Fit Communications

Many months ago I posted a question about creatine use to a popular bodybuilding forum. Specifically, I was wondering whether it might be helpful for a friend who was working hard in the gym but needed to lose quite a lot of weight. I made the mistake of waxing eloquent about the stuff and commenting that I thought creatine was “almost magic.”

The young person who responded let me know that she thought that was a ridiculous thing to say.

But here’s why I said it. I’ve been in and out of gyms since my first weight-training experience in, like, 1976 or ‘77. Back in those days and in my heyday, the mid-1980s, we didn’t have supplements that accomplished jack. Our protein powder was unbelievably nasty stuff (made from soybeans, and I don’t even want to tell you what that does to a person’s digestive system), and the supplements the magazine ads touted were more or less snake oil.

Creatine really works–and in my book, that translates to “almost magic.” Whey protein works too. These are the good old days of supplementation, no question.

It’s just so cool to do a creatine cycle and see one’s muscles getting fuller.

I’ll toss two scant teaspoons into a shaker with 8 ounces of Parmalat (sugar-sweetened, vanilla-flavored milk with extra protein) after a workout, and on a non-workout day, I combine creatine with a glass of milk and sugar-free Nestle’s Quik before bed. Mmmmm-good.

Remember when there were just four food groups? Then we got fancy, with the much-vilified food pyramid that everyone from Dr. Atkins to Barry Sears wanted to revise.

Now we’ve got a much cooler pyramid that’s actually tailored to your age and activity level–and that gives specifics not only on how much grain, how many vegetables and fruits, how much milk (etc.) you should consume but also how much sugar and fat and how many "discretionary" calories are left after you tank up on all the "required" foods.

It’s pretty neat.

Take a look at mypyramid.gov. If you’re inspired, you can do an eating journal and see how well or poorly your diet is meeting your needs–or an activity log that indicates how many calories you burn.

Golfers will be interested in the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s June
NSCA Performance Training Journal, which focuses almost exclusively on their sport.

It’s Greek to me, as golf requires hand-to-eye coordination–of which I have none. No doubt that’s why my preferred sports have always been related to track and/or weights.

Well, I’ve had to set some new goals, as I’ve achieved most of those I set a year ago (having to do with pants size, scale weight, and bodyfat).

Since sometime in April I’ve been holding steady. Having gotten to 130 pounds, it was a relief to just maintain for a while. I didn’t count calories or do the zig-zag most of that time, and when I went out to eat, I tried to make healthy selections but didn’t restrict myself unduly. Kind of nice just to maintain.

Workouts, same thing–holding to the pattern of weights and cardio three days a week, plus the 30-minute dog walk most mornings.

The great thing about all this is that maintaining this weight is pretty easy. As long as I’m working out, I can eat (within reason) whatever I want. Big caveat: that almost never includes junk food. Most of the time what I want is decent quantities of good stuff–grains, whole-wheat bread, milk, fruit, vegetables, cheese, chicken, etc.

Having gotten to this point, I want to take things a bit further. I’d like to increase my strength level in lifts that mean something to me (pullups, dips, bench press), and I also want to shed a little more bodyfat.

Estimating from my (wildly fluctuating) Tanita bodyfat-measuring scale and my Accumeasure calipers, I believe my bodyfat is 17 or 18 percent. I’d like to get to 14 or 15 percent.

Having recently sung the spiritual "Walkin’ Down That Glory Road," which includes the text "Now the rich get richer/and the poor stay poor," I’m unable to stop the phrase "the rich get fatter" from going through my head as a tune.

Nonetheless, it ain’t just a tune but a phenomenon. How do we know? MSNBC.com tells us so, with this Associated Press story:

Richer are getting fatter, report finds

Obesity has long been a problem mostly of the poor, but new research shows that the more affluent are catching up fast.

Proof, if we needed it, that wealth doesn’t insulate one from problems.

I know it appears that I dropped off the face of the earth. Indeed, I did not cease to exist–nor to work out or even to think about and read about fitness. My progress continues, and I’m now just below 130 pounds (and maintaining my muscle mass) for the first time in probably 10 or 15 years. Can’t wear size 8 pants anymore; they’re just too baggy.

I feel terrific, and my back pain has largely abated. A bulging disk hurts like hell for a few months and then calms down (at least in my experience), and I think the rather more severe pain I was going through earlier this year was the hot phase of my new bulging disk. No complaints now. My workouts go well, my strength increases, and I thank God for feeling so good.

I do miss the weekly bodypump class, but I now suspect that its (admittedly baby-level) squats and deadlifts were exacerbating my disk troubles.

So how come you haven’t been posting?, you ask.

Some of you know that I’m the editor of a Catholic newspaper. Well, these have been difficult and exciting times for the Catholic press. The death of our beloved pope and the election of our new beloved pope (viva il papa!) have necessitated two special editions back to back, and in short, I’ve been fried.

No guarantee that I’ll be more timely now . . . but at least you know what’s going on.

This morning I took part in the local Arthritis Foundation chapter’s fundraising walk. For the first mile or so, a light rain was falling, but the temperature hovered around 60, so the rain was pleasant. Those of us who have some form of arthritis were given blue "hero" hats. I must say, I felt a little silly about being designated a "hero" merely because of a medical diagnosis. But what the heck.

All of us blue-hatted ones were asked to give our name and make a comment, if desired. A tiny 29-year-old woman (who looked like a very slightly built 13-year-old) told us what kind of arthritis she had–something pretty awful, in the scheme of things–but remarked that she just keeps going. A very self-possessed, adorable 6-year-old said that she was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis (I think) at age 4. Then there were several of us who’ve been around long enough to have develped osteoarthritis.

Such occasions make me realize that my own rather trivial health concerns are–no pun intended–a walk in the park compared with the problems others must bear.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association just published the latest issue of its Performance Training Journal. As usual, it looks as though there’s quite a bit of good stuff here. The longer I train, the more bored I become with the same-old-same-old generated by muscle magazines, and the more I appreciate information that’s based on research (rather than the desire to sell supplements).

You can download a pdf copy of the issue or view the table of contents online.

Here’s what’s in Volume 4, Number 14:

The Benefits of Strength Training for Endurance Athletes

Do endurance athletes effectively utilize the weight room to best enhance their performance? Intelligent use of the weight room, just like intelligent implementation of a running program, can have a dramatic influence on the success of the competitor. Learn how to add a weight program that will enhance your endurance, not take away from it. 

Rest and Recovery: The Forgotten Training Component

The importance of how recovery and rest contribute to growth in performance is an aspect that is often overlooked in creating a successful training regiment. The bottom line is that without proper recovery, your body will not achieve all the potential benefits from training. Acquire knowledge about how to optimize recovery and avoid overtraining. 

Mind Games
The Mental Cheat Sheet

The old adage "Your mind can be your best friend or your worst enemy" has some truth to it. The Mental Cheat Sheet is a tool you can use to help you manage your competitive thinking. This column will teach you how to create a mental cheat sheet, help manage your thinking and enhance your performance. 

Training Table
Calculating Your Daily Calories

Ever wonder how nutritionists or personal trainers are able to tell you exactly how many calories you need to lose the extra weight you put on over the holidays, or to gain the muscle mass you have been striving for? There are numerous ways to calculate your daily calorie needs. This article will tell you how. 

Ounce Of Prevention
Exercise Modifications for Shoulder Instability

Injuries to the shoulder are common in sports. Athletic injuries though can result from repetitive stresses placed upon the shoulder joint. Find out some easy preventative measures that you can take to reduce this injury and maintain a healthy shoulder joint. 

Fitness Frontlines

Learn the latest news in the field on the effects of body size and gender on overarm throwing performance, aging affects on weightlifting and powerlifting performance, and if listening to music improves endurance performance. 

Action-Reaction
Using a Slant Board for Agility "Triple Extension" Development

This article addresses a simple training tool that is easily overlooked. When used properly, it can help put you in proper positions and help to coordinate your movements. Wondering what the device is? Gain insight into how to utilize a slant board in your workout programs. 

Train for the Game
Interval Training to Improve Energy System Development

Experts suggest that interval training is the most appropriate method of training for improved energy system development. Since most sports demand alternating periods of work and rest, this type of training can be highly sport specific and therefore beneficial in improving performance. You can create your own interval-training program based on the specific demands of your sport and the goals you wish to achieve. Read on to learn how to design your own program. 

In The Gym
Accommodating Resistance

The idea of accommodating resistance is based around the need to "accommodate" the strong and weak points of any given motion by using such tools such as elastic bands or chains that alter the resistance throughout the movement. Read on to learn more about accommodating resistance, and how it might be able to help you overcome sticking points in your lifts.

Here’s a quick update on my visit yesterday to the neurosurgeon.

No surgery recommended at this time. Woo-hoo!

I may need it someday, he said, and my life will not be "symptom-free." I can hang with that.

Things I can’t do: move refrigerators and couches or help people push off stalled cars. No problem. I’m also not supposed to put any vertical load on my spine, which means bye-bye squats forever. I’m not crying over that one either. Once upon a time I was a pretty decent squatter, but I must admit I always disliked the king of bodybuilding exercises. No shoulder presses–which I definitely will miss.

But when it comes to weights, the beauty part is that we can work around just about any limitation. There are plenty of other shoulder and leg exercises I can do.

In a word, I’m delighted with the no-surgery news.

There are challenges/opportunities in this situation too: I’m spurred to be more creative with my workouts; to try new things (e.g., yoga for pain management); to work harder on abs and back extensors.

So I’m grateful and relieved and feeling gung-ho.