| Heart Rate Zone | Heart Rate Percentage | Energy Source | Example |
| Zone One | 65-75% | Muscle Glycogen and fatty acids | Walking or jogging |
| Zone Two | 80-85% | Muscle glycogen and lactic acid | Group exercise classes |
| Zone Three | 86-90% | ATP/CP and muscle glycogen | Sprinting |
To use high-intensity interval training, you first need to determine your max heart rate. One can easily calculate their max heart rate by using the following formula, 220-age. Therefore, if you are 20 years old, your max heart rate would be 200 because 220-20=200. Now, that we have an example, there are multiple heart rate zone training methods you can apply to your exercise program. Each zone is typically categorized by a percentage of your heart rate and uses different energy sources. In my personal experience, using high-intensity interval training while monitoring my heart rate has achieved the best results, especially when I implement these exercises with a heart rate monitor. These heart rate monitors come with a strap you place around the bottom of your chest and a watch. These devices allow you to input your information, determine your desired heart rate, and can also calculate the calories you expend. Some popular brands available at your local Best Buy or Academy Sports + Outdoors include Polar and Garmin. If you are using a heart rate monitor while on the treadmill or elliptical, you would be glad to know the cardio machine will read your heart rate automatically. There will be no need to wrap your sweaty hands around the heart rate sensors to know your heart rate. This is often seen as an inconvenience as it disturbs your cardio session. Using a heart rate monitor is more efficient and mitigates any disruptions during cardio. Now that we have this covered we can explore the three heart rate zones that can be used in your high-intensity interval training program. I have also given examples of how each zone feels just in case purchasing a heart rate monitor is unfeasible.
As you can see from the example, your heart rate increases as you progress through each stage. So, if you are 20 years old with a maximum heart rate of 200 then your Zone One heart rate would be 130-150, Zone Two would be 160-170, and Zone Three would be 172-180. If you know this information, then you can apply low, medium, and high-intensity interval training to your exercise program. Currently, there are various variations of interval training available; I will give you one example you can apply to your training regimen as well as an alternative.
First warm up for 5-10 minutes in Zone One, if you are wearing a heart rate monitor you will see your heart rate pop up on the cardio machine screen. Now, after you feel loose and are ready to go, you can increase your heart rate to Zone Two and keep it there for approximately two minutes. Bear in mind if you are out of shape you will notice your heart rate sky rocket, and if you are in the best shape of your life, you will notice how hard it is to increase your heart rate. Therefore, be self-aware and maneuver the resistance and incline settings to your cardio machine appropriately to meet your desired heart rate. Now, when the two minutes expire you will need to increase your speed or the resistance of the cardio machine to enter Zone Three. You will stay in Zone Three for one minute. At this stage, the level of difficulty is almost at a max; you will be working at an intense level which is not sustainable for the average person. After, this stage your goal should be to decrease your heart rate within one minute to Zone Two. This step will be difficult if you are not in shape. Take two minutes or three if needed. Your last step before you can repeat the whole process again would be to decrease your heart rate to Zone One. If you are having difficulty reaching Zone One after completing this interval, there are other training regimens you can apply to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness.
If you need an alternative running program, keeping the heart rate between Zone One and Two should be prioritized to build your foundation. Bear in mind the following example can be used for elite athletes who need a low to moderate-intensity interval day. Similar to the aforementioned example, a 5-10-minute warm-up under Zone One will start the session. Next, you will need to increase your rate to Zone Two for one minute then gradually decrease your heart rate to Zone One for another 5 minutes before completing the interval again. The number of intervals you will complete will be dependent on your cardiorespiratory fitness, keep in mind you should finish your cardio session at Zone One. On a side note, if you are an elite athlete this alternative running program can easily be applied to your endurance level by just increasing your heart rate to Zone Three at each interval rather than Zone Two.
Overall, using high-intensity interval training is a great way to add variety to your training program. However, it is not for everyone; there are alternative to this method such as the moderate-intensity interval example mentioned above. If you are not an elite athlete using this method should be prioritized before diving into advanced interval training programs. Doing so will improve your running form and mitigate the risk of orthopedic injuries such an ankle, knee, or hip injury. Therefore, be self-aware and prudent when applying these training methods to your cardio sessions.
Written by
-Robert E. Salazar, MS, RDN, LDN
]]>Beginning with DC training, we must understand the basic principles first and foremost. This section is directly taken from Dante Trudel:
• Strength Gains via Heavy Progressive Overload – In order to incur new muscle growth, one must consistently provide the stimulus for adaptation to occur. By increasing weight on the bar over time, the muscles must adapt (grow) to be ready for the new stimulus (heavier weight).
• Low Volume / High(er) Frequency Training – Low in volume when compared to traditional bodybuilding splits. DC Training focuses on hitting each body part every 4th or 5th day as opposed to every 7th day in a typical bodybuilding split
• Rest-Pause Sets – 3 sets with an aim for 11-15 reps total per body part on any given training day.
• Extreme Stretching – After the work set is over, the trainee performs a loaded stretch for a total of 60-90 seconds.
• Periodization – Blasting and Cruising.
You are training 3 non-consecutive days per week rotated in the ABA BAB fashion. Week 1 workouts would land on Monday, Wednesday and Friday rotating ABA and then for Week 2, the workouts switch and rotate BAB. For each specific focus you pick only 1 exercise for that day. On A day, you might pick bench press for chest, cable pushdowns for triceps, DB presses for shoulders etc. On B day, you would pick a movement for biceps, calves, quads, hamstrings etc. Every exercise utilizes the rest pause method except the exercises for quads, calves and back thickness. For quads, if one chooses to do squats, they would perform 1 straight set of 4-8 reps followed by a higher rep set of 20 also know as a “widow-maker.” When training calves one is advised to do 1 set of 12-20 reps with a 10-15 second pause at the bottom of each rep. Back thickness exercises consist of rack deadlifts, and row variations. The set and rep scheme for back thickness exercises are the same as for quad movements to ensure safety. Select a weight that allows one to perform 6-8 reps. For the 1st set, do as many reps as possible without going to failure. Rack the weight and wait about 25-30 seconds. Do another set getting as many reps without going to failure. Then for the 3rd set, do as many reps as possible which will probably only be 2-3 reps. Follow up the rest-pause set with 60-90 seconds of Extreme Stretching. DC Training recommends stretching the muscle group to the point of discomfort for the full time frame mentioned. Extreme stretching is supposed to enhance recovery and induce hyperplasia. Blasting and cruising is a phrase used by the DC advocates to describe the 2 distinct periods of their training protocol. Blasting is simply a period of time (6-12 weeks) where one is constantly trying to make strength gains from workout to workout. They are constantly aiming to beat the log book. Cruising is the time period (7-14days) where a trainee gives their body a break from the heavy weights and scales back their training to sub maximal workloads.
Our next program is PHAT from Dr. Layne Norton. This protocol incorporates a moderate amount of frequency with an emphasis on including different factors of hypertrophy (mainly progressive overload with heavy poundage.) There are several dozen forms of the PHAT program but the basic premise is the same. Each muscle gets worked 2x/week. The first 2 days of the week are split into upper and lower body power days. This is followed by a rest day. Then 3 days of traditional hypertrophy orientated bodybuilding training. A very basic PHAT split looks as follows:
◦ Day 1: Upper Body Power
◦ Day 2: Lower Body Power
◦ Day 3: Rest
◦ Day 4: Back and Shoulders Hypertrophy
◦ Day 5: Lower Body Hypertrophy
◦ Day 6: Chest and Arms Hypertrophy
◦ Day 7: Rest
Power Days
During the first 2 days of the week you will focus on big power movements for your upper and lower body like squats, front squats, deadlifts, deficit deadlifts, and box squats for lower body. Barbell and dumbbell presses and rows as well as weighted pull-ups for upper body. Your goal should be to stay in the 3-5 rep range for 3-5 working sets on the compound movements. Make sure you rest enough in between sets to completely recover and be ready for your next heavy set. If that means you need to take 5-6 minutes between sets then so be it. The purpose of these workouts is to move maximum weight! Save short rest periods for your hypertrophy days. On your power days you need to have a POWER mentality. A good way to make consistent progress is to rotate your power movements every 2-3 weeks. A few sets of assistance exercises can be done for smaller body parts like hamstrings, calves, shoulders, and arms.
Hypertrophy Days
On your hypertrophy days you should do some speed work (6-8 sets of 3 reps) with 65-70% of your 3-5 rep max to start your workout with the power exercise you used earlier in the week. For example, if you did squats for 3 sets of 3-5 reps with 300 lbs earlier in the week, then you would do 6 sets of 3 reps on squats with 195-210 lbs with an emphasis placed on moving the weight through the concentric phase of the lift as quickly as possible. Do not go too heavy on your speed sets. Rest no longer than 90 seconds in between each of the speed sets. This builds explosiveness and speed and may stimulate growth as well. Even though you are using less weight, you should still be applying maximum force to it. After you finish with your speed work for the day you should train basically like you normally would for a bodybuilder. Your rep range should be 8-20 and keep your rest periods to 1-2 minutes between sets. I would increase the volume of these sessions by approximately 50-75% compared to your power days. Make sure you do not over use failure on your hypertrophy days or you will burn out quickly. I only recommend going to absolute failure on the last 1-2 sets of each exercise once you have adapted to the routine. On prior sets stop 1-2 reps shy of failure.
Finally, we look at Fortitude Training by Dr. Scott Stevenson which is an extremely comprehensive training system, including a dietary and nutritional supplementation approach strategically coupled to the rigorous resistance training program. FT offers two Versions of this high-frequency resistance training program that target major muscle groups either three times or four times per week . Each Version has three Volume Tiers (Tiers I, II and III) which vary the number of sets for each muscle group. FT is structured to ensured progressive overload within a system that varies the growth stimulus by including high repetition, discontinuous sets, and intensive stretching. These training variations keep the workouts fresh, injury-free, and customizable. Dr. Scott also addresses the basic conceptions and guidelines for proper nutritional and supplemental practices based off of what research we have available to us. This is the most comprehensive and complete protocol out there. Although you can customize the split many ways, a very simple one is as follows:
Day 1 Upper loading/Lower Pump sets
Back width/Back Thickness
Chest
Shoulders
Thighs
Quad/Ham
Calves
Day 2 Lower Loading/Upper Pump
Thigh
Quad
Hamstring
Adductor
Calves
Chest/Back
Shoulders/Abs
Bis/Tris
Day 3 Muscle Rounds
Back Thickness
Back Width
Chest
Shoulders
Bis/Tris
Thighs
Calves/Adductors
Abs
These are easily the three best training protocols available on the market for those who cannot afford a customized protocol (although if you understand biofeedback and auto-regulation, you can make any of these programs work tremendously. And Fortitude Training offers variations to make it easier for you.) If I had to rank them I would say that Fortitude Training is easily the best BUT also the most comprehensive and can be overwhelming for some, then followed by DC training, and leaving PHAT in third place. These protocols all emphasize progressive overload through a multitude of stimuli and rep ranges and you truly cannot go wrong with any of them!
Alex Kikel
MS, PES, CPT, Speed and Explosion Specialist Level II
Owner of www.theprepcoach.com
]]>The internet is now at a point where anyone can write a paper, make a blog, make a youtube channel, post on a forum, or pretty much put their ideas out there to the public in every way imaginable. This is extremely positive in some ways! In bodybuilding, you’ll find the younger generation trying to pick a major at their college based on their passion for bodybuilding, but there is no course that will lead directly to bodybuilding. So, fields like anatomy and physiology, dietetics, and other degrees become the main choice for these students! As the years of college pass they begin to realize that this formal education is extremely important but is rather a broad overview of what they really want, which is geared towards our small population of bodybuilding. That is where the internet comes in! Formal education is the base we all need to have, but when you want to specialize your field, the internet becomes a great tool! Tremendous minds like Dr. Scott Stevenson, Dr. Brad Schoenfield, Dante Trudel, and many others have article upon article written to help you further your “bodybuilding specific” education. You can learn from the top minds for free instead of the massively high cost of university education (even though you do need both.) But for this single positive aspect, remember what I said, ANYONE can post anything they want to online. So for every Dr. Scott Stevenson thats out there, there are thousands of no name posters that can write anything they want. While you have those top guys utilizing real world application such as Dante Trudel adding 50+ lbs of lean tissue on to people or Dr. Scott Stevenson who backs up almost every claim with a dozen or so references, you still have those few people that can argue those claims and make articles about how their program or viewpoint is superior (when in many cases, they are just internet no names that like to cause trouble because they have nothing else to do in their lives.) This obviously makes social media for the purpose of learning good and bad, as there is somewhat of an “information overload” happening, where the uninformed do not know who to believe.
Now for the aspect of social media that again is double edged sword…Instagram and Facebook. In terms of how its helped bodybuilding, I think thats pretty clear. Back in the day people had to wait weeks to find out who won a contest or who was competing in which show. Essentially the polar opposite of today where we can see live streaming videos, pictures, and results immediately after or even while the event is still taking place! Thats pretty cool right?! Bodybuilding has begun to gain more popularity because its becoming less and less of a sport that hides in the dark, but rather, a sport that has been walking into the light. This has caused bodybuilding to open new divisions which drives more business and eyes to the sport which again, simply enhances the sport! But, for as great as social media has been for the actual growth and coverage of bodybuilding, once again we run into an issue. Sadly, this issue I feel sometimes takes over and is more discussed than all the good social media has done for bodybuilding. This issue is typically labeled “Instagram or youtube famous.” This is where someone who may or may not have ever competed before, has an even bigger following than some of the professionals on the circuit. But it still goes further than simply having more followers. These “stars” are once again decimating information that is typically just flat out wrong. Even worse is their ability to only show the highs of their life and never the lows. This leads to people having unrealistic expectations. This is most commonly seen by the “star” that apparently is shredded year round and eats whatever he wants. But what most people dont understand is that that is simply not reality. The reality of the situation is that he dieted down, took thousands of pictures, and simply uses those to post throughout the year to keep their business relevant and to put on a persona to the public. To make matters worse, some of these guys flat out lie. By the amount of articles I’ve written you all know I am completely unbiased on whether or not someone chooses to be natural or enhanced. Thats a personal decision and as long as your honest about it then to me, it doesn’t make a difference. But some of these guys will literally use contest prep type cycles JUST to end up taking these pictures for their business. They will essentially abuse gear simply to put on a false persona to the public. To me, thats not right. That aspect of bodybuilding is usually taboo to discuss but again, its the reality of our sport.
As I’m sure you can tell, I could write on and on about social media and bodybuilding as this hasn’t even scratched the surface of what is really going on in some situations. But, I can say that no matter how long I talked about this matter, the end conclusion would be the same. Social media has helped and hurt bodybuilding for a variety of reasons and its your job to stay positive and focus on the positive aspects of that and simply avoid the negatives. With the amount of internet trolls there are on social media you need to learn to have thick skin if you plan on being on social media in the bodybuilding community. So stay positive, use social media for good and not selfish or evil purposes, and help to expand bodybuilding by not bringing each other down or putting out poor information.
Alex Kikel
MS, PES, CPT, Speed and Explosion Specialist Level II
Owner of www.theprepcoach.com
]]>By becoming a faster type of strong, you will in turn generate more power. Creating explosiveness requires the body to recruit the most amount of motor units as possible. You want to have both strong and elastic type 1 and type 2 muscle fibers. Becoming explosive depends on more than just training, as nutrition and supplementation are just as paramount to reaching explosion goals as the training itself.
Training
Obviously when you think about becoming a more explosive athlete, training is the first thing that comes to mind, and rightly so. Training to become more explosive is two-fold, with weight training and cardio type training. As opposed to physique sports like bodybuilding, performance sports are based on the actual performance on the field or court. Performing movements that are reminiscent and applicable to actual on field performance are the key to performing at a high level.
Training for explosiveness needs to be a program with a certain amount of volume and frequency. With a higher frequency approach it’s better to lower volume from an individual workout session. This ensures that the central nervous system gets a break but muscular workload can still remain high. Each movement should be performed three to four times a week, with mobility work done daily.
Rep ranges should fall in the low to moderate, with adequate rest in between sets depending on the particular movement. It’s important to have a program that incorporates both speed and power, in turn creating explosiveness. These two separate factors need to work synergistically to create maximum explosiveness that can be translated to the field.
Exercise Selection
This program is designed to be implemented three times a week with four to five exercise selections made from the following. Work in each movement once a week. Try to structure this so that you have a rest day in between training days. It’s important to remember that muscular hypertrophy is not the goal here.
Try to work at least one main compound movement in for each session. For example: day one might consist of deadlifts, pull-ups, box jumps, and back hyperextension. It’s logical to place deadlifts or power cleans in more than once a week, but make sure these are not the main compound movement for both sessions.
Sprinting and Bounding
Sprints should be done every day that you are not in the gym. These sprints should test your cardiovascular endurance as well as your muscular endurance. Sprint no more than 100 meters at a time, with most sprints done in the 40-50 meter range. Try to “bound” when running, which means your feet are only touching the ground for a split second. Think of this style of running as if you were running on very hot rocks. Try to also incorporate some sprinting that is not done as a consecutive sprint, but also some shuttle runs and down and backs. By doing this you will gain lateral quickness, as well as stop and go speed.
Nutrition
You cannot drive a Ferrari without fuel. You cannot become a more explosive athlete without fueling the body with the right micro and macro nutrients.
Protein is going to be vitally important in helping maintain muscle mass while training with such intensity and force. You need a fair amount of muscle to generate the power needed to become an explosive athlete. For most athletes gaining weight is not needed, nor is it wanted. You wanted to create dense muscle without the added hypertrophy, allowing the body to remain at the same playing weight.
Carbohydrates are important in ensuring you have the energy needed to perform at a high level. A diet that is higher in carbohydrates than it is in fat and protein is important for athletes. Carbs also replenish glycogen stores in the muscle that is expended when training. Most of your daily intake of carbohydrates should be consumed around the workout perimeter.
Water consumption is also very important for athletes to ensure that the body is well hydrated to perform at its max. Consume at minimum one ounce per pound of body weight.
Supplementation
Think of nutrition as fuel, and supplements as jet fuel. To get the absolute most out of training, supplementation is also essential.
If you want to become a more explosive athlete give these recommendations a try and get the most out of your training, nutrition, and supplementation. If being a top athlete is your goal, explosiveness is going to be the one factor that could push you over the top. Don’t just become faster or stronger, become strong faster.
-Daniel Henigsmith
]]>The best training style is the one you are probably not doing. The body and muscles constantly need new stimulus to elicit growth and progress. If you are constantly doing the same weights on bench press every Monday for the same amount of reps, for years on end, your body has no reason to adapt. When we weight train the goal is to make your body and muscles uncomfortable and adapt to the increased training stimulus. The body wants to maintain homeostasis, and without adequate stimulation the body will maintain. If you are a high volume trainer, try a low volume higher frequency approach.
2. CHANGING TRAINING TOO MUCH
Changing training styles too frequently is just as bad as not changing at all. It’s difficult to see what works for a specific individual if they are constantly changing things. It’s easy to jump on a website or look at a magazine (do people do that anymore?) and see something along the lines of “Grow Biceps 5 Inches in 30 Days.” While it’s good to change things up, too frequently changing things and you could be stalling progress.
3. OVERUSE OF CARDIO
Cardio is a tremendous tool to help burn extra calories to aid in fat loss. However, if muscle gain is the goal cardio can hinder progress. To gain weight the body needs to be in a caloric surplus, so burning extra calories will only slow down the process of gaining muscle. While cardio is great for cardiovascular health, too much of it will hurt your progress.
4.INSUFFICIENT REST
You don’t actually grow in the gym; you grow out of the gym. After training protein synthesis is upregulated for a period of about 48 hours. During this time is when you grow the most appreciable amount of muscle. When you train you are making micro tears in the muscle tissue; these tears need time to repair. Intense training is also hard on the central nervous system, slowing down progress and putting your immune system in a vulnerable position. Training depletes muscle glycogen stores that take some time to fill back out post workout.
5. IGNORING PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD
As the saying goes, “If you want something you have never had, you must do something you have never done.” This can be directly applied to training philosophy. Just as we talked about not changing up training style, it’s also important to progress your lifts. Typically a stronger muscle is a bigger muscle. Progressive overload is a gradual increase in volume, intensity, frequency, or time. This means that loading the bar with more weight is not the only way to implement progressive overload. You could still be lifting the same amount for either more reps or more sets. The idea is to constantly progress forward to achieve the greatest stimulus to muscle tissue.
6. NOT PRIORITIZING NUTRITION
Of all the mistakes someone might make to hurt progress, this could be number one. You cannot out-train a bad diet, plain and simple. If muscle growth is the goal, undereating will only cause you to spin your wheels. You must fuel your body with the correct amount of macronutrients to recover correctly and to gain. A caloric surplus over a consistent period of time is the only way to gain weight. As well as proper nutrition, it’s important to fill in the gaps with a solid supplement regiment. Nutritional supplements help to aid with diet, but also to give you things that food alone cannot provide.
7. POOR FORM
Once again, to stimulate muscle growth the muscle must be presented with the correct catalyst. Throwing up weights you cannot control with improper form will do nothing but put your body in a position to get injured. Swinging too much on a biceps curl will take tension away from the biceps and place some of the load on other body parts. Part of progression is mastering the current weight before moving up. Progressive overload that we talked about before could also mean doing the same amount of weight, for the same amount of reps, but with better form. Time under tension and working the muscle instead of the joint will allow for faster muscle gains while also minimizing the risk of injury.
8. RELYING TOO HEAVILY ON MACHINES
The latest fad you see on Instagram these days is filling up the bars on plate loaded chest press machines. Why? Wouldn’t you stimulate the muscle more effectively using heavy compound movements such as a flat barbell press or dumbbell press? Now, machines have their place no doubt. They are safe, especially if training alone. The important thing to remember is that machines cannot completely replace free weights, but are instead supplementary movements to be used in conjunction with compound exercises.
9. FAILURE (OR LACK THEREOF)
Failure is necessary when it comes to making optimal progress in the gym. You need to reach muscular failure occasionally to elicit the greatest amount of muscle damage and then in turn muscular growth. Dorian Yates said “I’m not really good at knowing where 85 or 90 percent is. I only know where 0 and 100 percent is.” You must reach that 100 percent of training to see your body reach its full 100 percent potential.
10. MARATHON WORKOUTS
If you are training as hard and as intense as you can, there is no reason why it should take you three hours to train. Your training is severely lacking something if you can complete marathon type workouts. Someone once said “If you can text in between sets you are not training intensely enough.” This also goes back to rest and your body’s ability to recover. If you are training with the right type of intensity then it should not take you more than 90 minutes to complete a session.
-Daniel Henigsmith
]]>IFBB Pro Dallas McCarver and Redcon1 Head Trainer Joe Bennett take us through a grueling workout on this back training video. We really get to see what it takes to be one of the best bodybuilders in the world with this footage. The guys start off with a ridiculously heavy set of Underhand Bent Over Rows. Dallas works his way up to 405lb with perfect form on each rep. Joe follows suit with bent over rows and bangs out an equally clean set of reps using 315lb. After that, they went into Rack Pulls, T-Bar Rows with varying grips, both narrow and wide. From there it was time for Hammer Strength Single Arm Rows. They did drops sets while standing upright instead of sitting on the bench fixed to the machine. To finish the brutal session Dallas hit a few sets of Angle Pull Ups. This training session was not for the faint of heart. If you try and do this one yourself be prepared to be sore for the next week!
Acetyl l-carnitine is the primary ingredient contained inside Double Tap, and is an amino acid. Commonly used as a component in fat loss products, acetyl l-carnitine has seen widespread use in supplements for many years. The primary means through which it accomplishes this task is by encouraging the uptake of fatty acids (hydrocarbon chains typically found in fats and oils) into your cells. From this point, cellular mitochondria utilize these fatty acids in what is known as the Krebs Cycle, which ultimately causes the output of energy. One gram of acetyl l-carnitine is contained in the recommended dose from Double Tap, and it is important to follow this dosing carefully. Excessive use will cause buildup of a molecule known as acetyl-CoA (coenzyme A) which causes carbohydrates to be used instead of fatty acids.
Next on the ingredients listed in Double Tap comes choline bitartrate, a water-soluble vitamin-like nutrient. When used for their fat loss capabilities, choline supplements rely on their ability to slightly elevate the body’s rate of lipolysis in order to bring about change. Lipolysis is a complex process involving the metabolism of lipids (fats) and is typically induced by certain hormones. Double Tap’s inclusion of choline into its formula speeds up the rate that this process happens at, allowing you to burn fat even sooner.
The third substance listed on the Double Tap label (green tea extract) may surprise you. Green tea however has long been known to possess some simple basic weight loss benefits, due to its makeup. Green tea contains a class of antioxidants known as catechins, which are the source of the tea extract’s fat loss properties. Simply put, catechins work by slightly increasing the typical rate at which your body utilizes energy. This causes increased need for energy output, and translates to more fats being metabolized. Furthermore, the caffeine inherent in the green tea extract acts (as caffeine always does) as a mild stimulant, serving to depress the consumer’s appetite. It is worth noting however that green tea’s ability to promote fat loss depends highly on the user not being caffeine-resistant prior to consumption, so it’s a good idea for consumers of Double Tap to cut back on their caffeine intake. Also ensure proper hydration during use, as caffeine is a natural diuretic.
Lastly we’ll discuss 2-aminoisoheptane, another stimulant. Aminoisoheptane is a somewhat newer ingredient, having very little exposure on the supplement market thus far. Relatively little is known about it, but it is believed to function in a method similar to tuaminoheptane. Its value is due to its ability to support high energy levels while simultaneously reducing appetite among users.
Through these ingredients, Double Tap covers multiple bases with its formula. Mental focus and improved physical drive are key to increased performance in the gym (especially to athletes on a reduced diet). Its ability to reduce appetite combined with its fat loss components greatly assist the athlete who utilizes it. Double Tap comes in powder form, making it easily combinable with preworkout supplements or just as simple to take on its own.
Overall, Double Tap is one of the most potent fat burning products on the market. Few others can match its overall potential to aid the user in their weight loss goals through the use of multiple different pathways and ingredients. Commonly, rival fat loss products will base their formula on one or two individually weak substances. Contrast this to Double Tap’s ingredient list, which is a veritable laundry list of components to bring you that much closer to your goals. In an industry swamped with outdated and non-scientific backed products, Double Tap stands out even more. The second-to-none potential contained in this powerhouse leaves it as the clear choice for bodybuilders and fitness athletes across the world.
Written by Trent Wozniak
]]>Hobson et al conducted a very important bit of literature on beta alanine supplementation and its direct effects on exercise performance in a meta analysis. They stated that “due to the well-defined role of β-alanine as a substrate of carnosine (a major contributor to H+ buffering during high-intensity exercise), β-alanine is fast becoming a popular ergogenic aid to sports performance. There have been several recent qualitative review articles published on the topic, and here we present a preliminary quantitative review of the literature through a meta-analysis. A comprehensive search of the literature was employed to identify all studies suitable for inclusion in the analysis; strict exclusion criteria were also applied. Fifteen published manuscripts were included in the analysis, which reported the results of 57 measures within 23 exercise tests, using 18 supplementation regimes and a total of 360 participants [174, β-alanine supplementation group (BA) and 186, placebo supplementation group (Pla)]. BA improved (P=0.002) the outcome of exercise measures to a greater extent than Pla [median effect size (IQR): BA 0.374 (0.140-0.747), Pla 0.108 (-0.019 to 0.487)]. Some of that effect might be explained by the improvement (P=0.013) in exercise capacity with BA compared to Pla; no improvement was seen for exercise performance (P=0.204). In line with the purported mechanisms for an ergogenic effect of β-alanine supplementation, exercise lasting 60-240 s was improved (P=0.001) in BA compared to Pla, as was exercise of >240 s (P=0.046). In contrast, there was no benefit of β-alanine on exercise lasting <60 s (P=0.312). The median effect of β-alanine supplementation is a 2.85% (-0.37 to 10.49%) improvement in the outcome of an exercise measure, when a median total of 179 g of β-alanine is supplemented” (1.)
Increased power output from muscle carnosine was shown by one of the more popular studies from Baguet et al in rowing performance. Chronic oral β-alanine supplementation is shown to elevate muscle carnosine content and improve anaerobic exercise performance during some laboratory tests, mainly in the untrained. It remains to be determined whether carnosine loading can improve single competition-like events in elite athletes. The aims of the present study were to investigate if performance is related to the muscle carnosine content and if β-alanine supplementation improves performance in highly trained rowers. Eighteen Belgian elite rowers were supplemented for 7 wk with either placebo or β-alanine (5 g/day). Before and following supplementation, muscle carnosine content in soleus and gastrocnemius medialis was measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) and the performance was evaluated in a 2,000-m ergometer test. At baseline, there was a strong positive correlation between 100-, 500-, 2,000-, and 6,000-m speed and muscle carnosine content. After β-alanine supplementation, the carnosine content increased by 45.3% in soleus and 28.2% in gastrocnemius. Following supplementation, the β-alanine group was 4.3 s faster than the placebo group, whereas before supplementation they were 0.3 s slower (P = 0.07). Muscle carnosine elevation was positively correlated to 2,000-m performance enhancement (P = 0.042 and r = 0.498). It can be concluded that the positive correlation between baseline muscle carnosine levels and rowing performance and the positive correlation between changes in muscle carnosine and performance improvement suggest that muscle carnosine is a new determinant of rowing performance (2.)
The last and maybe the most important aspect is its potential to increase lipolysis as well as muscular hypertrophy. For this, we must look at two studies: the first from Walter et al titled “Six weeks of high-intensity interval training with and without beta-alanine supplementation for improving cardiovascular fitness in women” and the second from Kern et al titled “Effects of β-alanine supplementation on performance and body composition in collegiate wrestlers and football players.” In the first study we find that 6 grams of beta alanine per day increased lean mass without influencing either fat mass or VO~2~ max (3.) Within the second study, we find that 4 grams of beta alanine per day improved performance as well as overall body composition (4.) Once you dig deeper into both of these studies, we find that the theoretically “fat loss and muscle gaining” effect is most likely due to the athlete’s ability to workout longer and harder utilizing heavier poundages for more overall volume. This is the key point to its use in bodybuilding. We know that it has the ability to increase power output, reduce fatigue, and promote overall endurance, but connecting the dots and finding out that that in and of itself will directly correlate to faster body fat losses as well as faster muscle gain means it is a tremendous aid to any bodybuilder. Research shows standard dosages of anywhere from 2 grams per day to 6 grams per day (divided) but clinically its accepted optimal at 3.2 grams per day to receive its ergogenic benefits. Even further more, carnosine is an antioxidant and potential anti-aging compound, but sadly, the literature on these aspects isn’t as robust as I would like it and therefore, until further studies come on, I cannot comment on that claim. What we do know is beta alanine has its place in not only bodybuilding, but any performance endeavor.
Alex Kikel
MS, PES, CPT, Speed and Explosion Specialist Level II
Owner of www.theprepcoach.com
References
Creatine (a nitrogenous organic acid) is of course the base ingredient in such supplements. Its most important function in the human body is to enable the recycling of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in muscle and brain tissue. ATP is a muscle cell’s primary source of energy, and is recycled by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) via the accumulation of a phosphate group molecule. Creatine has seen clinical use in treatment of individuals with muscular dystrophy, and has also been commonly utilized by the athletic community for decades. Roughly one half of the human body’s creatine is synthesized in the liver, with animal sources of protein (wild game, fish, lean red meat, etc.) providing the rest. The main benefits associated with a creatine-based preworkout are increased endurance and strength improvements. A dose of 5 grams per day is typically recommended for peak performance.
Another common ingredient is caffeine. Caffeine is a widely-used stimulant in products across the world, and has found a place in many workout supplements as well. 100-200 mg (or about the amount found in 1-2 cups of coffee) should be sufficient. The basis of caffeine’s use is its ability to block the action of the nucleoside adenosine on its receptor. This serves to block or delay the onset of drowsiness, which is typically prompted by adenosine. In practical terms, this means that its value in a preworkout is its propensity to discourage fatigue among athletes who choose to utilize it. Like all stimulants caffeine will somewhat depress the appetite, making it somewhat unhelpful for weightlifters engaging in a bulk phase.
L-arginine is an α-amino acid that, when used in preworkout, converts to nitric oxide upon metabolism. Products that contain this ingredient or are based on it are typically referred to as “vasoactive.” Nitric oxide serves to promote capillary and pulmonary dilation, allowing for faster and more efficient transport of oxygen to muscular tissues being used during training. This increased oxygen flow will result in better muscle contractions and higher production of ATP (created via certain enzymes through a process known as oxidative phosphorylation). Three grams is considered an effective dose. While it also serves other purposes and functions, its use among bodybuilders and similar athletes is by far its best documented.
The presence of a ph buffer such as taurine is also common. During a workout, skeletal muscles function at their best when the blood flowing to them is within a certain alkalytic ph range. A mitochondrial ph gradient exists across the inner membrane of cells, a fact that was demonstrated and proven in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Taurine’s role in the maintenance of this buffer is to stabilize it, keeping it safely within a ph range of 7.5-8.5. If a cell’s buffering capabilities are too low the gradient can potentially shift, ultimately disrupting ATP production in that cell. Simply put, taurine’s role (and that of other ph regulating substances) is to enable cells to produce ATP for energy. Taurine dosing is typically done at around one gram.
The amino acid tyrosine can also be found in many preworkouts. Its most common physiological role is to enable signal transduction in the brain. To this end it serves as a precursor to the organic chemical norepinephrine, which stimulates metabolism. Norepinephrine reserves are depleted as a result of prolonged intense training. 1-2 grams of tyrosine is sufficient to raise norepinephrine levels and enhance brain function.
At the end of the day it is the consumer’s responsibility to carefully analyze and select supplements that will best serve their personal needs. Many seek to enhance their endurance, strength, focus, and intensity at the gym. For these individuals a preworkout substance may hold great potential benefits. Having such a substance in your supplemental arsenal makes your goals more achievable, and allows your ambitions to rise higher. A good basic understanding of common supplement ingredients will greatly benefit such a person, helping them to select the product best suited for their interests and allowing them to pursue their goals with much more confidence.
Written by Trent Wozniak
]]>On the new video out today from Redcon1, IFBB Pro Dallas McCarver takes us through his day. Before most people are even awake, Dallas headed his chiropractor to get adjusted by Dr. Nick Ruggiero. Dallas has had a little bit of shoulder impingement and is finding that Active Release Therapy (ART) to be helping quite a bit. Then Dallas heads over to the Stretch Zone in Boca Raton, Florida to get further loosened up. Watch as he gets twisted and pulled into submission. Then he heads back home for a Meal #1 and then onto chest training at Busy Body Fitness Center. Watch the 335lb freak jump out at your screen in each scene, you won’t want to miss it.
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