Supplement not enhancement

Being involved in the health and fitness industry I often get asked two questions, “What do you think of X supplement?” or “Do you want to sell some supplements for some extra cash?” The answer to the first questions is varied. The second one is always a polite no, this question in particular can quickly become annoying when you have worked in this industry for as long as I have. It is often also followed by another question, “What do you take?”

That one is an easy question, the two main supplements I take are fish oil and a magnesium powder with zinc. I take 2-6g of fish oil a day, I do this because there are many proven benefits to taking fish oil. If you want to know the benefits just do a Google Scholar search. But mainly I take fish oil because I am not a big seafood eater. I started to eat some fish in recent years but I am not a shellfish, crustacean fan at all. My partner says I am crazy and perhaps I am but I can’t get past the fact they are the vacuum cleaners of the sea.

I take the magnesium/zinc supplement because I find many of our foods are deficient in these two nutrients, mostly due to farming practices. Being an active male these two nutrients are needed for the body to work well, such as improved Testosterone production (if you don’t have enough zinc) and improved immune system to name a couple. On average I take the Mag/Zinc powder every three days or so because if I take it daily I get powerful dreams. Not bad or good just powerful, this is reported in a variety of Mag/Zinc supplements. It also improves my sleep which is a article for a different time.

I don’t intend to take supplements like protein powders or creatine on a regular occasion because I believe my diet is generally varied enough. And in regards to the supplements I do take I am doing so to supplement my diet because I lack those things. But the issue I take with the supplement industry is the way they have convinced people that these things enhance you like superman. Let me say this simply supplements are created to give you something you are not getting in your normal diet. They do not and will not give you some kind of hulk like strength or other superpower. It never ceases to amaze me how many people are looking for the quick fixes and supplements are one of those things that are always touted to be just that.
One of the most common supplements I get asked about is Testosterone boosters which really costs a pretty penny. Firstly how does anyone really know if it works? You would really require regular blood tests to really note a difference. Even for those who swear they feel different, it is impossible to rule out a placebo effect. Also if the person was a young adult male then he most likely doesn’t need Testosterone.

What about the multitude of diet pills out there? Diet pills is a very close second for supplements I get asked about. Now I am not going to pull any punches here as some of these can be downright dangerous. These pills are supposed to “enhance” your fat burning ability. What they don’t tell you about is the long list of side effects that come hand and hand with it. Some of those can be quite dangerous such as kidney and liver damage.

There is no doubt that the supplement industry is massive and to be honest they have some really smart people working for them yet what sells and what is best for you are two different things. This can also be seen with large energy drinks companies touting that they have the formula to improve your workout. Yet a recent study showed no improvement to performance Doug Dupont does a great breakdown. http://breakingmuscle.com/supplements/study-puts-red-bull-caffeine-and-taurine-to-the-test

This leads me to the latest craze, Pre-workout “enhancements” not supplements. They are sold as supplements but they are enhancers. To be honest I have seen this stuff work but over time the effects seem to fade and they can be adverse to your health. I have heard this first hand from someone I weightlift with. He told me that whilst it improved his performance he had trouble sleeping and his heart would race like it was going to pound out of his chest. I guess this can draw a parallel argument in some ways to drugs in sport and that some people will do anything to get the extra no matter the results.

I think ultimately as an individual I choose not to take Testosterone boosters or pre-workouts and diet pills because they are not supplements to my diet they are enhancers and that is my choice. Off course what you do is your choice and ultimately these enhancers are short term fixes almost like shake diets. We need to change our habits, diets and routines if we want the best for our health and quality longevity.

WARNING: I am not a dietician or a doctor I am not providing advice on what supplements you should take and you should see a dietician or doctor to obtain their professional advice best for you and you individual situation. You will notice I do not have any affiliate links to the supplements I use as I am trying to sell anything in regards to supplements or enhancers.

Had a gut full.

How is your gut health? Wait, what? Your diet could be effecting your gut health which could really be effecting your overall health. I have been reading for some time about progression in knowledge of gut health. To be honest it is amazing, we a learning more and more each day. Rather than me writing a post about it. Catalyst a show devoted to exploring science has done a great two episode look into gut health, gut bacteria and the possible future and implications.

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/catalyst/SC1302H005S00

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/catalyst/SC1302H006S00

Breaking the habit.

            Recently I read a piece of information that I found interesting but unsurprising. Our days are affected by habits by up to 40%. This is according to New York times bestselling author Charles Duhigg. I am not overly surprised though, although I am not sure how he came to this conclusion and I haven’t read his book yet to find out yet. But it did get me thinking that`s nearly half of our day controlled without thinking. Habits can rule our lives and they can be for better or for worse. This relates really well to something I have working on. 

We need to understand that leading a healthy lifestyle often is based on habits. What we do, how we do it, why we do it. Now you notice that I say lifestyle not diet or exercise because I believe that to be healthier you need to let new habits reach every corner of your life. Not just diet and exercise but also during everyday activities. I bet some of you are reading this and are saying “Yeah I have a good diet and I have a healthy lifestyle sometimes”. Most people will share this opinion. When I talk to them about this they immediately begin to rattle off the foods they eat and list the exercise they do. I nod and listen and usually ask “what did you eat 3 days ago for dinner” often the person stops and thinks and says tentatively what they had or answer they don`t know. Humans have a remarkable way of remembering things differently to the way they actually happened. Be it a trait of the brain that doesn’t see reason to remember every detail, or possibly it’s a defence so you don’t remember exactly how bad it really was. Either way I find the only way to get a clear picture of you everyday life is to put some old fashion pen to paper. 

I tell everyone to track their food and exercise daily. Not only does it give you a clearer picture of your everyday lifestyle but it is also an integral part of creating good habits. Once you identify the bad habits you can change them to good ones or even remove them completely. A good habit could be anything as simple as carrying around a water bottle to get you into the habit of drinking more water. And habits like these cost you nothing and can be sustained long term. I have had many clients tell me they have read so many books and done so many “diets” but they never developed habits. When they hit an obstacle or lost motivation old habits rear their ugly heads. Which brings me to what I have been working on. 

                Weight loss and healthy living is not rocket science it should be simple providing that you haven’t got any medical complications. That is right ,simple I put that out there. Books and programs often are based on buying further products to make the company more money when what you really want is to be told how to do things right. You want steps to achieve an outcome. Well now I have developed a daily checklist for you. Things on this list are based on improving aspects that you may not be aware of. To give an example when you go to the shopping centre where do you park? I would bet you try to find the closet park to the door. Well in the checklist there is information to help you improve your N.E.A.T (non- exercise activity time) Doing things everyday like parking further away is a way to do this. By the way did I mention that this list is FREE. Yes FREE, I would like you to give it a go and see if you have some improvement in the way you feel, look, act and think. How do you get this list? Simply subscribe with your email and first name to the subscription box on the blog http://therandomandthefit.blogspot.com.au/ Go now get the list print it out and use it daily to create new better habits.  

Bodybuilding, Crossfit a love hate story

Crossfit V Bodybuilding who’s side are you on? Me personally it’s either both or neither depending on how you look at it. These days between the lovers and haters it seems everyone must choose a side. I want to make myself clear from the get go. I stand completely in the middle of these two methods. I live in what most people would call the grey area. As a result I often find myself in discussion with passionate lovers and haters. 

For those of you at home who haven’t yet found yourself in one of these discussions (just wait you will) there are really only two sides to this argument out there it seems. Lovers are those who see Crossfit as the be all and end all of fitness. The lovers are devotees of the WOD and mixing it up and just generally being prepared for anything. Haters are those that see Crossfit as unsafe and a fad and for whatever reason are often linked with bodybuilders.  

I would like to address both of these types of extremists because as far as I can see you both live in a different world to me. After all every fitness philosophy has perks and drawbacks and for two sides that seem to be locked in quite a headstrong battle, they share a few similarities. That’s right similarities I can hear my inbox filling up with emails already. 

Personally when I create my workouts I like to use a combination of scientific research and methods. I am also a big believer in experience being one of the greatest tools of all. Now in saying this I would like to add that I have five years of Exercise Science studying under my belt as well over ten years combined experience in Martial Arts, Olympic Weightlifting and general fitness. This combined experience fills me with confidence to draw my own conclusions over some of the methodology suggested by both Crossfit and Bodybuilding. After all why else would I pay thousands of dollars for student loans to the government if not for educated blogging? 

What specifically inspired me to write this post was a conversation held with a friend of mine. Like many people I know on both sides of the argument he is a personal trainer with decades of experience and numerous world class sporting achievements. This person in particular was a hater pure and simple. I was shocked by the remarks he was making in regards to Crossfit. Remarks such as “it`s a fad”, “it`s inefficient”, “it`s not long term”, “it`s just crap”. This seems to echo the hater community pure and simple. Other arguments are the programming has no rhyme or reason and the use of kipping is for idiots. The lovers also have a few opinions about bodybuilders. Some of the remarks include bodybuilders are not being functional and they are all about appearances. 

I would like to analyse some of these arguments. The first thing I would like to address is the common term of fad attached to Crossfit. How do you define a fad? The most common description is something that is popular for a short amount of time. Does Crossfit really fit this term? For one think Crossfit has been around for fourteen years give or take (Founded by Greg Glassman in 2000). 

Fourteen years seems like a long time for something to be a fad. So far I believe Crossfit is appearing like most things in the health in fitness industry. First every fitness philosophy starts small and then becomes more mainstream before contracting once again if not evolving into something new. This rule of expansion and contracting works for everything and does not point to Crossfit being a fad. The only things I have truly seen as fads are health and fitness gadgets sold on T.V. Honestly I can’t even tell you if Crossfit has even reached its maximum popularity yet. It could continue growing and evolving for years to come.

Another argument made against Crossfit is their high rep and high load training. Haters see it as downright dangerous pushing yourself so hard all of the time. In this instance I do agree. All research I have ever read on high rep high load Olympic lifting WODs says it will lead to technical breakdown. Technical breakdown basically means after doing the same lift over and over again it will lead to muscle fatigue which off course leads to poor technique and then potential injury. For example say you are doing high load dead lifts over and over eventually you will fatigue, your shoulders might drop and that could lead to a back injury to put it simply. These kind of WODs concern me because they have such a high risk/injury rate. Now I understand that Crossfit mantra of being prepared for anything even if it doesn’t make sense and I have nothing against it. But you can find other exercises that are physically demanding and create the same results without putting the exerciser at risk.

At first I wasn’t sure what the reasoning is behind the programming of WODs. Sometimes it seems to be done just to grind people into the ground. That was until I was attending university with a now Crossfit box owner. Instead of stacking his programming with injury inducing WODs his had a clear and intelligent design. He even ran an introductory course to WODs to ensure his clients are using proper technique. If you are willing to chat to the trainers at your local box you are likely to find other like-minded trainers writing there programs like this. 

It seems to me that Crossfit isn’t necessarily dangerous but has the same pitfalls of all competitive sports. Trainers that range from bad, good to great. I am often asked by beginners to martial arts “What’s the best style?” I reply “the teacher, master, coach is the most important thing, not the style”. I think it is no different in regards to programming be it Crossfit or any other sport or exercise endeavour. You need to find a box or gym that programs safely and makes you feel comfortable. If you are finding yourself getting injured a lot more than usual then it’s probably a sign to find a new trainer. If you are not sure what to expect then do some research of your own, the internet provides good and simple advice for free. I would like to emphasis once again this problem is found in all sports. Perhaps the only reason it seems higher in Crossfit is due to their high market saturation currently.

Now for some of the arguments surrounding Bodybuilders. I think the biggest complaint Crossfitters have against Bodybuilders is that they aren’t functional. I love this statement because every man and his dog are really behind functional training movements or exercise. It’s so strange because functional just means that it is designed to have a practical use. The problem with this is what is practical to you may not be for me. It all depends with what fitness goals you are trying to achieve or what sport you are competing in. I have had experience with writing programs for the elderly whose goals are to walk to their mailbox or climb a set of stairs. The programs I write for them are full of functional movements but as you could imagine they won’t apply to everyone equally.

So this belief that there are wrong and right functional movements really isn’t right. Just because exercises bodybuilders do don’t apply to Crossfit doesn’t make them wrong. It just makes them functional for bodybuilding. That being said a lot of these so called functional exercise are actually shared by the two sports. For example the humble squat is used by both Crossfitters and Bodybuilders alike. Yep serious a “functional” movement used by opposing groups. If you really compare the two you will find a lot more of these functional movements in common. For example, deadlifts, thrusters, chin-ups, pull ups and even lunges.

Another argument against Bodybuilding is that it’s all about appearance. Well first off let me say off course it is. During competition they are scored on appearance. Why wouldn’t you work at the very thing that gives you a higher score, after all every sport does it. For sports like Olympic Weightlifting, Martial Arts or Boxing there is a big emphasis on weight class and a lot of extra work goes into maximising you scoring potential for competition. Bodybuilders are doing the same thing by putting emphasis on their appearance. Even Crossfitters do it by utilising kipping to maximise the amount or reps they get during competition. Every athlete is looking for an edge during competitions and as far as I can see there is no reason why that is a bad thing. 

Really there is a deeper and a more complex argument going on here. Both sides seem to stereotype how the other trains even though in truth ultimately it is up to the individual not the whole. It’s hard looking past the hordes to get down to the real bare bones of any sports but until you make the effort to do so you can’t expect to understand why they do and what they do. Another key point both sides have seemed to neglect is the overarching principle of specificity. This principle is something it seems Crossfit has tried to beat but won`t as our own anatomy and physiology is the limiting factor. The idea that training with a specified set of “standards” and a few odd extra`s thrown in makes you the most fittest and prepared for anything person on the planet is limited. Bodybuilding is no different they train for appearances getting strong or fast is a side effect. Being that both are sports and yes Crossfit is now a sport it has rules like bodybuilding they are ultimately bound by the rule of specificity. If both sides laid done their ignorance and see they are just points on the continuum of movement and life they would set their differences aside and just get on with what they are doing. I would go as far to say that if there was some transfer in training both sides would benefit. Maybe it`s time they walk in each other’s shoes even if it is once a week.