Monday, 02.08.10: Congrats to Jen B!!

Jen B. competed in San Juan Capistrano this weekend and qualified for National Collegiate Championships for Olympic Weightlifting.  Her qualifying total was 77kg, and she easily got this and more with a 33kg Snatch and a 46kg Clean & Jerk.  Her National Champs competition is in April...more information to follow.  Great work Jen!!

Friday, 02.05.10: Abs that Stormed Normandy

Thursday, 02.04.10: Nuts To You

Anabolic Almonds

Fiber, healthy monounsaturated fats, protein... Yawn.

Yeah, yeah, you know almonds are good for you, but here's something really cool:

In a study published in the International Journal of ORMD, one group of reduced-calorie dieters enriched their diets with almonds while another group ate the same amount of calories but consumed no almonds.

The result? The almond-eaters lost more body fat and more inches off their waists than the non-almond eaters. Remember, the study participants ate the same amount of calories.

This result may be partly due to the fact that the fiber in almonds prevents some of the calories from fat from being absorbed. "The fiber binds with a portion of the fat so that it doesn't come into contact with the intestinal wall," researcher Dr. Michelle Wien, explained. "It just gets flushed out of the body."

So, almonds are sorta like that Orlistat weight loss drug and its impotent cousin, Alli, only, you know, without all the anal leakage and explosive shitting.

Dr. Jonny Bowden notes that epidemiologic studies universally show that those who eat the most nuts also tend to have the lowest levels of body fat. No, you can't eat them by the handful all day long when in a fat loss stage, but the good fat, the protein, and the fiber content combine to make almonds super satiating (filling).

Long story short, make three ounces of almonds part of your summer lean-down or your next contest prep and you'll lose more body fat than if you didn't.

Not on a diet? Wanting to get so big that an ox yoke looks more appropriate on you than a necklace? Well, for the mass-seeking bodybuilder, almonds provide clean calories and have been recommended by bodybuilding nutritionists like Mike Roussell for those seeking to ditch the "skinny-fat" look.

Keep a bag of natural almonds in your car, your laptop case, or at your desk and snack on them throughout the day. Just a handful here and there can help you reach the 800 to 1000 additional calories per day that most hypertrophy experts say are needed to fuel muscle growth without gaining ridiculous amounts of body fat.

Now, since we all love to eat, here's a badass way to get more almonds into your diet. As a bonus, if you make this for your wife or girlfriend, her panties will fly right off and hit the ceiling... and stick...

Food Nazi: Nuts To You - T Nation

Wednesday, 02.03.10: Paleo Dinner

Here is an idea for a Paleo Dinner. Salmon and Asparagus cooked on tin foil on the bbq. Easy and good for you too!

Tuesday, 02.02.10: Paleo Breakfast

Here is an idea for a Paleo Breakfast. Omelet, Avocado and Blueberries...easy and good for you too!

Monday, 02.01.10: Can Fish Oil Guard Against...

Can Fish Oil Guard Against Schizophrenia? This question was posed and researched at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

"These at-risk individuals may have weak or transient psychotic symptoms, and already show schizophrenia-like brain changes, Dr. G. Paul Amminger of The University of Melbourne in Australia, a researcher on the study, told Reuters Health. But while psychiatrists now know how to identify these individuals, he added, they don't know what to do with them. "At the moment there's no state-of-the-art guideline (on) how to treat those people.".."

"...There are a number of mechanisms through which omega-3s could protect the brain, Amminger said; they are a major component of brain cells. They are also key to the proper function of two brain chemical signaling systems, dopamine and serotonin, which have been implicated in schizophrenia. Fish oil also boosts levels of glutathione, an antioxidant that protects the brain against oxidative stress..."

Can Fish Oil Guard Against Schizophrenia?

Sunday, 01.31.10: Paleo Challenge Begins Tomorrow!!

Are you ready to go Paleo?  Let's make this happen together!  Buy-in is $20, winner takes all.  Make sure you are signed up!!

Saturday, 01.30.10: Get Some

Friday, 01.29.10: Band of Monkeys

We came into the gym and found a band of monkeys had been working out after hours. If you see the plates are out of order and the band of monkeys has not cleaned up after themselves. Help out and straighten up.

Before...

After...

Thursday, 01.28.10: 5K

We are about 2.5 kilometers from the beach here in Newport and for our 5K we ask people to run to the sand and back. Jim took this literally and brought proof of his sprint.

Good Job!