Hey DM!
I’ve been doing some research on thermogenics/ fat burning/ fat blocker supplements, so I headed to the gym today and asked a Personal Trainer over there about Nutrex Lipo-6.
Anyway, he recommended a ‘personally-guaranteed’ product… a mixture of Ma Huang* and something called ******? He hesitated in spelling it for me.. and kept pushing me to buy it.. which kinda turned me off.. 2-4 pills a day he said, up to 2 weeks, followed by a one month off period..
I am searching online for the latter ingredient.. but can’t seem to get the spelling right. Ma Huang is also called Ephedrine which accelerates heart rate (the PT said).
He mentioned that 80% of his clients are taking these tablets and all of them absolutely love it.. so I did ask him: why do i need to buy a hundred tablets? can’t i just take 50 tabs first? his reply to me was: oh but u can keep u see… so i said: if 80% of ur clients are taking it, im sure u can help me find someone who wants to buy the other half since it’s so popular anyways.. he had nothing to say…
Previously on another occasion some months ago when I felt as if my workout wasn’t quite going anywhere, I asked him how to get rid of the last couple of layers of blubber.. he straightaway launched into this ONE-week programme thing that he designed.. 6 days of workout, high-protein high fibre diet, some pill-popping, then on the 7th day, only SIPS of water allowed to get rid of water in your body.. he guaranteed me 6 packs.. i was like WHAT?!
I thought I’d share my experience with you.
Cheers!
Fitchick
This is like giving a kid a can of beer when all he needed was a glass of milk. It’s just MEAN. This is just SO WRONG is SO MANY ways I just don’t know where to start.
It is extremely dissapointing to hear such recommendations come from the mouth of a Personal Trainer (PT). It is people like these who tarnish an awesome life-changing and inspiring job of being a Personal Trainer. What I find disappointing is that he suggested an easy way out (which also happens to be a very UNSAFE one) to someone who was keen on doing things right. What he suggested very much sounds like a recipe for a heart attack… jokes aside.
Also, the diet he suggested sounds very much like a pre-contest diet where bodybuilders strip their last bits of bodyfat to look good just in time for a contest and appearing on stage. You should ask the PT.. what happens after the 1 week of madness?
If I were you.. I would NOT go down that path of drug abuse to achieve weight loss. This entire topic is very, very controversial, and surprisingly - very widespread wherever you go. It’s just that it is rarely discussed, for obvious reasons - it’s illegal, and has the potential to do you harm if you’re not careful.
As for Ma Huang - it’s pretty common and can be found in most thermogenic supplements - but in controlled doses so that you won’t run the risk of screwing yourself.
Here’s a description of Ma Huang I got off the net:
*Ma Huang is an evergreen plant derivative. It acts as a stimulant by supposedly boosting energy and helping with weight control, and is chemically similar to ephedrine. Ephedrine accomplishes weight control partly by reducing appetite and by boosting your heart rate, etc.
Any products containing ephedra were made illegal for over-the-counter sales by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 12, 2004. Prior to this date, ephedra was available legally in nutritional supplements, energizers, and dietary teas, as well as in herbal “ecstasy,” which was the impetus for its controversy. The US FDA banned ephedrine after it “…received an increasing number of reports of adverse reactions associated with ephedra use. These reported reactions vary from the milder adverse effects known to be associated with sympathomimetic stimulants (e.g., nervousness, dizziness, tremor, alterations in blood pressure, headache, gastrointestinal distress) to chest pain, myocardial infarction, hepatitis, stroke, seizures, psychosis, and death.” Some 32 deaths were also attributed to this drug.
However, the whole ephedrine abuse drama too, is controversial, and there’s always been two sides of the story, just like everything else. I’d rather not go there.
And a note to everyone - dailymuscle.com does not condone the usage of Ephedrine, or any other drug for the enhancement of sport performance, no matter what your excuse is. Nothing beats proper nutrition, diet, and exercise.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us Fitchick. I appreciate it.
Your friend and coach,
DM
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{ 75 comments… read them below or add one }
Its bad enough that us Msians dont have enough awareness when it comes to proper nutritioning and now this kinda shit has to come to town?
PTs should just keep their gaps shut when it comes to nutrition and focus their efforts on improving their techniques and concentrate on results leaving the nutrition-ing (is there such a word) to us; nutritionist.
If you ask me what is a thermogenic?
It is generally translated in layman terms as a fat-burner
but if you ask me for ephedrine and ill smack your innards out.
I wouldnt be that annoyed if the client came up to the trainer and ASKED for it… then its a slightly different story (though still not a very good one). But when someone genuinely asks you for help.. and you slap them in the face with illegal drugs WITHOUT explaining the risks involved, or at least telling them what it is they’re getting into.. that’s just PLAIN WRONG.
half of them smoke and dont’ even know how to execute a movement properly and they still have the cheek to come to you and tell you what to do.
most of them dissappear when their phone rings, or too busy answering sms to even care…well, that was what i observed in the gym i’m in la.
DM: Even if they come up to the trainer, they should dissuade it, suggest alternatives and not spur them on.
but they all lookbulk up one wor..
Here we go again on condamning the PTs. Just the few of them give ALL the other GOOD and RELIABLE PTs a bad name. I once was speaking to a PT just to ask for some “advise” on how to get bigger, and he immediately said, “If XXX (My ex-PT) can’t do it, I definately can!”. With all that confidence, then he suggested to try some steroids. “I can get for you at a very good price, and also some protein which come directly from US which you can’t get here to boost your size.” Like woahhhh~~~~
hmmm.. we live in a society of instant gratification can u blame him. Some takes it ok, tho I aam not sure how they look like. I’ve seen PT passing protein shakes with some pills.. that does not look like supplement pills coz it comes in stripes. More liek medication to me.
i think fitchick should disclose this issue to the PT’s manager. this kind of unethical act should be stopped or more people will fall as victims.
not surprised as steroids are usually easily avial OTC.
Why ah u all soooo hate PT’s are? It now make me feel like I have just done a stupid thing by gettin one. I hope mine wont turn out to be like what u all have been sayin about PT’s lah. So far I have become frens with a few at my fitness centre and they all seem nice and getlemen, members that I spoke too also sing praises for them that was why I went and got one. I think they are a big help for people like me who are CLUELESS about excercise and weight machines and free weights stuff. If they werent there to guide me I think I would end up doing rubbish by myself. Like u’ve got to have the right posture to do certain stuff and to me it seems every machine seems to have different ways to position ur hand, body and legs to do them. And like the fit ball weight carrying thing ,how would I be able to position myself lying down on the fit ball and also go get the weights and position it up on me without a Trainers help?Or reach up the handles to grab the bars of some of the machine, FYI I am really shortlah kanot reach some of the handles hahaha.To me I think they are a big help and all I have to say is if they ‘mishandle’ you, just scream ur head off!
jay: some PTs r trained in e nutrition aspect, but i think sometimes they tend 2forget that proper diet + good workout actually can work w/o resortg 2 supplement pumpg. it’s bcoz smtimes trainers want 2hv fast results.. therefore these PTs tk e short cut = supplement pumpg = fast results = trainers luv ‘em = more recommendations.. u think so? hmm.. i might be wrong..
T+1: e PT is e manager of this place.. he owns dis gym :)
stupe: i’ve seen PTs do exactly that - answer a call, read/reply a text, ‘hold on ah, let me grab a coffee’, etc. utterly unprofessional. i undrstnd if one needs to grab sip of water, rush to e washroom or even consult e progress file… :S
steveneleven: i like that, instant gratification. :) exactly e term i was looking for.
Hafiz Hector/ CluelessMama: we don’t hate PTs.. at least, i don’t. yet agn, it’s so difficult to place trust at times when we hear of these thgs happeng. just like, when a brand of contact lens solution that’s contaminated, e whole nation became frenetic. but i wud love to train under a PT n get where i want to be!! but it’s so freakg costly to hire one!
DM: mucho grazie (however it’s spelt!) thanks for ur time n patience! ;)
ooops.. in Jay’s: shud be “trainees” not “trainers”.. aiya.. “we” lah..
hmm fitchick.. are u dailymuscle GF? helping him to run his comment box? I so jeles. ANyway, at True Fitness they have this invitation for members to become trainers, is this a normal practice? Anybone been on that path, how tough is it? THoughts? thks
steveneleven: Even if they look ‘bulked up’ .. it doesnt not necessarily mean that they have the skills to be an excellent
oh yes.. i did not quite use e correct term… supplements can both mean e good: vitamins, etc.. e bad: drugs. thanks DM!
steveneleven: no need to b envious.
Define “illegal drugs”… Steroids aren’t illegal you know? Yes… I know there are banned in competitions but…
Anyway, I’m definitely not encouraging people to take steroids cause it is plain STUPID to do so just to gain size… Think for the future…
And for those who has taken steroids, I’m sure you have your own reason to do so… (Maybe you are in the 30s or 40s and you feel that you wanna get freakish but do not have the hormones you once had when you are 18-25?)
My advice for those who wants to take steroids, you better think twice or at least consult people who are PROFESSIONALS like your doctor or a pro bodybuilder who understands clearly about drugs!
As for PTs… Bad ones… Ones mentioned above… I’m kinda disappointed…*sigh*
Truth is, I want to be a PT badly in Celeb Fitness(1U) and I’m gonna be one soon… A good one…
One that understands his client’s needs and so and so…
One that shouts the rep-counts to motivate his client to push harder…
After reading the above comments, I downright agree that there are just too many of such PTs around… TOO MANY…
What I think is the problem of this PTs is mainly they do not understand that what works for them does not mean it works for others…
I’m so glad there are smart clients such as fitchick… SO GLAD…
Just imagine a freakish bodybuilder PT telling a young teen boy who wants to get big fast to take sterobol just because it works for him… (that’s what i heard)
Well, you get my point…
Chris: Yes they ARE, if they were to be used (abused?) for enhancing sports performance.
Also, sterobol is not an anabolic steroid - It’s a ridiculous supplement which has a name that SOUNDS like an anabolic steroid (done on purpose), and you’re supposed to use a syringe to dispense it into the mouth. Why not just use a teaspoon?
It is very irresponsible of supplement manufacturers to come up with products like these because it exposes people and generates unnecessary curiosity.
Thanks for your comments though. Appreciate it! And do keep us updated on your progress of being a PT.. it would be nice to hear your experience.
Personal trainers…like everyone some are good some are bad. I was lucky , my trainer did not try to “sell” me anything. In fact once I finished my training sessions with him, he told me that I should just contiune with the programme and i should reach my target if I keep it up. I have heard of stories from others that some people who do not achieve their target, the PT’s actually try to “sell” sessions.
And about supplements, don’t rely on one person for information. Also, don’t just rely on drug companies producing these drugs as their info will be biased. Ask your regular doctor, nutritionist, etc for advice.
I personally know someone who took performing enhancing drugs - he got fast results but with it he had to endure insomnia, palpitations, etc.
i didn’t know TF has this program for member to be trainer. like that can earn some cash to buy milk for my son!
:)
DM: Hmmmm… So steroids are illegal… Thanks for clearing that up! Lol… I wasn’t too sure about that earlier cause I know that steroid injections can be obtained EASILY from any doctor… If steroids are illegal, can’t we put those doctors who assist patients for steroid injection behind bars along with the person who purchased steroids… I heard there are about Rm30 per jab… ZZZ… Don’t understand why people want to use such drugs…
Hmmm, I’m also wondering why DM has such a wide knowledge bout supps… You even know what sterobol is lol… I had the impression that it was steroid because of the method it is administered or consumed… Anyway, I still think it’s a little extreme to actually use such a supplement which carries MAYBE similiar effect to steroids… I’ve no idea… Never tried… Maybe DM knows haha… :P
Will keep you guys update on me being a PT! ^^
Anyway, just a little info about myself… I’ve started bodybuilding a year ago and I’ve just no idea why I have to train myself to the extend of killing myself… :/ Probably I just had enough of teasing about me being skinny and etc etc…
Before I was a skinny ectomorph boy at 57kg 8% body fat, 174cm…
Now I’m a so-so 19 year old guy (my friends and family say I’m too freakish but I think I’m never big enough) at 75kg 9% body fat, 175cm…
Currently at 1U celeb fitness…
So far, I’ve tried these supps over a year:
N-Large 2 (my first gainer 4 out of 5)
Prolab creatine (3 out of 5)
Animal Pak (5 out of 5)
Animal Stak 2 (5 out of 5 in terms of effectiveness but may vary in diff individuals)
Animal M-stak (5 out of 5 in terms of effectiveness but may vary in diff individuals)
BSN NO-xplode (4 out of 5)
BSN cell-mass (4.5 out of 5)
ON 100% whey (4.5 out of 5)
Muscletech gakic, leukic, creakic (not sure how to rate)
Twinlab super mass gainer (3 out of 5)
Twinlab amino fuel (4 out of 5)
GNC 100% whey (SUCKS) lol..
There are a couple more supps which I can’t seem to recall…
Anyway, HARDCORE rocks… Just stay away from steroids…
P/S: DM, do you think that Dave Pharmacia M1T-RX is an anabolic steroid? It says on its description that M1T-RX has similiar effect or even better than anabolic steroids and that just makes me wonder if it IS AN anabolic steroid or not… Though I’m never interested in trying such risky stuffs before actually knowing what it is… Just curious ^^
Chris, u mustve spent a fortune using all those supps.
Anyway sorry for buggin in, if you want something like steriod but isnt - check Norateen heavyweight here - http://www.lamuscle.com/docs/products/bestsellers.php
not a salesman, ive tried one of their fat burning products - fat stripper, it’s actually quite good when combined with proper cardio. for something like Ma huang, its too dangerous. Seen my friend using it and it did more harm than good.
this brand is not quite popular bcoz its a UK brand if im not mistaken. But it can do you good.
dont think there sell it in Msia..but just want to share somethin..
Atoi: Oh thanks dude! :)
Problem is I’m an ectomorph or at least I think I still am… It’s plain hard for me to bulk up so I would probably stay away from fat stripping products :) Wouldn’t want my 6 meals per day effort to go down the drain… Haha…
Anyway, there’s a site called “binabadan.com” presumably a malaysian site that sells Dave Pharmacia M1t-rx and lean-rx… The first for bulking up and latter for cuts… Not sure if it’s safe… They mentioned its from Germany and now shifted to US…
The vice president’s name of dave-pharmacia is Tom Welling which coincidently is similiar with the star actor’s name - Clark from Smallville… Lol…
I’m not promoting sites… Just curious about the product’s origin and it’s effectiveness that’s all :P
Anyway, Ma Huang in proper dosage shouldn’t do much harm if I’m not wrong… cause Animal Stak2 contain Ma Huang and I’ve tried them…
Well can’t say for Animal Stak2 side effects though… E.g. sometimes sleeplessness, heart beating wildly, sweating at nite… but effectiveness overall is 5/5 :)
My advice is if you are 25 and above and you feel that your hormones aren’t there, you can try this stack: Animal Pak, Stak2 and M-stak… Anyway, it’s for people who want to bulk up crazily… If you’re under 25, just take Pak and M-stak will do… :)
But I wouldn’t dare try anything that affects my testesterone again eventhough Stak2 is thought to be safe and I think it is… I’m still young you see? :P Was 18 when I tried Stak2 so I guess it’s a little silly… We all learn from experiences don’t we? Haha… Lucky I’ve didn’t stupidly take something more hardcore which would mess up my body’s hormones…
Anyway, you are right… I’ve spent thousands on supplements in 1 year until my parents complained… I’m not rich you see… but I worked to pay for the supps… Can’t say I regretted spending money to improve my body physique…
Atoi: Anyway, I’ve checked the site you recommended… The price is CRAAAZZZEEEEYYYYY… Haha… 5kg protein for 99 pounds = RM670! I wished my dad prints money ^^
Although I’m thankful to you for recommending me this site… At least I have something to read during my free-time. :P
Have read through entire bodybuilding.com’s supplements and probably most of its forum… haha… I know i’m nuts…
hi all.. hope it was great wkend! :)
met e PT 2day at e gym n he said he researched on e Nutrex Lipo-6. he told me that e supplement that he recommended (mixture of ***** & MaHuang) is by far better than e Lipo-6. asked him Why? he said that e supplement he recommends is more potent, leading to faster results.
i eyed him quizzically but said nothing else n proceeded w my wrkout.
a lil update in case anyone’s reading this :D
fitchick: LOL!!! That PT is soooooooooooooo ridiculous…
It’s like saying if we want to bake a cake fast, we put the oven temperature to its max! :P
Total waste of time, money and energy to produce a crappy/dangerous result… if you get what I mean…
Anyway, before trying any supplements, do remember to do full research on them first and not take them blindly because “someone” recommend it… :)
chris: wahaha! yup yup.. tell me bout it man..
wont b jumpg into any concluNs abt any supplements at e mmt.. hav always been on e crusade that i can do w/o any pill-popping.. but a 3 mth lapse has caused me to perhaps think otherwise.. seek some help, u know what i mean? ahhaha
but thx for e comment! all e best w ur workout regime! :D
dun worry fitchick.. lapse is normal. I dunno lapse how many times liao
each time u come back stronger. Coz u choose to! Coz u want all the guys to go nuts when u walk into da club.. uh huh uh huh *bopping head up and down*
thanks steveneleven!
will b humming “pretty woman” or some other appropriate song when i walk into e club.. :D
all e best to u too!
Lapse is common so no big deal :) JUST DON’T QUIT!
What Happens When…
by Schak
So what happens when the time comes and you just don’t feel like training? Now calm down, calm down… I didn’t say quit training. I simply said didn’t feel like training. Now you know you’re lying through your teeth if you tell me this never happens. It happens all the time and it’s perfectly normal. Let’s face the fact that lifting weights is not exactly easy. As a matter of fact, it’s really fucking hard. It beats your body up. It hurts your joints. It makes you tired and sore. But we absolutely love it.
So the question is, when the time comes and you feel burned out, do you take time off? Answer: Yes. The question then becomes, how much time? A day? A week? A month? Answer: Yes, yes, yes. You take however much time you feel you need or your body needs. There are times when bodybuilders for one reason or another take years off. I’m not saying that’s what you should do but a clear mind and desire to train is important.
Yes, you should take a day here and there. If you need more than that, then take a week or two… If you don’t train hard, and I mean balls out, then you really shouldn’t get burned out-you’re just looking for an excuse not to train. If you do go hard then you need the time to rest every so often. Don’t be afraid to take the time. Just don’t take advantage of what I’m saying and use it as an excuse for being lazy.
thanks Chris! :D
thanks Chris! :D
all the best to you yah!
i found this online:
Q: I have a lot of gusto when I first start a workout program, but then I lose steam after a few months. How can I stay motivated?
Lokelani Answers:
Loss of motivation is a classic sign of overtraining, so you might want to take a break from your routine. (Other symptoms of overtraining include irritability and insomnia.) If you take a week off, or even just forgo the gym and do some cardio outside, you’ll likely look forward to jumping back into your workouts. And when you do, make sure to rest at least a day between sessions. It’s also smart to schedule monthly physical rewards like a massage or a pedicure, so you can pamper yourself and have something to work toward.
:) or easier solution is to get married, have a kid and take sabbatical, like me, for months to end. ;-)
Personally, nothing motivates me more than relaxing in the sauna, taking a warm shower after that and enjoying a real good tasting protein shake after a gruesome workout :P
Well, that’s what I’ve always been looking forward to after every workout ^^ Lol…
Stupe: i am liking e sounds of that! hahaha.. :D
Chris: ‘gruesome’? hehe.. that’s one way to describe a workout.. ;)
fitchick: Ya well… That’s how I love my workout to be anyway :P
P/S: Check out my newly open blog at http://www.chrisdaanimal.blogspot.com!
Might not be as comprehensive as dailymuscle.com (as I’ve just started), but I still think it’s worth a look hehe :P It’s my blog you know??? Lol…
chris: checkd out ur blog.. it’s no wonder u describe ur wrkout as ‘gruesome’.. hehee.. :D those pictures r somewhat.. scary.. i do apologize for e lack of vocabulary at this pt of time hehe..
btw, in today’s NST:
“What Meat is Safe?”
“Pigs are not the only farm animals fattened with banned growth boosters”
“Random tests by the Msia Doping Control Centre (DCC) confirm that cattle, goats and poultry have been fed with Salbutamol, the most commonly used beta-agonist”
“Terbutaline & Clanbuterol, though more effective, are not as widely used due to their high prices”
“Although beta-agonist, a drug listed under the Poisons Schedule, was banned in 1996, the Ministry of Health acknowledged that farmers used it to produce more marketable lean meat and speed up growth of pigs”
“Beta-agonist is a bronchodilator traditionally used to dilate the airways to relieve the shortness of breath in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease”
“Pigs fed with the substance mature 20 days earlier and produce an additional 4kg of lean meat”
“DCC science officer Mohd Azman Ibrahim warned of the long term dangers of eating meat containing the banned beta-agonists, which includes heart-related diseases, headaches, dizziness, breathing difficulties and palpitations. ‘Those who are weak can see their hands trembling shortly after eating tainted meat’”
update on e PT: he’s not pesterg me anymore abt his miracle product
fitchick: Ur PT has probably read this ur post :P Haha… Or he has just plainly given up…
BTW, I’ve never liked eating pork… Prefer beef or chicken although fish is great sometimes :P
chris: same here. i mean, u wonder why do some races/ religions shun pork n beef.. there must SOME reason.. n they’re good reasons.. ;)
i stick to chicken n fish too. either grilled, boiled, steamed etc.. hehee.. an occasional beef or mutton.. esp when it comes to indian mutton curry (paandi’s, steven’s etc) and beef raganof/ tony roma’s or stew.. ehehe..
but it’s mainly vege (broccoli, cabbage, ice lettuce, carrots, peas, beans etc), toufu, tuna (a can aft gym at times), salmon, eggs (if bittergourd is cooked w eggs i’ll gladly eat them) n mushrooms (shitake, portobello, enoki, button)
n nah. i strongly doubt he reads dis site. :D :P
fitchick: Good point… If your PT reads this site, he’ll probably wouldn’t suggest crazy ideas to fellow gym-goers… :P But maybe he dropped by here by chance, who knows? Haha…
chris: ;) let’s jus keep fingers crossd then. but then agn, im quitting dat gym so it doesnt really matter anyways.
DM, I’m sure you remember me, lemme “tumpang” your site to clarify some things.
Chris : You mentioned lapses. A person experiences a burnout due to the CNS being overtrained. It isn’t really a matter of muscles or joints (make note that i’m assuming a trainee is free from injuries, just having a “burnt out feeling) In fact, you don’t really need to take time off. It is simply impossible for a trainee to experience linear progression indefinitely in his training (noobie gains). Hence the need for periodization/deloading. It all hinges around what is known as “dual factor” training theory. Let’s define a few terms:-
Fitness - the resultant physical ability of the body to adapt and respond positively to external stress
Fatigue - The decreased capacity or complete inability of an individual or a bodypart to function normally because of excessive stimulation or prolonged exertion - note fatigue can be very temporary as a result of acute stimulii (i.e. biceps get fatigued from a set of curls) or fatigue can be sytemic and cumulative (i.e. the body and its systems are fatigued from hard training over a period of weeks/months)
Performance - the degree of excellence resulting from physical activity, i.e. your ability to bench/squat/dead/chin/row, etc (remember, we’re talking SPECIFIC to weight training here) or, for bodybuilders, the body’s ability to demonstrate muscularity
Overtraining - The act of training too often/too heavy/too long, which causes the body’s recuperative systems to become overwhelmed so that you can no longer recover from training. Performance is DRASTICALLY reduced, as a result, as the body cannot combat the excessive and chronic fatigue.
Overreaching - the planned process of inducing mild systemic overtraining followed by a planned period of systemic fatigue reduction, with the purpose of dramatically increasing performance
Dual factor theory, simply put, involves planning your workouts with the knowledge that fatigue and fitness both affect performance. As you train, you build up your fitness level. Imagine if you were Wolverine…you could train several times a day, everyday, and get stronger and faster constantly. Your fitness level increases, and for some time, your performance level increases as well. You are more energetic, you don’t get sore as often, you become stronger/leaner/faster/more muscular, etc. Life is good!
However, we AREN’T like Wolverine, and fatigue reduces our ability to train at peak performance. As a result, we train for a period of perhaps 1-2 hours, then we take a day (or more) to rest before training again. The purpose of the break is to reduce fatigue to a level which allows us to train again at (or near) peak performance (be it the ability to bench 5 more lbs or the resultant ability to demonstrate muscularity)
Over the course of weeks (and possibly, for beginners/intermediates/genetic misfits) & months your training results in an increase in fitness, but it also results in the systemic accumulation of fatigue. Anyone with experience who has trained for a period of time and then begins suffering from the symptoms of “overtraining” can attest to this. After 10 weeks of hard, intense, consistent training, most people begin to suffer the classic symptoms of overtraining, i.e. loss of appetite, weakness, achy joints, extreme fatigue, problem sleeping, etc.
You are overtraining. Sounds pretty bad, doesn’t it? Except, overtraining is a BEAUTIFUL thing…why? You can be in great shape, but if you’re flippin’ tired, you can’t perform that well. Unfortunately, it takes ALOT OF HARD WORK to get in great shape, and that causes fatigue to accumulate.
The harder you work, the more your fitness goes up, but the more fatigue that accumulates (Loading/accumulation phase). How you perform is not based SOLELY on your fitness level, but it is based on a (very non-mathematical, but rather theoretical) equation that basically states:
“Performance = Fitness - Fatigue”
Put simply, your performance will be dictated by your level of physical fitness, coupled with how tired you are.
Your FITNESS might dictate that you can PERFORM a bench of 300 lbs, but because you’re FATIGUED (tired), you can only PERFORM a bench of 250
Eventually, you get to the point where you are thoroughly busting your ass and you are starting to see that fatigue overtakes you (overreaching/overtraining phase). So at this point, fatigue has “won” (albeit temporarily) so many trainers will just quit for awhile (a week, sometimes weeks, sometimes several months). This is the ultimate in “missed opportunities”
The thinking man’s trainer decides to take advantage of this by PLANNING to do this, using “Dual Factor theory”. He increases his fitness levels using increasing levels of volume and/or weight and/or frequency and once he reads that fatigue has overtaken his body’s recovery ability, he drastically cuts back on his frequency and/or volume and/or intensity. This allows for an active rest, so fatigue dissipates. however, he is STILL TRAINING, and his fitness levels continue to climb (or at least stay the same) while he ‘rests’.
After a period of time…perhaps a “cruise” of 1 or 2 weeks, or perhaps an “active deload” of 3 weeks, or a “strategic deconditioning” period of 10 days, you are still “in shape” because you’ve been training, but you are well-rested, and you are ready to attack the weights again.
Hi CHRIS, I like what u wrote. To sum it up.. the keyword seems to be ACTIVE RECOVERY, well said man. THKS!
steveneleven : No problem. My training revolves around a lot of powerbuilding, where i mix in both powerlifting and bodybuilding principles, so i have a lot of RE and ME days mixed it, so when fatigue starts accumulating, i do an active deload every 4 weeks where i take out the RE components and just do ME for the entire week, which makes my workouts volume extremely short but effective during a deload phase.
I am a lean built athlete and i have trouble gaining weight. Im at 175 lbs right now and i want to know the best way to build the most muscle..what kind of supplements work best for my situation?
Damn…. where’s DM been, I miss that guy’s articles. Yo DM! Update!!! =P
ben.t.h : You need to address a deeper core issue at hand. Supplementation, while useful is not the ends by itself but the means to an end. There’s a reason why it’s called supplementation. You can have the best training program with the best supplementation out there but if your diet isn’t in order, nothing and i repeat nothing you do will make you grow. I know a lot of guys who’re huge and strong with just natural foods alone, of course i’m not saying you should not take any supplements.
They key issue is, what about your diet regime? Are you getting enough meals in? Is your protein intake sufficient? What about your total daily caloric intake? At the end of the day, a caloric surplus determines mass gain and a caloric deficit will cause weight loss (calories in vs out). If supplementation helps you achieve those goals, by all means go for it, but don’t discount the importance of natural wholesome foods.
DM should be the best fella to recommend you supplementation, he seems to know quite a lot about them. This guy has done his research pretty well.
Chris: I completely understand what you are talking about Chris (Wu) :) Got to changed my name to avoid further confusions between us due to the similiarity of names :P
Anyway, fitchick was the one who started mentioning about lapses not me…
Good thing from your post, I’ve finally found out the reason of my sleeplessness… Always thought it was just the side effects of BSN NO-xplode… Zzz… I’ve reduced the scoops and took it way before my bedtime and still felt insomniac… (ended up dotaing in BS3 through the nite to make myself sleepy)
Any better ideas how to make myself to sleep on time let’s say between 10pm to 12am besides counting sheeps (duh), taking pills and dotaing?
Cause the silly me thought that maybe if I trained harder during my workout, I might just flop in bed and sleep which turned about terribly wrong… All I did was flip around till I got frustrated… So much for overtraining…
Help me! I want to get my rest at the proper time! Tired of sleeping at 5am till 2 to 3pm…
Lol… how’d you know my surname?
Chris: Hehe… That’s for me to know and for you to find out :P
Chris : Meh… lol. I know. You checked my Friendster you biatch! =P
Hi DM,
I’m back to ur dailymuscle.com.
Cheers.
ChrisAnimal: u should not train too hard before u sleep. Mild walk yes, but not all out hard core training, thus I prefer to work out in the early morning. This tends to disturb your sleep instead of helping it, coz of elevated heartbeat? Try this instead, an hour b4 sleep, take a hot bath/shower, then relax when a chamomile tea(or any non-cafeinne tea) and erm maybe light some aromatic candles? hmm this is making me reeeeaaaaaaaally relax now. Hey this place is becoming a forum of sorts.
Hey Chris, DM posted at another article that he will be busy and will only start replying on the 8th., lol, that’s tomorlow lah.
Chrisdaanimal: nooooooooo… wrkg out too late at night wil give u adrenaline rush and heart rate is faster. ur mind and body are probably unable to get into e rest mode (alpha –> beta –> gamma levels) easily.
although u may feel tired physically but e mind is really quite alert, making u ur level of consciousness and mental alertness at an all time high after a power wrk out.
steveneleven’s right u can try taking a hot shower n massage e temples, neck, shoulders, back and calf muscles (sounds odd but dont tk it e wrong way! :)) to bring ur heart rate down.
alternatively, if u do yoga, do some hatha/ restoration/ recuperation.. it helps to deepen ur breathg, relax e muscles, relax e mind (which is most important)..
green tea or chamomile tea or lavender tea definitely helps.. if u’re not a tea person, try warm milk.
aromatherapy’s not something for everyone. u can try! does it really wrk steveneleven? i wil too if i can. feedback!
i didnt know my question on Nutrex Lipo-6 wil spin-off in soooooo many directions ahhaa.. perhaps coz DM’s not here so we direct our questions everywhere… ;)
Chris.. I dun do that.. erm am not even hard core but I am when in gym. I guess I do deload as in lifting light for a week for every month or so, when u “feel” overtrained, i this what u mean by deload? I think I need to chnage my routine or go heavy a bit. Need cellmass soon, damn them are exp and moreoever, its out of stock al the time… hot item.
Hey everyone: I’m actually quite speechless that this writeup of mine attracted 56 comments from all of you. Also, if I were to address each one.. I think I’d be typing away for a couple of hours. I just want to say thanks! And Chris (both of you), thanks for helping out with answering some of the questions raised by my readers during my short absence. I appreciate it, and a job well done!
DM: Haha… Well, this only goes to show how popular your website can be DM and how practically almost every topic could be laid out in the comments (eventhough there are some that are pretty irrelevant with the actual topic)! :)
It should be me thanking you in the first place DM, for providing me with tonnes of infos and answering my enquiries on supps that got me where I am now :)
thanks DM, u inspire us! :D
to all e rest of u.. happy CNY n belated Valentine’s! :D
hmm
so hard to get good PT these days
and its so costly
do we really need PT?
cuz theres a saying ” Teach a man to fish and they can fish forever
but give a man a fish and he will starve forever “.
i believe in being a pt yourself
theres so many mags out there and books which teaches
and i am sure we can ask anyone who looks fit for some tips
or ask them to be your gym partner
and we have this wonderful website here to educate
i believe that self motivation is better than being motivated by PT
personal opinion
but if u have the extra cash~ go ahead and spend it hehe
i personally would recommend Hydroxycut Hardcore
because its the best fatburner product out there
i seen the reviews in Muscle Fitness, Mens Health, Flex, Iron Man etc
its pretty famous
or does anyone know of any good thermogenics/ fat burning/ fat blocker supplements?
TheGargantuan: Lipo 6. I am using it now…not bad I would say. =)
The Dumb: what’s ur take on Lipo-6.. maybe u can enlighten us? :) i am too lookg into lipo-6 aftr readg some reviews/ testimonials of users out there.. ;)
fitchick: Have been taking Lipo 6 for 2 weeks. 2 caps upon waking up & 2 caps before lunch.
I assume u’re aware some of the side effects taking Lipo 6. Some might experience considerable discomfort with Lipo-6 but I had no problems with it. No dizziness, no nausea, or whatsoever. Thank god. I guess everyone is different, though.
It has increased energy during workouts. I need less effort to up my HR & I sweat more during workouts. Besides, it keeps my metabolism high all day long and helps in burning fat in stubborn areas. I can feel that my stomach & thigh are smaller the next day after taking Lipo 6 which is hard for me to believe too!!
The only drawback I had is restless nights for a couple of days. I can’t really have a good sleep and my brain just couldn’t stop working.
It’s said to supress appetite but that doesn’t seem to be my case. (which i do not want it to happen either or else my cals intake would be too low).
Well…I will try to keep ya updated on my results with Lipo 6. Cheers. =)
The Dumb: sure! do keep us all updated. and yeah, i am aware of e possible side-effects tt Lipo-6 users may experience. never try never know! buahahahahahaha…. :D
The Dumb: You can feel that your stomach & thigh are smaller the next day after taking Lipo 6? What are you taking.. Lipo 6 or Liposuction 6? Heh heh. Anyway people.. Lipo 6 is good stuff indeed.
DM: good stuff eh. alright! hi-5! :D :D :D :D :D
DM: Do tell me if u know where to get Liposuction 6…sucks all da stubborn fats out of my body in a matter of hours !! how wonderful….omg….I have Jessica Alba’s body now… *faint*
*recovers*
………………….I.M.P.O.S.S.I.B.L.E
-end rant- :lol: *brain check-up* Ok…don’t worry…I am still “sane”
dont we all wish to hv jessica alba’s body………. *drool*
i was told by the GNC nutritionist
that L-carnitine changes our body fat into energy
maybe u guys should get that as well
Hi guys,
This is my first post here. Actually i’m looking for ephedrine supplements and i stumbled upon this post. Thanks… Dailymuscle, this is a really great blog. It’s like a fitness community, may be you should open your own gym.. or have you??
Farid Isham: The last I heard .. there was a gym for sale at Damansara for RM550,000. I don’t think I make anything that close via this website yet. Perhaps in a few years… a gym… hmmm.. thats an interesting thought. Thanks for the kind words, and thanks for dropping by.
Hi there, This is just what I was looking for!
Evergreen Option: Which is… ?
TheGargantuan: L-carnitine changes fat into energy? honestly, tt’s smth new im hearing.. or have i been really missing out on alot of stuff? haha..
DM: heard of Diet Ripped-Ephedra Free by Ultimate Nutrition? blend of Glucomannan, Green Tea Leaf Extract, Gymnema Leaf Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Alpha Lipoic Acid + Vitamin B6. i suppose it’s quite a burning formula (pun not intended) since there’s green tea, grape seed.. :D
I’ve been a successful personal trainer for over 20 years. After reading some of the posts here I am compelled to enlighten some of you about the supplement industry and steroids. First of all, just because a supplement is legal and sold at a health food store does not mean it’s safe or even a good idea to use. Unlike steroids, many of these legal products have never had any research on their long term use. Many steroid alternatives sold OTC are actually 3x more toxic than actual Dr Prescribed/black market steroids due to their delivery systems. The FDA has no say in what supplements are sold as long as they are not on their controlled substance list. This is something our government has been trying to change for years. Unfortunately it probably has little to do with consumer safety. It’s more likely so the government can cash in on the supplement industry by requiring a Dr’s Rx to even purchase protein powder. Big brother already makes a mint on the Rx industry, why not add a bunch of other stuff to their list of products??? Educate yourself!!! Do your own research!!! Do not assume that if a product is legal that it is safe. Think about it like this. Alcohol and tobacco are legal to use in spite of the fact that they’re use kills people every day. If the government really cared about our safety these products would’ve been made illegal decades ago.
Here’s a little quiz to prove my point. You have 3 bottles of 100 pills. Bottle 1 is 100 pills of 500mg of potassium. Bottle 2 is 100 pills of 325mg Aspirin. Bottle 3 is 100 pills of Dianabol(a popular anabolic steroid). My question is, which of these 3 bottles of bottles could you swallow the entire contents and absolutely, 100% for sure not die???
Well, by consuming a large amount of potassium in bottle 1 your circulatory system could become destabilized causing a heart attack. By consuming bottle 2 of Aspirin it could literally burn a hole in your stomach lining causing internal bleeding/death. By consuming bottle 3 of Dianabol, you may get a little nausea, but it definitely won’t kill you. Ironically any 12 yr old kid with $5 can purchase potassium pills or Aspirin at Walgreens no questions asked-yet Dianabol is a controlled substance that requires a Rx. Now I’m not recomending that anyone takes a whole bottle of anything. I’m just pointing out the fact that legal and OTC supplements are often equally if not more dangerous than Rx products.
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