FITNESS LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
The
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
Should Men and Women Weight Train Differently?
Transfer of
Training Effect
Training Programs Healing Your Body With Collagen Potential Health Benefits of Cannabis
Fitness
Technology MUSCLE MEDIA MAGAZINE musclemediaonline.com
Cutting Weight for the
Wrestling Mat
TRAINING, DIET, NUTRITION & MORE...
TABLE OF CONTENTS
06 The Transfer of Training Effect By Jared Hill musclemediaonline.com
10 Should Men and Women Weight Train Differently? By William S. Van Tuyle
34 What You Should Know About The Ketogenic Diet By Anthony Yetto 38 THE TOP 10 EXCUSES FOR NOT EXERCISING By John DeFendis, IFBB Pro 44 Massage, Soft Tissue Mobilization and Performance By David Burns
N o ve m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 0 EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Siamack Alavi EDITOR IN CHIEF Dr.Tom Fisher CREATIVE DIRECTOR Christian Garces BUSINESS DIRECTOR Danielle McVey GRAPHICS/LAYOUT Josué Toruño PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE Joseph Palumbo, IFBB Pro
CONTRIBUTORS Alexi Machado Ananda Layne Anne Fisher, CSW Anthony Yetto David Burns David Ramis Dr. Tom Fisher Hayley Lineberry Jared Hill Joe Palumbo, IFBB Pro John DeFendis, IFBB Pro Justin Trinh Matthew C. Rumpf Steve Brisbois, IFBB Pro William S. Van Tuyle
14 Keeping Your Immune System Strong During COVID-19 By Steve Brisbois, IFBB Pro 19 Sports Specialization, Overuse and Overtraining By Ananda Layne 22 Training Programs By Alexi Machado 26 Healing, Both Inside & Out By Joe Palumbo, IFBB Pro
51 Fitness Technology By David Ramis 55 Creatine Supplementation For Older Adults By Hayley Lineberry 59 Potential Health Benefits of Cannabis By Matthew C. Rumpf 65 Want To Look and Feel Younger? Try Dietary Collagen, the Fountain of Youth! By Anne Fisher, CSW
30 Cutting Weight for the Wrestling Mat By Justin Trinh
ADVERTISE WITH US Would you like to reach a targeted community intrested in a fitness and healthly lifestyle? Please contact us for details at info@ musclemediaonline. com MUSCLEMEDIAONLINE.COM ©MUSCLE MEDIA MAGAZINE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. musclemediaonline.com
Muscle Media Magazine 3
RIP
2020…
By Dr. Tom Fisher, PhD, LMHC, CSCS, Editor-in-Chief I must confess… I have written and re-written this introduction to our November/December issue several times… I have finally decided upon, what I believe to be, the proper message and tone to be one of optimism, determination, and experience. With all of the various “hats” that I wear, hopefully my messaging has remained consistent. Historically, I have always told my patients, clients and students to “Pay Attention” (if you are one of these, you’re probably smiling to yourself…!). I encourage them to: “Never allow yourself to lose… Either win or learn…!” It’s hard to envision any “winners” in 2020. But, precisely what have you learned…? The message extends far beyond the court/pitch/field/track. However, if you are a coach, a trainer, or an instructor, the message is quite clear. Do not allow your athletes to leave a competition with their tails tucked. Pay Attention. Take at least one lesson with you back to the locker room to discuss. Process what you have witnessed. Analyze it, discuss it, and act upon it with appropriate corrective measures. I believe the only way you can truly “lose” is to not pay attention, learn nothing, and find yourself defeated again while making the same errors… Let’s leave the athletic arena for a moment and look at what is happening on the streets. It’s difficult (read: almost impossible) for me to remain dispassionate and objective, given my history as a USAF Brat (dependent) and a former US Naval Aviator… I’ll try to relate what I see. We are going into the ninth month of “two more weeks, just to flatten the curve”. Masks, social distancing, and hand sanitizing have gone from being emergency precautions to becoming a new, artificial normalcy without
Muscle Media Magazine 4
any clear indication when these restrictions will be lifted. Beyond the inconsistency, there is no standard, or even discussion of, an exit strategy (forgive my military lingo). Sadly, I have witnessed mandates and laws being leveraged based upon dubious “science”. Without getting too “into the weeds” and off topic, please understand that “Science Proper” is not swayed or dictated by emotion. A basic mistake made by inexperienced, neophyte researchers is trying to prove something with their research. Fall into this trap, and you should probably dig two graves: one for your research, and another for your reputation… I encourage my patients, clients, and students to document their journey. Although you may be paying attention, you would be better served by writing down your observations, thoughts, feeling, possible lessons learned on a daily basis. You might consider keeping a daily Journal. To receive the full benefit of your documentation, your Journal should be accurate (brutally honest) and consistent (daily). Once you have written and recorded the day (discipline yourself to write before you retire each night) it is written in stone. At the very least, you’ll be able to pick up your thoughts precisely where you left off. This is in sharp
contrast to repeatedly going over the same thoughts/feelings at 3 in the morning while looking at the ceiling fan without any apparent progress… Take a sense of control to and from your situation. Then, act upon lessons learned…! OK, I know…! Enough Psychobabble…! What’s in store for the end of the year issue…? Right out of the gate, we have a real treat: articles by, not 1, not 2, but 3 IFBB Professionals…! First, we have our resident IFBB Pro, Joe discussing some alternative, natural healing techniques for bodybuilders. Next, we have a return IFBB Pro, Steve, offering some suggestions to help boost your immune system during our current Covid-19 lockdown. Finally, we have a legend in the annals of bodybuilding: John, outlining how to avoid the top-10 excuses to working out. These three have the combined wisdom of several decades of experience from which to draw. They have seen it, done it, and have been there… We would like to welcome several new contributors to Muscle Media Magazine...! First, Alexi discusses which of the various training programs is right for you. David makes note of the many benefits of
Dr. Tom Fisher
Editor in Chief
Do you have a question? Please just ask. We may even publish it in our "Letters-To-The-Editor" section. Send to: drtom@musclemediaonline.com body massage during your workout program. Justin explores the benefits and pitfalls associated with losing weight for competition. Anthony addresses questions about the popular keto diet. Jared explains the process of positive and negative transfer on and off the field. Matthew explains the difference between the chemistries of marijuana and hemp. Amanda analyzes the problems associated with overuse injuries. David explains the role of technology and its’ application to the world of health and fitness. Haley examines the use of creatine and exercise to address sarcopenia in the elderly. William questions whether men and women should train differently, or should one-size-fit-all? Finally, our resident entertainment guru, Anne, returns to explore the benefits to be realized through taking supplemental collagen. I, for one, will remember every day of the 2020 lockdown, and look forward to acting upon lessons learned in 2021…Cheers…! -Dr. Tom Muscle Media Magazine 5
The
Transfer
of
Training Effect
For an athlete it is very important that the time spent training off the field directly correlates with enhancing performance on the field. No matter the athletic performance involved, make sure the time is spent wisely. If thirty minutes or two hours each day are spent training, make sure that it is not wasted time. The concept of training transferring to results in athletic performance is called the “transfer of training effect” and there are three possible outcomes. You either can have a positive, negative, or zero transfer effect from your training. This means that you can either increase, decrease, or have your performance on the field stay the same based on the work and time spent practicing. When considering training and how well it transfers to on-field performance you first need to determine the purpose of your training and your goals. For many athletes the goal of training is usually not for aesthetics, though most athletes have amazing looking bodies. Their goal is to become more adept in their respective sport. For instance, a marathon runner and a powerlifter train in drastically different ways, but they both have goals. They train hard to fulfil their goals. They can both be equally successful while looking vastly different. Because their goals are different, their training has to reflect that. The powerlifter is going to lift heavy weights and try and increase their 1 rep max. They are not going on a mile run or use cardio machines. That type of training would not benefit the athlete and may even decrease performance. Ultimately, the result would be characterized as a negative Muscle Media Magazine 6
By Jared Hill
transfer of training effect. Another example of training transference would be comparing two powerlifters’ weight-lifting routines. Powerlifters focus on three main movements: the squat, deadlift and bench press. The goal is to increase their 1 rep max on each of these lifts. So, one powerlifter keeps their rep range on the lower side (typically 1-6 reps with high weight) and takes longer breaks in-between each set because he is lifting to his max almost on every set. The second powerlifter does heavy, 1 rep maxes on all the big three movements most of the time. However, halfway through some workouts he would switch to lighter weights and gets reps up to the 10–12 rep range. Eventually, the first powerlifter that has had a constant positive transfer of their training will begin to advance and move up to higher weights. The second powerlifter will begin to falter and eventually hit zero or even negative transfers and will be stuck or plateau. However, this does not mean that the second powerlifter is technically doing anything wrong. He may still have great form, lifting to hypertrophy, getting a full stretch on the muscles, and even growing in some other training aspects. But, because his goal is powerlifting, he has a negative correlation with his training. That’s why knowing your goal is so important. It will dictate your training design. Now, let’s look at the effects of three different resistance-training methods on performance variables representing different portions of Continued on page 8 Muscle Media Magazine 7
Continued from page 6
the force velocity curve. The variables range from high force to high speed movements. Ultimately, this will help you decide which training method is the right choice for your athlete. We should take a look at the goal of this study and how the experiment was conducted to better understand how a preferred training method was selected. The study took forty-two college football players that were trained so they already had some level of adaptations. Then they were separated into three groups after a period of supervised training and pretests. The forty-two men were randomly divided into high force, high power, or a combined method group. They were subjected to training for 4 days a week for a total of 9 weeks. The experiment had all three groups perform the same exercises using different methods. Finally, all were examined with the same performance tests which included the vertical jump, Margaria-Kalamen stair-climb, 10-yd shuttle run, and the standing long jump. These tests were performed at the beginning and at end of the experiment. There was also a 1RM check of their parallel squat, 1/4 squat, and midthigh pull at the beginning, the midway point, and the end of the experiment (pre, pan, and post). The high force group strictly worked with heavy weights only. The high-power group only worked with thirty percent of their maximum isometric strength. The combined method group used heavy weight training for the first five weeks. But they also included some light-weight training days. This provided the slow and fast movement in the same week. For the final four weeks, the group switched to high force and velocity exercises. All groups were asked to be as explosive as possible with their movements. During all exercise sessions there were at least two observers on all lifts being performed. At the end of the nine weeks, all three groups saw improvement in there 1RM squat, 1/4 squat, midthigh pull squat. But the combined group significantly increased much more than either of the other two groups. For the vertical jump, the high power and combined group saw the greatest improvement. In Citations Glenn Harris; Michael Stone; Harold O’bryant; Christopher Proulx; Robert Johnson; H. S. (n.d.). Short-Term Muscle Media Magazine 8
the Margaria-Kalamen stair-climb all groups significantly improved. In the 10-yd shuttle run only the combined group improved significantly. Finally, in the Standing long jump only the high-power group significantly increased. The results at the end of the nine weeks suggested that the combined group was a better choice when training for increased output on various portions of the force-velocity curve. The football players should focus on a combination of high power and force training to excel in all facets of their athletic performance. It appears that heavy weight training led to better results at the high force part of the curve while the high-power training led to better results in the high velocity end of the curve. Combined training was effective because a greater part of the forcevelocity curve was addressed when doing the combined method and then later improved through muscular adaptation. It was also important to note that overall muscle mass and composition did not alter significantly. The discussion part of the article noted the following: “The adaptations of the combined group to training suggests that neural/ elastic component adaptations were responsible for both high force and high velocity effects.”
Juggernaut X
Energy & Persistence
Performance Master
•MUSCULAR STRENGTH & POWER •MENTAL FOCUS & ENERGY •ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE •MUSCULAR STAMINA
While the forty-two participants all play on the same team, they have different positions with different responsibilities. Overall the game still requires players to have superior strength, power, and speed. Not having a narrow training regimen allowed them to be able to perform at such a high level. In this study the combined workout had the most positive correlation with the transfer of training effect. In the Sport training advisor article, it mentioned that the focus a coach should have for his players is to “Point out to the athlete how training activities will improve sport performance.” This is crucial because you need that coach to teach you know how to focus. As a coach or trainer, the transfer of training effect is always something important to keep in mind. The effect is evident through all Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Sports provide us with great opportunities to demonstrate skills, try to make positive transfers to the rest of our lives.
Performance Effects of High Power, High Force, or Combined Weight-Training Methods. Retrieved 2000, from APA , Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: February 2000 - p 14-20
The Transfer Principle for Sports Training. (n.d.). Retrieved July 23, 2020, from https://www.sports-trainingadviser.com/transferprinciple.html
Available at musclemediaperformance.com
Should Men and Women Weight Train Differently? By William S. Van Tuyle For years the debate has raged if men and women should weight train differently. It’s an interesting conversation in the fitness community, but perhaps we should look at what the science has had to say on the matter. In general, many of the same rules apply to both men and women when it comes to improving muscle hypertrophy and strength. However, the research literature has suggested that differences in the distribution of muscle fiber types, as well as differences in hormones and recovery efficiency are significant. This suggests that, perhaps, women would benefit from training programs that include more frequency and volume with less rest time in between sets. Although there are many different types of muscle fibers, to keep things simple we’ll focus on two broad categories: slow-twitch and fasttwitch. Slow-twitch muscle fibers are also known as Type-I muscle fibers. These muscle fibers are based on efficiency and are constantly used throughout the day. They are the first to activate when initiating any movement. A 2015 study noted: “Because they can provide their own source of energy, slow-twitch fibers can sustain force for an extended period of time, but they are not able to generate a significant amount of force”. When Type-I muscle fibers are unable to handle the demands of a high intensity task, fast-twitch muscle fibers step up to the plate. The 2015 study went on to say “FastMuscle Media Magazine 10
twitch fibers can generate more force but are quicker to fatigue when compared to slow-twitch fibers. Because they deplete energy quickly, fast-twitch fibers require longer rest periods to allow motor units to recover and to replace spent ATP”. Fast-twitch muscle fibers, also known as Type-II muscle fibers, are not as energy-efficient as Type-I muscle fibers, but they have more potential to generate force quickly. These muscle fibers exist to generate a higher amount of force in a much shorter period of time. In other words, Type-I muscle fibers are more useful for events like running a marathon or doing a set of 50 reps. Type-II muscle fibers are more useful for short-term events like jumping to dunk a basketball or a one-rep max lift. Here’s an interesting difference in the sexes noted in a 2016 study: “Women have a greater percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers when compared to men. Alternatively, men have considerably more fasttwitch muscle fibers than women”. Because the average woman has a greater percentage of Type-I muscle Continued on page 12 Muscle Media Magazine 11
Continued from page 10
fibers, she would be better at higherrep ranges, relative to her one-rep max, compared to the average man, relative to his one-rep max. If the average man and woman both do their own personal 10-rep max for one set of squats, the average woman would probably recover more quickly. This would be due to her higher distribution of Type-I muscle fibers. However, this quicker recovery comes at a price. Her 10-rep max would not be as heavy as it could be if she had more Type-II muscle fibers. Typically, having a higher distribution of Type-II muscle fibers allows more weight with strength-focused, lowrep sets to be lifted. Of course, even though the average woman has a greater percentage of Type-I muscle fibers than the average man, this does not universally apply to every individual man or woman. Extremes can be found in both sexes on both ends of the scale. Genetics play a very large role in an individual’s muscle fiber type distribution. A 1995 study that examined the influence of genetics and heritability of muscle fiber type distribution suggested the relative impact of genetics. According to the study, about 45% of the variance was due to inherited factors.
Muscle Media Magazine 12
literature has suggested that estrogen may inhibit the beneficial inflammatory response that follows muscle tissue breakdown, and aids recovery.
relative to building muscle. While further research is needed, these are confounding factors to taken into consideration. Overall, it could mean that women might benefit from pushing themselves harder each workout. They might try pushing sets to failure, increasing volume, and decreasing rest time. This may be necessary to stimulate adaptation if their muscles are more resistant to being broken down.
them. Granted, the same general principles still apply to both men and women. It’s important to remember the goal of their own training. Whether aiming to build bigger muscles to obtain a certain look, or focusing on athletic performance and ability, training goals need to be thoroughly considered, not just if you’re male or female. Being male or female alone should not define the entirety of a workout plan. But it should probably be considered, especially while you are still trying to establish an overall plan. Ultimately, every lifter should discover what works for them. But understanding basic, established principles and considerations for their sex could serve as good starting points.
Distribution of muscle fiber types is not the only difference between men and women that can affect weight training. Generally, men have much more testosterone, and women more estrogen. Testosterone is widely known to have a powerful, anabolic effect on strength and hypertrophy potential. But estrogen may also provide its own advantages.
Research has repeatedly noted that intense exercise causes trauma to the muscles worked. The physiological effort to repair or replace the damaged muscle fibers often leads to increased muscle fiber cross-sectional area, or hypertrophy. Since breaking down muscle triggers repair and growth, estrogen may actually work against muscular hypertrophy by preventing breakdown and providing resistance to inflammation. It’s difficult to determine if estrogen’s protective role is a net positive or negative
Muscle is broken down (catabolized) during weight training and needs appropriate time to recover and rebuild. There is evidence to suggest that estrogen actually helps protect muscle from being damaged. A 2012 study suggested that female muscle may sustain less damage due to estrogen. On the other hand, estrogen may have an overall negative effect on muscle repair. According to a 2020 article, and contrary to some old-school beliefs, inflammation plays an import role in regenerating muscle tissue. Scientific
References Dalleck, L. C., & Smith, L. E. (2016, June). Battle of the Sexes: Should Training Guidelines for Men and Women Be the Same? Retrieved November 15, 2019, from https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/prosource/ june-2016/5926/battle-of-the-sexes-should-training-guidelines-for-men-and-women-be-the-same Howard, E. E., Pasiakos, S. M., Blesso, C. N., Fussell, M. A., & Rodriguez, N. R. (2020, February 13). Divergent Roles of Inflammation in Skeletal Muscle Recovery From Injury. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC7031348/#B30 Kendall, B., & Eston, R. (2012, November 2). Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage and the Potential Protective Role of Estrogen. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200232020-00003 Kwon, Y. S., M.S., & Kravitz, L., Ph.D. (n.d.). How do muscles grow? Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://www.unm. edu/~lkravitz/Article folder/musclesgrowLK.html McCall, P. (2015, October 30). Muscle Fiber Types: Fast-Twitch vs. Slow-Twitch. Retrieved November 30, 2019, from https:// www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/5714/muscle-fiber-types-fast-twitch-vs-slow-twitch Simoneau, J. A., & Bouchard, C. (1995, August). Genetic determinism of fiber type proportion in human skeletal muscle. Retrieved July 29, 2020, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7649409/
Overall, there are certainly physiological differences between men and women that affect weightlifting performance. But, to design appropriate programs, it needs to be determined how much should be taken into account considering the variability between
Muscle Media Magazine 13
Keeping Your
Immune System
Strong
19
COVID During
-
By Steve Brisbois, IFBB Pro
With Covid-19, we are living in times that the world has never experienced. Shutdowns all over the world have created unprecedented levels of uncertainty, stress, and fear. While there are many things we don’t know about this virus, there are some things we can do to protect ourselves. We do know that people of all ages can be infected by the virus. Older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions (asthma, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and chronic kidney disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus. A factor that makes COVID-19 so dangerous to those with underlying conditions or old age is its ability to overwhelm your immune system. That being said, we can start by strengthening our immune systems. This, along with practicing certain guidelines, can help protect us from getting infected. The human body is resilient and can resist many things if we take care of it. You can start by incorporating some good eating habits and exercise. Also, keep in mind the benefits of yoga and meditation. Going outside to getting fresh air and sunshine is also beneficial. Recent studies have shown that Vitamin D, either from the sun or from taking supplements, has shown to be beneficial. Spanish researchers found that giving hospitalized COVID-19 patients Vitamin D3 in addition to standard care lowered Muscle Media Magazine 14
ICU admissions and prevented many deaths. Higher Vitamin D levels lowered the risk of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in an Israeli populationbased study published in July 2020. An August 2020 study also confirmed that higher Vitamin D levels lowered the risk of complications and death from COVID-19.
There have also been some recent studies of the benefits of Vitamins B and C. The evidence suggests that taking immune boosting vitamins should be part of your daily regimen. Eating quality foods are definitely a major part of keeping your immune system in check. Sugar, processed foods, fast foods, vegetable oils, and alcohol, tend to be inflammatory foods. They can overwhelm the immune system, creating problems in your body. Simply removing these inflammatory foods will help develop a healthier immune system. You can easily start by consuming higher quality fruits and vegetables, lean proteins (wild caught fish, grass fed meat, free-range poultry, eggs), essential fats (nuts, seeds, nut butters, avocado, extra virgin first cold press olive oil, coconut oil), beans, small amounts of grains. Think of your immune system as an army. Its job is to protect the body. But, if your immune system army isn’t well supplied, it can overreact and actually cause more damage. In a poorly regulated immune system, the body over-reacts by causing inflammation, just as if little bombs were being tossed around. Exercise is also one of the most effective ways to boost your immune system. Start with a daily plan. Go for a walk or do some light resistance training. Practice some form Continued on page 16 Muscle Media Magazine 15
Continued from page 14
of stretching like yoga that incorporates deep breathing, which is quite beneficial for your mindfulness! Let’s talk about stress. The majority of doctors’ visits in this country may be linked, in some way, to stress. Most stress comes from daily struggles with work, family, finances, loss of a loved one, sickness, and even experiencing new levels of stress with the global pandemic. Although stress can often feel like a minor inconvenience, it can have long term effects if not controlled. Emotional and mental strain can wreak havoc on our minds and bodies. It can leave us more vulnerable to depression, anxiety, heart disease, high blood pressure, and gastrointestinal problems to name a few. If your stress response doesn’t stop firing, and these stress levels stay elevated long enough, it can take a toll on your health. Depression and anxiety seem to be at an all-time high here in the US and all over the world. Experts warn that a historic wave of mental-health problems are coming with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide. Nearly half of all Americans report the Coronavirus crisis is harmful to their mental
Muscle Media Magazine 16
health. The nation’s suicide rate reached historic highs prior to the current pandemic, with the highest levels seen since World War II. Now they are climbing even higher. According to the American Medical Association, suicide mortality rates combined with the current pandemic are a “perfect storm”, and the rates continue to rise. Contributing factors include economic stress, social isolation, reduced access to religious services, overall national anxiety, increased firearm sales, and increased health-care provider suicides. Suicide is likely to become a more pressing concern as the pandemic spreads and has longer-term effects on the general population, the economy, and vulnerable groups. This is a lot to handle for many people trying to look ahead. But you have the opportunity to make things better for yourself and your loved ones. Start with taking care of your body and mind. Begin by practicing healthy lifestyle habits and watch some of your stress go away. How you manage your life will, ultimately, determine your outcome. There’s always good to be found in helping other people. Being mindful of kindness, compassion, gratitude, joy and love can go a long way in your quest to better yourself and those around you.