Q&A, The End of Squatting, and a Way to Fix the Economy!

I received a really good question from a friend a couple days ago and thought it would make good blog post fodder. So here goes, my very first Q&A:

Q: What should you eat before a weight lifting workout and after? Is it protein in both cases?

A: The most important thing to remember is pre-workout nutrition. If you are training on an empty stomach then whatever you have post-workout is irrelevant. You need energy to train at a high level for your entire workout. And don't focus solely on protein. Just like any other meal a complete meal with carbs, dietary fats, and protein is the best option. Ideally this will be real food. If you train in the morning a few eggs with some fruit/veggies is a perfect way to prepare for your workout. Once you get pre-workout nutrition down then you can focus on maximizing the benefits of your training with a post-workout meal. Again, you want a good combination of carbs, dietary fats, and protein. This is a perfect time for fruit. The simple sugars in fruit essentially open up the cells so the protein can build and repair tissue. Fats are very important at this time as they act as a natural anti-inflamatory. Whey is a great post-workout option. You can mix with water and some flaxseed for good fats and you have a nice easy post-workout shake. I actually make a concoction of yogurt (fats and protein), avocado and flaxseed (great fats), berries (carbs, fiber, antioxidants), peanuts and seeds (more goodness.)

If you have worked with me at all you will know that I am not a fan of loaded bilateral squats (with two feet on the floor) and do not use them in programs. Instead I use single leg squat variations. These include single leg box squats (which mom did ass to heel this morning!!), split squats, and rear foot elevated split squats. There is one main reason for this; it puts much less strain on the low back. In fact, Mike Boyle has found that the low back is a big limiting factor in bilateral squatting. Check out this five minute portion of a presentation he did recently. He's found that his athletes can squat on one leg probably about 75% of what they can lift on two. I've tried this on myself. I can do rear foot elevated split squats at 200 lbs for 6 reps each leg. There is no way I can do a 400 lb front squat. I don't think I could even do a 250 lb front squat. Point is, if you are still doing bilateral squats then you need to stop and start doing single leg squat variations.

By the way, that Mike Boyle video was released today and I've received it in ten different email newsletters in the last 5 hours.

I've posted to this blog before, today he has a real good post up. Scroll down specifically to the last section, "The Problem of Overcompensation." "I don’t care how hard you train, you can not out-train a poor diet." Spot on!

Not only do you get exercise and nutritional tips here, I think I've figured out a way to repair the MA economy and put everyone back to work. All we need to do is commit our resourses toward making sure every street in the commonwealth is clearly marked with what I'm calling a "Street Sign." These "Street Signs" will be placed on some type of "Pole" visible at all intersections and sometimes even along the side of the road on really long streets. The "Street Signs" will be a very noticible bright color and will contain the name of the street. I think this will not only put people back to work (due to the manufacturing of the "Street Signs" and "Poles" and the labor that will be needed to put them in the ground at each intersection) but also make it much easier to travel within the state without getting lost. So that problem is solved!

Everyone have a tremendous weekend!!