ENHANCE YOUR SUPPLEMENTS MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE
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Gold Medal Dreams Ski queen Mikaela Shiffrin slaloms toward Olympic victory in 2018
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STIMBEST LA T FREU E FAN BU R N T E RS
What You Need to Know About
PLANT-BASED PROTEIN
JANUARY 2018, VOL. 10 NO. 1
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5 POST-RUN STRETCHES YOU SHOULD DO
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JANUARY 2018
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BCAAs CHEAT SHEET
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) can help improve performance, recovery, muscle growth and even fat loss. These tips can help you get the most out of each of our formulas.
BEST BCAA™
TAKE DURING OR AFTER YOUR WORKOUT*† PREVENT MUSCLE BREAKDOWN*† SUPPORT LEAN MUSCLE GROWTH*† OPTIMIZE RECOVERY*†
BEST BCAA SHREDDED ™ TAKE BEFORE FASTED CARDIO*† BURN FAT FOR FUEL*† PREVENT MUSCLE BREAKDOWN*†
*THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. † When combined with a proper exercise and nutrition regimen. Statements based on early-stage independent 3rd party in vivo and / or in vitro model scientific research data findings for individual ingredients. ▲ CERTAIN PRODUCTS ARE EXCLUDED. See store associate for details on excluded products
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CONTENTS 38 WINNING Mikaela Shiffrin is an incomparable competitor, a technical mastermind and one of the hardest-working athletes on the planet. As she prepares for the 2018 season and her probable appearance in the Winter Olympics, Shiffrin chatted with Muscle & Performance about her training, nutrition and mental strategies. By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT
FEATURES
46 THE SIMPLICITY OF THE COMPLEX
One barbell. One load. One space. Big Changes. By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT
54 6 BEST STIMULANT-FREE FAT BURNERS
If you want the burn without the buzz, here are six supplements to keep your appetite in check. By Dwayne N. Jackson, Ph.D.
58 14 DAYS TO BETTER EATING ON THE COVER
Athlete: Mikaela Shiffrin • Photographer: Erich Spiess/ASP/Red Bull Content Pool /MuscleandPerformance
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MuscleandPerformanceMagazine
DISCLAIMER: MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE is an Active Interest Media publication. AIM, as publisher, does not endorse and makes no representation, warranty or guarantee concerning the safety or effectiveness of either the products and services advertised in this magazine or the weightlifting or other techniques discussed or illustrated in this magazine. The publisher expressly disclaims any and all liability relating to the manufacture, sale or use of such products and services and the application of the exercises discussed or illustrated in this magazine. The purchase or use of some of the products, services or techniques advertised or discussed in this magazine may be illegal in some areas of the United States or other countries. Therefore, you should check federal, state and local laws prior to your purchase or use of these products, services or techniques. The publisher makes no representation or warranty concerning the legality of the purchase or use of these products, services and techniques in the United States or elsewhere. Because of the nature of some of the products, services and techniques advertised or discussed in this magazine, you should consult a physician before using these products or services or applying these exercise techniques.
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Photo by Erich Spiess/ASP/Red Bull Content Pool
Use this simple, progressive guide to develop a better relationship with food and supplements in 2018. By Eric Velazquez, CSCS
11/17/17 10:38 PM
EVERY
Body
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CONTENTS
JANUARY 2018 • VOL. 10 NO. 1
GROUP PUBLISHER Joanna Shaw
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Donna Diamond Riekenberg ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER BJ Ghiglione EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Maureen Farrar ART DIRECTOR Paul Duarte
FITNESS EDITOR Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT COPY EDITOR Jeannine Santiago WEB EDITOR Michael Nystrom
MARKETING MANAGER Laureen O’Brien
PRODUCTION MANAGER Patrick Sternkopf
DEPARTMENTS 16 MOVE WELL: The Latest Training Research By Joe Wuebben 18 EAT WELL: The Latest Nutrition and Supplement Research By Joe Wuebben and Dwayne N. Jackson, Ph.D.
21 ASK THE RD: Diet Dilemma By Jessica Dean, RD, CDN
CONTRIBUTORS Michael Berg, NSCA-CPT; Lee Boyce, CPT; Elizabeth Brown, MS, RD, CPT, CDE; Todd Bumgardner, MS, CSCS; Erin Calderone, MS, CSCS, NASM-CPT; John M. Cissik, MS, CSCS; Jenessa Connor, CPT; Matt Daspin, CPT; Jessica Dean, RD, CDN; K. Aleisha Fetters, CSCS; Justin Grinnell, CSCS; Dwayne N. Jackson, Ph.D.; Matthew Kadey, MS, RD; Peter Lueders; Stephanie Main, NASM, CF-L2, RYT-500; Robert Reiff; Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CLT; Jill Schildhouse; Cory Sorensen; Steven Stiefel; Tara Thompson; Eric Velazquez, CSCS; Joe Wuebben
22 FITNESS 101: Free Weights, Big Payoff By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT 24 WORKOUT OF THE MONTH: Jump Into January
By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT
26 WORKOUT TO GO: Resistance Is (Not) Futile By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT
28 MOBILITY: Runner’s Recovery
By Erin Calderone, MS, CSCS, NASM-CPT
30 BUILD: Pull-Up Power
By Eric Velazquez, CSCS
32 FUEL: Plant Pow(d)er
By Elizabeth Brown, MS, RD, CPT, CDE
34 PRO CORNER: Brazilian Beauty and Booty By Jill Schildhouse 36 BRAND SPOTLIGHT: Get to Know: Dymatize
By Jill Schildhouse
64 TOP 5: Things to Add to Your Shakes and Smoothies By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT
66 PRODUCT INSIDER: BPI Sports Liquid Water Enhancers
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Andrew W. Clurman President & CEO
Michael Henry Senior Vice President, Treasurer & CFO Jonathan Dorn Chief Innovation Of�icer
Patricia B. Fox Executive Vice President, Operations Joseph Cohen Vice President, Controller
Nelson Saenz Vice President, Information Technology Kristy Kaus Vice President, Research
Muscle & Performance is printed monthly in the U.S.A. © 2018 by Active Interest Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. The information in Muscle & Performance is for educational purposes only. It’s not intended to replace the advice or attention of health care professionals. Consult your physician before making changes in your diet, supplement and/or exercise program. MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE, 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301 - Toll Free: (800) 423-2874
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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MOVE WELL
BY JOE WUEBBEN
FIT TIP
Have a Seat ❱ Looking for a quick quad-blasting session that’s low impact, won’t wreck your knees and you can do anywhere? Try wall squats — an exercise you probably did at some point in grade school but then forgot about. Here’s how to do it: Put your back flat up against a solid wall, slide down until your quads are parallel with the floor, then hold that position for anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds. Do two to four sets of this, resting one to two minutes between each. Warning: Wall squats are tougher than they sound.
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JANUARY 2018
30 minutes … ❱ … to better bones? Sign us up! Recent research discovered that 30 minutes of highintensity impact training done twice a week improved functional performance as well as bone density, structure and strength in postmenopausal women. Haven’t hit that meno milestone? Think of your HIIT workouts as preventative medicine!
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EAT WELL
BY JOE WUEBBEN • SUPPLEMENTS BY DWAYNE N. JACKSON, PH.D.
Take BCAAs for a Full Recovery
❱ In the field of sports nutrition, it’s not uncommon for scientific findings to lag behind anecdotal reports by athletes and gym rats. The latest example of this concerns branched-chain amino acids — leucine, isoleucine and valine, essential amino acids that are key players in anabolism and energy metabolism. Because the body can’t produce them, they must be acquired in the diet. BCAAs are found in high concentration in skeletal muscle, where they help prevent protein breakdown and promote protein synthesis, especially during intense training. Recently, athletes have been using BCAA supplementation preworkout, intraworkout and postworkout to keep blood amino levels elevated throughout the training session and postworkout window in an effort to blunt BCAA breakdown in skeletal muscle. With this supplementation approach, many athletes feel that recovery is enhanced — but what does the science say? A recent study published in the journal Nutrition is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of BCAAs on athletic recovery after exercise. Upon analyzing eight randomized control trials, the authors 18
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JANUARY 2018
concluded that training while supplementing with BCAAs provides greater recovery than passive rest after exhaustive and damaging exercise. This simply means that taking daily BCAAs, especially within the workout window, provides better muscle recovery than simply taking a rest day without supplementation. The advantages of BCAA supplementation on recovery seem to be a result of reduced muscle soreness and preserved muscle function because less strength and power loss, from workout to workout, has been found in study subjects taking BCAAs.
ACTION POINT: To maximize recovery and ensure consistent strength gains from workout to workout, we suggest taking BCAAs in a ratio of 2:1:1 (leucine to isoleucine to valine) throughout the day. On training days, the most important time to take BCAAs is around the workout window. As always, we suggest taking 5 grams preworkout, 5 grams during your workout and 5 grams immediately afterward. On rest days, take 5 to 10 grams upon waking and another 5 to 10 grams in the afternoon between meals.
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MAX STACK
Pain Points ❱ News �lash: Training hard doesn’t get any easier as you
age. (Pardon us for stating the obvious.) The older we get, the more our joints ache and the longer it seems the muscles take to recover. Staying in shape can be a painful process, but the discomfort should be manageable. A sensible training program and proper nutrition will take care of most of your issues, but supplements can help beyond that. The following three Arthur Andrew Medical products will go a long way toward not just getting you pain-free but also healthier from head to toe. Nattovéna: This potent enzyme supports circulation and heart health by helping cleanse the body of harmful elements like �ibrin, a blood-borne protein that accumulates in the body with age.
Neprinol AFD (Advanced Fibrin Defense): Like Nattovéna, this product defends against the damaging effects of �ibrin by way of nattokinase serrapeptase, rutin, amla and other proteolytic enzymes. Overall, Neprinol AFD can help support healthy immune function, blood viscosity and circulation.
Serrétia: This product contains pure serrapeptase, which has been shown to break down mucus and support nor-
mal in�lammatory responses in the body. Serrétia can help normalize �luid retention and swelling, improve joint mobility and promote healthy sinuses. Find all three of these Arthur Andrew products at vitamin shoppe.com.
BAR EXAM
FitJoy Protein Bar
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WHAT IT IS: A great-tasting bar without all the �iller crap you see with most similar-looking products. FitJoy is GMO- and gluten-free and contains no arti�icial colors, �lavors, sweeteners or added preservatives. It also packs a substantial 20 grams of protein. In a world of advancing food technology, FitJoy is proof that a protein bar can actually be healthy. WHAT IT TASTES LIKE: A sweet treat, practically like candy (but good for you). Flavors include mint chocolate crisp, chocolate peanut butter, cookies and cream, frosted cinnamon roll and grandma’s lemon square. WHAT’S IN IT: 220 calories, 20 grams protein, 25 grams total carbs, 7 grams fat, 13 grams �iber WHERE TO GET IT: The Vitamin Shoppe and vitaminshoppe.com; $29.99 for a box of 12 bars. JANUARY 2018 MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE
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EAT WELL
FAFQ
FIT LIST
(Frequently Asked Food Questions)
Answered by the scientists at Examine.com, an unbiased, unaffiliated resource on all things nutrition and supplements
Q: Is there any benefit to doing a juice cleanse or detox? A: Juice cleanses or “detoxes” usually claim to
cure you of everything from unwanted fat to different ailments. They also typically don’t work — at least not long term. Whether it’s a restrictive diet, a supplement or some kind of unusual procedure, most detox products share the same problems: They can’t tell you what specific toxins they’re removing from the body or what research there is to support their use. Our livers are the main organs that break down toxic substances. If they weren’t functioning properly, we’d all be sick or, worse, dead. That does happen to many people. However, the proper way to treat such a serious condition doesn’t involve an over-the-counter detox supplement or a juice cleanse — it generally involves a trip to the doctor. So what about all those success stories linking juice cleanses to rapid weight loss? There’s some truth in those claims. During a detox, your glycogen stores are easily depleted in 24 to 48 hours because the body isn’t getting enough carbohydrates and you start to lose water weight. However, once you’re back to your regular diet, the glycogen and water will come rushing back. It’s also worth remembering that if we truly believe that something will work, it probably will, even if there’s no plausible mechanism. The placebo effect is incredibly powerful, and it’s one of the reasons why treatments — whether they be drugs, supplements or other therapies — are often compared to a placebo in human trials. So instead of relying on fad diets for a “quick fix,” focus on building healthier habits. There is no substitution for healthy eating, exercise, stress management and proper medical care.
— Kamal Patel, MPH, Examine.com Director
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5 Immune-Boosting Foods By Katharina Kaiser, nutrition specialist at Freeletics.com, a leading online resource for all things fitness and nutrition
1) Almonds: One cup of almonds contains nearly 50 percent of your daily recommended amount of vitamin E, boosting your immune system, as well reducing stress, another common cause of the flu.
2) Broccoli: Full of vitamins A, C and the antioxidant glutathione, broccoli is an immune-boosting basic. Treat broccoli as the perfect side dish to accompany any meal. Swap it for your usual fries or potato chips. 3) Ginger: Not only does ginger warm you from the inside out, but it also makes you sweat. This is one of the reasons it soothes and speeds up the cold recovery process. This type of sweating not only assists in detoxification but also contains a germ-fighting agent that helps fight off infections. You can add ginger to just about any meal; it’s especially good in tea, desserts and curries. 4) Garlic: Garlic is known as the godfather of immune-
boosting foods. One clove contains 5 milligrams of calcium, 12 milligrams of potassium and more than 100 sulfuric compounds. Garlic contains the phytonutrient allicin, known for its anti-viral and anti-microbial properties, which may help fight viral and bacterial infections. Garlic has been used for centuries to prevent illnesses, ranging from the common cold to the plague, and it’s most effective in its raw form if you can handle it.
5) Fruit: Vitamin C is directly used by several cells of our immune system — phagocytes and T cells, for example. Vitamin C deficiencies result in a reduced resistance against pathogens, which makes people get sick more easily. It’s also an antioxidant, which prevents the body from damage of free radicals. Unfortunately, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin; hence, it can’t be stored in the body and must be taken up regularly. The best sources in fruits are berries, kiwi (containing 50 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C intake) and acerola (a cherry-like fruit with high vitamin and mineral content).
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ASK THE RD
Diet Dilemma
Consider these five diets in 2018. BY JESSICA DEAN, RD, CDN
QUESTION: I want to get in shape in 2018 — what is the best diet to try? ANSWER: The one that is right for you. One of the problems with weight-loss resolutions is that people choose a program that is not realistic within the scope of their lifestyle or personality. It quickly becomes a chore, and they give up somewhere around mid-February. Here is a little info about a few popular diets to help you make some decisions for yourself. If one piques your interest, do a little more research to get the lowdown. Ketogenic
Remember the Atkins diet? The ketogenic diet is a similar program in which your nutrition is made up of 75 percent fat, 20 percent protein and 5 percent carbs. The goal is to reach and maintain dietary ketosis during which your body stops using carbohydrates for fuel and starts burning fat instead in order to lose weight. Eating this way does encourage fat metabolism and therefore body-fat loss, but performance could be compromised because of an increased oxygen need in order to metabolize fat. Because you’re eliminating carbohydrates, sticking to this diet long term can be difficult, and your high intake of saturated fat puts you at risk for heart disease, insulin MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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resistance and Type 2 diabetes. And because of low glycogen levels, it’s not recommended for competitive athletes. Paleo
Think about what our huntergatherer ancestors consumed, and you have the basis for Paleo. Meats, seafood, eggs, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, root vegetables and fruit are all fair game, and processed foods, refined sugar and dairy are eliminated. While giving up processed foods is a smart move, eating more meat means an increase in saturated fat, which can lead to disease, and elimination of entire food groups leaves you shortchanged on nutrients. Research does show that eating Paleo is helpful for gut health, autoimmune conditions, blood sugar balance and weight loss, and proponents also report reduced hunger, fewer sugar cravings, clearer skin and increased energy. However, it is restrictive and difficult to follow to the letter, as well as time-consuming and expensive. People on the go and weekend warriors do well on this diet, but those with high-volume training — 10 to 35 or more hours per week — should add in some additional carbs such as sweet potatoes and fruit to aid in recovery. Gluten-Free
First, let’s get this out of the way: If you do not have celiac disease, you do not need to follow a gluten-free diet. There, we said it. Gluten is a protein found in grains, including wheat, rye, oats and barley (to which those with celiac are dangerously allergic), and all these grains — and anything containing these grains — is eliminated when eating gluten-free. Most other foods as well as gluten-free grains such as buckwheat and brown rice are fair game. Though it
is not a bad idea to eliminate processed grains and foods, some of those products are fortified with vitamins, and eating gluten-free might lead to a vitamin deficiency. Plus, gluten-free brownies are still brownies; just because they do not contain gluten does not make them healthy or low calorie. The Mediterranean Diet
This diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood, nuts and legumes, olive oil and even a little red wine. Since this diet does not restrict food groups, it’s a realistic long-term diet and is ideal for those who enjoy preparing foods from scratch. Research has shown that people who follow the Mediterranean diet have a lower incidence of Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and heart disease. Because you’re left on your own to decide on the portion sizes and calorie counts, some people might find it challenging, but you really can’t go wrong eating whole foods and lots of produce. Whole30
This diet relies heavily on plants, encouraging you to fill 75 percent of your plate with vegetables and reducing your intake of meats, fats and fruits. It does require you to eliminate soy, grains, legumes, dairy, sugar and alcohol, with the idea that you’ll be able to identify any food intolerances or sensitivities this way. However, because of this restrictive nature, this plan could potentially lead to disordered eating patterns, and vegans may find it difficult to get adequate protein. It can be a good tool for someone looking to get back on track post-holiday or wanting to jump-start weight loss, but those who are already fit and athletic might notice decreased energy and impaired performance.
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FITNESS 101
Free Weights, Big Payoff Not sure what free-weight equipment to use and when? Here’s what you need to know. BY LARA McGLASHAN, MFA, CPT
Dumbbells
Dumbbells have been around forever — and for good reason: They are effective and versatile, and if you had to choose just one kind of equipment with which to outfit your home gym, we would recommend a few sets of these. Dumbbells can be used in pairs or on their own for just about any exercise you can come up with — squats, shoulder presses, rows, lunges and everything in between. And unlike barbells or machines, dumbbells work your limbs individually, training not only the primary mover in an exercise but also the stabilizing and assisting muscles surrounding it. Use dumbbells to build size, strength and endurance, and — depending on your programming — burn fat.
sides, palms facing forward. Keep your upper arms pinned to your sides as you bend your elbows and curl the weights up to your shoulders, then lower slowly to the start. Barbells
Also a staple in the weight room, the barbell is an excellent tool for strength training. A standard Olympic bar weighs 45 pounds, and you can add weight plates of varying increments on its ends with clips to make it heavier. Like dumbbells, barbells are very versatile and can be used
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Move to Master: Barbell Back Squat
Balance a barbell across your upper back and traps and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly. Hold the bar outside your shoulders with your elbows pointing down and lift your chest. Kick your hips back, then bend your knees, going as low as you can without rounding forward or lifting your heels off the floor (anywhere from thighs parallel to the floor to ass to grass, depending on your flexibility). From the bottom, drive through your heels and extend your legs and hips explosively to return to standing.
Kettlebells
Move to Master: Biceps Curl
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a set of dumbbells at your
to hit every major muscle group in your body. They allow you to lift heavier weight than you could with dumbbells and are great for building power, muscle size and strength with moves like squats, snatches, deadlifts, push presses and cleans.
Medicine-Ball Slam Photo by Cory Sorensen
N
ovice resistance trainers might be overwhelmed by the abundance of free-weight equipment available in every gym, CrossFit box and Amazon.com search. Don’t get poleaxed: Here’s the short and skinny on free weights — the usual suspects, what they’re used for and a move to master for each.
Barbell Back Squat
Invented in the 1700s by Russian strongmen, a kettlebell looks like a cannonball with a handle, and like dumbbells, they come in varying weights. They are excellent tools for functional training and engage
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multiple muscle groups at once with moves such as swings, snatches and carries. They also challenge your grip strength and offer a different kind of resistance than a dumbbell, since the weight is hanging below your hand as opposed to being balanced evenly on either side of it. And when it comes to your core — nothing is better: Research conducted by the American Council on Exercise found that core strength was increased up to 70 percent in already-fit test subjects when using kettlebells as resistance. Also enhanced: balance, body fat, aerobic capacity and overall power.
don’t need anything else. Squats, pullups, push-ups, dips, rope climbs, box jumps and any number of plyometrics are incredible exercises that use your body as resistance, using multiple muscle groups and burning plenty of calories. Moving your own bodyweight can be surprisingly difficult, however, especially for beginners, so use move modifications to build strength, or use a TRX or resistanceband loop to help offset part of your bodyweight to allow you to perform the move.
Move to Master: TRX Inverted Row
Grasp the TRX handles with your arms extended, palms facing inward. Walk your feet underneath the TRX anchor until your body is at an angle with the floor: The closer your body is to parallel, the more challenging the move becomes. Lift your hips so your body makes a straight line from head to heels, then keep that posture as you drive your elbows down and back to pull your chest up in between your hands and the TRX handles. Slowly lower to the start.
Medicine-Ball Slam
Move to Master: Farmer’s Carry
Hold a set of kettlebells at your sides with your palms facing inward. Draw your shoulder blades down and back and brace your core, then take short, smooth strides forward, trying to prevent the kettlebells from swinging around. Walk for a given distance or time increment.
Medicine Balls
A modern-day medicine ball can either be large and soft or small and bouncy, and both are functional tools worth trying. Not only do they build muscle, stamina and endurance, but they also teach coordination, reactivity and explosiveness. Medicine balls come in varying weights, sizes and reactivity, and moves like throws, slams and rebounds work multiple muscle groups at once, making them highly metabolic.
Medicine-Ball Slam Photo by Cory Sorensen
Move to Master: Medicine-Ball Slam
Hold a nonreactive (soft) medicine ball with both hands and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Quickly reach the ball overhead, coming all the way up onto your toes, then use your whole body to slam it straight down onto the floor, following through with your arms. Pick it back up and repeat right away.
Your Bodyweight
Your body is the ultimate free weight: It literally costs nothing to use and offers plenty of resistance. In fact, some people would argue that you MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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WORKOUT OF THE MONTH
Jump Into January
Lateral Box Jump-Over
lifted. Quickly extend your hips and legs and explode straight up into the air, turning 180 degrees to face the other direction. Quickly drop into a squat, touch your opposite �ingers to the �loor and repeat. Lateral Box Jump-Over
Stand sideways to a kneeheight (or lower) box. Quickly swing your arms back and bend your knees and hips to load your posterior chain, then explode upward and sideways, using your arms to generate momentum and leap completely over the box, clearing it. Land softly, reset and repeat. No hops? No worries: Jump onto the box, touch down brie�ly and hop immediately off on the other side.
The parties are over — now it’s time to get down to business. And nothing says business like a plyometric metcon. BY LARA McGLASHAN, MFA, CPT
Switch Lunge
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each move all-out for a certain number of seconds, then rest the remaining time — for example, 45 seconds of allout switch lunges, 15 seconds of rest, then on to the broad jumps. Try to match or beat your rep count with each subsequent round. 180-Degree Touchdown
Stand with your feet outside shoulder width and squat down, touching the �ingers of one hand to the �loor, chest
Broad Jump
Stand with your feet hip-width apart facing a large open area. Swing your arms back as you quickly bend your knees and hips to load your posterior chain, then swing your arms forward and leap across the �loor as far as you can, going for distance. Land softly, reset and repeat.
12-MINUTE PLYOMETRIC EMOM ❱ Warm up thoroughly with some light cardio and total-body dynamic stretching. Begin a move at the top of every minute. Perform for reps or a certain number of seconds, and rest the remaining time. Minutes 1, 5, 9 Minutes 2, 6, 10 Minutes 3, 7, 11 Minutes 4, 8, 12
180-Degree Touchdowns Lateral Box Jump-Overs Switch Lunges Broad Jumps
Photo by Cory Sorensen
I
f you spent the holidays diving head�irst into every buffet, dessert table and punch bowl with the insatiable appetite of a shipwrecked vampire, this workout is your deliverance. In just 12 minutes, you can incite a metabolic escalation that will have you burning calories for up to 48 hours postworkout while improving speed, power, athletic performance and cardio capacity. This EMOM (every minute on the minute) consists of four plyometric moves that repeat three times through — every four minutes — for a total of 12 minutes. At the top of every minute, you’ll perform a move and will rest any remaining time until the top of the next minute when you begin the next move — for example, Minute 1: 180-degree touchdown jumps, Minute 2: lateral box jump-overs, Minute 3: switch lunges, Minute 4: broad jumps. However, there are no reps programmed here, and how you choose to manipulate your workto-rest ratio determines your intensity. One option is to give yourself a target rep range, say 10 reps per move, then rest the remaining time. If the first round you complete your reps in 30 seconds, try to match or beat that intensity next round. Alternately, you can perform
Assume a wide lunge stance with one leg forward, one leg back, arms at your sides. Bend both knees quickly, then explode upward, reaching your arms overhead and switching legs midair so you land with your opposite foot forward. Land softly and go right into your next rep.
MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
11/15/17 8:23 AM
GET YOUR BEACH BODY
READY.
Available at:
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11/15/17 8:23 AM
WORKOUT TO GO
Resistance Is (Not) Futile
You work. You travel. You’re busy. Fortunately, the only equipment you need for a solid upper-body workout is TSA-friendly and weighs less than a pound: a resistance band. BY LARA MCGLASHAN, MFA, CPT
One-Legged Biceps Curl
Stand with one foot in the center of the band, and lift your other foot off the floor alongside your standing leg. Keep your upper arms stationary as you curl the handles up toward your shoulders. Pause briefly, then slowly lower to the start. Warrior III Back Row
Stand with one foot on the band and the other extended behind you. Hold the handles at your sides, palms facing inward. Hinge at the hip to fold forward, simultaneously lifting your rear leg, lowering until your torso and leg are parallel to the floor. Hold here as you drive your elbows up and back, pulling the band handles into your flank, for reps. Stationary Lunge Chest Press
T
his do-anywhere workout uses a good oldfashioned resistance band with handles, and it hits all your major upper-body muscle groups in circuit format. But not to worry — your lower body does not get a reprise: For each move, you’ll assume a challenging lower-body position and hold it for the duration of your upper-body exercise. This will improve balance, stability and core strength, amp calorie burn, and leave your legs shaking and quaking.
Chair Squat Overhead Press
Stand on top of the band with your feet and knees together. Hold the handles at your shoulders, then bend your knees and hips as far as you can to “sit” in the air, keeping your torso as erect as possible. Hold here as you press the handles up overhead to full extension, then lower slowly to the start. 26
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Anchor the band in a doorway or to a stationary object, and get into a wide low lunge with your front knee bent 90 degrees and your rear leg as straight as possible, facing
away from the anchor. Hold the lunge as you press the handles straight out from your shoulders to full extension, then return to the start.
Knee-Up Triceps Overhead Extension
Stand facing away from the anchor and hold both handles behind your head, elbows bent. Lift one knee to hip height and hold it there as you straighten your elbows to press the handles overhead to full extension. Slowly return to the start. Plié Core Rotation
Stand sideways to the band anchor and assume a wide stance — feet outside shoulder width and knees/toes turned out. Hold both handles together straight out from your shoulders. Bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then hold as you slowly rotate away from the anchor as far as you can while keeping your arms straight. Slowly return to the start.
THE WORKOUT Do these moves in a circuit, performing one after the other with no rest between except to transition to the next move. Do four total rounds, and rest one minute between rounds. EXERCISE
SETS
REPS
Chair Squat Overhead Press
4
20
One-Legged Biceps Curl
2 (each leg)
15
Warrior III Back Row
2 (each leg)
10
Stationary Lunge Chest Press
2 (each leg)
15
Knee-Up Triceps Overhead Extension
2 (each leg)
15
Plié Core Rotation
2 (each side)
10
Tip: Increase resistance by choking up on your band or standing farther away from the anchor point. MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
11/16/17 9:28 AM
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MOBILITY
Runner’s Recovery
Are your legs tighter than a pair of hipster jeans? Here are five post-run stretches you should be doing — and why. BY ERIN CALDERONE MS, CSCS, NASM-CPT
W
hen you stretch after a run, you probably focus on the quads, hammies and calves, especially if you’re short on time. But a host of other muscles support your run, enabling you to stick with it over the long haul. These �ive stretches will take care of the supporting cast of your cardio, preventing injury and improving performance. Hold each of these stretches for 30 to 60 seconds on each side. As you feel the muscles begin to release, gently move a little deeper into the stretch. Hip Flexor
As you run, the hip �lexors on one side work in concert with the glutes on the other — such that
your push-off from the ground may be equally affected by your posterior power and the opposing knee drive. Assume a half-kneeing position on a soft surface with your right leg forward, left knee on the ground, both bent 90 degrees. Keeping your chest tall, tighten your glutes to tuck the pelvis under without lunging or leaning forward. Reach your left arm straight up into the air, then lean to the right side. Want more? Add a slight twist backward, away from the left hip. TFL/IT Band
Rather than crushing tight iliotibial (IT) bands with a rockhard foam roller, work instead on the attaching muscles of the hip, which are involved with �lexion, abduction and internal rotation — primarily the tensor fascia latae (TFL). Stand tall next to a fence or wall and cross the outside leg in front of the inside leg, knees straight but not Warm muscles are more pliable, so stretching after a run can improve flexibility.
locked and feet planted on the ground. Press your hips toward the wall until you feel a stretch on the side of your inside hip and hold.
Adductor
The adductors assist with both hip flexion and hip extension while keeping your turnover happening in the sagittal plane, saving energy and preventing injury. Take a large step laterally and slightly forward, keeping your chest tall. Squeeze your glutes to tuck your pelvis under, and gently lunge into the forward leg until you feel a stretch in the opposite inner thigh (adductors). Abductor/Hip Rotator
Your adductors and deep hip rotators stabilize your hips, preventing side-to-side and rotational movements that waste energy and affect stride. Find a hip-height, stable object like a park bench. Lift one leg and lay it �lat on the top of the bench perpendicularly to your body, or as close as you can get to 90 degrees. Keeping your back straight and chest tall, hinge forward from the hips until you feel a stretch in the glutes and hold. Press down on your knee to encourage a deeper stretch. Calf Stretch
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Although you probably stretch your gastrocnemius regularly, your soleus does a lot of work during a run, especially on a hilly course. Adopt a half-kneeling position with your right leg forward and sit back on your left heel. Slide your right front foot backward as far as you can alongside your left knee while keeping your heel on the ground. Lean forward and place a little weight on your right thigh to deepen the stretch.
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BUILD
Pull-Up Power
Build denser, thicker lats and crush your pull-up personal record with one simple trick. BY ERIC VELAZQUEZ, CSCS
T
he pull-up bar remains one of the most effective yet deliberately avoided gym furnishings known to humankind, with most defaulting to the pulldown machine. And we admit, you can lift vein-popping weight with a pulldown, but chances are pretty good that your form is crap. Besides, the pulldown is mechanically easier to execute, and who wants to go easy when it comes to back training? Mastering a pull-up doesn’t just build your lats — it also enhances overall athleticism and provides peripheral benefits by adding size and polish to your biceps, brachioradialis and rear delts. Clearly, the solution is to hop up and start doing more pull-ups — but you’re going to take it a step further and add weight. No matter where you are on the pull-up spectrum, adding a little extra resistance will go a long way, forcing your central nervous system to recruit more muscle fibers to complete each rep. Over time, you’ll develop new neural pathways, which will manifest as increases in strength and volume. Vested Interest
While weight belts definitely have their place in the gym, let’s be honest: If you’re hanging chains and iron plates near your no-no zone, you could be the next Instagram star on @HilariousEmergency RoomInjuries. Plus, if you’re training at a CrossFit box, chances of them having more than one weight belt and chain — or having one at all — are slim to none. Here, weight vests are a much better solution because they hold the extra ballast close to your body (as it would be naturally if you weighed 10 or 20 pounds more) and won’t bang about precariously down below. Because they are easier to control, they are less distracting than a belt and chain, leaving you free to focus on form and power. Push It to the Max — and Beyond
Ready to start building? First, find your “Current Max Pull-Up” category, which indicates the max number of strict pull-ups you can do — not kipping or jumping or band-assisted pull-ups — but those where you start at a dead hang and pull 30
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your bodyweight up from there. Once you find your racing lane, add enough weight to your vest (or belt) to induce failure a few reps beyond your current range, then follow your programmed workout. Once every couple of weeks, and at least 48 to 72 hours after doing your assigned workout,
test yourself by doing one to two sets of max bodyweight pull-ups. Assess your progress: If you blow it out of the park, move up. If not, stick to your lane for a few more weeks and try again. Follow this protocol for six weeks, max, breaking it out three or four times a year to push your pull-up envelope.
THE WORKOUTS ❱ Rest two to three minutes between sets of weighted pull-ups. For all other moves, rest no longer than 90 seconds between both sets and exercises. NEOPHYTE: CURRENT MAX PULL-UPS: 1–5 EXERCISE
SETS
REPS
Weighted Pull-Up
3
1-2
Pull-Up
2
to failure*
Cable Pulldown
3
10-12**
MIDDLING: CURRENT MAX PULL-UPS: 5–10 EXERCISE
SETS
REPS
Weighted Pull-Up
5
3-5
Pull-Up
3
to failure**
Cable Pulldown
3
6-10
MASTER: CURRENT MAX PULL-UPS: 10+ EXERCISE
SETS
REPS
Weighted Pull-Up
5
EMOM***
Pull-Up
3
to failure**
Cable Pulldown
3
10-1
*Journal how many pull-ups you get on your first set each week. **Perform a drop set on the last set, reducing the weight by 20 to 30 percent and continuing to failure. ***Perform five reps every minute on the minute for five minutes. Add one minute each week for six weeks. MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
11/15/17 8:25 AM
a n o t a L a d n a m A e h T ON
I T U L O RES A resolution is coming, and it’s being led by Amanda Latona. Just in the nick of (holiday) time, The Amanda Latona Resolution is here to prepare and see you through it all. This exclusive two-part program offers the following: 14-Day Holiday Survival Guide (with tips, tricks and mental exercises) 60-Day Training and Nutrition Plan Scalable Workouts (no gym membership needed) Tools to Develop a Lifelong Habit of Fitness and Healthy Living Start your resolution journey today at aimfitnessnetwork.com.
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FUEL
Plant Pow(der)
Protein powder is a good way to meet your protein intake. But what if dairy isn’t your thing? Here’s what to look for in a plant-based protein powder. BY ELIZABETH BROWN, MS, RD, CPT, CDE
Y
ou want to increase your protein intake, and protein powders are a viable option for busy people on the go. Now the decision is down to animal versus vegetable. Which direction should you go? Your conscience might be swaying you toward a vegetable protein powder because you’ve been wanting to go vegan/vegetarian but don’t want to fall short on your protein intake.
Why Opt for a Plant-Based Protein Powder?
If you’re lucky enough to make it to the year 2050, a group of Oxford researchers say that a shift from animal- to plant-based diets could potentially save 8.1 million lives per year. We could see a decrease in mortality by 10 percent. There may be a 70 percent reduction in food-related greenhouse gas emissions, a savings of $1,067 billion in healthrelated costs and a $570 billion savings in avoided environmental harm annually. How to Choose the Right One
When choosing a protein powder, the object of the game is to meet your protein requirements as effectively as you would if you were to eat a piece of meat. In other words, you want to get all nine essential amino acids in each serving. Unlike animal-based protein powders, not all plant protein powders can offer optimal levels of all nine essential amino acids. Rice protein is higher in sulfur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine but low in lysine, while pea protein powder is high in lysine but lower in cysteine and methionine. Despite falling short on lysine, one study, published in Nutrition Journal, did show equal improvement in markers of post-exercise performance and body composition for rice and whey protein consumers. A 2015 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition showed that men who consumed pea protein after their lifting sessions had the same increases in biceps size as those who opted for whey protein. Hemp and soy protein powders contain appropriate levels of all nine essential amino acids. While soy contains as much protein per serving as a whey protein powder, hemp protein powder contains 44 percent less protein per 30-gram serving. Unlike most protein powders, hemp protein does contain fat and at the desired 3:1 ratio of 32
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omega-6 to omega-3 fats. This ratio will help favor the antiin�lammatory pathways, and if you decide to blend your hemp powder with some leafy greens, the fat will help you absorb those bene�icial antioxidants. Protein powders almost invariably need additives to help them either blend in liquids (emulsify) or to taste palatable (sweeteners and �lavor enhancers). Plantbased protein powders are no exception. An emulsi�ier usually has the word gum stuck to it: xanthan gum, guar gum and lecithin. Lecithin can come from soybeans or egg yolks, so if you’re soy sensitive or trying to be vegan, you’ll want to avoid this additive. Xanthan gum is a sugarlike compound made by mixing aged, fermented sugars with a certain type of bacteria. Guar gum is from the guar plant seed. Xanthan and guar gum have laxative effects, while lecithin is used in the treatment of memory disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Arti�icial colors and sweeteners can be found in most man-made products, so compare plantbased protein powders to �ind one without additives. Some plant-based protein powders may lure you with bene�icial ingredients such as �ibers; others may boast additional vitamins and superfoods. But if you’re new to plant-based protein powders and are not sure which food intolerances you may possess, remember that less is more. Pea and rice protein powders will be higher in protein grams per 30-gram serving, but hemp protein powder has nearly double the iron content of rice protein, 40 times more iron than pea protein, and 10 times more magnesium than either rice or pea protein. Plus, hemp protein powder has 25 percent of the Daily Value for zinc, which is not found in any other plantbased protein powder. The Verdict
The decision comes down to this: Do you just want protein in your plant-based powder, or will you sacri�ice a little protein for some additional minerals and omega-3 fats? No matter which plant protein you choose, look for brands that state their pea, rice or hemp was grown in the U.S. and ideally grown organically.
PERFORMANCE PICKS
Vega Sport Performance Protein
$44.99 (1.13-pound powder)
Naturade Vegan Smart
$30.49 (22.8-ounce powder)
GAT Sport Plant Protein
$29.99 (1.48-pound powder)
MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
11/15/17 8:26 AM
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NO NO HORMONES. HORMONES. NO NO SWEETENERS. SWEETENERS. NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS OR OR FLAVORS. FLAVORS. NO BANNED SUBSTANCES. NO BANNED SUBSTANCES. EVER. EVER. WITH WITH 25G 25G OF OF PROTEIN PROTEIN AND AND 5.3G 5.3G OF OF BCAAs, BCAAs, NATURAL WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE NATURAL WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE IS IS PERFECT PERFECT FOR FOR ATHLETES AT EVERY LEVEL LOOKING TO PACK ON ATHLETES AT EVERY LEVEL LOOKING TO PACK ON LEAN LEAN MUSCLE MUSCLE AND AND ACCELERATE ACCELERATE RECOVERY. RECOVERY. FEATURES FEATURES PROBIOTICS PROBIOTICS TO TO SUPPORT SUPPORT GUT GUT HEALTH HEALTH AND ENZYMES TO ASSIST WITH PROTEIN DIGESTION. AND ENZYMES TO ASSIST WITH PROTEIN DIGESTION.
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10/16/178:26 9:17 11/15/17 AMAM 10/16/17 9:17 AM
PRO CORNER
Bikini Olympia champion Angelica Teixeira shares her secrets for maintaining balance and staying focused on her dreams. BY JILL SCHILDHOUSE
G
rowing up in Brazil — a country notorious for breeding beautiful bodies — Angelica Teixeira knew from a young age that having a fit body was an important part of her culture. To help combat her naturally skinny frame, she began taking fitness classes when she was 14 years old. By age 18, she moved her workouts into the weight room, in hopes of building muscle and changing her physique. Now 33, Teixeira’s years of dedication and hard work have certainly paid off, as evidenced by her title:
2017 Bikini Olympia champion. As a GAT Sport–sponsored athlete who also works as a bikini posing coach in New Jersey, Teixeira’s mission is to help other women achieve their goals while also leaving behind a legacy of greatness in the fitness industry. Congratulations on your recent win at Olympia. What does earning the title of Bikini Olympia mean to you?
This title means the world to me. It is recognition of my hard work. It means that dreams do come true when you set your mind to it and don’t give up. The respect and love I’m receiving is unreal. Many opportunities are coming my way. With that comes the commitment to help spread my love of bodybuilding to the world and the responsibility to help other athletes to live this lifestyle in the healthiest way possible. How do you maintain balance in your life?
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Balance is the key to success in everything we do in life. My husband of 10 years supports my journey and makes me want to be there for him, too. Even when I’m prepping, I still go out with him for dinners and events. I bring my own food, but I still have a great time with him and friends. When I’m in the offseason, I still train, eat my healthy meals and take my supplements. But at least twice a week, I’ll go out and enjoy a nice meal and a glass of wine or beer with my family and friends. When I travel, I relax and enjoy that moment — but as soon I’m back home, I become strict again.
Learning your body is the secret for success in fitness. I study how my body will react to any exercise or diet. For instance, I always have GAT Sport Whey Protein right after my workouts and sometimes before bed. It supplies my body with the right amount of protein, and it’s delicious. When I’m having a sweet tooth, the Whey Protein kills my craving.
What advice do you have for other women who want to follow in your footsteps?
Believe in yourself, even if nobody else does. Don’t give up too easily. As a Brazilian living in the U.S., I couldn’t enter the national championships to compete for my pro card. I had to win six overall titles to be awarded that professional status. I conquered it because my passion for this sport was bigger than any thoughts of giving up. In my mind, I believed I could do it, so I did. If you fail, keep going. There is no easy road to success. You will have to work hard, be consistent and make sacrifices. But it will pay off at the end.
ANGELICA’S WORKOUT “I don’t really have a workout program,” she says. “I train the way I feel like training that day. I never repeat a workout — every day I do something different to keep challenging the muscle. When I’m prepping for a show, I do four sets of 15 to 20 reps with less weight to bring more definition. When I’m in the offseason, I do three sets of 10 to 12 reps with heavier weight to work on building muscle.” DAY 1: Glutes DAY 2: Shoulders and abs DAY 3: Hamstrings DAY 4: Back and biceps DAY 5: Glutes and hamstrings DAY 6: Chest and triceps
Photo Courtesy of LHGFX
Brazilian Beauty and Booty
What is your fitness philosophy?
MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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Ads.indd 35
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BRAND SPOTLIGHT
Get to Know:
Dymatize
BY JILL SCHILDHOUSE
T
wenty-three years ago, three entrepreneurs who loved working out were frustrated by the lack of high-quality, goodtasting supplements available. Realizing the business opportunity, they founded Dymatize and got to work on creating top-notch, clean sports-nutrition supplements that tasted great. Today, the company’s commitment to supporting physique and performance athletes continues to fuel its mission and product development. “While we still have a commitment to whey proteins, we have also expanded into other sports-nutrition supplements,” says Annie Seal, vice president of marketing and innovation. “Dymatize has grown significantly over the years, and we are proud to say that our products are known, recognized and sold in over 50 countries around the world.”
Perfecting Athletic Nutrition
Dymatize’s flagship product ISO100 is the best-selling isolate in the market and has received numerous consumer-choice awards over the years. Super Mass Gainer, an award-winning protein gainer, and Elite 100% Whey are also popular products. Newer to the shelves is Dymatize PreW.O., a high-potency preworkout product formulated with citrulline malate, Nitrosigine, TeaCrine, beta-alanine and caffeine to increase energy, strength, pump and intensity. Customers love how it mixes easily and tastes delicious. Also, new flavors of ISO100, including peanut butter and chocolate peanut butter, are quickly becoming fan favorites. “Innovation is a cornerstone of our brand and growth plan,” Seal says. “Our goal is to continue to give our consumers exciting new products formulated to meet their needs. We have a robust lineup for 2018, including some exciting new flavors of ISO100, Super Mass Gainer, Elite XT and a new PreW.O. in a delicious pineapple orange crush flavor.” Dymatize? Dy-no-mite!
Dymatize promises to deliver proven performance through real science and verified qual36
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ity. The company controls the process from end to end, meaning every ingredient used is proven in the lab and every product is designed for performance. Its supplements are formulated by top sportsnutrition scientists and tested by elite athletes at world-class training facilities. In addition, all Dymatize protein powders are InformedChoice certified, which means they are free of banned substances. This high-level quality assurance means that what’s on the label is in the bottle — no amino spiking, added supplements, contaminants or questionable ingredients included. “We recently repackaged our entire line of products because we wanted them to look as premium, scientific and pure
as the formulas,” Seal says. “We are always struck by the intensity of this industry. We know we have passionate consumers who are experts about sports nutrition — they want the simple truth and high-quality products to support their intense workout programs. Our mission is to be the world’s most trusted athletic nutrition brand, and we are determined to protect and honor all athletes by continuing to strive toward product perfection. We know that the people who use our products invest a tremendous amount of time and energy into their fitness regimens. It takes real commitment to lift every day, to compete, to train yourself, and to build your best body or improve your overall performance.” MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
11/15/17 8:26 AM
IF THIS IS THE YEAR YOU MAKE YOUR DREAMS A REALITY, YOU ARE AN ATHLETE.
ARASH RAHBAR
RELIES ON ISO100® TO CRUSH HIS CRAVINGS AND HIS GOALS. Mr. Olympia Classic Physique Competitor & IFBB Pro
Share your story! #IAmAnAthlete
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PROTEIN
BCAAs
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25 g 5.5 g 2.7 g <1 g
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Smart, eloquent and approachable, Mikaela Shiffrin could be your goofy bestie, your wingman at the bar, that friend who will always tell you if there is lettuce in your teeth. But she is also an incomparable competitor, a technical mastermind and one of the hardest-working athletes on the planet. As she prepares for the 2018 season and her probable appearance in the Winter Olympics, Shiffrin hit pause for a half-hour to chat with Muscle & Performance about her training, nutrition and mental strategies. By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT
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Photo by Daniel Goetzhaber/GEPA Pictures
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127 k/h
That’s how fast Mikaela Shiffrin was clocked during a race, hurtling at 80-ish mph down a sheer mountain face wearing nothing but a helmet and a wafer-thin racing suit. If you were driving that fast in a car, you would get a ticket and several points on your license, but Shiffrin doesn’t give it a second thought; she was snapped into her �irst pair of skis at age 2 and never stopped. Though she won’t know for sure whether she has secured a spot on the 2018 Olympic U.S. Ski & Snowboard team in Pyeongchang, South Korea, until the eleventh hour, she is pretty much a shoo-in: At age 15, she became a person of interest as she �inished top 15 in her �irst two NorAm Cup races and made her �irst World Cup podium appearance a year later. At the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Shiffrin was the youngest athlete in history — male or female — to win an Olympic slalom gold medal, and as of this writing, she has logged 31 career World Cup wins. The icing on the cake: At the end of the 2016-17 season, Shiffrin became only the �ifth American to win the title of FIS Alpine Ski World Cup overall champion — at age 22. Considering that most peoples’ biggest accomplishment at that age is swilling an entire beer bong without choking, her achievement is that much more remarkable.
Photo by Daniel Goetzhaber/GEPA Pictures
Technicalities
I’m finding fluidity with my skiing — finding a way to ski more athletically and translate the strength and coordination and power to find a faster way down the mountain. MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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Shiffrin is just coming off a nine-week block of summer conditioning training at the time of our interview and preparing to head to South America for some on-snow work in preparation for the upcoming season. “You could call it technical re�inement,” says Shiffrin when asked what she has left to perfect during these training camps. “For me, one of the biggest things is �inding �luidity with my skiing — �inding a way to ski more athletically and translate the strength and coordination and power I build in the gym to my skiing to �ind a faster way down the mountain.” As evidenced by her Instagram posts, Shiffrin’s offseason programming is all-encompassing and perhaps even more grueling than her winter training. On any given day, she might hit max squats for strength, slackline for balance or bound over track hurdles for explosive power — all this in preparation for a run that lasts less than two minutes. “The thing is, you can’t train for skiing unless you’re actually skiing,” Shiffrin says. “Think about it: A tennis player trains on the court for three hours in the morning and three in the afternoon, getting in that repetition six hours a day. But in ski racing, we might be on the mountain for �ive hours, but the actual time we spend in the gates skiing — from start to �inish — adds up to about 10 minutes total for the whole day. Most of the time is spent warming up or sitting on the chairlift or waiting JANUARY 2018 MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE
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Shiffrin’s programming is very well thought out, and it targets the skills and strengths she needs to be successful — and fast. Of course, lower-body power is imperative because the forces she experiences going into a turn are immense. “If you took a skier making a giant slalom turn and then stacked �ive of that skier on top of herself, that equals the forces you are dealing with for that turn,” she says. “That is why we are in the gym doing max squats — you have to be able to hold your legs strong and your entire body because that force is coming down on every part of your body.” She also works on explosive power, usually training one leg at a time to ensure balance between her sides. “One workout I love to do is a 45-minute plyometric workout on an outdoor staircase with like 30 steps,” Shiffrin says. “I do single-legged jumps up the stairs, two or three or four at a time, and try to make my landing time as short as possible. The idea is to reduce the impact but still get the power and strength and explosive motion from taking off.” Though legs are a main focus, Shiffrin does not dismiss the rest of her body during training. “You can have the strongest legs in the world, but if you don’t have core stability, you’re not going to survive — you’ll blow out your back on the �irst turn you make,” she says. “Ski racing is really hard on your back, so skiers tend to have overdeveloped back muscles. In order to balance that, you have to make sure your core is really strong.” And since her runs can be anywhere from 90 seconds to three minutes, Shiffrin regularly trains both her anaerobic engine and her cardiovascular endurance. “One day a week, I go for a long bike ride where I will do longer intervals for endurance,” she says. “But I also run or train on the rower or the Assault bike doing 45-second all-out intervals for the duration of an hour. It is the most grueling thing; it almost makes me want to stop ski racing!”
I train on the rower doing 45-second allout intervals for an hour. It’s grueling!
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At the professional level, ski racing becomes as much mental as it does physical, and when the difference between gold and silver is determined by fractions of a fraction of a second, your mental game must be on point. Something you’ll never see on TV is the time competitors spend sideslipping down the hill to inspect and analyze each race course, etching the run into their minds from top to bottom. Once they reach the bottom and all the way until the starting countdown, they visualize themselves performing perfectly on that course. “Imagery is huge, and for me, it’s almost like a form of meditation,” Shiffrin says. “It takes me to another place, away from those nervous thoughts so I can focus in on the actual skiing.” Another go-to escape from her own head is music. “I get more nervous now than I used to — the more races I win, the more pressure there is,” she admits. “Music de�initely helps me focus, and I listen to everything from pump-up music to classical.” Also helping with nerves is her mother. “When new things are thrown at me — unexpected things like losing a boot or a hat or something — I can be on edge,” she says. “Thankfully, my mom is one of my coaches and travels with me. She will remind me to calm down and take it all in stride.”
“Please don’t make me do Paleo!”
Like many pro athletes, Shiffrin eats for performance and does not subscribe to a speci�ic diet program. “With all the strength training I do, protein is an essential component of my meals but so are carbs,” she says. “One of my biggest sponsors is Barilla pasta, who has been a sponsor of mine for six years now. Part of that is because I love pasta — who doesn’t? — but they also have a whole line of products made with whole grains and extra �iber as well as their Protein Plus product that has extra protein infused into the pasta. So, yeah, please don’t make me do Paleo! Bring on the gluten and the carbs!” Pasta does indeed comprise three or four of her daily meals and snacks, which Shiffrin balances out with healthy protein such as chicken and eggs as well as plenty of vegetables and healthy fats like avocado. “I try to avoid sugar, but I love dessert, so it is a constant moral battle,” she says, laughing. “Everything in moderation. I’ll treat myself with a dessert now and then but not daily.” Pasta is also very portable, which comes in handy when Shiffrin trav-
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Photo By Andreas Pranter / GEPA Pictures
Building Gold
Mind Matters
Photo Courtesy of Red Bull Media House
— everything besides skiing. This summer conditioning supplements my on-snow training.”
Bio Mikaela Shiffrin
Photo By Andreas Pranter / GEPA Pictures
Birth Date: March 13,1995 Hometown: Vail, Colorado Height: 5’7” Weight: 145 lb Sponsors: Barilla, Oakley, Red Bull, Leki, Atomic, Bose, Reusch, Longines, Visa, Westin Riverfront Athletic Club IG: @mikaelashiffrin Twitter/FB: MikaelaShiffrin
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In sports circles, fellow racer Lindsey Vonn is known as the queen of speed, and Shiffrin is hailed as the technical master. But Shiffrin sees every racer from every MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE
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country as masterful. “You can’t count anybody out,” she says when asked who her biggest competition will be in Pyeongchang. “The U.S. team is incredible, the entire women’s slalom team from Sweden is very good, the Italian women are very fast, then you have the girls from Austria — they will always be vying for the podium — as well as Germany and France. All the competitors are solid — they always are.” Who makes or misses the cut to represent her country will be determined in the months leading up to the Olympics, and Shiffrin will take every race as it comes, with her sights set on Pyeongchang. Will she be there? We would wager yes. Tune in and �ind out for yourself.
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Olympic photo by Ververidis Vasilis/Shutterstock.com • Mikaela Shiffrin photo by Daniel Goetzhaber/GEPA Pictures
els to countries where her options are limited. “If I stay in a hotel for a weekend, I will actually give them a box of pasta and have them cook that for me instead of the pasta they have in the kitchen,” she admits. “It’s also the only thing I can stomach before a race since it is easy to eat and digest.”
Photo by Andreas Pranter/GEPA Pictures
you can’t count anybody out. the u.s team is incredible, but all the competitors are solid. they always are.
Olympic photo by Ververidis Vasilis/Shutterstock.com • Mikaela Shiffrin photo by Daniel Goetzhaber/GEPA Pictures
Photo by Andreas Pranter/GEPA Pictures
Quick Q&A It must be amazing to walk into the Olympic arena for the opening ceremonies. You’re gonna die — I was not at the opening ceremonies in Sochi last time! It’s a sin! I was training in Italy for the first week of the Olympics because my races were not until the second week, so I watched the ceremonies on TV, and it was crazy because I was like, I am going to be there in a week! This time I will be racing the entire two weeks, and my main events are in the first week, so I think and hope I will be there for the opening ceremonies. It depends on how training goes.
Have you ever snowboarded?
I have not, but I would love to try sometime. I have nothing against snowboarders, but I hear it can take a toll on your backside! I will wait until I am done skiing.
Where do you keep your medals?
I have the World Championship medals on the wall of my room and the Olympic one — it is hidden somewhere. I am not telling you where!
Do you support any charities?
The Kelly Brush Foundation (kellybrushfoundation.org) is a local charity started by a girl I went to school with who incurred a spinal injury in a ski race — she hit a tower that was unprotected. The money goes toward all-mountain safety as well as supporting other athletes with spinal injuries and providing them with adaptive equipment. I also support the Tyler Robinson Foundation, which helps kids with pediatric cancer (trf.org), and of course, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard team (ussa.org)!
Stay on top of the action!
The 2018 XXIII Winter Olympic Games run from February 9, through February 25. The 2018 XII Paralympic Winter Games run from March 9 through March 18. Go to olympic.org/pyeongchang-2018 for the full schedule of events. Watch them live or on demand on NBC, on the NBC sports app and at nbcolympics.com.
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THE SIMPLICITY OF
THE COM
One barbell. One load. O
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OMPLEX
. One space. Big changes. BY LARA MCGLASHAN, MFA, CPT â&#x20AC;¢ PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT REIFF
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B
arbells are a gym staple around the world and are traditionally reserved for pushing heavy loads in the quest for size and strength. But if you’re interested in building while burning to maximize your gym minutes (and avoid doing that dreaded cardio), barbell complexes are your answer. Truthfully, complexes can be done with any sort of equipment — barbells, kettlebells, sandbags and such — but no matter the gear, the technique achieves more than a traditional straight-set workout in less time, building strength and improving conditioning while simultaneously decimating body fat. That’s because they challenge several different energy systems at once — cardiovascular capacity, muscular endurance and anaerobic recovery — and are a great way to add volume to your program without adding days to your workout week. They are über-ef�icient, highly metabolic and straight-up brutal. And bonus: You don’t have to do any added cardio to get lean.
The Deets
A barbell complex is essentially a circuit in which the exercises are arranged in a nonstop �low where one exercise transitions neatly into the next, such as a power clean into a front squat into a push press. This reduces downtime and boosts intensity while pushing your cardiovascular capacity to the limit. You’ll also stay in the same spot and will use the same barbell and the same weight for all the exercises. But here’s the trick: Because you’re using the same barbell for the entire complex, you’ll have to scale to your weakest lift. For instance, if you can deadlift a Smart Car but can’t push-press a bicycle, you’ll have to choose a weight with which you can complete all the reps of your push presses to avoid injury. This means your bigger lifts might seem easy. Solution: Do them more quickly to elevate heart rate while maintaining form. Complexes are intense, so use them as stand-alone workouts, or position them after a less-intense session such as extended movement prep or skill work. Leave at least 48 to 72 hours in between complex workouts for recovery, and use that downtime to sit back and watch the fat melt away.
POWER CLEAN
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your midfoot underneath the barbell. Bend your knees, drop your hips and take a shoulder-width overhand grip on the bar. Your hips should be higher than your knees, chest lifted, focus forward and back straight. Keep the bar close to your body as you extend your knees and hips at the same rate. As the bar passes your knees, do a triple extension of the ankles, knees and hips, coming up onto your toes and shrugging your shoulders, elbows high, to raise the bar to chest height. Then quickly bend your knees and drop down, catching the bar across your front delts and clavicle and flipping your elbows underneath into a front rack position. Extend your legs to complete.
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BACK SQUAT
Position the bar across your upper back and traps and hold it outside your shoulders with an overhand grip, elbows down, chest lifted. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and turned out slightly from the hips. Initiate the squat by pushing your hips back, then bending your knees to descend, going as deep as possible with the aim of bottoming out. Drive through your heels and powerfully extend your hips and knees to return to standing.
FRONT SQUAT
Hold the bar across your front delts and clavicles in the front rack position — elbows flipped underneath and lifted as high as possible with your fingertips lightly touching the bar outside your shoulders. (You also can hold the bar by crossing your arms over the top of the bar — as shown — if you lack the shoulder mobility necessary to do it the other way.) Position your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly, then kick your hips back and lower into a deep squat, going as low as possible while keeping your weight in your heels and your chest lifted. Drive through your heels and powerfully extend your knees and hips to return to standing.
Bear Complex
This is one of the most infamous barbell complexes around and fair warning: It’s not for beginners or the faint of heart. Here’s the deal: Complete one repetition of each of these �ive movements to complete one cycle. Do seven cycles unbroken to complete one round, then drop the bar, add weight and repeat for a total of �ive rounds (35 cycles if you’re counting) for time. • 1 Power Clean • 1 Front Squat • 1 Push Press • 1 Back Squat • 1 Push Press
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The Flow: Clean the barbell into the front rack position. Do a front squat. Stand, perform a push press, placing the bar across your upper back and traps. Do a back squat, and as you stand, push-press the weight overhead and bring it back to the front rack position. Lower to the start to complete one cycle. Touch down brie�ly and go right into the next cycle. JANUARY 2018 MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE
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DEADLIFT
Stand with your feet hip-width apart or slightly narrower, if preferred, toes underneath the barbell. Push your hips back, then bend your knees until you can grip the bar just outside your legs in an overhand or alternating grip. Position your shoulders directly over the bar, back flat, head neutral, then extend your knees and hips at the same rate and pull the bar in a straight line up along the front of your body until you’re standing completely upright. Lower down along the same path.
Countdown Complex
For time, complete six reps of each move, then �ive of each, and so on until you do one of each on the last round. Rest only as needed. • Deadlift • Power Clean • Hang Clean • Push Press • Thruster
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The Flow: Perform six deadlifts, lower to the �loor, and reset your feet and body position. Perform six power cleans, and after the sixth, bring the bar into the hang position. Perform six hang cleans, holding in the front rack after the sixth rep. Reset your hands and do six push presses. On the sixth, hold in the front rack and perform six thrusters. Lower the bar to the �loor and repeat, this time for �ive reps apiece.
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THRUSTER (not shown)
Hold the barbell in the front rack position with your elbows underneath the bar but at a lesser angle so you’re able to grip the bar with your whole hand. Lead with your hips and bend your knees, lowering into a deep squat, core tight, back straight. Drive up forcefully through your heels, extending your knees and hips, then using that upward momentum to press the bar overhead to full extension. Try to link your reps together so that as you lower the bar, you go right into your next squat. MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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PUSH PRESS
Hold the barbell across your front delts and clavicles just outside your shoulders. Your elbows should be underneath the bar as with a front squat but at a lesser angle so you’re able to grip the bar with your whole hand. Keep your core tight and your pelvis neutral as you quickly bend your knees and hips to load up, then extend them and use that momentum to help press the bar overhead. Your feet should stay on the ground at all times. Lower to the start under control.
HANG CLEAN
Take a shoulder-width overhand grip on the barbell and push your hips back to lower the bar to a point just above your knees, back straight, shoulders retracted. Perform the triple extension, shrug and catch in the same manner as the power clean.
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Timed Triple Threat
Repeat the triplet below three times, then run 300 meters. Mark your time upon completion of the run. Rest one minute, then repeat the sequence twice more, trying to beat your time on rounds two and three. Three Times: • 3 Power Snatches • 3 Squat Snatches • 3 Overhead Squats Then: • Run 300 meters. • Rest 1 minute.
The Flow: Perform three snatches, then three squat snatches. On the third squat snatch, keep the bar overhead and perform three overhead squats. Repeat that sequence three times, then drop the bar and run 300 meters. Mark your time, rest one minute and then repeat twice more.
POWER SNATCH
Stand with your toes underneath a barbell and take a wide overhand grip on the bar. Drop your hips and bend your knees to load your posterior chain, shoulders retracted, focus forward. Powerfully extend your knees and hips, and as you rise, pull the bar up along the front of your body in a straight line. As you come to standing, drive your elbows skyward and come up onto your toes to lift the bar to chest height, then jump your feet apart to quickly drop underneath the bar, flipping your wrists over and quickly straightening your arms to punch the barbell straight up overhead. Reset your feet, then lower the bar down along the same path.
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SQUAT SNATCH
Set up and execute as with a power snatch, but as you punch the bar overhead, jump your feet apart and drop down into a deep squat to catch the bar. Drive through your heels to return to standing and reset your feet.
OVERHEAD SQUAT
Hold the barbell overhead in a snatch grip with your elbows by your ears and your core tight — don’t let your rib cage flare out. You should be able to draw a straight plumb line from your wrists through your shoulders to your ankles. Actively press up against the bar and imagine pulling the ends apart to keep your shoulders and upper back engaged and the weight balanced. Kick your hips back and slowly squat down as deep as possible (for most people, range of motion is more limited with this move because of tightness in the hips and shoulders) while keeping the weight balanced. Drive through your heels to return to standing. MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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If you want the burn without the buzz, here are six supplements to keep your appetite in check. BY DWAYNE N. JACKSON, PH.D.
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inter has arrived and, for many, that means being exposed to an abundance of tempting treats that can sabotage your �itness goals. Beyond being tempted by calorie-dense foods that do nothing for your health and �itness, during the winter there is a propensity to overeat, even though outside activity tends to decrease for many. It’s no secret that the best way to avoid packing on 10 to 15 pounds of fat over the winter is to keep your diet on point and work out regularly. So here is a list of six key supplements that can help keep your appetite in check while promoting fat loss and without making you an insomniac.
CHROMIUM
What it is: Chromium is a trace mineral that is available in low amounts in many foods. How it works: When supplemented, chromium enhances the action of insulin to maintain optimal blood sugar levels. As such, chromium reduces carb cravings and enhances fat loss. So, overall, chromium curbs your appetite and helps burn fat. How to take it: Reports on the effective doses range between 50 and 300 micrograms per day. For best results, split your daily dose into two or three smaller doses and take 30 minutes before eating.
that pregnane glycosides are the compounds responsible for Caralluma �imbriata’s appetite suppressant effects. Animal studies have illustrated that pregnane glycosides act on areas of the hypothalamus (in the brain) involved in hunger and satiety. In a study published in Appetite, subjects who took 1 gram per day of Caralluma �imbriata extract for 60 days had an almost 10 percent decrease in hunger by Day 30 and 20 percent decrease by Day 60. How to take it: Human studies used 1 gram per day (100:1 extraction); however, potencies may vary with level of extraction. Take as directed.
What it is: Caralluma �imbriata is a succulent (�leshy) cactus used by tribes in South India to suppress hunger and enhance endurance. How it works: In a recent pharmacological review published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, it was reported
What it is: This naturally occurring capsaicinoid is what makes chili peppers hot. In chemical terms, it is known as 8-methyl-N-vanillyl6-nonenamide. How it works: When we ingest large amounts of capsaicinoids, they activate specialized receptors in
CARALLUMA FIMBRIATA
Incinerate body fat, reduce appetite and feel satieted by supplementing with capsaicin.
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CAPSAICIN
the body that lead to the release of a peptide transmitter called substance P, which activates receptors that increase the release of the catecholamines — norepinephrine and epinephrine. Catecholamines not only provide potent appetite suppression but also bind to adrenergic receptors on fat cells to promote the activation of lipase, leading to the release and mobilization of fats from fat cells into the circulation, to be burned as energy. Thus, supplementing with capsaicin provides appetite suppression with a “side order” of fat burning. How to take it: The potency of capsaicin is measured in Scoville units or heat units. The average capsaicin supplement has about 40,000 Scoville units per dose. However, comparable products that use Capsimax patented capsaicinoid extract contain about 300,000 Scoville units per dose — which increases potency without feeling the burn. For best results, use 30 to 50 milligrams of Capsimax, three times per day, 30 minutes before meals.
GYMNEMA SYLVESTRE EXTRACT
What it is: Gymnema sylvestre is a slowgrowing perennial plant found in central and peninsular India and is used in folk, ayurvedic and homeopathic systems of medicine. How it works: Gymnema sylvestre contains compounds called gymnemic acids, which lower and stabilize blood sugar levels, decrease sugar absorption and reduce sugar cravings. This is because the structure of gymnemic acid molecules resembles that of glucose molecules. In fact, gymnemic acid stimulates receptors located on the taste buds of the tongue and prevents their activation by sugar molecules, leading to decreased sugar absorption and cravings. The blood sugar–lowering effects of gymnemic acids result from increased insulin secretion from the pancreas, increased regeneration of insulin-producing beta islet cells in the pancreas and greater glucose utilization. Gymnemic acid also can bind to specialized receptors in the intesMUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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PERFORMANCE PICKS
Green-tea extract can raise your metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories.
Carlson Chelated Chromium
tine, which further prevent absorption of dietary glucose. How to take it: Take 100 milligrams of Gymnema sylvestre, three times per day, 30 minutes before meals. For best results, use Gymnema sylvestre supplements that have been standardized to 75 percent gymnemic acids.
GLUCOMANNAN
What it is: This soluble fiber is derived from the tropical East Asian perennial konjac plant that can take on more than 200 times its weight in water. How it works: Being a fiber supplement, glucomannan is great for creating a feeling of “fullness” and thus suppressing the appetite. Furthermore, its water absorptive characteristics provide bulk that cleanses the digestive tract and colon. In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, glucomannan greatly improved blood lipid levels and regulated blood glucose to normal levels in Type 2 diabetics. In another placebo-controlled trial published in La Clinica Terapeutica, it was confirmed that a low-calorie diet yielded greater weight loss and was better tolerated in individuals who were taking glucomannan. How to take it: Take 1 to 3 grams of glucomannan with 250 to 500 milliliters of water an hour before meals. MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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GREEN-TEA EXTRACT What it is: Green-tea extract comes from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, the same tea species used for black tea. How it works: Green tea is non-fermented and nonoxidized, so it retains several unique and beneficial bioactive components that are absent in black tea. Specifically, green tea contains high concentrations of pharmacologically bioactive polyphenols, including epigallocatechin, epicatechin, epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Although green tea has caffeine, green-tea extract is caffeinefree and contains a standardized concentration of high-potency EGCG. EGCG has been shown to increase fat burning, especially when taken before cardiovascular exercise. Further, a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition illustrated that EGCG promotes the release of appetite-suppressing hormones, like cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon-like peptide (GLP1) and peptide tyrosine-tyrosine (PYY), from the digestive tract. How to take it: Take 300 to 500 milligrams of green-tea extract three times per day, 30 minutes before meals. For best results, be sure your green-tea extract is standardized to at least 45 percent EGCG.
Take one tablet daily at mealtime. 300 tablets, $16.79
Solgar Green Tea Leaf Extract
Each vegetable capsule contains 400 milligrams of green-tea extract. 60 capsules, $13.99
The Vitamin Shoppe Gymnema Sylvestre
Each capsule offers 250 milligrams of Gymnema sylvestre. 120 capsules, $11.79 JANUARY 2018 MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE
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his isn’t going to be one of the usual newyear-new-you diet articles that you’ve become so accustomed to reading. In fact, the dreaded “D” word implies that your newly adopted nutritional habits are a finite pursuit whose end is usually celebrated with pizza, ice cream and a few bottles of craft brew. Indeed, diets spell the death of the majority of weight-loss resolutions in February because cookie-cutter meal plans devised by nutritionists who have never met you lack personalization, sustainability and effectiveness: Maybe you don’t like MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE
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eggs. Maybe you’re not a 180-pound male. Maybe you don’t have $300 a week to spend on groceries. These considerations are far too often marginalized by experts, athletes and, yes, even nutrition writers. What follows here is not a blueprint of calorically perfect meals but rather a progressive 14-day set of fueling strategies you can implement to clean up your nutrition habits for 2018, no resolution required. The tips are straightforward and easy to follow, and each builds on the ones before, keeping you from getting overwhelmed while providing practical, day-today wisdom to steer you toward
Use this simple, progressive guide to develop a better relationship with food and supplements in 2018. BY ERIC VELAZQUEZ, CSCS
cleaner eating. “Typically, people make too many changes at once and it’s too much to handle, process and adjust to,” says Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, owner of DanaWhiteNutrition .com. “Big lifestyle changes are better tackled in small increments to set you up for long-term success.” This year, don’t burn out on chicken and broccoli by Valentine’s Day. Incorporate one food and lifestyle adjustment per day into your routine and ease into 2018 like a boss … a super-lean, lift-all-theweight, take-no-prisoners boss who makes performance nutrition and clean eating look easy.
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DAY 2: EGG
DRINK MORE WATER How much of the clear stuff are you having every day? If you’re like most people, not enough. Adequate hydration is essential for proper metabolic function. But water also keeps you full, without adding calories to your daily total. A 2010 study in the journal Obesity found that individuals who consumed 16 ounces of fluids before a meal decreased the amount of food eaten at the meal, which led to greater weight loss compared to individuals who didn’t consume water before their meals.
DAY 1:
DO THIS: Aim to consume half your bodyweight in ounces of water per day. Have a water bottle at the handy at all times, and set a timer on your smartphone to remind you to drink up.
UP AT BREAKFAST Researchers at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that those who ate eggs for breakfast were leaner and had fewer cravings than those who didn’t. Plus, the protein from eggs provides muchneeded amino acids to muscles after eight to 10 hours of fasting (while sleeping), as well as heart-healthy omega-3 fats from the vitamin-rich yolk. The perfect egg partners: slower digesting carbohydrates like oats and brightly colored fruits and veggies to add vitamins, antioxidants and physique-friendly fiber.
DO THIS: Schedule a set time for breakfast every day. Prep food the night before, if need be, and make sure to include eggs with your meal to build muscle and reduce cravings.
DAY 3: CHEW
YOUR FOOD “This may sound like something your mom would tell you when you were a kid, but there’s good science behind it,” says Greg Nuckols of StrongerByScience.com. “When you chew your food more per bite, you’ll naturally eat [almost 15 percent] less per meal and still feel just as satiated.”
DO THIS: Take a bite of food and notice how long you typically chew it. Then increase that time by two to promote satiety and calorie control.
DAY 4: GET
IN BED Nuckols continues his parental coaching: “Sleeping less than eight hours per night is associated with increased obesity risk, increases in ghrelin (a hormone that makes you hungry) and decreases in leptin (a hormone that helps you feel satiated). It’s easier to stick to a healthy eating plan and consume fewer calories if you’re not hungry all the time.”
DO THIS: Turn off the TV and other devices and get to bed at a time that allows for seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep. MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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DAY 5: GO WHOLE GRAIN This is one of the easiest swaps you’ll ever make: Take all your white bread and tortillas to the nearest duck pond and trade up to whole foods. Whole-grain and whole-wheat products taste great and slow digestion because of their high-fiber and nutrient content. This means less of a negative impact on blood sugar and insulin release than their more refined counterparts.
DO THIS: Swap all your white bread and refined grain products for wholewheat and whole-grain options. They are widely available and cost roughly the same.
DAY 6:
PERFECT YOUR PROTEIN INTAKE Protein is the king of the macronutrients when it comes to building and repairing muscle tissue. And if you’re training the way you should, maximizing recovery with proper nutrition is crucial. Protein supplies your body with amino acids, increasing your chance for gains in lean muscle, and therefore an increase in your body’s ability to burn fat.
DO THIS: Aim to consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day (on average), and strive to include protein in every meal and snack throughout the day.
DAY 7:
PREP YOUR MEALS Lack of preparation and planning is the death knell of every resolution dieter. To stay focused and on track, you need to have the right foods on hand — snacks prepared, meals cooked and ready to go, and lunches packed for the road or office. The first time you head to the fridge hungry and realize you have to cook, the more likely you are to heat up that leftover pizza or head to the drive-thru. DO THIS: Create a shopping list replete
with healthy selections and head to the store. Cook food in large batches and portion it out into meals and 60
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snacks for the week. Also, buy things that are healthy and easy to make in a pinch: microwaveable oatmeal (without sugar!), protein powder and/or ready-to-drink protein shakes. (See Day 13 for more ideas.)
DAY 8:
GET YOUR JOLT The caffeine in brewed coffee boosts alertness, temporarily increases strength and assists in fat burning. Have your first fix at breakfast to start your day with a bang, and at least six hours later, put some in your preworkout drink 30 to 60 minutes before your first rep. As a longevity bonus, the European Society of Cardiology found that those who consumed 4 cups of antioxidant-loaded coffee per day had a 64 percent reduced chance of early death.
starting with fish oil. Fish oil doesn’t get the fanfare and accolades that some products do, but it is a healthand-performance powerhouse that supports brain and joint health while boosting your fat-burning capabilities. Research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that those who took 6 grams of fish oil per day while exercising dropped 1.2 percent body fat — in just 12 weeks!
DO THIS: Take in 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine once or twice daily for performance benefits, including one dose preworkout. Limit caffeinated coffee in the hours before bedtime to ensure optimal sleep, and allow several hours between helpings to avoid jitters.
DAY 9: FISH
FOR
RECOVERY (AND OTHER STUFF)
Now that you have eight days of healthier habits under your belt, it’s time to consider supplementation,
DO THIS: Introduce a basic, quality fishoil product, such as Omega-3 Fish Oil from the Vitamin Shoppe ($29.99), and take 2 grams, three to four times per day. MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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DAY 10: EXPAND YOUR ANTIOXIDANT MENU White says the importance of antioxidants for active individuals cannot be stressed enough. “They need to be a regular fixture in the diet to be effective at fighting inflammation and boosting immunity and skin and heart health,” White says. “The best sources are plantbased foods, fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.” DO THIS: When selecting your produce, reach for the brightest-skinned options: bell peppers, tomatoes, cranberries, raspberries and blueberries. Augment your intake with a quality multivitamin like MyTrition ($39.99) from the Vitamin Shoppe.
DAY 11: POWER
WITH PROTEIN As you try to decide what to tote along with you throughout the day or what type of food to fuel with when you’re out of the house, always think protein first. A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that individuals who ate 30 — and no more than 45 — grams of protein at each meal produced the greatest association with lean mass and strength. That doesn’t mean you’ll need five to six 30-gram helpings of protein, however. Participants in the study showed improvements in strength and mass with only two helpings per day. The sweet spot will be somewhere in between.
DO THIS: You should aim for 1
gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. To put yourself in the ballpark, aim for 30 to 45 grams of protein at meals and have lower-sugar, protein-rich snacks available to you at all times. Think jerky, almonds, Greek yogurt, protein powder and boiled eggs to keep your cravings at bay while aiding muscle repair. MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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DAY 12: SPUD
UP One food that helps you stay full and happy — while also scoring high in general deliciousness — is the almighty potato. “Carbs help give you energy, but some people have a tendency to overeat them,” Nuckols says. “However, in a 1995 study that tested the satiating effects of 38 common foods, boiled potatoes were found to be the most satiating item (how full you feel per calorie consumed) by far. In fact, they were almost 50 percent more satiating than the next food down the list (ling fish).
DO THIS: Whether boiled, baked or even microwaved, a potato any time of the day is likely to keep you from binging on lesshealthy comfort food. Drizzle with olive oil and a bit of pepper for an easy, guilt-free craving crusher.
DAY 13: WRITE
ON While we have until now intentionally avoided prescribing calorie counts and macronutrient breakdowns, it’s time for you to start tracking. By journaling everything that you’re taking in each day, you can quantify your journey and — here is the important part — adjust as necessary in order to reach your goals. Often, you won’t realize your nutritional weaknesses until you actually expose them on paper. Research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that those who kept a food journal lost twice as much weight as those who did not keep track.
DO THIS: Develop a spreadsheet that tracks the basics, including water, calories, carbs, protein and fat, as well as sodium and fiber. Notate how you’re feeling, what’s working and what’s not. Not an Excel expert? Try a simple journal like Fitlosophy’s Fitbook, available at the Vitamin Shoppe ($11.99). You also can use fitness apps like MyFitnessPal.
DAY 14: STOP
EATING … SERIOUSLY Research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that intermittent fasting — stretches of eight to 16 hours or more without eating — can help you lose 0.5 to 1.7 pounds per week while also improving body composition.
DO THIS: For someone who is just beginning (or returning to) a healthy eating lifestyle, extended bouts of intermittent fasting might spell disaster. A better bet is to try two consecutive days per week, once or twice per month, when you go 12 to 16 hours without food. Try passing on dinner on those days, then have a reasonable breakfast. On those two days, strive to keep calories to 500 to 700 total while keeping your water consumption and workout schedule normal. It’s just two days. You can do this. JANUARY 2018 MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE
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Strength and Power
This month’s selection of products will boost your strength and power before, during and after training. t Arthur Andrew Aminolase TPA Aminolase TPA allows for nearly 100 percent of ingested protein to be used for muscle building, strength and recovery. In a university study, Aminolase converted 25 grams of protein to nearly 100 percent amino acids whereas the placebo average conversion rate was 15 percent. GAT Sport Men’s Multi+Test u GAT Sport’s great-selling Men’s Multi+Test is available in a new 150-count value size. This complete Men’s Multi is formulated with the added benefit of testosterone support. GAT’s Men’s Multi+Test with minerals offers every man the complete nutritional value for daily life they need and the testosterone support they want. It’s easy on the stomach, and the new 150-count value size makes it your best multi choice, ever. t Dymatize PreW.O. Experience the future of intense training. Dymatize PreW.O. is a preworkout formula that will turn your workouts into extraordinary experiences. Unleash super-intense workouts and explosive training sessions while enjoying an unmatched flavor experience. Amplify the intensity of your workouts with citrulline malate, Nitrosigine, TeaCrine, betaalanine and caffeine. Dymatize PreW.O. is perfectly engineered to support your goals and make each workout count. It mixes clean and goes down smooth. Never sacrifice taste. Never waste a workout. It’s available in three delicious flavors: chilled fruit fusion, handspun cotton candy and sweet cherry lime. Novex Biotech Growth Factor-9 u When taken daily, Growth Factor-9 is a one-of-a-kind formula clinically shown to raise your body’s natural production of human growth hormone. HGH has been associated with restoring youthful vitality, increasing lean muscle mass and energy, improving recovery, getting better sleep, and enhancing sex drive. The patented Growth Factor-9 formula is a nonprescription, non-injection dietary supplement clinically validated to naturally increase your own HGH levels up to 682 percent. t AllMax Nutrition TestoFX TestoFX works with your body to amplify the testosterone you’ve already got — naturally. TestoFX is a research-based, scientifically validated, five-stage testosterone amplifier. Three separate U.S. government patents independently back key ingredients, and clinical research verifies its effectiveness 62
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Beast Sports Nutrition BCAA 2:1:1 u Branched-chain amino acids done right — that’s Beast Sports Nutrition BCAA 2:1:1. Featuring the clinically proven 2:1:1 ratio to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, it includes Instaminos for true instantized BCAAs to maximize lean muscle gains. Beast BCAA 2:1:1 also has tart cherry powder to help you bounce back from heavy training like it never happened. t Cutler Nutrition 100% Amino Pump Cutler Nutrition’s 100% Amino Pump is a powerhouse amino blend created under the guidance of four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler. Thanks to essential amino acids, branchedchain amino acids and creatine, this formula can help you build muscle, recover and improve the effectiveness of your workouts.
Betancourt Nutrition Lean Juice u Get stimulant-free weight-management support this new year with Lean Juice capsules. Promote healthy carbohydrate metabolism, appetite control, water loss and a healthy body composition without the stimulants or thermogenics. t MuscleTech Hydroxycut Super Elite Hydroxycut Super Elite uses smart release microbead technology to deliver key ingredients in a rapid-dispersing liquid. This formula features caffeine anhydrous for enhanced focus, explosive energy and powerful thermogenesis, in addition to the scientifically studied ingredient C. canephora robusta. Obliterate your training goals with Hydroxycut Super Elite. Finaflex PX Pro Xanthine 500-XT u Finaflex PX Pro Xanthine provides the energy, focus and appetite suppression needed to get you through the day. Need a boost? The tested and true PX formula delivers consistent energy for hours, all in just a one-capsule serving size. Try PX today. t Optimum Nutrition Cake Bites These indulgent, satisfying whipped protein snacks pack 20 grams of protein and just 5 grams of sugar per serving. A 2.22-ounce serving (three cakes) gives you a satisfying treat for less than 250 calories. Now you can have your cake and protein, too.
MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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… Things to Add to Your Shakes and Smoothies BY LARA M C GLASHAN, MFA, CPT
1 MACA TASTE: MALTY, EARTHY WITH A HINT OF CARAMEL OR BUTTERSCOTCH Maca is a Peruvian root that has long been used as an adaptogen, something used to generally manage stress and balance hormones. In terms of nutrients, maca contains more calcium than a comparable amount of milk and boasts a high amount of �iber, magnesium and amino acids. Studies have shown that maca helps improve libido in both men and women while also improving overall mood and feelings of wellness. And for all you caffeine addicts out there, maca has been shown to boost energy and increase stamina without the jittery side effects of coffee, making it the perfect preworkout add-in to your shake. Navitas Naturals Maca Powder $24.99 (16 oz)
POWDER 2 BEETROOT TASTE: SLIGHTLY SWEET AND EARTHY
Y 64
ou’ve upgraded your workout routine to achieve your 2018 �itness goals — now it’s time to upgrade your nutrition. Here are �ive researchbacked items to try in your smoothies and shakes that could improve everything from metabolism and fat loss to muscle gain and recovery. MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE
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Move over greens powders — beetroot is on the scene. Several studies have veri�ied the ef�icacy of beetroot in terms of exercise, indicating that it increases muscle oxygenation and boosts endurance and stamina, due in large part to its high nitrate content. One study even found that beetroot increased oxygen uptake by 16 percent. Increased oxygen assimilation also improves brain health, helping stave off degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, according to researchers. Other bene�its include improved sleep quality, better transmission of nerve impulses, enhanced fat absorption, reduced in�lammation and reduced blood pressure. Sunny Green Organic Beetroot Powder
$26.49 (7.4 oz)
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OIL 3 MCT TASTE: NONE Tired of malodorous burps from fish-oil supplements? MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) oil could be your solution. These kinds of healthy fats are easily digested and assimilated, helping increase energy and boost weight-loss efforts by creating a thermogenic effect, according to researchers. They also improve satiety, support healthy gut bacteria, stabilize blood sugar, improve memory and boost mood. Best of all — they have no taste and no odor — unless added by a manufacturer, so go ahead and load up liberally in your blender without fear of tasting it for hours afterward.
omega-3 fatty acids to promote healthy cell membranes and reduce inflammation, as well as zinc, which helps your body create leptin — the hormone that regulates appetite. Chia seeds have also been shown to help reduce dangerous visceral fat, which negatively impacts metabolism, and enhance exercise performance lasting longer than 90 minutes. Because chia seeds are high in fiber, they promote regularity, balance insulin, curb hunger and suppress appetite, and they have a thickening effect on your smoothie, making it more filling and super satisfying. Mamma Chia Organic Chia Seed
$4.99 (12 oz)
Now Foods 100 % Pure MCT Oil
$19.99 (32 oz)
PEPTIDES 5 COLLAGEN TASTE: NONE
SEEDS 4 CHIA TASTE: LIKE A POPPY SEED WHEN DRY; SWEET AND SOFT LIKE TAPIOCA WHEN SOAKED
Rich in protein, antioxidants and trace minerals, the tiny chia seed packs a big punch. They contain tons of essential MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
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A true collagen molecule consists of many long strands of amino acids twisted together into a helix and is almost impossible for your gut to break down. Breaking it into peptides makes that collagen highly digestible, and studies indicate that as much as 90 percent gets absorbed within a few hours of ingestion. Collagen contributes to healthy skin, hair and nails and protects against the degradation of connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons. Research shows that collagen reduces the risk of joint injuries in athletes while reducing inflammation, preventing joint stiffness and improving performance. Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
$43 (20 oz)
All products are available at the Vitamin Shoppe and vitaminshoppe.com. JANUARY 2018 MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE
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* A
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† on re
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TRAIN LIKE A PRO Formulated with the guidance of 4x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, every product in the Cutler Nutrition line puts his 20 years of extensive bodybuilding experience to work for you. No fads – just edgy, effective supplements like the ones that helped him become a four-time Mr. Olympia.
NOW AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT THE VITAMIN SHOPPE
*THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE,
† When combined with a proper exercise and nutrition regimen. Statements based on early-stage independent 3rd party in vivo and / or in vitro model scientific research data findings for individual ingredients.
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OPTIMIZE STRENGTH & POWER | RAPID RECOVERY AFTER INTENSE WORKOUTS | MAXIMIZE LEAN MUSCLE GAINS AVAILABLE AT: *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose,treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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