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From Strength and Science, this is one of the best introductions to steroids I have seen. Not that they are advocating steroid use, just explaining how they work, and also the placebo effect that goes with steroid use.
The Science of Steroids
October 8, 2014
Steroids are a very taboo subject in our culture. They are Schedule III controlled substances, meaning they are illegal to own without a prescription, and illegal to distribute unless you are an MD. Furthermore, they are banned in almost all athletic competitions (with the exceptions being some untested strength sports). This is not meant to be read as an article condoning steroid use. They carry numerous short-term risks (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver toxicity, etc.), with the potential for long-term risks (atherosclerosis, infertility, hypogonadism, etc.) dependent on the particular compounds used, the dosages, and the duration you take them. Anyone who knows anything about steroids has probably heard about the risks they carry, so I’m not going to beat you over the head with that.
With that standard disclaimer out of the way, I still think steroids are worth having frank, open discussions about, for two main reasons.
- They’re really interesting.
- People are going to use anyway, so they may as well be informed.
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Would like to still remember your wife's name when you are 90? Then exercise now.
Exercise Now, Have a Sharper Mind When You're Older
October 14, 2014
Credit: Anshu Ajitsaria / Getty Images
A new study reveals why exercising when you're young can keep your brain sharp when you're old. According to the researchers at the University of Montreal, an active body could push pause on the process of age-related blood vessel hardening and in turn preserve brainpower.
Blood vessels naturally begin to harden around your 50s. Hardening starts in the aorta — the primary blood vessel coming out of the heart — and slowly works its way up toward the brain. Experts have long suspected this stiffening may have something to do with cognitive decline, but this is the first study to show a solid link using MRI scans.
The researchers recruited a group of healthy young adults who were too young to have begun the blood vessel hardening process. They also gathered a group of 55- to 75-year-olds in good physical and mental shape. All the participants took a fitness test that worked them to exhaustion. Later, they took tests to assess their cognitive abilities while the researchers ran MRIs to assess brain activity, blood flow to the brain, and the physical condition of their aortas.
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From Precision Nutrition, all you ever want to know about fish oil.
Fish oil and omega-3 fats:
How to be safer with your supplements.
By Helen Kollias
Everyone knows that fish oil is awesome. It’s full of omega-3 fatty acids, which do so many fantastic things in the body.
However fish oil has come under fire. Some claim that it could be hurting instead of helping us. That we’re consuming too much. That we’re in danger.
In today’s article, we’ll review the latest research paper that’s confused and bewildered many people. And we’ll help you make sense of the controversy.
[Note: We’ve also prepared an audio recording of this article for you to listen to. So, if you'd rather listen to the piece, click here.]
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And now, as usual, here are several articles from T-Nation:
The Deload is Dead
Why Contrast Weeks Work Better
by Charles Staley | 10/08/14
Here's what you need to know...
Contrast Training Beats Deloading
- Serious lifters know the importance of taking a back-off week to promote recovery and accelerate progress. But taking what's called a "contrast week" is even better.
- Bodybuilding programs often leave out strength work while powerlifting programs often minimize hypertrophy work. The contrast week is where you can fit these missing elements into your program.
- Contrast weeks can be used to alleviate CNS fatigue, DOMS, or repetitive overuse injuries. As a bonus, they can be a fun mental break.
- The contrast week is also an opportunity to work on practicing new exercises so they'll be ready to add into your primary training sessions.
Deload or "back off" weeks are a commonly accepted feature of traditional programming. The rationale behind the idea of a deload week is supported by Dr. Zatsiorsky's "Two-Factor Theory."
According to the professor: "The immediate effect after a workout is considered a combination of (a) fitness gain prompted by the workout and (b) fatigue. The summation of positive and negative changes determines the final outcome."
Put another way, during extended periods of hard training, your true fitness capacity is "masked" by accumulated fatigue. During a deload, however, fatigue evaporates, allowing your true fitness potential to be expressed.
Typically, deload weeks are regularly scheduled – most commonly every fourth week. Despite this, I've argued against the idea of a planned back off week, since you'll inevitably have unplanned deload weeks due to unexpected illness, injury, and/or outside obligations that always seem to pop up without warning.
One flaw of this approach is that it's probably better to be proactive than reactive. In other words, rather than wait for an injury or illness to bite you in the ass, it's better to deload a bit in a regularly-scheduled manner to prevent these issues from cropping up in the first place.
However, there's be a third approach to the issue: scheduled contrast weeks.
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9 Ways to Get Better in the Gym
by Dean Somerset | 10/10/14
Here's what you need to know...
- You cannot improve your deadlift training it only once per week.
- Shut up about imbalances. Life will create imbalances. Your body is pretty smart and can figure most things out on its own.
- Get mentally prepared for each workout. Compete against others. Test yourself.
- Have long term goals and daily goals for each workout.
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Lift 3 Days a Week and Grow
The Mechanical Advantage Full Body Program
by Chris Colucci | 10/15/14
Here's what you need to know...
Training doesn't have to be complicated. Some of the best programs are just a few exercises per workout, often all done for the same sets and reps. But that doesn't mean that all programs are most effective when kept to a minimalist approach. "More isn't better; only better is better" definitely has its place when it comes to lifting, but if we can figure out a way to train more and better while keeping things efficient and on track, then we'll be able to see some great size and strength gains.
- Full-body workouts performed three days per week aren't just for newbies. They can lead to serious size and strength gains, if you do them right.
- These workouts use the mechanical advantage method, strategically ordering the first two major lifts each workout so that you're stronger in the second exercise than the first.
- After the first two compound lifts, you'll superset other exercises to target any muscle groups not already stimulated.
- This program isn't designed for calorie-restricted fat loss diets. Eat plenty, fuel your workouts properly, and only do mobility work or take walks on your off days.
This routine combines full body workouts with mechanical advantage training - strategic exercise choices to squeeze more work out of heavy weights - hitting everything with a high frequency and a variety of rep ranges.
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