Women's Health & Fitness Australia BioSignature Questions

Q. Women's Health & Fitness Australia (WHFA) –

Biosignature modulation seems to refute the idea that spot reduction is a myth... Is this the case?

A. Coach Calabro

     Yes it’s actually better than liposuction because it can be permanently managed. Provided you make the necessary lifestyle changes whereas liposuction may not be. For example I have girls get liposuction on their legs but they see me because the fat keeps coming back because they have not addressed the reason why fat accumulated in their hamstrings in the first place.

There is a lot of data proving where you deposit fat and the hormone relationship.

For example abdominal fat and the hormone cortisol.

I challenge people to go to PUBMED an online medical resource for Doctors and bring up all the medical journals which show the relationship. For example type in the words “ cortisol, abdominal, human, PubMed ” into Google and there are literally 1000’s of medical peer review journals showing the relationship exists. So a logical extension of this is that the relationship extends to other body parts.

Charles Poliquin is one of the most accomplished strength coaches in the world. He has designed workouts for  Olympic medalist in 17 different sports,  world record holders in 10 different sports, and professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and UK Premier League. He has lectured or consulted for a variety of high-profile organizations such as the US Secret Service, Walt Disney Corporation and the World Swimming Congress. He is the inventor of the BioSignature Modulation Method which has ascertained the relationship between body fat stores and hormonal profiles, and the methodology to improve site specific body composition and was in the unique position that he had comprehensive blood work of 1000’s of athletes while concurrently measuring their bodyfats and it was one of the tools he used to get superior performance and body composition results which helped his athletes succeed in their sport. I have been trained by Charles Poliquin and this system can be applied to the general population, physique athletes, weekend warriors etc.

Q. WHFA Does the program offer a way to spot reduce those troublesome areas?

A. Coach Calabro

      Yes BioSignature assesses your hormonal profile through a 12 site skinfold test.  From there we can find out the main factor holding back a client’s body composition or athletic goals using the right combination of lifestyle and individualised supplementation and nutrition. In fact the main point of BioSignature is to individualise nutrition, supplementation and even training to an extent to end client confusion. They should see results on a weekly basis provided they are healthy.

Q. WHFA Are the skin fold measurements always an accurate indicator of hormone levels?

A. Coach Calabro

      Clinically I have found they are very accurate for the majority of people. The BioSignature profile gives a prioritized order of hormonal imbalances that we can work on to accelerate fat loss and improve overall health.  In some cases we test further according to the priority.  For example if the thyroid is a priority we will always do further blood levels to assess function and look for auto immune problems.  Often uncovering underlying illnesses that a doctor has overlooked.  We refer out to functional medicine doctors if medication is needed.

It takes 2000 subjects of experience to become proficient in taking skinfolds properly and in order to re-certify in the Poliquin BioSignature program you must relearn skinfolds to the satisfaction of the course instructors otherwise you cannot re-certify. The ratios of the folds are the most important to a BioSignature Practitioner. We use propriety software which translates the folds into a certain hierarchy outlining the hormone(s) that are holding the client back from their individual goals.

I must also mention that I do not only rely on skinfolds, it’s just one tool to assess a client which saves them $1000’s of dollars in functional medicine testing. We also use blood work to check for nutritional deficiencies, thyroid, gut and liver function, food intolerance's and heavy metal toxicity.

The main message is that there is more involved in body composition than just how many calories you consume. The 3 main sources of fat gain are stress, malnutrition and toxins. The skinfolds help me narrow down what to focus on and reveal what is holding them back from achieving their goals.

Q. WHFA Who is the program suitable for?

A. Coach Calabro

The program is suitable for anyone who wants to optimise their body composition whether it is fat loss or lean muscle gains. In that regard I have seen people as young as 20yrs old through to people in their 50’s some for aesthetic reasons, others for better health and vitality. Athletes also see me because they wish to have optimal testosterone and growth hormone or improve their body composition for optimal performance in their chosen sport. My business partner is a naturopath and she uses Biosignature purely for health improvements and women's’ hormonal balance, seeing female clients who are between 18 and 84!

Q. WHFA Are your clients predominantly "average" people wanting to lose weight? Or athletes? Men or women?

A. Coach Calabro

Predominately my clients are female that want to not only lose weight but improve their body shape. The focus is not on losing weight as I explain to them that the scale is a poor measure of whether you are losing fat or gaining muscle. For example they could be losing bodyfat at the same rate they are gaining muscle, if a client gains 5kgs of muscle and loses 5kgs of fat the scale is the same but her dress size and body shape is completely different. If you focus solely on the scale sure your weight may go down but if you’re a pear or an apple shape you just become a smaller pear or apple. I have had females with ripped upper bodies but south of the belly button it’s like a different person!

Q. WHFA What is the duration of the program and approx cost? 

A. Coach Calabro

For the majority of people it’s a 12 week course. The first consultation is the longest as I need to assess where people are at in terms of training, nutrition and supplementation, after that I see them every 1-3 weeks. The investment varies based on client needs.

a)  For BioSignature  its $847 for 12 weeks (supplements available at extra cost, functional medicine/nutrition testing may be extra depending on need).

b) I like to offer an initial 15 minute complimentary assessment so people can make a more informed decision if this is right for them. Contact me at tony@mybiosignature.com.au for more information about personal training or BioSignature packages.

The BioSignature 12 week Program

Includes

1)      12 weeks of Poliquin training programs based on individual goals

2)      Individualised nutrition

3)      Individualised supplementation

4)      Blood Work and Functional medicine testing analysis as required

5)      12 weeks email support

6)      Regular Progress Report

7)      Regular Photo progress

8)      12 weekly measurements (this can be modified based on individual circumstances)

a) 1^st consultation approximately 1.5hrs (very detailed analysis of level of knowledge, current health and finding out what needs to be addressed first for fastest results and ongoing progress) this is to set up your 12 weeks

b) then 20-30 minutes every week thereafter to track, educate and modify program

Q. WHFA     Can you give me an example to use in the story targeting one trouble spot. Say a woman came to you with excess fat on her lower back - love handles - what would you prescribe?  

A. Coach Calabro

The love handles or Suprailliac crest is an indicator how you are reacting to the amount and type of carbohydrates in your diet. They aren’t called muffin tops for nothing. Typically if you eat a lot of sugar or its cousins refined carbohydrates such as bread or pasta etc. this is the site which goes up first.

Usually the culprit is too many Neo carbs or man-made carbs and the client needs to focus on Paleo carbs which are carbohydrates the caveman had access too. For example did a caveman have access to bread? NO. Did a caveman have access to berries? YES. It very simple and there is no need for a large philosophical debate.

Q. WHFA     Which hormone is out of balance?

A. Coach Calabro

Insulin and Cortisol

Q. WHFA     What foods should she avoid/consume?

A. Coach Calabro

Low Glycaemic and Low Glycaemic Load foods are warranted here and more protein as a general rule. People avoid saturated fat like the plague but its sugar and its cousins they should watch out for! More specifically what needs to be assessed is the clients tolerance to carbohydrates in general. There are generally 3 types of categories of people.  Those who do well on predominately protein + fat, those who do well on protein+ carb and those who do well on a balance of protein, carbohydrate and fats.

Q. WHFA     How do we determine which is best for you?

A. Coach Calabro

Well through a combination of the BioSignature skinfolds and  blood work I can recommend a ratio that is most suitable but because I am measuring regularly I can adjust the eating weekly until it is optimal. Taking into consideration the type and timing of foods.

Q. WHFA     Which supplements should take?

A. Coach Calabro Natural supplements which would help with insulin sensitivity or your ability to handle carbohydrates better are the Magnesium, the herb Fenugreek, Corosolic acid, Cinnamon, Gymnema and Alpha lipoic acid.

Q. WHFA     Exercise?

A. Coach Calabro Contrary to popular belief cardio is not optimal, 2 sessions per week of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) has been shown through research to be superior and actually increases your insulin sensitivity and would reduce your love handles along with lactic acid weight training using moderate repetition ranges 8-12 with short rest intervals 30-45 secs for example 4 times per week for 45 mins. Actually weight training done correctly increases lean muscle mass which increases the number and function of insulin receptor sites making you more insulin sensitive.

For every pound or ½ a kg of muscle you build you increase your caloric output by 50 calories even at rest 24/7. Traditional endurance based cardio is counter productive as it can decrease LBM. I see these cardio bunnies doing an hour of cardio or more a day still struggling to get lean legs. Most of my clients are busy and are looking for the most efficient and results based methods. You only need 45 minutes 4 days per week to achieve most goals.

I have an obese client who saw several personal trainers/nutritionists in the past and they always made him do traditional steady state cardio and low calories which is great for the first 6 to 8 weeks to establish fitness but after that the body adapts and you have to make it gradually harder. Instead we did lactic acid training, intervals and focus on protein and food choices he lost 20kgs while eating more food without starving himself or resorting to fad exercise schemes.

Q. WHFA     Why should people choose to use this system?  

A. Coach Calabro This is an Individualized Program.  One size does not fit all! This program will allow you to lose body fat and increase lean muscle in a way that can be maintained as a lifestyle.   It will improve ALL your health parameters AT THE SAME TIME as losing fat.  It can often resolve those annoying health issues like fatigue, bloated tummies, trouble sleeping and PMT. 

Q. WHFA     What are its best features?

A. Coach Calabro

Individualisation of nutrition and supplementation that ends confusion, increase in energy, better sleep, lifestyle approach, no starvation diets or calorie counting, results on stubborn fat deposits and teaches people how to achieve lifelong leanness and health not a quick fix.

Vitamins - Are You Getting What Your Paying For ?

Are you really getting what your paying for in vitamins and minerals.
Big manufacturers know that you do not study chemistry and generally do not know the difference between Zinc Oxide, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Orotate or Zinc aspartate. they use that to their advantage by putting the cheapest form in the bottle. Did you know that Zinc or Magnesium bound to an oxide is absorbed very poorly, approximately only 5% is absorbed by the body. Sure its cheap but if your not absorbing it then whats the point. Amino acid chelate forms are not much better.
As soon as i give someone a absorbable form of Zinc such as orotate or aspartate they notice the difference within a week and verified via skin-folds namely the pectoral fold drops!
Don't be cheap with the simple stuff.
Magnesium is another classic case. When I give clients a topical form of magnesium or one which has 4 different chelates such as orotate, aspartate, fumerate and glycinate in a capsule their sleep improves, they feel less anxious and the abdominal fold and insulin sites namely the upper back and suprailliac reduce.
As a rule do not buy over the counter products as they are for the mass market instead buy practitioner only range as they have to get results so their clients improve otherwise they go out of business.
It costs alot of money to mass market some multi's which doesn't leave much for quality ingredients.
"But hey my favourite footy star takes them"

Food Sensitivities Can Slow Down Fat Loss

Food sensitivities can slow down fat loss.
If you have leaky gut which is a condition where your gut lining is compromised your food sensitivity list will be high.
What can be done about it?
Well the gold standard is the MRT test by Signet which detects your reaction to food based on a inflammatory response is unavailable in Australia. Its great because unlike IGg test it can predict foods that are not part of your consistent diet.
The IGg is widely available and detects your immune response to certain foods. The only problem is that it gives you false negatives. For example your could be sensitive to gluten but you have eliminated it from your diet so your body has not developed any antibodies to gluten therefore the IGg test will say gluten is fine for you when in fact it could well not be.
So knowing it gives you false negatives you can strategically heal the gut
However when most people actually write down what they actually eat they find that its hard to come up with more than 20 foods in fact the average is more likely to be 7 e.g. dairy, eggs, beef, chicken, gluten, broccoli, tomatoes, peanuts etc
So the IGg is great (provided you use a "GOOD" lab) for the group of foods you eat now. It takes approximately 2 weeks to develop antibodies to a particular food sensitivity so you could artificially do that to find out if specific foods will effect you.
As a rule if you have to be lean on a certain date eat the foods you plan to eat try to eat from a list of 20 foods then test yourself via IGg you may find if you just eliminate certain foods you will lose fat faster.
It would also be a good time to do a gut rebuilding protocol which involves a bunch of botanicals and 80g of glutamine a day for 21 days.
After which do the IGg test again you may find that you no longer are sensitive to certain foods but what sensitivity repeats itself lets say beef means you should stay away from on a continuous basis.

Write It Down - The Palest of ink is Better than the best memory

Weightlifting legend Tommy Kono said it best 40 years ago:
 "The palest of ink is better than the clearest of memories."

Can't believe how many people do not have a training diary!
Can't believe how many personal trainers never track anything
The argument usually goes that i know what weights I use in th egym
Yeah you know what weights you use because you've been using the same weights for the last 12 months or more!
The idea of the diary is for goal setting that's what you have to beat not do again
what tempo did you use? What rest time between sets? How many reps?
Incremental increases are what your after especially if you have been training for awhile
Progressive Overload, Try it

Mistakes I've Made But I Know Better

There are alot of ego's in the health and fitness industry.
Everyone's a guru.
But the best are always learning and improving and admit when new information makes them improve their methods. Its the practitioners who never measure, hardly update their knowledge but continue to profess their way is best is what you should be wary of.
It really cuts me when I make a mistake or don't get fast results with BioSignature.
But if you don't make mistakes you never learn.
For example doing estrogen protocols without verifying D3 status or making sure the liver needed a detox.
Not asking the right questions about a women's health
Giving someone a metallic cleanse  instead of a estrogen one
Misinterpreting the sub-scapular fold because I didn't realize its not just insulin that affects that site which influences my decision on how the client should eat
Why am I writing this? I want to be the best so I strive to learn more.
Now my success rate is far higher and what I recommend is more efficient than in the past
It should  be I've been doing this since 2008

Personally it took me 6 months to get 5.0% body-fat I can now get there in 8-12 weeks
There is no flaw in BioSignature but I realise you need to go beyond it and learn from other functional medicine resources, nutritional experts who get results and people who have a proven track record getting people in shape such as Francine Savard, Dr John Berardi, Charles Poliquin, Johnny Bowden etc
Everyone wants to be the guru and they want to tell you how good they are, I'm no different only difference is that I don't ever think I know it all and I love learning more
My holidays are around seminars and courses to learn more about the field of exercise,nutrition and supplementation.
 I'll let the results do the advertising!

Base Your Macro-Nutrient Ratio on Your Insulin Senstivity

Protein, Carbs and Fats what ratio is ideal for you?
From clinical experience people with high insulin sensitivity optimize their muscle to fat ratio on a higher carb macro-nutrient ratio i.e. 50% carbs, 35% protein, 15% fat. Moderate insulin sensitivity leads itself to more isocaloric eating i.e.30% carbs, 40% protein, 30% fat. Finally people with poor insulin sensitivity do best on  low in carbs i.e.50% protein, 35% fat, 15% carbs.
To minimize guess work get a 12 hour fasted insulin and glucose tolerance test along with tracking your sub-scapular and suprailliac skin-folds while following one of the above ratio's.
Just because you follow one of the above ratio's does not mean each meal must fit these ratio's as nutrient timing should be taken into consideration i.e you are more sensitive around workouts so it makes sense to eat more carbohydrates after to optimize your body composition

	Normal Insulin Sensitivity and Glucose Tolerance	Excellent Insulin Sensitivity and Glucose Tolerance
Fasted Blood Glucose	<100mg/dl	<70mg/dl
Peak Blood Glucose	<180mg/dl at peak	<130mg/dl
Time to Maximum Blood Glucose Level	30-60 minutes	15-30 minutes
Time Back to Fasted Glucose Level	30-60 minutes	60-90 minutes

Table referenced from Dr John M Berardi Article 'Massive Eating — Part II'
Meal Combinations and Individual Differences

Cinnamon and Lime Water Improves Your Insulin Profile

To help sensitize your body to insulin and promote a healthy gut bacteria make cinnamon water. It simple get 4 cinnamon sticks or 1 tablespoon of cinnamon quills, 1/2 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon of bi-carb soda or baking soda. Mix into just over a liter of filtered water in a saucepan bring to boil and simmer for 10-15 mins. Drain off the quills or sticks.
Get a glass or BPA free container and dilute it 1part cinnamon drink to 2-3 parts water mix in some fresh lime juice if desired as it helps alkalize you too
Add ice

Insulin Is The Hormone Of Ageing

You need to control insulin in in order to reduce the effects of aging.High sugar intake increases this hormone.
Simply give up high sugar foods and reserve them for a once a week treat only!
Rampant sugar intake causes accelerated aging, nerve and cell damage. But you know what out of all the things that cause fat gain 1) stress 2) toxins and 3) malnutrition its the one thing we can control. No one ever had a doughnut or a coke cola by accident. It just doesn't happen.
Control insulin you control the aging process. I am not saying to eliminate carbohydrates I'm saying know the difference Neo carbs and Paleo carbs.
Neo carbs are man made processed or refined carbohydrates we were not designed to eat
Paleo carbs are the carbs our caveman ancestors ate
Problem is the low fat diet propaganda confuses people as they justify eating healthy staples such as pasta and bread. But in reality they raise blood sugar levels just as much as sugar.
Protein as the Greek translation suggests is of first importance and should be the main macronutrient consumed as most unprocessed proteins are low glycemic then you need to determine if you are predominately a fat or carbohydrate burner which a experienced BioSignature Practitioner can determine.
A simple field test is to consume a meat and nut breakfast before working out in the morning and comparing it to a high carbohydrate breakfast then see which one you are more mentally acute for.
I'm approaching 44 and that's the main thing I have done for the last 20 years through natural bodybuilding whereas most of my friends of same age are grey haired and out of shape

What Type Are You?

Secret to individualising your program is to access what type you are?
What do I mean well one of the best articles I ever read was  "The Five Elements – A New Training Paradigm" by Charles Poliquin
There are 5 types of people who train and only 3 worth mentioning

a) Fire type - they thrive on high volume and high intensity
b) Wood type - their volume and intensity needs to be varied as too much of one or the other makes them over train very easily
c) Earth type - they have the ability to do high reps and handle alot of volume and they can repeat that effort with less rest that the other 2 types above. They burn out if intensity is to high.
Knowing your type you will make better progress strength wise and body composition wise to.
For athletes it is vital as the wrong training method can limit their progress

Common Squating Probelm - Do Your Knees Cave In ?

Common complaint that people encounter is that their knees collapse when they do squats.
I saw a physiotherapist wrap a belt around a clients thighs and telling them to focus on pushing out against the belt while squatting. "Cringe"
Well the problem is that the physio thinks that its due to weak hip abductors.
What is actually happening is the squat is primarily a hip extensors movement and the brain gets mixed messages as the physio tries to engage the hip abduction. This will cause a incorrect recruitment pattern being formed which will make you weaker in the squat and does not fix the problem. Its great for the physio because they get to pay off the mercedes!
Judging from the client returning for 3 months I'd say I should get into physio
There are 2 main causes either you have poor vastus medialis (VMO) strength  and/or a addhesions between the adductor magnus and medial hamstrings.
This is very common in women who do lots of pump classes or anyone who over uses the vastus lateralis
A better solution wold be to strengthen the VMO and stretch the hips and hamstrings which is done by a Level 2 and above PICP Strength Coach accessing a persons lower body structural balance

Are You Still Having Soy?

If you read the media and believe the hype soy protein is good for you but is it?
regardless whether its non GMO or Organic all modern soy products are loaded with anti-nutrients such as phytates and toxins which are linked to many health conditions from brain shrinkage to thyroid dysfunction . In men, it lowers testosterone and sperm count to a point where they are 317% more likely to go shopping than to have sex. 
The American Heart Association no longer recommends soy for heart disease and the FDA is currently reviewing its policy on soy health.
Use Almond, goat or sheep's milk as a good alternative to common allergenic dairy 

References

1)  http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2011/01/12/ajcn.110.005850.abstract 

2) http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/799/Tip-222-Avoid-Soy-and-Dairy-and-Decrease-Prostate-and-Breast-Cancer-Risk.aspx

3)http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/52/Why-Women-Cant-Lose-Weight-Part-2-Women-Breakfast-and-Soy.aspx

The Secret To Results In The Gym Is No Secret At All

After training quite a few clients the difference between those getting results and those only getting moderate results is not what supplement they take or what food plan they are following or what new exciting training method they are following.
The common thing is that they work smart and hard not only in the gym but in their chosen field as well
In fact the more successful or hard worker the client the better the results
Sounds too simple
But people will do anything to avoid hard work
They will even hire a trainer that doesn't push them or follow a training method that isn't too hard or never take a training diary in the gym set goals or measure anything
Whats the secret to results - Heart - its what you do when you don't feel like it that counts
Anyone can train when all the conditions are just right
Most people say they do not have time to train 4 days per week whereas I say I haven't got the time not to train!
For every excuse someone has overcome that obstacle somewhere its when you stop looking that you fail

I wouldn't touch any whey protein that is not from NZ

Big Call but New Zealand has strict rules in regards to pesticide and herbicide use compared to Australia and America. There was a story Charles Poliquin shared about a very large supplement company in the USA who spend most of their money on marketing and very flashy ads mix their protein in 2 cement trucks!
Yikes imagine the impurities
If you purchase protein from a health practitioner the reason it costs more is that is tested for impurities, bacterial count and free of nasty chemicals
You can go online these days and purchase good quality bland whey with a little effort
Don't be duped by the marketing
Some of the colourings they use are what has been used in actual commercial paint
The cows are grazed on grass that is contaminated with sprays which increase estrogen in the body
Thats assuming the cows were fed grass. Why is grass fed important because your whey will naturally have a smart 'CLA ' Conjugated Linoleic Acid! which supports Healthy Body Composition!
Think twice about the cheap protein your buying
You may cause more harm than good
Buy a good whey protein form New Zealand which has a high chance of being clean
Your health and body composition will thank you

Do A 7 Day Cleanse to Improve Your Fat Loss Efforts

Doing a 7 day cleanse or detox is one of the best methods to repair the joints, liver and GI tract which is extremely important aspect in your fat burning efficiency. I have seen it time and time again fat loss plateaus overcome with the resulting weeks following the cleanse more mental clarity for you to train harder and better handling of toxicity because your liver functions better resulting in greater fat burning capacity.
Most detox in a box kits actually make you more toxic. The right way to do it is to fortify with amino acids which are important for phase 1 & 2 liver detoxification processes and a strategy that is individualised based on your hormonal profile which can be determined by a experienced BioSignature Practitioner.
On average you should lose 1-2% in body fat but more importantly you'll notice fat loss seems easier afterwards, assuming your training and eating properly.
Its a good time after a cleanse to completely change you foods too. One of the many tools I use with clients with great success but it ain't for the faint hearted only those interested in results

Stop Focusing On The Scale For Life Long Leaness

It astounds me that so many people focus on the scale to gauge their success or failure with their body composition goals. Especially women! The media has brain washed women into believing that you all should look like skinny super models do heaps of cardio and eat low fat which translated means no fat!
Whats worse is the mainstream medical community promotes this when the average GP hardly learns an hours worth on average throughout their course on nutrition. But that's another story.

When you focus on the scale you get the wrong feedback because muscle is more dense than fat. Look at picture above. This focus causes all sorts of problems from exercise selection to the food we eat.
So what does the typical gym goer do
a) heaps of slow cardio which increases cortisol and which after 6 to 8 weeks your body adapts to so what do most people do, Yep more cardio its the only way to make it harder so they reason. Plus it burns fat right! So in reality you lose precious metabolic muscle which slows down your metabolism so when you finally reach your goal weight and start eating "normally" again its easier to get fatter! And the cycle repeats itself till you give up in fustration.
b) They eat low fat because that's what the media promote and all fat in that case is evil
c) They count calories because its all about calories right.
Their reward is scale weight goes down but year after year it gets harder and harder to stay in shape unless they do marathons and who has time for that with all the work, family stress you have to deal with
So what to do?
a) If you must do cardio focus on doing HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training which research has shown is more effective at fat loss and time efficient as the focus is not longer cardio but harder as your body adapts
Incorporate weight training. Building muscle girls is what keeps you lean and shapely not soft and skinny. One pound of muscle burns 50 calories approximately at rest, ye even while sitting down. So replace 8lbs of fat with 8lbs of muscle you can eat more while having a smaller size dress and keep it off easier.
b) Not all fats are created equal, consume smart fats which assist in controlling your hunger, slow down the glycemic index of meals
c) This is my favourite. A calorie is a calorie dogma is causing us to make the wrong food choices namely low fat! 100g of sugar is metabolised differently from a 100g of protein. On average it takes 30 calories to process a 100 calories of protein whereas it only takes on average 4 calories to process 100 calories of carbohydrates. Not only that but your eating should reflect your hormonal/genetic profile ie. some people are designed for carbs and some aren't. A BioSignature practitioner should be able to access that for you and end your frustration

share "Careful Who You Listen to About Nutrition"

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"If your going to be a nutritionist you should be able to teach in your underwear" Paul Chek lol
If this rule was enforced in nutritional conventions no one would teach. You have to apply what you know about nutrition. Sourced from an old Poliquin video

Getting a Women's Triceps Lean

I recently had a female client say to me not to give her too much triceps exercises because her triceps were too big. Now I don't always do this but I gave her more triceps instead!
Result when she got leaner she said to me " You know it wasn't the exercise I was just too fat" mmmmmm really with a hint of sarcasm.
Now listen this reminded me about a secret I use with female clients to lean out their triceps fast without putting hair on their back lol ( as Charles Poliquin would say)
Its a great herbal medicine protocol and has great benefits of improving their sleep, improving energy and training drive. Great for adrenal fatigue too!
No it doesn't mow you lawn do the dishes and make you coffee....
Recently had a girl whose triceps would not drop below 15-16mm which most girls would dream about having within 8 weeks its 10mm!
There is only one caveat and that its only for ultra compliant clients as you have to dose 4 times per day. Why?
Miss one dose over the 8 weeks and you stuff it up! And you have to start again

We Were Genetically Designed To Be Lean and Muscular!

We Were Genetically Designed To Be Lean and Muscular!
In the Paleolithic era cavemen and women were lean and muscular. Now if you eat the way you were meant to eat and exercise effectively 4 times per week for 45 minutes per session to achieve this then by the average person your considered a health nut, obsessive, anti-social, too muscular.
I trained a client who is 14% bodyfat and is very attractive and she told me a story that a colleague of hers gave her the shit sandwich which is a compliment followed by an insult saying that her arms were too muscular which I replied "Is she fat?" Client " Come to think of it yes!" Its just a example of CCOJMB, I recommend leaner friends.
Which means Classic Case of Jealous miserable bitch! Want a laugh read about the phenomenon here
Doctors say your healthy if your between 15-20% bodyfat which is the norm based on the average not what is optimal. Well using that logic and the current trend in obesity rates normal will be 20-25% in the future for males.
Optimal is below 9.9% or less for males and 15%-20% for females. Every girl I train is at or below 15% or is working their way towards it without starving themselves or doing endless bouts of cardio and this nonsense about its dangerous to be this lean is just that nonsense.
The reason I am writing this is that our expectations are too low.
If I had followed the nutritional pyramid by the government and set my expectations so low and used my age 43 by the way as an excuse I shouldn't be below 10% but I am and that's working 60 hours a week with a kid and married.
I am not saying how great am I but can you see that if you accept normal that you do not pursue optimal health
I watched a program 'Insight' on SBS about Male Body image and how bodybuilders are obsessed, anti-social (because they don't eat "normal" foods!), that something is wrong with them psychologically according to a psychologist there who was fat and looked sick - Well kiss my arse!
They are making a sweeping generalisations. The true essence of bodybuilding is supreme health and longevity done in a natural way using the best knowledge from the world of functional medicine, results based training methods and education in individualised nutrition.
Bodybuilding doesn't exist in a vacuum its like anything in life. To excel at it or anything for that matter in a competitive sense you need to do what others won't and adopt its lifestyle which can be demanding.From a lifestyle point of view which is were I am at now as I am not competing any more ( though I want to) is that I am healthier and have more energy to do more whether that be in business, family etc
I am not obsessive just passionate.
I love training, being strong and being healthy. I'm not too tired to play with my 2 and half year old son or handle the stresses of business or have time with my wife, I want to maximise life not be average or get by, thats BS.
That's the true attitude of a bodybuilder and just because your a athlete that does not mean you are not a bodybuilder in some way. The weight room is a integral part of sports when done correctly. Notice my disclaimer correctly based on results.
'Insight' focused on the negative associations with steroid use and OTC supplements which I don't recommend (that's another topic), I just want to balance the ledger as it were.
Bodybuilding in its true essence is about strength, health and looking good naked.
What the bloody hell is wrong with that!
"Strength and Honour" from my favourite movie Gladiator if you love training you'll understand the above if not you'll never get it.

GMO Foods Scary. Is Organic Food Really Expensive?

Australia has very lax laws regarding food labellings and especially in the area of Genetically Engineered Organisms or GMO. Did you know that there is research showing that animals fed a mixture of GMO and natural foods in a bowl ate the natural food and discarded the GMO food!
Another study fed rats GMO tomatoes, well they rejected the tomatoes to the point of starvation then and only then did they eat them!
In the book Seeds of Deception by Jeffery Smith he goes on how the rats fed GMO food developed tumors, developed abnormalities in the liver, brain, testicles and immune systems. He highlights Dr. Arpad Pusztai's research on the matter in the first chapter. He did this research from a $3 million dollar government grant from United Kingdom on the safety of GMO foods.
Want to read more
Which brings me to the argument about eating Organic. Does it cost more? Yes but is it worth it? There are two types of people in the world those who make excuses and those that don't. Am I that dogmatic about people of course not just highlighting a point.
In Denmark a supermarket chain took the punt to only have Organic foods they became the leaders in their market. In turn the farmers had to change their methods to organic and the prices went down as demand grew. In Australia I'd rather spend money on organic food than a Carbon tax! A carbon tax I have no control how that tax is being spent to improve the health of our kids. Changing the big Supermarkets attitude to supplying organics which would naturally follow on to the farmers is a better shift of our expenses which will help the health of our children for generations.

What you appreciate APPRECIATES! The grateful log

Want to sleep better?
Want more of your goals to fruit easier?
The grateful log is a simple yet effective tool
Before bed simply reflect on the things your grateful for
I am exhausted before bed, so usually I collapse but I reflect over my day
What did I learn new today?
Who did I help today?
Who did something good for me today?
This sets me up to think positive before bed but it also subconsciously says that the world is conspiring in helping me out. It's something I want to teach to my son as soon as possible.
Then I go through in my mind thinking about all the things I am grateful for now like my wife, son, clients etc
And if I have something I want to manifest into my life I say what I am grateful for in the future
OK I can hear the scientific brains switch off. Well if you think like that do the experiment for a month then evaluate the results do not predict your data!
Costs you nothing but sound sleep and a tranquil mind.
While on the topic sleep is extremely understated as a fat loss agent!
There is a phrase in the bible that goes " those that have will be given more but those that don't even what they have will be taken away" don't quote me verbatim on that but I understand it now - WHAT YOU APPRECIATE APPRECIATES = Focus on what you have and you will be given more.
Whats this got to do with strength and health?
Everything, you see the way you view the world determines to a large extent your success in the gym, office or any endeavor