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Part 4
07 Oct 2009 4:47PM
Check your cholesterol every 15-20 pounds that you gain. Or every 10
weeks on the diet. Set a limit with your doctor as to how high you will
permit it to rise and remain on the diet. If it goes above
such-and-such a number, abort .
Do some form of cardiovascular exercise. Minimum 3 days per week. I
know you don't want to spend the precious calories on cardio, but the
cv exercise will help keep the cholesterol down as well as abating some
of the inevitable sluggishness that comes with weight gain. I've done
it both with and without cv and I feel much ,much better with a daily
walk. And you can eat just one more snickers bar to cover it. All the
while your heart gets some exercise and your metabolism doesn't get so
loggy.
Check your blood pressure at the start and then every four days while
on the diet. Get your own monitor or find one of the countless free
places that you can have it taken for you. Use the same equipment every
time. Expect some increase in bp. Consult your doctor and make a
decision as to what you both will tolerate. If your bp goes past the
limit you have set, abort.
Issues of sleep apnea can develop. This is a tough disorder in which
you interrupt your breathing for a few seconds all through the night
and wake up in the morning exhausted from gasping for 8 hours! This
affects a huge number of people in the US but commonly is made worse by
gaining weight. If it affects you, you may not know it, your asleep
while it's going on. But sooner or later someone will tell you, your
wife, your girlfriend, your next-door neighbour.
It's often confused for a bad case of snoring. But after a couple of
weeks of full nights rest and an accompanying deep fatigue, you will
begin to suspect something is wrong. I wish I had some sort of fix-it
for this but the only advice I can give is to try propping yourself up
at a slight incline when you sleep and put up with it as much as your
significant other will allow. If it is too much of a problem, seek
medical attention and decide what else to try. If you must, abort. You
won't see the progress you want in your training if you're not getting
the rest you need.
Have a full blood work up done (this will most likely accompany your
cholesterol but ask for it any way. These days health care
professionals are cutting costs and if you ask for cholesterol values
that may be all that gets run!) . Of special interest are :
triglycerides, liver enzymes, thyroid levels especially T-4 and TSH,
and any values having to do with pancreatic function. These can become
upset with drastic changes in dietary habits and need an eye kept on
them.
Measure your body fat percentage. Set a limit to how high you will let
it go. Remeasure it every 10 pounds you gain. See how many pounds are
muscle and how many are fat. A good bargain is 1 pound of muscle for
every 2-3 lbs of fat.
If you are a master lifter, consider your medications and consult your
doctor about the effect weight gain may have on any of them especially
heart meds. Your dosage may need to be adjusted.
Remember that the weight gain is to be temporary. You should plan a
reducing diet to follow at a specified time in your training. This is
where you attempt to maintain most of the new strength you amassed
during the bulking phase while lowering your body fat to the same level
you started at. You are not training to get stronger, only to hold the
strength you have while dropping the excess.
Commit yourself to the goal of returning to your starting level of
bodyfat and see how much of the new strength you're kept. If you diet
right, it should be above 80%. So that is your true gain. The gain you
keep after gaining and losing the excess bodyfat is what counts. If you
gain 20 lbs on your bench and lose 15 when you diet, you missed the
point. If you gain 20 lbs on the bench and keep 15 (16) you've achieved
something and done it correctly. Now repeat this process as necessary!!
I suggest that you only hold your weight heavy for no longer than 5-6
months before you diet back down. Each time you repeat this process,
you will hold more strength and have more muscle mass than before.
Avoid staying heavy too long. It is only temporary!
These things will help you minimize the risks associated with the
rigors of body weight manipulation. Competitive sports all have risks.
Every highschooler who puts on a football helmet on Friday night and
knocks heads with the cross-town rivals takes the risk of spinal
injury. Risks are unavoidable and usually increase with the level of
play. Just be responsible.
Take care of yourself within the risks. Do what you can to minimize
them. Pay attention. If you don't watch your blood pressure, how do you
know if you might not be begging for a stroke? For Christmas sake, at
least know what you're levels are. You can always decide to do what is
right for you. Continue or stop. Or continue on a different course. But
at least do the best you can to stay as healthy as you can.
Remember: If you want to beat the man, you've got to out -eat the man!
Good eating,
J.M.
I know that’s a bit of a read and a lot of people will shit themselves to read it but if you are 60kg wringing wet and getting schooled on the mats, this might be what you need.
Mike
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