Supplements That Are Worth a Damn

One of the things that aggravates me is the supplement industry. Not only are 90% of the supplements out there pretty much bogus, for the price you pay, but the claims are even more so. If you have ever taken a second to really examine a supplement ad, you'll see a teacher's dream for examples of marketing genius. The only thing is, these tactics are old, outdated, and are easy to pick up on.

The claims on the bottles are always full of asterisks and other indicated symbols because they run out of symbols for the many disclaimers. What is even more mind blowing is how easy it would be to make your own supplements. You can buy any ingredient in bulk for a fraction of the cost you would buy it from a dedicated supplement company. Where do you think they buy theirs from? They are not making this stuff in a factory, no, they are combining previously made ingredients from another company, putting it in a bottle or capsules, and slapping a label on it. What drives a supplement companies success is strategic marketing, fancy labels, and sponsoring a "pro" athlete. This is all to drive a name, not a product. Every single sponsored athlete got to their physique/goals/level not by that company, but by many other factors.Then by some magical force that athlete gets sponsored and is all of a sudden saying, "I trust BSN Syntha-6 to help me recover everyday!" or "I wouldn't be at the level I am at now without N.O. Explode!"

I like to hear people talk about how one pre-workout concoction is better than another. It is all the same shit. Different label, different name, different flavor. Then listening to that same person talk about how they can't workout without it. Take apart the ingredients and you will find it is bogus. Take BSN's N.O. Explode for example. People think this shit is amazing because of the energy drink effect and the vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels) that occurs from the nitric oxide, thus making your muscles feel bigger temporarily because of the increased blood flow. In a healthy adult, it doesn't make you stronger and it doesn't make you perform better. It is a psychological effect. If you had some type of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, N.O. could help you perform better-- but in a normal adult it isn't doing anything other than giving you a physical feeling. I will say, studies have shown very high doses of arginine (an ingredient in N.O. Explode) can have a positive effect, but this supplement can be bought as a stand alone far, far more cheaper than the $60 you'll spend on a pre-workout supplement. So I don't write a lengthy blog on case studies, I will leave it at. Do your research and you'll find your answers. I can tell you, many, many studies have been done and people are honestly just drinking really expensive Red Bulls with a lot of added vitamins.

To keep this as short as possible I will list what I feel are the only supplements people need to use. Remember, supplements are exactly what they are called, supplements. That means they supplement your normal daily diet. If your diet sucks, supplements will do nothing for you. Hell, steroids will doing nothing for you if your diet sucks. Neither are the golden ticket. Only proper diet and training will get you your results. Always keep that in mind. Also, it is wise to speak with a physician before starting to use any supplement. Ok, here we go, in no particular order...

1) Protein
Protein is great. I try to get at least 200g of protein per day, sometimes more depending on my diet. I weigh 175 lbs now, so I would recommend what I've found to work, no less than 1g per pound of body weight. I try to get 3/4 of my protein from actual whole food sources, the rest I supplement, usually immediately after my workout. There are different proteins out there such as whey isolate, whey concentrate, whey hydrolysate, casein, vegetable proteins, egg proteins, and the list honestly goes on and on. At some point I might write an article on all of the different types and their benefits. For right now I really believe you can't go wrong with either a blend (most are blends of whey concentrate and isolate) or just simple whey isolate.

Some people will get all freaked out because they read too many internet forums and supplement labels and will tell you that you need a different protein for every part of the day. For the love of the penguins, don't buy into this. Eat a balanced diet, supplement a little protein here and there, and you'll be fine. If you think for a second that protein powder is going to be the defining piece of your ability to achieve your goals-- you need to come out of the fog and start thinking realistically. Don't feel bad if you do think the supplements are what create a physique or strength, I bought into this too at one point! Just find a protein you like the taste of and roll with it.

Currently I have been using Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey Gold Standard Natural.

I stick with the chocolates and vanillas in just about any protein, I've learned my lesson for ever venturing out of those flavors... I am also a fan of Met-Rx's products.

2) Multivitamin
Unless you are one of the few who do a lot of juicing with vegetables and all sorts of exotic fruits, I would suggest a multivitamin. A lot of people complain about stomach pains when taking vitamins and I have had that experience too. Only when I have taken cheap vitamins like Centrum, Sams Club brand, or One-A-Day do I get stomach pains. Over the last 7 or so years I have experimented with different vitamins, these are the ones I have found work great for me.

• Nature's Way Alive! Whole Food Vitamin, no iron added
• GNC Branded Vitamin's for Men, Mega-Man etc.
• Optimum Nutrition Opti-Men

Now, just like any supplement, vitamins are not necessary-- but if you're like me, I am deficient in some areas of my diet, especially vegetables. I do try to stick to the whole food vitamins the best I can and I always take them with a meal.

3) Fish Oil
Fish oil is pretty awesome.  I have been taking fish oil for 6 years now on a consistent basis. I take around 6g per day. If you eat a lot of fish common sense should tell you that you don't need to take that much. About 1g of oil is in about 3.5 ounces of actual fish. The important components of fish oil are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). When you shop for this supplement you will find varying prices which generally depends on the concentration of EPA and DHA per 1g of fish oil. The higher the the content of these acids, the better the oil is and the more expensive it will be. The health benefits are pretty outstanding, well studied, and even used in medical therapy. Anything from helping control inflammation, heart health, lower bad cholesterol, lower blood pressure, lower triglycerides, and the list continues. Probably the best quality out there that I have tried is Biotest's Flameout.

The old FlameOut label, they no longer have the shark on there. Super bummed when that happened.

4) Creatine Monohydrate
Till this day people still view creatine as an evil supplement! That should tell you how awesome creatine is. People have tried to blame creatine for even deaths! "High-school baseball player dies at practice, had high levels of creatinine in blood, parents found creatine in his gym bag. Creatine killed him!!!" I just summed up an article I read a couple years ago, crazy right?

Some people, usually parents, believe creatine is a steroid too. These are generally the same people who believe muscle turns into fat as well. They'll look you in the eyes with all truth and logic and tell you, that creatine is steroids! This couldn't be further from the truth. Steroids are synthetic hormones, creatine is a naturally occuring amino acid. Creatine works by increasing the bodies ability to create energy. When creatine monohydrate enters the body, it is turned into creatine phosphate, creatine phosphate helps create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), ATP provides the energy for muscle contractions. Unfortuantely, there is only enough ATP in muscle fibers for a few twitches then it has to draw ATP from the ATP "pool." Creatine helps keep this pool full. With more ATP, the muscles can work longer and harder, and thus become stronger in less time. The awesome thing about this is when you stop using creatine the muscles are still just as strong as when you were using creatine, there is no loss of strength.

Creatine is the most researched supplement in the world and there has yet to be any evidence pointing towards the unsafe use of it. Creatine is found naturally in red meat and fish, and is even created by the body.

With creatine, less is more, because once your ATP levels are full creatine is simply secreted out of the body. I don't believe in the loading protocols you see on the bottles either. I just start taking any where from 2g-5g per day with my protein powder and that is it. I see benefits after about a week of taking it. A lot of people gain weight when taking it because of the increased water retention in the muscles. If I do, its not much. Just remember to drink plenty of water with creatine.

Don't worry about the creatine ethyl esters and other variants. Classic monohydrate works, is safe, and it is cheap. $6.00 for 30 servings at 5g per serving... That is stupid cheap for what it does.

That is it. I've tried all sorts of other stuff out there, but these have stood the test of time. Most importantly these all work and I feel are worth the money. If I could, I would like to get to where I can eat everything I can and ditch the multivitamin. Nothing beats good quality fresh whole foods. Nothing. The most important things you can do for your training are a good diet in accordance to your goals and quality sleep. Supplements should be the last thing you think about, or spend your money on. If I only had enough cash to choose between food and supplements, I would be buying packs of meat, pasta, and vegetables.

Honestly, don't waste your time with all of the other stuff. Save your money or use it for something beneficial like a steak burrito, a tank of gas to drive somewhere cool, or some new music. Hope this helps.

Easy Delicious Homemade Pizza

One of my favorite foods during training cycles and really any other time of the year is pizza. I love pizza. However, I am not a huge fan of the run of the mill chain pizza joints such as Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, or Dominos. For me, they are entirely too salty, have sub par ingredients and usually leave me feeling like crap. Here is a simple recipe I use for making my own homemade pizzas. Everyone I make them for enjoy them more than the above restaurants and I still feel awesome after eating a whole one by myself.

You can use whatever toppings you want obviously, but for a pepperoni pizza here is the macro nutrient break down for one whole pizza:
Calories: 2333
Fat: 80g
Carbs: 273g
Protein: 127g

Take off the pepperonis and you'll drastically reduce your fat and sodium. Some of my favoritre topping combos are:
Pepperoncini and Ham
Bacon and Red Onion
Green Peppers, Onion, and Pepperoni
Ham and Pineapple

A huge part of the taste of the pizza are the ingredients! If you buy cheaper ingredients, expect a cheaper tasting pizza. Even still, one pizza probably cost me about $5 to make. I will list exactly what I use.

Ingredients You Will Need
-1 pack of Martha White Pizza Crust Mix
-Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-2 Cups of Sargento Mozzarella Cheese
-8 oz. of Dei Fratelli Pizza Sauce
-Might need a little bit of flour. See steps below.
-Hot Pepper Flakes (optional)
-Toppings of your choice (again buy quality ingredients)

Tools You Will Need
-12 inch pizza pan (or there abouts, whatever)
-2 Medium sized bowls, preferably at least one metal one.
-1 Fork
-An oven.
-A good attitude and a little patience.
-Some Amos Lee playing in the kitchen.

Steps To Making 2000 Calories of Delicious Pizza

• This step can be the hardest, but gets easier the more you do it. Find a medium sized bowl and a fork to mix your crust in. Open crust mix and pour into the bowl. Pour a 1/2 cup of hot water into the bowl along with ~1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Mix vigorously (ha! love that word) until it appears to be all stuck together. There are two possible problems at this point you will run into, don't fret both are easy to fix...
• Problem one, you didn't pour enough water. So, your dough is a big dry blob resembling a wet ball of chalk or there are a bunch of pieces in your bowl and it isn't all stuck together. Simply add a little water, little, as in like a teaspoon. Work the water into the dough with your hands. 
• Problem two, your dough is too sticky. If your dough is sticking to your hands and everything else you'll need to add a little flour. You can be generous with it, it really isn't going to hurt anything. I do it over the sink to save clean up time. What you will be doing is using the flour while you knead the dough. 
• So once you have your dough mixed and you will need to knead it for a minute or so to get it pliable and such. The consistency you're looking for is a smooth even texture. Doesn't have to be perfect, its just fuckin pizza.
• In your metal bowl, pour a little more olive oil to cover the bottom of the bowl. Put your dough in it and cover the dough with the olive oil, cover the bowl with a lid.
• You will need to let your dough rise. There are many ways of accomplishing this, all you're wanting to do is let a little heat to the dough. What I do to speed up this process is I use my kitchen sink. Put a drain plug in the sink drain and fill enough hot water in your sink to place your metal bowl (with the dough in it and covered with a plate or something) in the water. Be careful not to let the bowl tip over and the water ruin your dough. Use as hot of water as possible. Which is why we use the metal bowl, conduction... Science is awesome. Let your dough rise for about 20 minutes or so. It'll be noticeably larger and slightly spongy. While your dough is rising, preheat your oven to 475 degrees fahrenheit.
• Next, place your dough in the center of your pizza pan and spread it out. This takes practice to develop your own technique. Basically start by pushing out from the center and evenly spread out from the center to the edges of the pan. Another technique is by putting a bunch of dimbles in the dough with your fingers and then pressing the dough and repeating this process over and over. If you need clarification, leave a comment or email me.
• Once you get your dough pressed on the pan, I personally preheat the dough. This helps get your crust slightly more done than if you put everything on raw dough, it basically avoids having overly soft crust that has no integrity to it. Place the pan in the oven for about 6 minutes on the center rack. The dough should be slightly more yellow when you pull it out and no longer be spongy, it will be easier to spread your sauce.
• Spread your sauce. I will use about 8 ounces to a pizza. Spread it out evenly with a spoon. Not enough sauce will drastically reduce the flavor of the pizza, too much will leave your pizza crust wet. Try using 8 ounces and see how it works for you. 
• Shake some hot pepper flakes if you like a little heat and spicy flavor to your food.
• Cheese! Fuck yes, cheese is awesome. I use about 2 cups per pizza. Again, not too much, not too little. When the cheese is cold, it is okay to see some sauce underneath, when it melts, you will have an even layer of cheese that covers the sauce. Spread it evenly, okay we got that...
• Next, put your toppings on... whatever toppings you like. Be creative, be simple, do what you want because you know what? Its your fucking pizza!
• Now place your oven in the pizza... or uhhh... place your pizza in the oven. You'll bake it for about 8 minutes. Times will vary of course so keep an eye on it. You're wanting some browning around the edges and all of the cheese melted across the pizza. If it looks like it is ready to eat, holy shit, it is probably ready to eat.
• Pull your pizza out and let it cool for about a minute or two, this way your slices won't fall apart from the cheese still cooking. Slice it into whatever sized slices you want and enjoy. 

This whole process takes me about 45-60 minutes to do, because most of it is waiting on the dough to rise and everything to cook. So you have a lot of down time to clean up your shit, that way when you're done eating you can sit your ass down and relax. It might take a couple times to dial the whole dough handling thing, but it really isn't a big deal. You'll eat pizza more often if you learn to make these and they're a whole helluva more healthier for you too. If you like beer! Some great beers that go well with the pizza, I think, are...

 Highland Brewing Companies Oatmeal Porter is a robust beer that is dark with malty and hoppy balance, with a hint of chocolate roasted flavor. Nom nom nom!

 

Red Oak is an old style amber lager that is very smooth and is very unique to any lager I've had. Nom Nom Nom!

New Belgium's 1554 is another brew darker in color. This is probably one of my favorite beers. It is consider a black ale and the original recipe for this beverage was lost during a flood in Fort Collins Colorado in 1997. The brew masters traveled to Belgium to find the recipe again through antiquated scripts... Which is an amazing thing about beer, it is like experiencing history when you can sample some of the old recipes from many, many, many generations ago. Pretty cool. Cheers. Oh, yeah enjoy the pizza!