll get stronger, build a tiny amount more muscle and boost your metabolism so you can burn more fat.  If anything you’ll end up getting smaller instead of bigger.  Win!

Get out there and hit the gym ladies!  Everyone wins when you move closer to your fitness goals and that can happen sooner if you were paying attention to my rant above.

 

Originally posted 2014-11-23 05:45:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Fat Loss And The High-Protein Breakfast

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Here’s what you need to know…

• Bulletproof coffee, a homemade blend of coffee, MCT oil, and butter, has plenty of calories in it, but very little nutrients and no protein.
• Meal skippers get fatter over time. When the skipped meal is breakfast, fat storage is accelerated.
• The more we eat later in the day, or the later we eat in the day, the more likely it is that our meal will be converted to fat instead of muscle.
• Other than an increased risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome, breakfast skippers also have a 27% higher risk of coronary heart disease.
• Eating a high-protein breakfast increases a chemical in the brain that’s associated with food reward, while a low-protein breakfast causes cravings for sweet foods that gets worse throughout the day.
• A high-protein breakfast has a profound effect on the neurotransmitters that control hunger, brain function, and overall energy levels.

How to Store Body Fat Faster

America seems to be in the grips of yet another cultish diet trend. It involves replacing breakfast with coffee, MCT oil, and butter.

They call it “bulletproof coffee.” Users claim better mental clarity, higher productivity, and less hunger mid morning. Personally, I call it “skipping breakfast.”

If you look hard, you can find some good things associated with this trend. People are eating more fat and less sugar and embracing butter again. The drawbacks are that it’s making people undernourished and fatter with less muscle.

Regardless of whether you’ve tried this butter-laced coffee or even heard of it, having a crappy breakfast or worse yet, skipping it, is a bad tactic any way you look at it.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you understand that six meals a day is no longer the gold standard. We can survive, thrive, and make gains without carrying around a cooler packed with organic, free-range turkey that’s had a shiatsu massage every day of its short life.

We won’t instantly atrophy and turn into a 60-year old sarcopenia patient because we only managed to get 1 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight yesterday.

However, research has made it quite clear that meal skippers put on more weight and body fat over time, while eating less food overall. More importantly, when the skipped meal is breakfast and it’s over-compensated for at dinner, that fat storage is super-charged.

The Big Breakfast

Like most things, our insulin sensitivity has a natural circadian flow. Skeletal muscle is most sensitive in the morning and experiences a gradual decline throughout the day.

Take a look at the blood sugar levels following 50 grams of glucose ingested at 9 AM compared to 3 PM and 8 PM.

That’s a walloping difference! Conversely, fat tissue is least sensitive in the morning and rises throughout the day.

That means that the more we eat later in the day, or the later we eat in the day, the more likely it is that our meal will be converted to fat instead of muscle. Late day eating is also associated with a slower metabolic rate, decline in glucose tolerance, and less carbohydrate oxidation.

A 2013 study in the journal Obesity compared a big breakfast (700 of 1400 calories at breakfast) and big dinner (700 of 1400 calories at dinner) protocol in a group of overweight and obese women for 12 weeks. The big breakfast group lost more weight and inches and had better improvements in fasting glucose and insulin levels.

Interestingly, they also reduced triglycerides by 33.6%, while the big dinner group saw an increase of 14.6%!

When revisiting the circadian clock of insulin sensitivity, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. The calories consumed at dinner were primed for storage in fat tissue, while the calories consumed at breakfast were primed for storage in muscle tissue.

The Abysmal No-Protein Breakfast

Back to bulletproof coffee. There are plenty of fat and calories in it, but very little nutrients and next to no protein.

The equivalent number of calories in 1 serving (400-450) of this coffee blend equates to approximately 4 eggs, but the eggs have 25 grams of protein and up to 50 times the nutrients.

Sure, the drink can keep you satiated until lunch, but is the goal of eating to eat less and stay full, or to nourish the body?

Despite the caloric influx, one could argue that bulletproof coffee is equivalent to skipping breakfast. And I think you’d agree that a meal with 1 gram of protein isn’t a meal.

Furthermore, it results in higher 24-hour blood glucose levels (average of +6), and increased food intake later in the day.

All of this boils down to breakfast skippers having an increased risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome from hyperglycemia and elevated fat storage, along with a 27% higher risk of coronary heart disease.

This is likely the result of an increased conversion of food to fat – the body kind (adipose tissue) or the blood kind (triglycerides) – and higher levels of AGEs (sticky proteins and lipids in the blood).

The Almost-As-Abysmal Low-Protein Breakfast

Although we shouldn’t be eating to “get full” when we consume an inadequate amount of protein at any meal (breakfast especially), low protein increases our risk of making bad decisions.

For instance, evidence in the Nutrition Journal found that eating protein at breakfast (13 grams or 35 grams) increases a chemical in the brain that’s associated with food reward.

Conversely, a low or no protein breakfast causes cravings for sweet and savory foods to continue to rise throughout the day.

The tendency to reach for instant high-calorie satisfaction is also elevated based on blood sugar irregularities. As mentioned, skipping or eating a low or no-protein breakfast raises our 24-hour fasting glucose levels, which makes us more susceptible to blood sugar crashes.

Multiply that by a few days and the next thing you know you’re leaving work early to crush a Baconator.

The True “Bulletproof” Breakfast

We see better fat loss, increased satiety between meals, significant reductions in fasting glucose and insulin levels, and superior improvements in body composition and insulin sensitivity in those that consistently consume the majority of their calories in the morning.

These results are multiplied when that breakfast is big and high in protein.

One of my favorite studies is from the International Journal of Obesity that divided young students into 3 groups:

1. Skip Breakfast 0 grams
2. Normal Protein 18 grams
3. High Protein 48 grams

As expected, the high-protein group reported more satiation and less hunger at varying test times throughout the day.

But what was most interesting is that the normal protein group ate the same amount at lunch as the breakfast skippers, while the high protein group ate less.

A high-protein breakfast produces a gradual and sustained increase in blood sugar, which means a consistent nutrient supply to the brain and the muscles. This not only keeps us satisfied longer, but also has a profound effect on the neurotransmitters that control hunger, brain function, and overall energy levels.

So let’s forget about things like bulletproof coffee and get back to embracing a big, protein-rich breakfast.

If you want coffee, fry up your leftover steak in butter, cook your eggs in coconut oil, and drink a big pot of black coffee on the side.

Better yet, down that coffee with a hit of 35 percent-fat heavy cream and some cinnamon to keep levels of blood sugar low. That’s what I call bulletproof!

It not only provides far more nutrition, but it leaves you more satiated, just as stimulated, and feeding muscle instead of fat.

 

This article was previously seen on T-Nation.com

Originally posted 2015-02-17 07:31:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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The 5 best exercises to build your grip strength

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If you plan on having any success in Jiu Jitsu, Judo or MMA then you BETTER improve your grip strength.  It’s not just for opening jars of mayo, moving heavy tables, or carrying 8 bags of groceries in from the car. Grip strength can make it or break it for you and if you don’t put in the time needed, you may end up losing your grip and the match at the same time. While standard resistance training can help build strength in the fingers, wrists and forearms, it won’t always challenge the muscles enough to adapt and be able to sustain the heavier works loads you’ll experience in competition. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

Exercises such as deadlifts, seated cable rows and regular pull-ups will help build some degree of grip strength, but if you are seriously seeking the gold, you will need some extra stimulus to turn your hands into mini vises. Try your hand (see what I did there?) at these five moves, which will get you crushing it in no time. I recommend selecting 1-2 exercises from the list below to perform after your normal workout is completed.

• False-Grip Pull-Up/Pull-Down

How to: Grasp a pull-up/pull-down bar with a palms-down, shoulder-width grip, but leave your thumb out. Perform pull-ups/pull-downs as normal.

Sets: 3, Reps: AMRAP (as many reps as possible), Rest: As needed

 

• Weight Plate Pinch

How to: Pinch a plate in each hand between your fingers without holding on to the handle or lip of it. Hold them at your side for as long as you can. Keep track of the time so that once you can do more than 60 seconds straight, you know it’s time to increase the weight. If this is still too easy, try pinching two plates together.

Sets: 3, Reps: To failure, Rest: As needed

 

• Towel/Gi Belt Pull-Up

How to: Loop a regular workout towel or the belt from your Gi around a pull-up bar. Hold an end in each hand and perform pull-ups as normal. Just make sure to move your head to either side as you get closer to the pull-up bar!

Sets: 3, Reps: AMRAP, Rest: As needed

 

• Kettlebell Farmer’s Walk

How to: Grasp a pair of heavy kettlebells with a thumbs-over false grip. Keeping the core engaged, walk from one end of the gym to the other until you can no longer hold onto the weights.

Sets: 3, Reps: To failure, Rest: As needed

 

• Push-Up

How to: Lie face-down on the floor, hands at shoulder-width palms on the ground, toes driving into the floor. Think about trying to grab a handful of the ground, as this will fire up the muscles in your forearms important for grip strength. Push yourself up, so your hands are under your shoulders, and your body is a straight line from the back of your head down to your heels. Slowly lower yourself down so your chest touches the floor.

Sets: 3, Reps: AMRAP, Rest: As needed

 

Integrate these exercises into your workouts and within a couple weeks you can look forward to your grip strength changing from being a liability, into an asset.

 

Originally posted 2014-12-16 06:50:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The post The 5 best exercises to build your grip strength appeared first on The Fight Mechanic - Jason Parsons.

by Jason Parsons via The Fight Mechanic – Jason Parsons