liftsiron
Community Veteran, Longtime Vet
Avoiding Weigh-in Bombs and Elevating Performance with Sound Nutrition
By: Scott H. Mendelson http://www.infinityfitness.com/pl.htm
I have seen powerlifters get onto a scale and whine like Richard Simmons at the Weight Watchers annual meeting when they do not make weight! It is not a pretty sight, but a familiar one. Unlike Richard who only needs to worry about obese women eating him during a video taping, the powerlifter must prepare for a highly demanding competition.
I hear the same complaints from powerlifters around contest time in regards to winning the battle with the scale long before they approach the platform. Super heavies have it made since they can roll in at any weight they like, but the rest must squeeze into a weight class and in many cases sacrifice performance because of the methods they "use to lose". Rapid losses in bodyweight as water, LBM or body fat will result in maximal strength decreases during the hours and days following because of the negative hormonal cascade created according to Dr. Eric Serrano MD. Dr. Serrano is a champion powerlifter who has extensivelyresearched nutrition as it relates to the specific performance of powerlifters. Why put your heart and sole into preparation for a contest if you plan to hinder performance with last minute weigh in disasters.
A Bodyweight Management Strategy that WORKS!
We all invest tremendous efforts into training cycle preparations; why not plan a body weight strategy? I have devised a simple yet effective body weight management system that will not only avoid bombing out on meet day, but also elevate performance when it is time to get on the platform for those savored attempts. I am also betting that some of the readers will value the decreased body fat and joint pain that will result from this nutrition plan. Even powerlifters who are not image conscious should consider shedding some body fat so that more muscle mass can be packed on their frames without busting into a new weight class. Believe it or not, but low carb plans will often times result in significant long term muscle mass gains due to the high quality of calories that are ingested and rapid increase of anabolic hormones.
Training Success, but Competition Failure Due to Weigh in Desperation
As a strength coach I communicate with many powerlifters and learn from their experiences as I offer my advice. I will paint a picture for you that I have seen a hundred times. Email is the method often times used to contact me and I received a disturbing story recently. A powerlifter spent sixteen weeks preparing for a meet, setting Personal Records in all of his lifts along the way during training. The trainee had made tremendous strides as a competitor and was ready to make waves in the Powerlifting world in an upcoming contest. Problems arose when he realized he was several pounds too heavy to qualify for his desired weight class. He desperately dehydrated his system with sauna sessions, long runs, starvation tactics and diuretic drugs. Weight was made, but performance suffered. The lifter felt weak even after attempting to replenish his system with fluids and food post weigh in. It was too late! On competition day he bombed out, missing conservative opening attempts that he had commonly breezed through during the most recent training phase. The competition was a complete failure and this young man sought answers after not being able to figure out why performance was so poor.
Answers were quite simple; he put his body into a catabolic state from the excessive running, loss of body weight and lack of food, which released high levels of counterproductive catabolic hormones. A catabolic state takes days or even weeks to break and will zap strength more than any other force on this earth. Powerlifters ask their bodies to perform at the highest limits of performance; these demands are unrealistic if the lifter does not respect the nutritional needs of the body.
The Solution: A Relatively low Carb Plan Specifically for Powerlifters
We will explore a low carbohydrate, high protein, moderate fat diet for use by strength athletes and not pre contest bodybuilders. Bodybuilding media tends to dominate on the topic of nutrition and too many athletes falsely assume that their nutritional needs are the same as the pretty boys. I do not advocate zero carb or ketogenic diets, which are appropriate for those who must maximize fat loss, but not for those facing strength challenges. You will be given options for strategic carbohydrate loadings to boost metabolism and performance; the key is timing! Explanations for why this plan will decrease body fat and naturally lower water weight are relatively simple and covered in many articles. However few people realize the benefits of the hormonal reactions created by this nutrition plan that in my experience increaseperformance and rates of recovery.
The Positive Hormonal Response Created by Low Carb Plans
Research has proven that low carb plans will increase anabolic hormones such as testosterone, Growth Hormone and IGF-1. These are potent fat burning hormones that can create drastic reductions in body fat naturally while increasing strength and rates or recovery. Hormones are the building blocks for everything optimize them or miss out on the benefits.
A Low Carb Plan will help you drop Weight Immediately with No Work
Reducing the amount of carbohydrate consumed will result in lower levels of a stored energy source, which is commonly known as glycogen. Glycogen represents some actual body weight in itself, but water is stored with glycogen and is more significant in terms of the scale. Your body weight will decrease quickly if fewer carbs are consumed because you will burn existing energy storage and release water at the same time. It is common for large competitors to lose between ten and fifteen pounds by reducing carb intake.
Carbs are NOT the only Fuel Source! Man has Thrived WITHOUT Carbs
Athletes have been misled to believe that carbs are the only source of energy. In actuality fat and protein are energy sources too. The body will use what you give it and produce energy; in this regard your body is capable of amazing things. Pre historic man spent a large part of every year without certain carb sources during harsh winters that did not allow for the growing of crops. Furthermore pizza, cookies, pop tarts and other refined carbs were not even through of at this point. Low and behold, man survived. Endurance athletes have a greater need for carbohydrate because of the specific activities that they perform. Distance runners for example keep going like the energizer bunny with no stopping for the body to regenerate itself. As a result carbs aremore important for endurance athletes. Powerlifters on the other hand only need energy to perform short bouts of intense exercise. The energy systems responsible for supporting these short bouts do not rely solely on carbohydrate for fuel. Fats in fact can be a highly efficient energy source for strength athletes when the body is adapted to utilize them.
Why Low Carb Nutrition Plans Decrease Body Fat.
Consumption of carbohydrates causes the pancreas to release a fat-storing hormone called insulin. Insulin is released into the blood stream to manage blood sugar levels as a normal part of homeostasis. Blood sugar will rise higher if certain carbs are eaten and as a result more insulin must be released. Insulin counteracts fat burning mechanisms and seeks to stuff nutrients into working muscles OR fat cells if the energy is not immediately utilized. This topic has been over simplified but for the purposes of this article please understand that insulin can and will push nutrients into storage causing body fat increases.
Consistently stable levels of insulin will enable the body to constantly use stored body fat as a fuel source since stored carbohydrate (glycogen) is not readily available. You will be a fat burning machine night and day that will chip away at fat reserves day and night.
We have all heard about the many benefits of consuming protein in large quantities as strength athletes. Protein provides building blocks for repair, new muscle growth and performance. A wide variety of protein sources should be consumed and do not fear red meat! Red meat provides important nutrients and should not be avoided, but lean choices are preferred. Remember that protein powder such as whey and other mixes are a great tool, but nothing will substitute for the specific amino acid profiles found in REAL food. Be sure to get several servings of protein every day. Try consuming between one and three grams of protein per lean pound of body weight. The higher end of the range produces great results! Fats are the misunderstood nutrient and are wrongly villainized by an ignorant media. Certain fat sources are highly anabolic and vital to the proper function and health of all people. I do not recommend feasting on fried foods and highly saturated fat sources such as bacon. These sources are lousy for athletes and are likely responsible for all of the problems wrongly associated with good fats. Consumption of goodfats are directly linked to increases in anabolic hormones such as testosterone. Good fats include flax seed oil, fish oil, mixed nuts, egg yolks, avocado, olive oil etc.
The RIGHT Times to Consume Carbs: Post workout and Carb ups
I believe that strength athletes do need some carbs for maximalperformance and the key is the timing of carb ingestion. The metabolismis peaked to consume carbs after the workout along with othernutrients. This topic is well researched and I will not bother draggingyou through the boring studies for the purposes of this article. Ihighly recommend consuming a bulk of your carbs during the three-hourwindow of opportunity following workouts. The amount of carbs consumedshould depend on body weight and activity of the workout. Some willneed fifty while super heavies may do best with one hundred and fifty.I encourage you to experiment with the amounts, but be sure to consumethese carbs ASAP following the workout with a fast acting protein suchas whey powder. I highly recommend using Free Form Amino Acids postworkout to increase recovery rates, lean body mass and decrease bodyfat levels. Medium glycemic index carbs such as fruits are the perfectsource at this time. Dr. Serrano recommends cycling some carb meals every fourth day fromquality carb sources to put wood on the metabolic fire. Experiment withdifferent amounts, but keep your intake under control! White rice,sweet potatoes and oatmeal are the preferred sources for thisparticular carb meal. Try consuming 50-75 grams of carbs in two dividedmeals.
Increase Competition Strength 5-10% with Post Weigh in Carb LOADS!
The fun starts when you can eat like a maniac following a weigh in topack on as much body weight as possible for the platform. The hoursfollowing the weigh in offer you a unique opportunity to carb load thesystem and fill your glycogen stores. Your system will suck up thecarbs as energy and not readily convert to fat if the load is less thana day or two in duration. Dr. Serrano claims that a 5-10% increase incompetition strength will take place if a series of carb heavy mealsare consumed following the weigh in. A positive hormonal explosion willoccur, rocketing you to a great performance. Of course you must followa low carb plan leading up to the weigh in so your body can takeadvantage of the super recompensation.
Methods for Maintaining low Insulin levels, Creating a Fat Burning Furnace
Consuming fats, protein and carbs together will prevent massivereleases of insulin by creating stable blood sugar levels. Rememberthat high blood sugar which is caused by high glycemic carbs and carbseaten alone will result in more insulin.Maintaining lower insulin levels is conducive to body fat loss and canbe accomplished using several methods. First and foremost consumingfewer or no high glycemic carbohydrates, which are breads, pastas,sugar and other highly refined foods. These food sources did not existwhen man was first walking the earth and as a result the humandigestive systems are not will equipped to handle these "new" foodchoices. High glycemic carbs release higher levels of insulin andincrease the likelihood of fat storage.
Give it a try, Nothing to Lose and only Strength and Size to gain!
Give this plan a try, but if you must use it for at least three weeksleading up to a contest to ensure your system adapts in time forcompetition. Some people are a bit sluggish when starting a plan suchas this, but a simple thermogenic can do wonders if it fits within yourpersonal situation.
By: Scott H. Mendelson http://www.infinityfitness.com/pl.htm
I have seen powerlifters get onto a scale and whine like Richard Simmons at the Weight Watchers annual meeting when they do not make weight! It is not a pretty sight, but a familiar one. Unlike Richard who only needs to worry about obese women eating him during a video taping, the powerlifter must prepare for a highly demanding competition.
I hear the same complaints from powerlifters around contest time in regards to winning the battle with the scale long before they approach the platform. Super heavies have it made since they can roll in at any weight they like, but the rest must squeeze into a weight class and in many cases sacrifice performance because of the methods they "use to lose". Rapid losses in bodyweight as water, LBM or body fat will result in maximal strength decreases during the hours and days following because of the negative hormonal cascade created according to Dr. Eric Serrano MD. Dr. Serrano is a champion powerlifter who has extensivelyresearched nutrition as it relates to the specific performance of powerlifters. Why put your heart and sole into preparation for a contest if you plan to hinder performance with last minute weigh in disasters.
A Bodyweight Management Strategy that WORKS!
We all invest tremendous efforts into training cycle preparations; why not plan a body weight strategy? I have devised a simple yet effective body weight management system that will not only avoid bombing out on meet day, but also elevate performance when it is time to get on the platform for those savored attempts. I am also betting that some of the readers will value the decreased body fat and joint pain that will result from this nutrition plan. Even powerlifters who are not image conscious should consider shedding some body fat so that more muscle mass can be packed on their frames without busting into a new weight class. Believe it or not, but low carb plans will often times result in significant long term muscle mass gains due to the high quality of calories that are ingested and rapid increase of anabolic hormones.
Training Success, but Competition Failure Due to Weigh in Desperation
As a strength coach I communicate with many powerlifters and learn from their experiences as I offer my advice. I will paint a picture for you that I have seen a hundred times. Email is the method often times used to contact me and I received a disturbing story recently. A powerlifter spent sixteen weeks preparing for a meet, setting Personal Records in all of his lifts along the way during training. The trainee had made tremendous strides as a competitor and was ready to make waves in the Powerlifting world in an upcoming contest. Problems arose when he realized he was several pounds too heavy to qualify for his desired weight class. He desperately dehydrated his system with sauna sessions, long runs, starvation tactics and diuretic drugs. Weight was made, but performance suffered. The lifter felt weak even after attempting to replenish his system with fluids and food post weigh in. It was too late! On competition day he bombed out, missing conservative opening attempts that he had commonly breezed through during the most recent training phase. The competition was a complete failure and this young man sought answers after not being able to figure out why performance was so poor.
Answers were quite simple; he put his body into a catabolic state from the excessive running, loss of body weight and lack of food, which released high levels of counterproductive catabolic hormones. A catabolic state takes days or even weeks to break and will zap strength more than any other force on this earth. Powerlifters ask their bodies to perform at the highest limits of performance; these demands are unrealistic if the lifter does not respect the nutritional needs of the body.
The Solution: A Relatively low Carb Plan Specifically for Powerlifters
We will explore a low carbohydrate, high protein, moderate fat diet for use by strength athletes and not pre contest bodybuilders. Bodybuilding media tends to dominate on the topic of nutrition and too many athletes falsely assume that their nutritional needs are the same as the pretty boys. I do not advocate zero carb or ketogenic diets, which are appropriate for those who must maximize fat loss, but not for those facing strength challenges. You will be given options for strategic carbohydrate loadings to boost metabolism and performance; the key is timing! Explanations for why this plan will decrease body fat and naturally lower water weight are relatively simple and covered in many articles. However few people realize the benefits of the hormonal reactions created by this nutrition plan that in my experience increaseperformance and rates of recovery.
The Positive Hormonal Response Created by Low Carb Plans
Research has proven that low carb plans will increase anabolic hormones such as testosterone, Growth Hormone and IGF-1. These are potent fat burning hormones that can create drastic reductions in body fat naturally while increasing strength and rates or recovery. Hormones are the building blocks for everything optimize them or miss out on the benefits.
A Low Carb Plan will help you drop Weight Immediately with No Work
Reducing the amount of carbohydrate consumed will result in lower levels of a stored energy source, which is commonly known as glycogen. Glycogen represents some actual body weight in itself, but water is stored with glycogen and is more significant in terms of the scale. Your body weight will decrease quickly if fewer carbs are consumed because you will burn existing energy storage and release water at the same time. It is common for large competitors to lose between ten and fifteen pounds by reducing carb intake.
Carbs are NOT the only Fuel Source! Man has Thrived WITHOUT Carbs
Athletes have been misled to believe that carbs are the only source of energy. In actuality fat and protein are energy sources too. The body will use what you give it and produce energy; in this regard your body is capable of amazing things. Pre historic man spent a large part of every year without certain carb sources during harsh winters that did not allow for the growing of crops. Furthermore pizza, cookies, pop tarts and other refined carbs were not even through of at this point. Low and behold, man survived. Endurance athletes have a greater need for carbohydrate because of the specific activities that they perform. Distance runners for example keep going like the energizer bunny with no stopping for the body to regenerate itself. As a result carbs aremore important for endurance athletes. Powerlifters on the other hand only need energy to perform short bouts of intense exercise. The energy systems responsible for supporting these short bouts do not rely solely on carbohydrate for fuel. Fats in fact can be a highly efficient energy source for strength athletes when the body is adapted to utilize them.
Why Low Carb Nutrition Plans Decrease Body Fat.
Consumption of carbohydrates causes the pancreas to release a fat-storing hormone called insulin. Insulin is released into the blood stream to manage blood sugar levels as a normal part of homeostasis. Blood sugar will rise higher if certain carbs are eaten and as a result more insulin must be released. Insulin counteracts fat burning mechanisms and seeks to stuff nutrients into working muscles OR fat cells if the energy is not immediately utilized. This topic has been over simplified but for the purposes of this article please understand that insulin can and will push nutrients into storage causing body fat increases.
Consistently stable levels of insulin will enable the body to constantly use stored body fat as a fuel source since stored carbohydrate (glycogen) is not readily available. You will be a fat burning machine night and day that will chip away at fat reserves day and night.
We have all heard about the many benefits of consuming protein in large quantities as strength athletes. Protein provides building blocks for repair, new muscle growth and performance. A wide variety of protein sources should be consumed and do not fear red meat! Red meat provides important nutrients and should not be avoided, but lean choices are preferred. Remember that protein powder such as whey and other mixes are a great tool, but nothing will substitute for the specific amino acid profiles found in REAL food. Be sure to get several servings of protein every day. Try consuming between one and three grams of protein per lean pound of body weight. The higher end of the range produces great results! Fats are the misunderstood nutrient and are wrongly villainized by an ignorant media. Certain fat sources are highly anabolic and vital to the proper function and health of all people. I do not recommend feasting on fried foods and highly saturated fat sources such as bacon. These sources are lousy for athletes and are likely responsible for all of the problems wrongly associated with good fats. Consumption of goodfats are directly linked to increases in anabolic hormones such as testosterone. Good fats include flax seed oil, fish oil, mixed nuts, egg yolks, avocado, olive oil etc.
The RIGHT Times to Consume Carbs: Post workout and Carb ups
I believe that strength athletes do need some carbs for maximalperformance and the key is the timing of carb ingestion. The metabolismis peaked to consume carbs after the workout along with othernutrients. This topic is well researched and I will not bother draggingyou through the boring studies for the purposes of this article. Ihighly recommend consuming a bulk of your carbs during the three-hourwindow of opportunity following workouts. The amount of carbs consumedshould depend on body weight and activity of the workout. Some willneed fifty while super heavies may do best with one hundred and fifty.I encourage you to experiment with the amounts, but be sure to consumethese carbs ASAP following the workout with a fast acting protein suchas whey powder. I highly recommend using Free Form Amino Acids postworkout to increase recovery rates, lean body mass and decrease bodyfat levels. Medium glycemic index carbs such as fruits are the perfectsource at this time. Dr. Serrano recommends cycling some carb meals every fourth day fromquality carb sources to put wood on the metabolic fire. Experiment withdifferent amounts, but keep your intake under control! White rice,sweet potatoes and oatmeal are the preferred sources for thisparticular carb meal. Try consuming 50-75 grams of carbs in two dividedmeals.
Increase Competition Strength 5-10% with Post Weigh in Carb LOADS!
The fun starts when you can eat like a maniac following a weigh in topack on as much body weight as possible for the platform. The hoursfollowing the weigh in offer you a unique opportunity to carb load thesystem and fill your glycogen stores. Your system will suck up thecarbs as energy and not readily convert to fat if the load is less thana day or two in duration. Dr. Serrano claims that a 5-10% increase incompetition strength will take place if a series of carb heavy mealsare consumed following the weigh in. A positive hormonal explosion willoccur, rocketing you to a great performance. Of course you must followa low carb plan leading up to the weigh in so your body can takeadvantage of the super recompensation.
Methods for Maintaining low Insulin levels, Creating a Fat Burning Furnace
Consuming fats, protein and carbs together will prevent massivereleases of insulin by creating stable blood sugar levels. Rememberthat high blood sugar which is caused by high glycemic carbs and carbseaten alone will result in more insulin.Maintaining lower insulin levels is conducive to body fat loss and canbe accomplished using several methods. First and foremost consumingfewer or no high glycemic carbohydrates, which are breads, pastas,sugar and other highly refined foods. These food sources did not existwhen man was first walking the earth and as a result the humandigestive systems are not will equipped to handle these "new" foodchoices. High glycemic carbs release higher levels of insulin andincrease the likelihood of fat storage.
Give it a try, Nothing to Lose and only Strength and Size to gain!
Give this plan a try, but if you must use it for at least three weeksleading up to a contest to ensure your system adapts in time forcompetition. Some people are a bit sluggish when starting a plan suchas this, but a simple thermogenic can do wonders if it fits within yourpersonal situation.
