Show Notes

The food industry leverages diet fads to boost sales of ordinary products. This episode discusses how buzzwords and misconceptions are used to promote ordinary foods as extraordinary, and unhealthy “favorite” foods as healthy.

“Keto” is a physiologic state, and not a type of foodstuff.

• One of Scott’s clients sent him a photo of a bag of coffee branded as “keto”, which got him thinking.
• “Ketosis is a state of illness.”​ – Dr. Michael Greger. Carb-deprivation can lead to ketosis. Certain foods can contribute to ketosis, but there are no “ketogenic” foods.
  
  Example: coffee works at burning fat by burning fatty acids and allowing for greater exertion during physical activity due to its hormonal and adrenal effects. Coffee itself doesn’t induce ketosis.
• “Keto” is just Atkins rebranded.
• Using industry logic, products like eggs, cabbage and water could also be branded as “ketogenic”.

On to diet foods…

• Diet brands frequently promote ‘the foods you love to eat’, including cookies, cake, and pasta dishes.
• Scott cites Michael Pollan, who said that, when buying packaged foods, look for fewer than four ingredients with single syllables. Example: almonds, salt, etc.
• Fitness industry “Diet foods” have long lists of ingredients with chemical names, many of which are fillers, binders and types of sugar. It’s inconsistent for diet foods to include ingredients that make people fat to begin with.
• “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” –Michael Pollan
• Scott shares a YouTube video that argues plant-based diets promote health and that no-carb/low-carb diets harm people. The video points out promoters of no-carb/low-carb diets who are overweight:
  WHY LOW CARB DIETS ARE A SCAM (7:23 onwards)

Show Notes

A discussion about what really works to build a better physique, featuring a clinical study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2016: Morton et al. “Neither load nor systemic hormones determine resistance training-mediated hypertrophy or strength gains in resistance-trained young men.”

This research’s results contradict popular fitness industry dogma that says, ‘train for strength and development will come.’

About the Study

• This research studied 49 healthy young men who had been doing resistance training (RT) for at least the past 2 years and at least 2 workouts per week, including at least one lower body workout.
• Studying trained persons is important, because untrained persons demonstrate short-term adoptive response.
• The group was divided into High Rep (HR) lower weight, and Low Rep (LR) higher weight sub-groups. The HR group did 3 sets of 20-25 reps per set of about 30 and 50% of 1 Rep Max (RM). The LR group did 3 sets of 8-12 at about 75-90%.
• Reps were performed to “volitional failure”, meaning until another rep can’t be performed without cheating or help.
• The increases in muscular strength were not significantly different between groups. The exception was bench press 1 RM, which increased more in the LR group.
• The study also measured changes in hormones. “Post-exercise levels of circulating hormones did not change as a result of the RT intervention and were unrelated to changes in muscle mass and strength.”
• This study (and a recent meta-analysis) do not support the assertion that greater weights are required for muscle growth, especially [when compared to] lighter, moderate weights are used to volitional failure.

Important Take-Aways from the Study

• Intensity is more important than load. This study controlled for how hard the study subjects were working out.
• Hormonal levels didn’t change, so there’s no evidence here about the importance of supplements or their timing.
• Training heavy has to do with how much load the muscle is under at the cellular level, not how much weight is on the “bar”. Intensity of effort is the goal, not amount of load.
• Hypertrophy and strength gains are not a function of the load lifted.
• Continually training heavy invites unnecessary joint strain. Training with moderate weights and higher reps decreases stress on joints, allowing for more training longevity (training into later years).
• The best bodybuilders are not the best powerlifters, and vice versa. You won’t see a lot of remarkable physiques at a natural powerlifting competition.
• First two principles of exercise physiology: 1) Overload; 2) SAID = Specific Adaptation to Applied Demands.
• This study, along with other previous studies, directly proves that hypertrophy and strength gains are not a function of the load lifted.
• Intensity of effort is what determines hypertrophy.
• Morton, et al, “Taken together with previous data (4, 28), the findings of the present study, along with a recent meta-analysis (35), do not support the assertion that higher-load RT is a prerequisite to maximize RT-induced muscle hypertrophy especially when lower-load exercises are performed to volitional failure.”

LINKS & RESOURCES

PubMed 2016 Study

Scott’s Suggested Books

How to Train for a Better Physique

The Abel Approach

The Hardgainer Solution

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Show Notes

Coach Scott Abel discusses the mindset foundations of long-term success, based on some of the principles found in his book, The Mindset of Achievement, which is available for free at:

scottabelfitness.com/achieve

What you must embrace:

• Three key ideas: keep high standards, be disciplined, and have high expectations.
• You can’t have the “wants” without the do’s! Or, put another way: “No perks without the works”.
• Pressure is perception, but it is also something you can and should invite. Pressure is a sign of growth and challenge.
• You can’t let other people dictate the direction of your process.
• High expectations come with baggage – if you expect a lot for yourself, then you must expect a lot from yourself.
  
• Structure and regimentation are grounding forces. These things are generally mandatory, not optional.
• You can abide in these principles without struggling “against” them. Life happens and you deal with it, and this brings peace of mind.
• Have a passion for yourself, not just this or that product.
• Being truly passionate means not relying on motivation.
• Remember that respect is earned… but yes, this also includes many aspects of self-respect.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Get Scott’s book (for free) The Mindset of Achievement

scottabelfitness.com/achieve

Visit Scott’s Book Catalogue

Follow Coach Scott Abel

Main Website               Facebook               YouTube

The Cycle Diet Program

Show Notes

Coach Scott Abel discusses testosterone, how it relates to your fitness goals and health, and some of the myths that surround it.

Facts about the master hormone Testosterone

Although testosterone is known to be a male hormone (as a sexual hormone), it is also present and has the same important functions and effects on women.

Testosterone is not just the sex hormone as is widely known, but is also involved in various lesser-known biological functions that affect the body physically, mentally, and somatically. In its natural form, it helps protect/prevent/reduce illness and deterioration in major organs like heart and brain, and strengthens other structures like muscles and bones.

HRT (Hormone Replacement Treatment) has shown to influence components of functional memory and often provides a better recovery rate. It aids the mood by reducing/preventing anxiety, depression, and excessive emotionality. Right amounts contribute to positive mood and disposition.

Middle-aged people just over their 40’s tend to show signs of low T, which affects the quality of life: “not great, not bad… just flat” as Scott points out. They often come barely noticeable as energy levels are affected, as well as virility and vitality.

A Quote from Doctor Morgentaler: “Sooner or later men will develop deficiency of testosterone because the tissues and feedback loops just get weaker or wear away. […] Low T is underecognized and undertreated… there’s no good reason to deprive men of a treatment that can help them regain their mojo.”

According to Scott, you’re not going to be young again, but you’re going to be youthful. Low T is a part of aging, but that doesn’t mean that it should be accepted and not treated. Your quality of life can overall improve with a simple and mostly effective treatment.

Find a good professional to check your levels of testosterone. You can ask for a referral to get to the right doctor. Let them know that you know, and be your own advocate.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Abraham Morgentaler M.D. Books

Testosterone for Life: Recharge Your Vitality, Sex Drive, Muscle Mass, and Overall Health

The Truth About Men and Sex

Scott’s Featured Books

Physique After 50

The Aging Proposition

Understanding Metabolism

More Books!

Follow Coach Scott Abel

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The Cycle Diet Program

Show Notes

Coach Scott Abel discusses how to recognize myths and quackery in the diet and supplement industry.

Quacks in Metabolism

• Scott mentioned the article, “26 Ways to Spot Quacks and Vitamin Pushers”, explaining 15 of them in detail.
• Scott has had clients who ended up in the emergency room from abusing ephedra. Oh, they had six pack abs for a bit, but they also nearly killed themselves.
• In the comments, Perry M posted a link to this old journal article to address concerns about nutrient deficiency: http://jn.nutrition.org/content/24/1/41.extract
• Metabolism and biofeedback are always speaking to the wisdom of the body. There’s a reason Michael Phelps needs 10,000 to 12,000 calories a day. It’s not a weird magic diet. It’s his appetite that tells him that—he only started counting them later on, after the fact.
• “Stress vitamins” are bogus. They’re not the same as prescription drugs.
• Every local corner grocery store is also a health-food store.
• Supplement Paradox: if you put yourself on a diet that involves supplements, it’s actually the hard work and discipline you put yourself through and not the effect of the supplements that’s producing the results over your metabolism, but the credit often go to the supplements. Addition by subtraction is the way.
• The industry tends to “renovate” or replace their customers every five years or so as they wear out. They also change their product names to appeal to the new consumer cycle… the supplement mentality goes on, Scott says.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Herbert, Victor, M.D. , J.D.; Barrett, Stephen, M.D. “26 Ways to Spot Quacks and Vitamin Pushers.” The Health Robbers: How to Protect Your Money and Your Life. Last revision: April 10, 2017.

Scott’s Featured Books

Permanent Weight Loss

Understanding Metabolism

Beyond Metabolism

The Anti-Diet Approach

More Books!

Follow Coach Scott Abel

Main Website

Facebook

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The Cycle Diet Program