The word “protein” is derived from a Greek word meaning “of primary importance.”  It is easy to see why.  Protein is essential for the human body to function correctly.  And, as most bodybuilders know, protein is the major source of nutrition for muscle growth and repair.  Protein is made up of twenty-two amino acids, which are basically the building blocks that our bodies need to grow and thrive.  Out of these twenty-two amino acids, eight can only be obtained through the food you eat and outside sources. Let’s discuss the sources of protein so that we can all have stronger muscles and healthier bodies.

One of the primary sources for protein is fish.  Fish contains high levels of protein, and should be a stable for the healthy diet.  Not only is fish a good source of protein, fish also contains oils that keep blood cholesterol levels low.  That would explain all those “fish oil” pills that are seen on the shelves in grocery stores and supplement shops.  In this age of fast food and sedentary lifestyles, everyone is looking for a product that will lower cholesterol.  Fish oil is one of those products.  So, not only will fish provide some much needed protein for the body, it will also help lower cholesterol.  When shopping for fish, I would suggest white fish such as tuna, salmon, herring, mackerel, and canned sardines.  It might be a good idea to stay away from shellfish and catfish.  Although they are good sources of protein, they are much more likely to have high levels of toxicity due to the fact that they are “bottom feeders.”

Another great source of protein is the incredible, edible egg.  Eggs contain high-quality complete protein that all of our bodies need.  It was once popular among body builders to drink raw eggs for their pure protein benefits.  I assure you that you get the same amount of protein from a cooked egg as you do from a raw one; therefore, it is not necessary to down a few raw eggs to start your day.  One large egg contains about 6 grams of protein, which makes it an “eggcellent” source for your daily protein intake.  For those of you who are concerned about cholesterol, it is suggested that you eat only egg-whites.  Two egg whites contain the same amount of protein as one whole egg, which, again, is about 6 grams.

Milk “does a body good” not only because it is the best calcium source around, but also because it is a good source of protein.  One cup of skim milk contains a whopping 8 grams of protein.  Not only is milk a good source of protein on its own, it can be combined with vegetable proteins to make them a much more complete protein source.  No wonder wearing a milk mustache has become so popular!

If you are looking for another food that provides both protein and calcium, look to cheese.  Cheese happens to be very high in protein, and in calcium.  The only downfall of this wonderful food, for those on a low fat diet,  is that it is also very high in fat.  Hard cheeses such as cheddar, mozzarella, and American all contain about 7 grams of protein per ounce.  Consider eating cheese.  It is definitely worth the benefits.

Not only is hard cheese high in protein, cottage cheese is high in protein as well.  And yes, it provides a wonderful dose of calcium as well.  A nice quality of cottage cheese is that it is available in regular or fat-free.  For those of you that are dieting or bodybuilding, it is nice to know that just ½ cup of fat-free cottage cheese contains 14 grams of protein.  Yes, I said 14 grams.  Regular cottage cheese contains 13 grams per ½ cup.  With such high protein content, cottage cheese is something you cannot afford not to eat.  Besides, it is also friendly on the wallet.  You can find a pound of cottage cheese just about anywhere for only a few bucks. It’s also a handy filler for my bodybuilding lunch of friend ground beef, mix some cottage cheese in, pop it in the microwave and you have a high protein and tasty lunch.

A wonderful source of natural protein that we cannot forget is vegetable protein.  Vegetable proteins come in the form of legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds.  Although vegetable proteins are not quite as complete as animal proteins, they are still an important staple of a healthy diet.  Vegetarians all over the world swear by meals of beans and rice, and such meals provide the body with healthy amounts of protein.  Those of the carnivorous persuasion can combine vegetable and animal proteins for a diet super-high in protein that will help them keep a lean, muscular figure.

Last, but not least, comes protein powders.  Protein powders have been used for years by bodybuilders to promote massive muscle gains.  Protein powders provide a large dose of protein, and are commonly used as a meal replacement.  There are three major types of protein powders:  whey, casein, and hemp.  All three provide two to three times the protein found in food, and are a staple in the diet of those who wish to put on a few pounds of lean, hard muscle.

The most popular protein powder is whey protein powder.  Whey protein has the best combination of amino acids out there, and is highly soluble.  Whey protein works best when ingested after a workout and aids greatly in muscle recovery.  Not only does it have all these wonderful benefits, but it comes in just about every flavor imaginable.  The most popular is vanilla, but such flavors as chocolate brownie, cookies and cream, and peanut butter cup make it seem more like a dessert than a nutrient.  On average, whey protein powder is sold in two pound jars that contain pre-measured scoops that deliver a whopping 15-30 grams of protein per scoop.

Another major type of protein powder is casein protein powder.  Casein digests slowly, and works best for the body when taken at bedtime.  Casein helps prevent muscle breakdown, and provides 6-7 hours of protein absorption.  Casein provides close to the same combination of amino acids as whey protein, but does sit in the stomach for quite a few hours.  It is definitely not your morning type of protein, but can deliver all the protein you need while you sleep.

The least popular, and least known, type of protein powder is hemp protein.  Hemp protein is extremely high in fiber, and has a unique nutty flavor.  Hemp protein is the most popular among vegetarians, since it is 100% raw, organic hemp.  The price is a little steep, but hemp protein can be used in lieu of whey protein.  Again, hemp protein is perfect for vegans.  Another added bonus is that most of the manufacturers of hemp protein donate large amounts of their proceeds to promote the use of organic vegetables.

All in all, protein is indeed “of primary importance.”  Our bodies need protein in order to maintain lean muscle, and to recover from the rigors of day to day activities.  So go out, get some protein, and give your body the boost it needs to become strong and healthy.

Turn on the news and, within half an hour, you’re likely to see a report on the health benefits of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Unlike many food fads, the hype surrounding omega-3s is backed up by solid, decades-long research. These nutrients, sometimes referred to as “Vitamin F”, streamline your metabolism, increase brain function and decrease inflammation. While this may seem too good to be true, omega-3s have been found to make you thinner, quicker-thinking and less likely to develop heart disease and arthritis.

Unfortunately, the Western food supply is deficient in these nutrients. While meat, poultry and fish used to be excellent sources, they are now high in omega-6s, which are found in high concentrations in corn-based feeds. Omega-6s not only increase inflammation and fat-storage but, when eaten in improper balance, prevent the absorption of omega-3s.

The easiest way to add omega-3s to a Western diet is a fish-oil supplement. These capsules contain purified oils that are high in the essential fatty acid. Although they provide the most effective way to quickly increase your omega-3 intake, for the maximum benefit you should also alter your diet to include more omega-3s and fewer omega-6s.

Many nuts and seeds contain high quantities of omega-3s. Walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds and flaxseed are all excellent, omega-3 rich foods to add to your diet. However, these sources do not contain a complete fatty acid, which is comprised of ALA, DHA and EPA. Fruit and vegetable sources only contain ALA, which your body can convert to DHA and EPA, with some difficulty.

To consume a complete fatty acid, you should include protein sources that have been grass-fed or exclusively grazed. Grass-fed animals consume the ALA and convert it to DHA and ARA, saving your body the trouble. It can often be difficult, and expensive, to find grass-fed beef or poultry. Fortunately, there are many varieties of free-range eggs that are very high in omega-3s. If you live in a rural area, contact local egg farms to find out if their chickens are fed corn-feed or are free-range.

Dark-green, leafy vegetables, like spinach and romaine lettuce, are high in omega-3s and low in omega-6s. Many experts believe this is because omega-6s are responsible for fat storage, while omega-3s increase metabolism. Omega-6s are found often in plant seeds, like corn and wheat, while rarely found in high quantities in the leaves.

Fruits are also an excellent source of omega-3s. High-water fruits, such as melons and blackberries, contain very high concentrations. Pomegranates, which are believed to have anti-cancer properties, also contain much omega-3.

As you begin to change your diet, you should research your favorite foods to compare the concentrations of omega-6s to omega-3s. Omega-6s are the most common and found in nearly every food, so don’t worry about not consuming enough. By substituting foods high in omega-3s for those laden with omega-6s and taking a daily omega-3 supplement, you can reap all the health benefits of this essential fatty acid.

Well lots has been going on lately. I was in Saskatoon last weekend for the Canadian Nationals. What can I say, I got hammered. I came in 5th place wich I guess isn’t too bad when you consider how close the competition was.

They had us do 5 comparisions. With only six guys in the class that means there was absolutely no rest. It also means that we were all pretty close too. I was ready to collapse after the third round of comparisons and it showed. I think that cost me some points but it’s so hard to tell, the sport is very objective and the judges decision could be completely different on a different day.

To be completely honest though I was ready to pack it in and walk off stage after the third round of comparisons. I was irritated with the judges for not giving us a chance to rest, plus I felt totally alone. I would have lost it if it wasn’t for my girlfriend Jennette. She realized I was having a moment and gave me a shout of encouragement. That was all I needed to pull it all back together and finish the pre-judging.

The finals went much smoother. I was feeling good, confident (I thought I had 3rd place wrapped up … oops), and I was finally having a good time at the Nationals. It’s amazing, simply knowing that the outcome was already decided took away all of the stress of the event. I was actually relived though to not have been called out for the pose down. It was enough that I got to go on-stage and do my routine. I got to leave early and feed my tired body

The experience was definately worth it and I’d do it again. Hopefully next time I won’t have so much stress in my personal life and I’ll be better equiped to compete.

Plus it felt good when someone from the audience recognized me after the pre-judging and said I looked good, but he of course had some pointers on how I could look better. God bless him and his good intentions, just not what I wanted to hear just coming off of the pre-judging.

Check out the MABBA when you get a chance. You’ll find the dates for the next provincial body building competition.

Here are some pictures of me from the 2003 Provincials.

Getting shredded for a bodybuilding contents requires careful planning. The two most important factors in getting ripped for your contest are your diet and water retention. Sure your workouts are important but there seems to be no shortage of muscular bodybuilders in the gym, and the assumption here is that you’ve built up a physique you think is worthy of showing off on a stage.

Water retention is one thing that a lot of competitors struggle with. Everyone wants to come in dry as a bone but so many are smooth as babies.

It’s really simple when you realize that the more water you drink the less water you hold. Plus the goal here isn’t to be dried out from days before but to dial your water in to come in nice and tight for the pre-judging. That’s when they decide who wins your weight class and unless you’re a contender for the overall you should focus on the pre-judging.

The Plan

1. Start drinking 8 liters of water a day (I’m only 150 lbs at contest time so go up or down accordingly) on the Sunday before a Saturday show. Make sure to drink only distilled water.
2. Pick up an herbal diuretic and start taking 3 times the recommended dosage 4 days prior to contest time.
3. The day before the prejudging you’ll drink half your daily total by 24 hours prior to the prejudging. Stop drinking any fluids at this point. For example, prejudging is at 11 am on Saturday then on Friday you’ll drink 4 liters of water (assuming you’re the same size as me) by 11 am on Friday. After that you drink nothing, nada zip. No water, no Tab Cola, no tea until after the contest.
4. Eat some dry carbs in the evening (dry rye toast, rice cakes, etc..) and the morning of the contest (before, during and after pre-judging).
5. Water is allowed during the evening show but only sips. Just wet your mouth. An alternative to water that will help tighten you up a big more is a shot or two of hard liqour.

Why It Works

At first it seems a little backwards to be drinking in so much water when you don’t want to hold any. Many people (myself included when prepping for my first contest) like to gradually taper their water consumption down until contest day. This is not the right way to go. Your body will go into a water holding pattern and you’ll be crazed with thirst.

So why does it work? When you drink large quantities of water your body will do it’s best to flush it out. You’re essentially causing a diuretic effect and probably won’t need any help from herbal diuretics at all. The beauty is that once you stop drinking water is that your body will keep flushing it out. When you stop drinking water your body will still keep flushing it out. Even after 24 hours of not drinking water and eating dry carbs I was still urinating more than one would expect.

The dry carbs help with a couple things. Firstly the carbs, if you’ve been doing a CKD (aka Keto Diet), will make your muscles look fuller. Secondly the dry carbs will force your body to pull water out of your blood (and hopefully skin and fat cells) in order to help digest them.

If you follow this plan you’ll be dry, tight, and not that thirsty.

Enhancing the Plan

There are a couple of things that you can try to get just a little tighter. You can try using a prescription diuretic like Lasix or Aldactone. They’ll be more effective than an herbal diuretic but are not generally a good idea. People usually take too much and they can also cause electrolyte imbalances which can result in some pretty painful cramping while you’re on stage.

One of the best and safest over the counter product you can use for getting tighter is Preparation H. It’s a topical diuretic that pulls water out through your skin where you apply it. That’s how it shrinks hemorrhoids and it can help give you paper thin skin and tighten you up a bit more. It could be the difference between winning and coming in second.

I came across this diet on one or two bodybuilding forums. It’s an interesting take on dieting and it’s quite easy to follow.

Kakdiesel’s infamous Cheeseburger Diet

When I am cutting, I eat cheeseburgers..Around 6 a day..and I lose fat..No joke..and here’s how

For breakfast, lunch, and dinner I eat two cheeseburgers.

The hamburger beef is 4% lean, the cheese is fat free cheese singles, and the so called bun is two pieces of whole wheat bread.

Here’s how it works out. These are the totals for macronutrient ratio’s and calories

Bread (4 slices) 28 carbs, 16 protein, 4 fat, 200 calories 4% lean beef (8 oz = two patties) 0 carbs, 48 protein, 9 fat, 280 calories

I use mustard and diet ketchup as condiments that are almost neglible amounts of calories..i stack on the tomato, pickles, and lettuce which again, have neglible calories but add “ruffage” to my meal so I feel “fuller”

Total amount for each of the 3 meals I eat like that for the day?

28 carbs, 64 protein 13 fat , and roughly 500 calories

3 times a day, puts me at 84 carbs, 192 protein, 39 fat, and 1500 calories..

Now for my other three meals i eat (one between breakfast and lunch, one between lunch and dinner, and the same before bed), consists of 2 scoops of whey which works out to 10 grams of carbs, 42 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, and 260 calories each time. Therefore, when you add all of this together, my total for the day is:

114 grams of carbs, 318 grams of protein, and 54 grams of fat, and a total of 2280 calories for the day and i’m always FULL

Now the logic behind this diet (which you should do for everyday for 3-4 weeks straight) is this:

You will never crave junkfood mcdonald’s cheeseburgers (my favorite junkfood by the way) and by the end of the 3-4th week, you’ll be so sick of cheeseburgers and the taste of it, that you’ll be dying to get a can of tuna and some oatmeal..well at least it works for me…

Plus the greatest thing about this diet is that it is high in protein, low in carbs and keeps you full…basically every thing you need to have for a successful cutting cycle…any opinions, questions or comments?? (by the way, sometimes I add a 1/2 tablespoon of flax with my protein shakes in the morning and afternoon so that adds an additional 140 calories total for the day which isnt that much more anyways.)

I would like to re-iterate that this diet isnt magical..the combination of compounds found in red meat, bread, and stuff dont synegestically work to magically melt off fat..

the basis of this whole diet is to A) give you proper macronutrient ratios to provide an optimal environment within to allow fat oxidation and B) Give you that taste you might crave otherwise with other bland tasting diets–thus allowing you to not cheat really while still enjoying the taste of cheeseburgers daily and C) Make you so sick of cheeseburgers at the end that cheating on your diet will consist of tuna, chicken breasts and oatmeal..trust me, this shit will taste like candy after 6 weeks of burgers.

1. breakfast 2 burgers
2. snack, shake with flax
3. lunch 2 burgers
4. snack shake with flax
5. dinner 2 burgers
6. snack shake with flax
7. shake before bed

The cheeseburger diet sounds a little too good to be true when you first hear about it but when you get right down to the nuts and bolts it’s your garden variety isocaloric diet. It’s basically the Zone Diet.

A nice benefit to an isocaloric diet vs a CKD is that your carbs are low enough to stimulate fat loss, but not so low as to be unappealing or cause lethargy. You can go to the family BBQ and not stand out eating cheese burgers.

As written above it is a little uninspired. You can easily change this diet around and not lose the spirit of it.

First, you could mix it up a little by not just having hamburger patties all the time. Have some chicken, roast beef, or Tuna.

Whole wheat bread has a reputation for being healthy, but most overlook the fact that it is made with bleached flour. You’ll be better off if you use a more natural grain bread like rye bread or one of the fantastic multi-grains that are available.

The only other major improvement I could see to this diet would be to use a better source of essential fatty acids (EFA) than flax. Flax doesn’t have the right ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6. An EFA like Udo’s Choice or NaturalFactors RxOmega-3 Factors.

Over all though it’s a great diet, easy to follow, and the looks of disbelief from coworkers is worth it.

I have been experimenting with Cyclic Ketogenic Diets (CKD) since the spring of 1999 with some success. I always achieved a body close to what I thought was ideal but without a clear goal of where I wanted to end up I always fell short of what I thought was a great accomplishment.

It wasn’t until I made the decision that I would compete in my first contest in April 2002 that I made any progress that could be considered impressive.

In a nutshell

The CKD diet is relatively simple and one of the most effective diets. In a nutshell, the CKD involves eating 60% to 70% of your calories from fat, next to no carbohydrates (carbs) and rest of your calories from protein.

For my first contest I was taking in lots of fat. Approximately 12 to 15 table spoons of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) a day. That comes out to around 1500 calories day and I’m sure I made Dr. Udo proud.

Taking in all that fat is pretty easy if you make smart (sounds funny I know) choices about what you eat. Those 12 to 15 table spoons came from a mix of EFA’s sold under the name of Udo’s Choice and the rest from fatty food choices (like cheese, red meat, eggs, etc).

So you can eat doughnuts, right?

Eggs and cheese are great choices as they have almost the perfect fat to protein ratio and are typically low in carbs. Be careful with cheese though, some of the fancy cheeses have carbs in them so always read the label. If there is no nutritional break down you should be safe with a cheese that is over 35% moisture and 30% milk fat. Lamb, salmon, cod, and the more tender cuts of beef are also excellent choices. What will be harder than finding high fat low carb food is putting up with the annoying questions that often follow this misunderstood diet.

One of the questions I would get was “What can you eat?”, to which I always replied that anything high in fat and low in carbs was a good choice. This almost without fail raised the questions “What’s a carb?” and “You can eat doughnuts, right? They’re high fat.”. What’s painfully obvious is that most people have no clue with it comes to diet, exercise, nutrition, and why they can’t lose weight.

You still need to cut calories

Contrary to what Dr. Atkins and his followers think, you’ll still need to make a caloric restriction to help achieve you goals … that is if you’re goals involve rock hard abs or a body fit for the beach. Most people on a CKD or Keto diet are very focused on the ratio of fat to protein. I must admit that in my first contest I was also of this opinion. I was six weeks out of my show and I had only lost 5 pounds in what was already six weeks of dieting. It’s not that I hadn’t made good progress, my weight was down, my waist was smaller, and I was showing more and more shape all the time, but at the rate I was going I just wasn’t going to make my deadline of April 27th 2002.

March 14th, 2002 185 lbs

April 27th, 2002 151 lbs

Logically I figured that the ratio of protein to fat was probably too high due to the large amount of red meat that I was eating. I decided at that point to cut all my protein consumption in half. I also increased my cardio from 20 minutes a day to 40. This seemed to do the trick, the weight came off and I managed to come in looking respectable for my contest.

I had incorrectly assumed that my luck came from properly hitting the ratio of protein to fat. At 1500 calories of fat a day I was eating far too much. I figured this out by reading some posts by Lyle McDonald in the misc.fitness.weights news group.

Lyle had argued that ketosis was not necessary for fat loss and that it didn’t make sense to sacrifice protein in order to keep a fat to protein ratio while cutting down on calories. The formula was simple, according to Lyle, just take in .9 grams of protein per pound of Lean Body Mass (LBM), then subtract the calories from your daily maintenance, eat minimal carbs and make up the rest from fat. You can then reduce calories by taking away the fat. You can also cause a caloric deficit by increased activity.

I wasn’t satisfied with my first contest

I had a hard time wrapping my mind around this one but I knew I hadn’t hit the formula right for my first contest and decided to try a slightly different approach for me next contest, the Manitoba Amateur Body Building’s 2002 provincial competition on September 14, 2002.

I decided to keep my protein intake the same but cut the EFA’s down to 4 table spoons a day from 12 to 15. You can always tell when you’re taking in enough EFA’s as your skin is soft and without dry patches. 4 table spoons was plenty enough to keep my skin as soft as a baby’s. In addition to the intake of less fats I had also cut my cardio down to between 10 and 20 minutes a day. Truth be told that was all I had the energy for after the loss of calories from the reduced fat intake.

Novice April 27th, 2002 151 lbs

Provincials September 14th, 2002 147 lbs

The pictures aren’t the best for comparison but at 147lbs in September of 2002 I carried more muscle, less fat, and less water than I did at 151lbs in April of 2002. Not only was I leaner and harder, but I was also dead lifting 455lbs that September where previously in April I only could only dead lift 400lbs. My performance in the gym was around the same for most other exercises.

The real stark contrast in my physique was with my legs. While I had really nice abdominal definition during the April show my legs were smooth like a baby. It surprised me that I even took first place considering the other competitors were ripped to the bone. The second show I competed in brought no surprise on how I place. I was just as lean as the other guys, thicker, and my legs muscles were showing some fantastic separation.

The September show is where I really demonstrated the kind of potential I carried and I felt very satisfied with how I placed if not somewhat smug over having proven, in my mind at least, that the CKD diet is a good choice for competitive bodybuilders.