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Evolutionary Fitness, Super Mike's Way: Part 1

December 22, 2007 12:02 PM

From SuperMike,

Art,

Here are the details of my workouts and EF lifestyle that some of your readers requested.
At work, I’ve often been called, “The man that doesn’t age.”

I get a lot of questions from friends and co-workers about what I eat and what’s my secret, but their faces usually glaze over by the time I get to the part about avoiding pasta and baked potatoes.

I’m 5’11”, 175 lbs and by my cheap skin fold calipers, about 6% BF.

I’ve attached a disgusting “before” picture and an “after” picture that shows my front and back at once. No retouching, just the front and back merged into one.

I call the second picture a “Work of Art.” (Art De Vany, that is.)

Thanks again for all the useful information.

Keep writing,

Mike

Here is the "before" picture of SuperMike.

Here is the "after" picture.

We know from the posts I put up earlier that not all this progress can be attributed to Evolutionary Fitness. He had worked out in a body builder style before beginning EF. The after is after practicing EF for a year, having worked for an unspecified period before.

Nonetheless, the progress is astounding and does show that working out can make a huge difference in appearance and health. The final polish to his appearance came from the year of EF.

I will post more installments later. Too busy now to do it all at once and too much to read at a single sitting, not to mention the load on my server.

LINK · Evolutionary Fitness ~ · Meals · Comments (5)

Jogging is hard, play is more effective

December 21, 2007 02:08 PM

One of our readers, Chris H, put a link in his comment on Ancestors as Runners. It refers to a soccer versus jogging study that he discusses on his great blog.

Soccer does seem to be a power law sport. And, I have seen the distribution of the length of tennis points and it is a power law. Most points are over rather quickly, but a few are extraordinarily long.

The sprint part of any form of play does recruit far more muscle mass and, particularly the inefficient FT fibers. Far more anabolic drive is created as well. No wonder the soccer players fared far better in the study Chris examines.

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A Few Things

December 20, 2007 11:19 AM

I note this insight in a comment by Tuesday. I knew this and yet had not tied it together this clearly. It is regarding the Ancestors as Runners post of a few days ago where we discussed the mixture of continuous running, walking or trekking, and sprinting. I had argued that the distribution of these activities would have been more concentrated on walking, possibly at a high pace, and sprinting. Continuous running would also have been done for some periods. In fact, in my Essay, I argued that monitoring of wild animals and fish has been used to show that the distribution of these mixtures of activities follows a power law, to a good approximation. Now Tuesday puts this together nicely to make this argument:

"I know I've seen a study on the subject, though I can't seem to find it at the moment. Because walking and running/sprinting are more efficient gaits than jogging, they can be sustained for longer periods before complete rest is required, so over long periods of time (days/weeks) a walk-run pace does indeed cover more distance than a continuous pace."

I have seen the studies too, and have posted on some of them in the past, though I can't take the time now to find them. But, the point is that this mixture, with some time in the continuous mode, is likely to be more energy efficient. Why didn't I put it this way?

Further evidence comes from studies of intermittent versus continuous exercise and there the verdict is that a human can do a lot more work if done intermittently than if done continuously. Or, put another way, you can do a lot more work in a given period of time if the work is done in an intermittent fashion. This gain in time versus energy expenditure efficiency, as you know by now, is one reason Evolutionary Fitness makes use of intermittency in eating and energy expenditure. I think it is the ancestral pattern too, as this evolving discussion seems to indicate.

Does that mean that continuous running is out of the picture? I don't think so, but it ought not to be done to the exclusion of the others, as seems to be the practice of many joggers and marathoners seeking to keep their heart rate in a zone. The power law spreads activities over all zones and intensity, but it is concentrated on something close to walking/trekking with bursts into the other zones. The energy spent in the zones is greater in the walking/trekking and in the sprinting zone, using the mobility example, but there is a portfolio which ought to include some continuous running, as another commenter noted.

My model is to use the gym for my "fight or flight" zone and to take long walks for my "easy" zone. My sprinting now is pretty much confined to tennis which is a nice mix of high and easy work; play in other words. An hour hitting tennis balls on the ball machine set up to launch from side to side and hitting baseline returns with occasional rushes to the net for volleys is a nice work out.

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Evolutionary Fitness, Intermittent Fasting, EvoSport and Football

December 18, 2007 06:57 AM

Dan, who is pictured in the photo, has been following EF (Evolutionary Fitness) for quite some time. He plays football at the elite college level and tells this story about finally adding IF (intermittent fasting) to EF. In addition he uses a system I am not yet familiar developed by Jay Schroeder called EvoSport. It seems everyone is getting into the evolutionary way of thinking. Of note is the drop in body fat with no loss of lean body weight when Dan added IF to his program; most of the weight loss was in a drop of waist size of 4 inches. But, he had to drop the 4 or 5 meals a day mentality often held by body builders and athletes.

Dan's characterization of his set up in the picture is excellent: "Notice the athletic position in one picture. Hamstrings pulling into the ground, torse erect, chest separating at the pectorals. These are hallmarks of the efficient athlete." Young athletes should pay close attention and also understand that he has excellent technology at his disposal in EF, IF, and EvoSport.

Here is Dan's description of his methods:

"First off, I've been reading your blog since it's inception (and am now re-reading from the archives because of some free time), but just this past summer began applying IF principles to my lifestyle approach. Despite being a long time reader, I somehow had been reluctant to apply episodic caloric deprivation. I create a demand for calories unlike many others, I had reasoned. This is true, but my physiology still evolved like everyone else. I soon found I would benefit greatly from IF. I dropped approx. 4 inches 4-5 weeks, while maintaining the same weight. I went from 34 to 30 w/ little effort. In pictures that will follow, people always remark about how skinny my waist is. For the past several years I had eaten meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts as the bulk of my diet but had difficulty shaking popular fitnesses' 4-5 meals a day. In retrospect, how silly. Because of the stressful demands of the football season, I gained a few inches back and my lean mass dropped a bit. Not good. However, I did not diligently apply IF because of concerns about caloric deprivation and the demands of the season. Probably, not well reasoned. "

On EvoSport, he has a brief insight into the theory; it is fight or flight made systematic in my estimation. Pretty sound on those grounds at least.

"Consider this, Jay has found ways to eliminate the normal symptoms of overtraining by working the body at high load, high velocity, and high volume. More specifically, this is done by training the body's reflexive systems. Think fight or flight! He accomplishes this w/ iso-extremes, rebounds, and altitude drops amongst other methodics. These inhibit the GTO, inhibiting the bodys protective mechanisms, thus allowing elite performance. I could write about it hours, but it is a little food for thought. The body's reflexive system can be trained to elicit the same performance over and over and over. It's quite remarkable. Much of it in line to what you already know to be true..."

I include a couple more pictures below. Did you ever see a leaner, more balanced and graceful looking athlete? His physical goals are impressive: "My goal at the Northwestern combine... weigh in at shredded 210 (only to impress scouts, weight is really irrelevant) and a 4.3 40 yard dash and 35 plus vert. jump. Only accomplished w/ the help of the two best technologies avaialble, EF, IF, and Evo-Sport. I am taking a cue from you here and perhaps creating some incentives (everything is economics) for myself to adhere the best I can to these goals and the demands of living the proper lifestyle. "

LINK · Evolutionary Fitness ~ · Sports · Comments (12)

A woman's back and a man's beer belly

December 16, 2007 04:32 PM

It is not surprising that evolution designed women to carry the load of a pregnancy in front without forcing the contraction of back muscles with the attendant shear loading. Check this out.

Men, on the other hand have not yet evolved an adaptation for beer belly. The weight out front is countered by a contraction of the erector muscles in the back. Back ache and eventually shear stress are the consequence.

LINK · Evolutionary Fitness · Comments (1)

Ancestors as Runners

December 14, 2007 01:45 PM

I enjoyed this elegant comment from a reader, but I have to disagree with the interpretation. I have read many of these accounts of explorers, trappers, anthropologists and even a physiologist working on the frontier. They all relate profoundly compelling stories of the physical prowress of our ancestors, or as near as we are likely to observe them in modern times. I will inteject my comments at the appropriate place.

"I've noticed much discussion among the members of this forum on how best to emulate the typical exertions that were part and parcel to our ancestors lifestyle. Here is a fascinating excerpt from a book I'm reading that I thought would be of interest to some of you. The anecdote was part of an address to the National Geographic Society by Theodore Roosevelt in which he detailed much of his adventures during his Safari in Africa in 1910. He spent years collecting wildlife samples for museums and encountered rare glimpses into tribal lifestyles that until then, were virtually unknown to westerners. He spoke of a specific instance where he was allowed to follow a group of Nandi spearmen (a branch of the Masai probably as old as the dirt they walk on) on a lion hunt. He described the group of hunters as a "splendid race physically, tall and sinewy warriors". On horseback, he followed the group of men as they chased down a massive and fierce lion for 4 hours until it stopped. At this point the men would create a large circle around the beast, armed only with a hide shield and their heavy spears. Slowly, they would creep closer and closer, tightening the loop until the lion became so agitated by their encroachment, it readied for an attack. The lion would then rear and charge at what it thought was the weakest part of the chain of men. The warrior who would bear the brunt of the attack would then poise himself against the hide shell and when the charging lion was within six feet he would raise his shield and with a powerful underhand throw plunge the spear into the beast as it lunged and sunk it's claws into him. Then in a flash the hunters to the side of him assailed the beast with more spears until it reared back and died. When I read this vivid portrayal of tribal life I had to stop and think about what these hunters were doing. Running barefoot for 4 hours, then knowing that one of them, probably the one who appeared smallest, would have to bear the brunt of the lion's attack himself. Absolutely remarkable. I can see why the worlds top runners all come from Africa. Running was their weapon, their methodology."

The Masaii are a beautiful, tall and linear people. They are pastoralists who live by keeping cattle whom they bleed for nutrition. They mix some kind of anti-coagulant in the blood lest they choke to death when it coagulates in the throat, as Jack LaLanne nearly did. They move by WALKING at a very high pace, unless they are on the lion hunt. The lion hunt is a ritual of manhood and also deters predation on their cattle. I used to have a Masai spear.

But, it is wrong to portray their running, if that was the intent, as the kind of running marathoners or even joggers do. Their runs are of the same sort the lion does. Usually, it is a male lion they are hunting because they prize the mane and the large trophy. A male lion is huge and capable of great sprinting speed. But, it has little endurance. So, the run these hunters made would be of a burst-rest kind, just the kind of running Evolutionary Fitness recommends. A four hour hunt would have been a series of sprints by the lion with a chase and then a stealthy tracking to find the animal who would then sprint off again. The massive musculature of the lion would have required this pattern of running. It would be incapable of prolonged running, save at a trot. So, I agree this is a natural pattern. But it is nothing like a long jog or marathon.

By the way, there are no marathoners or successful long-distance runners who are Masai to my knowledge. They are primarily Kenyans and a few Ethiopians as far as I know and have a tradition of running and live a higher altitude.

"I hear a lot of negative criticism toward long distance running and how our bodies were not meant to do it. This site seems to relish counting the bodies of dead marathoners and runners and continually shrouds running in a banner of impending death. This focus is narrow and the sphere of opinion is based upon limitations by those that don't run."

I do not relish reports of these deaths. I do wish to prevent them and call attention to the dangers. More importantly, I want to question the focus of far too much fitness advice on running. Excessive running of the sort that passes for running these days is a poor choice, as the research and increasing recognition of premature deaths documents. But the playful running of games and Evolutionary Fitness training, which is similar to the Masai lion hunt is beneficial. I think conventional advice is what is properly called narrow in the sense of excluding or even denigrating the more healthful alternatives to excessive running.

"I keep wanting to send clippings I keep about a runner in our town named Ed Whitlock who is 73 and a multiple marathon world record holder. He still runs a sub 3 hour full Marathon, and trains by running 20k a day in the local cemetery, ironically enough. Ed is paleo man. He is the modern day Nandi warrior."

What would he do if he actually caught up to a lion? He would have no chance as he has little musculature and no fast twitch power which the hunter requires. He could not hold a shield against the charge or thrust a spear with force. The Masai spear is quite long and heavy and would take strength to handle and to move quickly. It would take a fair amount of power to throw as I can attest to having thrown mine. I am afraid you warrior qua marathoner would not have the speed to sprint to position or to move in coordination with the other hunters which is essential to their success. Most hunting is tedious tracking and very hard and physical sprinting and throwing or thrusting against great force.

"I could go on to quote the journals of yet another explorer, Cabeza de Vaca who wrote of the Texas Indians, "The men could run after a deer for an entire day without resting and without apparent fatigue. . . one man near seven feet in stature. . . runs down a buffalo on foot and slays it with his knife or lance, as he runs by its side." So for those of you that think it's all about strength, I hope I may have exacted some second thoughts. If true "Evolutionary fitness" is what your after, put down the weights and crank up the miles, lots of them. Our ancestors were ultra runners, nothing less."

I recall a story of Indians who could sprint to catch a deer as well. The deer takes a curved path that the hunter learned to intercept. It was a sprint though, not a jog.

The powerful indian who kills the buffalo does so by sprinting, not jogging. And he has the power to kill a powerful beast with a strong thrust. Then he has to do the hard work of butchering and carrying the kill back to camp. I recall a story of 5 indian males who ran buffalo of a cliff into a pit and then jumped into the pit to kill them. Then they hauled these 2000 pound beasts out of a 10 foot deep pit. Running a deer or horse down is a common tale you hear and it was done over a long period of sprints and slower trecking, keeping the animal from water so that it dehydrated and dropped with exhaustion.

I do appreciate these stories as they point to the magnificence of ancestral humans. They could play in the NFL easily with their power, speed, and endurance. Ancient humans of the last 100,000 years were much larger than moderns with the present generation Americans only now reaching a similar stature. They could see the moons of Jupiter without a telescope, bite a nail in half with their powerful teeth and jaws. They had no traces of modern diseases such as heart disease, poor teeth, oesteoporosis, or lesions on their skeletons that showed infectious disease such as tuberculosis or anemia.

Yes, we should celebrate the magnificent animals that human beings are. No other animal can do the things humans can do. We live in more varied altitudes and climates than any other creature. We can run down a horse and kill or worship it. Climb a tree or swim a river. And we are more playful than the adult versions of other animals. Our minds are a gift beyond those of any other animal. I enjoy these gifts and celebrate them.

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Evolutionary Fitness in Australia

This really is a nice story, one I am proud of. It is nice to know that the blog has been helpful to others. I share Seamus' wishes that his story will inspire others to enjoy the health and peace of an Evolutionary Fitness Lifeway.

"I've been a regular visitor for a while now and figured I'd post my story here, and hopefully give some inspiration to your readers.

I am a 182cm tall, 34 year old male, and at the beginning of this year I was a walking time bomb. An ex-smoker, I have been an exercise minimalist most of my life. Since childhood I have abused food, and my body as well.

I ceased eating a regular breakfast in my early teens, and in an effort to control my weight generally starved myself everyday until dinnertime. Then I would consume the most extraordinary amount of calories to make up for it. All of my meals had to be loaded up with either pasta, rice or potato for me to (hopefully) feel full. High in saturated or trans fats was my preference. A snack would be a whole packet of crisps to myself. I would finish my meal and go back for seconds or thirds. I used to suck on tubes of sweetened condensed milk for a sweet treat...or knock off a block of chocolate in an evening. These were patterns that began in childhood, and only got worse with age.

Early in 2004 my weight peaked at 255 pounds. I was facing the onset of a host of chronic diseases, or even worse. I had never been more miserable. I find it relatively easy to build muscle, so I bought a home gym and some free weights from a friend, and begun lifting around 3 times a week. Most sessions were pushed to complete failure, and it was a real grind most of the time. Over the next 8 months I lost some weight and built some good muscle...all of it buried under a lot of body fat though. After a few nasty shoulder strains (due to a lack of rest and recovery), I took a break. My weight of course began climbing again, almost back to 255 pounds.

In December '04, and in utter desperation, I decided I would start cycling to work. I live 15.5 miles away from my place of employment, and really had no idea how taxing that would be for someone in my condition. I got myself a hybrid bike anyway, and took on the challenge. For nearly two years I kept this up, riding as much as 155 miles during the week. It was a real grind most of the time, but I was committed to it rain, hail or shine. Over the next 18 months, I managed to bring my weight down to around 195 pounds. I enjoyed people noticing all the weight I had lost, but was even more thrilled that I didn't have to change my diet to do this. That's right - I still ate and drank absolutely anything I liked, and the amount of riding I did kept all that weight off. I thought I was in heaven!

That was, until I stopped cycling. I could no longer face the regime of another 6am rise to get on my bike and ride the 90 minute journey to work anymore, let alone the trip home at the end of a busy day! I couldn't give up my eating habits either. By the end of '06 my weight had ballooned out to 228 pounds again.

At the beginning of this year, inspired by the weight loss of a collegue, I gave a something called the CSIRO diet a go (you may have heard of it). Developed by Australian nutritional scientists, it was given a fairly positive press response, though there were some who say it contains 'too much protein' - a charge that seems to be laid against anyone who minimises grains in their diet. In retrospect, it is very similar to 'The Palolithic Prescription' with it's focus on lean meats, fresh fruit and vegetables - with a smattering of grain & dairy. I lost around 33 pounds in the first 5 months, and felt great for it.

But the highlight of the year has definitely been finding your blog Art, and reading your essay. I have been an advocate of the EF way since the first day I begun reading through your site. The truth and logic that is inherent in EF has struck a chord in me. I stumbled across you after Googling paleolithic eating, something that I had heard about, but knew little of. I immediately progressed from CSIRO, dropping pasta, cereal, bread and rice from my diet. I also minimised my dairy, and cut out refined sugars. Breakfast now might be raw nuts and seeds...some fresh fruit for lunch...and some kangaroo (exceptionally lean) with fresh salad for tea. I no longer worry about measuring amounts, counting calories, etc. Food intake is now governed by a natural metabolic flow that I have never been in touch with before. I have also embraced intermittent fasting, and have tried to replicate a hunter gatherer way of times of lean and times of plenty. I now allow myself to feel hungry - something that filled me with dread when I was overweight. I have never felt better! EF helped me to lose even more weight, and I am now 183 pounds. I believe I will drop a few more pounds and % body fat, as I have only just begun exercising again. I am sprinting for the first time since I was a kid, and have embraced your style of gym workouts with brief, intense sessions. I don't work to a regime anymore, but by the laws of spontaneity, intensity and brevity. My best friend has embraced EF wholeheartedly as well, and together we try to come up with workouts that mimic paleolithic activity in their variety. Even my dad, who's 54 this year is taking an interest. I have shown him the pictures of Super Mike, and I think this has inspired him (as it would inspire anyone!).

Again, many thanks for all that you share of yourself, your intellect, your years of accumulated knowledge and wisdom Art. I hope that I am able to undo some of the damage I have done to my body, and look forward to reaching 70 with at least some of that same vitality, strength and essence that you possess!"

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Halfway through the Mitchell report on steroids in basball

December 13, 2007 05:07 PM

So far the report is a bore. No science save the usual references to the harm associated with steroids and protecting "our kids" the mantra of the new social engineer/prudes/and semi-fascists who want to make us do things their way.

It is a sleazy document so far, and thus gets much press coverage for the naming of names and locker room gossip. One section actually is devoted to sports writer comments on baseball and steroids, just about the least credible group on anything. All they want to do is to be noticed and to sell their story, an admission made by the sports writer who castigated Ted Williams, one of the greatest and most ethical of baseball players.

If I find some statistics that purport to document the surge in hitting, I will take a good look at them. So far there is nothing but an allegation that hitting surged in 1996 with no specifics.

Mitchell was not my favorite senator when he was senate majority leader and he is not winning any more admiration with this, so-far, sleazy report. Some of the usual antagonists to steroids also appear in the report, as they do in the Senate hearings. The same crew of witnesses keeps recycling, making the same statements.

Steroids are not that dangerous. They don't kill people. The people who overuse them already have significant problems. Most of the effects are reverseable, though not always for women. Steroids, as the research I have discussed, are only moderately effective.

LINK · Endurance Training: Death, Injury, and Risk ~ · Everything ~ · Evolutionary Fitness ~ · Sports · Comments (1)

Intermittent Exercise, Fasting, and OB Gene Expression

December 12, 2007 09:07 AM

So many seem to doubt the benefits of exercise for weight reduction or, more importantly, body composition, the true measure of fitness. They focus on caloric balance and the apparently small effect of exercise on energy balance, but that is only part of the equation for body composition. Hormone drives, stress resistance, and insulin sensitivity are all driven by exercise. Provided one doesn't go too far into the unhealthful range for exercise, all these contributing factors to body composition are favorably altered by exercise. Moreover, caloric balance studies are all confounded by incorrect reporting of total intake and even errors in energy expenditures. These are so difficult to do in free-living humans, that little confidence ought to be placed in them, least of all a pessimistic conclusion as to the effects of exercise.

But, there is more. Exercise affects gene expression in a highly favorable way. Exercise induces transient changes in energy balance and this is a signal to gene expression. Intermittent exercise, in the Evolutionary Fitness style, does not go "over the curve" into the destructive range for exercise and induces a down regulation of the fat gene expression, the OB gene (short for obesity gene). Intermittent fasting also down regulates OB gene expression. Eating the EF Way reduces insulin and down regulates OB gene expression. Living a low stress lifeway by not over doing exercise or obsessing over food and practicing intermittent episodes of brief intense exercise mixed with languid rest and "just doing" simple things also turns sympathtic tone up and down intermittently and, in turn, closes down insulin and OB gene expression. Looks like the EF combination, which aims at all these events, is great for attaining and keeping your healthy body composition.

Have a look at this abstract...

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Death by Exercise

December 8, 2007 11:25 AM

Thanks to an alert reader of the blog in Toronto we have a well-researched article on exercise-related deaths from Men's Heatlh.

It adds new statistics and explanations for the benefits and risks of exercise. As with nearly everything in human physiology, there is an increasing, but concave, benefits curve; the benefits of exercise rise, reach a peak, and then decline. There is an optimum or a range of optima; to be below or above the optimum range is harmful. Exercise beyond the optimal region is destructive and dangerous. 6 METS is a good upper limit for continuing activity. One can hit 8 or even 12 METS briefly in weight training. The hormesis concept tells us that these very brief stresses make us more able to tolerate the real stresses that life brings.

Weight lifting shines for its benefits and low risk. Running can be truly dangeous. Other aerobic endurance activities share the risks of excessive running.

LINK · Endurance Training: Death, Injury, and Risk ~ · Evolutionary Fitness ~ · Sports ~ · Uncertainty · Comments (2)

Proof of Concept

December 7, 2007 09:58 AM

One of the many interesting people I have met as a result of this blog is a distinguished physician/psychiatrist who treats people who have metabolic problems and are overweight or obese. He argues that I am a proof of concept for my Evolutionary Fitness Way. That is to say, I am an exemplar who represents an outcome of following the EF system, an existence proof of the efficacy of Evolutionary Fitness. Everything I say here is also true of Wonder Woman who celebrates her 70th birthday today.

In that spirit, I wanted to compare my body mass, strength, lipid and hormone profile to the 28 year old experienced weight trainers studied in the NJM article I discussed earlier this week. I want to show that the conventional wisdom that aging causes a decline in muscle mass, increased obesity, a fall in testosterone, and an unfavorable alteration of blood lipids is not true. So, what are the relevant facts?

The experimental subjects were from 23 to 32 years old, with an average age of 28. As you know, I am 70.

The tallest group was 181.0 cm tall and weighed 85.5 kg. Their body mass index was 26.2. I am 192.8 cm tall and weigh 90.49 kg (199 pounds). So, my body mass index is 26.43. Thus, there is no difference in body mass between us, evidence that I have retained my lean muscle mass (of course it could be fat, but it isn't as I think you know).

Thus the loss of lean muscle mass with aging need not occur.

LIpid profile. The subjects had HDL readings between 36 and 42 (group averages). Mine is 92. Their triglycerides were between 125 and 155. Mine are 40. Their LDL was from 113 to 133. Mine is 98. My readings are superior in every respect according to the research and what your personal physician will tell you.

Thus the unfavorable alteration of lipids with aging need not occur.

Hormone profile. Their total testosterone, without injections, ranged between 431 and 667 (after exercise with no injections). Mine was 660 in my last test. This is right in the upper range for these weight lifting 28 year olds.

Thus the unfavorable decline in hormone status with aging need not occur.

After 10 weeks of training, the highest average bench press and squat are 119 kg and 151 kg. I don't do bench presses, as I have shoulder injuries from motocross racing and don't like the look it produces or the risk to the rotator cuff, but with a few weeks of work I could readily do that weight. I don't do much squatting anymore either, but could readily do 151 kg. As evidence, I can easily leg press the max weight on the Cybex or other leg press machines in the gym, even on the last set of a hierarchical set and then lower it seveal times with one leg.

Thus the loss of strength usually attributed to aging need not occur.

My conclusion is that aging research is flawed; it is not the aging process but the poor eating and lack of exercise that is responsible for the general decline we often see with aging.

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The Horror

December 6, 2007 01:36 PM

This pile of boxes was outside the gym after they had restocked the "health food" section. They picked it up later (it is a very clean place), but I caught the horrifying sight on my iPhone before they cleared it out. How much sugar or high glycemic fructose did those boxes contain? Too much, but "heh" they are protein bars aren't they.

Don't eat anything that comes in a box.

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Steroids, Gains and Costs

December 5, 2007 01:16 PM

From the New England Journal of Medicine comes this authoritative assessment of the benefits and costs of steroid use. Previous studies have had a number of faults in failing to control for caloric intake, dissimilar subjects, and so on. This study controls for the most important of these factors. I just want to highlight the quantitative measures of improvement in this table.

The subjects were about 28 years old and were experienced in weight training. They were around 5 feet 8 inches tall and had a body mass index of 24 to 26.

First note hormone profiles of the subjects under the four treatments: no exercise with placebo and testosterone, and exercise with placebo and with testosterone. With no treatment, their testosterone is in the mid to upper range around 500. The first finding is the drop in testosterone among the placebo group who did not exercise. Given that they were experienced lifters, the lack of exercise caused their testosterone to fall. Their free testosterone did not fall, though their SHBG did. This is not suppossed to happen according to the conventional free versus total T theory. But, we know that is flawed.

The exercise/no T group had an increase in T and an increase in Luteinizing hormone. The real news is the rise in T in the exercise with T injections group and the scary fall in Follicle Stimulating and Luteinizing hormones. The testicals of these guys are shutting down and their sex drive is plummeting. The sex hormone binding globulin falls substantially in both the groups of men who received T injections, another sign of emasculation.

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Perfectionists

Have a look at this NYT article Perfectionism before you buy that next self-help book.

I have learned to get along with my slight perfectionism. I find my best work is always done with a sense of effortlessness and enjoyment. Blogging, maybe not my best work, is completely effortless. I sometimes look back on a post and wonder how I did it.

Perhaps the deepest link to eating disorders and an exessive concern with body image is with perfectionism. Most steroid users are ordinary guys looking for a perfect body image, not athletes. Eating disorders seem to come from the same sort of excessive concern with the opinions of others or a critical parent from the past that you still carry around in your brain and in your self-talk.

My perfectionism appears in sports more often than elsewhere. I often expect to perform at a high level which is really kind of silly when you think about it. So I turn it into a learning experience to enjoy the study of technique and science behind a sport.

I think an element of Zen teaching is to get the student's ego and perfectionism out of the way. We could all do that in everything we do.

LINK · Complex Systems ~ · Everything ~ · Evolutionary Fitness · Comments (2)

An Evolutionary Fitness Evangelist

December 2, 2007 10:42 AM

Not every one reads the comments, understandable because the link is faulty (and will soon be fixed when my new site design is finished). So, here is one that no one should miss or ignore.

"I'd adhered to the 6-meals-a-day, positive N2 balance, high carbohydrate/insulin releasing post-workout meal(usually a meal-replacement shake)mantra since I was approximately 15 years old. I'd coupled that with murderous, 2-hour a day, 6-day-a-week (body-building style/with a football player's mentality) workouts. I avoided all manner of fat. I snacked whenever I felt the slightest hunger pang or when my energy waned -- both of which occurred often throughout the day. I definitely looked fit -- though much too smooth for the invested time and effort -- but I didn't feel nearly as good as I thought I should. My joints had begun to ache (especially my knees and elbows). And my blood pressure was curiously elevated. I'm an athlete, I thought, what the hell? I felt, that at 43, time had caught up with me and I'd have to (1)really get serious about my eating and (2)back off the workouts a shade. Both prospects bummed me out.

All I can say is that I wish I'd stumbled upon Art's site sooner. Like, back when I was 15. While I can't say that I follow the EF way of life to a "T" (I drink too much coffee during the day, too much beer in the evening and have an occasional sweet treat), I do, for the most part, follow Art's eating advice. I feel better than I can ever remember feeling. I look better now than I ever have. Strangely (or, maybe not so), although I am by leaps and bounds more cut than before, I actually weigh more than I did before I began "easing" into the EF way of life. I say "easing into" because I've still got lots of room to improve. And even yet, the results are remarkable.

I was initially most skeptical of the brief (albeit, intense) workouts. I have always sprinted and have always leaned toward more power/Olympic type weight lifting -- though, I know now, the volume was much too high. What a difference the last 6 months has made on my body and mind. At 6ft, 210lbs, I've got the muscular definition I always thought was possible, but heretofore could never achieve. Now it is (muscularity, definition & "feel good" factor), by comparison to my previous lifestyle, effortless. My obstacles remain more in the realm of the socio-situational (eating influences of wife, friends)and limitations imposed by my working-life responsibilities. Every day, though, I strive to move another step closer to EF "perfection". Once you've had a glimpse of what the EF lifestyle can do for you, you can't help but to desire more of the same for yourself and for anyone else.

I can properly be called an EF evangelist, now."

Of course, there is no "perfection", just a new way that you can follow as far as you like. As I say in my Essay, it is so easy you will think you are cheating; it is extremely productive because it is high technology based on evolution and modern science. Just let it happen. Give up the Soviet-style command and control, linear approach. Your body and mind will thank you for the freedom and pleasure.

LINK · Evolutionary Fitness · Comments (3)

Muscle Mass, EF and IF

December 1, 2007 10:04 AM

Here is a question most people who follow the received wisdom about diet and muscle mass probably ask themselves.

"I've been particularly intrigued by pictures of those who follow the evolutionary fitness way, including yourself and Mike who was recently mentioned on the site. I'm 48 and would say that I'm close to where Mike was in his first picture (minus a few pounds of muscle) I have to admit that I eat plenty of carbs--post workout shake, etc but plan to change my ways. When I've tried to lose a little weight with the intention to get to his third picture, I tend to lose significant muscle gains. In his pictures he looks like he really lost fat and didn't lose hardly any muscle mass. How is that possible? He says that he may have a caloric deficit on 2 out of 3 days. If I did that working out at the gym 3 days per week, as I do, I'm afraid I'd whither away and lose the gains that I've made in mass. I don't do any cardio (hate it). In brief, could you explain how E.F., perhaps combined with I.F. would let one lose weight yet not lose a lot of mass if that's true. Thanks so much for any info on this."

The "fear" expresses is a fear of rejecting the old idea that you have to eat the TupperWare meals and supplements consumed by most body builders. It has nothing to do with the science or the evidence, as demonstrated by Super Mike or myself. We both retain muscle mass and carry low body fat and eat the Evolutionary Fitness Way (EF) and practice intermittent fasting (IF).

I have calculated (see my paper Why We Get Fat under the research link above) that our ancestors were in caloric deficit one third of the time. They were in caloric surplus two thirds of the time. Over a longer interval, they were in caloric balance. So, there is no need to drop total calories greatly in order to carry low body fat. Only if you are far too fat to begin with must you go into a longer term caloric deficit. And this is close to impossible to do if you practice the TupperWare and supplement protocol of six meals and snacks a day of basically lousy food and high glycemic load.

The worry expressed by the question seems predicated on the old belief that you must always be in nitrogen surplus to build or retain muscle mass. Neither is true. And the evidence is clear, just using Mike or many others as an example. In truth, a lot of the so-called muscle mass that many fear losing if they eat differently is fat, not muscle.

The bulk these people carry is high intramuscular triglycerides, a known contributor to insulin resistance. The muscle appears large because it is loaded with fat deposits laced between the muscle fibers and intruding into the connective tissue and muscle fibers. That, and the thick skin from subcutaneous fat, is the reason so many bulky guys look so smooth. They carry almost no muscle definition or cuts.

What is so hard to face about losing some of this intrusive and harmful fat? How bulky do you have to appear in order to be happy with your appearance? Is the smoothness that comes with the bulk worth it? Are the health risks worth it?

Just eat good food as shown on this site. Eat to a sense of satisfaction, but not fullness, two days a week and go hungry one day out of three. You can fast completely on the third day, but I don't see that as productive if you have to drive and earn a living. So, just under eat on that day, going hungry especially in the evening when it is safe for you to do so. [This caution is for those who are insulin resistant and may fall into low blood glucose when they do an afternoon fast.]

As you do this your insulin will begin to drop, your testosterone will increase, and your GH will rise. You will also sleep better, which will further the GH increase. Stay active on the IF day so that you signal your system to retain muscle and burn fat.

I think what the concern in the question indicates is that you have been a bit brain washed, as we all have been, by conventional fitness advice.

LINK · Evolutionary Fitness ~ · Meals · Comments (5)

Super Mike Again

November 30, 2007 12:45 PM

More evidence on the TupperWare eating protocol (my take on the 6 meals a day with supplements and shakes or usual Fitness Trainer-advised eating program). This time from 54 year old Mike. He shows three pictures from four birthdays, ending with his 54.

Here is his statement:

Art,

You hit the nail on the head again.

What you described today about the six meals plus supplements is
exactly how I ate before I discovered Evolutionary Fitness.

Here's visual proof of how it makes you look.
Photos taken yearly on my birthday. (I think it's interesting how I'm
only smiling in the 2007 photo.)

With intermittent fasting and eating your way, I think I'm in a
caloric deficit two out of three days. And never felt or looked better.

Mike

And the visual proof (click on the picture to see all 3 years).

LINK · Evolutionary Fitness · Comments (5)

Unproven Protocol

November 29, 2007 10:08 AM

A comment from a reader (not posted on the blog) got me thinking:

"Thanks for your great site, I hope to use your material effectively. Sadly my wife has joined a gym and gotten a trainer who handed her lots of supplements and bars (she's supposed to eat this junk food 3x/day as a healthy snack) and is prescribing frequent long workouts. Hopefully I can demonstrate to her with my own success that there is a better way)."

I had just spoken with a young guy who spent a summer training at a gym in San Diego. He looked no different than when he left. He followed the Unproven Protocol or what I like to call the TupperWare eating scheme. Have you seen how some of the trainers carry loads of TupperWare containers around with them containing their 6 meals? I suspect they hold TupperWare parties they have so many of them. (I have a previous post on this that I don't have time to look up right now.)

Eating all these meals prepared in advance along with the protein mixes, drinks, and bars is a completely unproven protocol. There is no research that I can find that documents its efficacy. It is more an article of faith, promolgated by the "fitness industry." I have read many criticisms of it by some leading scientists. And they point to the incentives of the industry and supplement makers to promote this disastrous eating regimen.

A primary concern is the total caloric load as well as the glycemic load of the scheme. Imagine a person who is in the gym to lose weight who is told to add supplements to a diet that has made them overweight. If they add supplements, then they have to cut calories elsewhere. The time they spend in the gym is not enough to put them into negative caloric balance in itself. If they then add supplements and shakes to their intake, they will go further into positive caloric balance.

Then there is the glycemic load (the glycemic index of the intake times its mass) of the supplements. Not only are the carbs in the supplements a source of calories, they are insulin driving calories that reduce insulin sensitivity and trigger metabolic pathways that direct nutrients to fat and shut down the body's access to its own fat sources. In fact, many supplements deliberately trigger insulin with simple carbs because the protocol reasons that insulin is an anabolic hormone. It is, but mostly anabolic for your fat deposits rather than your muscles. The hormonal profile created by this protocol is one that is favorable to storing fat rather than making muscle.

My main point is that there is no research that I can find that supports this weird eating pattern. How does it become part of the mainstream of fitness advice? No wonder so many people give up on the gym after they fail to lose weight. Following the TupperWare protocol makes it impossible. And, boy does it take time and kill your appreciation for good food.

LINK · Evolutionary Fitness · Comments (1)

Fat Men Can't Hunt

November 28, 2007 07:49 PM

Thanks to one of our readers for this link, which is derivative of the link he sent, both are fantastic.

Fat Men Can't Hunt.

The also great link our reader from England is Teens.

I still sometimes dream of the camp I would start for teens to live an evolutionary fitness lifeway for a month. Borneo might be too much, but Wyoming or Colorado or Utah might be nice. Some day when things are finished, including the book.

LINK · Evolutionary Fitness · Comments (2)

How Long Did Hunter Gatherers Live?

November 21, 2007 04:01 PM

Many people compare the longevity of paleolithic humans with modern humans and conclude that the stone age life was perilous and brief. Often, the argument is made by vegans who want to show that meat eating clearly practiced by paleolithic hunter gathers is not healthful. People who are rightfully skeptical of the longevity consequences of a more paleolithic style of life such as I advocate and practice myself also question the longevity of our ancestors. A skeptical argument would be that our ancestors lived brief and nasty lives and we live longer and more pleasant lives than they so why should we emulate aspects of these ancient lifeways. The argument is sensible, but misdirected. The proper comparison is between paleolithic life expectancy and life expectancies of humans in the era before industrialization and greater wealth and before modern sanitation and medicine. The evidence is that neolithic and later humans lived no longer than paleolithic humans until well into the Industrial Revolution.

Empirical data shows that life of paleolithic humans was perilous, but it was no briefer than the life of neolithic farmers, romans, or modern humans until the advent of public sanitation and antibiotics. Remarkably, life expectancy in the city of London was so brief that the city relied on migration from outlying areas to sustain its population; the intrinsic rate of population growth was negative. It was only in the latter stages of the Industrial Revolution that the life expectancy of Londoners began to improve.

Ward Nicholson has done a fine job of assembling life expectancy figures from the scientific literature in his Life Expectancy

Bjorn Lumborg shows a remarkable graph in his The Skeptical Environmentalist that reveals the ups and downs, and remarkably brief, lives of humans over the ages. In the City of Rome, life expectancy was just 21 years, well below paleolithic levels.

Ward's life expectancy table follows, note the general decline in height as well as the change in longevity. Modern humans are only now approaching the height of our paleolithic ancestors.

Read More »

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Trainers and Bars

November 20, 2007 07:21 PM

WW is taking a Yoga Pilates class at our club. Nearly all the participants are trainers, young and still slim and teaching exercise and nutrition classes. She is the oldest in the class by far and seems to be able to do everything demanded. It took a few weeks but she is doing well and liking it. They do a few dangerous moves, using the legs and arms as long levers to stress the spine, but generally it is a good class.

The trouble starts when she discusses eating with the class members. She said today that she would probably skip dinner tonight because we were having a solid lunch. Right away three of them said oh no, never skip a meal. Eat a Whatever Bar, but don't miss a meal. It turns out that they go from class to class, teaching or taking, and seldom eat a real meal. They live on shakes and bars and protein mixes.

They have only the most trivial argument in favor of not skipping a meal, mostly derived from nitrogen balance considerations and a sensible, but misplaced, concern for small meals in order to diminish insulin spikes (if they could have explained it correctly). All this comes from body building/endurance athlete practices which have worked their way into mainstream practice with little or no scientific evaluation. So, instead, they eat what is pretty much junk food, disguised as health food. Moreover, they fail to understand that frequency of carbohydrate ingestion is also a contributor to insulin resistance. And, the stomach never gets a rest and begins to degenerate (sometimes called the diabetic stomach because diabetics depend on frequent meals and emergency snacks which add to the load on the digestive system).

Fortunately, they are young and very active and will be able to eat this junk food for some years before they take a toll. I know many coaches and athletic teachers who spend long hours on the teaching tee, tennis court, or gym who eat PowerBars, ProteinBars, and whatever they are called by the bushel basket. Far too many of them are covered with a deep layer of subcutaneous fat and others are frankly fat.

To a large degree, they are rationalizing their poor practice and making unsubstantiated claims for their goofy eating. It is an attitude widely shared in the "fitness community". And they are all too ready to argue against other methods. WW doesn't even bother to explain things to them anymore; their minds are closed.

LINK · Evolutionary Fitness ~ · Meals · Comments (3)

Today's Workout

November 19, 2007 08:27 PM

After posting my blog entry regarding hierarchical workouts I went to the gym and did one. I was in and out in no time and felt great leaving and for the whole day after. There really is nothing more productive and the research is just now beginning to document what is evident (to me at least) from the physiology and the evolutionary record. But, you must see the Essay for more on that. And, yes I do the db rows alternating sides; one set on one side and then one on the other. As for the question about GH I will say that GH is known to be a protein conserving hormone that shifts metabolism away from protein to other sources of energy. Thus, with my work outs and rest and deep sleep favoring GH release I am able to fast (a fast releases GH also) and still retain or even build muscle mass.

For my work out today here is what I did. (I can't believe how good I feel even now from this work out and all I did today beyond it).

!. I did 30 leg presses to warm up and went straight into the 15, 8, 4 protocol. I ran out of weight on the leg press machine, but stayed with it anyway. I had to peg the machine on the last set and could have done far more than 4, but went to a slight burn anyway. Then I pressed up with both legs and lowered with one for 4 more negative.

2. I did standing leg curls in the same manner. 15, 8, 4 with increasing weight and speed with each set.

3. I did incline bb presses on the Smith machine in the same manner, but with no negative. Just 15, 8, and 4 to a good burn in each set.

4. I did the same protocol in the bent over deltoid raise through the legs that I have described in other posts.

5. Then I did a drop set of Arnold presses for the deltoids; as many as I could with a heavy weight (only 40 pounds by that stage), then a lighter weight for as many reps as I could, then a still lighter weight to slight failure.

6. I finished with a few curls on a machine, one set only and some crunches in the correct way and some bird dog poses on the bench press bench.

Then a nice walk in my neighborhood after a short drive home from the gym.

It was so easy, yet hard for a moment. This kind of work out gives you a toughness that makes life seem so easy. Every set hurt a bit and then came a harder one. But, when you move to the next exercise the pain goes away and you are ready for another hit.

I love it.

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The Best Work out

The work out I always come back to and the very best for all round strength and muscularity, not to mention leanness is the hierarchical work out.

Briefly described, it is done in a hierarchy of movements and weights. Its objective is to ascend the fiber hierarchy from ST to FTa and FTb and then finish with an eccentric movement or explosive movement. A long discussion of this type of work out may be found in my Essay under the Research link at the top of this page.

The rest interval is nil, just long enough to change the weight on the bar, cable or machine. New research now confirms that this style of work out is best for muscle mass and for strength. It is equally effective in comparison to other routines for power. Of course, the researchers did not add the finishing touch that I do and I suspect they would have also found that my routine gives an edge for power as well.

Read the essay for a discussion of the theory behind the hierarchical work out. The essence is to promote a maximal anabolic hormone response and to shut off the stress hormone response through its brevity and relatively low volume.

You begin with a target of about 15 reps with a weight that is challenging, but do not go to failure. Just use the "burn" to know when to move on. Lower the weight more slowly than you raise it and increase the pace of the movement as you progress through the reps.

Then, with no rest, increase the weight and aim for about 8 reps with the same protocol. Then increase the weight again and aim for 4 reps in excellent form. Then do a couple of negatives if you can do so safely in that particular lift (few meet this standard, but some do). Then do an explosive move similar to the exercise or do drops.

My favorite way to do this was with squats, but there is no way to do negatives with squats and, for safety, you should not descend to full depth on the last set. If you alter the depth, progressing to less depth with the heavier weight, you will hit all the fibers in the hips and quads and at many angles and extensions. Hitting all the mass is the only way you will get a fullness and completeness to your musculature.

An example where this is quite safe is to do leg presses on a seated machine. Not one where you may get trapped under the weights. Do 15 presses, increase the weight and do 8, increase the weight and do 4. Then increase the weight or with the same weight press out with both legs and lower with just one leg. Do only 2 negatives this way. Then do some leaps either dropping off a bench to a rubber floor or holding a squat bar, placed on the rack, leap up as far as you can while holding the bar. Do as many as you can. Alternately, find a high bar you can leap up to and grab. Drop off and do it again, as many times as you are able.

You can do a similar protocol with a cable row or one-armed db rows. With the db rows, I do the first three sets, the ascending 15, 8, 4 and then just go down the rack doing one rep. Go right down the rack to the heaviest db you can do in excellent form. Don't try this until you have prepared with light weights. You will get so sore you might stay in bed a few days, not worth it. Perfect form always, stop as soon as form begins to break down.

Here is a recent abstract on short rest intervals. I am trying to obtain the other article I came across that further documents brief rest intervals for strength and mass gains. I am heading for the gym to begin my new sessions of hierarchical work outs. I am not recommending them for you; you must make that choice yourself. I used to work my 78 year old mother out this way. It is safe if you plan and take care. And the results are unbelievable. Keep it brief and do only 3 such movements in a single work out and get out of the gym. If you leave tired, you over did it. You should feel fresh and alive.

Read More »

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Today's Breakfast

November 17, 2007 11:13 AM

As you can see, this is some leftover steak with fruit. I may skip lunch as the meal was very satisfying. I do skip meals often with absolutely no concern that I am "losing" muscle through negative nitrogen balance. My GH is so high that my body conserves protein and consumes fat. And, you already know that the microphagy consumes damaged proteins and fuels their replacement with new, undamaged protein.

Those who may think my diet is lacking in carbohydrate will see that there is adequate carbohydrate in the fruit. But, it is loaded with nutrients and potent antioxidants and phytonutrients, something that is lacking in flour-based and carb-drink sources.

LINK · Evolutionary Fitness ~ · Meals · Comments (4)

walking Running Jogging

November 16, 2007 11:07 AM

Two researchers at Princeton have modeled human energy expenditure over a wide range of movements. It turns out that the most efficient form of locomotion is walking, followed by running, followed by a slow plodding run that resembles a very tired jogger.

Human Movement

Of these, I much prefer the first two and, remarkably, they are a bit more efficient. And a whole lot more fun.

LINK · Evolutionary Fitness ~ · Sports · Comments (0)

Surf and turf EF style

Barbecued pork ribs with one King Crab leg and WW's home made cole slaw. We got several meals out of one box of crab legs, so the expense was not that high. The ribs we just enjoy so much we have them about once a week. The leftovers are great for breakfast or lunch the next day.

P.S. my new camera is higher resolution and I have to weaken the image. Let me know if the pixel count is too high and slows the download too much.

LINK · Evolutionary Fitness ~ · Meals · Comments (2)

Powerful Hunter Gatherers

November 10, 2007 01:57 PM

These pictures of New Guinea highland males (part agriculturalist and part hunter gatherer) and the sketch of North American Indians are an interesting contrast to the playful Photoshop picture of the body builder ultimate from a previous post.

Wig master, an older male.

Mud men, prime age warriors.

North American Indians, powerfully muscled (early lumber jacks?).

An older modern hunter gatherer male who looks familiar.

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The Ultimate?

November 9, 2007 09:05 AM

Never my model.

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Over Training and sudden death

November 7, 2007 02:34 PM

I have searched for a good source on sudden death in athletes for some time now. Finally, I found an excellent one put up by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation Sudden Death in Athletes.

The most common cause is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). That large, slow-beating "athletic" heart may kill you. So can alcohol, energy drinks, and steroids. Which activity is most dangerous? You may see why I play tennis now. Weight lifting didn't make the grade, but competitive lifting is such a small sport. In part, the sports with the most participation rank highest. The incidence per athlete in the sport is not really known.

According to the Institute:

"Systemic training in endurance (dynamic, aerobic) or isometric sports (static, power) has been known to increase cardiac mass and dimensions, and trigger structural remodeling in many athletes (18-22). This form of hypertrophy is physiologic and is regarded as an adaptation to systematic athletic training, and therefore was termed "athlete’s heart." The changes include enlargement of left and right ventricles and left atrium; however the function of the heart remains preserved. Physiologic increases in cardiac mass vary in magnitude according to sporting discipline. For example, the most extreme cavity dimensions and/or wall thickness have been reported with rowing, cross-country skiing, cycling and swimming. Weight lifting and wrestling have been associated with abnormal increases in left ventricular wall thickness disproportionate to cavity size."

I noted the disruption of contraction pulses, ischemia or blood loss and consequent damage to heart muscle in an earlier post. That damage is then infiltrated by scar tissue and, as a result, the contraction waves become disorganized and arrhythmia may follow.

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LINK · Endurance Training: Death, Injury, and Risk ~ · Evolutionary Fitness · Comments (4)

Mood Change after a work out

An interesting question from a reader that I have had to sort out for myself too. I find, as does Joe, that if I work out very intensely that I have a mood change a day or two later. Strangely, the hard work out seems to happen because I feel so good at the time that I want to do more. I have learned to avoid this feeling as Rodney Dangerfield advises, I sit down when I get the urge to exercise.

For me it is the second day that hits me most. Of course, this is the interval for DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness as it is called in the literature. A very hard work out damages a lot of muscle tissue and triggers a surge of stress hormones, activates macrophages to consume damaged proteins (a benefit as it recycles the material to fuel rebuilding and renews the cell), triggers inflammation in the sore tissues. But, it is likely that the cytokines are the real culprit. Just how they do this and promote soreness is something I have not been able to discover.

Why go through this? There is no need and the loss of time and mood change is not worth it. It is likely that so much damage is done in this sort of hard work out that any progress you are seeking is set back; I suspect it leaves you worse off physically than if you had followed Dangerfield's advice and done nothing. So, I don't work out that hard any more. I just feel challenged and that I am up to the challenge.

But, Joe's discussion highlights other matters that we should pay attention to. One of them is how close to exhaustion many people live as a result of their obsession with exercise or fitness. It seems Joe did this for years, mostly as a result of excess running. Another is the sugar obsession many runners have or develop from their excess reliance on carbohydrates to fuel their high activity. Another is the longer term depression or mood suppression that can develop from chronic over training of any kind. Mike, our 54 year old wonder from the last post, also had what seems to be a generally depressed mood and was drowsy often during his body builder/high cardio days. He was even going to up his cardio load because he was too fat from the body builder diet and eating pattern he was on.

I really do think most chronic body builders and runners are way over training, damaging themselves and their mood.

Read More »

LINK · Complex Systems ~ · Evolutionary Fitness · Comments (4)

From Body Building to Evolutionary Fitness

November 6, 2007 09:33 AM

I will just let Mike tell his story about his conversion from a body building approach to Evolutionary Fitness. He is the leanest, most muscular, and fit 54 year old you may ever see.

Take a look and then read his story below.

Art,

It’s been a little over a year since I seriously started following your evolutionary advice. I wanted to write you earlier, but I thought I would give it an entire year before I did. Plus I wanted to get the results from my annual physical.

Before I started reading your website, I was in pretty good shape. Good strength… but soft looking. Especially for as much as I worked out. 4 days of weights a week with 2 days of cardio. But, I just didn’t feel good. I was tired a lot. Not as sharp mentally as I felt I should be. And I couldn’t seem to get lean and be strong at the same time.