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Team Cygen's Steve Doucette is a successful National Level bodybuilder and has been competing for many years. Here is his outlook on taking time off...Enjoy!
My career revolves around working with numbers, looking at trends, analysis of data on a daily basis. So it’s not surprising that I would look at my own progress in this way. If I look back to my first year of competing, just shy of my 18th birthday, I can remember the high I got after competing. Back then, Nova Scotia had two shows throughout the year, and I can remember another junior competitor asking me: “Are you going to compete this fall?” I quickly answered: “FOR SURE”… It wasn’t until I got advice from someone who had been competing for a few years that I decided it didn’t make sense for me to go through with it again so soon. So over the next few years, I decided instead to make competition more or less a yearly thing.
In 15 years of competing, I’ve identified the years where I gained the most muscle: From 2003-2004, from 2009 to 2010, and again from 2011-2012. What those periods all have in common is that they were 3 shows that I did where I did not do a show within the previous year. I am not going to look at this from any sort of scientific perspective… Just some honest observations in myself… Let’s look at the details:
In the year 2000 I learned a lot about my body and how competing can take its toll. I competed in back to back shows in the spring, again in late summer and then finally once more in the fall. What I noticed was with each successive show, I actually got worse! Sure, I got pretty ripped for the middle show (I dieted from an already lean state throughout the summer) – however this was at the expense of muscle fullness. Then trying to keep that level of condition for another show – it simply didn’t happen! I was too young, and too inexperienced to be able to pull off maintaining that level of conditioning for so long without hurting my body.
2004 was the first time I ever took a full 2 year break between shows. The result? A much MUCH leaner physique with approximately 10 pounds more stage weight than my 2002 showing. Awesome right?! Fast forward to 2010, another huge change in my physique. Yes, part of this was the fact that it had been 4 whole years since my last show, therefore one would obviously expect much more improvements… However, I must share that this was during the years I had my first child, took a long break from the gym, bought my first home, focused a lot on my career, etc. I basically only really focused on bodybuilding from mid 2009 until the 2010 show. However, that said…I truly feel the break actually helped my growth in the long run. Muscle memory is a good thing…
Finally, 2012. A huge change in my physique from 2010. I vowed to get in my best conditioning to date, which I did. I also was determined to do this while increasing my stage weight substantially, which I did. With all this said, it’s not really a surprise that I’ve decided to sit 2012 Nationals out and wait before doing Nationals for the first time. My goals for competing are to improve from show to show… And with only a few months between my last show and Nationals, I realistically would have looked the same.
Now, I know what some of you may think…The pros compete all the time, many shows, guest appearances, etc. However, I argue that those individuals don’t change all that much, they’ve attained more or less their genetic maximums, and therefore a solid off-season is not necessarily what they need. Changes to their physique at this stage are more ‘polishing’ than mass gaining. Learning to get ripped without sacrificing too much fullness, water manipulation, learning to perfect the final week of their prep… Those are the goals at that level. Of course there are those that can do that, all the while continuing to grow…This is a great feat, however I wonder if they would accomplish an even GREATER feat if they could take that precious time off? One thing to keep in mind, is that at that level, it is no longer a hobby – it is a career, and as such they have to decide what is best for their career. Often times, taking time off competing means time off their career (through guest appearance, self promotion, etc), which isn’t the smartest thing to do from a financial perspective!
For most, this sport is a hobby, as well as a lifestyle. For most, we share the same goals. To eventually become the best bodybuilder we can be in the long run. I truly believe that it is perfectly acceptable to look the same each and every year if you simply enjoy the process. Many people fall in this category, but many others, myself included, would benefit from time off competing to relax, train hard, grow, let injuries heal, and motivate for the next one!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Newest Member of Team Cygen: Josh Hill
Here is a but about Josh Hill, the newest member of Team Cygen. Who is he and whats next for Josh??
I’ve been training in Mixed Martial Arts for the last 5 years and have been fighting professionally since Oct 2009. I am currently 8-0 and am the current Aggression bantamweight champion. I’ve been an athlete my whole life playing sports of all kinds and one thing i have always lacked was proper dieting, nutrition and supplementation. This is why I am pleased to now be part of Team Cygen Laboratories, they have given me all the supplements needed to perform and recover throughout my intense and constant training schedule. In just under 3 years i have worked my way up the Canadian mma circuit fast and i am now widely considered one of the best bantamweights in the country.
My next fight is the biggest fight of my life to date. It will be on Aug 25th at Hamilton Place Theatre under the Score Fighting Series against another top Canadian bantamweight John Fraser (10-3) in the Main Event of the evening. Training camp is underway and so far it is going great, I feel my conditioning is excellent for this early in camp and will only get better. As of right now i have taken some time off work to focus on my training so I can perform at my best come Aug 25th. I am training twice a day, Monday to Friday, once on Saturday, and i always take Sunday off to relax and recover. I am about 5 weeks away from my fight so i will keep you guys up to date and post again in a few weeks to fill you in on my progress leading up to my tilt. Here is a brief overview of my training schedule:
Monday
Morning - Lower body weight training
Evening - Standing up striking
Tuesday
Morning - Stretch and recovery
Evening - Sparring
Wednesday
Morning - Upper Body weight training
Evening - Grappling training
Thursday
Morning - Speed and pad work
Evening - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training
Friday
Morning - Stretch and recovery
Evening - Sparring
Saturday
Morning - High Intensity circuit training
Evening - Recovery
Sunday
OFF
Thanks and stay tuned...
Cheers,
“Gentleman” Josh Hill
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Set Point Theory - Why Stepping Off the Stage Doesn't Mean Falling Off the Wagon?
By Steve Doucette
After a grueling spring of competitions for Steve Doucette, it's back to the offseason, which for many competitors means back to stuffing their faces with anything they can get their hands on. But being a Natural Bodybuilder, Steve has a very different approach to the offseason and what it means to him to stay closer to competition weight all year round. Let's find out why?
Set point theory is something many people in the nutrition world will have come across. It’s not a very complicated theory, and one I have enough evidence to support from having witnessed it in others, as well as myself throughout the years. The point of this article is to define set point theory and what it means for anyone looking to lose weight – permanently, or temporarily.
Set point theory goes a little like this: Every person has their own internal thermostat that controls how much fat you keep on your body. Think of it like a thermostat in your house. Some people like to keep their thermostat high all winter, while others prefer to keep it a little lower. But the end result is always the same – their own house is heated to their own specifications. Not unlike the housing thermostat, an individual, for example, may have their internal thermostat to maintain a bodyfat % of say 12-13%. When that person goes on a crash diet, loses a few % body fat, what happens? The cravings start. All of a sudden that slice of pizza enters the mind more than just when that pizza commercial pops on the television set. All part of your mind telling you to get back to that set point!! Someone else may have a lower, or a higher set point, but at the end of the day this set point often dictates when trouble in a diet is going to begin.
So what happens when one decides it’s time to ‘bulk’? The bodybuilder decides, I must EAT TO GROW… So after a few weeks the person in our example above gets to 15-16%. Now what? Well, this is where I hear complaints such as: ‘not being able to get enough calories’ in their day, or ‘my muscle growth has stalled’, or ‘I have to force feed myself because nothing tastes good anymore’. Again, mind telling your body it’s too fat! STOP EATING SO MUCH!
I am sure almost everyone has in one way or another felt or experienced set point theory for themselves. Personally, this is why I don’t fluctuate too much in the off season. Ages ago, I decided in one of my off-seasons that I should try to hit 200 pounds (keep in mind, I was competing at about 150, and normally an off season diet would get me to about 175-180). So what did I do? I ate everything in sight. This started out great (and fun!), eating more food from healthy sources – as some would call it – a ‘clean bulk’… The weight climbed, but after a while, I really didn’t have any desire to eat a can of tuna here, or a chicken breast there… No, my protein sources started switching over to hamburgers, and then the food sources becoming more and more frequently, pizza, chicken fingers, fries, etc. Trying to stomach protein shakes involved adding peanut butter, and sometimes even ice cream, and so on. The weight climbed further… I almost made it to 190. But I seriously NEVER wanted to eat. It became force feeding to me, and really, all that eating 5000-6000 calories a day was doing was simply increasing my food bill, as well as my ‘toilet paper bill’. So set point theory was simply trying to bring me back down to where my body feels comfortable. Not only that, our body generally increases its metabolism in order to bring the body back to where it wants to be. During prep however, only after a few weeks of dieting, I will even crave things like tuna, chicken, eggs, - as long as it has calories I want it. And unfortunately, metabolism tends to decline in order to bring body fat levels back up. This is often why individuals will continuously decrease calories during a diet as their body requires less and less food to maintain current bodyfat levels.
In terms of physique related sports, a competitor is fighting set point theory for a period of time and then eventually most will see a return to their original bodyfat %. This can be devastating for men and women who believe they can stay in an on-season condition for the rest of their lives. It’s possible, sure… But you’re fighting what your body wants. Often, a first time competitor will not realize that what they’ve worked so hard for can vanish in a moment (moment on the lips, month on the hips ring a bell??). So if you can cope with those cravings, hormone changes, etc. then great – but without trying to be a pessimist, it really isn’t all that feasible or healthy to try to fight your body. What a successful competitor will realize is that these efforts are for a result that is apparent only for a day or two… For some, it may be something they will maintain for weeks, during shoots, etc. Others perhaps year round as part of a self promotion tool. But one thing is for certain – the further away from their set point they are, the harder it will be to maintain a year round competition physique. I consider myself lucky – my body feels comfortable at a level that permits me to get in contest shape in less than 10 weeks, but more importantly, that weight is what I also consider healthy. The problem arises when one feels as though their ‘ideal’ or desired weight is far below what most would consider healthy. This often leads to a vicious cycle for competitors of binging for long periods of time post-contest, followed by depression, and then jumping to do another show as an excuse to get themselves motivated to ‘deprive’ their bodies once more. This is what I call the ugly side of competition…Besides, there is a reason most men like curves on a woman, and why dry striated glutes with veins protruding through them is disgusting to most women!
I often wonder how far away from ‘ideal’ the set point of an individual can be. For example, if one’s set-point were 20% bodyfat, this would be not only be unfortunate from a ‘vanity’ stand point, but from a health standpoint. The good news is, to an extent, you don’t need to beat yourself up for being ‘lazy’ if you can’t maintain weight loss. The bad news is in order to remain healthy, that individual must figure out a way to reduce their set point…In my opinion, there isn’t a whole lot that can be done outside of choosing healthy foods, stopping when satisfied not full, exercising more, and making sure to take in lots of water. However, I think for 99% of the population, following these guidelines should get your set-point into a ‘healthy’ range. Our bodies have evolved over many thousands of years, and in general, eating right and exercising is enough to bring our bodies into a healthy range, and it only makes sense that most would have a set point in this range. Think of your body as a formula 1 race car – what type of fuel are you going to put into it? Obviously it will run more efficiently by giving it top quality fuel. Our bodies are the same. Eat pizza and fast foods every day, and your set point increase substantially. You’re body is not getting what it needs from the food, and therefore in order to get all the nutrients to sustain optimal health, your brain will tell you to eat more. Eat foods that contain all the micro and macro nutrients it needs to perform optimally, and your body won’t beg you for more.
So to summarize, eat right and exercise – it’s the only way to achieve optimal health. Whether or not that satisfies what you want to see in the mirror is up to you.
After a grueling spring of competitions for Steve Doucette, it's back to the offseason, which for many competitors means back to stuffing their faces with anything they can get their hands on. But being a Natural Bodybuilder, Steve has a very different approach to the offseason and what it means to him to stay closer to competition weight all year round. Let's find out why?
Set point theory is something many people in the nutrition world will have come across. It’s not a very complicated theory, and one I have enough evidence to support from having witnessed it in others, as well as myself throughout the years. The point of this article is to define set point theory and what it means for anyone looking to lose weight – permanently, or temporarily.
Set point theory goes a little like this: Every person has their own internal thermostat that controls how much fat you keep on your body. Think of it like a thermostat in your house. Some people like to keep their thermostat high all winter, while others prefer to keep it a little lower. But the end result is always the same – their own house is heated to their own specifications. Not unlike the housing thermostat, an individual, for example, may have their internal thermostat to maintain a bodyfat % of say 12-13%. When that person goes on a crash diet, loses a few % body fat, what happens? The cravings start. All of a sudden that slice of pizza enters the mind more than just when that pizza commercial pops on the television set. All part of your mind telling you to get back to that set point!! Someone else may have a lower, or a higher set point, but at the end of the day this set point often dictates when trouble in a diet is going to begin.
So what happens when one decides it’s time to ‘bulk’? The bodybuilder decides, I must EAT TO GROW… So after a few weeks the person in our example above gets to 15-16%. Now what? Well, this is where I hear complaints such as: ‘not being able to get enough calories’ in their day, or ‘my muscle growth has stalled’, or ‘I have to force feed myself because nothing tastes good anymore’. Again, mind telling your body it’s too fat! STOP EATING SO MUCH!
I am sure almost everyone has in one way or another felt or experienced set point theory for themselves. Personally, this is why I don’t fluctuate too much in the off season. Ages ago, I decided in one of my off-seasons that I should try to hit 200 pounds (keep in mind, I was competing at about 150, and normally an off season diet would get me to about 175-180). So what did I do? I ate everything in sight. This started out great (and fun!), eating more food from healthy sources – as some would call it – a ‘clean bulk’… The weight climbed, but after a while, I really didn’t have any desire to eat a can of tuna here, or a chicken breast there… No, my protein sources started switching over to hamburgers, and then the food sources becoming more and more frequently, pizza, chicken fingers, fries, etc. Trying to stomach protein shakes involved adding peanut butter, and sometimes even ice cream, and so on. The weight climbed further… I almost made it to 190. But I seriously NEVER wanted to eat. It became force feeding to me, and really, all that eating 5000-6000 calories a day was doing was simply increasing my food bill, as well as my ‘toilet paper bill’. So set point theory was simply trying to bring me back down to where my body feels comfortable. Not only that, our body generally increases its metabolism in order to bring the body back to where it wants to be. During prep however, only after a few weeks of dieting, I will even crave things like tuna, chicken, eggs, - as long as it has calories I want it. And unfortunately, metabolism tends to decline in order to bring body fat levels back up. This is often why individuals will continuously decrease calories during a diet as their body requires less and less food to maintain current bodyfat levels.
In terms of physique related sports, a competitor is fighting set point theory for a period of time and then eventually most will see a return to their original bodyfat %. This can be devastating for men and women who believe they can stay in an on-season condition for the rest of their lives. It’s possible, sure… But you’re fighting what your body wants. Often, a first time competitor will not realize that what they’ve worked so hard for can vanish in a moment (moment on the lips, month on the hips ring a bell??). So if you can cope with those cravings, hormone changes, etc. then great – but without trying to be a pessimist, it really isn’t all that feasible or healthy to try to fight your body. What a successful competitor will realize is that these efforts are for a result that is apparent only for a day or two… For some, it may be something they will maintain for weeks, during shoots, etc. Others perhaps year round as part of a self promotion tool. But one thing is for certain – the further away from their set point they are, the harder it will be to maintain a year round competition physique. I consider myself lucky – my body feels comfortable at a level that permits me to get in contest shape in less than 10 weeks, but more importantly, that weight is what I also consider healthy. The problem arises when one feels as though their ‘ideal’ or desired weight is far below what most would consider healthy. This often leads to a vicious cycle for competitors of binging for long periods of time post-contest, followed by depression, and then jumping to do another show as an excuse to get themselves motivated to ‘deprive’ their bodies once more. This is what I call the ugly side of competition…Besides, there is a reason most men like curves on a woman, and why dry striated glutes with veins protruding through them is disgusting to most women!
I often wonder how far away from ‘ideal’ the set point of an individual can be. For example, if one’s set-point were 20% bodyfat, this would be not only be unfortunate from a ‘vanity’ stand point, but from a health standpoint. The good news is, to an extent, you don’t need to beat yourself up for being ‘lazy’ if you can’t maintain weight loss. The bad news is in order to remain healthy, that individual must figure out a way to reduce their set point…In my opinion, there isn’t a whole lot that can be done outside of choosing healthy foods, stopping when satisfied not full, exercising more, and making sure to take in lots of water. However, I think for 99% of the population, following these guidelines should get your set-point into a ‘healthy’ range. Our bodies have evolved over many thousands of years, and in general, eating right and exercising is enough to bring our bodies into a healthy range, and it only makes sense that most would have a set point in this range. Think of your body as a formula 1 race car – what type of fuel are you going to put into it? Obviously it will run more efficiently by giving it top quality fuel. Our bodies are the same. Eat pizza and fast foods every day, and your set point increase substantially. You’re body is not getting what it needs from the food, and therefore in order to get all the nutrients to sustain optimal health, your brain will tell you to eat more. Eat foods that contain all the micro and macro nutrients it needs to perform optimally, and your body won’t beg you for more.
So to summarize, eat right and exercise – it’s the only way to achieve optimal health. Whether or not that satisfies what you want to see in the mirror is up to you.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Prepping for a Figure Competition...It Doesn't Have to Be THAT Hard!
By Angela Doucette
Prepping for a figure contest will eat into your spare time and sometimes your mood (lol) but it doesn’t have to consume your whole life. I think there are just too many stories and articles out there about how competitors suffer so much that we start thinking we need to suffer to get the result we want. We all have lives outside competing, even pro’s do! If competing is ruining relationships, your career, or you are just depressed, you need to change the way you think, eat, and train!
I fell into this trap in the past; I would cut calories way back or do obscene amounts of cardio in the last few weeks before a show. I would be tired, weak, and miserable. This time around I had a 3 year old and 6 month old to think about. So, I changed my thinking. I decided to give myself a lot of time and take things slow. I also decided not to change things if they were already working. Like, why would I do 2 hours of cardio a day when 1 hour was giving good results? Also, why cut back calories if I could see I was obviously getting leaner. The other thing I changed was I shortened my time in the gym and stopped lifting really heavy. I used to dread squat day, thinking if I could not squat over 200lbs I would have no leg muscles. I would push myself so hard to make silly lifts just because I read somewhere that’s what someone else does. I learned to train in a way I really enjoy. Think of it, contest prep is about the prep, the whole journey, a new lifestyle, not about 5 minutes on stage.
The other half of the equation, and the hardest part, is food. I used to wait until certain times to eat and only eat what was planned out on a piece of paper. I use to fret over macronutrients and timing. My stomach would growl, I could not concentrate, and talk about mood swings! Having young kids I decide this wasn’t an option. Now I eat before I get hungry and am eating more a day than on any other diet in the past. I look at my food intake weekly instead of daily. If I am having a hard day (sick kids, bad mood, or whatever) I eat a little more that day. I don’t go pig out or anything but might eat an extra protein shake or have a steak instead of fish, or a little almond butter. We all have bad days. We also all have good days! If I know a special event is coming up I might just eat a little less on the days surrounding the occasion so I can still enjoy the meal everyone else is having. There is nothing worse than having to explain to others why you are eating stinky chicken out of a plastic container while they eat a tasty meal! I like food and parties, its part of our lives, so best to find a way to incorporate it all. Again this is supposed to be a healthy lifestyle not a show as a means to an end. It might take time to figure out what works for you but take the time and find it!
I would rather be 1 pound fatter on stage (it will not make a huge difference in the way you look or place anyway) than gain 30 pounds after the show, have no friends, and have to make up all the months I wasted obsessing over a show. So bottom line-train the way you love, diet in a way that works for you and works in your life or you are setting yourself up for failure in the long run.
Prepping for a figure contest will eat into your spare time and sometimes your mood (lol) but it doesn’t have to consume your whole life. I think there are just too many stories and articles out there about how competitors suffer so much that we start thinking we need to suffer to get the result we want. We all have lives outside competing, even pro’s do! If competing is ruining relationships, your career, or you are just depressed, you need to change the way you think, eat, and train!
I fell into this trap in the past; I would cut calories way back or do obscene amounts of cardio in the last few weeks before a show. I would be tired, weak, and miserable. This time around I had a 3 year old and 6 month old to think about. So, I changed my thinking. I decided to give myself a lot of time and take things slow. I also decided not to change things if they were already working. Like, why would I do 2 hours of cardio a day when 1 hour was giving good results? Also, why cut back calories if I could see I was obviously getting leaner. The other thing I changed was I shortened my time in the gym and stopped lifting really heavy. I used to dread squat day, thinking if I could not squat over 200lbs I would have no leg muscles. I would push myself so hard to make silly lifts just because I read somewhere that’s what someone else does. I learned to train in a way I really enjoy. Think of it, contest prep is about the prep, the whole journey, a new lifestyle, not about 5 minutes on stage.
The other half of the equation, and the hardest part, is food. I used to wait until certain times to eat and only eat what was planned out on a piece of paper. I use to fret over macronutrients and timing. My stomach would growl, I could not concentrate, and talk about mood swings! Having young kids I decide this wasn’t an option. Now I eat before I get hungry and am eating more a day than on any other diet in the past. I look at my food intake weekly instead of daily. If I am having a hard day (sick kids, bad mood, or whatever) I eat a little more that day. I don’t go pig out or anything but might eat an extra protein shake or have a steak instead of fish, or a little almond butter. We all have bad days. We also all have good days! If I know a special event is coming up I might just eat a little less on the days surrounding the occasion so I can still enjoy the meal everyone else is having. There is nothing worse than having to explain to others why you are eating stinky chicken out of a plastic container while they eat a tasty meal! I like food and parties, its part of our lives, so best to find a way to incorporate it all. Again this is supposed to be a healthy lifestyle not a show as a means to an end. It might take time to figure out what works for you but take the time and find it!
I would rather be 1 pound fatter on stage (it will not make a huge difference in the way you look or place anyway) than gain 30 pounds after the show, have no friends, and have to make up all the months I wasted obsessing over a show. So bottom line-train the way you love, diet in a way that works for you and works in your life or you are setting yourself up for failure in the long run.
Friday, February 17, 2012
What's the Secret to Dieting?
In preparation for the Nova Scotia Provincial Bodybuilding Championships, Cygen Athlete Steve Doucette is getting ripped. With so many years experience in contest prep, Steve has tried a lot of different diets. Check out this latest article to find out what "secret" he's discovered.
So is there a secret to dieting? Not really…How many different diets are there around these days? It would be absolutely impossible for me to list all of their names. But you have broad categories such as: low carb – high fat, low fat - high carb, moderate everything, Ketogenic, low calorie, high protein and so on. Then with any of those approaches, you have a gimmick. For example, meal frequency, meal timing, cheat meals, only consuming certain macronutrients at a time, and so on. Add to that other point system diets where you aren’t really restricted with what you can eat – but things are broken down into points which essentially is a way of counting calories, without needing to know what a calorie is. So which of these diets are the best? Which of these diets do I follow?
To be honest, I don’t follow any of those diets. Although, if you looked at what I ate in a day, you might think I am following principles from all of them. As I am writing this, I am currently in a contest preparation and definitely watching calories, carbs, proteins, fats…I am bordering on a Ketogenic diet at most times, I eat frequently and therefore ‘time’ my meals…although the timing changes every day, so it’s quite dynamic and not as structured as one might think. I even have cheat meals, which is something relatively new for me – I never used to have cheat meals, although incorporating them hasn’t hurt my conditioning, nor has it really improved it all that much… And honestly, I even throw in a little of the ‘point system’ theory, since once in a while I may eat something that one might assume is ‘forbidden’ for a bodybuilder… Ex. a half a chocolate bar before the gym, whatever it is that might satisfy a little craving and maybe as a side bonus give me a little more energy in my workout.
So what is the point I am trying to get at here? In my 15 years experience with contest preparation, I have learned 1 really important thing…EVERY DIET WORKS! Crazy as it may sound; there isn’t a rational diet out there that won’t help you lose body fat. Some may help you lose faster – particularly initially with water loss, some may be harder to tolerate, some may be really easy to handle but weight loss is very gradual. For the purpose of this article, I am only briefly going to mention that if you are reading this with the intentions of long term weight loss – ie, weight loss that is permanent once you’ve reached your target (whatever that target is), slow and steady wins the race…If you need to lose 50 pounds, do it over a couple years. If you need to lose 10, again, do it over a couple of years. If you do it fast, it will not be sustainable. There is a reason why the whole “95% of diets fail” idea is tossed around. Most people who diet think of the end result rather than focus on long term health.
But for those of you out there thinking about competing in a bodybuilding, physique contest, or photo shoot, and you are prepared to face the fact that the way you look on stage is just that: “the way you’ll look for ONE DAY”. It is nothing but a short term diet goal. In any case, the diet that works best is the diet that you can handle best. How many times do I hear people say “every individual is different” or “we are all unique so what works for you may not work for me”... Honestly, I don’t buy it! If one person could follow my diet to a tee, then they would likely lose as much or more bodyweight keeping all other variables the same (cardio, activity levels, body weight, supplements, etc). Sure, there is human variability in metabolism, ability to process certain macronutrients, allergies to specific foods, etc…but this variability is a lot smaller than people assume it to be. I believe the notion of “what works for you doesn’t work for me” comes from an entirely different form of variability. Our physiology is very similar…but our psychology is the most variable thing that can exist between humans. What works for ME may not be tolerable for someone else. I know so many people who diet for competitions, and it amazes me what each person uses as their own ‘tricks’ to keep their sanity. Whether that is consuming the largest air-filled, ice-filled protein shakes ever imaginable, or enough salad to keep your belly the size of a 9 month old pregnant lady with triplets (I have often been guilty of those two!). Or perhaps you need that little sweetness, a little extra twin sugar in your coffee. Perhaps its finding the lowest calorie equivalent to a pancake (and who are we kidding, none of them really taste like a pancake!). Maybe it’s creating pudding out of your protein powder, or attempting to make “muffins” out of protein powder and egg whites. Low calorie or ‘calorie free’ alternatives to syrup, spices, sweeteners… The list goes on and on. But this is what makes dieting tolerable. This is where the psychology is variable. Why does a keto diet work for some whereas not for others? It’s not because of our physiology. It would work for everyone. However some people can’t mentally handle it.
So the moral of the story is, stick to a diet you can handle mentally and physically. If Jared (you know…”Mr. Subway”) would have eaten a diet filled with lettuce, veggies, protein powder, plain chicken and tuna, he’d probably still be the obese guy he used to be…And if I ate 2 Subway sandwiches every day, I’d probably give up in a week. So stick to what works for you. The key thing is to keep it as healthy as possible – because not only are you trying to lose weight, you’re trying to live a long and healthy life.
Want to follow Steve's journey to the stage? Check out his training log on Canadabodybuilding.com and find out how Steve plans to dominate Nova Scotia.
So is there a secret to dieting? Not really…How many different diets are there around these days? It would be absolutely impossible for me to list all of their names. But you have broad categories such as: low carb – high fat, low fat - high carb, moderate everything, Ketogenic, low calorie, high protein and so on. Then with any of those approaches, you have a gimmick. For example, meal frequency, meal timing, cheat meals, only consuming certain macronutrients at a time, and so on. Add to that other point system diets where you aren’t really restricted with what you can eat – but things are broken down into points which essentially is a way of counting calories, without needing to know what a calorie is. So which of these diets are the best? Which of these diets do I follow?
To be honest, I don’t follow any of those diets. Although, if you looked at what I ate in a day, you might think I am following principles from all of them. As I am writing this, I am currently in a contest preparation and definitely watching calories, carbs, proteins, fats…I am bordering on a Ketogenic diet at most times, I eat frequently and therefore ‘time’ my meals…although the timing changes every day, so it’s quite dynamic and not as structured as one might think. I even have cheat meals, which is something relatively new for me – I never used to have cheat meals, although incorporating them hasn’t hurt my conditioning, nor has it really improved it all that much… And honestly, I even throw in a little of the ‘point system’ theory, since once in a while I may eat something that one might assume is ‘forbidden’ for a bodybuilder… Ex. a half a chocolate bar before the gym, whatever it is that might satisfy a little craving and maybe as a side bonus give me a little more energy in my workout.
So what is the point I am trying to get at here? In my 15 years experience with contest preparation, I have learned 1 really important thing…EVERY DIET WORKS! Crazy as it may sound; there isn’t a rational diet out there that won’t help you lose body fat. Some may help you lose faster – particularly initially with water loss, some may be harder to tolerate, some may be really easy to handle but weight loss is very gradual. For the purpose of this article, I am only briefly going to mention that if you are reading this with the intentions of long term weight loss – ie, weight loss that is permanent once you’ve reached your target (whatever that target is), slow and steady wins the race…If you need to lose 50 pounds, do it over a couple years. If you need to lose 10, again, do it over a couple of years. If you do it fast, it will not be sustainable. There is a reason why the whole “95% of diets fail” idea is tossed around. Most people who diet think of the end result rather than focus on long term health.
But for those of you out there thinking about competing in a bodybuilding, physique contest, or photo shoot, and you are prepared to face the fact that the way you look on stage is just that: “the way you’ll look for ONE DAY”. It is nothing but a short term diet goal. In any case, the diet that works best is the diet that you can handle best. How many times do I hear people say “every individual is different” or “we are all unique so what works for you may not work for me”... Honestly, I don’t buy it! If one person could follow my diet to a tee, then they would likely lose as much or more bodyweight keeping all other variables the same (cardio, activity levels, body weight, supplements, etc). Sure, there is human variability in metabolism, ability to process certain macronutrients, allergies to specific foods, etc…but this variability is a lot smaller than people assume it to be. I believe the notion of “what works for you doesn’t work for me” comes from an entirely different form of variability. Our physiology is very similar…but our psychology is the most variable thing that can exist between humans. What works for ME may not be tolerable for someone else. I know so many people who diet for competitions, and it amazes me what each person uses as their own ‘tricks’ to keep their sanity. Whether that is consuming the largest air-filled, ice-filled protein shakes ever imaginable, or enough salad to keep your belly the size of a 9 month old pregnant lady with triplets (I have often been guilty of those two!). Or perhaps you need that little sweetness, a little extra twin sugar in your coffee. Perhaps its finding the lowest calorie equivalent to a pancake (and who are we kidding, none of them really taste like a pancake!). Maybe it’s creating pudding out of your protein powder, or attempting to make “muffins” out of protein powder and egg whites. Low calorie or ‘calorie free’ alternatives to syrup, spices, sweeteners… The list goes on and on. But this is what makes dieting tolerable. This is where the psychology is variable. Why does a keto diet work for some whereas not for others? It’s not because of our physiology. It would work for everyone. However some people can’t mentally handle it.
So the moral of the story is, stick to a diet you can handle mentally and physically. If Jared (you know…”Mr. Subway”) would have eaten a diet filled with lettuce, veggies, protein powder, plain chicken and tuna, he’d probably still be the obese guy he used to be…And if I ate 2 Subway sandwiches every day, I’d probably give up in a week. So stick to what works for you. The key thing is to keep it as healthy as possible – because not only are you trying to lose weight, you’re trying to live a long and healthy life.
Want to follow Steve's journey to the stage? Check out his training log on Canadabodybuilding.com and find out how Steve plans to dominate Nova Scotia.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Q n' A with Team Cygen Vol. 1
Over the past several months, emails have been flooding in from people all across the country wanting to ask the advice of our Cygen Athletes on various training and nutrition related topics. The following is the first question we've selected to answer for everyone to read. Enjoy!
QUESTION:
Team Cygen,
I work in a job that requires me to be outdoors year round, and I find that if I’m prepping for a bodybuilding show in the colder months, I always get sick. I’m already using Anabolic Link to help with my immune system, but are there any other steps I can take to keep myself from getting sick all the time?
Thank You,
Phil M. Milton, ON
ANSWER:
Here are five things I do to boost my immune system:
1. Have a mixed green salad everyday preferably with an olive oil based dressing.
2. Use ½ cup of plain goat yogurt and mix in 2 tablespoons of Iso90 and 2 tablespoon on mixed berries (frozen is fine) good as breakfast on its own, or for heartier appetites add it to your regular breakfast.
3. 10 grams of Glutamine to protein shake within ½ after training.
4. One Multipack after breakfast and one after dinner.
5. 10 grams of Glutamine with ½ cup pomegranate juice before bed
Let me know if this is what you are looking for. I can elaborate if you don’t like it in point form. Your thoughts.....
Haman Dowlatram
Got a question for the team? You can direct your question to a specific member of the team, or just to anyone on the team in general. Email your questions to info@cygenlabs.com, and in the subject line write "Q n' A with Team Cygen".
QUESTION:
Team Cygen,
I work in a job that requires me to be outdoors year round, and I find that if I’m prepping for a bodybuilding show in the colder months, I always get sick. I’m already using Anabolic Link to help with my immune system, but are there any other steps I can take to keep myself from getting sick all the time?
Thank You,
Phil M. Milton, ON
ANSWER:
Here are five things I do to boost my immune system:
1. Have a mixed green salad everyday preferably with an olive oil based dressing.
2. Use ½ cup of plain goat yogurt and mix in 2 tablespoons of Iso90 and 2 tablespoon on mixed berries (frozen is fine) good as breakfast on its own, or for heartier appetites add it to your regular breakfast.
3. 10 grams of Glutamine to protein shake within ½ after training.
4. One Multipack after breakfast and one after dinner.
5. 10 grams of Glutamine with ½ cup pomegranate juice before bed
Let me know if this is what you are looking for. I can elaborate if you don’t like it in point form. Your thoughts.....
Haman Dowlatram
Got a question for the team? You can direct your question to a specific member of the team, or just to anyone on the team in general. Email your questions to info@cygenlabs.com, and in the subject line write "Q n' A with Team Cygen".
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Power-Bodybuilding
Ask many bodybuilders what they think about powerlifters, and they'll probably tell you they're a bunch of overweight slobs that don't even look like they workout. Ask many powerlifters what they think about bodybuilders, and they'll probably tell you they're a bunch of oiled up pre-madonna pretty boys. Ask Cygen Athlete Steve Doucette what he thinks, and he'll ask you why you can't have the best of both worlds? Steve definitely has a physique that gets attention when he steps on stage, but make no mistake - the man is CRAZY STRONG. Here's Steve's take on the Muscle Strength vs Muscle Size debate:
By Steve Doucette
In a fast paced society, people want results and they want it fast. Have a headache? Pop a pill, feeling a little blue? Pop another…So what happens in the world of bodybuilding when there isn’t a magic pill (and no, steroids aren’t the answer) that will turn you into a pro champion in a matter of months? Well, eventually, most smart individuals learn that the key to making progress is through proper nutrition and training. This article focuses on one aspect of training that many people ignore.
Have you ever heard someone say “I am training like a bodybuilder” vs. “training like a powerlifter”? While the two have very different training styles, this concept seems to have exaggerated itself over the years. You will often hear someone say “the judges don’t care how much I can squat”…while very true, the fact is, if you can’t squat double your bodyweight for a single deep rep (or for a set of 10 for that matter), you probably don’t have the legs it takes to place at an elite level on stage. So how is one going to get the muscle size necessary if they are only lifting half of the weight that could realistically handle? Yes, it’s great to ‘feel the burn’ and work each contraction slowly, and so on…But wouldn’t you get those results even quicker by feeling the contraction/burn AND lifting the heavy weight at the same time??!
So how does a powerlifter train? A competitive powerlifter only requires to bench, squat, or deadlift the maximum amount of weight for 1 rep. So leading up to a meet, a powerlifter might reduce the number of reps they train with while increasing the weight (simple stuff right?!). Keeping it simple, if they did not do this, and focused solely on reps, their central nervous system would not be accustomed to the heavy weight, and not all muscle fibers would be able to work in a simultaneous fashion in order to maximize the amount of effort they can put into 1 burst of energy.
And a bodybuilder? Typically, a bodybuilder is only focused on gaining muscle size. They aren’t concerned about how much power they have for a single rep, as this is not relevant to their goals. Often, this is where the unsuccessful bodybuilder goes wrong. Because they know the amount of weight they push isn’t important, they fail to challenge their bodies into doing more weight. But without challenging your body, how will muscle growth occur? In the simplest explanation, muscles need to be overloaded, which stimulates a natural adaptive process in the body. Without a need for adaptation, what would cause muscles to grow? This is why the body needs to be challenged. And the easiest way to do so is progressively work toward an increase in weight at a given rep range.
So while a bodybuilder does not need to worry about how much weight he can lift, it is clear that in order to gain muscle one must put the effort in the gym. Squatting, deadlifting, and benching are the 3 most important exercises I believe any bodybuilder should focus as their primary lifts if they wish to succeed. This does not imply that the stronger one is, the better bodybuilder they must be….but the correlation is easily there. You will never find a 150 pound bodybuilder out benching a 300 pound pro bodybuilder! I am sure many of you reading this may think this sounds like common sense, and while it should be, it is surprisingly common for newcomers to the sport to get tangled in the confusion. The sport does have many scientific properties to it, no doubt…But when it comes down to it, those who look strong, typically are strong.
By Steve Doucette
In a fast paced society, people want results and they want it fast. Have a headache? Pop a pill, feeling a little blue? Pop another…So what happens in the world of bodybuilding when there isn’t a magic pill (and no, steroids aren’t the answer) that will turn you into a pro champion in a matter of months? Well, eventually, most smart individuals learn that the key to making progress is through proper nutrition and training. This article focuses on one aspect of training that many people ignore.
Have you ever heard someone say “I am training like a bodybuilder” vs. “training like a powerlifter”? While the two have very different training styles, this concept seems to have exaggerated itself over the years. You will often hear someone say “the judges don’t care how much I can squat”…while very true, the fact is, if you can’t squat double your bodyweight for a single deep rep (or for a set of 10 for that matter), you probably don’t have the legs it takes to place at an elite level on stage. So how is one going to get the muscle size necessary if they are only lifting half of the weight that could realistically handle? Yes, it’s great to ‘feel the burn’ and work each contraction slowly, and so on…But wouldn’t you get those results even quicker by feeling the contraction/burn AND lifting the heavy weight at the same time??!
So how does a powerlifter train? A competitive powerlifter only requires to bench, squat, or deadlift the maximum amount of weight for 1 rep. So leading up to a meet, a powerlifter might reduce the number of reps they train with while increasing the weight (simple stuff right?!). Keeping it simple, if they did not do this, and focused solely on reps, their central nervous system would not be accustomed to the heavy weight, and not all muscle fibers would be able to work in a simultaneous fashion in order to maximize the amount of effort they can put into 1 burst of energy.
And a bodybuilder? Typically, a bodybuilder is only focused on gaining muscle size. They aren’t concerned about how much power they have for a single rep, as this is not relevant to their goals. Often, this is where the unsuccessful bodybuilder goes wrong. Because they know the amount of weight they push isn’t important, they fail to challenge their bodies into doing more weight. But without challenging your body, how will muscle growth occur? In the simplest explanation, muscles need to be overloaded, which stimulates a natural adaptive process in the body. Without a need for adaptation, what would cause muscles to grow? This is why the body needs to be challenged. And the easiest way to do so is progressively work toward an increase in weight at a given rep range.
So while a bodybuilder does not need to worry about how much weight he can lift, it is clear that in order to gain muscle one must put the effort in the gym. Squatting, deadlifting, and benching are the 3 most important exercises I believe any bodybuilder should focus as their primary lifts if they wish to succeed. This does not imply that the stronger one is, the better bodybuilder they must be….but the correlation is easily there. You will never find a 150 pound bodybuilder out benching a 300 pound pro bodybuilder! I am sure many of you reading this may think this sounds like common sense, and while it should be, it is surprisingly common for newcomers to the sport to get tangled in the confusion. The sport does have many scientific properties to it, no doubt…But when it comes down to it, those who look strong, typically are strong.
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