Dining out;

I found this article while surfing around and thought some of you might find it intresting to read, espically the women, considering the fact that i got it from weeklyupdate-fitnessmagazine.com. I hope it helps and it gives you something to ponder the next time you decide to eat out at a restaurant!

Going out to dinner tonight? You've got plenty of company. Almost 75 percent of us eat at a restaurant at least once a week, and 25 percent dine out every two or three days, according to a study by the USDA. And hey, why not? Letting someone else cook is relaxing -- the perfect treat after a busy day. Trouble is, a recent study at the University of Texas found that female dieters consume an extra 253 calories and 16 fat grams on the days that they eat at restaurants. Portion sizes have ballooned in recent years -- and most of us tend to polish off every bite. Research by FITNESS advisory board member Brian Wansink, PhD, director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab in Ithaca, New York, and author of Mindless Eating, shows that we keep nibbling until our plates are empty rather than waiting for our bodies to signal that we're full, no matter how big the serving size.
Happily, you can order off any menu and drop pounds -- or maintain a healthy weight -- without depriving yourself. Just follow our easy, carry-it-with-you guide.
Continued: Healthy Eating Tips >>

800, almost;

As promised, this is the picture of me almost deading 800lbs., in fact, this is the exact spot where my injury took place. The general concesus of it would have to be that if i had more time to rest or if this was my third attempt, i would have gotten it. I am going to try it and hopefully conquer this weight in the future and go up from there. How far will i go, i am not sure, hopefully far enough to be on the list with all the other great powerlifters, but that remains to be seen. I am confident that with enough hard work anything is possible but the physical body does have its limits, but that doesn't mean i cannot work around them and train a different way to push my physical body as far as it will go! I guess i will just have to take my own advice and "Train hard and smart!!" One last note, if you want to see this picture up close, just click on the picture and it will get much larger.

Second video;

My second video was just posted today and it is from my second power meet in april on the 21st, follow this link to see the video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SidgOkB2lY, i hope you enjoy it and feel free to comment, thanks!

Video;

Anyone intrested in seeing me deadlifting at my first powerlifting meet from january, 13 2007, can go to www.youtube.com and put todd williams in the search box and then click on the video that has the title todd williams deadlift. I haven't gotten a video from the second powerlifting meet yet as i am waiting for the site to post it. Whenever that happens, i will post it on you tube also and let you know! Please feel free to comment on the video on you tube and i hope it inspires at least one of you to go after your goals and dreams! Since some peolple are not as computer literate as others, you can follow this link to see the video, it is much easier, this link will take you straight to the video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFEaVpf0Fdw just click on the link, it's as simple as that!

Bringing back gym class;

This is an article from the june 07 issue of flex that i thought worth sharing with you, espically those of you with children in school or about to enter school.Please click on article to be able to read it, thanks!

Yoga!

People who do yoga to help relieve arthritis symptoms often find other, unexpected benefits to the acient practice. In addition to increasing flexibility, yoga relieves stress and improves mood. Plus, it's an appropriate activity for people at any fitness level.
What many people don't realize is that yoga may also help manage weight. Yoga's weight management benefits may result not from burning calories but from increased body awareness. This awareness coupled with reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression, may make yaga practitioners more mindful of fullness after eating and better able to recognize non-hunger eating triggers such as sadness and frustration.
In other words the more in touch you are with your inner self the better you are at dealing with everyday problems. Tackling the problem and solving it, instead of turning to food to feel better or some other comfort negative activity, is the only positive outcome when you are better acquainted with yourself!

The road to recovery;

After another trip to see my orthopedic surgeon approximately three and a half weeks post operation, i am a little farther down the road of recovery. I can turn my hand one complete way but not the other and on wednesday i begin physical therapy, two to three times per week for four weeks, up until the time i need to see my doctor again. Unfortunately, this is going to take a lot more time to heal than i previously thought or hoped!
I have not let my arm being in a sling stop me from going to the gym three to four times each week to work on my lagging right tricep and calves. I am also capable of doing quads as well and cardio on the stationary bike at home and the ellyptical machine at the gym. Of course i am careful to not involve my left injured arm into any of these workouts, so i have to be creative at some points but i am good at adapting and i welcome the challenge!
I guess i have my upbringing to thank for my ingenuity as well as my genetics but i hope that this little lesson that i am learning helps inspire anyone out there who says to themselves that they don't feel like working out today or they won't ever reach their goals. My mom always said 'Where there's a will there's a way', it is as true today as the day she said it twenty years ago, sometimes the 'will' just has to find its own way!
One more thing before i end this entry, just remember while you are sitting there able to use all of your extremities, there is someone somewhere wishing that they had full use of theirs. So why not make use of yours in the way that will benefit your mind, body and soul, train hard and smart but just train!!!

Franco speaking;

On the back page of a publication sent to me called 'muscle and body', this article happened to be there and i wanted to share it with all of you who have been in the bodybuilding and weightlifting world for a while. Those of you that have been reading the muscle mags are no stranger to this name but those of you that are new to the world of old bodybuilding legends, will want to get acquainted with this man! Not only was and is he a great bodybuilder of his time but he was also a great powerlifter and held his own in the world of strong man competitions. He was a large part of arnold's success and is a great man in his own right.Enjoy! As with the other articles, click on the article to be able to read it.

Amino of the week; Tyrosine;

Every week i will be picking an amino acid and giving you information about the amino. I will try to educate you into the world of amino acids and show you how to apply them into your daily life and workouts.Hopefully, you will gain enough knowledge about aminos to be able to add them into your pre and post workout regimen and benefit from their positive effects, both in life and in the gym.
This week's amino of the week is l-tyrosine.The primary benefits of this amino acid are as follows;
1.Tyrosine is a true pick me up amino acid, as it is known to increase energy,
2. Elevate mood,
3. Enhance mental focus,
4. Aid fat loss,
5. Even boost sex drive!
Dosage; Take 1-4 grams of tyrosine 30 to 60 minutes before workouts.
Also, if you desire more energy in the morning, take 1 to 4 grams upon rising.
I use tyrosine on a daily basis before and after my workouts and the vitamin shoppe has its own line of products that are high quality and easy on the bank account.
Come back each week for more information about all topics relating to working out for men, women and even children! Train hard and smart!

"Food for thought";

This is a story i found while surfing around and reading through the yahoo health, nutrition and food columns. I wanted to share it with all of you, regardless if you have children or not, it has some 'food for thought' for everyone.
Nancy's Story

"One vignette caught my eye."
I was watching the movie Super Size Me and there was one vignette that caught my eye. It was about a school for adolescents with behavioral problems. This school had to have police officers in the building because the behavior was so bad. Then the school changed the food system to a system that was all natural, organic, and whole grain foods. As a result there was a complete turnaround in the behavior of the children at the school. The kids were calmer. They were learning. And the police were no longer involved.
I went to school to study holistic health, and at the same time I started making changes at home. These were small changes. We've always eaten pretty well at home, but my kids were more than happy to have junk food, sugary snacks and all of that. As I started learning more about how a growing, changing body handles bad food, I started cutting out things like partially hydrogenated fats. This wasn't easy. Partially hydrogenated fats are found in so many different foods! It's the ingredient that makes the food more shelf-stable, so we would find it in places that made no sense to me at all. Almost every baked good, every cookie, every cracker, every cake and basically anything and everything that is pre-packaged and put on a supermarket shelf had hydrogenated fats.

"I actually disguise vegetables to get them into meals."
Macaroni and cheese is a big favorite in our house. The first thing I did was I started cooking it from scratch, which is surprisingly easy, then I would take a zucchini and hide it in the cheese sauce. My kids barely noticed. Kale, a leafy vegetable, very healthy, is not always the most appealing for kids. I cut it into small pieces, added a little olive oil, a little salt, put it in the oven and baked it till it was a nice, crispy, crunchy, salty thing. I experimented with plenty of things that I won't make my kids try again. It takes almost 15 tries to get a new food into a kid's diet--a food [he or she] will eat. There have been spectacular failures and that's fine. That's the only way to learn.

"If I explain to my kids why I'm torturing them it makes it easier."
I get much better results when I show my kids why I am doing something. One of my favorite examples is when I took a 12-ounce can of soda, and I asked my kids to tell me how much sugar they thought was in a single can. Then I showed them. After I poured 12 teaspoons of sugar into a glass bowl, they were amazed. It doesn't mean that they're not going to go off to a party and not have soda. It means they're aware that they are consuming that amount of sugar. And they know it's not just mom being nuts; it's mom being concerned.

"It really matters what you know about yourself."
Physically I feel much better. Some people can eat a pound of sugar and feel fine; I can't. I think the kids have more energy. I think they feel better. My son was always bothered by Eczema and allergies. Now the Eczema is gone and the allergies are much better.

"All of this knowledge has made me a better parent."
Now I have the facts behind me, I have information I can use to show concrete examples. It's opened up a lot of dialogues with me and the kids. We talk a lot about these kinds of things. At the beginning of my schooling, they just were like: "Oh great. What's she going to try on us now?" That's gone away. They may not like it if I bring some strange new food in but they're willing to talk about it. And that's been great. We're working together as a family, we're doing it together.
Copyright © 2007 Procter & Gamble Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Ephedrine; All you need to know;

“Ma Huang (Ephedra) Variation in Dietary Supplements”By: Charles Curry, GET DIESEL NUTRITION founderName: Ephedra, Ephedra sinica, equisetina, Commonly used names: Ma Huang, Ephedra, Ephedra sinicaWhat is it? Ephedra is a herb originally used to treat asthma and bronchial problems in Chinese. It has been used in Chinese medicine for over 5,000 years.Where is it found? 40 species, grown all over the world, mainly 12 species produced in China. North American Ephedra is said to contain less ephedrine alkaloid content (not ephedrine group alkaloid content) v/s the ratios found in Chinese Ephedra. Ephedrine group alkaloids average .5 to 2.5% and up to 3.5% of the dried leaf contents. This variation of 700% is the problem when ma huang is used in dietary supplements. What does it do? Ephedra contains ephedrine alkaloids that stimulate the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and has a bronchial dilating effect (helps you breath better by dilating-opening the airways in the lungs). Ephedrine is also know to mildly stimulates the CNS and prevent the break down of epinephrine released by stimulation of the Central Nervous System (CNS). A study was conducted on 10 samples of ephedra herb to determine the similarities in commercially available ephedra products compared to products containing ephedrine HCL. Ephedrine alkaloids derived from herbal sources were found to have the same effect as ephedrine HCL. The authors of this study (Gurley BJ, Gardner SF, and White LM) concluded: "the increased incidence of Ma Hung toxicity does not stem from difference in the absorption of botanical ephedrine compared with synthetic ephedrine. Rather it results from the accidental overdose often prompted by exaggerated off-label claims and a belief that “'natural' medicinal agents are inherently safe."Ephedrine alkaloid; the same as Ephedrine HCL? Yes and no. Ephedrine alkaloids are a group of ephedrines listed below. All ephedrine alkaloid containing plants (ephedra, sida cordifolia, etc.,) contain varying amounts of ephedrine alkaloids. Ephedrine HCL is a synthetic form of the CNS stimulating ephedrine group alkaloid called ephedrine. Pseudoephedrine HCL (found in OTC cold medication) is the synthetic form of the alkaloid pseudoephedrine, that has very little to no stimulating effect to the CNS.Ephedrine Alkaloids:(-) ephedrine (+) pseudoephedrine (-) methylephedrine (-) norephedrine (+) norpseudoephedrine (+) methylpseudoephedrine In nature, the order of content amount in total ephedrine group alkaloids found in various species of ephedra is normally 1-2-4-5-3-6.Of the 6 main ephedrine alkaloids, I am going to discuss the two most abundant and popular: Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine 1. Ephedrine - The Alkaloid ephedrine makes up 30% to 90% of total ephedrine group alkaloids in ephedra. Ephedrine is not as good as caffeine at stimulating the CNS, but when combined with caffeine, the two work in synergy because ephedrine prevents the break down of epinephrine released by the caffeine, enhancing caffeine's CNS stimulating effects. Ephedrine is probably the most effective herbal alkaloid at stimulating a non-active Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS). Obesity can be directly linked to an inactive SNS. Ephedrine has been proven to increase in weight loss for obese individuals, but has no effect by itself in lean individuals (lean individuals do not need SNS stimulation, they just need CNS stimulation- put more fat in the blood). Caffeine by itself keeps lean individuals lean by keeping circulating blood lipid levels higher than normal. 2. Pseudoephedrine - Pseudoephedrine is probably synthetically produced more than all other ephedrine group alkaloids put together because of its approved use in OTC respiratory formulas, and cold medications. Pseudoephedrine does not raise blood pressure and stimulate the CNS to the degree of ephedrine. I have noticed that when isolated away from ephedrine it has little to no CNS stimulation at all. When combined synthetically or naturally with ephedrine, and the other ephedrine alkaloids, pseudoephedrine increases the CNS stimulating properties of ephedrine. This is why all ephedrine group alkaloid content is now required on a dietary supplement label. With the wide variation of ephedrine alkaloid concentration in dietary supplements, it is possible to get a product with 18mg of ephedrine alkaloids, and 30mg of the other ephedrine group alkaloids without it being listed. A few companies still list ephedrine content as ephedrine alkaloids, and you cannot tell if they are referring to total group alkaloids, or just ephedrine alkaloids. I have also seen companies not list ephedrine content at all because it’s "proprietary", meaning they include that in their secret formula. Why is this important? Say you tried an ephedra-containing product that consisted of 20mg of ephedrine alkaloids per serving (even though the product really contained 20mg of ephedrine group alkaloids with 10mg of the alkaloid ephedrine). After about 6 weeks you decided to take a different ephedra containing dietary supplement, and the label reads 20mg of ephedrine alkaloids per serving. Same as before right.....WRONG! Come to find out that product may really contain 20mg of ephedrine alkaloids, twice the amount of ephedrine as the previous product. You may take it the same way as before, but now you are at a greater risk for side effects or complications because you are getting 20mg of ephedrine per serving not 10mg.Ephedra use in dietary supplements is not standardized. The FDA puts limits on the amount of ephedrine group alkaloids dietary supplements can suggest for use in one day (100mg in any 24 hours). But 100mg of the alkaloid ephedrine in 24 hours is way more dangerous than 100mg of ephedrine group alkaloids where less than 50% of the total alkaloids are ephedrine. Both products meet the FDA's limit because they do not put a specific limit on ephedrine alkaloid itself, just total group alkaloids. This variation is why I believe some products seem to be way stronger as pre-workout energizers than other because they all have varying amounts of ephedrine alkaloids in the total ephedrine group alkaloid content. The product with more ephedrine alkaloid is going to make you more jittery, having greater CNS stimulating properties. As mentioned previously, with about 40 species of ephedra grown all over the world, and depending on species, parts used (aerial, stem, leaf or a combination of stem and leaf), harvesting, and extraction techniques, you will get varying amounts of ephedrine group alkaloid mixtures. Ephedrine is usually in the range of 30 to 90% of the total ephedrine group alkaloids. Currently there are USP standards being developed for some of the more popular dietary supplement ingredients, and hopefully this will lead to the requirement of ephedrine alkaloid content on supplement labels v/s the ephedrine group alkaloid content. This is the reason I believe doctors and the FDA would recommend the use of drugs to help someone, v/s herbs because from their viewpoint, drugs produce more side effects than herbs, but drugs dosage can be made accustomed to the individual using the product in accordance to age, weight and sex. Also drugs are standardized for a more exact USP weight and variation from product to product and pill to pill than herbs. ONE CAPSULE/TABLET HIGH EPHEDRINE SUPPLEMENTSWhen a product has 20 to 25mg or more of ephedrine in one tablet, you cannot adjust the dosage in proportion to weight. At 25mg of ephedrine per tablet or capsule you are putting more ephedrine in the smallest dose possible than needed by first time users, and smaller individuals. Someone who weighs 110 pounds should not consume ephedrine in the same dosage as someone 220lbs. Someone 220lbs does not necessarily need 50mg of ephedrine at one time either. At a jump from 25mg to 75mg ephedrine, you have a huge variation from 1 capsule to 3 capsules.Dietary supplement companies bragging that they have a product containing high or the highest amount of ephedrine alkaloids per capsule, (20mg to 70mg plus) are going to destroy the use of Ephedra in dietary supplements. With that much ephedrine in one capsule there is no way to take 1/2 the recommended dose to assess tolerance, or to adjust dosage to bodyweight, or time of day of consumption. I doubt you will get to bed before 3am if you consume 25 to 70mg of ephedrine alkaloids before a workout after 12pm in the afternoon, and you weigh less than 140lbs, and/or have never used ephedrine products before. Some supplement companies are not going to voluntary not recommend their product to anyone or recommend a less total daily dosage depending on bodyweight because this would mean less sales, and less sales mean less profit, and less profit means less advertising, and less advertising leads to less sales, etc. High dose ephedrine manufactures, should have minimal body weight requirements to use their "one super ephedrine serving capsule" supplement. It only takes one incident of a teenager or kid, getting into a bottle of these high ephedrine content supplements to take 2 capsules, and its over. The kid may be facing death, or serious heart problems as well as anyone under about 140lbs, who has never used these products. If you see Ephedra (Mahung, ephedrine) banned for use in dietary supplement, it will because of the inconsistency in ephedrine group alkaloid content from product to product, and/or because one of those one capsule high ephedrine content supplements caused a adverse side effect in someone. I do not understand how some manufactures can take pride in putting 50mg plus of ephedrine group alkaloids in one capsule, and not listing ephedrine content. Or setting strict standards and usage directions for individuals under a certain bodyweight, or prohibiting the use of those products from individuals whom have never used ephedra products before.

Why fit women have better sex;

Can't get motivated to work out? Try thinking about all the great sex you'll have afterward! Research has shown that regular exercise plays a more important role in sexual satisfaction than many other factors, including testosterone levels, stress, or even the quality of your relationship. Basically, the more you work out, the happier you are sexually. Likewise, Finnish researchers recently found that 42- to 46-year-old women who work out strenuously have more orgasms than those who don't. Here's why:
Increased blood flow to the vagina. "The better the circulation is down there, the more easily you become aroused physically and the more intense the orgasm you'll have," says Dr. Hutcherson. And we found proof: In one study, women with low libidos who did 20 minutes of fairly intense cardiovascular exercise (such as fast jogging or taking a step or Spinning class) before watching an erotic video became more aroused than when they watched the film without exercising first.
Stress relief. Anxiety makes you tense, which inhibits arousal physically and emotionally, says Dr. Trupin.
Body confidence. "Women who feel better about their bodies enjoy sex more because they're less anxious in bed," says Dr. Trupin. And in general, women who exercise regularly tend to feel better about their bodies than those who don't.
Increased endurance. Sex is exercise, so the fitter you are, the more energy you'll have to, um, go the extra mile.
Want more information regarding women and sex and fitness, go to www.weeklyupdate-fitnessmagazine.com

Mandibular orthopedic repositioning appliance;

I believe in these and i use one for sleeping, working out and powerlifting!Once again, please click on the article to be able to read this important message!

10 foods you should never eat;

Click on article to read!

Ten super foods for better health;

Click on the list to see it up close and readable!

Second powerlifting meet;

On april 20th, 2007, i traveled to new castle delaware to stay the night in a hotel to wake up early on the 21st to go to weigh ins at the training center for the days powerlifting meet. Later on that day it was my turn to deadlift and all went well on my first three attempts, i started the day with 600lbs. and i had no problem deading that weight. My second attempt of 700lbs. went up as well with little struggle as did my third attempt of 750lbs., allowing me to win the sub-masters 242lbs. class. Then, thinking or rather not really thinking things through, i asked for and was granted a fourth attempt of 800lbs.! All went well up to a point of about several inches above my knees where i got stuck and proceeded to give the bar a little tug to get it up to the point of lockout and that is where i ran into trouble! It sounded to me as though someone was tearing several sheets of paper inside of my head and it was at that point i thought it was time to put the weight down to investigate that terrible noise that i heard.
I was later told by my orthopedic surgeon that i tore my tendon in my left bicep and would need surgery! The bicep did not roll up on my arm as is the case for those of you familiar with this sort of injury and if you've been in the powerlifting game for a while you have probably come across this and much worse. Six days later i had the operation and i am on the road to recovery as of this writing.
My biggest mistake was not training like a powerlifter or with a true powerlifter to learn the 'tricks' of the trade and this would not have happened. I want to thank henri' skiba who was there to help me after my accident and i look forward to training with him in the future at his gym in carteret. Under his care and teachings, i know i will be better equipped to never allow this to happen again!
I have heard it said that life is about setbacks and success is defined by how we handle those setbacks and overcome them. Well, i plan on overcoming this and every setback life has to offer and i will be writing entries at the end of this year, i hope, telling you about my return to powerlifting as well as powerbodybuilding! Train hard and smart!

First powerlifting meet;

This is a picture of me at my first ever powerlifting meet that i mentioned in a previous entry.I guess the picture tells the whole story, it was at the carteret high school on january 13th, 2007. I will be publishing pictures and an entry regarding my second powerlifting meet that i entered on april 21st, 2007 in new castle, delaware. So stop back, i should have that entry in a day or two.