Is Red Meat Deadly?

March 17, 2012 Leave a comment

According to the New York Times, the consumption of red meat is linked with an increase in cancer and heart disease, in short it will kill you faster.
Now before we dive into the actual study, in the sense of full disclosure, I am convinced ( and healthy ) carnivore and love a good steak any given time of the day.
The study looks at about 120, 000 men and women, who filled out health related questionnaires and the conclusion is the following: people who increased their red meat consumption by 3 ounces daily were at a 12 % higher risk of dying, “including a 16 percent greater risk of cardiovascular death and a 10 percent greater risk of cancer death. “

At first glance, this might make you want to become a vegan but someone needs to stand up for red meat and it might as well be me. So here are my problems with the study:
1. What kind of red meat are we talking about? Obviously, consuming hot dogs and lunch meats is something entirely different that eating flank steak or bison, both in terms of transfats and added chemicals. The article gives a partial answer by saying “The increased risks linked to processed meat, like bacon, were even greater: 20 percent over all, 21 percent for cardiovascular disease and 16 percent for cancer. “

2. “People who ate more red meat were less physically active and more likely to smoke and had a higher body mass index, researchers found.” Sorry, I don’t see the connection between red meat and smoking. Couldn’t it be that the cigarettes were responsible for the higher cancer rate?
As for the higher body mass index ( which is a questionable instrument to begin with since it doesn’t take into account actual body fat vs muscle) , my theory is that those people simply had poor nutritional habits to begin with. here is an analogy: someone goes to McDonalds and eats a burger with fries and a milk shake. Did his weight increase and health problems really stem from the red meat? Or might it have been the extra 2000 calories?
On the flip side, people on diets tend to eat more fish and chicken since they are less calorically dense than red meat.

3. Lifestyle. We do not get an idea whether the participants were physically active. Needless to say it is different if an athlete with 5% body fat eats a NY strip steak or someone with 35%. Why? Somebody who is obese has more cholesterol in his body already ( stored as body fat) so his levels are bad to begin with, the steak will not to anymore damage.

Overall, I am not putting my steak knife down just yet. Red meat is an excellent source of protein, zinc, creatine and b-vitamins. Humans have consumed it for hundreds of years without going extinct, what has changed is our overall calorie intake and an increase in processed foods. Yes, red meat contains more fat ,especially saturated fat that fish or chicken but some saturated fat and cholesterol is needed for our brains, nerves and to make testosterone.
If you have a reasonable lean body fat percentage, are physically active and stay away from processed meats, I can’t imagine how quality red meat could harm you. I would even go as far as saying that it is performance enhancing.

I believe one of the main mistakes we make in our views in regards to diet is that we focus on one piece of the mosaic ins stead of the whole.
Examples:
80′s: Fat is evil, eat fat free angel cake and gummi bears!
90′s: carbs are evil, eat cheese and butter!
2000s: green tea cures every thing..no, fish oil does..no eat only acai berries…etc

The human body is a very complex system and it is hard to determine the exact cause and effect of increased mortality, so I suggest to reduce your stress levels, eat smart and exercise. Its a proven formula for success and better bodies.
Train hard!
Maik

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A pro routine will make me big

January 28, 2012 Leave a comment

A pro routine will make me big

A routine that supposedly got Mr. Olympia to where he is will most likely not work for you.

By the same token, asking the biggest guy for advice is probably the worst mistake you can make during your quest for a better body.

Here’s why: Pro bodybuilders can train at a much higher level since they hold several advantages over you: superior genetics, the ability to sleep eight hours a night, and eating six to seven meals a day. If you look at pictures of top athletes as young people, they are already more muscular and leaner than their counterparts.  They tend to store less body fat and push nutrients into the muscle, which is why they can consume 5,000 calories a day without becoming obese.

And yes, there are drugs, a whole plethora of them, which enable them to diet more strictly and recover more quickly. There are anabolic steroids, growth hormone, insulin, diet drugs, thyroid medication, appetite suppressants, fat burners, and plenty more.

Anyone who tells you that this type of development can be achieved without drugs is lying or trying to sell you a supplement. ( I just have a book)

The average person, who has to deal with job, family, and career, simply cannot maintain such a demanding regime. If you’re like most of us, you just have to carefully track your progress and adjust your routine accordingly.

Ask yourself every ten weeks:  Am I getting stronger? Can I do more repetitions? Am I leaner?

If after several months the answer to all these questions is no, you need to adjust your routine and diet. Overtraining could be one of the problems.

If you haven’t progressed in the gym for several weeks, take a week or ten days off from the gym. You can take up other sports for a while, but rest as much as possible. While you’re resting, keep your calories slightly elevated without eating a lot of junk food. Many trainees are over-trained and underfed; so the combination of rest and food can produce amazing gains.

While your body is given a chance to recover and rebuild, you should use that time to come up with a new personal routine for the next eight to ten weeks and then stick to it.

When the eight to ten weeks are up, it’s time to reevaluate (pictures or an honest friend can be very helpful) and plan your next step.

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Welcome to find a workout!

January 26, 2012 3 Comments

My name is Maik Wiedenbach and this is my blog, where I would like  to present excerpts from my book “101 fitness myths ” in an attempt to cut through the clutter in the fitness world. My goal is to provide answers and solutions for the fitness enthusiast in regards to training, diet and the fitness lifestyle as such. I am trying to show people a way to succeed in the gym as well as in the kitchen, without giving up their lives. If you like what you read, my book has plenty more. Each blog post is a chapter from my book.

Today we start with the question about genetics or are we mere mortals doomed to have a sub-standard physique?

Myth 1: I don’t have the genetics

I hear this a lot––both in the gym and casual conversation. Genetics are a favorite scapegoat for athletic shortcomings. We blame genetics for our failure to build muscle or lose body fat. But how much do genetics really influence your success in the gym?

The answer is less than you would like to believe. While everyone has inherited a certain blueprint, which includes having good and not-so-good muscle groups, certain hormonal levels, and fat storage tendencies, it is also true that ANYONE can get in amazing shape.

You are trying to build the best body for you, not to emulate someone else.

Think of your body as a plant. Given the right conditions, a plant will grow and blossom. If it doesn’t, that means something is wrong–– a parasite, not enough light, or too much water, perhaps.  The same applies to your body: There is always an explanation for why you’re not progressing.

Success in training has three pillars: training, recovery, and nutrition. Most people at best get two out of three right.

Most of us don’t have the potential of Arnold Schwarzenegger, but that doesn’t mean we cannot achieve our own goals. By way of example, look at the guy next to Arnold: Frank Zane.

He had narrow clavicles, a long torso, sixteen-inch arms, and weighed 190 pounds at a height of 5’10″. In short, he had one of the worst possible genetic make-ups for a pro bodybuilder.

Yet, he won Mr. Olympia three times, beating Arnold!

How did he do it? He stuck to his diet, trained with unmatched intensity, and did not take no for an answer. He realized that he couldn’t compete with Arnold on the basis of mass; so he created the most symmetrical physique, which many people still consider as close to perfect as a human can get.

Frank Zane’s story is inspiring. Your first step is to honestly assess yourself, your schedule, and your training experience, and devise the plan that’s right for you.

What is my goal? Mass in the upper body? Lean legs?

If your progress has been snail-like, then you might need to work out less often to give your body enough recovery time. Another approach would be to focus on certain body parts that you deem weaker and train them twice a week. Look at your body like a piece of art. You are the artist; it’s up to you to create the perfect physique for your particular body.

For example, if you have wide hips, don’t waste your time with oblique training to make your hips narrow; train your shoulders instead. The wider your shoulders are, the narrower your waist will appear.

Be honest do yourself: have I really been eating all my meals? Doing my workouts? Also, take photos, or better yet have someone else take them gor you. An honest friend with a cell phone can go a long way here.

Also, stop working out and start training. Training means, “to increase the capacity to perform a skill or work.” If you are still training with the same weights after twelve months, you are simply not better. Push yourself to the limit in every workout to achieve your goals. Training is a lifestyle; whereas working out is neat and cute like a French class you take every two weeks. The only way you’ll really learn French is by moving to France and speaking only French.

The same applies to your body; it is a twenty-four/seven project––training, eating, resting, and learning.

Remember, creating a physique is not a race against other people. You are doing this for yourself. If someone else gets in shape quicker or with seemingly less effort, don’t be discouraged. Don’t psych yourself out with complaints about your genetics because you can’t change them. The time you spend complaining could be much better used cooking a healthy meal or working out.

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