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BODY IN FOR SERVICE PERFECT PREWORKOUT PRODUCT VITAMINSHOP®
SUCCESS STORIES
I K S W O D M E R R KA
T N E E N C ! O R OR G N I E P OTH Ł D A H N C U MI H
. all t it a o ’t d 0%. e. n o I d in 10 rwis , ing o it othe h t d me ng, I ’t do o g s ethi I can n i o – t d o som life u bo wn t hole a o re su et d my w y adventure with sports t began at a very early no if I g s to m age. I was 12 when I e t i a Bu pl became a member of a If I p a handball team in the prit a mary school I used to atTh
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tend. I quickly began to develop myself towards sports – I had good motor skills, I used to run quite well and that is why my results were very good. Then I got the impression that sport would always make a part of my life. Teachers and trainers seeing my potential moved me to a sports school (handball) in grade 7. The division was simple there – girls used to train basketball, while we would play handball. I had very good memories of the period, as fair sports competition had a very positive impact on my relationships with my peers. Finishing the primary school I was dreaming
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to continue sports and still play handball, but the secondary school I chose – the Technical College of Communication – was very demanding. I had to spend lots of time studying, so trainings collided with my school duties. Unfortunately, it made me give up sport for some time.
Beginning of a great sports passion
I had always liked physical effort and a sporty figure was something I was dreaming of. Unfortunately, similarly to many of my peers, I used to eat lots of sweets and food that had nothing in common with a healthy diet, so my silhouette was far from ideal. That is how I first went to a gym. It was a gym placed in a basement in my district. The equipment was basic: incline bench, flat bench, two lat pulldowns – top and bottom, with several home-made barbells and dumbbells. I became hooked on bodybuilding thanks to older colleagues who I used to
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train with. Initially, due to a complete lack of knowledge, we imitated one another. These boys helped me discover that bodybuilding was the sport I wanted to do. The discipline became my passion. I found more and more pleasure in it during subsequent trainings. From the very beginning I knew that bodybuilding, or exercising in a gym, was not for a while. I got really crazy about it. At the age of 17 I covered the walls of my room with posters of the champions of that time: Flex
building for so many years. I started boxing to burn as much fat as possible. I found a very good kick-boxing trainer – Rafał Kałurzny – and used to train under his supervision three times a week for some time. Naturally, I did not forget my real hobby – going to the gym, which I did regularly 3-4 times a week. I managed to lose some fatty tissue but a poor diet, i.e. eating wrong products, prevented me from achieving the silhouette of my dreams. At the beginning of 2004 I had
champion in the heavy weight category. It was he who took me for the first proper training of legs. I still laugh that the muscles I trained with Marek then, have developed most of my other muscles too. He put a spell on my legs and I am most proud of them in my whole silhouette. Marek was the first person to convince me to take part in a bodybuilding competition. He also helped me prepare for it. I found it hard to understand why it was so important to count every sin-
Unfortunately, I suffered a spine injury, which was particularly troublesome in my everyday life for a long time. Later on, it turned into sciatic nerve damage and forced me to quit rugby trainings and going to the gym. I had to give up all physical exercise for a month and a half. Regular rehabilitation combined with natural medicine therapy helped me relieve the pain to some extent and that is how I started it all over again. Wheeler, Dorian Yates, Chris Cormier, Paul Dillett and all other professionals whose photos I could find in magazines. I used to spend all the money I collected during birthday or holidays on buying bodybuilding magazines, such as “Flex” or “Muscle & Fitness”. English issues were available only in one bookshop in Gdańsk. Other people my age and family members could not understand my devotion and interest in the sport. They would spend the money on some pleasures and I would come back home with the magazines to cut out the posters with my idols and champions as quickly as possible. Bodybuilding was constantly present in my life – I used to train in a gym, develop the mass as a normal teenager, namely eat a lot with no knowledge about nutrition. At that time, people in all gyms kept on saying that training makes the foundation of success. Nobody would tell us anything about a diet apart from the fact that you have to eat a lot. At the age of 20 I weighed 138 kg. I was very big and strong, but I also had too much fatty tissue. Instead of going to the gym in the basement, I started to train with strongmen in Przymorze, in a club called ATLETA. I looked at how they handled the weights and tried to imitate them. After some time, I gained a different approach to my mass. I felt heavy and my weight became an obstacle in my everyday life. My friends kept on telling me I was too fat and they would even call me “Pork neck”. It was the result of my eating habits: I liked eating a lot but not necessarily healthy. I felt bad in my body and wanted to change it. I made a decision to lose some weight. I focused on losing the fatty tissue I had been
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to leave to work and came back only 2 years later. That was the period when I continued doing exercise and reading bodybuilding magazines, where I learnt how important a diet is for training. I also discovered that the diet determines 70% of the success in developing a nice silhouette. I changed my diet and did not have to wait long for the results – when I came back home I weighed 92 kg and had visible abdomen muscles. At that time I started training in a gym located in Gdańsk Zaspa and in 2006 I met Jan Urbanowicz there. He took me to the first rugby training. I liked the sport. I joined the team of the coach of Lechia Rugby Gdańsk of the day. Running on the beach with the fellow team members or training with Jan helped me develop a good and sporty silhouette. Unfortunately, I suffered a spine injury, which was particularly troublesome in my everyday life for a long time. Later on, it turned into sciatic nerve damage and forced me to quit rugby trainings and going to the gym. I had to give up all physical exercise for a month and a half. Regular rehabilitation combined with natural medicine therapy helped me relieve the pain to some extent and that is how I started it all over again. My fate did not let me continue playing for the Lechia team but since I loved rugby and was perceived as a creative and involved person, I was offered to become the team manager. It was also then when I became a manager of a shop with diet supplements. As you can see my whole private and professional life were related to sports. That period was full of new experiences, as I met my first coach and good friend – Marek Olejniczak, the current bodybuilding world
gle calorie, as I had never done it before. I knew what products to use but I didn’t have the vaguest idea about counting calories. Hard work, systematic approach and consequence are most important to be successful.
Bodybuilding – a way of life
In 2008 I took part in my first bodybuilding competition in Rypin. I took the 12th place among 19 contestants in the weight category of 95 kg. Then I promised to myself that I would strive to be better in every subsequent season. In 2009, the coach of the national team – Leszek Michalski – was preparing me for the forthcoming competition. I participated in a grouping and gained new experience thanks to Leszek. I also owe him my winning of the Bodybuilding Debuts competition in my own and in the open category. Three weeks later I was second best in the Polish championship in the heaviest category in bodybuilding (+100 kg). Both victories kindled my appetite to take part in other competitions and developing, consequently. I met Radek Słodkiewicz who became my mentor and found a perfect diet for me. More importantly, he was preparing me in the last week before the competition, which is most important in this sport. Under his supervision I built several kilograms of muscle mass and weighed 115 kg in the competition in 2013. Until now Radek Słodkiewicz has been of great support for me and I can
always rely on him. The same applies to Robert Piotrkowicz’s wife – Joanna. You certainly wonder what a woman who does not take part in competitions knows about preparing a contestant. But Joanna is a woman with great knowledge about the mechanisms in the body and the impact of particular diet elements on the body.
New stimuli – new motivation
Previously, still in 2009, I went to the USA for the Mr. Olympia competition in Las Vegas. It was the opportunity to meet top bodybuilders who were my great idols. I extended my knowledge in dietetics, supplementation and training. The whole stay in the USA and the impressions I had became a stimulus for me to choose my future career. First, I completed a bodybuilding instructor’s course and then a course for an international personal trainer. In the meantime I was extending my knowledge of natural medicine, dietetics, supplementation and how to run personal trainings with clients. In the evenings, I would spend my time reading medical guidebooks and books on nutrition in sports. 2012 saw the beginning of my cooperation with TREC. For two years now they have constantly supported me in all my undertakings. Moreover, I have almost unlimited access to the top class supplements produced by TREC NUTRITION. We jointly develop many ambitious and interesting projects. We participate in a number of sports and charity events. Last time it was the Festival of Vampires involving actively persuading young people to donate blood, or an event called “Let’s burn calories”. Our cooperation has resulted in videos called “ASK A TRAINER” and “DIETETIC CUISINE”. Some time ago we also created an innovative project called “A SPORTSPERSON’S DIARY”, with a video camera filming my everyday life for twelve weeks. It was very popular. Owing to people who support and motivate me there are more and more ideas we want to implement with TREC. Simultaneously, I was developing my Facebook profile. I still regularly publish descrip-
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tions and photos of my meals and exercises for particular areas of the body. I also share information from my private life. In my profile you can find information about places where you can eat low-calorie meals or dietetic desserts. At present there are almost 70,000 active users on my fanpage. They are people who motivate one another and whom I motivate and inspire. They are active in the forum, ask for advice and share new ideas. It boosts me for even more intense activity and harder work. Such a great popularity of my FB profile helps me share my knowledge with a large number of people and believe that Poles will be even more sporty and determined in their sports activities. There are many people whom I helped to get rid of excess weight. Naturally, I still participated in bodybuilding competitions and in 2010 won the second Polish Vice-Championship and the Polish bodybuilding competition in Słupsk. Then I won a competition in Strzegom. In 2011 I was the first one in Poland to win the Polish Championship of the NAC federation. I went for the World Championship to Luxembourg, where I was ranked among the top six contestants and ended up as the 5th. In the same year I also won the Polish Cup of the NAC federation and took part in the most prestigious competition held by the organisation – Mr. Universe in Germany.
Nevertheless, there were also hard moments in my life. The greatest difficulty was to combine preparations for competitions with work. Accumulation of duties and personal consultations prevented me from participating for one season. Then I received great support and understanding from my friends and family. I threw myself into work. I became a manager of instructors in IMPULS FITNESS club in Gdańsk. Then I got a proposal to manage and develop ENERGY club in Gdynia. My task was to build the place from scratch and develop it. I was successful since ENERGY has so far been doing really well.
My own fitness club
– dreams come true
In 2013 after the expiry of my one-year contract with Energy Club, the idea to open my own club crossed my mind. Together with my wife we faced the challenge and within four months we managed to create our original ALL TIME FITNESS club, located in Gdańsk at ul. Fieldorfa 2. It was opened in November but has been developing really fast ever since. We have a sauna zone with a relaxation room, fitness zone, room for a functional training and a gym with excellent equipment, cardio area and a bar with supplements. Everybody can enjoy friendly and homely atmosphere in our club. Our clients have the opportunity to exercise with the best trainers in the Tricity. It is all available without any time limits and at a very attractive price. We are open to people with passion. New ideas are constantly born in my head. We are motivated by the increasing number of people coming to our club. It is nice to look at those who come back for the following trainings with smiles on their faces. Feel invited to visit ALL TIME FITNESS and be active there. 2013 was a lucky year for me. Besides opening the club, I won the Polish Championship of the NAC federation, the Polish Championship of the WBFF federation and became the European Vice-Champion. Bodybuilding takes my whole free time. It has always been and will be my greatest passion.
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Unfortunately, since I have broken my chest attachments, it is impossible for me to achieve further international success. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. This muscle group is my drawback. I had the ambition to win prestigious international competitions, so due to this defect and willing to change it I applied for a programme on TVN Style called “Life without shame” to try to have my chest operated on. Such corrective surgery is very expensive but TVN was supposed to cover all the costs. Unfortunately, after a specialised consultation it turned out that suturing the broken attachments would prevent me from further training. A load would quickly damage them and make them return to the condition from before the operation. Plastic surgery seemed to be the only solution but I did not want to have any implants. It contradicts my rules and the idea I have about sport. I achieved all my successes working very hard. I would undermine it, if I agreed to have something artificial implanted in my body. Sport makes my whole life. I would not be able to function being aware that I cheat others. Even if I won a competition thanks to implants, I would feel like a liar and would not enjoy the victory. It all led to the decision to finish my bodybuilding career now.
I do not take part in competitions but I feel fulfilled
I am now 100% fulfilled as a club owner, personal trainer, father and husband. I have many clients from Poland and abroad (distance is not a problem for me). My plans for the future include making healthy lifestyle more popular and arouse the passion for training and healthy food in people. I would like to make people aware that hard work means the ability to reach the established goal. Systematic approach and self-denial are essential. It is worth finding a sport that suits you and devote yourself to it. It is worth having dreams and striving for making them come true. I am a perfect example that if you really want something, you will always achieve it. You only need time, systematic work and patience. I am also very proud of all people who started doing something for their health and silhouette, regardless of their age. Several years ago somebody eating from a lunchbox raised astonishment. You can’t imagine how happy I am to see every other client of my club paying great attention to what they eat. I am pleased to find out that my clients bring home-made bread or dietetic meals. This is when I feel that what I do really makes sense. BY MICHAŁ KARMOWSKI
success STORY
VITAMIN-SHOP ®
It was very difficult for me to understand why people get sucked into sports. I didn’t see the point of all those efforts. I didn’t see the reason for it.
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hen, about ten years ago, I worked in an Italian restaurant in London (restaurants are the easiest option!) and did a lot of night shifts. It wasn’t difficult to go back home at 2 a.m. but it could’ve been quicker and cheaper. So I decided to buy a bike. It was a Brompton - one of those foldable ones. It was a perfect choice for someone who shared a flat and didn’t want to leave a bike outside for the night. It was fun to commute to London by bike but I could see that I could enjoy it even more. The next step I took was to sell my Brompton and buy a vehicle that looked like a proper bike. I got myself a fixie. The fixie is short for fixed gear. It means that a bike has no gears. It has not got any brakes either. It’s basically the simplest of bikes. It had initially been used at velodromes and tracks but later was made popular by the couriers in New York. It had a red Italian vintage frame, a light and it was fast. It was just gorgeous! I started to have some proper fun with Sofia (that was her name). I enjoyed the speed and do some long distances. I was sure by then that I got the bike bug! In the meantime, after years of work and saving, my partner Angelo and I managed to set up our dream business: a small authentic Neapolitan pizzeria (www.santamariapizzeria.com) that in few months was to be voted the best pizza in London by Time-Out. I cycled from Brixton, the place where I stayed, to Ealing – the location of “Santa Maria”, every day and my love for cycling grew stronger. Still, it wasn’t strong enough. I had to have a racing bike. Having done some research, I spotted on Ebay the one I had to have: an entry level carbon frame geared bicycle. That was a turning point in my life. I started riding even more then bought more equipment. I rode
more still and did some climbing too. I spent long hours on a saddle. I just loved it! The challenge was to become better, faster and stronger. So yet another bike was purchased. It had better equipment still and many more functional gadgets. When an addition proper replaced the initial fascination, I didn’t spend any time on casual rides as every ride had to be planned. Over-eating stopped when I had become more conscious about the amount and quality of food I have. After that, I arrived at the point where I wanted to tackle the highest climbs of Tour de France or Giro d’Italia. I wished I conquered the most challenging tracks and then I started attending the weekend races. How is it possible to turn fun into an obsession proper? It’s one of the question my partner keeps asking me. I could give him hundreds of reasons. It could be endorphins that my brain releases when I cycle. It could be the pleasure of pain the hardest the climb, the biggest the satisfaction or the more rewarding the result. It might be that cycling is a metaphor of life: no matter how big the challenge is no matter how painful the effort is, you need to prove it to yourself that you are able to overcome it. It also might be that cycling is my climax of karma. When I ride alone I don’t want any distractions, for example music, because I enjoy contemplating surroundings, the sound of a chain, the beat of my heart or air that’s coming out my lungs. When I ride with my friends or team mates (my team is called the 5th floor, check it out!), it means that it’s our cycling time. No work or family-related conversations or any other stressful topics. We talk about cycling. We joke a lot but when it’s time to push, we do push. Yet another reason could be to get fit. I like losing weight and keeping myself fit, without getting bored while doing it. My pizza is absolutely delicious, and I don’t want to lose on it, so I allow myself two pizzas a week (honestly, I could do with two pizzas a day at least!). Possibly it’s all these things put together and more. It’s definitely something that I love very much and something that I would change my life in order to be able to do. I’m almost 40-years old and, at least, all my doubts and questions about sport addictions have finally been answered. If you’d like to receive any advice about any cycling-related subjects, please email me! Pasquale Chionchio Pasquale@santamariapizzeria.com
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The night is the time to regenerate your body. Only then can the body devote the whole energy to biological renewal of all cells. Not only our mood but also the speed of building the physical condition depends on the quality of sleep.
The black MULTIPACK SPORT NIGHT FORMULA capsule is intended for taking before sleep – it provides the most important mineral ingredients in easily accessible chemical forms. Their supply is very important for maintaining high physical condition and full metabolic balance. Deficiencies of these ingredients may have very serious consequences, leading to a deterioration in the mental and physical condition of the entire organism. An athlete’s body is particularly exposed to their loss. Intense metabolic transformations that cover the demand for energy all day long, lead to depriving the body of such important mineral elements as magnesium, zinc, iron or chromium. That is why it is so important to replenish them. The majority of scientific tests have confirmed that the period before regeneration at night is he best to supple-
ment mineral ingredients. Magnesium in the product has a beneficial influence on the nervous system functions, reducing the sense of fatigue. The product provides an optimum portion of zinc, which is important for men, as it helps maintain the correct level of testosterone in the blood and sexual performance. Moreover, MULTIPACK SPORT NIGHT FORMULA contains ingredients that have a positive impact on the DNA synthesis and metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. The night formula of the preparation was completed with natural precursors of serotonin – a hormone whose high level helps the body enter a deep and relaxing sleep, as well as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) – a neurotransmitter demonstrating an impeding action in the nervous system, limiting its excess stimulation.
The day is the time of being active. Our body produces large quantities of energy to meet the requirements we make it face. The efficiency of that process determines the level of vital forces but also the rate of adaptation to training loads.
The white MULTIPACK SPORT DAY FORMULA capsule is intended for use during the day and it contains all the necessary vitamins and stimulating concentrated plant extracts. An athlete’s body’s demand for the important regulatory ingredients tend to exceed several times the standards established for non-training persons. An increased supply of the essential vitamins has a fundamental significance for maintaining full capacity of the body. Deficiencies of the important ingredients may lead to weakening of the body and fatigue, resulting in over-training, whose effects are very dangerous. That is why the vitamin formula of the product is based on the latest scientific research concerning nutrition of active people. It contains increased doses of group B vitamins, indispensable
for efficient production of energy, absorption of nutrient macro ingredients (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids) and complete mobilisation of the nervous system. MULTIPACK SPORT DAY FORMULA also provides anti-oxidising ingredients – vitamin C, vitamin E and citric bioflavonoids that protect the cells against oxidation stress and support the functions of the immune system during intense physical exercises. The formula is enriched with Q10 co-enzyme – a compound participating in energy production on the cellular level. This is an essential link of the respiratory chain that simultaneously makes side metabolites harmless. The preparation additionally contains Guarana as well as Korean and American ginseng extracts to strengthen its energising action.
a sportsperson’s lifestyle Many people treat a diet as an unpleasant necessity. We find it hard to implement motivating slogans such as “eat clean, train dirty” into our lives. In the case of extreme reduction we tend to complain about the yo-yo effect, which actually never occurs when using properly balanced alimentary systems. What is a diet then? Simply speaking, it is a nutrition procedure that is supposed to help us reach the established goals. Finally, diet means controlling the quantity and quality of the consumed food and not a punishment you have to suffer to later come back to your old eating sins. If you treat a diet as a 30-day programme, you can be sure to come back to the previous size within several weeks and you will not fit into most of your clothes. The diet makes a sportsperson’s lifestyle and the secret is to suit it well to the individual needs.
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any of us associate a diet with a periodical procedure and meticulous calculation of every gramme of nutritional macro-ingredients. It is not only about the weight-losing time and sculpting of the muscles. We implement extreme feeding solutions to gain mass and strength, and to lose weight. We eat loads of protein, calculate doses of fatty acids and carbohydrates and then forget it and go into extremes – from an obsessive nutritive approach involving quick building of the mass or draconian reduction of the fatty tissue to a complete lack of control over the food consumed and devouring anything you can find around. However, it is enough to maintain common sense and follow only several rules of good nutrition. There are two groups to be blamed for the poor state of affairs: people who misunderstand certain aspects of a good diet and those who develop new diets and consciously or subconsciously contribute to the phenomenon. You can find the following statement in the book by Michel Montignac – the author of the glycaemic diet: “Montignac’s method is not a diet in the traditional sense. Following a diet, we eat a reduced number of products, that is why the diet duration has to be limited” – such a comparison of a nutritive system based mainly on eating food with a low glycaemic index is unfavourable for the very definition of a diet, and the only kind of a diet that has to be followed for a specific (and short) period of time, is a hypocaloric diet, providing less energy than necessary to maintain a healthy and slim figure, with no risk to suffer from metabolic complications.
CONSEQUENCES OF A WRONG DIET A metabolic breakdown makes one of the most common side effects of following extreme and short-term nutritional solutions. What is it? Let me explain it. One can say that fat burning is quite an easy thing, isn’t it? According to the common dietary knowledge, it is enough to eat appropriate quantities of protein, fats and carbohydrates and exercise to burn more calories than you consume. Unfortunately it tends to happen that the metabolism is disturbed so much that it is impossible to burn any fat without starving and doing aerobic exercise for hours. The human body does not like rapid changes applying to many aspects of its functioning and when we get below a certain calorie level or quantity of fatty tissue, the body will defend itself to prevent their further loss. Some of the results of the battle include alternate increase and decrease of appetite, reduction of libido, level of energy and metabolism rate – it all makes fat burning more difficult. Most probably you also know someone who suffers from a metabolic breakdown. Think for
a while – this must be a person who follows a very rigorous diet, does a lot of aerobic exercise and does not lose weight. They have reduced their metabolism so much that they have to literally starve to slim down. Therefore, I would define a metabolic breakdown as a situation when one is not able to burn fat following a diet with a sensibly reduced number of calories. According to the rule “better prevent than cure” it is naturally better to observe some elementary principles intended to prevent us from falling into a metabolic breakdown. It is usually caused by several factors, with maintaining a very low-calorie diet for a long time being probably the most important one. It reduces the metabolic rate, in particular when combined with low-intensity aerobic training. Research revealed that a sudden reduction in the number of consumed calories combined with such exercise reduces the metabolic rate, even if dry muscle mass is maintained. The following question arises then: how many fitness club clients made an overnight decision to reduce their fatty tissue? How many more persons are there who on Thursday feed their body at the calorie level of 3600 kcal to reduce it to only 1800 kcal on Friday? You will easily point out at least ten such examples in your training room. Another common mistake is increasing calorie supply too fast after a reducing diet, which does not let the body restore the appropriate metabolic rate and results in a sudden increase in the fatty tissue volume in the body. It is nothing else than a typical yo-yo effect, caused by periods of alternately too low and too high quantity of supplied calories. As a result, many people have to stop eating completely to burn further fat deposits. The body simply does not take the signal as a recovery of the metabolic level where it could use excess calories as means for anabolic processes within the muscle tissue. Quite to the contrary, it regards it as a nutritive super bonus that should be quickly deposited as reserve material – fatty tissue. The situation can be compared to extremely dry, cracked soil (body supplied with low-calorie food) being poured with water. The water instantly penetrates into the deeper layers (fatty tissue), still leaving the surface cracked (unchanged and still reduced metabolic level). What is the message of this paragraph, then? A sportsperson does not have to run with a calculator, scales and boxes with rice and boiled chicken – common sense and following proven rules are usually enough.
LONGLASTING DIET Many popular diets are based on assumptions not confirmed by scientific research and involve quitting some types of food or limiting the consumption of carbohydrates. They can help reduce weight for a short time but they are impossible to follow for a long period. Most people do not feel like giving up on their fa-
vourite food, no matter whether it is chocolate, bread or cheese, so no diet drastically reducing their consumption will work for a long time. Sooner or later everybody will be tempted to taste the forbidden foodstuffs, will quit the diet and come back to the previous weight following a wrong diet. Regardless of the sport we do, the established goal and food preferences, we have to make several simple steps. Long-term weight control has to involve implementing simple but permanent modifications of our diet and introducing physical activity to our everyday routine. The dietary programme has to contain all kinds of food, in particular foods that: satisfy the appetiteare rich in complex carbohydrates with a low glycaemic index contain moderate quantities of protein are rich in fibre and contain a lot of water The secret factor determining the success of the diet is the sense of satiation and satisfaction with the consumed meal. It seems trivial but the cause of failure in many diets is the fact that they are too strict, do not satisfy hunger and have very poor taste due to almost a complete lack of carriers of taste, such as salty, sweet, greasy and their combination, e.g. salty and greasy ribs. No matter whether you want to lose weight, improve your performance or build muscle mass, you have to choose food that is not only nutritive and tasty but also satisfies hunger. A diet that is too restrictive and deprived of carbohydrates to the maximum is to blame for failure and snacking, as the body wants to replenish the level of sugar in the blood. If you are hungry after a meal, you are more likely to eat a snack or eat more than you should next time. On the other hand, choosing more stomach-filling food, i.e. food that is nutritious and better satisfies hunger, you will discover that you are able to fill your stomach consuming the appropriate number of calories and maintaining the required proportions of nutritive macro-ingredients, such as proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The sense of satiation and satisfaction resulting from eating tasty meals will make following a diet much easier.
DIETARY KNOWHOW We are not all equivalents of Jamie Oliver in sports. The knowledge of how to prepare delicious meals and to properly balance a sportsperson’s diet is a great skill. How should we select food to compose healthy, tasty and interesting meals? Many people will claim that it is completely contrary to the term of “dietetic food”. Specialised magazines and posts published in social media by bodybuilders give us the impression that a dietetic meal means a bland breast of chicken boiled in unsalted water, served with al dente brown rice and fresh vegetables sprinkled with olive oil. You can’t be more wrong! There are several rules of designing a healthy and tasty diet: BY JAKUB MAURICZ, mauricz.com
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CARE FOR THE TASTE OF YOUR FOOD BASE YOUR DIET ON LOWPROCESSED FOOD
The less processed and richer in fibre the carbohydrates are, the more stable the rate of energy release and sense of satiation. When making a selection, pay attention to the kind of cereal – it is best to eliminate wheat products and replace them with amaranth and rye. Wheat grains contain lots of gluten, which may lead to a development of celiac disease, a troublesome intestinal disorder. Wholemeal rye flour and bread and pasta made from this kind of flour, oat and rye flakes, buckwheat groats, brown rice, Basmati and parboiled rice, sweet potatoes, fruit and vegetables make the basic sources of carbohydrates to be found in a balanced diet. Consumption of food from this group will provide us with carbohydrates with a complex index that we can use along the day – a mixture of the simple and complex ones (e.g. porridge with fruit) in the morning, fruit as the source of sugar to replenish glycogen after training, and complex carbohydrates (cereals) during the day to maintain constant level of glycaemia. When selecting fats, let us focus on non-refined lipids such as butter, avocado, egg yolks, nuts and seeds as well as virgin plant oils. Such a combination of food will ensure a proper ratio of saturated fatty acids to single unsaturated fatty acids, will help control inflammations and will not contain trans fats, whose consumption has been linked to the metabolic syndrome – a disease leading to type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiac disease, and consequently to death. Such fats can be found in many processed products such as hard margarines, yoghurt fillers, puff pastry, crumble etc. In the case of protein-rich food it is best to select lean sources, which will help you better control the consumption of fat all day long. It is also good to provide protein of plant origin, containing valuable nutraceuticals, anti-oxidants and fibre that animal products do not contain. The main cause of resigning from eating these products is that they contain saturated fats, technological fillers of dubious origin and salt whose amount in a single portion can make for as much as 75% of our daily demand for sodium
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Low-processed foodstuffs mentioned in item 1 are definitely healthy and nutritive, but their taste requires improvement. It does not always entail supplying extra calories such as sugar or fat. There are many combinations that can render excellent taste sensations and fully preserve the nutritive value. A sample combination covers the fatty and sweet taste of smoked salmon and fresh pineapple snacks. Skewers of prawns and avocado will provide a fatty aftertaste that will satisfy our taste buds. Adding a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom and dried fruit to pancakes and cereals with whey protein makes a perfect example of how you can make your meal more varied. Natural taste enhancers also include: xylitol (birch sugar, a polyol recommended to people with insulin resistance), carob (molasses and breadfruit powder), lovage (making the salty taste stronger), spices and herbs (cinnamon, cardamom, rosemary, caraway and herbes de Provence) and aromatic plants such as garlic, onion, pepper, courgette etc.
MAKE YOUR MEALS WELLBALANCED Both the pre- and post-training meals should contain large quantities of carbohydrates and proteins in the case of sports with sprinter adaptation, such as weighttraining, MMA, BJJ, running and swimming sprints. The main focus of endurance adaptation is on the supply of carbohydrates whose share in he diet may be up to 70% of the daily amount of calories. Endurance athletes have such a high demand for carbohydrates, that they should be present in every meal, together with polyunsaturated fatty acids (plant oils, nuts, fatty fish). Endurance athletes should consume ca 1.2 g of protein per kilogramme of the proper body weight, so a bar being an equivalent of a meal – BOOSTER from TREC – served with a breast of chicken and several eggs should cover the entire daily demand for building material in the form of protein. The most important rule for balancing a sportsperson’s meals is to compensate for energy losses caused by training and constant regeneration. It is necessary to calculate the TM (total metabolism), using the following formula:
TM = BM x PAI BM = basic metabolism, correct body weight x 24 for men and muscular women, x 22 for slim women PAI = physical activity index, amounting to 1.5 – 2.4 for the majority of active people However, the calculation does not release us from the obligation to listen to our body. If you lack motivation for physical exercise and feel tired quickly, try increasing the quantity of carbohydrates in your diet, even taking supplements, if you cannot eat more cereals and fruit.
DO NOT BECOME OBSESSED WITH YOUR DIET, GIVE YOURSELF SOME REST Sometimes our appearance deteriorates as a result of overtraining. In such cases tightening the screw of training even harder and following a more restrictive diet makes the final nail in the coffin. Sometimes it is better to quit a diet for a week or two, eat our favourite food and have more mental relax. The same applies to eating out. Don’t bite your nails if you are not able to find dietetic food on the menu. Ask the waiter whether they can serve you grilled meat instead of meat in breadcrumbs and substitute potato chips or potato rounds with rice or grouts. Planning your shopping and trips in advance is one of the ways to stay healthy and fit all year round. Then you have full control over the contents of your fridge and you can prepare the food to take with you when travelling or staying in another place. I keep my diet healthy by always taking with me some raisins, oat flakes, cinnamon, almonds and whey protein – ULTIMATE PROTEIN from TREC, whenever I travel. You will easily find milk or water everywhere and preparing such cereals you will give your body everything it needs.
DO NOT QUIT EATING YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD Including moderate quantities of your favourite food or snack in your diet will make it easier to follow the selected dietary regime. When you are aware that every day you can eat a small portion of your favourite dish, you will no longer think about the forbidden products and will avoid temptations. That is why you should include your favourite chocolate or ice-cream in your diet, remembering that you can only eat them in very small quantities, preferably with the morning or post-training meal, when the metabolism and absorption of nutritive macroingredients are the highest.
TAKE SUPPLEMENTS SUMMARY Sometimes it is hard to eat out or eat the food you prepared at home. You can then use hydro-gels containing carbohydrate mixtures – CARBO FULL GEL from TREC – or carbohydrate supplements packed as single portions, e.g. MAX CARB or VITARGO ELECTRO-ENERGY. Snack bars substituting a meal – BOOSTER – or carbohydrate-protein supplements are also useful. The complete range of TREC products includes handy bottles with a single portion of HARD MASS or sachets with MAGNUM 8000. You can always have them on you and eat in emergency situations to avoid starving the body. Amino acid complexes such as AMINO 4500 also make a good solution, as they can be used as a perfect supplementation of less valuable meals.
Regardless of the sports discipline, a human body needs carbohydrates and some proteins. The greater the muscle workload for strengthening and building their mass, the more proteins the body needs. Appropriate quantities of carbohydrates make the common denominator for all sports. By efficient balancing of meals and following the abovementioned rules, you can stay in a good shape all year round, make training progress and enjoy tasty food. The conviction that being on a diet means sacrifices of eating tasteless meals is a thing of the past. If you are not able to eat a healthy meal, use diet supplements. Many supplements – despite their bodybuilding-related names – can well substitute meals for all sportspeople, including runners, basketball players, fitness instructors and fans of outdoor sports. Healthy nutrition is essential in all sports.
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O Folk wisdom is often reflected even in medicine. “If you had known you would trip, you would have sat down”– this perfectly describes the topic of this text. How many times have you ruined yourselves training extremely, expecting great results but it all ended only with a flu or another condition related to overtraining or the lack of care for regular medical examinations that we can very frequently sing up for and charge the costs to the National Health Service (or spend only several pounds)? Find out how often you should have your body diagnosed and what the results of individual tests can reveal.
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ne says that it is better to prevent than to cure. But in order to prevent something, we have to know about it, as in the abovementioned saying. Preventive treatment could help in the assessment of the general condition of a sportsperson’s body, but people tend to forget it. Training at full speed for a specific period of time without monitoring our health, we can end up with stagnation or illness. However, much can be read from blood tests or urinalysis. Before the body begins to fail, it lets us know that something is wrong and the problem can be identified analysing the results of such tests. Unfortunately many sportspeople do not know that prevention can be a perfect tool helping to stay in a good shape. During trainings I keep on repeating to course participants that in order to make progress in sports, you have to compensate for metabolic losses being the consequence of training, and it involves appropriate diet, supplementation and regeneration. Regeneration tends to be severely neglected, though. Taking handfuls of supplements will not help, if we train too hard, while the length and quality of sleep and the eating habits leave much to be desired. Have you ever wondered why sports professionals are constantly supervised by sports physicians, physiotherapists and dieticians? Physical effort at this level means a great load for the body that has to be eliminated at all costs – both with elements of prehabilitation as well as nutrition and supplementation. Doing sports as an amateur does not release us from regular laboratory tests. Even six hour of training a week mean a great load for the body, and the difficulties of everyday life distort the body
Body in for service functions even more. Many people agree with the English folk wisdom saying that “one apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Regular medical check-ups are absolutely normal in developed countries, both for sports professionals and amateurs. Due to unknown reasons, a person doing such tests is approached with suspicion. “Why do you have tests done, since you are not ill?” or “I am 20 years old and do not have to have my testosterone level checked, and the problem of increased sugar level does not concern me, since I train hard” – you can frequently hear it in fitness clubs or at training consultations. We still do not understand that we have to do medical tests to avoid a disease. Why is it worth doing periodical check-ups regularly? First of all, it helps detect dangerous or even lethal diseases that can be cured at a very early stage. Secondly, the results of tests provide information on how to modify your diet, which often helps avoid serious diseases such as arteriosclerosis or type 2 diabetes. The last benefit we are most interested in is to identify, based on the test result, if we border overtraining.
Preparation for tests
It seems that information on how to prepare for blood tests is common knowledge, but still many people run stressed from one specialist to another, when they get results indicating a high limit level of sugar in the blood, increased level of cholesterol and triglycerides. Bodybuilders are particularly exposed to the problem, as they eat their last meal about an hour before going to sleep, being afraid of muscle catabolism. You need to have the test done on an empty stomach, namely without eating or drinking anything beforehand. However, it is not commonly known that the period of not eating or drink-
ing should last ca. 12-16 hours. It means that the dinner or supper you eat the evening before the test should be light and consumed at about 6.00 – 8.00 p.m. If you eat an abundant meal containing carbohydrates and saturated acids (meat, dairy products, egg yolks, butter etc.) late, it will result in the test indicating an increased level of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. It also applies to training. You should make at least 48-hour break from exercising before going for the test. Otherwise, the test may reveal a significantly increased phosphocreatine kinase (CPK), which could mean rhabdomyolysis (kidney failure caused by filtering myoglobin from muscle tissue decomposition) or damage to the cardiac muscle in healthy people, whereas in a bodybuilder it will simply mean painful muscles and inflammation caused by micro-injuries. It may all lead to unnecessary anxiety, while it is enough just to be properly prepared.
Blood test
and interpretation
of its results
Reading the previous paragraph, you should have noticed one thing. Metabolism of an intensely training person is much different than in the case of a physically inactive one. That is why the rules of the recommended daily intake (RDI), referring to the amount of sugars, vitamins, minerals, proteins and other nutrients that you have to provide the body with do not apply to sportspeople. The same concerns the results of tests. Only few people are aware that even physicians know very little about sportspeople’s metabolism. Preventive medical testing such as blood cell morphology involves a biochemical analysis of the blood. We get detailed information whether
the blood composition is correct or an inflammation has developed in the body, which can be indicated by an increased ESR. Naturally, if you have a blood test done at great muscle pain it will mean an increased ESR in the results. Identification of the sugar amount in the blood, professionally called glycaemia, is identified from the same sample that is collected for blood morphology. In the printout of the test result you can find your results and the standard value to compare it to.
Standards of sugar level
in the blood
from 70 to 99 mg/dl (from 3.9 to 5.5 mmol/l) – correct result from 100 to 125 mg/dl (from 5.6 to 6.9 mmol/l) – increased level of glucose, which can mean pre-diabetic condition over 126 mg/dl (7.0 mmol/l) in at least two measurements – diabetes The previously mentioned abundant dinner may falsify the result, just like stress hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. How can we then check if we are threatened with diabetes? A glycaemic condition on an empty stomach between 100 and 125 mg/ dl is considered to be a suspected diabetic condition, and it is often followed by glycosylated haemoglobin test (GHB). It is a very useful, retrospective glycaemia index (there is a relationship between the GHB concentration and mean glycaemia) and the risk of occurrence of chronic diabetic complications. Since the erythrocyte (red blood cell) membrane is permeable to glucose, the quantity of the glycosylated haemoglobin in it reflects the mean glucose concentration in the blood in the last 120 days (i.e. in the mean life of an erythrocyte). The level of HbA1C below 6.5% indicates a good control of diabetes (its met-
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STANDARDS OF SUGAR LEVEL IN THE BLOOD CORRECT RESULT
from 70 to 99 mg/dl (from 3.9 to 5.5 mmol/l
INCREASED LEVEL OF GLUCOSE, WHICH CAN MEAN PRE-DIABETIC CONDITION from 100 to 125 mg/dl (from 5.6 to 6.9 mmol/l
DIABETES
over 126 mg/dl (7.0 mmol/l) in at least two measurements
TOTAL CHOLESTEROL CORRECT below 200 mg/dl (5.17 mmo/l) ELEVATED 200–239 mg/dl (5.17 – 6.18 mmol/l)
abolic balance). Elevated values of glycosylated haemoglobin mean poor compensation of diabetes, which entails a higher risk of complications. The higher the concentration of the glycosylated haemoglobin, the greater the risk of their development. If you do endurance sports, you should pay attention to the haematocrit in the standard blood morphology result. The average value for a man is 42–50. The haematocrit determines the ratio of the volume of red blood cells to the total blood volume. The higher it is, the more oxygen will be supplied to the muscles during physical effort. In sportspeople the level tends to be significantly reduced, which is known as pseudoanaemia. It results from dilution of the blood, as an endurance athlete’s body gets used to regular perspiration of large quantities of water and to the possibility of much easier pumping of the blood, so it dilutes the blood so as not to strain the heart. How can we differentiate between pseudoanemia and real anaemia in a sportsperson? A professional sportsperson has a very high level of red blood cells (RBC) at a simultaneously low level of haemoglobin and haematocrit, while in typical anaemia
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HIGH, IMPLYING A HIGH RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES 240 mg/dl (6.21 mmol/l) and more
the level of all the three indicators is very low. If the blood tests reveal anaemia indeed, you have to establish its causes – it is most often due to an excess loss of iron combined with its insufficient supply. In the case of anaemia in sportspeople, in the majority of cases iron deficiency is the only cause. Overtraining is partly to blame for the phenomenon, influencing the level of the element in the body in various ways. An overtrained sportsperson’s body simply does not have enough energy to produce new erythrocytes. If the level of red blood cells drops significantly (below 4 mio/mm3 in men), it is worth taking a longer break and carefully examining the diet and the amount of time devoted to regeneration in the week. In order to diagnose the deficiency correctly, one should have their ferritin (basic protein binding iron ions in the body), TIBC (Total Iron Binding Capacity) and CRP (C-reactive protein – the marker of inflammations) examined. We diagnose
iron deficiency when there is a simultaneous low level of ferritin, high level of TBC and low level of C-reactive protein. Instead of CRP one can use the ESR index. The point is to check whether there is no inflammation in the body increasing the level of ferritin, which is an acute phase protein. Another item that deserves attention in blood cell morphology are the white blood cells. Their quantity drops dramatically after severe overtraining, as a result of long-lasting deficits of some important nutrients or in the case of a chronic disease. The correct value is between 4 and 10 thousand/mm3. A much higher result usually indicates infection but it can also help detect leukaemia at an early stage. A lipid profile will provide information on the general level of cholesterol in the blood and, more importantly, on the level of the “good” cholesterol fraction of high density (HDL) and “bad” cholesterol of low density (LDL). The information is important, since it happens that the general level of cholesterol is correct, but it comes with high LDL, which may constitute a risk of atherosclerosis development.
ity of the population prove that a lipid profile should be as follows:
Total cholesterol
below 200 mg/dl (5.17 mmo/l) – correct 200–239 mg/dl (5.17 – 6.18 mmol/l) – elevated 240 mg/dl (6.21 mmol/l) and more – high, implying a high risk of cardiovascular diseases
HDL fraction LDL FRACTION OPTIMUM below 100 mg/dl (2.6 mmol/l)
ELEVATED 100–129 mg/dl (2.6 – 3.34 mmol/l)
BOUNDARY 130–159 mg/dl (3.36 – 4.13 mmol/l)
TRIGLYCERIDES STANDARD
below 150 mg/dl (1.69 mmol/l)
BOUNDARY
150–199 mg/dl (1.69–2.25 mmol/l )
HIGH
200–499 mg/dl (2.26–5.63 mmol/l)
VERY HIGH
over 500 mg/dl (5.64 mmol/l)
HIGH 160–189 mg/dl (4.14 – 4.90 mmol/l)
VERY HIGH 190 mg/dl (4,91 mmol/l) and more
HDL FRACTION HIGH HDL, CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHY 60 mg/dl (1.56 mmol/l) and more
HDL STANDARD FOR MEN 35 mg/dl (0.9 mmol/l), a risk of cardiac diseases occurs below this value
60 mg/dl (1.56 mmol/l) and more – high HDL, considered to be healthy HDL standard for men – 35 mg/dl (0.9 mmol/l), a risk of cardiac diseases occurs below this value standard for women – 45 mg/dl (1.2 mmol/l), a risk of cardiac diseases occurs below this value
LDL fraction
below 100 mg/dl (2.6 mmol/l) – optimum 100–129 mg/dl (2.6 – 3.34 mmol/l) – elevated 130–159 mg/dl (3.36 – 4.13 mmol/l) – boundary 160–189 mg/dl (4.14 – 4.90 mmol/l) – high 190 mg/dl (4,91 mmol/l) and more – very high
Triglycerides below 150 mg/dl (1.69 mmol/l) – standard 150–199 mg/dl (1.69–2.25 mmol/l ) – boundary 200–499 mg/dl (2.26–5.63 mmol/l) – high over 500 mg/dl (5.64 mmol/l) – very high
It requires taking preventive measures. A lipid profile will STANDARD FOR WOMEN also inform us about the level 45 mg/dl (1.2 mmol/l), a risk of cardiac diseases occurs of triglycerides, whose increased below this value value is a more dangerous marker of the risk to come down with a cardiac disease that a high level of LDL cholesterol. In this case as well, there is a huge Chronic renal diseases do not result in difference between a statistical Mr Smith pain, until it is too late. Testing kidneys and a sportsperson. For the majority is easy and cheap – it is enough to check of sports professionals hyperchocreatinine in the blood or the urea to lesterolaemia (increased level of uric acid ratio combined with a genDOING PERIODICAL CHECK-UPS cholesterol in the blood) is aberal urinalysis. Another advantage solutely normal. Its level may of the examination is that it helps amount to 200-300. A higher detect some neoplastic diseases value in sportspeople is the at a very early stage. Deviations [1] It helps detect dangerous or even lethal diseases that can evidence of bodily vitality. in the urine pH (standard value be cured at a very early stage. Diet has little impact on its being between 4.5 and 7.8) may level that increases when also indicate other health problems. [2] The results of tests provide information on how to modify we are overweight, suffer A permanent alkaline reaction may your diet, which often helps avoid serious diseases such as from hypertension, smoke be an evidence of impaired renal arteriosclerosis or type 2 diabetes. cigarettes and eat food conability to acidify the urine or infection taining lots of trans fats and of the urinary system with ammonia [3] The last benefit we are most interested in is to sugar in combination with too decomposing bacteria. It may also be an identify, based on the test result, if we border many omega-6 acids and satuindication of kidney stones. Some foods rated fats. It leads to inflammation (e.g. citrus fruit) or drugs (e.g. neutralising overtraining. and the cholesterol clogs blood vessels. drugs) may influence the pH of urea. High, alNevertheless, the indicators for the majorkaline pH may be caused by severe vomiting,
Examination of kidneys and liver
WHY IS IT WORTH
REGULARLY?
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SIMPLE TESTS TO MEASURE OVERTRAINING ORTHOSTATIC TEST
MEASUREMENT OF SUPPLEMENTATION EFFECTIVENESS
There are many ways of doing the test; simply speaking it indicates the level of body relaxation after regeneration at night. It involves measuring the resting heart rate, immediately after waking up, followed by getting up calmly and checking the pulse again after 20 seconds. The difference between the first and the second result is the indication of the degree of body fatigue. If you are in a excellent shape, it will be les than 10 beats, while it will increase over 40 beats at overtraining.
Periodical tests can also make a perfect tool to verify supplementation efficiency. If you take FAT TRANSPORTER from TREC you will notice a significant improvement in the HDL to LDL cholesterol ratio (the correct ratio is 1:2 or 1:3) and a decrease in triglycerides. A testosterone test will also show an increased value as a result of supplementation with testosterone boosters such as ZMA ORIGINAL, TRIBULON, TRIBULON BLACK or DAA. MEGA MINERAL PACK and MULTIPACK SPORT will help increase the count of erythrocytes, haemoglobin and iron. As you can see, laboratory tests reveal the body’s reaction to many supplements. Using them also eliminates unfavourable fluctuations in the level of factors indicating poor metabolism. If the tests reveal that we have a problem with testosterone, level of iron, sugar or cholesterol in the blood, we can instantly implement preventive measures using specialised products for sportspeople.
RECOVERY HEART RATE This test checks how quickly your heart recovers after a hard effort. This indicator is much more sensitive than the orthostatic test. After 10 minutes of training with great intensity you check your heart rate, wait one minute and measure it again. The difference between the results is the recovery rate. If it is lower than 30 heartbeats, we are in a group of increased risk of heart attack or severely overtired, while the result of over 50 means we are in a perfect shape.
renal disease, infections of the urinary system or asthma. Low, acidic pH may be the sign of pneumothorax, uncontrolled diabetes, aspirin overdose, drinking too much alcohol, drinking ethylene glycol, prolonged diarrhoea, dehydration or starving. The presence of ketone bodies may indicate poorly controlled diabetes, following a low-carbohydrate diet (protein and fat diet), starving (including anorexia and bulimia) or alcoholic disease. Ketone bodies appear in the urine of people who have not eaten for 18 hours or more. It is also the case of people suffering from nau-
sea and vomiting for a long time. A low level of ketone bodies sometimes occurs in healthy pregnant women. Liver problems may occur in the case of using oral anabolic-androgenic steroids for a long time or as a result of taking an excessive amount of strong thermogenics. Hepatic disease detected at an early stage can be cured easily (the liver will regenerate) but if we wait and cirrhosis develops, we will be disabled till the end of our lives. Liver function tests (measuring AspAT and AIAT enzymes) and bilirubin blood tests make cheap and relatively precises tests. A civilisation disease of our century – stea-
tohepatitis constitutes a much greater problem. It has a very significant impact on sports results and is hard to detect in tests. High liver values, increased level of the total cholesterol or one of its fractions, macrocytosis in blood cell morphology, permanent sense of fatigue and slight pain on the right side, under the ribs indicate that the issue should be investigated more closely. Biopsy is necessary to properly diagnose steatohepatitis – nowadays this test is easy to perform and pleasant.
Summary
It is really worth doing periodical tests and hence taking your body in for service. Contrary to a car, your body will not have a flashing “service” light. We can’t say that such tests have to be done at specific intervals counted in kilometres either, as it happens in the case of vehicles – we have to remember about them ourselves. It is worth doing basic medical tests at least once a month and learning how to interpret the results. Moreover, they are usually inexpensive or even free of charge, but they tell you a lot about the condition of your body. The majority of tests in a complex package cost from 50 to 100 PLN. Do not forget your health when calculating the money you can spend of supplements or other things. The results of the tests can provide information on how to plan your training and diet in a better way or can even save your life. BY JAKUB MAURICZ, MAURICZ.COM
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PAPAJ’S TRAINING SCHOOL DELTOID MUSCLES ARE A PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF OUR SILHOUETTE, SINCE THEY PROVIDE IT WITH SIGNIFICANT WIDTH. IMAGINE YOU ARE AT A BODYBUILDING COMPETITION, WHERE 15 CONTESTANTS COME TO THE STAGE. WHO DO YOU THINK WILL ATTRACT YOUR ATTENTION FIRST?
T
hose with greatly developed deltoid muscles or those whose shoulders are much narrower? Everybody would like to have beautiful, round, bulbous shoulders but not everybody has. Some people are not so endowed with good genes, while others are not so diligent when training. They make lots of exercising mistakes or neglect some muscle parts considering them as not so important. I used to be one of such persons. I focused very much on various kinds of presses and lateral raises, neglecting the posterior deltoids that stood out from the other muscles after some time. Fortunately, I came back to my senses and at the beginning of my adventure with bodybuilding, I decided to focus very much on the posterior part of my shoulders. The majority of training people do posterior deltoid muscle exercises first, while I started training it at the very beginning, since the posterior part was my priority. After some time I noticed significant changes in the build of my muscles – they became more complete. The referees are very vigilant and notice all silhouette drawbacks, while I cannot afford to fail at a competition due to my training negligence. Now I suppose that my deltoid muscles are quite good. Below you can find some tips on how I worked on them.
l a c i r t e m m y s Please note: Make sure to warm up properly before every training of your shoulders. Shoulder joints are very often subject to injuries that can prevent us from training in a gym even for several months! BY: TOMASZ PAPAJ LECH
My shoulder
training plan
Below I describe a good training plan you can set up based on the presented exercises. If your goal, similarly to mine, is to develop symmetrical shoulders with a great emphasis on the development of the posterior part of the deltoid muscles, you should start your training with this part. Below you can find a plan of the shoulder training that I do now. As you can see, it brings very good results. 1 Bent-over lateral dumbbell raise on incline bench 5 series x 12-15 repeats. 2 Seated dumbbell press 5 sets x 10–12 repetitions 3 Seated lateral dumbbell raise 5 sets x 10–12 repetitions 4 Wide-grip barbell raise along the trunk 5 sets x 8–10 repetitions
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s r e d l u o h s
1
Dumbbell bench press
Correct technique
Sit on a bench with backrest position at right angle. Lift the dumbbells, keeping the elbows aside. Press the dumbbells up but do not lock the arms in the elbow joints, then slowly start lowering the weights to the initial position. The dumbbells have an advantage over a barbell since they provide a greater scope of movements and hence better isolated deltoid muscles.
Mistakes
elbow locking in elbow joints the movement is too short the load is too heavy lack of control over the weights in the eccentric phase (return movement)
Muscles involved in the exercise anterior and lateral deltoid muscle
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2
Standing front barbell press
Correct technique
Stand with your legs slightly apart, one leg positioned a bit forward to maintain better balance. Grip the barbell at the width of your shoulders or a bit more. Try to press the barbell only using your shoulders and arms, not involving the legs, which is a common mistake in this exercise.
Mistakes
throwing using your legs – by cheating you unnecessarily involve leg muscles, which leads to the deltoid muscles working less in the exercise the load is too heavy – an overly heavy barbell may cause loss of stability and consequently injury of shoulder joints or spine
Muscles involved in the exercise
lateral and anterior part of deltoid muscles
3
Standing lateral raise
Correct technique
Raise the dumbbells laterally when standing. In the initial position the dumbbells are on the sides of the thigh muscles. Perform the movement upwards using only the deltoid muscles, to the height of the top line of the shoulder girdle muscles.
Mistakes
barbell raising above the shoulder line causes unnecessary involvement of the trapezius muscles incorrect position of the palms – if the thumb is higher than the little finger when raising the dumbbells, the work of the anterior part of the deltoid muscles increases, while lateral heads of the shoulders are involved less “swinging” the body when lifting the weight reduces the work of deltoid muscles and increases involvement of auxiliary muscles
Muscles involved in the exercise
lateral and anterior part of deltoid muscles
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4
Wide-grip barbell raise along the trunk
Correct technique
Another very popular exercise that I do for my deltoid muscles is raising a barbell with a wide grip along the trunk. Stand with your trunk leaning slightly forward, hands with the barbell lowered to the maximum but not touching the thighs. From this initial position, start the movement upwards, which is performed only with the shoulder joint and deltoid muscles. When the barbell is in the concentric phase, hold the weight for a fraction of a second and then lower it, trying to maintain control over it.
Mistakes
the load is too heavy which makes it impossible to control the barbell pushing the load from the legs – deltoid muscles are less involved the grip on the barbell is too narrow – trapezius muscles are involved too much while deltoid muscles are involved too little
Muscles involved in the exercise lateral part of deltoid muscles
5
Bent-over lateral dumbbell raise on incline bench Correct technique
Lie down on an incline bench, on your stomach, hands hanging freely with the dumbbells, elbows slightly bent. Start raising the dumbbells, keeping the arms aligned with the shoulders. Hold the weights for a while in the top phase of the movement, trying to keep slight resistance. The load we use in the exercise should not be too heavy.
Mistakes
the load is too heavy, involving other muscles e.g. back failure to lead the dumbbells along the shoulder line, with the movement directed more towards the hips – back muscles are more involved
Muscles involved in the exercise posterior part of deltoid muscles
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„When you feel that you would rather have a nap that train hard, you need something that will make you right as rain – pre-training preparation!” These are typical advertising slogans of pre-training supplements that owe their popularity to efficient action and instant stimulation. Is a pre-training product that gives you a „kick” always better than one whose action is not so evident before training? This class of supplements makes a tough nut to crack for many sportspeople. The majority of them misclassifies the quality of this kind of stacks only for the achieved pseudo-narcotic condition. Are they right, though?
PREWORKOUT
W
e sometimes have bad days when we lack motivation and energy, which hinders our training achievements. There are a number of ingredients that can impede fatigue of the central nervous system or increase the level of glycaemia, but it is not commonly known how to combine them and at what doses to achieve the right effect – first of all an increase in exercise intensity. Some of you might be shocked to learn that not everybody needs a pre-training supplement with a complex composition. It happens that all you need is a certain amount of caffeine, tyrosine and quickly assimilated carbohydrates in a form of a supplement, which guarantees an almost instant transport of the components to the blood circulation. ADRENALINE GEL from TREC makes a perfect example. The most important aspects to be considered while selecting the right pre-training preparation include: training experience and the goal – developing strength and weight, concentration and
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endurance. Most teenagers fascinated with supplements intentionally choose too strong formulas. They think that the stronger the ‘kick’, the better the training. Unfortunately, it tends to be quite the opposite. Accumulation of substances that stimulate the nervous system very strongly leads to a kind of burning of the synapses. Naturally, we feel excellent while doing physical exercise, we do not experience fatigue but rather a sense of euphoria similar to an adrenalin rush, and the training is really pleasant. Problems come later, when the body has to cope with the upset balance caused by training several times more intensely than usually. Then, we experience side effects similar to those of people getting over an amphetamine bender – permanent fatigue, lack of strength to do even the simplest activities and other negative effects related to a significantly increased level of cortisol in the blood. Additionally, there are inflammations that afflict the body due to muscle injuries and they actually can hardly be called micro-injuries. That is why training experience is so important, as it takes years for a sportsperson to learn their regeneration capacity – what exercise intensity and
volume increases stimulation of anabolism to the highest extent, and what leads to overtraining. Intuition and experience tell one what pre-training product they should use in the regeneration or preparation for training and what to take during intensification or a microcycle requiring an increased supply of energy to perform more demanding exercise than normally. Beginners generally need only a small dose of stimulants, e.g. a combination of caffeine with tyrosine, as well as BCAA eliminating fatigue of the central nervous system (CAFFEINE 200 PLUS + BCAA X-TANK from TREC). A beginner’s body will react very well even to a low dose, providing appropriate training stimulation that the organism will be able to cope with during regeneration.
The training goal makes another aspect, which is equally or even more important than experience. Let me explain it using a simple example: in the lead I asked the following question – is a supplement that strongly stimulates the brain function better than one that does not cause the euphoric effect? Let us now consider whether a sportsperson training for a half-marathon needs more of a “drug-induced high”
PRODUCT and muscle pump, or a stable sugar level in the blood, impeding fatigue of the central nervous system and blocking the increasing acidification. I suppose most of you have bet on the latter. Every sports discipline, training microcycle and kind of adaptation we are subject to during physical exercise have a significant impact on the demand of our body. Although such guidelines as building muscle mass and strength as well as improved concentration have a common denominator being a combination of methylxanthines (caffeine, theobromine and theophylline) as nitrogen oxide boosters (L-arginine, citrulline and their salts, ViNitrox® or inorganic nitrates) to stimulate the training intensity and pump, in the case of martial arts, endurance or team sports the situation is completely different. The results we want to achieve have confusingly similar names but the kind and dose of the ingredients vary significantly. We want to achieve the following goals training the abovementioned groups:
STIMULATION OF THE CEN TRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM – by using L-tyrosine, caffeine, taurine, synephrine
and ginseng you will develop training motivation and improve coordination, which matters particularly when training in the morning,
DELAYED FATIGUE – quickly assimilated carbohydrates such as glucose, isomaltulose, maltodextrin or Vitargo® will delay the rate of muscle glycogen consumption and will help you train longer and more intensely, OPTIMISATION OF METABOLIC PROCESSES AND INCREASING THE LEVEL OF STRENGTH AND ENERGY – it is possible due to creatine, citrulline malate, inosine and group B vitamins,
IMPEDING OF MUSCLE ACIDIFI CATION – owing to a combination of hydrochloride and ethyl ester of creatine, betaalanine or carnosine. I suppose that reading this section you have understood why pre-training supplements have become so popular over the years
and why their composition has developed. Once, diet supplements used to be associated with strength sports such as bodybuilding. Although many bodybuilders used pretraining products, they were not normally considered to help you move mountains. Nowadays the awareness of the need to supplement your body when doing any sports has helped develop formulas that do not stimulate the central nervous system to burn the synapses, but result in products which impede fatigue, improve endurance and optimise metabolic processes to achieve increased capacity. Advanced technologies have contributed to the development of new forms of supplements, e.g. liquid, concentrated shots or innovative hydrogels that are easy to use and guarantee quick absorption since they do not crystallise in the stomach and are quickly transported from the intestines to the blood circulation. I definitely recommend to you the latest ACTION LINE from TREC, which contains supplements in a form of hydrogels, shots and liquid concentrates, offering a wide range of products to select from according to individual needs. BY JAKUB MAURICZ mauricz.com
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GUIDE on ingredients of pre-training preparations LARGININE – I particularly recommend it in a form of alpha-ketoglutarate, malate or hydrochloride as these ingredients make the most common components of pre-training preparations being nitrogen oxide boosters. Why? They simply do their job and when based on the highest quality material they ensure the maximum blood flow to the muscles that receive the necessary nutrients and the muscle fibres are filled with oxygen to the maximum. Increased supplies of oxygen to the muscles have a positive impact on the production of red blood cells and help strengthen the walls of the fibres, which leads to the body looking solid and with visible veins, which is desired at bodybuilding competitions. AAKG LARGININE ALPHAKE TOGLUTARATE – it is a salt composed of L-arginine amino acid and alpha-ketoglutaric acid. Products containing AAKG effectively increase the level of anabolic hormones and metabolites of amino acids, including insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). Moreover, AAKG has an anti-catabolic action and assists in protein synthesis, which results in muscle growth. Test results also indicate that L-arginine taken together with carbohydrates may help start regeneration. During one of the tests, the training participants were administered a carbohydrate or carbohydrate-arginine product 1, 2 and 3 hours after the training. The supplements contained 1 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of the exercising person’s body weight. The observed level of glycogen increase in the muscles during a four-hour regeneration period after training was much faster in the sportspeople who had taken the carbohydrate-arginine mixture. The researchers attributed the results to the arginine capacity to increase bioavailability of glucose, resulting in its greater amounts being transformed into glycogen and stored in the muscles. With regard to the above, I recommend using NO boosters with carbohydrates both before training to strengthen the muscle pump and directly after training to increase bioavailability of glucose. In some persons iNOS enzymes are very active and after a short period of taking supplements containing L-arginine they become resistant to it. The phenomenon is fairly rare. The action of iNOS limits nitrogen oxide synthesis by increasing production of ADMA (asymmetric dimethylarginine). However, modern preparations (not the ones based only on standard L-arginine) contain ingredients combating ADMA. They include citrulline, L-norvalin, agmatine as well ketoisocaproic salts of arginine and citrulline. By impeding the process, L-arginine degradation and production of nitrogen oxide are not reduced even when used for a long time. Pre-training prepa-
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rations based on arginine are mainly dedicated for bodybuilders but considering that arginine impacts glycogen resynthesis, they can be used as post-training supplementation by sportspersons struggling with endurance adaptation. I particularly recommend NITROBOLON and NITROBOLON II in this category of supplements.
BETAALANINE – assists in increasing the level of carnosine in the muscles, which reduces their fatigue after training. Research has demonstrated that it can improve the body performance by blocking muscle acidification that increases under a physical effort as a result of ATP hydrolysis and by increasing dry body weight. Scientific evidence indicates that beta-alanine and various forms of creatine have a synergic action and maintain the maximum power of the muscles. It has also been proven that betaalanine increases the explosive strength, dry muscle mass and increases the level of anaerobic and aerobic endurance. BETA-ALANINE 700 from TREC is a supplement containing betaalanine of pharmaceutical quality. That is why I recommend the product to anybody doing sports from typical sprint disciplines, through to mixed and endurance sports. CARNOTRIX with its carefully composed formula will also be perfect, as it is a combination of beta-alanine power with the best nitrogen oxide boosters – L-arginine malate and citrulline malate.
GLYCEROL MONOSTEARATE – it occurs naturally in the body as a side product of lipid decomposition. When it makes an ingredient of a pre-training product, it is absorbed and increases the concentration of liquids in the blood and tissues. The body maintains the concentration at a constant level, so water absorbed by glycerol is not removed until additional glycerol is not excreted by the kidneys or decomposed. Taking it in a form of a supplement instantly increases hydration of the body and improves assimilation of simultaneously taken supplements. As a result, nutritive substances are absorbed faster when you need them most. Pre-training supplementation with glycerol monostearate results in extreme muscle charge due to strong retention of water. It can also be used in martial arts between weighing and fighting, when a period of a few to more than ten hours can help regain the body weight lost due to earlier dehydration. The content of beta-alanine and glycerol monostearate makes CARNOTRIX from TREC a perfect combination to charge your body with energy before a fight. Naturally, you have to remember to drink sufficient quantities of liquids. CREATINE – the proven and well-known creatine is one of the most important supplements available on the market. Taking it, most of us may hope for measurable benefits. It has been
GUIDE on ingredients of pre-training preparations proven that it increases the power and size of muscles in sportspeople, it helps reduce muscle catabolism and buffers acidification of the body by “devouring” hydronium ions (H+) formed as a result of ATP hydrolysis. It acts in synergy with beta-alanine. In the case of endurance sports and martial arts we have to focus on the forms of creatine that minimise water retention – creatine hydrochloride, creatine ethyl ester and creatine malate. These creatine forms help maintain a high level of energy with potential weight control before a competition. I definitely recommend CREA9 XTREME and CM3 from TREC.
BCAA – branched-chain amino acids: L-valine, L-leucine and L-isoleucine. Reducing the number of consumed calories has a catabolic impact on the muscle tissue due to many reasons. The more slender you become, the greater the chance to lose the muscle mass since the body will try to maintain homeostasis by retaining the remaining fat deposits. In order to make up for the energy deficit caused by a reducing diet, the body will start to use the muscle mass. At the cellular level it involves intensification of protein synthesis to release amino acids from the muscles to use them as a fuel and to reduce protein synthesis so as not to lose energy. Taking BCAA may increase dry muscle mass, improve strength, performance and reduce damage to the muscle cells. Positive results of supplementation with this substance in the case of protein decomposition and synthesis are not the only advantages of taking it during a reducing diet. It can also improve the training intensity, eliminate fatigue and sense of apathy. BCAA competes with L-tryptophan (a proteinogenic amino acid) to enter the brain. L-tryptophan can be transformed in the brain into a neurotransmitter – serotonin. The level of serotonin increases during
physical exercise, which can increase the sense of fatigue and simultaneously reduce intensity of the training. BCAA supplementation can reduce the level of L-tryptophan getting into the brain and decrease the level of the produced serotonin, which will help you work harder and longer. Only a few grams of the substance before and during training, as well as between meals on non-training days, may optimise anabolism of muscle proteins. Since it is necessary to take BCAA during training, I definitely recommend BCAA TURBO JET, characterised by excellent solubility and quick action, and for persons requiring greater stimulation – BCAA X-TANK. I recommend smaller tablets – ANABOLIC BCAA SYSTEM or SUPER BCAA SYSTEM capsules to beginners and sportspeople who do not need such high doses as bodybuilders, as they do other sports disciplines. Both preparations additionally contain taurine and vitamin B6. When selecting active substances you have to remember that a combination of several ingredients tends to have a stronger action than when they are used separately. It is a synergy effect. Ready-made stacks have an advantage over the individually made ones in that their composition is much more complex and their formulas are reserved, which guarantees the desired effect. Naturally, there are dodgy companies that develop the formulas intuitively and the ratios of the substances are not tested or supported by scientific evidence. Moreover, many formulas contain large quantities of stimulants, such as geranium extract (DMAA) banned in the European Union. It causes an extreme exhaustion of the nervous system and the commonly known sense of a “come-down” after training. Additionally, as a result of combining many supplement components we can experience an action antago-
nistic to the intended one, as it happens when taking too high a dose of caffeine not correlated with nitrogen oxide boosters. S.A.W. makes an example of a perfectly optimised formula. It is a number 1 pre-training stack based only on safe, tested and approved ingredients. It comes in several forms – powder to make a drink, concentrated shot, capsule and now it is also available as gel made in the HYDRO GEL technology. In it, you will not find any illegal boosters, drugs or substances listed in the register of WADA doping substances, as happens in the case of many products from overseas available on the Polish market. S.A.W. is a concentrated stack without unnecessary fillers with a very strong stimulating action, whose action can be adapted to the individual needs of the body and training characteristics, starting with the basic 5 g portion (45 ml of liquid shot, 4 capsules or 45 g of gel) and increasing it gradually. 10 g of the product is usually optimum for sportspeople with several years of training experience (equivalent of 90 ml of the drink, 8 capsules or 90 g of gel). Most importantly, S.A.W. does not only mean stimulation and a strong muscle pump. The product contains a high dose of beta-alanine and a large portion of creatine, which is often missing in many preparations. That is how the muscles get all they need for intense work. Moreover, the product not only helps increase the intensity of training but it also reinforces the effects, leading to a sustainable development of the muscle mass and strength. NITROBOLON makes another family of products worth recommending. They are multi-purpose pre-training stacks intended for amateur and professional sportspeople. They have been tested by thousands of enthusiasts of strength sports and fitness, and have already become iconic. You can choose either NITROBOLON capsules or NITROBOLON II with quickly ab-
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GUIDE on ingredients of pre-training preparations sorbed maltodextrins in a form of a powder with extended formula. They are typical creatine stacks that do not contain caffeine, and that is why they can be used even in late afternoon – not everybody trains in the morning. NITROBOLON ENERGIZER is a bit stronger and it gives you a real energy “kick”, which is important before harder training sessions. It contains special stimulating ingredients, pure isomaltulose (quickly absorbed disaccharide) and anti-catabolic compounds. TREC also offers a prefect product for endurance sportspeople and endurance and strength athletes – VITARGO ACTIVE FIRE combining the best carbohydrates in the world and creatine malate, L-thyrosin, taurin, caffeine, BCAA amino acids, group B vitamins and plant NO boosters. The perfect pre-training formula not only helps increase muscle strength at training but also their resistance to long-term training load.
DIY pre-training supplements
Among the consumers of pre-training supplements there are persons with an investigative approach to the biochemistry of alimentation and prefer to pick and mix the ingredients themselves. That is how they are able to strictly control the quantities of individual components and avoid the ones that are inefficient for them as a result of individual reaction of the body. A combination of the right supplements, e.g. AAKG MEGA HARDCORE + CM3 + BETA-ALANINE 700 + TYROSINE 600+ + CAFFEINE 200 + BCAA X-TANK + TAURINE 900 from TREC means components of excellent quality and the set is very economical – it will suffice for 2–3 months of training. Taking single supplements makes a perfect solution to replenish the necessary ingredients in the diet and to stimulate and increase other training parameters, depending on the needs – you can either add or reduce the amount of the ingredient without changing the ratio of other components, as it normally happens when you take a ready-made formula in a form of a powder or capsules.
Pre-training preparations not only for bodybuilders
In the previous part of the article I have mentioned the role of individual ingredients but examples of stacks dedicated to various sports can still be a mystery. Below, you will find a short manual on supplementation. See how easily you can modify the action of various products combining them in different ways, depending on the sport you do and the result you want to achieve. BODYBUILDING CREA9 XTREME + S.A.W. + BETA-ALANINE 700 + BCAA X-TANK ENDURANCE SPORTS CARNOTRIX + VITARGO ACTIVE FIRE + EXTREME LONG ENERGY GEL + BETA-ALANINE 700 MARTIAL ARTS S.A.W. + BCAA TURBO JET or CARNOTRIX + BCAA X-TANK Naturally, you have to select the portion size according to the training and weight needs, remembering the growing synergy effect when taking several products. You can freely modify the doses, e.g. most fighters recommend the combination of 5 g of S.A.W. with 3 CARNOTRIX tablets. It provides them with the necessary strength and endurance but not the muscle pump.
Summary Using pre-training supplements may help achieve the assumed training goals, in particular when we have to help our body to replenish the fuel in a form of carbohydrates, to boost it to work or simply to motivate it during intense work and sleepless nights. Remember that by taking appropriate blends suited to your individual needs you can improve your performance and mask any drawbacks of your diet. According to the proverb “all that glitters is not gold” one can say that not every pre-training supplement is supposed to cause a pseudo-narcotic euphoria – remember that before buying a product.
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