June 30, 2010

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Do Endurance Sports & PowerLifting Mix?

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In this June 30, 2010 audio episode: do endurance exercise and powerlifting mix, what caloric deficit is healthy, static contraction exercise, what are superfoods, bonking while cycling, alternatives to heartburn medications, relaxing before a triathlon, how to use hamstrings more when you run, exercising on a raw diet, exercising in the heat, is guacamole healthy, accuracy of body fat measurement devices, treating torn muscles, can women train like men, eating healthy when your family doesn't, natural eczema treatments, how to breathe while swimming, multivitamin absorption, is cooking with aluminum dangerous, does beta-alanine work, and what is H20 Overdrive?

Remember, if you have any trouble listening, downloading, or transferring to your mp3 player just e-mail [email protected]. And don't forget to leave the podcast a ranking in iTunes – it only takes 2 minutes of your time and helps grow our healthy community! Justclick here to go to our iTunes page and leave feedback.

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Featured topic:

Dr. Jerry Moylan has been competing in a variety of sports for the past 40 years. Some of his stand-out accomplishments are Junior State Champion and record holder in power-lifting with personal best 700-pound squat, 400-pound bench press, 635-pound dead lift, 3-time Ironman triathlon finisher, completed the Catalina Classic – a 32 mile paddleboard race, Vail Lake mountain bike series champion, and 2005 San Diego Senior Games male athlete of the year. He also finished his first decathalon at the 2006 National Masters Championship. In this interview with Dr. Jerry Moylan , we discuss the following:

What is powerlifting?

How did the 700-pound squat, 400-pound bench press, 635-pound dead lift jive with Ironman triathlon training?

Were the powerlifting and endurance sports at completely different times of your life, or do you maintain that amount of power during Ironman training?

On the same vein, do you feel that powerlifting and endurance training can and should be done simultaneously?

If so, what would be sample program, for, say a marathoner, cyclist or triathlete?

You also had success with kettlebell competition. Can you explain what a kettlebell is and how it can be used?

From a nutrition standpoint, what does your diet look like? Does it change from powerlifting to endurance sports?

Broke up at 11:32.

If you want to know how to combine weightlifting with endurance sports, you won't want to miss this interview. By the way, if you're interested in the kettlebells that Jerry talks about, just click here.

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Special Announcements:

1. What did we learn about in the Body Transformation Club this month? How to make your own hummus, a variation of the corkscrew exercise, two must-have spices, a technique to significantly increase the force you can produce during an exercise, how to make a natural energy drink, what to do when you don't have access to a pull-up bar or pull-down machine, and how to eat healthy for cheap.To learn more about Ben's Body Transformation Club, click here.

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4. Ben Greenfield has joined The Quick & Dirty Tips Network at http://quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/exercise to produce a new feature called “The Get-Fit Guy”, which is the latest addition to the network's top ranked iTunes podcasts and free online advice column. Go subscribe in iTunes and leave a ranking!

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Listener Q&A:

Listener Dave asks:  I am 50, in the process of trying to lose 2 lbs per week and train for a very tough (hilly, often windy) bicycling century ride in September. I keep a food and activity log at www.livestrong.com (which after trying several sites I found this one the best.) I am eating to a +1,000 calories a day (ie. If I burn 1000 Kcals with my activities I will eat 2,000 Kcals. Since I've gone to the +1,000 .. (I was at +1,500) I have lost between 1.8 and 2.3 pds each week for 4 weeks and have felt fine. Do you see any problems with this?

Question 2. I am lifting weights (more for general health, looks and so forth rather than trying to improve performance.) I am using Pete Sisco's “Static Contraction” method. I was wondering what you thought?

Listener Miguel asks: Here in Portugal it is growing quickly the superfoods market. I would like to know what's your opinion about these superfoods like spirulina, maca, goji berries, cocoa…the marketers are always trying to say that this is good for you stomach and this for your brain. If you agree with these foods how can I introduce them in my diet?

Listener Bob asks: Why do I bonk after only two hours of riding. I ride at a reasonable pace, ex. only 17-20 mph. Not a crazy high heart rate, maybe 130? Not really winded. I consume two bottles of Hammer, Heed (2scoop ea.) fuel. After two hours I am really slow <15 and entirely off the big chain ring.

Listener Shawn asks: Quick question from the E-Health Handbook – on pg 94, item 5, you mention medicines that can cause weight gain, specifically Nexium.  I have been a long-time Nexium/Prilosec user (for GERD).  Do you have any more reference on the effect of Nexium and weight gain or potentially better alternatives?

Twitter question from twitter user kimlandrum: When the training is done & it's time 2 put up or shut up, how do you prep the day B4 a big race? I can't calm down & sleep.

Twitter question from twitter user want2runagain: After 25 years of doing the marathon shuffle, how do I change my running gait to use my hammies/glutes more?

Listener Jessi asks: I am a 27 year old female in need of some help.  I have been vegan for the past 15 years, but have been interested in transitioning to a highly raw vegan diet and am unsure if this would be wise with my activity level.  I’m 5’5” and weigh about 130 pounds.  I’m obviously not overweight, but I could stand to lose a few pounds and definitely feel “puffiness” around my stomach.  I workout 5-6 days per week and have increased my running mileage to about 35/week.  I don’t enjoy the gym but love doing DVDs such as Insanity and P90x at home (3-4/week).  I saw that you have a new diet plan on your website specifically for vegans, but before I purchase it, wanted to see if it has a lot of “raw” components or if it can be easily modified to incorporate more…also, I should note, I have a vegetable juicer and juice dark greens many days of the week.  Can someone with my activity level sustain on a high raw diet and lose those last, stubborn 5-10 pounds?

Listener Chuck asks: This weekend I did 66 mile ride followed by a 10-mile run in the blazing heat.  When I started the ride it was about 95, and easily 98 when I started the run.  The ride went fine, but the run was miserable.  My usual pace is easily sub 7 min/mile, but this run ended up being at 8 min/mile pace, even though I was way slower at the end.  I also didn't have any water or gels on the run–the whole time all I could think about having something to drink.  I stopped about 3 times during the last five miles and had to wait a couple minutes before starting again. Can I blame this all on the heat and dehydration or could there be more at play?

Listener Laird asks: I've been addicted to this new lunch lately.

Pre-cooked chicken strips (thawed obviously)
Quinoa
Guacamole
Salsa (Penny's Fresh Salsa from Costco)
Bit of Ranch

Basically heat up the chicken, add the rest, reheat a bit more (all in the mic) and done.  So fast and easy. I'm addicted to the flavor but your thoughts on overall nutrition? I'm basically using Quinoa for Breakfast and lunch a lot lately.  I've also used Hulled Barley for breakfast, but more planning required to make each batch.

Listener Ryan asks: I've had my body fat measured via the impedance method, standing on a scale at the gym (Tanita TBF-300) a couple of times over the last few months.  I've also done a hand-held device
(Omron HBF-306c) at home, and then also have used a tape measurement method and calculators on the internet.  Needless to say, I get wide variations on body fat %.  Are one of these methods more accurate than another?  Or should I just focus on the relative trend? I'd like to know that I'm not losing muscle.  I'm 39 y/o, 6 ft, and 195 lbs.  My ranges of body fat by these measurements have been anywhere from 15-24%.  I've dropped 15# of weight over the last year, and want to go at least 10# more, but not lose muscle.  I'm also wondering which one supplement might help me more: Thermofactor or Leanfactor.

Listener Steve asks: You were mentioned by a friend as a possible help for a lingering problem I have with a torn rectus femoris.  I tore it 5 years ago and can not get it to heal.  I'm 43 and was an active soccer player and would like to be able to get back to it.  I was getting graston done on it in the Spring and doing some e-centric exercises, working with Mike Roberts, a PT in Boylston MA.  I would appreciate any thoughts or info on possible recovery steps.

Listener Juan asks: I've been some what fit and gone to gyms for years now and my wife asked to help shed off some unwanted pounds but I'm not sure if she can train like a man does or can she?

Listener David asks: As I restart the 36-week program with my Ironman on April 10th 2011 as my goal, I want to include as much of your Holistic Fueling eating plan as I can.  However, I live with my wife and two teenage daughters (actually I have three but one is away at college), and I need to figure how to incorporate your plan into a more family-centered meal plan.  They obviously won't have the same nutritional needs as I do – would it be as simple as adapting the portion sizes?  My wife has been reading through the meal plan, and is keen to adopt much of it into our family's diet, though I suspect that there may be a little resistance from my girls, who like junk food way too much!  I'd like to find a good balance that will meet my Ironman training nutritional needs, and also make it easy and enjoyable for my family to eat as healthily as I will be.  Any suggestions would be much appreciated. BTW, you have a meal plan available for purchase on TrainingPeaks.com – how well does that line up with your Holistic Fueling plan? Lastly, I would like to figure out a supplement plan that I can afford to follow regularly.  You have so many that you recommend, I have to admit to being a little overwhelmed and worried I could go broke on supplements alone.  What is the best combination of supplements to take regularly that will still be affordable?

Listener Pete asks: I have a question regarding nutrition and weight gain. I'm currently recovering from both hypothyroidism and hypogonadism. My hormonal levels are where they should be but my weight is considerably lower. I went from about 125 to 105 over about 6 months (I'm only 5′ 7”, so for a skinny distance runner 125lbs was healthy). Almost a year later I'm still struggling to put on weight. I know the bottom line is calories in must be greater than calories out.  If my goal is to increase weight with as much muscle and strength gains as possible, what ratios of carbs : fat : protein should I be looking for? I'm a distance runner so most of my workouts are based around my runs or cross training that amounts to about 60min of aerobic exercise daily. About 5 days a week I will also add a weight lifting or core strengthening session for 30-45min. Thanks for any insight you might have.

Listener Patrick asks: Just did my 5th and final LT test for the bike, and I got an odd result. Same course, same relative speed, but my LT heart rate is down 9 beats from last month. I understand this is all part of the plan, but I've been within 5 beats of the same LT HR since January. Is it all just now clicking for me, or do you think it may be the new watch (just got a Garmin 310xt)? Can already guess your thoughts, but should I stick with this for IM HR zones or work within my previous, more consistent, higher zones?

Listener Harold asks: DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON OVERCOMING ECZEMA?

Listener Marc asks: I started listening to your podcasts and have been very impressed.  I have a question for you.  My job has me travel quite a bit.  I typically spend 15-20 hours a week in the car traveling (3-4 hours at a time) and one day a week I am usually in an office for 10 hours.  I move around a lot when in the office to keep my energy going.  When in the car what suggestions do you have to maintain my metabolism short of stopping every few hours to do jumping jacks, etc? Also I enjoyed your information on energy drinks s I typically stay away from them.  Since I travel a lot sometimes I find myself taking the 5 hour energy drinks.  Since they are only a few ounces and don't seem to have too many bad things in them would you see them as harmful as some of the others such as red bull?

Listener Shane asks:  I have a question for you that hopefully you can help answer.  I am in my third year competing as a triathlete.  When I compete in lengths greater than Sprint Distance, I end up gut pain that happens about 1.5 hours into the race and lasts though the end.  I have tried many different fueling options to try and cure this but nothing seems to work.  I think that I have narrowed it down to excessive gas build up.  I have also noticed that it only appears after swimming as well.  I was able to find a blog regarding this issue and the suggested source has to due with incorrect breathing in the water.  I consider myself a strong swimmer and breathe on both sides.  Any insight into what I might be doing wrong…or other solutions to my problem?

Listener Emily asks: You recently had a podcast with show notes listing the interactions between several vitamins and minerals.  I take a women's OTC multivitamin every morning, which is labeled “With Iron and Calcium – Formulated for Easy Absorption.”  I don't know if the easy absorption refers to its vitamins in general or specifically targets the calcium and iron, but I doubt Nature Made (the vitamin company) has found a way to circumvent the normal absorption of Ca and Fe. The vitamin contains 250mg Ca (25% DV) and 18mg Fe (100% DV).  I know calcium inhibits the absorption of iron, so am I even getting any benefit out of taking this multivitamin?  If so, what nutrients am I actually absorbing?  Also, the vitamin contains 180mg Vitamin C (300% DV); since Vitamin C promotes iron's absorption, does this counteract the effect Ca has on Fe and allow for more Fe absorption?

Listener Josh asks:  I take a complete amino acid supplement from NOW Foods called “Amino Complete” mainly because I'm a vegetarian and use them to get a complete amino acid profile in my everyday diet, as well as to help my body recover. I also am trying out beta-alanine in a powder form at the moment to see if it could potentially aide me in cycling events and I have been mixing it in coffee or tea as I've heard that caffeine helps amino acids to work more effectively and at a faster rate when combined. Is this true or am I doing this completely wrong? Also, when would be the best time to take an amino acid supplement to help my body recover after workouts? I've heard mixed opinions on this as well.

Listener Cara asks: I read about the dangers of using aluminum pots and pans to cook with. I've been roasting all my vegetables using the Reynolds Nonstick Aluminum Foil for over a year now. Is that harmful to me? If so, what do you suggest I use? I really like the ease of the foil since it's makes for a faster clean up, but I don't want to be killing myself while I'm ingesting tons of veggies.

2. What do you think of the product LifeTime Life's Basic's Greens Protein. It tastes great and it's got a lot great stuff in there. I buy it from Vitacost.com and use it as my protein source after training.

Listener Hila asks: 1) I've been riding lately with pretty strong guys. I know they're faster than me on the rode, but I wonder if you have any tips or tricks how I can keep up with them. Usually I'm fine at first but get tired at some point and can't hold their pace because my legs are burning… if they open even the slightest gap I lose them and find myself riding alone until they stop and wait…Is there something I or they can do to help me last longer with them? Generally – how can a heterogeneous  group of riders with different fitness levels, ride together?

2) I was wondering what are you thoughts about the product Amazing Grass superfood (http://www.amazinggrass.com/green-superfood-powder.html) I think they are the most popular greens supplement these days, I'm just not sure about how good their formula is.

Listener David asks: I listen to the Endurance Planet podcast, in addition to your excellent podcast, and there is a frequent product plug for a sports drink called H2O Overdrive which claims “inter-cellular” hydration, and it has a lot of ingredients that span the entire length of the bottle.  I am curious on your opinion on the claim(s) being made about this product ad well as the benefits and/or negatives of the ingredients within?

Do you have a question for Ben? Just click Ask a Podcast Question at the bottom of this page and leave a voicemail, leave a Skype voicemail to username “pacificfit”, or e-mail [email protected].

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Remember, if you have any trouble listening, downloading, or transferring to your mp3 player just e-mail [email protected] And don't forget to leave the podcast a ranking in iTunes – it only takes 2 minutes of your time and helps grow our healthy community! Justclick here to go to our iTunes page and leave feedback. Brand new – get insider VIP tips and discounts from Ben – conveniently delivered directly to your phone! Just complete the information below…

Scroll down to donate anything over $15 to the show, and Ben will send you a BenGreenfieldFitness.com t-shirt…you can also conveniently donate any amount with your phone by simply clicking here.

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