Dan The Man's Review on Different Protein Supplements!

Well with all the hype on protein supplements and different options out their how do you know which one is right for you or if you need to take one at all? Well Im going to give you my review on some of the more popular options out there and the pros/con's of each.

SO MANY CHOICES???!?!?!

Lets start with the more popular one Whey Protein, which almost everyone who has been around the gym for a while has heard of.  So what is whey protein?  It is derived for milk which goes through a process to remove most of the fat and leave the protein left behind.  It comes in different forms which I will touch upon as well (whey concentrate, whey isolate, whey hydrolysate).

PROS

• Best source of branch chain amino acids.  This is a good thing when it comes to building muscle as they provide skeletal muscle with an immediate energy source to fuel high intense exercise and spare muscle breakdown.  Useful during and post workout when BCAA'S have been depleted.
• High/fast absorption rate which is a good thing right after intense training when your body needs nutrients quickly.
• High protein content 22-27 grams per 30 grams
• low in sugar and fat
• Whey concentrate and whey blends are cost efficient
• taste great and mix easily

CONS

• contains lactose, not a bad thing but if your lactose intolerant may cause issues.
• high absorption rate is a good thing after exercise but before bed when you want a constant supply to aid in recovery while sleeping isn't as helpful
• Whey Hydrolysate and Isolate are fairly expensive. 

Now what is the difference between Whey blends/concentrates compared to whey isolate and hydrolysates?  Well whey concentrates go through a processing to remove most of the fat and carbohydrates leaving us with a product that is around 80% percent pure protein.  With the Isolates the will run it through another processing usually called cold filtration or cross flow-micro filtration.   Something along those lines anyways which leaves us with a product with even less fat and carbs.  It is usually 90% pure protein or higher.   Whey Hydrolysates are purified even more and have an even faster absorption rate. Which is better, well if your lactose intolerant then isolates are practically lactose free but the down side is they cost a lot more. I personally use a whey blend which cost me around $50.00 for 5 pounds the isolates are $80.00-$90.00.  Not worth the extra money in my opinion and the Hydrolysate being even more.  I would go with the Whey complex or blends for post workout.  I only choose a hydrolysate or a BCAA when I add a during workout supplements into my regime for faster absorption.  I add this in on my longer training sessions or when getting ready for a competition when my food at other times of the day is cut back.  This provides me with nutrients while I train.

Next were going to look at is Hemp Protein which has become very popular for vegetarian or vegans.  Although some consider it a complete protein it is not nearly as rich in branch chain amino acids.  

PROS

• rich in omega 3 and 6 providing the body with the healthy fats or bodies need.  These fats help hormone balance, help maintain a healthy metabolism, lubrication for joints, cardiovascular benefits, help lower bad cholesterol and many other functions in the body.  
• high in fiber
• alternative for vegan/vegetarian
• lactose free to people with milk allergies.

CONS

• with less BCAA'S and less protein per gram it is not as ideal for building/retaining muscle.
• while having a high omega 3 and 6 content is healthy it is not the best choice for post workout and definitely a poor choice if considering a during workout supplement.  Post workout the body needs nutrients quickly and something that is fast absorbing to provide the muscles with nutrients quickly.  Fatty acids are extremely slow digesting.  Following an intense workout or digestive enzymes are not working optimally, I personally recommend low fats after training.  That being said hemp protein could be a healthy choice and ideal other times of the day when you would want healthy fats in your diet.
• low bioavailability, meaning hemp only contains about 50% protein.  A 30 gram scoop yields a low 11-14 grams of protein compared to 80-95% in whey at 22-27 grams per 30 grams.  So for a protein supplement it doesn't actually contain a lot of it.
• With fiber being needed in the diet yes, but a scoop of hemp protein containing around 7 grams, lets just say for me to get the 45 grams of protein I want after I train would put me over 21 grams of fiber.  I couldn't run to the bathroom fast enough!
• Expensive compared to Whey.
• I personally don't like the taste of it, I use hemp hearts on my salad that taste great.  But hemp powder I do not prefer compared to whey.

For hemp protein I would consider it a poor choice for post workout recovery due to it's high fiber/ fat and low protein content.  As far as health benefits I consider hemp protein healthy to get extra omega's in your diet and also fiber just don't use post workout.  Due to the taste and high price I don't buy hemp protein supplements but do use hemp hearts on my salads.  Hemp hearts can be boughten at any health food store.

Last I will look at Soy Protein.  It is a protein derived from soy beans also making it popular among vegetarians and vegans.

PROS

• alternative for vegans/vegetarians or lactose intolerant
• not as high BCAA content as whey but still considered a complete protein meaning it contains all the essential amino acids.
• Higher protein content then Hemp
• low fat and fiber for post workout (don't think I am against fat/fiber)

CONS

• Well the use of soy protein has had a lot of controversy.  While in asia and japanese cultures eat soy beans all the time and are fine.  However a lot of western foods like tofu have genetically modified it which studies have shown it to be an endocrine disrupter.  Meaning it upsets the hormonal balance in the body.  It has upset the estrogens levels in men and women and shown to create an positive environment for cancer to grow.  Some studies in men who have eaten a large amount of soy have shown a lower testosterone level, depressed sperm count and infertility. 
• Soy like hemp is also lower in BCAA'S.

So with these comparisons I choose to use a whey blend for my post nutrition along with carbohydrates after training.  For people who are lactose intolerant maybe spend the extra money and try a whey isolate.  When it comes to the hemp protein I wouldn't say don't use it but instead of for post workout maybe try for a  meal replacement or snack.  For soy protein I personally do eat soy beans when going for sushi I think they taste great.  With the small amount eaten with my sushi do I think I will develop endocrine dysfunction, NO.  I also use small amounts of soy sauce on my rice.  I however would not recommend a diet high in soy.  Soy protein supplements, tofu, tempura and other high soy containing foods can potentially lead to negative effects.  With the phytoestrogens and isoflavones they contain disrupting my hormonal system the risks exceed the benefits for me.  I could write a blog just on this alone.

As a side note people quite often ask me if a protein supplement is necessary, I personally don't consider protein a supplement.  I use it for a source of protein at times for convenience for example when I am out of the house and don't want to carry a tupperware container of chicken with me.  I have clients who can't don't always get a long enough break for a snack at work.  Protein powders make a good and quick alternative.  So can you get all your protein requirements from food?  ABSOLUTELY!  Myself at times enjoy a shake instead of meat, don't get me wrong I still love steak :) As you train more your need for protein increases so whey or another shake might make it easier (and sometimes more cost efficient) to meet your needs.  Not sure of your protein requirements?   Well contact me today for your complimentary fitness assessment, I am always here to help.   

To your success,

Daniel Kuhnen

Body Transformation Specialist

  

Meal Frequency-Another Myth Busted!

So we have all hear that eating small frequent meals will speed up your metabolism.  Many so called experts will tell you: "it strokes the fire and keeps the metabolism burning".  Sorry to bust you but that is false and read on to find out why.  Thought I would put together a quick explanation on why this is BS!

The theory is based on the thermic effect of feeding (TEF) which is how many calories your body burns off through thermogenesis while processing food.  Think of it like this, ever eat a really big Thanksgiving meal and feel warm after?  That is TEF.  It is one factor among many used to determine metabolism. An estimate of someone's TEF is 10% of the total calories ate that day.  This is a rough estimate as type of nutrients vary a lot in calculating TEF.  One who consumes a lot of protein might have a higher TEF as it is harder to process than some dietary fats.  So the theory of TEF is widely misunderstood and people thought hey!...... TEF burns calories so eating more frequently will increase TEF right?  Wrong, notice how TEF is based on caloric intake not frequency of meals.  If someone eats 3000 calories over 3 meals(1000 cals/each) or 3000 calories over 6 meals (500 cals/each) the TEF is the same.

With that being said I myself choose to consume 5-7 meals a day, depending on how long I am awake for and training days vs non training days.  For me I find it easier as I eat a larger number of calories when I am trying to put on muscle before I compete.  If I broke my meals into 3 they would be quite large and hard to finish.  Some of my clients I make meal plans for go this route because they like to enjoy a snack with        co-workers on a coffee break.  I also have some clients who don't have time during the day to eat 5 or 6 meals.  They might do construction or work in the oilfield where breaks aren't always possible so I base their meals plans eating less frequent meals.  Both different scenarios will not affect metabolism.  So in short do whatever works best for you!  

Muscle Imbalances

Ok, so we have all seen the senior walking down the sidewalk who is so hunched over they are almost walking looking at the ground, or perhaps know the person who goes to the chiropractor on a weekly basis and wonders why the problem goes away? hmm.

Well good news is you don't have to let this become you!

People have their posture become like this through muscles imbalances, this means certain muscles are stronger and/or tighter while the opposing muscles become weaker and/or more flexible.  While you may think wait more flexibility is a good thing(and it usually is), as long as the opposite muscles are just as flexible.
These imbalances are developed through or jobs, everyday life, injuries, sports, improper resistance training programs, nutrition, dehydration and many other factors can cause imbalances and loss of flexibility.  For example the posture displayed in this picture is seen a lot among someone who has worked at a desk job for many years.  People usually ignore this until they develop problems like low back pain, neck pain, headaches, knee pain, scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis, as the list could go on FOREVER. When the problem arises people want it fixed instantly!  Well sorry to be the bearer of bad news but as the problem developed over TIME it can only be fixed over TIME.

A good fitness coach (aka Dan The Man!) can have you working on these imbalances before they become a serious problem.  By assessing  your posture and figuring out what muscles lack strength. A good coach can set up a resistance training  program that helps reverse these imbalances.  Certain exercises combined with stretches will help the body stay aligned.  That is why many of my clients who have relied on the chiropractic route alone find these problems always persist.  Get adjustments all you want but without the imbalances fixed you haven't gotten to the route of the problem.  Combine your chiropractic with resistance training and flexibility to get results that last.

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Tips For Staying Motivated!

Ok so we all have hard times when setting out to reach a fitness goal.  It is not going to be easy and there will be times where your frustrated and want to give up, but know this is normal and we all feel this at times.  Yes even Dan The Man!  I myself have a coach that helps me when I have doubts with my own goals.  Also have a social network of friends that support you in your goals.  They can be friends, family, girlfriend, boyfriend whoever just know that who you hang around will effect your goals in a negative or positive way.  Look to this social network for support when your struggling instead of emotional eating or even just as bad trying to cut corners by under eating or overtraining when you are down.  This will not help you reach your goals faster.  When Im am feeling down I try and shift my mindset to something positive or just tell myself to be awesome!!

Something that has helped me stay on track a lot is to track my progress.  I myself like to have progress pictures to show my results.  These provide a far better test than jumping on the scale and becoming obsessed over a number.  How you look and feel will prove better measure than numbers!

Lastly I would make a list of pros and cons of changing a lifestyle habit.  For example I had a client who had a sweet tooth (dont't we all at times)  We made a list of all the Positive changes that came as a result of cutting sweets out of her diet.

• a positive change in body composition.
• better health and less chances of disease like diabetes.
• More confidence and a more positive self image.
• Happier and more outgoing personality as a result of feeling better about her self image.
• weight loss
• felt healthier overall and didn't crash in the middle of the afternoon anymore
• craving diminished
• saved money that used to spent on cakes, pastries and even sugary drinks like soda.  All these things add up!
• this list went on for a while!

And the Negative 

• Well had to give up sweets and turn down desserts at dinner outings and yeah that was about it.

When you make this list and see the pros far out way the cons it is a lot easier to stay on track and think of the list when you reach for something that puts you further away from your goals.  Remember this change doesn't have to be food related.  Maybe your goal one week is to get more rest or take more time for yourself!

  I was a lot more focused when I stopped comparing myself to other people..  Compare yourself to nobody but you.  There will always be someone out there that is in better shape than you so don't let that be what you always compare yourself against.  Look at your own small progresses from week to week and be happy about them.  Maybe this week you trained harder than ever.  Or beat personal best in your sprints.  Whatever it is remember to celebrate and recognize your accomplishments!  If your always focused on the end goal you will overlook the small successes you have along the way!

As always Dan The Man appreciates any feedback and questions you may have.  Follow him on facebook a

at www.facebook.com/danthemanfitnessexpert

Having Trouble Losing Weight? Here is a Secret Too Help!

    Over the years I have worked with a lot of clients who have successfully lost weight without starving themselves and they definitely were NOT doing hours on end of cardio.  I have most of my clients for weight loss doing 2-6hours a week combined with weight training. which is not very much!  Most clients that have worked with me know that I stress resistance training and NUTRTION have a far bigger effect on fat loss than cardio.  You can do all the cardio you want but if your nutrition isn’t good (my view on good nutrition might be different than yours) you will not make a significant change in your body.  Until you make a change in your eating habits you cannot transform your body.  I do understand that it can be hard to follow a nutrition plan if it entirely changes your eating habits right from the start.  Implement it slowly.

So here it is, this is the most important thing I believe you need to understand when starting on a nutrition plan!

**You have to be aware of the term “Calorie Density”**

    Calorie density is simply the amount of calories per one gram of a certain food.  For example 100 grams of chicken is 158 calories, while the same 100 grams of bacon is 560 calories!!  Which is the better choice for protein?  Less Calorie dense foods are more filling with a fraction of the calories.  By no means do I recommend anybody count every calorie they eat but choosing foods with less calorie density will make it harder to overeat. 

    My point I’m getting at is even if in the beginning you don’t measure your food BUT try and eat less calories dense foods you will be eating less calories without noticing it.  Try to become aware of the calories per serving of foods and try to choose ones that are not as calories dense.  Even something like your morning trip to Starbucks can add 400 calories to your day if you like their fancy lattes!  Keep a food journal and work on switching out the calorie dense foods from your diet.  Need help identifying these well get someone to track it for you (like Dan the Man) and slowly make these changes every week!

Simple ways to decrease your calories:

·         use splenda and skim milk instead of sugar/cream in your coffee

·         Drink sugar free juices instead of high sugar juices and pop!

·         Use low calorie condiments like mustard, vinaigrette type dressings and salsa to flavor your food.

·         MAKE a list of Low calorie dense foods and try to pick foods from it when eating!

Remember it’s the small changes that count and will help you move towards your goals!

Machines Are NOT Just For Beginners!?!

 

Machines have a benefit for everyone from profesional athlete to complete beginner.  Some athletes I have trained seem to think they are beyond machines and give me this funny look when I instruct them to do an exercise on them.  Almost like they think they are too advanced for them  There is really a reason to my madness, believe it or not!  Read on to fine out why!
    Well I think we can all agree that free-weights are beneficial to build up body awareness, balance, stability and most importantly strengthen your stabilizers muscles which is needed for any sport.  However there is a point where the stabilizers muscles become overworked!  Especially in programs for high level athletes where the volume and intensity of programs is quite high.  This is where machines come into play.  You see when going through a resistance training program these stabilizer muscles fatiques ALOT faster then the primary movers.  So if you keep going with free-weights after these primary movers are fatiqued they will become overtrained and increase the risk of injury.  So by switching to machines they will get a break.  By no means am I saying too only use machines and ditch free-weights. 
    Lets put this into simpler terms, say we are a football player which everyone know needs a lot of leg strength.  We are at the gym training legs.  We have just done 4 or 5 sets of heavy squats with free weights.  Now we move onto some heavy stationary lunges with some free weights. Next we blast the hamstrings with some still legged deadlifts with a free weight barbeall for 4 heavy sets.  By this time the quads and hamstrings are tired but not done yet.  However all these exercise use the spine erectors muscles( muscles that stabilize the lower back) .  We can all agree by looking at them that these muscles are by far smaller than the quads, glutes and hamstrings.  Now wouldnt it make sense after all the previous exercise to give them a break, maybe finish the legs off on a leg press, hack squat or even some leg extentions and curls?  I would prefer this choice over injuring my lower back! 
    Machines also come into place to work around injuries, I myself have a right shoulder that gives me a lot of problems.  This injury was not from training but from swimming competively when I was younger.  The Muscles in my rotator cuff were overworked from the repetitive motion of swimming and became sretched out.  Thise cause my shoulder to become loose in the socket.  By doing my shoulder presses on a smith machine it allows me to train my delts HEAVY without using those stabilizing muscle and overworking them again.  This does not mean I dont add in some free-weight exercise to keep them strong.

To get a customized program with the right mix of free-weights and machines built for you and your goals contact Dan The Man today at 403-606-3206! Remeber consultations are always free so you can pick my brain and see what I can do for you!  Train safe and train hard!!


  

New "Superfood" to Lose Weight!

        We have all heard the term “superfood” that claims do something amazing like lose 20lbs in a month or get you abs in a ridiculously short amount of time.  They range from some fruit juice containing some new berry, to some magic pill and special shakes!  If this worked everyone would be walking around lean with six pack abs!  I hear this term used mainly by a salesperson trying to make a quick buck.  Most of these foods are endorsed by some movie star who apparently used this to get in shape. Everyone by now has heard of Acai berry for losing weight.….hmmmm right!  Stop falling for this and understand there is no shortcut for getting in shape! 

            Some of these foods are high in a certain nutrients (omegas, antioxidants, vitamins etc.), but always think, does the nutrient in the food even have anything to do with weight loss or whatever else they are claiming the product does.  Most of the time what they claim doesn’t even make sense.  A friend of mine recently called me telling me about a new found “superfood” for weight loss that claimed to drop belly fat and help people lose 2 pounds a week!  He then went on to try and get me to market it too my clients.  I had to stop and think, did he really believe the product would help people lose weight or even understand what the product was he was trying to sell?  My friend worked as an electrician, lived an unhealthy lifestyle, smoked probably a pack a day consumed a lot of alcohol and ate fast food almost daily.  Right sounds like the authority on fitness to me.  Don't get me wrong he is a very nice guy.  Always look at who is trying to sell you the product and you can easily tell if they are trying to make a profit or actually knowledgeable.  Upon research I found the product he was trying to sell me was a natural plant high in fiber and maybe some vitamins taken in a pill or powder form.  Would that be something new to help people lose weight, not at all considering you get fiber and the same vitamins from vegetables and many other foods available at the grocery store!  Wouldn’t a healthy diet and exercise get people the same results without the expensive supplement? I think so.

           I do agree that some of these foods are high in certain nutrients and very well may be healthy for you, however how does overloading on a certain nutrient help you when your body only needs so much of it?  Just because something is healthy for you doesn’t mean there isn’t a point where too much is not healthy!  I know exercising is good for me but should I work out ten hours a day.

              You can’t just research the “top ten superfoods” and think eating them will make up for your lack of exercise and crappy diet.  These so called foods will not make up for the other poor choices in your nutrition.

            Instead of focusing on one so called “superfood” in your diet try eating a variety of natural clean foods and combining this with a realistic exercise program made for your goals and then you will see results!