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| Date | 2007-07-24 |
| Location |  |
| Message | Hi Jeff, I really loved your interview (radio and TV), the articles on fat burners and your article called, “the 10 diet commandments”. All your work is fantastic and has been extremely beneficial to me. Your website has also been very helpful, packed with lots of great information, and great pictures too!! I would like to ask you a question if you would not mind. I'm interested in taking Clenbuterol. I was advised a few years ago that girls shouldn't take it. They were talking about the injectable form at that stage, but now I see there is a tablet form. Thanks very much for your time ands all your information! Enjoy your holiday! Lisa Jeff's Response Lisa, Thank you for such nice complements. It is great to see that my website and articles continue to have such a strong presence across the pond in Europe and especially in the United Kingdom! Since I am not sure how much you may already know about Clenbuterol, I will take a few moments to discuss a little about the compound for you. Clenbuterol is not a steroid hormone but a beta-2-symphatomimetic. Clenbuterol is used worldwide for the treatment of allergic respiratory disease in horses as it is a bronchodilator. Note: Clenbuterol is not legally available in the US, and as such many use the vet versions or import it from around the world for use as a diet and weight training aid. A common trade name for Clenbuterol is Ventipulmin. Clenbuterol can be used both orally and intravenously. Although Clenbuterol is used worldwide for the treatment of allergic respiratory disease in horses, and occasionally in some countries as such for humans, it is more commonly used by humans as a non-steroidal anabolic and metabolism accelerator, through a mechanism not well understood. Its ability to induce a greater proportion of muscle to fat makes its illegal use throughout the world, especially in the US popular. Clenbuterol is used by many people today (not just bodybuilders) not just to lose weight but for its alleged strong anti-catabolic effect (i.e., decreases the rate at which protein is reduced in the muscle cell)to spare muscle while dieting. Its popularity today is due to the expectation that Clenbuterol can increase muscle mass, although not necessarily bulk, reduce body fat and mean quicker recovery times from workouts. Users report that they give a mental boost, mainly through sexual confidence and an improved body image. The primary use however is its distinct fat-burning effect. Clenbuterol burns fat without dieting because it increases the body temperature slightly, forcing the body to burn fat for this process. Due to the higher body temperature Clenbuterol magnifies the effect of dieting, weight lose fitness training and the effects of anabolic/androgenic steroids when taken simultaneously, especially since the protein processing is increased. As far as the health risks are concerned (see my other articles at jeffbehar.com and other responses in the guest book) the health risks to women are similar to the risks to men (i.e., restlessness, palpitations, tremor (involuntary trembling of fingers), headache, increased perspiration, insomnia, possible muscle spasms, increased blood pres-sure, and nausea, etc. The jury is still out on the actual effects of long-term Clenbuterol intake on performance, strength and overall health. To determine some of Clenbuterol's actions, scientists at the University of Melbourne in Australia recently gave Clenbuterol to laboratory rats at dosages of 2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. Some of the rats followed a completely sedentary lifestyle, while others sprinted on treadmills or engaged in endurance swim training. Clenbuterol did have a couple of potentially positive effects: Sedentary rats which ingested Clenbuterol had larger muscles than Clenbuterol-free, sedentary rodents, and Clenbuterol users also transformed leg-muscle cells from slow-twitch to fast-twitch fibers, a surprising change which would tend to increase anaerobic energy production and magnify muscle power during short, intense exertions. The Australian study also yielded some very negative changes. (1) After just 30 days the Clenbuterol-treated rats were unable to maintain their normal swimming or running training intensities, while clean rodents were quite capable of continuing. (2)The hearts of the Clenbuterol-taking, trained rats increased dramatically in size compared to the hearts of sedentary rats (Could there be a heart risk to humans? (3)The study seemed to demonstrate that the heart expansion was probably due to the infiltration of collagen fibers into the heart walls, not an increase in heart-muscle cells. This is an important point because collagen, a tough connective tissue doesn't augment heart-muscle power but in fact stiffens the heart, and can lead to a decrease in cardiac output. Increases in collagen may also produce cardiac arrhythmias. (4)The study also noted that the Clenbuterol fed rats suffered from cardiac-cell degeneration. on the positive side although sedentary, Clenbuterol-treated rats were more muscular than Clenbuterol-free, sedentary rats. Bottom line however, is the study results still leave questions regarding the safety of Clenbuterol and in spite of its popularity, the study also puts into question the positive effects for either the power or endurance athlete, or even long term for a serious bodybuilder. Additionally, the pill form is not necessarily safer for a female, vs. the injectable form. The reason the injectable form often resulted in many more problems, was the inability of many to properly administer (and sometimes convert the dose, resulting in over dosages by some. Clenbuterol may pose no health issues for many people, but for a select few, the side effects could be risky. Therefore, my suggestion to many is to avoid the unnecessary risk, especially when you can lose fat the natural way.....which is through building muscle, proper dieting, use of legal supplements, and proper nutritional timing. Best Regards, Jeff Behar |
Private Message added 2007-07-22 |
| Date | 2007-07-13 |
| Location |  |
| Message | Jeff, Thank you for providing such valuable information through your website. I love your site. I came your site and your articles over and over gain throughout the web. You seem to be unbiased and very knowledgeable so I wanted to pick your brain. My brother and I are trying to incorporate a higher amount of protein in our diet to help build muscle and to help fill us up for diet. I know that whey protein (or any dairy-based protein) is harsh on the body...so I was trying to look for an alternative without jeopardizing the quality of protein. I found something called "rice protein" which seems to have an enormous amount of protein in it (12g per 1 tbsp) but I can't seem to find anything comparing the quality of rice protein vs. whey protein. I figured if anyone knew, it would be you. If you have the time, can you let me know if you have any data on rice protein? Thank you for your time!!! Jamie 
Jeff's Response Hi Jamie. Thank you so much for writing. Your question is a good question. There are a lot of areas to cover regarding protein, but I will try to limit my answer to your inquiry in regards to rice protein vs. whey protein. In order to do that however, I would like to clear up some common misconceptions about milk proteins such as whey protein. Milk protein is not harsh on the body as many are led to believe. Babies thrive on it. Yes there are a small select few who do have allergic reactions (the lactose intolerant) but most people thrive on milk proteins. As far as plant proteins go, plant proteins have also at times gotten a bad rap. Plant proteins do have a place in the diet. In fact, some plant foods can provide an abundance of some amino acids in greater quantities than whey and other favored high protein kow fat animal proteins. In regards to your specific inquiries about rice proteins.... >Rice protein can be a good protein and if combined carefully with other specific protein, can be sufficient to provide 100% of our quantitative protein needs. It provides 265% of the adult male requirement for lysine and 266% of that for isoleucine. (It provides 400% or more of all of the others.). Other positive attributes about rice proteins: Rice protein is strong in tryptophan, methionine, and valine. Rice proteins are very easy on the stomach, and have even been used for gavage feeding (tube feeding) of infants, the elderly and the severely ill. There are many other properties to rice protein that make it a highly popular addition to many diets. For instance: Both vegans and vegetarians can eat rice with no worries about violating their choices. Another major selling point for rice protein is the fact that it's hypo-allergenic for most people. in addition to being hypo-allergenic and vegan, rice protein also adds fiber which is great for digestion and it also works to keep cholesterol down. Rice proteins are also good tasting and has a mild flavor similar to that of Cream of Rice cereal. Rice protein, like other sources of protein may be used in beverages, sprinkled on cereals and yogurt, and added to cooked dishes to boost the protein content without adding fat or a lot of calories. Rice protein can be calorie light, at about 58 calories per tablespoon (or 15 gram serving), however this will depend on how it is manufactured so that the protein is isolated from the carbohydrate portion of the rice. Here are some other important points to know if you choose to rely on rice protein as a major staple of your diet: Rice protein has a much lower utilization rate than egg and milk proteins (and several animal proteins as well). Rice protein is weak in isoleucine and lysine; important proteins for many processes in the body, which is why it is often combined with beans in a meal, to supplement this weak nutritional area. Many manufacturers claim that after their processing that the end result is a complete protein that includes 19 amino acids including all 9 essential amino acids. Note: in most cases this is not true, however there are companies that chemically process the rice to achieve the separation from the carbs, and also fortify the protein. One thing to also keep in mind if you decide to incorporate more plant proteins into your diet, such as rice protein, is to make sure that the label states that it's non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). Some large crop producers treat their plants so that they'll be resistant to heavy pesticides that could kill them. Your best choice is to consume products made from organic rice... that means grown with no chemicals. Now to address the protein superiority question you posed. Rice protein is NOT in any way shape or form other than the allergic issue I discussed earlier) superior to milk proteins for bodybuilders, or most people in fact. If you look at most measures of protein quality such as the commonly used Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER); a measure of actual protein available for the body to use (the percentage of the protein digested by the body) rice protein scores only 2.75 on a scale of 0-4. Egg is the reference point having the best PER with the highest rating of 3.99. Milk protein is second with 3.45, soy actually rates last with a PER of 2.32. ----- This means more is needed to get the results desired, often with a higher caloric intake as a result. Even with the “negatives” I discussed regarding rice proteins they can still be a good addition to the diet. Rice protein can be a suitable alternative for use for those allergic to milk proteins, and vegans if used in conjunction with other proteins so that all essential amino acids are consumed in needed concentrations. Rice protein also offers a vegan alternative to soy, without the animal products of whey. Rice protein is actually utilized more efficiently by the body than soy (even though it is NOT a better protein than whey or casein!). What's great about rice protein is that in combination with other ingredients the utlization scores can be raised significantly. In fact, In terms of food, combining rice with milk raises the PDCAAS to 0.92, close to perfect. With peas or beans it jumps up to a complete protein; 1.0. So in conclusion remember that milk protein is not harsh on the body. Babies thrive on it. It is only a problem for the few people who can be allergic to it (such as lactose intolerant individuals). So do not skip the milk proteins if you are not allergic to it, but it is also OK to embrace the rice protein as a small percentage of your protein needs, especially if you utilize proper food combining techniques to get all the essential amino acids into your diet. I hope I answered all your questions and that you find the information I provided today useful. Best Regards, Jeff Behar |
| Date | 2007-07-05 |
| Location | |
| Message | Jeff, Thank you for your advice and information placed on your website. I have been able to utilize a lot of the information in my own workouts. Thank you again sir and good luck in your future aspirations. Jeff's Response Brian you are most welcome and thank youfor the kind comments. Stay clan and stay strong! God Bless!!! |
| Date | 2007-07-03 |
| Location | |
| Message | your site is awesome ! brought back lots of good memories from back in "da day ". Heard about it from your friend Adam who i see down here in Stafford Twsp. at retro Fitness. Keep it going. Take care.. MP
Jeff's Response Mike!!!!!!!!!!!! It is great to hear from you! How long has it bem, 22 years? If you did not already knoe, you were always strong inspiration for me back in "da day" at the Apollo in Highland Park, NJ. where I caught the bodybuilding bug. Things are good here in Sunny LA, except I just had rotator cuff, and torn bicep surgery (on left side). I will need to do the right side after I rehab the left (Maybe over New Years). So, what are you up to these days. Law enforcement? I do miss NJ at times; expecially the friends left behind. Have a great Summer at the great NJ Shore, and lets stay in touch. Also please tell tell the A-Man (Adam) that I said hello as well. Best Regards, Jeff Best Regards, Jeff |
| Date | 2007-07-03 |
| Location | |
| Message | My name is Steve. I am 31 years old and I am from the LA area. I am writing you because I am in serious trouble. I managed to learn through a personal trainer about weight cycling, carbohydrate tapering, zig-zag dieting, carb tapering, insulin control etc. and achieved a descent percent body fat w/lean mass w/out the use of steroids, creatine, etc. HOWEVER, I decided to take it to an extreme overexerting my body when I was not instructed to do so. Now my percent body fat is way up and I am eating just 1500 calories. I have all the symptoms of OVERTRAINING! My body fat percentage is over 30%. Before over training I was 14%, lean and muscular. I've been feeling this for months and recently met a body builder who said my body was severely over trained. He told me to change my regimen to a higher caloric value and told me to perform only 1 set of 8-11reps of weight 3x's a week along w/4 days of cardio. As light as that workout is I am still burned out w/just 2 weeks of training. I took even more time off. Now I am now just down to doing cardio three days a week for 30 minutes and I am still over trained. I got blood work done galore!! thyroid, Cortisol, Testosterone and the DR. says no problems. Jeff if you could help me out here I will be in debt w/you for the rest of my life." My metabolism is wrecked!! Thank you so much!!! Jeff's Response Steve, From the email you sent me you have told me that you have been on a 1500 kcal diet for over a 1 and 1/2 yrs. This is far too low of a calories diet for someone your age that is training and trying to build muscle. Making matters worse you have not been cycling your calories (see jeffbehar.com). You mentioned that you consume 158 grams of protein on weight training days and 118 grams on off days. You should be consuming 1.5 to 2.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight daily (30-40 grams every 2 approximately every 3 hours). You do not need to lower this on days you do not weight train. There are many illnesses that have the same symptoms as over training. Health problems rarely occur in isolation or for obvious reasons. For this reason instead of simply guessing at what might be wrong, get the blood work done and have it reviewed by an endocrinologist. Blood panels can be tricky for some general physicians and they may not know what to really look for besides the basics. By having a specialist looking at your blood panels you can narrow done what is really going on inside your body based on the many clues it is giving. From what you have described regarding how little you have been training, there has to be other underlying causes for your condition. So, since your blood work was done a while ago (per your email to me) I would suggest getting a new panel done immediately. Especially since you have essentially stopped training and things have yet to improve for you. A blood panel is always appropriate when you are not feeling up to speed before you start assuming things and making too drastic of an adjustment in your regiment. A new blood panel should have been done a long time ago since you state that you have been battling these symptoms for a very long time. BUN, SGPT, SGPOT, iron counts, CBC counts, etc. all needs to be checked. CBC stands for complete blood count and is a measure of both your white blood cells (WBC's) and red blood cells (RBC's). RBC's are the most common type of blood cell and are responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body. A low count, which is called anemia can cause some of your symptoms. Its important to get a complete blood panel because low numbers in RBCs may also indicate bone marrow failure, leukemia, and external or internal bleeding (hemorrhage.) The other part of the CBC is the analysis of the number and type of white blood cells. A high WBC is termed leukocytosis. Inflammation, infection, leukemia, or other cancers can cause an elevated WBC count. A low WBC count is called leucopenia. A virus, an immunosuppressive disease, or a problem with the bone marrow can cause it. These different types all have unique functions in the normal processes of the body. Changes in the amounts of these different types, whether or not the WBC count is normal, high, or low, also gives the doctor important information. A high neutrophil count can indicate infection, certain types of cancer, arthritis, or physical stress to the body, such as surgery, trauma or a heart attack. A low lymphocyte count can be a symptom of AIDS. A high monocyte count can indicate infection, often by bacteria. a high eosinophil count can indicate allergies, certain skin diseases, or parasitic infection. Immature white blood cells of any type can indicate bacterial infection or leukemia. In addition to the red and white blood cells the blood also contains platelets. Platelets are the cell fragments essential for the process of blood clotting. A CBC will give you a read on your platelet count as well. A normal platelet count is 150 to 450 thousand platelets per microliter of blood. A low platelet count is called thrombocytopenia, which may occur as a result of cancer treatment, certain leukemias, certain other types of cancer, or immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Note: Immune thrombocytopenic purpura is a disorder of the blood in which platelet counts are abnormally low. I have been pushing you to get a complete Chem Panel because there is a lot of useful information that such a panel can provide, if the right test are ordered. For instance: The BUN (blood urea nitrogen) test is critical in diagnosing kidney problems, and can also provide information in regards to the general health of the body by measuring values such as protein, glucose, and calcium and other chemical substances that are released from various tissues in the body. The amounts of these chemicals in the blood may reflect abnormalities in the tissues secreting them. The liver panel is also another important test as it is used to detect, evaluate, and monitor liver disease or damage. It usually consists of seven tests that are run at the same time on a blood sample. These include: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) – an enzyme mainly found in the liver; the best test for detecting hepititus. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) – an enzyme related to the bile ducts; often increased when they are blocked. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) – an enzyme found in the liver and a few other places, particularly the heart and other muscles in the body. Two different tests of bilirubin often used together: total bilirubin measures all the bilirubin in the blood; direct bilirubin measures a form that is conjugated (combined with another compound) in the liver . Albumin measures the main protein made by the liver and tells whether or not the liver is making an adequate amount of this protein. Total protein measures albumin and all other proteins in blood, including antibodies made to help fight off infections. Other tests that could be requested along with the liver panel are gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH), and prothrombin time (PT). Hopefully I have convinced you regarding the importance of blood panels for helping to discovere the root cause of your health issues. The main reason the blood panels are so important because the body is a complex system and as such there can be so many variables causing you to reach the same conclusion often associated with over training. To illustrate this point I want to give you an example of an indirect cause that can create symptoms that can mimic over training (remember this is just for illustrative purposes only; I am not diagnosing you here). Instead of being over trained, there can be other culprits that might only be uncovered through a through blood screen. Say your blood panel reveals a fibrinogen level was 500 (ref range 180-310) and your Prothrombin Fragment 1+2 was 2.5 (ref range 0.4-1.1). This situation could result in your body to rid pathogens slowly. Obviously that would not be a good thing. If your blood panel came back showing such numbers what that would tell the trained eye that the blood is too thick and clots too fast. This could result in trhe body notr getting the nutrients it needs, and as a result could negativelky impact the body in a variety of ways. Rememmber this is just one example where a CBC could provide information to use (or discount) that could help identify what is causing you to have the symptoms you have described to me. As you can see it is not as easy as 1-2-3. A blood panel can help give a clearer picture of your health. It helps identify if a system is not working or is affected. It also helps eliminate causes as well (like a slow thyroid, or diabetes). The first time you stated that your blood work was fine. Well if that happens again, then you need tpo focus in on your stress levels and get a stress test done. Also this may surprise you, but you can experience stress that can harm your body, without even realizing yopu are under stress. How you may ask? There have been studies showing individuals who experience chronic, muscle tension below the level of conscious awareness, which actually limits blood supply, to important parts of the body, including the brain. This can lead to less oxygen and nutrient uptake, which obviously would affect one's heat. It could also affect sleep patterns and restrict important EM sleep. There have been many studies regarding a condition commonly called the fight or flight effect. What this refers to is when the body responds to a real or perceived trauma in such a way that it induces this fight/flight response in the body. How the body can respond (even subconsciously) is quite amazing. The coccyx turns in to pull on the spinal cord to center it within the spinal canal for protection. The lateral pterygoid muscles tighten to help stabilize the cranial vault to protect the brain. Blood supply is diverted from the intestines to the muscles to prepare for battle. Upper trapezius muscles tighten to protect the neck, and so forth and so on. During a Fight or Flight response standpoint the body can also produce chemical substances called "hormones" as a protective response. These hormones, such as adrenaline, are released into the bloodstream and are pumped throughout the entire body. They increase the tone in the muscles, preparing a person to jump into motion. They raise the heart rate, so that blood flows more rapidly throughout the tissues. They signal respiration to become more rapid, so that an ample amount of oxygen is available to supply the entire body in a crisis. They even increase the speed of thoughts, helping individuals to plan and to think their way out of trouble. These physical and psychological changes are helpful when people are actually threatened by danger, but they are not so helpful if people experience them all day, every day (like working in a very stressful environment). So, if the body gets "stuck" in this survival mode (even on a subconscious level) this is not good. If this occurs, people become tired, anxious and/or depressed. Such a physical response is often termed by many to be called "BRACING". This term is often used today to describe when all muscles stay contracted to a certain extent 24 hours a day, even when asleep). When this happens the muscles work against and can prevent you from getting REM sleep. It can also affect people far worse. The muscle tension can cause motions that grind the joint surfaces together harder than normal and aggravate the wear and tear of the joint surfaces. It can result in lethargy, pain, and cause pressure in the Synovial fluid leading to arthritis as well. Bracing also depletes muscle glycogen which can result in you feeling weak and overtired In fact, when one is bracing, and you have no muscle glycogen in reserve you will feel very tired and weak. When one has been doing bracing for a long time, even the liver glycogen becomes depleted, and then this will result in chronic fatigue symptoms. How can you tell if you ever experience any "bracing"? Here is a simple test....If you can "drop your shoulders", you are then "holding them up". Your shoulders are designed to hang from your shoulder girdle and they should not be "hiked up" at all. How much they are raised is direct measurements of how much fight or flight readiness you are holding in your hypothalamus. A second measure of the fight or flight is how "ready" you. Basically how long it takes for you to raise your shoulders. It probably did not take very long for your shoulder tension to return, did it? This chronic muscle tension is what is referred to as "bracing". Most people have some sort of it in today's stressful society. The important point here is bracing can alter how the hypothalamus functions and is a major cause of many of the chronic conditions in this country today. This is why for many people, yoga, meditation and message "work miracles" for them, and why I am suggesting to you work on relaxation techniques as part of your recovery process, in addition to getting the blood work done, and then evaluated by a skilled professional. While you are getting your blood work done, and evaluated by a specialist I would also suggest the following: Adopt a testosterone-enhancing diet. Eat a balanced diet rich in vegetables and an adequate supply of both protein and healthy fats. Eat a significant amount of green, leafy and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale. These vegetables contain phytochemicals, which are essential for healthy hormone production. Limit excessive carbohydrate intake, especially of simple sugars and starches (breads, cereals, pasta and potatoes). High carbohydrate intake can create a rapid rise in blood sugar, creating excess levels of insulin and cortisol—two hormones that work against testosterone and diminish its production. Do not misunderstand me though...too little carbohydrate intake can be problematic on your energy levels. Consider keeping carbs to 30-40% of calories. Make sure you eat enough protein and fat. Why do you need the good fat? The brain needs it, as do a lot of other key processes in the body. In fact all male hormones, are made from fats. When fats become deficient in the diet, testosterone levels decline. You want to avoid trans-fats sand instead consume essential fats such as those found in cold-water fish, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and flaxseed, however, are a dietary necessity and should be eaten on a regular basis. Flaxseed is good because not only does it contain an abundance of omega 3 EFA, it contains lignans, a phytoestrogen, which mimic estriol, the healthy estrogen and displaces the more dangerous estrogens from the receptors for metabolization. Eat small frequent well-balanced meals each day. These will help you maintain steady blood sugars and eliminate unnecessary stress hormone release. Both should help alleviate some of the over training feelings. Ifg you are healthy, daily physical activity is a must. The lack of physical activity as well as excessive physical activity (over training) will result in decreased levels of testosterone. Train your training regimin. I always suggest high intensity short duration training with 4 days recovery time per body part Realize this approach is important because high levels of testosterone are needed to ensure muscle growth and repair, without it, you will feel over trained, lethargic. Note: The reason you do not want to stop exercising all together because exercise affects testosterone directly by stimulating the pituitary gland and the testes. The duration, intensity and frequency of exercise will determine the circulating levels of testosterone. Note: Testosterone levels increase most with short intense bursts of activity which is the way I train and is also conducive to not over training as well. Studies show that exercise will elevate testosterone for about 45 minutes but after an hour, the effects become negative and levels begin to rapidly fall. Therefore start training in a manner that promotes testosterone production. To maximize your testosterone response to exercise and to avoid over training: Strength train no more than forty-five minutes per session, and no more than t 3-4 times a week. Avoid aerobic exercise (other than a brief warm up) during strength training sessions. If you feel like you want to exercise or train more, split sessions are recommended (BUT NOT WHILE YOU STILL FEEL OVER TRAINED). To ensure adequate nutrients for the body to produce testosterone and its more potent cousin, dihydrotestosterone, supplement your diet daily with the following vitamins, mineral and nutrients. Vitamin A: 25,000 IU Vitamin E: 400 IU daily. Once you start to train again (and start S-L-O-W-L-Y and take an extra 400 IU prior to a workout to reduce free radical stress on the pituitary gland . Also take 2 grams of Vitamin C daily, minimum. Note: To reduce post-workout increases in the stress hormone cortisol, take an extra 3 grams prior to a workout. Vitamin B Complex: 100mg Zinc 50mg Boron: 3mg Selenium: 200mcg Other tips to keep your testosterone levels higher: Eliminate all medications that are unnecessary for immediate health. Many commonly prescribed drugs affect liver function and testosterone conversion. They include NSAIDS (like ibuprofen), acetaminophen, aspirin, the "statin" class of cholesterol lowering drugs, some heart and blood pressure medications, and some anti-depressants. Try to get eight hours of sleep nightly. Increase your stress resistance. Stress is a frequent cause of decreased testosterone levels. Chronic stress not only interferes with testosterone function, muscle building and strength, it causes premature aging and contributes to the onset of cardiovascular disease. Get at least one hour of exposure to sunlight daily,. Testosterone raises and falls with the seasons and sunlight is essential for the natural yearly rhythm in the body and to keep you on a good sleep pattern. Remember GH is produced once you hit the pillow. I would also suggest increaseing your calories. Furthermore I would refrain from the cardio for a bit and instead use that time for some stress buster activity such as meditation, yoga, massage or anything that you find relaxing. This should help decrease your stress and cortisol levels which will inturn help set you on the right track (when cortisol levels are high you will store more body fat and not build muscle). Bottom line: Get your blood work so certain things can be ruled out then a proper approach can be developed. Stay in touch and let me know how things are going for you. Best Regards, Jeff Behar |
| Date | 2007-06-28 |
| Location | |
| Message | Hello Jeff!! How are you? I am 21 years old. I am 5'7 and currently weight 210lbs. I played football and was very active for most of my teenage years, however lately in the past 2 years I have let my body go and have become what I always dreaded, and that’s overweight. I am a bulky guy, who always had the nice muscle mass, but my weight easily fluctuates. After having a back injury last year it has been hard for me to go to the gym and lift the way I used to. I am trying to focus on cardio exercise to bring my body fat weight down. Over the past couple weeks I started going back to the gym, where I will do an hour of cardio. I alternate from bicycling and doing the elliptical machine. My caloric intake is around 1000 calories a day. I recently read one of your many articles that you have published and was most interested in the article that discussed cardio exercise and weight loss. Do you think that If I do an hour of cardio a day with that caloric intake, and I'm burning around 400 calories a workout, that I will be successful in going from 210 pounds to around 180 pounds with a much lower body fat percentage? Thank you in advance for your time and assistance. Joe 
Jeff's Response Joe, Thanks for the kind words. I have no doubts that at your age we can get you back to lean mean fighting shape, but there are many changes that will need to be done, as your current approach is not the best approach to get back into the shape you desire and stay there. First off. Your total calories are too low. 1000 calories a day is much too low for a 21-year male, who is working out. You need to raise your calories and make sure you are eating enough good quality low fat protein (around 5 meals of 40 grams a piece. Your calories will need to be raised so that you can up your metabolic rate for the long hall and also have enough nutrition to build muscle. Building muscle should be your ultimate goal, because that will be the primary mechanism that will keep you lean for the long haul. I will need to explain the reasoning here some other time. In regards to upping your calories....that is the first step. The next important step to keep your metabolism from slowing (and preventing you from getting leaner) is to cycle your Calories. Before you can do this you will need to know exactly how many calories you eat daily. You need to keep a food log (see jeffbehar.com for more on this). The purpose of knowing your calories and them cycling them (2500 day 1, 2000 day 2, 1000 day 3 etc.) is to keep the average you desire to burn calories while also confusing your body so that it will not lower its metabolic rate. By cycling your calories you also will enable your thyroid hormone levels as well many other important hormones, which help increase muscle mass, maintain metabolism and burn fat from declining. For instance, leptin and hormone-sensitive lipase, an enzyme that helps banish body fat will also drop when calories drop. GH, and IGF-1, hormones that supports muscle growth, retention and repair also declines with prolonged dieting. In addition to raising your calories and cycling the total calories daily you will need to start eating small meals every 2 to 3 hours. Eating this way keeps the metabolism moving and prevents the storage of fat through overeating. You will also maximize muscle development (if training hard) and have less body fat than you would if eating the same number of calories per day over fewer meals.> Besides good lean protein and good low glcemic , I would suggest adding good fibrous vegetables to your daily your diet. This is a healthy approach and will also help keep you feeling full. Good choices of fibrous veggies include broccoli, cauliflower, squash, zucchini, cabbage and spinach. Since you are trying to lean out, limit the starchy vegetables, such as corn, peas and carrots and emphasize the fibrous vegetables. You can also consider adding fiber supplements because they will delays the entry of carbohydrates into the intestines which in turn will help control blood insulin levels which is important in burning fat, increasing GH/IGF-1 and controlling energy levels. Some other nutrition suggestions for you.... When You Are Hungry, Eat Protein First. Protein exerts a greater appetite-quelling effect than carbohydrates alone or, a then combination of carbohydrates and protein. Protein also has thermogenic properties. Protein can suppress your appetite. Emphasize milk and casein products--compared to other proteins, these sources provide a higher amount of glycomacropeptide, which is known to help reduce appetite. Always eat a small amount of goof carb with your protein to increase transport and utilization. Eating protein with carbs will also slow down the digestion and resulting g insulin spike as well. This is a good thing (except right after training when simples cabs and a spike is ok). Read my article on jeffbehar.com about all the benefits of protein while dieting and more about the importance of building muscle to get lean. Avoid Carbohydrates Only Meals. A meal comprising only carbohydrates will leave the stomach quickly, leading you to be hungry sooner than if you had eaten a meal that contained other macronutrients like protein and fats. By combining carbs with protein and fats a higher glycemic index will actually drop. So the glycemic index is not the most important factor and can be misleading. Carb only meals also cause hunger, which causes binging and overeating. So, NEVER have carb only meals while trying to diet and get lean. Now other tips I will give you some real advice that works so you can get lean...but realize it will go against what a lot of people will tell you (they do not know better that is all). 1. Emphasize Weight Training over cardio. Limit the Cardio if you want to be lean and mean. Too much cardio impedes recovery, burns nutrition needed to build muscle. The first step to getting lean and mean is to start raising your metabolic rate, not just limiting calories. Limiting calories will ultimately cause your metabolic rate to fall (Body goes to survival mode) and you will not maintain muscle and stay lean. Bottom line: the more muscle you hold, the more elevated your metabolic rate will be. To gain muscle you need to eat well, rest well, and maintain intensity in the gym. Also please understand that too much cardio can raise cortisol levels which will lower testosterone, increases the use of amino acids (diverting it away from muscles tissue), increased the use of muscle tissue as fuel(catabolism) inhibits fat burning, and limits recovery; resulting in increased fat storage. My suggestion: do not do more than three 45-minute sessions of low intensity (60-65% max heart rate) cardio per week. Make sure you get protein in before the session and immediately after. 2. Train Correctly. Proper form is essential to ensure that the muscle gets worked properly, receives the most intensity, and so your muscles, joint structures and connective tissues are not put at risk. Getting the most out of each rep is also important. Raising and lowering the weight in a deliberate, controlled manner perform a quality rep. There are advantages to lifting a weight in a rapid, explosive fashion, but an experienced well-trained body builder should only perform this. This type of explosive training is not advised for beginners, as the law of physics may prevail. It can expose your muscles, joint structures and connective tissue to potentially dangerous forces, which magnify the likelihood of an injury while strength training. Additionally, if done incorrectly, it introduces momentum into the movement, which will decrease the intensity. For most exercises and in most circumstances lifting a weight in about 1 to 2 seconds and lowering it every 3 to 4 seconds to the starting/stretched position will guarantee that you're exercising in a safe, efficient manner. Beginners should decrease rest time between sets rather than increase the velocity of the movement. 3. Train with intensity at all times in the gym, then get out! What I mean by the word “intensity” is simply the degree or amount of fatigue made to your muscle at any given instant. In the weight room, there are many ways to increase intensity. Failure to reach a desirable level of intensity--or muscular fatigue--will result in little or no gains in strength or muscular size. However, training with high intensity without proper rest and nutrition can also result in little or no gains in strength or muscular size due to over training. The key for developing lean muscle mass and increasing strength is to find the proper balance. The first key factor to ensure proper effective intensity in the gym is to be mentally focused. You should want to be in the gym. You should have a clear road map of what you want to accomplish for the day in the gym. You should perform each rep and each set like your life depended on it (while maintaining good proper form). Intensity, as I defined it above, can be increased by: · Adding weight to the exercise · Decreasing rest between reps and between sets · Decreasing rest between sets · Increasing the total number of reps with the same weight · Increasing the total number of sets per exercise · Increasing the number of exercises per body part · Increasing the frequency of training sessions · Increasing the speed of the movement. · Increasing the amount of eccentric work your muscles are required to perform. Challenging your muscles in this manner will force them to adapt to the imposed demands (or stress). Do not make the common mistake of over training and under training at the same time. To develop an optimal amount of lean muscle, while also keeping the metabolic rate high I subscribe to the theory of training with a minimal amount of recovery time between exercises. By performing high intense workouts this way, it is very difficult to use poundage’s that will damage joints and connective tissues. It will also elicit a metabolic conditioning effect that cannot be approached by traditional high volume multiple set programs. 4. Get in and out! Your workouts in moist cases should be complete within 45- 60 (no more than 45 for arms, calves, shoulders) minutes for intense workouts. If you are training with a high level of intensity you literally cannot exercise for a longer period of time without running a risk of injury or over training. In all likelihood, you probably could have operated at a higher level of intensity (such as more reps or heavier poundage’s) if you have more “gas” left after an hour of intense high intensity training. Additionally for an intense workout, work you muscles from the largest muscles to the smallest muscles. This will allow you to use maximum weight and not reach “unproductive failure” early. 5. Your recovery (rest) between body parts is also key to developing muscle, which in turn is key to increasing your resting metabolic rate metabolic rate, and your ultimate level of leanness. A period of about 48 to 72 hours is necessary for muscle tissue to recover sufficiently from a strength workout. A period of at least 48 hours is also required to replenish your depleted carbohydrate stores. failure to give your body proper recovery time will limit gains. Additionally hitting a body part more than 2 times a week can also cause problems and gradually become counterproductive due to a catabolic effect if there is not enough recovery time. The formula is simple: when the demands you have placed on your muscles have exceeded you recovery ability. you will no longer continue making gains. Now what I am saying here should not be considered written in stone sometimes 48-72 hours will be sufficient for recovery, sometimes it will not be. There are many variables: rest, nutrition, muscle size (larger muscles like legs and back take longer to recover than smaller ones), age (the older you get, the longer it takes to recover). I hope my advice proves helpful. Write back and let e know. best of luck. Best Regards, Jeff Behar |
| Date | 2007-06-26 |
| Location | |
| Message | Hi, Jeff My name is Kim I read your article on clenbuterol. You seem to be more knowledgeable than most, and selflessly willing to provide straight and accurate info to people who need the help so they do not hurt themselves. With that being said I wanted to ask your advice regarding taking clen and preparing for my first fitness show. I am 20 years old and live in Lexington, KY I have been taking clen for about a week now. my contest is in 9 weeks. I was wondering, what is the best way to cycle clenbuterol and T3 to get the best results? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you! PS: I love your site and you are an inspiration to me!!! Jeff's Response Thank you so much for the kind compliments. As you know I rather you train without the extra help, but if you are going to do it anyway, I do feel it is important to provide you with the best information possible so you do not hurt yourself. With that being said.... Here is my standard warning though. I am serious about it. Are you ready??? Using clen, and other products, especially thyroid products can cause negative effects on your health and should not b done without the approval and close supervision of a competent medical professional. Now, with that being said, to answer your questions....As you are probably aware, most clenbuterol users will do a 3 week on 3 week off cycle, pyramiding their dosages gradually because the body quickly adapts to clen and after 2 or 3 weeks it will not provide that fat burning edge you are seeking. A typical pyramid cycle of clenbuterol would look like this (dosages are in mcg per day): 40/40/40/60/60/60/80/80/80/100/100/100/80/80/80/60/60/60/40/40/40 mcg day. Your contest is in 9 weeks. You want to stay on the clen and cycle it with a t3 agent. As you may already be aware your body acclimates quickly to clenbuterol use. Typically in 2 to 3 weeks. At that point you will not make many fat burning gains. This occurs because of down regulation of the beta 2s receptors. It has been reported that this method can inhibit the actions of noradrenaline by reducing receptor affinity, which will result in better results using the clen. in fact, the use of standardized yohimbine Hcl has also been shown to extend the length of action of clenbuterol for a few hours, and may also to extend the fat burning aspects of clenbuterol from 2-3 weeks to 4 - 6 weeks, so perhaps using Kettoifen and stacking with yohimbine hcl will do the trick and allow you to refrain from adding cytomel (T3), which poses more risks? So, whatever your choices please do it with care, and with the proper supervision. If there is any way I can convince you to do it my way....the natural way...let me know. It may take longer, but it is safer, and it can be done if you are willing to commit to it. Best of Luck in Tricky's show. I haven't seen Tricky since we did the Team Universe togetherness. Please say hello to him for me. Jeff Behar |
| Date | 2007-06-06 |
| Location | |
| Message | Very informative website! Thanks  |
| Date | 2007-05-17 |
| Location | |
| Message | im a 52 yr old man,had back surgery 97,no weights to speak of except 2 5# dumbbells,i do push ups with 2 chairs,and dips also,i use a 4x4 post out back to do squats,springs for chest work outs,and rubber cords,various other workouts,since i cant at this time left any heavier,have to come up with some weights, i have always worked out before the surgery,i usually do reps tell i cant rep any more,i do get sore,i heal and i get back to working out,given the only way to work out is with the above,how does one add muscle mass the way im going untill i get the needed equipment,and i do isometrics,and i eat pretty good,im not fat so thats not a problem,im pretty firm,weigh in at about 175# 5'6,wife syas i look good for 52yrs old,but i would still like to add more muscle mass,please respond many thanks lee gibson
Jeff's Response Lee, first off I want to applaud for your determination, and for your "Mguevyer-ness" with what you have. At 5'6", 175lbs y are you at the top of the Middleweight class (my weight in the 1989 USA). At that height that is pretty muscular. To put on heavy muscle at 52 without lifting heavier than what you are doing will be hard, but not impossible. It is hard for several reasons:
Now your fast-twitch (FT or Type II) fibers conversely are characterized by quick contraction times and a low resistance to fatigue. The activity of the enzyme (myosin-ATPase) that breaks down ATP inside the myosin head of the contractile proteins of these fibers enable these fibers to contract quicker than Type 1 fibers. Fast-twitch fibers are high in creatine phosphate and glycogen and medium in triglyceride stores. They have both a high glycolytic and oxidative enzyme activity. Functionally, they are used for prolonged anaerobic activities with a relatively high force output. Slow-twitch muscle fibers, have the lowest firing threshold and are recruited first. Demands for larger forces are met by the recruitment of increasingly larger motor units. The largest motor units that contain the fast-twitch fibers have the highest threshold and are recruited last. If your workout intensity is low, slow twitch these motor units may be the only ones that are recruited. If the workout intensity is high, such as when lifting heavy weights or performing drop down sets slow- twitch motor units are recruited first, followed by fast-twitch A and fast- twitch B, if needed. Now, every one has different amounts of these fibers by the way. An indirect method that can be used in the weight room to determine the fiber composition of a muscle (rather than a muscle biopsy) is to perform as many repetitions at 80% of your max weight as you can. If you do fewer than seven repetitions, then the muscle group is likely composed of more than 50% fast-twitch fibers. If they can perform 12 or more repetitions, then the muscle group has more than 50% slow-twitch fibers. If you can do between 7 and 12 repetitions, then the muscle group probably has an equal proportion of fibers. Because lifting weights requires the use of many muscles at once, this method does not work for individual muscles, just muscle groups. In order to determine the fiber-type composition of an individual muscle, a needle biopsy of the muscle of interest must be performed. Your fiber type proportion will play a major role in the amount of weight you can lift, the number of repetitions that you can complete in a set or interval workout, and the amount of muscle mass that you will be able to develop. For example, an bodybuilder with a greater proportion of slow-twitch fibers will not be able to lift as heavy as will an a bodybuilder with a greater proportion of fast-twitch fibers and therefore will never attain as high a level of muscularity or as strong as will the fast twitch - fibered bodybuilder. Although the type of fiber cannot be changed from one to another, training can change the amount of area taken up by the fiber type in the muscle. In other words, there can be a selective hypertrophy of fibers based on the type of training. Therefore, by recruiting more fibers through high intensity (be it more reps. or more weight) can increase muscle mass. So they key here is INTENSITY (not just heavy weight). Depending on the specific intensity used in training, the muscle may change to a 75% fast twitch area and a 25% slow twitch area. So when more fast twitch muscle fibers are recruited the mass of fast twitch fibers will be greater than that of slow twitch fibers. This will result in a muscle mass gain (measured by the circumference of the muscle). Conversely, if you train for high rep muscular endurance, the fast-twitch fibers will atrophy while the slow-twitch fibers hypertrophy, causing a greater area of slow-twitch fibers. The endurance capabilities of the muscle will then increase proportionately while its strength and mass will decrease (you lose mass). This is why you get weak and loses some size quickly when you stop training (because slow-twitch fibers are lower in mass than fast-twitch fibers). Training with a low or moderate intensity will not necessitate the recruitment of the fast-twitch -B muscle fibers. Therefore, the training intensity must, be high. But how heavy a weight and how many repetitions should you use? So, for gains in muscular strength and mass you should train with heavy weights and few repetitions because using heavy weights recruits the fast-twitch fibers, which are capable of producing a greater force than the slow-twitch fibers. Remember hypertrophy (muscle breakdown needed for muscle growth) will only occur in those muscle fibers that are overloaded. To increase maximum strength your goal will be to get 5 to 8 reps with 80% of your max. If the aim of training is to increase muscle size (hypertrophy) with moderate gains in strength, then 6 to 12 repetitions should be used. With that being said, another way to increase your mass is to ensure you are eating correctly (getting enough protein and carbs and good fats) and eating the correct macro nutrient at the correct time. Increasing intensity, but adding a day of rest might also work well for you, since many bodybuilders (most) over train and under train at the same time. This means the workout is not high intensity, takes longer than it should, and there is not enough recovery time for the muscle to grow. Last but not least you can also use supplements to try to further stimulate your testosterone levels. Check some of my other articles where I talk more about nutrient timing, over training, and intensity. I have included a wealth of information these articles on these subjects.Even if you do not gain mass or strength, keep up the good work. Remember, just staying the same as your age is still something to applaud. Best Regards, JB |
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