Periodization – The Next Level Of Training

By Elena Voropay

www.AustralianFitness.com 

Nobody can deny the fact that when it comes to health and overall well-being, exercise is the panacea of all. For most of you, it is extremely beneficial to stay faithful to the same strength-training program for a long period of time. What’s even better, your body will reward you for doing any kind of physical activity daily. However, there are downfalls of sticking to a routine for a long time – overtraining and hitting a plateau.

You train very hard, get enough rest, charge you body with the right kind of fuel, but your body ceases to respond. You assume that you are not making any gains because you are not training hard enough. So you start training even harder. Pretty soon you are completely frustrated because the training results are deteriorating. Recovering from overtraining might be one of the solutions, but for the ultimate achievements try digging deeper. In essence, you are looking for the organized variation of the training program, otherwise known as periodization.The phenomenal results of periodization have been tested and approved by coaches and athletes worldwide. Strength training and bodybuilding community has also accepted the concept which is now applied to virtually everything. It is based around the premise that due to General Adaptation Syndrome the stimuli must change for the body to continually respond. If you follow the same routine for a long period of time it gets easier to do it. The reason is that the body gets adapted and it is not as challenged as it used to be and therefore stops responding. In order to prevent stagnation you need to continually stress your body for the changes to occur. This is the core concept of periodization – maximizing your training by altering variables. Influential variables of any program may include training volume and intensity, choice and order of exercises, resistance or load, number of repetitions per set and sets per exercise, number of exercises per muscle group, type of contraction and speed of movement, as well as rest periods between sets and between training sessions. The role of nutrition should not be underestimated in achieving the desired results.

The idea to divide a training program into stages arose in Europe in the 1910s, focusing on sports performance. The first attempts at this structure focused on different stages of training, such as general, preparatory and specific. In the 1920s and 1930s, the training process presented a clear alternation of work and rest, gradually decreasing the volume and increasing the intensity of training. In 1950s the countries of the Eastern Bloc, the former Soviet Union in particular, refined the methods of periodized training and used them in preparation of elite athletes for the Olympics.

Training programs come a dime a dozen, and finding the one and only “no-fail” approach is next to impossible. We all exercise for different reasons with different goals in mind and no two individuals are exactly the same. Simply stated, training must be goal-oriented. Anyone can benefit from the periodized program. If you are a recreational or competitive athlete, or primarily exercising for general health and fitness, knowledge of advanced training will help prevent injury, boredom, and overtraining while training to peak for an event or achieve a specific fitness goal. Exercises may be designed to increase speed, agility, strength, and/or flexibility. The key is to accurately design a plan that will help you reach concrete goals through specific manipulation of variables. Random variations in training just for the sake of variety will never produce the same results. Fail to plan – plan to fail.

Periodized weight training programs can be manipulated on a yearly, monthly, weekly, and workout to workout basis. In fact, the possible periodization plans are practically endless. It all depends on the individual and the training goal. Remember, anyone can work hard, but working smart is the real challenge.

Indian Lentil Chili

By Elena VoropayLegumes are wonder foods as they are low in fat and absorb the flavor of spices and herbs, making them fun and tasty to eat. People have been eating legumes for thousands of years and these foods are the main source of protein for people in many cultures all over the world. Beans and other legumes have all the nutrients now recognized as important in preventing heart disease, cancer and obesity. They are high in complex carbohydrates, protein and fiber and they are extremely low in fat. The following recipe will surprise you with refreshing Indian flavor.

Indian Lentil Chili

3/4 cup dried brown lentils, cleaned
1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes, crushed
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed fresh garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) whole kernel corn

Directions

Place all of the ingredients except for the tomato sauce and corn in a 2.5-quart pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

Add the tomato sauce and corn to the lentil mixture. Stir to mix, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 additional minutes.

Transfer the chili into individual serving bowls, and serve hot.

Makes 8 cups

Spring Asparagus & Cheese Omelet

By Elena VoropayCelebrate spring with early harvest – eggs and asparagus. Asparagus is in season — it peaks between February and June. In addition to its mild, fresh taste, asparagus is a good source of folate, vitamin A and potassium. At just 22 calories per half cup, that?s an unbeatable value! Eggs symbolize new life and are a good source of high-quality protein that won?t raise cholesterol. Egg whites, totally fat-free and full of amino acids, are good for you. But don’t throw away the yolks; they contain significant amounts of vitamin A, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin — two antioxidants that can help you maintain your eye sight even when you age.

Spring Asparagus & Cheese Omelet

10 oz. asparagus spears
3 whole eggs
10 egg whites
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed dried basil
2 Tbsp. your favourite grated cheese (asiago, parmesan, chedder, mozzarella)
4 green onions, chopped

1. Steam asparagus until tender (about 5 minutes). Cut into 1″ pieces. Whisk together eggs, eggs whites and 1/2 cup water; stir in salt, pepper and basil.

2. Spray a nonstick skillet with butter-flavor cooking spray and heat until water sprinkled onto pan evaporates. Pour 1/4 of egg mixture onto skillet. Using a rubber spatula, push cooked egg into center, tilting pan so liquid runs onto hot surface. When no more liquid appears, sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese, onions and asparagus on half egg mixture; fold over and flip. Cook until lightly browned and turn out onto plates. Repeat to make 3 more omelets.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional values per serving: 130 calories, 5g fat, 5g carbohydrates, 16g protein, 480mg sodium, and 2g fiber.

Note: You can substitute drained canned asparagus, spinach, broccoli, or other vegetables for fresh asparagus.

Why Women Can’t Bulk Up

By Elena Voropay

Weight training for women is not new. In fact, in more gyms now you can see as many women as men mastering their techniques on the resistance machines. But some women are still skeptical about pumping iron. Some are scared of becoming big and bulky, others find it too hard and heavy, and then there are others who just don’t feel quite right lifting, pushing and pulling. Then there is another breed of women who are scared that weight training would increase their appetite making them so hungry that they wouldn’t be able to stop eating and end up gaining weight instead of losing it. After all, why some women do become quite muscular and big while others drop sizes and become more feminine after a few weeks of resistance exercise?

So, what’s the real story behind all the myths circulating around? If experts say that women can’t get bulky, why some women build big muscles? Here are some potential reasons.

1. Training Program

When it comes to the workout, same rules applies to both men and women – lifting heavy weights with as few as 4-10 repetitions stimulates muscles to grow stronger and bigger. On the other hand, challenging muscles with lighter weights for more than 15 repetitions is likely to simply tone up and shape your muscles without much increase in size. You also have to remember that, as everywhere else in life, results you get from weight training depend on the amount of effort you put into it. If you work out on a regular basis, push yourself beyond your comfort level, constantly increase the resistance or the weights you lift, you will progress.

In order to bulk up, you will have to train 5 times per week to stimulate muscle growth, eat three times the amount of food you eat plus take supplements to provide sufficient energy for growth, sleep at least 8 hours every night and reduce the stress level in order to give your body the optimal environment for recuperation from exhaustive training. In other words, growing muscles is an extremely difficult task and requires a lot of attention and effort.

2. Genetics

We all know someone or have heard of someone who can eat anourmous amounts of food without watching their diet and never gain weight. Others, on the other hand, count every calorie they put in their mouth and seem to gain weight by the hour. Why is it happening? Without blaming all the injusticies in the world, the answer may be found in our genes. What we have inherited from our parents plays a huge role in how our bodies respond to various stimuli.

Our genetic makeup determines what types of muscle fibers we have and where they are distributed. It determines our ratio of testosterone to estrogen and where we store body fat. And it also determines our body type.

3. Body Type

Both men and women can be classified according to their body type. There are three general body types – Mesomorphs, Endomorphs and Ectomorphs. While the classification is an easy and convenient way to differentiate between various predispositions, every individual is likely to have characteristics of more than one body type.

Mesomorphs usually have a muscular and lean physique, tend to be athletic and have high resistance to disease. This type responds to weight training more favourably and builds muscle mass faster than endomorphs or ectomorphs. Typical bodybuilders are mesomorphs and are blessed with fast metabolism.

Endomorphs are predisposed to being more rounded and voluptuous, even overweight and obese. People with this type tends to be slower in actions and more sedentary than the other two types. Endomorphs can build some muscle mass with weight training, but the importaint positive impact of weight training for this body type is increased metabolism resulting in decreased body fat.

Ectomorphs tend to be slim, have high metabolism, low body fat and less muscle mass than their counterparts. The effect of resistance training is expressed not so much in building size, but rather in making muscles stronger and denser. Ectomorphs can be found among runners, skiers, and other endurance athletes.

A good weight training program should be written depending on your body type and your goals. For example, if you are an endomorph, higher repetitions with lighter weights followed by cardiovascular exercise will help you lose body fat while shaping a strong dense and slim physique without adding unnecessary bulk.

4. Hormones

This fact has been around for quite a while now – women don’t have the hormones to build large amounts of muscle mass. Even when following the same weight training program, men can grow huge bulky muscles while women show only slight increase in volume but greater increases in density of muscles. The reason is in male hormone testosterone which is responsible for building muscles. While women have some testosterone circulating in their systems, mostly they don’t have nearly as much as needed to bulk up with weights.

Evolutionary, men were blessed with this hormone to be strong hunters and provide for the family. Women were blessed with all the child-bearing hormones to give birth and nurture future generations. The traits remain to this day. What should be considered, some women naturally have higher testosterone levels and tend to respond to weight training by building muscles faster than others. Interestingly, some men may have higher levels of estrogen, a female hormone responsible for additional fat on your hips and around your belly.

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.

–John Quincy Adams