Fitness question

[ATWizJr]

At my advanced age (69) will my body produce enough of the right chemicals so that with weight training I can still build muscle or will I have to take some kind of supplements?  Besides whey protein, what other legal supplements could I be taking?  Finally, are there supplements I can take that are legal and have no adverse side effects that will aid in the burning of fat?

Thanks.

[jesmu84]

At my advanced age (69) will my body produce enough of the right chemicals so that with weight training I can still build muscle or will I have to take some kind of supplements?  Besides whey protein, what other legal supplements could I be taking?  Finally, are there supplements I can take that are legal and have no adverse side effects that will aid in the burning of fat?

Thanks.

Honestly, not really. Just eating well with an emphasis on protein in your diet. And working out effectively. That's really all you can do.

[Coleman]

At my advanced age (69) will my body produce enough of the right chemicals so that with weight training I can still build muscle or will I have to take some kind of supplements?  Besides whey protein, what other legal supplements could I be taking?  Finally, are there supplements I can take that are legal and have no adverse side effects that will aid in the burning of fat?

Thanks.

I really am not knowledgeable about any of this, but maybe talk to your doctor about some sort of testosterone supplement.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

I really am not knowledgeable about any of this, but maybe talk to your doctor about some sort of testosterone supplement.

Skip the testosterone supplement. Make sure you are getting plenty of minerals such as zinc and you'll have enough testosterone to support your body's needs. Aging, stress and wear and tear reduce the amount of minerals in our systems, and our modern agricultural methods have wiped out a lot of nutrients from our soil and foods. You should make sure you are getting plenty of nutrients through your food and, if you want a supplement, a very high quality multivitamin (most are garbage).

You should check out Mark Sisson's fitness suggestions.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-fitness/#axzz2vI6HiUWx

[jesmu84]

Skip the testosterone supplement. Make sure you are getting plenty of minerals such as zinc and you'll have enough testosterone to support your body's needs. Aging, stress and wear and tear reduce the amount of minerals in our systems, and our modern agricultural methods have wiped out a lot of nutrients from our soil and foods. You should make sure you are getting plenty of nutrients through your food and, if you want a supplement, a very high quality multivitamin (most are garbage).

You should check out Mark Sisson's fitness suggestions.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-fitness/#axzz2vI6HiUWx

Agreed. Not enough info, research out on the latest push to medicate "low testosterone syndrome." Lots of bad outcomes. Eat well, low impact exercises, defintiely some weights, start slow if it's a new thing for you, multivitamin.

[Spotcheck Billy]

so how does one tell which multivitamins are high quality vs. garbage?

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

so how does one tell which multivitamins are high quality vs. garbage?

The only thing good that you can get from a store is a whole food multivitamin. Those are decent. I'm currently on Garden of Life Men's. (Much cheaper online than stores, btw.)

Beyond that, you really have to go to professional lines, which are usually only available to practitioners, but you can usually buy on Amazon also. These are the ones you would normally get from chiropractors or nutrition consultants.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

I guess I should say, IMO the best thing you can get from a store is a whole food multivitamin.

But that's because I am very picky about avoiding soy and gluten in my supplements, as well as any other unnecessary fillers.

[ATWizJr]

Thanks to all.  Great info and much appreciated.  I've been doing P90X for a while and am hoping to see my abs one of these days.

I think Mark Sisson helped develop some of the supplements they sell so I'll do a little more research.

Thanks again.

[4everwarriors]

Read the book, "Grain Brain" and subsequently swear off grains which are a source of inflammation in the body. Also eliminate your sugar intake. Literally impossible to avoid sugar 100%.
As for supplements, natural supplements (such as those from Standard Process) are better than any synthetic. If your piss is neon yellow in takin' supplements, you're wastin' your money.

[ATWizJr]

Thanks Doc.  Have read "Wheat Belly" and will look for the book you referenced.  Over the past few months I have gotten noticeably stronger and lost weight but I'm having trouble getting rid of the layer that covers my belly.  I can see a "shadow" of where my abs are but that's about all.

Thanks.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

Read the book, "Grain Brain" and subsequently swear off grains which are a source of inflammation in the body. Also eliminate your sugar intake. Literally impossible to avoid sugar 100%.
As for supplements, natural supplements (such as those from Standard Process) are better than any synthetic. If your piss is neon yellow in takin' supplements, you're wastin' your money.

Doc,

Are you comfortable with non-grain carbs, like starchy vegetables and fruits, or are you generally a Specific Carbohydrate Diet person?

[Hards Alumni]

Thanks Doc.  Have read "Wheat Belly" and will look for the book you referenced.  Over the past few months I have gotten noticeably stronger and lost weight but I'm having trouble getting rid of the layer that covers my belly.  I can see a "shadow" of where my abs are but that's about all.

Thanks.

Reduce your overall eating if you want your abs to show.  Caloric reduction obviously reduces body fat.  The muscles are under there, but without losing the body fat, you will never see them.

Personally, I fast two days per week drinking only water and coffee, small bowl of high fiber cereal for breakfast, and 1/2 cup of mixed unsalted nuts for dinner.  It is incredibly easy if you have the will to do it.

[ATWizJr]

Reduce your overall eating if you want your abs to show.  Caloric reduction obviously reduces body fat.  The muscles are under there, but without losing the body fat, you will never see them.

Personally, I fast two days per week drinking only water and coffee, small bowl of high fiber cereal for breakfast, and 1/2 cup of mixed unsalted nuts for dinner.  It is incredibly easy if you have the will to do it.

That's sure not a lot of food.  Did it affect your regularity at all?  Do you feel "bonky" when fasting?  How long 'til you developed the "will" to do it?  Consecutive days, weekdays?  Thanks.

[keefe]

 

That's sure not a lot of food.  Did it affect your regularity at all?  Do you feel "bonky" when fasting?  How long 'til you developed the "will" to do it?  Consecutive days, weekdays?  Thanks.

Tom

Watch a documentary - Fat Head by Tom Naughton. It is a counterpoint to the rubbish put out in Supersize Me. Unlike the latter, Naughton engages legitimate scientists to provide a balanced view of diet and nutrition. Some fascinating insights into how and why our diets have become so screwed up. Naughton exposes many lies and bursts many bubbles in this work.

He also validates much of what Doc has been crusading about with regard to cabs. Invest a hour into watching Fat Head. It will be worth your time. Let me know your thoughts afterward.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/fat-head/

Crash

[Hards Alumni]

 

That's sure not a lot of food.  Did it affect your regularity at all?  Do you feel "bonky" when fasting?  How long 'til you developed the "will" to do it?  Consecutive days, weekdays?  Thanks.

Yeah, I don't really 'go' until Friday, but I'm 32 and haven't had many problems in that department in my life.  I begin my fast on Wednesday morning and continue until Friday morning.  I don't feel strange when fasting... and you really become more of a master of knowing what hungry really is.  The key to fasting is drinking enough water.  When you aren't eating much, your body burns the carbohydrate calories first, then moves on to fat.  I'm usually quite happy when Friday morning rolls around and I can eat what I want, but I'm guessing I could probably keep a four day fast at this point.  I have dropped 10% of my body weight (179 down to 161 currently) with very little actual 'work'.  I'm not a gym guy, but I do stay active.

Obviously, this isn't gospel and the diet isn't for everyone, here is the video that got me interested.  It is about an hour, and the guy is fairly entertaining.  http://vimeo.com/54089463

[4everwarriors]

Doc,

Are you comfortable with non-grain carbs, like starchy vegetables and fruits, or are you generally a Specific Carbohydrate Diet person?

IMO, non-grain carbs are ok. Again, this is not a diet, rather a lifestyle change. Closer to a paleo thing.

[rocky_warrior]

Sigh.  Eat right, there's no use in taking any vitamins.  Avoid going "Paleo", but limiting carbs is good.

In place of vitamins, eat lots of steamed broccoli.  Do NOT boil the broccoli.  Eat plenty of tree nuts too. Most of them are super foods.  I like to throw in some dried fruits for my sweet fixes - especially dried apricots, lots of good stuff in there.  Oh, and milk too, you need the calcium.

If you're already doing the P90X, that's great.  But I don't care what kind of activity you do, make sure you do something active for at least 40 minutes per day that makes you sweat - and then STICK TO IT.  It will take at least a month to start really noticing weight loss, and then several more to keep it going.  There's no quick fix.

edit:  Oh, and for one meal a week, eat whatever the hell you want.  Life's too short to not indulge a little.

[rocky_warrior]

At my advanced age (69) will my body produce enough of the right chemicals so that with weight training I can still build muscle or will I have to take some kind of supplements?  Besides whey protein, what other legal supplements could I be taking?  Finally, are there supplements I can take that are legal and have no adverse side effects that will aid in the burning of fat?

Oh, and to actually answer your question, despite all the healthy stuff I spew, if you don't have any heart issues, get a good nitric oxide pre-workout supplement.  I'm not a guy that does weights for hours, or at all usually, but they get your body moving (sometimes in more than one way...which might be against your "no adverse side effects") and ready to work out.  Not really the best for for your body for long term usage, but for a 30-day period I've found they can get me on the right track.  The last one I tried was cellucor c4 extreme and it seemed pretty decent.  Helps with recovery too.

I don't know of any illegal substances in them, but I know that some of them of banned in amateur sports, so be careful if that's a concern.

[Jay Bee]

Game day! I'm heading to breakfast in a few. Hash browns, pancakes, sausage, eggs, English muffins and gallons of coffee!!!

First I will have two gummy multivitamins. I love em. Taste great!

[mu_hilltopper]

This thread makes me think of this, as I eat my donuts this morning:

[keefe]

Game day! I'm heading to breakfast in a few. Hash browns, pancakes, sausage, eggs, English muffins and gallons of coffee!!!

First I will have two gummy multivitamins. I love em. Taste great!

Whatever happened to coffee and a bowl of butts for breakfast?