The Tortoise and the Hare (less than 4 minutes

The Tortoise and the Hare (less than 4 minutes

In which I ponder the limitations and futility of obsessing over "optimal" and how 8 week studies may mean very little in the long run.  (and the long run is all that reallly counts?)

Doug McGuff co-author of Body by Science "Best Way to Straighten Deck Chairs on the Titanic?"

In preparation for article/speech that I want to write, I wanted to do a consultation with Dr. Doug McGuff both to check my understanding and to make sure I didn't make too many errors in describing the science behind my latest distinctions: 1.  The difference between so called optimal and good results is very small and is likely irrelevant in the long run.  In fact, what may be optimal for one goal may well be detrimental to a different goal.  (health vs performance being just one example) 2.  Obsessing over "optimal" may in fact be an obstacle to "good" results. 3.  Expanding on Doug and John's suggested definition of health as being largely dependent on balance between anabolic and catabolic states. As an over riding principle, in the absence of which, most if not all other discussions on what's "good" or "bad" for you or for your health or for your results, are not necessarily wrong but wholly incomplete and besides the point without this context.  (straightening deck chairs on titanic) 4.  We discuss also why many studies for reasons above, and others may bear little relevance to real world results.  (among many shortcomings, I don't care what you can accomplish in 6, 8 or 12 weeks.... because I and my clients are hopefully planning our health and fitness for a lifetime)

What are realistic results for a new strength trainee at Sustainable Success Strength Training?

This is my response to a question from a new client as to what this individual could expect.  I know it's going to sound somewhat evasive in terms of stopping short of specifics, however the reality is, in my opinion, that the answer truly is "it depends". I've tried to list all the factors that can come into play that will increase or decrease what one can expect, with the "quality of the stimulus" (the workout itself, which is the only part I'm involved in) being only one of many factors.. Enjoy. Sharing and Subscribing is greatly appreciated!

Dr. Doug McGuff interview one more time (author of Body by Science) (Studies/TRT/etc)

In this one, we delve into the relative reliability of different types of studies when it comes to exercise and/or nutrition.  In particular, epidemiological studies vs RCT's when double blinded, selection biases accounted for and large enough samplings and/or times to make conclusions more or less objective. When looking at many studies, we often only go to the "headline" and don't really check how well or poorly studies were done and whether the "headline" should be taken with however many grains of salt. Studies can be used to sell things and either the way they are done, or how the results are communicated can lend itself to a message that is less than objective. We also discuss the growing popularity of TRT, (testosterone replacement therapy) and some of the pros and cons. Speaking only for myself and not Dr. McGuff, this is a trend I personally find somewhat worrisome.  The pharmaceutical industry stands to make a lot of money from this and, in my opinion is very prone to emphasizing the benefits and glossing over the side effects. Dr. McGuff points out that with any drug, how significant the therapeutic (desirable) effect, is often proportionate to how significant the side (undesirable) effects are as well. For me, I'll just go on fighting Father Time without the aid of pharmaceutical companies because my level of trust with those entities has never been lower. Below is link to youtube version https://youtu.be/jgOVYP_-49g

A Chat with Jerome Armstrong....

Jerome and I are both preparing for a bodybuilding competition of this recording.  Jerome in November 2023 and myself in April 2024. Please note these are both fully natural drug tested contests. Together we go through a powerpoint presentation that he did on his youtube channel... I will link to it.... also, I'll include the youtube version link of this conversation as on audio, obviously you will not see the slides... We got so into into it, that we started with a plan to last an hour and we went for over two! Hope you find informative.... Here is link to youtube version:  https://youtu.be/tg0ILIxLid8 Below are links to Jerome's youtube channels and his training business website https://www.youtube.com/@jerome.armstrong [https://www.youtube.com/@jerome.armstrong] https://www.youtube.com/@18minutefitness [https://www.youtube.com/@18minutefitness] https://18minute.fitness/ [https://18minute.fitness/]