Eating “Clean” Isn’t Enough!
By
Dr. Eric Serrano and Scott H. Mendelson
How important is diet planning? I’m trying to lose about 30 lbs of fat
because I’m around 20 percent body fat now. I want to look better and get into a
more competitive weight class for powerlifting and mixed martial arts. I haven’t
really done a structured fat loss plan before, and I’m thinking that just
getting rid of junk food and keeping the carbs low will work. What do you think?
I’m concerned about losing strength as well. My last diet killed my totals, and
I was weak on the mat.
Eating clean isn’t enough to earn a low body fat level or maximize
performance. Initially, you can lose some body fat just by eliminating junk
food. But just like training, the nutrition plan must change in a strategic
manner or things get stale very fast—after 4–6 weeks in our experience working
with thousands of clients. We see it as our job to provide plans that are so
advanced yet simple in regards to the ability for a client to execute the key
elements.
There is more to fat loss than caloric intake
Macronutrient cycling (rotating amounts of protein, dietary fats, and carbs)
will prevent metabolic staleness, increase fat burning enzymes, and optimize the
hormonal environment. Remember, there is much more to fat loss than energy in
versus energy out. Is 100 calories of potato chips the same as 100 calories of
lean protein in regards to the body’s metabolic response? Heck no!
An athlete must consider performance elements because no competitor can
afford to lose 3–6 months of training progress due to low energy associated with
the typical static diet. You can lose body fat while maintaining or even
increasing lean body mass if you play your cards correctly. Recovery rates will
suffer when food intake is decreased, which is why all intake must be nutrient
dense, and supplementation will be needed to fill the gaps. The ratios of
protein, carbs, and dietary fats have a huge impact on the hormonal environment.
Eat right and you can boost testosterone levels. Screw up and they will drop
like a rock!
Recovery isn’t only a muscular issue
Any strength athlete must prioritize accelerating recovery for the nervous
system. This isn’t an easy task, especially while trying to reduce body fat
levels. Technically, the muscles must recover before the nervous system can do
so fully. Amino Loading with 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis will boost both
muscular and neurological recovery, ensuring that you’re sharp for every
training session. The special combination of amino acids are crucial during
training, as they provide a powerful alternative energy source, which comes in
handy when glycogen levels are lower than usual.
The typical long-term, low nutrient, intake plan making use of high protein
with low carb and fat levels is a bad strategy if you’re looking to get very
lean fast. We are metabolic janitors having to fix messes created by clients not
due to bad intentions but a lack of information. Humans are creatures of habit.
This is one of our greatest downfalls because we can easily make the fat burning
mechanisms stale, bringing progress to a frustrating halt.
Enzymes hold the keys to the fat burning treasure chest
A little known factor of fat loss and muscle growth is enzymatic activity.
When turned in your favor, it will accelerate progress. However, if availability
is low, you’re headed nowhere fast. Enzymatic activity is increased according to
food consumption. For example, eat a high amount of carbs and enzymes will be
available to burn the carbs. The same holds true for proteins and dietary fats.
Rapid fat loss requires the body to burn stored fat as fuel, and an elevated
intake of good dietary fat consumption will increase the enzymes needed to get
the job done. However, combine the wrong carb sources and amounts and the fat
burning enzymes won’t reach peak levels.
Macronutrient cycling for rapid fat loss and muscle growth
By the time this article is posted, many people will have arrived at a major
plateau if they started an effort around January 1st. The amounts of protein,
dietary fat, and carbohydrates must be manipulated in a strategic manner to
avoid metabolic staleness. A consistent intake of high protein levels without
spiking dietary fat and carb intake will result in the body using muscle as a
fuel source because protein is abundant from daily food intake. Why? The
enzymes needed to use protein as a fuel source will be very active due to the
high protein intake. We don’t want to make protein the bad guy, but try lowering
your intake from 1.5 grams per lean pound of body weight to 1 gram a couple days
per week while spiking carb or dietary fat levels to prevent metabolic
staleness. It’s best to elevate carbs on one day and dietary fats on another.
There are many elements to consider when building a customized macronutrient
cycling plan. Due to space constraints, we can’t go through them all.
Check out a sample program in
this article.
Physique breakfast of champions
Yes, lowering protein intake to moderate levels on certain days will reduce
the availability of certain building blocks. However, these can be efficiently
replaced by Amino Loading with 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis around workouts and
between meals. This was designed following many years of research including
muscle biopsies to determine the exact ratios needed to support rapid muscle
growth and repair. Remember, quality ingredient intake is only beneficial when
they can be properly utilized, making the proprietary ratios absolutely crucial
to your success. This combination doesn’t increase protein burning enzymes,
allowing fat burning enzymes to increase rapidly and thus torching unwanted body
fat fast. Use the MR and Muscle Synthesis around training as well as between
meals to force the body into using more stored fat as fuel. This also has a big
impact on metabolism because it makes the brain understand that an abundance of
food has been consumed. As a result, your metabolic rate is raised through the
roof! A few days per week use a high dosage of 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis to
replace your breakfast and watch your body fat disappear for good!
Kick out the fat!
Fat cells are a warehouse for stored fat and are hormonally active, producing
many types of hormones necessary for general health and to communicate between
cells. Alpha Omega provides the vital raw materials and tools for optimal
metabolism and synthesis. Optimizing fat cell function will help the body burn
fat stores rapidly. Providing the ideal materials to cells supports a beneficial
level of cellular fluidity, which improves fat burning communications between
cells and the nervous system. Improved blood flow enables more nutrients and
hormones to be delivered to desirable locations.
Scott H. Mendelson, author of the e-book, 100% Fitness Solution, and
director of Infinity Fitness, is a highly regarded performance nutrition and
training specialist. In addition to his celebrity and executive clients, Scott
works daily with professional athletes from the NFL, NHL, MLB, and NCAA. He has
built an excellent reputation providing effective supplements, cutting-edge
information, customized programs, and unmatched service to thousands of clients
worldwide. Scott is the special assistant to Eric Serrano, MD, and helps with
the design of training and nutrition programs for Serrano’s family practice
patients in Columbus, Ohio.
Infinity Fitness INC provides training, fitness, and nutritional
information for educational purposes. It is important that you consult with a
health professional to ensure that your dietary and health needs are met. It is
necessary for you to carefully monitor your progress and to make changes to your
nutritional and fitness program to enjoy success. Infinity Fitness does not
employ dieticians or health professionals and assumes no responsibility or
liability for your personal health and condition.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug
Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent
any disease. SST™, Superior Supplements and Training™, 100% MR™, Muscle
Synthesis™, Muscle Synthesis Powder™, Alpha Omega M 3™, Amino Loading™, Fat
Reduce™, and Zero Tolerance Fat Loss Plan™, are Trademarks of Superior
Supplements and Training LLC, OHIO USA. Your results may vary and depend on many
factors. No Endorsements of any product or training system is intended,
expressed or implied, by any athlete who may be pictured in illustration of this
Article. Copyright © Infinity Fitness & Training Inc, OHIO USA 1999-2009, All
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