Olympic Lifts Vs. Regular Lifting

Just something interesting I came across!

Benefits of Olympic Weightlifting

You are probably wondering what makes Olympic Weightlifting a better choice for resistance training than others forms. Weightlifting offers many benefits over bodybuilding, powerlifting, and machines. However, the main reason people do not participate in weightlifting is because they are afraid of getting injury, however this is a false assumption that is easily discredited.

Safety and Injury Aspect of Weightlifting

Various studies were done showing Olympic weightlifting to be the safest form of resistance training there is. One study assessed the injury potential and safety aspects of weightlifting movements and Olympic weightlifting proved to be the safest (Stone, Injury). Another aspect that keeps many people away from weightlifting is the supposed fatal injury to the back. Again this is a false assumption spread through ignorance. A study was done comparing weightlifting to a control group of normal active men and their back pain was assessed. It turns out that only 23% of the weightlifters experienced back pain compared to 31% of the normal active men (Granhed). Another study was performed concerning the injury per 100 hours and yes again weightlifting faired better than other forms of resistance training. In fact, for weightlifters the injury rate was less than half of the other forms of weight training (Hamill). Weightlifting training and competitions together are much safer than other sports such as football, basketball, soccer, etc (Stone, Muscle). It is clear to see that Olympic weightlifting is an extremely safe form of resistance training and sport for people to participant in.

Body Composition Effects

Another benefit of weightlifting is the amount of muscles used in the lifts. The Olympic lifts involve basically every muscle in the human body and this entails a great workout. Olympic weightlifting also forces stabilizer muscles to activate to secure the weight overhead in the lifts. For a recreational lifter Olympic weightlifting will cut down on the exercise time, allowing them to get done in 45 minutes to 1 hour what they used to do in "traditional splits" for 1.5 hours or more! In an 8 week Olympic weightlifting program study, participants lowered their resting heart rate by 8%, lean body weight increased by 4%, fat dropped 6%, and systolic blood pressure decreased by 4% (Stone, Cardiovascular). Not only is Olympic weightlifting safe it is a great way to stay in shape too!

Athletic Ability

Another important benefit of Olympic weightlifting is it teaches the body to fire all the muscle fibers at once; to explode in a sense (not literally). An 8 week study was done showing the capability of the Olympic lifts to improve sport performance and vertical jump ability. A study was performed and a group of lifters did various Olympic lifts (High pulls, Power Clean, and Clean and Jerk), and were compared to a group using vertical jump exercises (Single and Double Leg Hurdles Hops, Alternated Single-leg Hurdle Hops, etc) and after the 8 weeks of training the Olympic weightlifting group had significantly increased their 10 meter sprint speed and their standing jump over the control group using standard vertical jump exercises (Tricoli). Similarly a 15 week study was also performed using football players and compared a powerlifting program to an Olympic weightlifting program for athletic performance. After the 15 week study was over the Olympic weightlifting group had a significant improvement in the vertical jump and 40 meter sprint over the powerlifting group (Hoffman JR). Clearly there are athletic benefits that come from incorporating weightlifting into a sport training program and similarly Olympic weightlifters are also known for developing great athletic ability.

Effect on Bone Mineral Density

Olympic weightlifting can also help prevent osteoporosis. To put it simply the greater the bone mineral density (BMD) the less chance of osteoporosis occurring. Bone mineral density measures the mineral density, such as calcium, in the bones. Calcium is also constantly being added and removed from bones and when it is removed faster than it is added then the bones become weaker and are more susceptible to fractures. Remember a solid dense bone is much better than one that looks like a honey comb! A study involving elite junior Olympic weightlifters compared their BMD, at the lower back and the neck of the femur, to an exact age group and an age group ranging from 20-39 year old men. The elite junior Olympic weightlifters BMD were found to be significantly greater then the age matched group and greater than the 20-39 year old men (Conroy). It is suggested that the high overloads of stress from Olympic weightlifting have a major influence on BMD. Again Olympic weightlifting has the ability to develop strong healthy bones that are resistant to fractures.

Enjoyment Factor

One aspect of Olympic weightlifting that people enjoy is the lifts themselves. People enjoy the feeling of the barbell being weightless as they drop underneath it or they enjoy the speed that it takes to complete the lift or maybe they just enjoy mastering a technical skill. For most people there is a larger sense of satisfaction that comes from successfully hitting a personal best in the snatch or clean and jerk than finally getting those 19 inch arms or something along those lines.

These are just some of the benefits a person can come to expect from participating in Olympic weightlifting throughout their life. Hopefully, this also cleared up the ignorance on the safety and injury aspect of Olympic weightlifting. Participating in Olympic weightlifting is a fun and enjoyable experience that everyone should get to know. 

Tricoli, V, L Lamas, R Carnevale, and C Ugrinowitsch. "Short-Term Effects on Lower-Body Functional Power Development: Weightlifting Vs. Vertical Jump Training Programs." 19 (2005): 433-437. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 19 (2005).

Any person involved in rigorous training can benefit from the performance products by Shaklee!  All of their products are 100% natural and contain no extra additives or fillers!  Visit my website at fit4urself.myshaklee.com and see if their products can help you gain a better fit physique!

Is it really that hard?

Oh my... Here we are again America... "Come on America!!!"


Almost every person in the U.S. has at one time or another struggled with maintaining a healthy weight.  I have personally had a history of yo-yo diets and constant low self-esteem due to the lack of knowledge on how to get fit.


But Ryan, "I just have a slow metabolism."


Dude enough.  Don't give me that.  Out of all of the people in the U.S. you're the only one who can't get fit because your metabolism is slower than almost every other person's?  No, you have slowed it down with the eating habits you have developed!  I'm not trying to be rude to those who read this with their "diarrhea of the brain" telling them there is nothing they can do because they were born this way, I'm simply addressing an issue of misunderstanding in todays society of what and how eating right looks.

• "Come to Golden Corrale where all the meat is fresh and its only 10 Dollars for all you can eat!!!"

"WOW!!! 10 dollars!! what a deal!!"

• "For a limited time only, now at Burger King, buy one Whopper (with an emphasis on pronouncing the H before the W) get a free large fry!!!

"I love Whoppers!! I need to take advantage of this awesome deal!!"

You see what I'm getting at here?  Our society has taken one of the 7 deadly sins (Gluttony, for those who don't know) and made millions even perhaps billions of dollars, off of selling the idea that "you're not satisfied until you're full."  Now, I understand there are people out there who have realized the horribleness (yes I made up another word) of fast food's effects on our bodies, but eating 4 hamburgers at home doesn't make your situation better just because YOU made the burgers.

But Ryan, "I eat healthy all of the time, I make all of my food and especially at dinner I eat as much healthy food as possible!"

uh............... really though?

But Ryan, "I have been dieting all of my life and I fail every time... How do you know which diets work and which don't?"

Alright people, if anyone here hasn't noticed the workings of our society yet, then you aren't alive.  Check your pulse, seriously.  Our society, or even better, the "Big Name" companies that sell all of these diet pills and diet drinks (Lipofuse, clinicallix, Lipobasics, SLIM FAST!!) make their money on the failure of the diets they promote!  How much money would a mega corporation make off of a pill that made you fit and lean and helped you stay there?  Not much, because once you had lost the weight, you would no longer need the pill, thus the reason for the failure of the "diet" pills.


What's funny is if you read the labels on these bottles, they even tell you they are not meant to be taken without a proper nutrition plan!!


So again the question arises, "How do you know which diets work and which don't?"


Simple answer?  No "diet" works.  The very idea of a diet implies failure upon the beginning of it!  The first thing that jumps into everyone's mind when they here the word diet, is continuous hunger.  Is that really the healthy way we are supposed to live?  No!  Our bodies are very complex and amazing machines, yet so simple to understand!  Not giving our bodies the proper nutrition is the key to the failure of all "diets" on the market.  The phrase "I have a slow metabolism" is overused, misused and abused in every overweight American's life.  It has a resounding aura of helplessness attached to it that hinders our ability to confront ourselves and change the way we think.  Therefore the idea of a "diet" needs to be pushed to the side, and the reality of a HABIT CHANGE needs to be implemented.


Okay Ryan, "You've said a lot of mumbo jumbo (yes, i did just used that phrase) about a lot of stuff, but i'm still lost!" 

Alrighty then (Jim Carrey voice from Ace Ventura) I'm going to make this as simple to understand as possible.


Your body is fueled by three main molecules; Carbohydrates (breads, sugars, starches), Proteins (Fast digesting proteins; whey proteins, white meats. Slow digesting proteins; red meats and milk, or casein proteins) and Fats (mono and poly unsaturated, or "good", fats, and saturated and trans, or "bad" fats,)

Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats supply 90% of the dry weight of the diet and 100% of its energy.  All three provide energy (measured in calories).  These nutrients also differ in how quickly they supply energy. Carbohydrates are the quickest, and fats are the slowest.  Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are digested in the intestine, where they are broken down into their basic units: carbohydrates into sugars, proteins into amino acids, and fats into fatty acids and glycerol. The body uses these basic units to build substances it needs for growth, maintenance, and activity (including other carbohydrates, proteins, and fats)

• Proteins are essentially the building blocks of our bodies.  Our muscles require BCAA's (branch chain amino acids) to repair the broken down tissue within our muscles, which we get after intense workouts.
• Carbohydrates are the "fuel" for our muscles that we require in order to function.
• Fats are the "regulators" of the fuel (Carbohydrates; A.K.A Glycogen) within our bloodstream.

Each of these fuels has a caloric value, Protein: 4 calories, Carbohydrate: 4 calories, Fat: 9 calories.  Each of these, when digested,  areas i said before: 

• Metabolized (broken down) then absorbed by your bloodstream. 
• Then distributed throughout your body.  

The importance of these three nutrients when dealing with weight loss are because of the following:

• Calories are what our body "burns", or is a measure of energy, especially heat energy, and if you are feeding your body more calories then its "burning" then "weight", or fat, is stored for energy usage at a later time.  
• Proteins, carbohydrates and fats all have a caloric value, therefore it becomes imperative that one who wishes to lose weight must track their intake of each of these nutrients daily.
• If you consume the proper amount of each nutrient, and the proper amount of calories each day, along with exercising (walking, jogging, circuit training, P90-X!!!!!) then it is impossible to consume more calories than you are burning, therefore weight loss is automatic.

Okay Ryan, "But how do I know how much of each nutrient to take in, and how many calories to consume?"

Well, I could sit here and tell you everything you need to know about how to lose fat, but the problem is everyone wants everything handed to them on a "slightly tarnished silver platter" with their name written on it.  The one thing i have learned over the past few years is that you can't expect people to do anything, let alone everything, for you.  You must take the steps of action to set goals, do research, and apply what you learn to your life.  So what am I getting at?  I will give you the "tools" you need to get started, but YOU have to research them. 

But Ryan, ":'( I don't have time and i don't understand it :'( (sob, sniffle, sob, sob)

Neither did I when I started!  But with great passion comes great understanding (corny at all??).  So, if you want to know what to do, and how to do it, just learn about these following terms:

• BMI (body mass index).
• BMR (basal metabolic rate).
• What a "calorie" is.
• The average daily caloric intake.
• Body fat percentage, and how to calculate it.

Once you have found these then I will be willing to assist you in calculating your caloric needs in order to lose weight, but you first have to do some goal setting and find out the info for yourself!!

You can contact me at ryan.carlock@yahoo.com and visit my website at fit4urself.myshaklee.com for info on supplements to help you achieve a better workout, recover better from your workout, and some weight loss meal replacement bars and shakes to help you cure your craving for food, and because of the 100% all-natural ingredients, this is the healthiest way to replace meals if your an "on-the-go" type of person!  I'm excited for those who are interested in getting fit and lean, and I am looking forward to answering any questions you may have!  It is a great feeling to have accomplished something knowing that YOU are the one doing the work, so stop sitting there thinking up excuses, and start doing the research to better your life today!

Sylvester Stallone

Steroids anyone?  It was brought to my attention that Stallone became this lean only because of steroids.  Maybe the steroids allowed him to put on so much muscle mass, but as any health enthusiast knows, it is extremely hard to stay lean.  Now, granted he is an Ectomorph, he is still 63 YEARS OLD.  Props Stallone, you have my respect.  Maybe he uses Shaklee products?  fit4urself.myshaklee.com

Again with Olympians! Why they choose Shaklee!

PLEASANTON, Calif. – January 22, 2009– Shaklee Corporation, the leading natural nutrition company in the United States, is the official nutrition supplier for the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding throughout their training for the 2010 Games in Vancouver, continuing a relationship that began in 1980. Founded in 1956, Shaklee has been supporting elite athletes for decades-more than 54 gold medals have been awarded to Shaklee-powered world-class athletes.

“We currently use these products to enhance the hydration status and energy requirements of our athletes’ demanding training schedules and busy lifestyles,” says Troy Flanagan, Director of Sport Science for the U.S. Ski and Snowboarding Association, the national governing body for the U.S. ski and snowboarding teams. “Shaklee nutritional supplements are the only choice for us and are proving to be critical to our preparation for the 2010 Games!”

Flanagan says Shaklee products are instrumental in allowing the teams to perform at a high level in very rigorous conditions.

“U.S. Ski Team athletes travel four to five months straight each year, flying to winter conditions in many different countries throughout the world. Shaklee’s NutriFeron® helps boost their immune systems* as they push through jet lag, drastic temperature changes, tough training, and the stress of competition,” he says.

The U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding use a broad assortment of Shaklee supplements, including Vitalizer for overall health and wellness, NutriFeron and Defend & Resist Complex for immune support, Cinch® for healthy weight management, Shaklee Performance® for hydration and endurance, Physique® for post workout recovery, Joint Health Complex for healthy joints, Joint & Muscle Pain Cream for after those grueling workouts, and many others.*

Shaklee products are supported by over 90 Shaklee peer-reviewed scientific papers and are available only through Shaklee Distributors. .




“At the U.S. Ski and Snowboarding Association (USSA), we make sure that the supplements that our athletes competing in the 2010 Games are taking are extremely safe and reliable,” Flanagan says. “That’s why USSA athletes are only provided with Shaklee products, which are manufactured to the highest standards.”

Shaklee is proud to be the official nutritional sponsor of the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding, a relationship that began over 29 years ago and has since provided the nutritional fuel that helped support the teams in winning 10 medals in the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, and is currently helping to power the ski team and snowboarders in preparation for the 2010 Games in Vancouver.

About Shaklee Corporation
Founded 50-plus years ago, Shaklee is a leading provider of premium-quality natural nutrition products, personal care products, environmentally friendly household products, and state-of-the-art air and water treatment systems. In 2000 Shaklee became the first company in the world to be Climate Neutral™ certified to totally offset its CO2 emissions, resulting in a net-zero impact on the environment. With a robust product portfolio, including over 50 patents and patents pending worldwide, Shaklee has more than 750,000 Members and Distributors worldwide and operates in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and China. For more information about Shaklee, visitwww.http://toyournaturalhealth.myshaklee.com/us/en/welcome.html

*	These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

At Shaklee, we don’t just stand behind our products we stand behind the people who use them. For 30 years our products have powered some of the most elite athletes in the world, including the Vancouver Games medal-winning U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding.

Team Biography

The 2010 Games in Vancouver proved to be the best yet for the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding. Together they brought home 21 medals—more than double the count from the Torino Games in 2006. Being on the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding requires an incredible amount of hard work and dedication. On top of intense training sessions, extreme temperatures, and high-stress competitions year-round, athletes endure an insanely busy travel schedule. They travel four to five months at a time, to and from Europe, and without a break during the competitive season. And in the summer, they travel to the Southern Hemisphere to train. The challenge in all this is keeping these athletes in the best shape possible. “Our athletes tend to get really run down from all the traveling,” says Troy Flanagan, trainer to the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding. “The U.S. Ski Team and Snowboarding have been working with Shaklee since 1980. The teams rely on the quality and efficacy of Shaklee nutrition products to keep our athletes healthy.* Some of the team’s favorites are Shaklee Vitalizer™, NutriFeron®, and Shaklee Defend & Resist Complex.” In addition, these athletes are subjected to strict testing standards, which means they have to be very careful about what they put in their bodies. “We teach our athletes to be very brand-conscious and to read the labels of all the products they’re taking to ensure that they don’t inadvertently take something that they could potentially test positive to,” says Flanagan. “We know Shaklee tests their products. Our athletes can rest assured that what they take from Shaklee is safe, legal, and within the rules and spirit of the competition.”

Achievements

Vancouver Games: 2010
Total medal count: 21

Torino Games: 2006
Total medal count: 10

Salt Lake City Games: 2002
Total medal count: 10

Nagano Games: 1998
Total medal count: 6

Olympics: I'm Jealous

As a Hammer thrower,
I have been following Olympic throwers for the past year and a half.  To my surprise, as I was signing up for my Shaklee membership, I found out that there are multiple Olympic athletes that rely on Shaklee for their nutrition and healing while training.  To see each of these sponsored athletes, go to http://athletes.shaklee.com/public/us/en and see WHY they prefer Shaklee over all other products.

Hmmm.. Decisions, decisions, decisions..

I'm excited, and this is why: fit4urself.myshaklee.com


Attention all you healthers (yes i just invented a word) our there, this site is for you.  Shaklee is a business owned and operated by people just like you who care about their bodies and want to live a full healthy life.  I have started using their workout supplements and I am very excited about one main thing, I can afford their Olympic (yes as in the Olympics, including Olympians that Shaklee proudly sponsors) products! (just follow this link, fit4urself.myshaklee.com, and read my about me section where I will post a full list of the athletes sponsored by Shaklee!) Being a member I get a greater discount on all of their products, and you can become a member also!  Just follow my link : fit4urself.myshaklee.com (you need a sponsor if you are not yet a member in order to buy their products) to their website, and see what they have to offer!


At fit4urself.myshaklee.com, you will find information about me, and extensive information about the Shaklee products I have come to love and rely on.  My family loves Shaklee and I hope someday you will also see the benefits of their affordable, Olympic quality supplements along with their all-natural, green-friendly household products and weight loss supplements!

What's more important?

Important news bulletin: Identity Crisis Sweeps America, What can we do now?

I think many people struggle with their idea of health because of the body image our media presents to us. 

For guys, it is the extremely lean muscular physique presented by professional athletes, models and unrealistic "reality" t.v. shows.  The "perfect man" has been engraved into our heads as the Abercrombie/Aqua Di Gio "Fabio" from the "I can't believe its not butter" commercials.  This image seems to insinuate the requirement of a "Gabriel" type name to fit the model body.  Characteristics of this man include:

• Longer flowing dark brown hair.
• Extremely lean/muscular physique.
• Dark tanned skin.
• A runway model woman at our side at all times.
• Very tight white undies that don't cut into the muscular waste of the man.
• No shirt nor body hair.

How unrealistic is this?  Well, if you already have been blessed with an Ectomorph (lean and muscular) physique, then improving on what you already have is not difficult for the most part.  But for the other 82% of men in the world, taking our Endomorph (heavier and naturally bigger) or Mesomorph (somewhere in the middle of the other types) physique, and shrinking it down to the image of an Ectomorph is extremely difficult and can be very depressing when we plateau and find it impossible to take our wider frame and make it a thinner frame.  The same is said for men as well as women.

But, duh dunna duh!!!! (exciting videogame "I found an awesome item!!" sound) I have a proposition!!!!

Instead of trying to cater our bodies to those in the media (Reggie Bush, Fabio, Hugh Jackman, George Bush), why don't we embrace the bodies we've been blessed by God to live in??  I say this with the experience of realizing I will never be Fabio.. ( :'( I'm bawling on the inside... not really ) and with the experience of realizing the gifts I have been blessed with! I read a book once that was on losing FAT, and not just any body weight, and the book started off with a 30 page chapter about self actualization and goal setting with the resonating theme "be yourself" ringing throughout the 30 inspiring pages.

That's what we need to do!!! Be ourselves when we set our goals.  We need to be able to confront our body types with confidence and we need to be able to say "Oh, that's who I am.. Sweet.... (in a Peter Griffin voice)" If your lacking on the ability to impersonate Peter Griffin, you can still be happy with WHO YOU ARE and improve on WHAT YOU HAVE.  So i guess my final point and theme of this blog is this:

In setting goals for ourselves, keep ourselves in mind. When we lose sight of who we are and what OUR potential is, we begin to no longer focus on ourselves and we lose sight of our goals, therefor losing the motivation to keep on going.  Be happy with YOURSELVES, and keep in mind that when you change your body, you're not changing yourself, you're improving yourself.